Snelling RR Report

The first team race of '08 is in the books. The conditions were brutal but it builds character, right? Our leader, James, flatted from the front group, unfortunately. New team mebers Aroussen Laflamme and Rand Miller hung tough to finish an epic edition of Snelling RR. Below is Aroussen's report.

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Snelling Road Race: Snelling, California
Rider: Aroussen Laflamme
Cat: P/1/2
Finishing Position: 15-30? Of 100+ (waiting for results)
Course: 11.7 mi per lap Laps: 6
Total race distance: 70+ miles
Weather: cloudy, windy from the SW (15mph+) and temperature around 55 degrees
Webcor AV teamates: James Badia, Matt Beebe, Chris Crawford, Dominic Giampaolo, Rob MacNeill, Rand Miller, Graham Simpson
Race start: 12:15pm
Race statistics: 39 km/H or around 24 mpH

First, I have to apologize for the quality of the English here; I' m a French Canadian.

I didn't warm up really well for this race as my short road race experience teaches me that a road race should start slowly. That would be the first mistake of the day. But let's begin with the race plan. We were about 8 Alto Velo riders ready to hit the road on this bicycle unfriendly day. Anyway, James has been elected as our captain. My role was to be the shadow of Eric Wohlberg. I didn't know exactly what it could represent exactly at this time but I was ready to work hard. James was our sprinter if ever we could make it to end. The team to beat was Giant Strawberry with their 13 guy squad.

The race starts with a neutral stretch of 3 miles that gives me the time to make my way up to the front, near my target. As soon as the motorcycle clears the way, the Giants started to accelerate hard but not hard enough for Wohlberg who attack soon in the race. I'm there, fighting to keep my place close to him, working to the front when needed. Quickly, half our way through the first lap, I'm in a big breakaway with a lot of Giant, and Wohlberg next to me. But before the end of the lap, the rhythm slows down and the peloton catch us. Fine, I'll get some rest, or maybe not. I have to stay alert, Wohlberg and the Giant have made an alliance and are ready to attack again. I'm still at the front, pushing hard, being push in every way, trying to stay in the right echelon as the wind makes a lot of victim. James, Rand are there, providing a bit of shelter for my sore legs.

But soon, we have a new breakaway, Rand is with us. But think are going fast, my head is going light and the gusty wind is still there, from the right. The breakaway takes the entire road, a lot of Giants are doing interference in the echelon, so it's really hard to step in. I finally succeed, but not for long, the wind or the flooding suddenly pushes the echelon to the left. For me, this mean that there's no more road for my wheels, so I have to jump in the loose sand, fighting to stay upright at 20 mpH+ until I see this big lake of muddy water. My worst fear is to take a dive into this freezing cold water, so I better hold on tight to the handlebar. SO I did, losing all my speed in the process and filling my brakes and wheels with a thick cover of mud. Not good I realized once back on the road, pedaling against this new resistance to catch the breakaway. The motorcycle is there, urging me to push harder, so I did. But soon I realize that alone as I am, this could be a long chase, especially with this wind. Pacing myself, I try to maintain the gap until a guy from Metromint comes by me. I stick to his rear wheel and start to work with him. This chase would last for almost a lap or 25 minutes, going from expectation to deception as we pass peloton of other categories and James on the side of the road with a flat tire (dropped out of front group). And then, the fatigue sets in and the chase group catches us. A new race starts for me because I feel that now we have a chance with this group. Unfortunately, after one or two good lap, we catch some Giant guys that start to interfere with our effort to bring back the breakaway that was about 3 minutes in front of us. Then the group begins to shrink as people drop, feeling that it's all over yet. During the last lap I try to accelerate the group by creating some gaps, but nobody seems to respond so I decide to lead the group for 5 miles until the faux-sprint takes off without me, nor Rand that we had caught on the way, not willing to risk a crash on this wet pavement. And a crash there is, right on the finish line. Rand did a great job in the breakaway, being drop only during the final lap or so.

The final result is that Wohlberg win the race and that my position is somewhere between 15 and 30. The result of this race could have been different without some errors from my part including being thrown into the gutter, but I've learned a lot in the process.

Thanks for reading