The Green Mountain Stage Race, Stage 1: (too stupid to know better)

GMSR Prolog, August 31, 2007.
40+ field.

1: Claude Samson (Ste-Foy (Que Metro) Inc.) 32:42
2: John Funk (FIORDIFRUTTA) 32:50
6: Troy Kimbal (Westwood Velo) 33:06
9: Joe Straub (CRCA - DKNY/Signature Cycle)33:15
42: Paul Carbonara (Century Road Club /Axis) 35:48
47: Michael Joseph (Colavita) 36:29
49: Tony Settel (Deno's) 36:38
50: John Tomlinson (Deno's) 36:43
55: Lee Mestres (Mambo's) 37:44
60: David Hudson (Mambo's) 42:10

In summary: a headwind, spasmodic legs, terrible thirst, blinding sweat, low blood sugar and a HR stuck at 171 most of the way excepting the top where in the last 80M I sprinted to catch the man ahead and shot over the line only to have as close a call with exercise-induced vomiting as I ever want to have.

In perfect weather and with another year of training in my legs for my 3rd GMSR, I rode up the App gap (East side) for the prolog in 36:29, a whole 29 seconds slower than last year and placed in the exact same 47th as last year making off with just 4 of the available 50 GC points.

This despite having my best legs yet for climbing, being 10 lbs lighter and having many thousands more miles on the clock.

One change to note, this year I rode in the 40+ group, a field that usually gets up the mountain a minute or more ahead of the Cat 4-B group of my past years. Additionally, and I see this born out across all the fields, all winner times by field were as much as 2 minutes slower than last year, an oddity that could be attributed to the high price of gasoline, global warming or possibly just the headwind. A whistler more and more noticeable as you climbed and at some points contrary enough to almost stop the few solo riders who had gone off the front early.

In Kenyon's field in Waitsfield where cars, trucks and vans from all over the country parked and riders began their various routines and ablutions I had been calm and methodical. I had registered early and then noting my tires were shot, rolled over to the Mavic support vehicle and asked for a new pair. Hey presta valve, I was presented with the very best Michelin racing tires as a gift...yes siree, just what this lad needs.



I got back to the van and noticed the woman to my right was working a hand pump on her wheels and rather painfully at that and so I offered her the use of my handy dandy Costco compressor which she accepted. Her name was Rose Lee and she was from Vermont. She would do the W 3/4 that went off before my field.

I warmed up differently this year also. Last year I warmed up by riding the mountain a few hours beforehand but doing it slowly and easily, this year I simply did some solid trainer runs to get the HR up and no more. I now think the climbing warm-up for a climbing event is your only man, certainly for me.

I also decided not to carry any fluids at all to save weight as I figured I could hydrate adequately beforehand and then holdout for the 36 minutes to the top without fluids. Sadly I also forgot to carry any Gel. This was a mistake as I really needed it after the first 15 minutes of climbing.

I rode out at the front (I had promised myself I would stay at the front this year as it is so hard to get there on the small roads) with Tony Settel of Deno's and we chatted nervously about the climb ahead and our shared experiences at Prospect park. He told me he was not a climber at all and more of a TT specialist. We had a 3 mile neutral start and when we crossed the bridge that marked the race proper, Tony took off and was promptly followed by two more eager beavers. I let them go and kept a good tempo at the front for a while.

Soon the skinniest guy I have ever seen came by me and got in front. I stayed right behind him looking at the big "Tonka" printed on his Jersey, wondering when toy companies had become race sponsors. A moment later a CRCA / AXIS rider came by and cut across me rather hard pushing me off that wheel. Then he took off and left us. Tonka rode a good hill, he kept it moving briskly and with a certain rhythm in his legs that looked unlikely to fail any time soon.

After a few minutes those early jumpers were in sight again and as soon as they were, a few more went. I stayed put, my HR was already at 162 and the headwind was making even this flatter section of the course a tough haul.

