Wente RR Race Report

The Webcor/Alto Velo Men's Elite team tackled another one of NorCal's classic races , the Wente Vineyards Road Race in Livermore, CA. Ted Huang's accounting of the events is below.

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Wente Vineyards Road Race
21 April 2007
Placing: 5th of 72
Team: Jono Coulter, Dominic Giampaolo, Greg Drake (13th), Matt Beebe, Tore Nauta


We had a good sized local field. The first lap went by inauspiciously with the riders-to-watch sitting tight but some small attacks going up the road. A group of three eventually got away but after a lap, it was brought back of its own accord. During this period, I drifted to the back, and got a bit too comfortable there. I moved up just before the climb on lap 2 (or I think it was lap 2) and stretched the legs a bit trying to hang on. On the backside of the course, Roman Kilun (HealthNet), along with Michael Hutchinson, and Salvatorre of Cal Giant rolled off and became the break of the day. Beginning of lap 3, Tore, in his first race as a cat. 2, got a bit frisky on Greenville Road and launched a few nicely timed attacks. Having just stopped to take a nature break, I felt rejuvenated and followed Tore's lead. We had a group of five or so before the right turn off of Greenvill Rd, with a microscopic gap going into the right turn onto Altamont Pass Rd. But with no one willing to work, we were all together once more. I tried one more dig realizing the climb was coming up, and didn't get anywhere.

This made the lap 3 climb highly uncomfortable for me, but I managed to make it in the front group as more attacks ensued. However, thing quickly calmed down on the backside as we rolled along, hearing the gap to the break going up and up. Finally we heard 4:30. I decided to initiate a small attack on the last descent before the right turn onto Greenville to push the pace up. It helped ever so slightly. Then Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics). took a nice dig on the big hump (old finish line), and strung things out nicely. I pulled through, but we were quickly brought back and were all together going into lap 4 climb.

I braced myself, and sure enough, the Wolhberg train left the station. I was a few too many wheels back and almost missed it. I dug pretty deep to bridge a small gap just before the feed zone and caught on the back. I was only able to pull through once we crossed the freeway and the pace let up slightly. We then had a group of 5 or 6 consisting of Eric, Cal Giant (James), BMC rider, Davis Bike Club rider (Paul), and one other. Since there was at least one Cal Giant and if not another a Davis rider up the road, we were mostly powered by just a few of us. However, with some additional strong pulls by Eric every time the road tilted up (he needs a watt meter), we could see the gap coming down as we began our last lap.

We finally caught the break just before the right turn onto Greenville. Roman had taken a flier before we arrived and Salvatore (Cal Giant) took one last dig to close the gap. Eric countered going over the hump and myself along with James were able to get on his wheel. Then Hutchinson surprised us once more by rolling off. If my memory serves me correctly Roman snuck off too and for a moment Roman and Michael were together. I took a dig to go after them and was able to catch a fading Michael, but was still too far from Roman. Once everyone reached me, of course, everyone looked to Eric to chase (which didn't happen), and the cat'n mouse games began. While we surveyed one another, Roman's gap quickly grew (he was riding strongly). Turning right onto Altamont Pass Rd, Roman probably had 20 seconds. More cat'n mouse games ensued and it quickly became apparent that we were in a race for 2nd. Our entire group of six rolled into the final climb together.

At this point, James rode very smart, by setting an uncomfortable pace that he could sustain, which discouraged attacks from the rest of us. In a matter of moments, as the road kicked up, it was just Eric, Paul, James, and me looking at one another. Now this is where I made some glaring mistakes. Since we were in a tail/crosswind situation, I should have either attacked on the steepest pitch (favors a guy like me) and tried to grovel until the finish, provided I obtained a gap, or more conservatively, I should have been more patient and confident, and waited for someone else to flinch just after the flat section about 300 meters from the finish. Instead, I did neither and jumped just at the top of the feed zone (neither here nor there), not really knowing where the finish was (despite going around lap after lap- but when you're cross-eyed and nearsighted, it's tough to see little lines that only go across one lane). So there I was flailing away, giving significant draft to everyone behind. I promptly sat up, tail between my legs, and resigned myself to fifth.

All in all, despite my fitness being a big question mark and except for that pesky last kilometer, it was fun. But that's bike racing.