Posted by Dan on 12. March 2012 19:07
by Frank "The Snow King" Cundiff
SnowCone #3 and Snowball #1 2/25-2/26
SnowCone race started out as any other race does, 45 degrees 20-30 mph winds. Pulling up in the parking lot felt like going into a bar you’ve been going to for years. Everbody waving and giving hugs as you walk to registration. I picked up my number, got dressed, and rode around to warm up. In the sun, and without the wind, it was actually pretty nice. The race started off fast, and stayed the way. Our team tactics were set in stone; “It’s a training race… who cares.” We would attack over and over no matter who was up the road, and that is what we did. Dan did what he could while trying to not cough up both lungs. The second half of the race became just short of a crash fest. Pour Jake King went down as the first victim of the vicious 2 inch “gutter lip”, followed shortly by Craig Dodson. A few laps later Dan got caught behind a crash just outside of the 180, but he didn’t go down. Everyone started to get
squirrely in the last couple laps, and then it happened. On the bell lap as we were coming into the 180 the field was trying to crowd the outside lane to line up for the U-turn, and some people crossed wheels, and went down. I tried to avoid it, but ended up bailing into the dirt and tumbling to safety my bike tumbling over me. When I sat up it looked like chaos. Jake was on the deck for the second time with two bikes on top of him. Craig was down again also, and so were many others. From what I found out Dan King won the race. Congrats Dan. Thankfully there were no broken bones, and it seems that the only real casualties of the race were Mark King’s bike and Jake’s long sleeve skinsuit. Regardless, it was a good race on a fun course. Thanks to Careytown Bicycles, Whole Foods Cycling and Tim Mullins for hosting a great race once again.
I always look forward to the Snowball races hosted by Virginia Beach Velo. Celerity helps out, and as such we were out there in force two hours early to set up cones and sweep corners. Whenever I am at this course it I think of the Cat 5 race where I, Jim Rogers, and teammate Justin Leopold lapped the field a short two years ago. I really enjoy this race. Last year’s snowball crit #2 was the wettest most fun races all year in my opinion.
This year we lined up with 35-ish people, including the recently absent Elliott Craddock. It was good seeing him out there back on the bike. The race started off fast. Hugh Brown started out in front, railing it for the majority of the first lap. Then Chip Goble, I, and a few others took turns sending attacks up the road, and chasing them down. 18 minutes in we had a group of 8 or 9 with a gap, but there was no organization. Within two or three laps the field had almost caught us. So I did the only logical thing, and attacked the break. I looked back and saw I had a gap. I went hard for a full lap, and then soft pedaled the back stretch, waiting for the field to catch me. When I looked back I saw the field sitting up, so I hit it hard again through the front stretch. I repeated this a couple laps, and eventually was joined by the quartet of Bryan “Pedro” Hoy, Matt Keane, Bryan Sorrell, and Andy “Chef” Demarchena. We rotated pulls for a few laps, and then realized that Sorrell and Matt had fallen off. We then rotated through each person taking turns on the front. Bryan pulled us through the head wind stretch on more than a few occasions. He is a beast on the bike. As we came around for 6 to go the gap was 22 seconds. The next lap the gap was at 30, and that followed with 40. We were home free. There weren’t any games played the last two laps, and as we came around for the finishing stretch Pedro gassed it and I grabbed his wheel. I came up beside him, and as we came to the line threw my bike. As we took our cool down lap Bryan and I looked at each other and tried to figure out who won, but to no avail. It would take another cool down lap for the officials to check the video, but I took it with the bike throw by mere inches. A lot of thanks for yet another awesome training race go to Bill Collins and Virginia Beach Velo.
Looking forward to round two next weekend.
Posted by Dan on 14. February 2012 16:42
Article by Frank Cundiff
The easiest way to get in a cold pool is to just dive in. I think the same can be said for racing as well. I journeyed down to Florida for the week leading up to this race with something like 24 of my closest friends for a week of long, hard rides in what I have termed “pretend to be a pro for week”. I finished the week of riding with everyone on Friday with a total of 527 miles over 7 days. What better way, I decided earlier in the week, to finish out the training week than with a race.
