There were 103 riders on the start line staring into a setting sun for the 55-minute Cat. 2/3 race. By the time the race was over we were in complete darkness and speeding around under the Lafayette lights. Night racing always drives up the speed and aggression from the racers. Add to that fresh legs on the first day of racing and an easy course that anyone can go fast on and you have a recipe for a furious race in a tight pack. I started near the back, but quickly moved to the front and actually followed a few moves early in the race just to hold my position up front. I stayed in the top third of the peloton the first half of the race, but then drifted back a bit as I lost a little aggression.
I was able to move back up in the final 10 minutes, but then got hung up behind a crash at five laps to go. I managed to dodge the fallers and only run over a water bottle, but it cost me a lot of speed and with that comes a loss of many positions in the group. The pace was fast the final four laps and the group was spread out wide. I was trying to move up again, but there just wasn't anywhere to go. I realized my race for a good placing was over at two to go and just tried to get to the finish in the group without getting in a crash. I ended up finishing 67th. I would like to have done better, but this was the race of the weekend I felt was least suited to my riding style, so I was still motivated for what was to come. We ended race one of the weekend with a 28.6 mph average speed for what ended up being a 51-minute race. We didn't take any pictures at Lafayette, but Shannon did shoot a little video and I ran my GoPro. Both videos are posted below.
Video: Cat. 2/3 racing at Tour de Lafayette
Video: Highlights of my race in the Cat. 2/3 event
We started off day two with a morning ride on the greenway in Illinois. It has become a tradition for us to get in a morning spin on this beautiful greenway since we first found it. It's a good way to explore, get Shannon some ride time and spin out my legs from the previous day's race. We made our way west to Horseshoe Lake where we rode around the lake and surrounding swamps before spinning back to the hotel.
Horseshoe Lake
Saturday afternoon's race was on the west side of St. Louis in the Francis Hills neighborhood. The Tour de Francis Park features a wide course on a big square around Francis Park. All turns are 90-degree lefts. There is a downhill between Turns 2 and 3, with a climb coming after Turn 3 and lasting about 2/3 of the way to Turn 4. The sprint from the final turn starts slightly downhill, then begins to rise in the final 100 meters before the finish line.
We had over 120 riders on the start line for another 55-minute Cat. 2/3 race. My plan was to sit in and conserve for the final five laps. This race almost always stays together for a final lap dash up the hill into the final corner. The group just rolls so fast down the hill on the backside of the course that it makes it hard for a solo rider or even a small group to stay away.
One of several churches on the Francis Park course
Manhole covers marked with a little character
I started in the back and moved up about halfway through the group on lap 1. Then I heard the bell for a cash prime and I abandoned my plan. I went to the front between Turns 1 and 2, then fought hard down the hill to stay in the top three. I was sitting second at the top of the climb, but then the guy ahead sat up and I was left on my own to make the decision to either go hard from the front and likely be a sitting duck or sit up. I decided to just go for it, but I didn't have enough steam to open up a gap and I got smashed in the sprint. I provided a great leadout for someone.
Cat. 2/3 Men on course with a rider going away solo.
Me near the back in my black Maxxis skinsuit
The effort hurt me for about 15 minutes. I dropped back in the group and recovered, then started to test the waters again later in the race. I got back on track with my plan and moved back up at five laps to go. I was determined to stay up front this time and for once I felt like I had the power to stick my nose out in the wind and move up on my own. I got shuffled back a bit on the climb at three laps to go, so as soon as I got a hole I pulled out of line and starting going forward again. I had a good run on the left side up the start/finish straight. I was passing the line and they began to come over on me from the right. I banged shoulders with a guy and then they cut over again. This time someone rammed my derailleur and it went into my spokes. I was able to shift quickly and keep from destroying the wheel, but the derailleur was badly bent and I was dropping like a rock through the pack. By the time I found a usable gear I was off the back of the group and spent the last lap just trying to get back to the group. I managed to rejoin the back, but ended up 81st and sorely disappointed. I really felt like I had something today and was doing what I needed to do to put myself in position to have a chance at the sprint. It was really annoying to be taken out by sketchy riding, but I am glad to have salvaged the wheel. The derailleur and hanger took the brunt of the force, but somehow the spokes were intact and the wheel still true.