We caught Tony and two others and passed them and then a Black and White DKNY rider came past and sat ahead of me. I recognized this to be Joe Straub by his slightly rocking gait and knew he was going to be a man to beat on this climb. Next to me two riders locked bars and barged into the guardrail at 15 mph, no harm done.

The grinding and gnashing had started in earnest now and riders were steadily coming past me as I tried not to over do it knowing my muscles would fail if I pushed too hard too early. A rider ahead dropped his chain, I skirted around him and kept it going. The crowd in front began to pull away, and now at 171 bpm I knew I was at max and there was very little more to give this early. Soon the thirst started, the mouth began to glue up with the massive amounts of air being gulped and the sweat was pouring off the peak of my cap and dripping onto the front wheel.

The road turned and twisted and, as it does here and grew steeper with every turn. I made it to the wide clearing and right hand sweeper that marks the last mile to go. Then I heard my name being called out in encouragement and saw Rose standing nearby and waving at me, she seemed far away and in a slight haze but I looked over and grinned imagining I was off the front in the Alps with 5 minutes on the field.

The next twist saw the road pitch to an awful 16% or so. I heard riders behind me and in a valiant effort I stood up, popped it down to 3rd and began to swing. My speed picked up substantially on this steep road, so alas did my HR.

Stuck at 171 for most of the way up with 180 my max, it now surged to 175 and suddenly the legs came apart and I had to sit down. I looked back and the following riders had dropped over 200 feet back but the price had been high and now my HR would not come down. I had to slow up and get some recovery. The final stretch came into sight. I was really crawling now, ashamedly slow, like ready to get off the bike and walk crawling.

I passed one of those unbelievably toned biker women standing on the side of the road and she looked at me steadily and said, "just make it to the tower and you are done" and indeed, there it was, the radio tower at the top of the gap now in view....gasp, I was almost there, just this stretch and then the last climb.

I knew exactly what I would do now. A rider passed me just as I needed him to, he pulled slowly away, I righted myself, eased the breathing, took control back, cleared the face, the nose (excuse me) and then picked up some speed and held him in view, 100 feet ahead.

As the last climb to the tower came into view I stood up and sprinted, and by god was I amazed at what came out of the legs, I positively flew up this last stretch flat out, possibly pulling 20mph and rapidly hauled in the other rider. Faces along the side looked confused, "what is he doing" they seemed to say, "he can't go up here like that, he will pop!"

But no, I pushed as hard as I could and caught Mr James Nash of CCB Volkswagen NH right on the line.

...YEEEESSSSSSSssssss........ then I really did Pop.

Holding back on the urge to vomit, I scrambled to find somewhere to stop such that I could keep breathing, not have to stand up (couldn't), drink, and eat all at once. I was spinning in a haze of sugar failure, muscle spasms, howling heart rate and terrible thirst all with breathing like a volcano....but it was over, over, over!

I noted later that while I had been slower this year, so had everyone else. In fact on average the field was two whole minutes slower than last year while I was only 30 sec slower. I also noted that if I had ridden the same group (cat 4-B) as last year, my time would have put me into the top 20, A good improvement over last years 47th.

Then I noted something else, the 30+ field had a leader who finished a whole minute slower than the 40+. Given this, my time in the 30+ would have put me in the top 20….yow.

Down for my massage, a good meal and early to bed, more to come on the morrow.

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I have inserted a number of the times and places at the top of this post choosing racers I know and have raced with for many years. Joe is a master climber and placed first at Highpoint this year. The Deno's and Mambo's riders are usually very strong contenders in regular circuit events (Deno's dominate in Prospect park, the Mambo's in NJ) but you can really see how Dave Hudson the mambo's star sprinter (he took the NJ Crit championship 35+ in August) suffered on this one.

John Funk is a regular at prospect as is Paul C, they are always the ones to watch on those early Saturday mornings. Paul came second at Bear Mountain earlier this year, another brutal race.

Race results are here: http://www.velocityresults.net/results/113/gmsr-stage-1-waitsfield-vt