[Race] for Humanity is a road race that takes place about an hour from where we were staying that week. Throughout our week I attempted to coerce fellow Virginians to join me in the P/1/2 race to work as a team, but in the end I lined up solo. When pre-registration closed there were ten of us signed up. I became a little cheery knowing the pay-out was 15 deep, however come race day there were well over 50 racers ready to go.
Once I arrived I picked up my bib and timing chip, and then got everything ready. The race was to be 68 miles over four laps of 17 miles apiece over rollers with a vicious 15-20mph head wind along the finishing 4 mile stretch. I rode around for about half an hour just spinning the legs and checking out who else was there. It made it a little more nerve-racking not knowing anybody else there, and recognizing teams such as Team Type 1, Kenda, Global Bike, and Texas Roadhouse didn’t help either. My goal for the race was to try and piggy back on a bigger teams attack and luck myself into a break. If I didn’t get in one then I would try to hang in and just finish with the field.
In the first lap I stayed near the front, and watched the first attack go up the road; it was brought back instantly. As soon as contact was made with the field a TT1 rider countered. I grabbed his wheel and we shot up the road. I looked back and we had two other people with us, but after two rotations the field had us back. Immediately a US Military rider attacked and I went with him as well, but again to no avail. This continued a few more times until I was well into the red and had to venture back into the field to recover. As I did this a group of four went up the road and the field failed to respond. Due to a center line rule I was trapped as I watched them go. Then about a half lap later another group of about 6 went as well. There was nothing I could do. We kept them within our sights, and on the third lap about 5 miles into it I attacked and tried to bridge, but that wasn’t happening. I then attacked as we came up the climb towards the start/ finish. It failed, but I decided to drag the field around and stay on the front through the feed zone to make it easier on myself. I then entered the feed way too hot and tried to grab a bottle from my wonderful girlfriend at 22 mph and dropped it. The last lap was the easiest with nobody wanting to chase the break-away, and I tried to attack with 2km to go, but got caught as the headwind coupled with the uphill deemed too much for me to handle. I finished in the pack, and overall was happy with my first Pro/1/2 race, and first race of the year.
Posted by Dan on 14. February 2012 16:39
Article by Frank Cundiff
The 2011 cyclocross season was a first for Celerity Cycling as teammates Frank Cundiff, Anthony Bream, Wick Smith, and Brandon Carter took to the dirt to test their handling skills.
I started this season off at the UCI event of Charm City CX hosted by C3. Going into the event as a Cat 3 in the 2/3/4 field was a rude awakening to the strenuous efforts that this sport requires. From the gun you are required to sprint like it’s the last 200m of a crit in order to secure a good starting position, and hold a hard effort through the entirety of the race. Racing half the season I finished mid-pack at several MACC races and podiumed two VACX series races. Next year will be as a Cat 2, and going into it a little more serious.
Anthony Bream took to the dirt with more gusto than most. Proving that will is just as important as fitness in any cycling race. Anthony raced well in several Cat 4 races in the VACX series this year, and I believe in the season next year he will be a dominant figure. You better look out for this guy he’s gunning for YOU.
Brandon Carter is relatively new to the sport and the team. He will be racing this season on Celerity Cycling’s Cat 5 squad and will move up to the Cat 4 squad without problems. This CX season Brandon raced several VACX series races, and made significant improvements in each event he competed in finishing up the season at Trashmore CX in Virginia Beach. Brandon finished this race in the top 15 of the field. As Brandon gains experience he will become more recognized as well.
Team Wick Smith had a fantastic dirt season this year albeit a short one. On whim Wick raced the beginner race at DCCX signing up dead last and as a result starting 106th in the field. This didn’t matter though as Wick made his way up to finish in the top 5. Wick also raced the Tidewater Mountain Bike challenge winning the sport class with over a minute gap to second place.
Posted by Dan on 6. September 2011 06:04
It's been more than two whole weeks since the Appalachia Visited road race concluded so I suppose I should document that fateful day's events before I forget the facts and start making things up.
