CA/NV State RR Championship, Diamond Valley, NV

7/31/2009 | Kyle plagiarizes:

A quick recap from Kyle of the Masters 35+ State RR Championship last weekend. Some of you will recognize parts as I have plagiarized the email from Boots.



July 25th, Diamond Valley, 6 laps, 66 miles, 95+ degrees, headwind on River Road, tailwind on the climbs, x-wind in the valley Safeway: Jonathon Eropkin, Kyle Glerum Others: 40 Starters including Andres Gil, Craig Roemer, Rick Bradley, Matt Ream, 4 Clovers, 4 NorCals

Kyle was totally dedicated to working for Jon in this race "I have no notions of actually winning this race" were his words at the line. Our strategy was simple, when it predictably blew apart on one of the climbs, we make sure one of us is in front of the detonation, then the story would be written as usual. Break-away for the win and chase fails because nobody is willing to work hard and risk towing someone else into an advantageous position.

We took an easy first lap (gruppo compacto) with one guy taking a first-lap flyer, then started lap two, Jon decides to go harder on the first climb. Boom! detonation. He crested the false flat of the first climb in the big ring and looked back to see who came with him. Not surprisingly, nobody.... there were 4 guys struggling to get over the top and the rest of the field strung out in clumps. So he put his head down and motored across to the guy dangling off the front. It seems that he was a cat 5 and wouldn't be much help. Jon told him to hang onto his wheel for a while to see if he recovered. No dice.

Back in the field, we regrouped and crested the second climb mostly intact. Andres attacked in the valley and got a good gap and made progress getting across. After about 10 minutes of riding, Andres closed the 3 minute gap (!!) and he and Jon started rotating, the three-man group was essentially two. They dropped their cling-on on the next climb, then Jon suffered a massive implosion of the third kind. Andres looked back and asked "you ok?". Jon replied "yeah im ok". Ten seconds later he looked back again and asked "you ok?". From 30m back Jon replied "no, im not ok!". Boom!

Andres rolls away, and now Jon is solo between Andres and the group which is down to about 20. Chad Timmerman went across to Jon in the valley at the end of the third lap, he didn't have pity on Jon and expects him to rotate. They ended up back in the field before the feed zone.

The group rode poorly the 4th lap, only half were willing to work, we tried to rally a chase, but we dropped almost half those left without even trying.

By the start of the 5th lap the field was down to 12, Andres still off the front, and zero cooperation. After trying to get guys to at least pull through, Jon rolled away before the finish line and wound up solo, again. He put his head down and pushed it (miraculous recovery!). What was left of the field sort of chased and he got caught on the river road, but now we're down to 8 still chasing Andres. Jon told Kyle that everyone's going to be marking him, so that's a great opportunity for Kyle to capitalize on their mistakes. The remaining 8 guys stayed together over the climbs with the hope of using our numbers to put together a chase on the final lap.

Through the feedzone a little spirit came back into the group. But, it quickly waned. Again there were only a couple guys willing to work and several just happy to sit on the back. Opportunity was knocking, Kyle answered. He found himself off the front after a failed rotation on river road. He hadn't intended to attack but everyone was tired, a couple bike lengths became 50m, then kept growing. With the headwind on the downhill river road he had an advantage. Knowing there would be a tailwind up the climb, he paced himself and waited to evaluate the potential at the bottom of the first hill. Go Kyle! He put about two minutes on the field by the start of the climbs. It was commit time. Worst case, Jon got a free ride in the chase. At the top of the second climb the field was not in sight. Only a couple miles through the valley left.

The field looked at Jon but kept riding slow and steady. He wasn't going to chase. At 5k to go EMC's Rick Bradley rolled off to claim third (Jon let him go so he didn't motivate an all out chase). Jon then head-faked the field at 1km to go, they took the bait and started sprinting way too far out, he rode the wave and easily won the sprint for 4th.

Kyle finished second by several minutes in front of the field, and Andres was several minutes in front of Kyle.

Great race, and great teamwork!