MIDSOUTH MASTER CYCLING CLUB

The Saturday morning time trial course was in rolling hills but was mostly down.  Jerry won the event with a strong effort beating out Donald Davis by a second.  Charlie, me and Jay finished within a few seconds of each other in 5th, 6th and 7th place respectively.  As typical in an omnium, the points were more heavily skewed towards the criterium and road race events so everyone was still in play for the overall at the start of the afternoon criterium.  Ed finished 4th in the 1,2,3 time trail with a time a second behind Jerry while Mark's time was the same as the rest of us.

Charlie and Jay racing in the downtown criterium

The criterium course had a 65' climb that was quite steep.  The downhill happened all at once at the other side of the course followed by a fairly sweeping turn which allowed you to carry quite a bit of speed.  If this was a stage race, this event would have likely determined the winner.  Races before us quickly broke up into small groups as the hill wore out riders.  We would also have some significant heat to deal with as well during our 45 minute race.  Our plan was to race aggressive and hope that it would force others in the omnium hunt to chase and tire.  We start the first lap and Jay hits the hill fast.  I am near the front with him but I think folks are already starting to slip off the back.  Jerry and Donald hit the hill quick on the second lap as more riders fall off.   On the third lap the pace drops a bit as we start the climb so I attack and get a gap followed by Dave Schreffler from NOBC.  I push the pace through the lap and then flick Dave around as we start trading pulls.  Dave is a pretty small guy.  It kind of works out where he pulls around me on the climb and I come around him after the decent.  I keep expecting someone to catch us but it doesn't appear to be happening real fast and within a few laps I don't see the pack.

Dave and Jason on a break shortly after the start of the criterium

As the laps continue the hill and heat are wearing me out.  I am dragging myself up the hill while Dave looks to be having a much easier time.  There is a hot spot sprint for omnium points midway through the race which Dave takes with ease while I get 2nd.  Jerry is putting attacks in back in the pack.  He is successful in dropping most of the rest of the riders.  The refs starting counting down laps with "8" which about breaks my spirit knowing I will need to hit that hill 8 more times.  I fight each time thinking this will be last time I will be able to hold on to Dave's wheel up.  Although I am giving Dave a slight rest on the backside of the course, he could have dropped me and finished solo.

Jerry attacking the pack to drop off riders

Dave easily takes the win and I finish a tired second.  We completed 17 of the 20 laps off the front which certainly wasn't my plan.  Jerry, Donald and Shan Smith are all that is left in the second group.  Jerry had been attacking off and on trying to drop folks and was pretty beat by the finish taking 5th place.  Charlie and Jay finished 8th and 9th place.  We are all tired and glad to have this behind us.  Ed finished with the pack in his race which was 15 minutes longer than ours - ouch. 

Ed during the Cat 1,2,3 criterium race

I start Sunday's road race in first overall a couple points in front of Dave and Donald who are tied for second.  Jerry is two points behind them in 5th place.  Either one of us could still win.  We will once again look to ride aggressive and look to get me and / or Jerry into a break.  If we come together at the end, I will look to sprint for the win.  It is going to be another hot one with temps in the 90s at our 11 AM start.

Jay and Charlie start with a few probing attacks within the first mile of the 58 mile road race.  Jerry jumps around mile 4 and Dave starts bridging to him immediately.  As soon as it is apparent Dave is going to catch Jerry, Donald jumps with me on his wheel.  The four of us begin rotating.  Charlie Dixon and a Southern Elite racer bridge to us making our group 6.  I know there will be little left in the pack to chase us and I am not looking forward to such an early break.  The pace is moving in the upper 20's and lower 30's.  The Southern Elite guy is surging as he moves through and starts to screw things up as most of us are on the edge already. 

Jerry jumps on a longer hill and Dave and Donald go with him.  My legs are burning and I open up a gap before bumping up my pace to close it.  I get half way towards them and flick the others around me.  Just before the top of the hill, I jump with Charlie Dixon on my wheel and we drop the Southern Elite guy.  We catch the others and the five of us continue putting time into the pack working our paceline.  There are occasional attacks and surges in the next 20 miles to test legs but nothing really comes of anything.

The course is two laps on a circuit before our return to the finish.  We had a 3 minute lead at one point during our first lap according the motorcycle ref.  Sometime after the start of our second lap he informs us that our lead is now beyond 10 minutes.  It turns out the pack with Jay and Charlie had missed a turn and ended up off the course.  We ease up a bit on the hard pace which is a good thing.  I am feeling cramps starting in my quads.  Jerry is really starting to cramp up.  He drained his three bottles already.  I am down to only half a bottle of my three. 

About 3/4 of the way through our second lap, Charlie Dixon starts slowing a bit going up a climb.  Donald hits it and Charlie is immediately out of sight leaving just us four in the break.  We get some fluids through the feed zone and start towards the finish.  Most of the hills are gone so there isn't going to be a definite attack location before the end.  I am now just looking to follow the others in until the sprint.   

As we get within a couple of miles of the finish, the pace slows to 15 mph or less.  I can feel my legs starting to tighten and Jerry says he is still fighting his cramps.  Jerry moves to the front somewhere with a mile to go and Donald and Dave stay behind me.  I want to be behind them to time my jump so let a gap open to Jerry.  They don't look to close it so Jerry takes off.  Donald immediately jumps and I come up to speed to get on his wheel.  I don't know if Dave made the jump or not.  We go down a short hill that leads to a little climb that always hurts this late in the race.  We are going close to 40 mph as Jerry leads us in to it.  I hear him yell and his pace drops as he locks up with cramps.  Dave jumps hard from behind me up the hill opening up a large gap.  I dig to catch him but don't have a lot left and am not closing much ground.  Worse, I know Donald is on my wheel.  At 200m I dig with all I have but Dave will take the win and overall.   Donald is able to come around me at the line and I finish in 3rd place.  Jerry's cramps forced him off his bike for a while but we are so far ahead that he still finishes minutes in front of the next rider.

The rest of the pack finishes in small bunches beat by the sun and rolling hills.  Charlie and Jay finished 8th and 10th.  Ed finished his cat 1,2,3 race with the pack.

We were all in the money for the overall omnium payout.  I ended up 3rd overall behind Dave and Donald.  Jerry finished in 4th and Charlie and Jay in 7th and 9th.  My legs will no doubt be sore as we get ready for the district road race next weekend in Natchez, MS.