The seventh and final event in the Appalachian Road Series Championship, West Virginia State Championship road race and final race in the GamJams Cat 3 Cup p/b Mountain Khakis was held in Rowlesburg, WV. A 59 mile loop through the beautiful rolling West Virginian countryside set the stage for the final showdown between me and Brian Sjoberg (Team Bike Doctor). As you're probably already aware, Brian and I had been vying for the top spot in the Cat 3 Cup individual competition for several weeks, neither of us ever further than a few points from attaining that goal. At the start of the final event, Brian led by 1 point. All I had to do to win was get a top 10 finish and cross the line one place in front of Brian. Easier said than done.
Our race was scheduled to be a Cat 3/4 race. Both the 1/2/3 and 3/4 fields were a bit anemic so they were combined to give us a 30+ rider group. The first eighteen miles were pretty calm. A few guys would charge up the road but the main field wasn't really interested in chasing. The road traveled south out of Rowlesburg along the Cheat River, so the terrain was relatively flat with two minor climbs where mild pressure was applied by the group’s leaders in an effort to cut into the break's lead.
A right turn put us at the beginning of the first of two big climbs. The average gradient over the entire 5+ mile climb was only 3.3%, but it steadily increased on the way to the summit, with the final mile averaging about 6%. Near the base, both Frank and I individually tried a few attacks to put some breathing room between us and the group, but we were quickly brought back. We would all suffer together (except for those six guys that had gone up the road right after the turn). I kept an eye out for Brian and tried not to burn any more energy than was necessary to keep pace with him. When the group shattered and individuals made their way to the summit, Brian passed me while glued to another rider's wheel. I distinctly recall thinking that this climb was relatively long and that I could do well by staying at threshold and not redlining this early. I'd eventually catch them near the summit. Having made up my mind, I watched the two of them disappear up the road while I slogged on.
Imagine my surprise when I reached the summit and everyone was gone. They were busy recovering on the descent while I was still climbing and now chasing. I had no idea how much time I'd lost. I tucked in tight and began the eight mile descent that would take me to the next right turn and another relatively long, flat stretch. While laying down on the bike, humming along at 45 mph, I tried to paint a picture of the race as I understood it. There was a strong looking group of six that hit the climb first and they seemed to be gone. I'd assume they were still intact. Next was the hoard containing Brian that had surely regrouped by now and was descending quickly. Then me. I had passed Frank a long time ago on the ascent and I hadn't seen him in several miles so I assumed he was off the back with maybe 10 others. I had to make it to the main field or my 6 hour drive west would be wasted.
Nearly eight miles after the second right turn, I finally caught sight of the peloton just ahead. Quite motivated, I pushed through and latched onto Brian's wheel, getting the chance to rest a little. The group was rolling easy, trying to recover before the next big climb. Matt Phillips (Haymarket Bicycles) was on the front, trying to drum up some interest in chasing down the leaders, but no one was going to help whitewash that fence. Maybe five minutes later, I got word that Frank had rejoined the group. He and a few others were right behind me during the chase. Still hyped up over that frantic chase, I moved to the front to help Matt close the gap to the leaders a little, but it wasn't easy with four or five in the rotation but only two really interested in working. We'd give back everything we gained as soon as someone else pulled through. Matt would eventually leap-frog his way into a solo move and leave us for dead as he tried to make his own way in the world. We chilled out and, thanks to Dave Cobb of Team Traveller, enjoyed a nice cold beverage while we waited for our hill to be ready.
The third right turn put us on the George Washington Hwy pointed toward the final climb of the day, a 4.5 mile lump with an average gradient of only 5%, but it was a wicked 5%. The evilest 5% you've ever seen. I moved myself into position behind Brian and prepared for the worst. No matter how deep into the red we'd go, I wasn't going to back off. There'd be no catching back on this time. After the summit, it was a fast 7 mile downhill run to the finish line. Ian Spivack (DCMTB) took over the pace-setting role and made everyone hurt. He opened a small gap with one guy giving chase. Brian was stuck on that guy's wheel and I was just as stuck to Brian's wheel. I have no recollection of what was going on behind me as I was unable to see anything from my vantage point in the hurt locker. With maybe a half mile to the summit, I couldn't take anymore and bid our small chase group of three adieu. Ian was still killing it and the other two were still keeping the loss to a minimum, but I was cooked. I let go and finished the climb alone, hoping they'd both slow up too, but knowing they wouldn't.