Still shot from my GoPro at three laps to go. Right at the front.
Video: Highlights from my handlebar cam at Francis Park, including when i got hit and my derailleur went into the rear wheel.
We hung around for the Pro races and made our way over to Ted Drewes for some of the famous frozen custard that St. Louis is known for. It is only a few blocks from the Francis Park course and was well worth the walk and wait in line. The place was packed with people, but the line moved fast and the custard was amazing!
Long line at Ted Drewes
Pro Women coming into the finish
Kyrstin Bluhm takes the win
Pro Men underway
The old churches around the course make for some great backdrops
Video: Action from Francis Park
We spent the night trying to straighten the derailleur and hanger. I had a spare hanger with me in the tool box, but the bolts had corroded to the point of turning to powder when I inserted my hex wrench to remove them. I was left with no choice but to continue with this hanger until I could get home and use a bolt remover to get it off. It's always something!
Sunday we decided not to ride in the morning and just take it easy. We went to church in Caseyville, IL then rolled over to The Hill for some afternoon racing at the Giro della Montagna. It was again a 55-minute race for the Cat. 2/3 race and we had 92 riders ready to tackle the rectangular course that featured a big climb on the backstretch and a fast downhill finish.
Break of three going off early in the Cat. 2/3 race
Me in the white skinsuit today.
The pace was fast right from the start. I had a better start spot today, but decided to drift back during those fast early laps and save myself a bit for some action later in the race. My experience here on The Hill told me that I needed to move up earlier here, more like 10 laps to go rather than five. Passing starts to get hard as the pack bunches up a lot in the closing laps, especially at the bottom of the descent where it is easiest to make passes.
I had a good time during the race. The crowd was big and fun as always. The residents of The Hill always come out in force to support the race with backyard barbecues and parties going on all around the loop. I was feeling good in the middle of the race and just surfed my way around the pack, taking time to wave and make faces at a few seatpost cameras on riders around me in the group. I drifted a little too far back at one point and decided to move up on the climb. I felt great and went all the way to the very front fairly easily. Once there, I figured I would stay up front as long as I could, but the attacks were constant and it was much easier to ride in the pack so I dropped back a few rows and waited a bit longer.
Cat. 2/3 field on the backstretch
Shannon caught me waving at a seatpost cam one lap.
At eight laps to go, I went back to the front. A break slipped off at 12 laps to go and made for a tough pace the rest of the race. I was up front where I need to be, but my body started to weaken on the climb. The final five laps I slowly drifted backwards. There was nowhere to pass on the downhill as the group was going really fast and spread from barrier to barrier from the start/finish line all the way through Turn 1. The only place to pass was up the climb, but I just couldn't do it anymore. It was the first time I had felt fatigue this weekend and it kept me away from the sprint at the finish. I think it was more dehydration than leg fatigue as my whole body felt weak. We averaged 27.9 mph and I ended up 49th. The most important thing for me today was that my shifting held up. It wasn't crisp and perfect, but it was working good enough to be in the mix.
Me moving up here late in the race. Just couldn't hold onto that position at the end.
Video: Highlights from my GoPro handlebar cam at The Hill
We got us some of the delicious pizza served up on The Hill and watched the Pro races. It was cool to get to talk with TJ Gaines, who was there racing the Pro/1 event. TJ and I raced mountain bikes together on Team Wood-N-Wave during my first stint with that team. He has moved away from Kentucky now so we haven't seen each other in a long time. I had heard he was racing road now, but was still surprised when we ran into each other at a course crossing on Friday night in Lafayette Square.
