MIDSOUTH MASTER CYCLING CLUB

The Rouge Roubaix race has been the first race on the road calendar since I have been racing and for me it always leads to a dilemma.  The approximately 100 mile route with its three sections of gravel is one of the hardest around and the uniqueness of the race draws more riders from surrounding areas.  Most of my training is geared around races 60 miles or less which this definitely doesn't fit, but there is something "manly" about telling the uninitiated that you are racing a road bike over a hundred miles on sections of gravel roads.

This year they split out the Master's field from the "A" race with the Category 1-3's which was a plus.  That race is way over my head but Diego Ortiz doing his first race with the NOLA Lending Racing Team would more than hold his own and take second place in the Category 3 division.  The "B" race would include the Master 40+ and 50+ riders plus the Women and would start 15 minutes later at 8:15AM.  I was on the fence for the race.  I skipped it last year and kind of had some regrets.  I normally stay in decent shape but had many legitimate excuses lined up as to why I could skip again this year.  Both Mark Graffagnini and Jerry Simon were kind of on the fence as well.  Early in the week Jerry decided he would do it and I committed to do the same.  Mark ended up having to skip it due to family commitments.

Diego (4th wheel) on a gravel section in the "A" race - picture by Allen Richard

The weather is a bit cool at the start but will be warming up nicely throughout the day.  One less variable to content with.  The race starts out fairly easy.  A rider here and there ends up rolling off the front for a while and then gets picked up again by the group.  I ended up off the front with Dave Patterson of NOBC after a steep little section following a turn.  We stayed away from a mile or two but this is a long race and we are just past 10 miles into it so ease back into the field.

There are a little over fifty riders in our race and we are all together on a long gradual climb on a narrow road.  The descent is fairly fast and Jerry rolls off the front and pretty soon the pace gets a bit quicker.  I see one of the women and Dave rubbing shoulders leaning into each other to my right and I quickly move to the left section of the road.  Dave goes off the road and crashes into an old rusty barb wire fence.  At the time I didn't even know it was him but I knew this was very serious.  Fortunately for Dave, he was able to get his arms up to protect his face and the wire was rusty enough that he broke through it.  Jorge and Rick Harper with NOBC stopped to help Dave until emergency people arrived.

We get closer to the first gravel section and I start making my way up towards the front of the race.  I got a chance to ride the course a few weeks ago and there were a bunch of ruts and pot holes in this section.  Apparently, the road had just got some new gravel earlier in the week and although there wasn't as many ruts, it was certainly loose.  The pace is fast through the gravel and back wheels are fishtailing around pretty good.  I am following one of the Colavita women in the race.  She certainly isn't having any issues keeping up but she doesn't weigh much and it seems like her back wheel really is sliding around.  I can see Jerry and Nelson with Canes and a couple of others are off the front.  I am in a second group but am starting to fade a bit as riders are dropping and opening up gaps.  I come unhooked from the group of about a dozen or so riders but keep pushing the pace.

I exit the gravel with Patrick Marr of Team LaS'port.  We are the first guys out of the gravel not in the front groups.  I just sit on his wheel with Jerry up the road.  I assume Jerry's break and the second group would merge together to form a pack of 15 or so.  It isn't long before a group of seven riders catch up to us and they continue working while me, Patrick and a Gulf Coast rider who also has a team mate up the road sit in.

After 20 miles of chasing, our group catches up to the front one with Jerry.  I get a little crap from a guy who isn't thrilled that I sat in the whole time.  When he mentions something about "pride" it is obviously he probably "rides" a lot more than "races".  We have a short discussion before I move to the front of the pack and lead Jerry into the second gravel section.  There are some wooden planks that form a bridge across a little section of road that can sometimes cause issues so I wanted to get us through there without problems.  I keep the pace quick enough that the pack is strung out with Jerry on my wheel.  As we start Blockhouse hill one of the Colivita women is on my wheel pushing the pace with Jerry following.  The pack comes around me as I begin to slow.

There remains a large section of sand midway up the Blockhouse hill and everyone dismounts.  Many are running across it but I am pretty winded and just walk as quickly as I can before hopping back on the bike and chasing.  Jerry was with the front group pulling away from me but there was no one left close behind me to worry about riding my wheel.  I recover pretty well before the end of the gravel and start passing up riders making my way back to the front.  I again catch up to Patrick Marr and a woman from FCS and stop my chasing.  The race is hard on equipment and I feel something fall off my bike.  I have all my bottles and food and get a little concerned that it may have been something important.  I look around taking inventory waiting for a wheel to fall off before I realize my saddle bag had snapped off its plastic holder which is still attached to the back of my seat.  Hopefully I won't have any flats as the second wheel truck has been by us a few times trying to decide if we are the "pelaton" he should follow. 

We pick up a straggler from Jerry's break which now is down to eight riders including four women.  We hit the steep hill at the start of the third gravel section and I am fresh enough to ride up it while the others all have to get off their bikes.  I continue to push the pace through the gravel pulling away from the others in hopes of catching the lead group.  I am now starting to pass a lot of the Grand Fondo riders who started at 7AM.  I wonder what it was like for them when Diego's race came blowing by them.

I exit the last gravel section and have about 20 miles left and just get down to business.  I pass riders from other races but don't see anyone from my race either in front of me or coming up from behind.  Finally a mile or two from the finish I see a "200" number from our race.  It is a 50+ rider who jumps on my wheel as I go by.  I am still moving along pretty quick and figure we are safe from getting caught but no sense taking chances.

Jerry looked great all day (at least when I was close enough to see him) and took first in the Master's race followed by Nelson and a Gulf Coast racer.  There wasn't any prize money this year for the Masters but it was certainly rewarding to see the excitement and pride on Ethan's face, Jerry's son, during the awards.

Jerry taking the win - photo by Chris Clark

I was the next rider in after Jerry's break taking 4th in the Master's race but a little further back overall behind the women in the front break.  Yes, some may have been pro's but I still got "chicked".  "Chicked" in the most "manly" race on the calendar.  Oh well.  I suspect there may be a few facts that I forget to mentioned when I recall the events with my buddies.

A great start to the season for the NOLA Lending Racing Team!