I made it to the summit alone and had lost site of the other three. I was really looking forward to the fast descent to the finish, what with its 15 mph switchbacks, roadside bars full of cheering, bearded bikers and very slow traffic. Coming into one of said switchbacks, I had a Toyota, two Harley Davidsons and a Cadillac Escalade in front of me, cautiously tip-toeing around the bend. It took less than a second to throw caution to the wind and pass the whole lot in one fell swoop. I bombed the rest of that hill and made the final left-hand turn with three miles to the finish line. My average speed was 28 mph over the last three miles and my power dipped below 300 watts for only a moment when I thought my face had melted off. I was desperately trying to catch sight of Brian in the expanse of empty road ahead of me. I only caught sight of him and Ian after I'd crossed the finish line. They reported that Ian had won, Brian took 2nd and the wheel that he was on belonged to the 1/2/3. That put me in 3rd. The exact opposite of how I wanted this to play out. Frank crossed the line taking 7th place giving us flatlanders two top 10 finishes.
Brian Sjoberg, Ian Spivack and Dan on the podium.
After swapping post-race stories in the river and posing for podium pictures, Frank and I packed up and headed east for the Dawg Days of Summer Crit in Bowie, MD the next day. This race was probably the best race of the season, with its fantastic course, challenging climbs and phenomenal competition. Congratulations to both Ian and Brian for running a fantastic race, and a hearty well-done to Brian for winning the individual GamJams Cat 3 Cup. Frank's 7th place finish helped us lock-in first place in the team competition. The latter part of the competition was extremely exciting and I learned a great deal by participating. For example, always look back to see where the guys that can help you are and never, ever assume you'll catch the leaders when they blow up. Chances are they will not blow up and will probably eat your lunch later.
Big thanks to everyone involved in making this a fantastic day of racing, well worth the drive from Norfolk, specifically, J.R. Petsko and his army of volunteers and sponsors and Mike May and the guys at GamJams for conceiving of and promoting the GamJams Cat 3 Cup p/b Mountain Khakis. Had I not submitted my Cat 2 upgrade request from the car immediately after the race, which has since been approved, I'd give it more attention next year.
Posted by Dan on 16. August 2011 18:38
Frank with a thing in his beak. Photo by Dan Gibson.
Sunday was the second PLT time trial for me, Frank, Jerry, Anthony and Kirk. Steve would be officiating. This would be my very last BAR race of the year and my one chance to get the points necessary to catch Mickey Turner (Carytown Bicycle Company). Joe Altomare (Hilton Cycling Club) is promoting the very last BAR race of the season, but Frank and I won't be able to attend so this was it. On the upside, the temps were relatively cool and the 7-8 mph winds were blowing the Dismal Swamp's smoke straight north. On the other hand, it looked like rain and the winds were a bit shifty.
Dan at the start. Photo by Marcus Wright.
The rain started 15 minutes before my start. Aside from a little rear wheel slippage in the first few corners, the ride was pretty uneventful. I didn't put out the power I wanted (I was shooting for one billion watts) nor did I set a personal best for that course, but that was to be expected with wet roads. I finished in 0:49:26 for 1st in the Cat 3s and third in the combined 1/2/3/4. Frank got 4th with a 0:52:04. Kirk took 5th in the highly competitive 40+ field with a time of 0:51:38 while Jerry rode a 1:02:24. Anthony finished 14th and bested the hour mark with a time of 0:59:55.
When the dust settled and BAR points could be counted, I finished the season with 465.5 points. Mickey's 5th place finish put him at 466.5 with a insurmountable one point lead. I'll put in for an upgrade after this weekend's race and look forward to a more relaxing 2012 season.
