Boulder Roubaix

I know, I have been off line for a while with the blog. Things have been really good, but busy with the swim team and breeze bars. However, we are into road season and the lineup for the Boulder Orthopedics 35+ squad is ridiculous. The team took the win with Bob Dahl at Stazio and then at Louisville we put myself and Mike Gibson in the break and Gibson took the win. I've said it before and i will say it again, I love the team side of cycling and I like my role in it. I am pretty strong, but don't quite have the acceleration of the true sprinters, so wins will be that of opportunity for me. We have created a couple of those for the team this year and maybe one of them will work out for me. I don't care that much about winning, but I have never won a road race and it would be fun.

I love Boulder Roubaix, mead Roubaix and Koppenburg. They are hard races, really hard. the tactics are fun and the result is usual clear, the strongest guy wins. I would love to win one of these one day, but as I see it, I have a long, long career in masters cycling left and I fully intend to outlast the masses.

Here is how I saw the race.

We, Boulder Orthopedics, had talked about being the aggressors before the start. We wanted to drive the dirt sections and dictate the splits on our terms, not chase moves and react. So, from the gun it was one of our guys on the front. Rob Kelly hammered it up the first rise and was on the gas from the start. As always the first two rises on the way out to Nelson had some pop, but no real damage was done. 

The first real move of the day was from our man Carlos Casali, who powered off the front. There was no real reaction as teams and guys were not desperate to send someone with him. It took a while, but Carlos was brought back into the fold toward the end of the first lap and soon after flatted. As we went through the feed, Pete Webber hit the gas up the hill and we crested the top to see that again, despite the effort, we were all together. As everyone looked at each other, Teammate Mike Sutter launched and by the time we hit the start finish, he had a smart gap. The pace came off a bit on the way out to Nelson road and the group rolled as Mike lengthened the lead. As we turned onto Hygiene the wind was up and it was dead in our face. Mike was hanging out there "bummin" as a rider in the group called it, but he was staying clear. A couple flurries of attacks went to jump the gap, but Matt, Brian and Neal from the team closed them down immediately and as we hit Crane Hollow it was Mike in the front and 5-6 Boulder Orthopedics on or near the front. 

The great news at this point, is that while I and Gibson had spent much of the race in the top 10 guys, we hadn't had to do much work, nor had I seen Bob Dahl, so he was rested as well.  We turned off on St Vrain to a nice crosswind and some damage was being done at the back. Echelons were formed and Mike was soon back in the fold. When we turned onto Nelson it was my turn. I went past the turn off to 63rd and attacked. I got a gap and was partway up the incline when I heard Gibson on my wheel. I looked and we were alone. Let them catch us, I heard him say and then he said here comes Bob. As we turned onto the dirt it was three Boulder Ortho riders, Mike, myself and Bob Dahl, alone off the front of the race. The group had to respond and brought us back at the base of the second bear, but it was split and only 16 guys were left. Ken was with them and we were 4 strong in the front pack. Again Pete Webber pushed it down the hill into the feed hill and we came up it with a nice group. As we came through start finish there were still 16 of us, we had the gap and we had the guys we wanted in the front group. 

We started the 3rd lap a bit casually. I liked what we had and with Bob and Gibson in the group, we didn't want anyone coming back so I went to the front up the dirt to Nelson. Once on Nelson Ken came forward to help and we hit the dirt well. I went to the front on the dirt and hit it hard. I pulled across to St Vrain road and our gap was solidified and better yet, I think some guys were hurting. Just before the turn onto dirt Nate Llerandi went off the front. He dangled for a moment and then Bob went after him. They hit the dirt in the off the front and there was little reaction behind. As we turned onto Hygiene,  Gibson and I were on the front of the group as Nate and Bob rode away. Mike looked at me and smiled and said "my guess is they are going faster than 19mph" and they were. Bob and Nate were riding away and Gibson, Ken and I were in the group. A couple of guys tried to get across, but we were right on their wheel. If they went across, they were going to drag me and Mike. 

I was cramping a bit now and Ken came up and said the same. I was fine in the saddle, so I was left to answer moves like the couple up Nelson seated. That's no fun. Across the bears the pace was high and we followed and the group shrank. The assumption was that Bob would win the sprint and I was pretty sure I saw the two of them still together as they approached the line. In the end I was right. Bob won with a gap. I went to the front down the hill to the feed and then up the feed hill. I was out for the sprint, but we wanted Gibson on the podium as well. I hit the crest of the hill and buried it. As the false flat eased off the sprint started and Mike was in a great spot, but riders from either side came into him and pinched him hard. He had to back completely out and try and go all the way around and almost did, but Mark Legg-Compton got him for 3rd on the line and he took 4th. I kept on it to the line to nip a couple guys and get 11th, while Ken was 17th and Sutter wins the hard man award and managed 19th after nearly a lap solo. Henry 21st, Brian 24th and Neal 31st. 

Great day boys. A full team effort. Fun to be a part of it. 

G