Pizza from The Hill
Pro Men on course
Entering Turn 2
TJ Gaines
Pro Men coming up the climb with two laps to go
Video: Clips from the Giro della Montagna, including the finish of the Cat. 2/3 Men and the final lap up the climb in the Pro Men. If you think the sprint starts coming out of the final turn, this video will show you it starts long before that. Sometimes the Pros sprint the entire final lap. The leadout by United Healthcare in the final laps had the field strung out and exploding with still half of a lap to go.
Labor Day Monday was the final day of racing at the 2017 Gateway Cup. The Cat. 2/3 race is the last race of the day late in the afternoon, so Shannon and I went out for a greenway spin in the morning, this time taking the trail system east. We rode for an hour, then checked out of our hotel and made our way over to the Dairy Haven in Caseyville for some ice cream, which is sort of becoming a tradition for us before going to Benton Park.
The Benton Park Classic features a long, technical course. It is like two crit courses in one, laid out like a figure eight with a double pit at the meeting point. The course starts next to Benton Park and features a small climb just after the start/finish line. There are two crossings of the interstate, which usually are very windy. Between the two crossings is another short climb in front of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. There is a tight chicane as you head toward the pit for the second time. Passing by the pit takes you through a 90-degree right with a dip in the center of the turn that makes it a bit more tricky. There are also plenty of manhole covers to negotiate on the exit of this turn. A long, slightly downhill straight takes riders into the final two corners, both 90-degree lefts. The first is a bit off-camber while the second is just rough. There are some rough spots in the pavement to negotiate in what is otherwise a flat and straightforward sprint.
I despised this Benton Park course in my first few trips to the Gateway Cup, but it has grown on me and now is one of my favorite races of the season. The Pro races happen before our race here so I got to enjoy most of the women's and men's races before time to get ready. I felt good again today and had fixed my hydration issue from the day before. It was another 55-minute race for us with somewhere around 65 riders on the start. The final day always gets less riders, especially on this course as many riders don't like all the tricky turns.
A break leading the Pro Men's race at Benton Park
Cobbled sidewalks and lots of ivy in the Benton Park neighborhood
Looking at the double pit with riders going by on the opposite side
Turn 8 passing the pit for the second time
Pro Men entering Turn 8
The start was not as fast as yesterday. I started far back, but was in the top 15 after a lap. The pace then picked up as riders began to attack on lap 2. I wanted to try for a break today, but I felt it was too early. I planned to go with a move after 20 minutes or so. I left myself drop back on the fast second lap, then began to move back up again on lap 3 as things slowed down. I was about halfway back up to the front when there was a crash. It happened in the next-to-last turn about 15 minutes into the race as the group began to chase after a strong break that was opening up a gap. The crash was at the front of the main group and caused some major slowdowns throughout the pack. The result was a lot of gaps in the group. I found myself in the third chase group and in full chase mode.
Cat. 2/3 Men
Me on the back of this chase group after the crash
I was able to get across to the second group in about half of a lap, but as I got there the group split again. I got through the back half, but then didn't have much left to cross another gap. The crash really benefited the break and they had a nice gap now that they wouldn't give back. I ended up solo chasing for a lap before the group finally pulled out of sight and three riders came up to me from behind. We worked together for a lap before two riders accelerated after I pulled. I couldn't go with them and ended up with the fourth rider and we finished our race together taking turns. We were still well over half a lap ahead of the leaders, but the officials pulled us after 37 minutes of racing with four laps to go. I finished in 40th.
The winning break making its way down a tree-lined street.
Closer shot of the break
Me leading the rider that worked with me the final few laps before we were pulled.
Video: Highlights from my GoPro during the Cat. 2/3 race
Video: Racing at the Benton Park Classic
It wasn't how I wanted to end the weekend in the race I was looking forward to the most, but that's the way Gateway Cup went for me this year. I still had a lot of fun, which was my main goal for the late-summer crits, so I left happy, still having to itch to do crits even though road season is now over. Maybe next year...
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