Posted by Dan on 16. August 2011 18:13
My 2011 road season (as if I had any other seasons) is nearly over. There were only a few more races on the calendar including a rather big one in Belgium next month. To cap off the Virginia races, Celerity Cycling headed nowhere because the Chesapeake Crit and PLT Numero Dos were mere minutes from Norfolk.
Saturday's crit was the Virginia age-graded championships. As I'm usually careful so as not to trigger a torrent of Frank's age jokes, I opted to chase the big money and join Frank in the 1/2/3 race. Anthony, Jerry, Steve and Anthony were contesting the 4/5 field. Kirk came to spectate as he wasn't able to register before that race filled to capacity. Jerry used the Masters 40+ race to warm up his legs for the afternoon race.
Jerry's Masters race was first. He hung with the pack for a while until he was sufficiently warmed-up, then pulled himself so as not to overdo it. Wise move as that race was 50 minutes of fast and furious championship action that showed no signs of letting up.
1/2/3 Line-up. Photo by BJ Samuel.
Frank having a moment before the start. Photo by BJ Samuel.
The 1/2/3 group took to the course following two insane kids' races. 35 riders lined up for 80 minutes of fun in the sun. A few early attacks kept the pace high but it was Tyler Karnes off the front in a solo move that provided the seed for what would be the successful break. The field would splinter into a bazillion chase groups as riders would bridge up to the leaders and later get dropped.
Frank. Photo by BJ Samuel.
I found myself in the remnants of the peloton with Frank, trying to latch back on the second chase group. Frank positioned himself on the front and put out a monster effort to get me close so I could bridge up to the group ahead. I made it but Frank didn't. Shortly after his heroic effort, he was shelled and pulled out. Apparently he and Death had a little chat but Frank staged a strong comeback and Death left empty handed. He'd (Frank, not Death) spend the rest of the race shouting useful things at me.
7-Eleven. Photo by BJ Samuel.
After latching on to the second chase, I moved on to the next group. This group was home to Jared Neiters (XO Communications/Battley Harley-Davidson), Keith Johnson (Atlantic Velo), Dirk Pohlman (Texas Roadhouse p/b Motorex) and Walker Owen (Happy Tooth/Bandwidth.com). We represented 7th-11th place. I knew Jared had at least one guy up the road so I wasn't shocked when he passed on pulls. What I failed to comprehend was that Dirk and I were the only ones that DIDN'T have guys up the road. Dirk knew the score and rode accordingly. I, on the other hand, rode a bit more "chasey" than I should have. When Walker kicked, I went with him. We had a small gap I tried to nurture but we were quickly caught. As I pulled off the front, they kicked again and that was it for me. Off the back I went. I soloed for a while until Paul Ward, Mason Haymes and Lane Napolitano came sailing by. I hopped on their train and rode out the remaining 6 laps as a passenger. On the back side, Paul would take off for the win. I secured my 11th place spot without being caught by the field.
Jerry, Steve and Anthony raced next. The 50 rider 4/5 race was lit up by a fierce showing from Fat Frogs Racing and Nick Tempest (Tripower). Jerry and Anthony would eventually succumb to the constant need to sprint from the corners while Steve rode an active race but would come to settle in with the pack for 20th place.
One more to go. Peter L. Teeuwen Memorial 23 mile Time Trial was next.
Posted by Dan on 11. August 2011 19:18
Following last weekend's inaugural running of the Shenandoah Time Trial, I began exhibiting withdrawal symptoms: muscle aches, agitation, heightened anxiety and yes, maybe a little more tearing than usual. Clearly I was going through withdrawal from the rolling goodness called Page County and after only one hit to boot. My dealer, Chris Gould, promised another hit soon enough. The Tour of Page County would satisfy even the darkest craving.
