Page Valley Road Race

I was coming into this race pretty excited. I have been planning for a late Summer peak for the Church Creek and Stoney Creek time trials. With this being the state championship road race I knew there was going to be quite a bit of competition there as well, and keeping an eye on pre-reg it filled up quickly towards the end with riders from all over the state.

A few days before the race I rode with a friend who made mention that the course isnt setup to be a climbers course, even though the elevation profile lends its self to show that, it is actually a very fast course. Although I didnt know what to expect with a bunch of Cat 4, there was obviously going to be a fitness selection the first couple times up the hills and with 90 riders registered it was surely going to be interesting.

I did note that Paul Low, same fellow that won Blacksburg Road Race was there and I was
interested in getting something to work with him since I know he is a powerhouse. So I made sure to talk to him along with Matt Davis as well. Evo had a few guys there, both Luis', Colin, Brian and myself, so I talked to them and let them know that I am feeling good and want to do well this race.

I was pretty familiar with the terrain as I do a ride out there that starts in Luray and works its way over to Stanley on some of these very same roads over to Tanner's Ridge Rd. and I knew the first few miles were going to be quick as they are relatively flat and with a tail wind the group could go fast, I let my teammates know that and hopefully the pace will be quick from the go.

For the warm up I take Luis over near Tanner's Ridge, forget the name of the road we were on but showed him the local slaughter road to go on when you need to be humbled. After a quick spin we head back to the start to line up. A few words from the town mayor and away we go.

A few turns to get on the course and pace stays relatively mellow. We make it to the first climb and I believe at the point Paul goes off the front, a few riders go with him, but we can keep him in our sites. Being Cat 4s no one wants a break to happen so the pace picks up. I am not too concerned because we still had 40+ miles of racing to go. As the group sprinted up these climbs they quickly wore themselves out and this is where the fitness selection began to happen.

Just past the finish line there was a slight descent to one final kicker, just quick enough to add some pain, and then a nice descent with sharp right hander. Now this is where I was able to catch back up to Paul and just coasted. I tried to do as little leading as possible as most of the competitive riders were all together, no sense in burning my self out if all they are going to do is just sit in.

As we go up the climb the second or third time, cant remember, a few riders go off the front again. The pack accelerates to try and catch them, this was the first of the two climbs i suppose, longer, aerobic effort so I am in my steady pace, riders start going up around me and i get boxed in on the right, still in the top 10 of the main group some a rider on my left gets closer and closer. At this point there is very little room for me. With some people tiring themselves out the rider in front of starts slowing, being boxed in I had nowhere to go. My front wheel goes off in what was probably the only stretch of road on the entire course that did not have a level shoulder, there was a couple inch drop in to gravel. I wasnt able to pop my wheel back on the road and fell to my left. Unfortunately I landed on another rider, Chris Larson of Synfit. I have heard of him from many teammates but never had the pleasure of meeting him and unfortunately it was under these circumstances. I was uninjured although my shoe was stuck in my wheel and I had to get out so I could stand up.

As soon as I do so, I noticed his chain with off, so I help put it back on as it was easier for me to do, and away he goes. I go to hop on my bike and try to pedal but alas my chain was off too. I put it back on away I go. The next few laps were a lesson of internal fortitude and how hard i can push myself. I caught up to Chris and we began to work together along the flat parts of the course, taking turns pulling but at one point I get side stitches and just cant keep pace. I have to slow down and he pulls away. I worked through the cramps and kept pushing away, I was able to take the hills at my pace, but I knew that wasnt going to be good enough with Paul most likely leading the race up them. So I also tried to make up as much ground on the descents as I could.

Every now and then I would catch a dropped rider and would try to work with them until they would have nothing left. The start of the last lap I could start seeing the wheel truck at almost every turn. I couldnt believe I could be catching on. I kept plugging away and trying to stay as low as possible and pedaling efficiently. It was getting closer and closer. At the start of the final climbs I start passing more and more dropped riders I was getting closer, but my time was running out. In the final 500 meters I caught the wheel truck and ref, and managed a 27th place finish.

Its funny a few days prior a friend told me sometime your only reward for a hard effort can be just a pair of sore legs, he was certainly true with that statement. I was shot at the end of that race, the heat, the effort, the dehydration, completely done. The ride back to the car was painful, but I never gave up and I kept pushing, thinking in the end this is one hell of a training ride, if you have the open road might as well use it right?