The road less taken . . .

When I first started planning my season the Wintergreen Hill Ascent TT was a top priority. In fact so much I tried to plan my one fitness peaks this season around the race. I researched the hell out of the race, looked up previous times and what won the Cat 4 last year, the elevation change, the grade, everything.

Well I also saw a Cat 3/4 race up in Lancaster County, PA that looked to be as challenging. I have done plenty of TTs and gone up plenty of hills, maybe not one of the steepest in the state but enough to compare, Howard's Lick Road in Lost River State Park, Tanner's Ridge Rd in Stanley, VA. With just receiving my Cat 4 upgrade (Thank you Tracy!) Thursday night and having faith in the upgrade I pre-registered for the Turkey Hill Country Classic for the 3/4 race to really see where I stand and it was longer, 92kilometers with three laps up Gamber's wall.

With the recent heat wave and the course which included three trips up Gamber's Wall on the last three laps this was really going to be a race of attrition. This was my first time racing in a field this size, completely sold out at 100 riders. So I had to be very conscience of my pack maneuvering and keep an eye out on things.

While warming up I saw PhillBilly and rode with him a bit as he explained the course to me and warned me that the sprint would start a few hundred meters too early and to ride their draft but basically race smart and stay in the pack.

With his advice I was off to the staging area, and the whistle goes off. Well I found myself in somewhat unfamiliar territory, dead effing last. I didnt have high aspirations as my goal was really to stick with the pack, but after the first couple laps the rolling hills and sprinting out of turns really started to wear on people. Honestly the first two laps I spent at the back didnt bother me too much I was doing a lot of coasting and moving up and down the back with the hills and with a race of almost 60 miles I had plenty of time to make my way to the front.

Well the third lap in I found myself in the top 10 and would often go off the front in a turn if I was able to get my line, I didnt attempt to attack as it was still too early but it was interesting to have the entire pack swarm you in a sprint after you hit a perfect apex and everyone else had to brake for the turn. After a while I think this really helped wear some people down as well with the hills, as some of the turns had hills right after them.

At some point a breakaway goes off the front, two from one team and their teammates were doing what they could to keep the pack from catching them, which ended up succeeding for the first six positions.

Of the nine laps that we had to do the last three included a section of road called Gamber's Wall which at first is very intimidating from the sound but after riding it I didnt think it was that bad, although I think it did separate the group some, but each of the three times we hit I was always in the top five up with the last being first. As we made our way to the descent from there I would do very well considering my size against the larger riders. With another set of rollers a head of us the pack is separated even more by a pack of motorcycles that so kindly decide to make their way on to the closed course. Well I was one of the few that made it through them and everyone else had to sprint to catch back up. On the final stretch the pace picked up and people were sprinting up the hills, I was right there with them. I was surprised honestly, exceeding my expectations.

With the last klick to go the sprinters start making their way up and just like phillbilly said they would start too early with the descent to the finish. I was able to position myself in the top 15 or so and keep with them. As they started to fade I would go around them and found myself on the outside of the pack and in the wind. With the last 200m I just went for it, I had no idea what my placing was but knew I did relatively well as we crossed the line.

After a quick spin cool down I make my way back to the staging area looking for Phil. I find him and he informs me that they have free ice cream, tea, hot dogs, etc. (it was like he came here for the t-shirt and food the bike race just so happen to be going on as well). I tell him how the race went and he was glad I was able to stay with the pack being my first Cat 4 race. We then go grab some ice cream and tea, I tell you what that first bite of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream was amazing after that race.

With a quick check of the results, which were posted insanely fast, literally within minutes of the finish, I placed 17th out of the 48 that they placed.