Our grueling yet satisfying weekend would begin on Saturday with a quick drive up to Stanley, VA. A quick stop at the registration table to grab our numbers and Frank and I made for the feed zone where we parked and set up. The ride back down to the starting line served as a warm-up. After a few additional involuntary warm-up laps, the Cat 3 field massed up behind the 1/2/3s. About three minutes into our five minute wait, I realized I probably should have emptied my bladder. Too late. The officials were giving their centerline rule speech and guys were already half clipped in. Relief would have to wait.
The calm before the storm.
Photo by Dave Cobb (Team Traveller)
I started on the back of the field so as to keep a keen eye on Brian Sjoberg (Bike Doctor). Brian and I were engaged in an epic battle for the lead of the GamJams Cat 3 Cup p/b Mountain Khakis - a points competition that included a number of great events throughout the season. With only three races left, Brian and I were tied at 50 points. As I eked out one finishing place higher than him at last weekend's time trial, I got to wear the leader's jersey. Wearing it in previous races had proven detrimental to my escape attempts, but I had no such ambitions for this race. Slow and steady wins this race.
To add just a little more pressure to this one, Frank and I were also leading the GamJams team competition. This race was also the Virginia state championship road race and the last race in the Virginia Omnium. Having won both the Wintergreen Hill Climb and the PLT time trial, I was in contention to win the omnium with Mickey Turner (Carytown Bicycle Company) as my primary competition. Speaking of Mickey, we were also still locked into yet another epic struggle for the Virginia BAR competition. Mickey held a considerable lead but it was shrinking quickly and this race was worth double points. Though he was injured, he showed up ready to ride and hoping to increase his gap.
From my place at the back of the peloton, this was a wonderfully easy race. I did absolutely no work other than hanging on and chatting with Brian, Gus Grissom (GamJams/November Bicycles) and Ben Frederick (Team Traveller), whom I was helping get upgrade points by reminding him not to attack too early. Always glad to help. An early attack of two went up the road a ways and Frank tried to bridge/chase, helping me by keeping the field together. Though the leaders had a multi-minute gap on us, we eventually shut them down after welcoming Frank back to the ranks. The size and strength of the main field made all escape efforts futile. For a breakaway to succeed, a sizeable group would have to be well organized and then maybe they could stay away. We just weren't seeing that. One or two riders off the front were no threat. Slow and steady.
A lap and a half into our race, we were neutralized to allow the Masters 30+/40+ riders to come through. Too slow, but steady. At last I was afforded the opportunity to relieve myself without having to die trying to catch back on to the speeding group or, worse, awkwardly conducting operations on the fly.
A lap later, I found myself on, then off the front. It wasn't intentional, but a gap formed and I believe there's no greater atrocity than wasting a good gap. I turned up the heat a little and started riding away from the pack. Could it really be this easy? I looked back just to make sure I wasn't imagining it. My entire field of vision was occupied with the hulking image of Mickey Turner. Though he was nursing a hamstring injury, he just couldn't let me ride away like that so he bridged. Worrying more about Brian, I thought this might work so we started up the second climb of that lap. It took the field all of about 30 seconds to realize this wasn't good for anyone and they shut us down. I must say I appreciated their efforts.
It was on that climb that I found Frank had dropped, changed and started passing bottles. I didn't know he was even off the back. His bridge attempt and subsequent time trial effort had depleted him and he was shelled on one of the climbs.
Paul Low (Team Traveller) would set out on his own and had a 2'30" gap on the field for quite a while. Though no concentrated effort was made to reel him in, he eventually came back just before the bell lap. He looked very tired. The group was all together for the last lap. Halfway through it, I watched Patrick McKeegan (HPC/List) ride off the front. I considered bridging or chasing, then thought better of it. With two climbs before the finish, I was sure the others would pick up the pace and bring him back. No point in killing myself. We tackled the last climb and approached the second. Patrick's gap was initially reported to be 25 seconds, then quickly changed to 45 seconds. He was gone and assumed to be the winner. Ben Frederick was riding near the front, as was Brian. I hovered nearby, waiting for the moment. The tension going into the last climb was palpable. All it took was one guy to stand up and we were off. Whether they knew their butt was a starter pistol or not is irrelevant, but the resulting sprint was not. Ben had a clear shot and took off like a rocket. I came around on the left side and chased him like he'd just stole my iPhone. Ben took second and I was third. Brian was fourth. I'd managed to defend our individual and team lead in the GamJams Cup and pull ahead by 2 points. I'd also won the Virginia Omnium and racked up a ton of BAR points. Still not enough to overtake Mickey, but I was closer.
Shortly after our finish, the Cat 4 field took to the start line. Our teammate Steve Monk would be this group and we set up camp in the feed zone, ready to pass him much needed bottles as he did for us in the previous race. Steve fell off the back near the end and was pulled while the leaders started the final lap. It was surely frustrating for Steve, but he wore a look of contentment, almost as though he was glad it was over.
Our last shot at getting a Page County fix would be the Luray Crit on Sunday. Good times for sure.
The Luray Crit is a fiendishly grueling 8-corner crit with a wall of a climb leading up to the finish. Only a block long, this 8.5% climb would snatch the life out of anyone given enough laps. We'd give it 25 chances and no more. The goal of this race was exactly the same as yesterdays: watch Brian Sjoberg (Bike Doctor), watch Mickey Turner (Carytown Bicycle Company), don't die and if possible, help Ben get a good finish - just so long as it doesn't interfere with objectives 1 through 3. After a few warm-up laps and a couple failed break attempts. Brian Sjoberg went off the front alone. I says to myself, "Self, that's perfect! Let him fry out there alone!!" I trailed happily behind him in the group, watching and waiting. The longer he sat out there by himself, the more energy he wasted. I could counter his move on the hill, sure that Ben or someone like Ben would go with me, or I could just wait it out and use my stored up energy to overtake him in the final sprint. Beautify. But wait, what's this? Ben Frederick is bridging? Ah, clearly he's going to bring him back. Right? No. Ben grabbed Brian and the two of them immediately began working together. I could chase (and die) or bridge (and die) or let others bring them back. Problem was no one left in the field was as motivated to bring them back and relied on the "wait and see" tactic, which I was secretly also doing, thinking Ben would hit the hills hard and shell Brian who would eventually drift back to us.
Frank leading the charge up The Wall. Photo by Dave Cobb (Team Traveller)
Long story short, that never happened. Ben and Brian rode it out, tempting the wall the requisite 25 times and besting it, finishing 1st and 2nd respectively. With three to go, I attacked the group in the technical downhill and took Jake King (Hot Tubes Development Team) with me. Jake and I gutted out the last few laps and sprinted for the line well ahead of the pack. I got 3rd and Jake took 4th. Point difference between 2nd and 3rd place was 3, but my lead was only 2. It doesn't take a mathemagician to figure out Brian had moved into the lead by a single point. Frank finished with 4th in the bunch sprint, 9th overall.
Jake King letting Dan have the final sprint. Photo by Dave Cobb (Team Traveller)
That last sprint was it for me. My addiction had been beaten. I was finally over the hills, descents, more hills and wicked climbs. I limped back to the car feeling like a new man. A new man who finished 3rd in the Tour of Page County Omnium and had bested a terrible addiction to roads that occupy THREE dimensions. I'd head back to Hampton Roads and give thanks each day for the flatness that is my training grounds and under no circumstances would I ever... wait, what? West Virginia's Appalachia Visited is the last race in the GamJams Cat 3 Cup p/b Mountain Khakis? Done deal! I'm in! I'll check into rehab immediately after I finish.
Steve looking happy to be on his bike.
Photo by Dave Cobb (Team Traveller)
Steve was the last to ride this weekend in the Cat 4 crit. He'd muscle his way through lap after lap, finishing 31st.
1st place Ben Frederick, 2nd place Brian Sjoberg and Dan on the final podium.
Celerity Cycling sincerely thanks Page Valley Cycling, Whole Wheel Velo Club, Syn-Fit Race Team and especially Chris Gould for making the effort to promote a phenomenal weekend of racing. The amount of work involved in an event of this magnitude is astonishing and these guys did made it look effortless. Bravo! Can't wait until next year.