TeamOrganic NYC  
News - Results
Team
News
   Calendar
   Results
Organization
Training
References
Go Organic
Contact Info



Rockleigh Criterium - 5/24
Thursday May 24, 2007
Team Organic had a great turnout at the first criterium of this summer-long series.

With a combined field of Cat.4 and 5 riders, we all finally had a chance to race together. At the start line we had Alex, Brian, Khary, Josh, Mike, Steve, Jim, and Jack. The race can only be best described in their own words:

Brian: Ok, so that was good fun tonight. I'd never raced the Rockleigh Crit before and was excited to have shot at it. The course is a loop of a school of some ilk and is notable for its tight turns, zig zags and horrendous back stretch road conditions. It's safe to say that I
haven't seen that many cones since I sold ice cream as a kid (budum-bum)...

We started with 31 riders. My strategy at the beginning of the race was to get out in front of
the pack and get through a few laps through the Roubaix-like conditions on the backstretch. I didn't want my beginning of the race nerves/jitters/warm up to ruin someone else's bike, body or both. The initial two left turns are tight almost 90 degree turns with the first one having a drainage grate on the corner. Something to keep in mind if we ever race there in wet conditions. The second turn is another hard left with a quick straightaway before leaning right. At the end of that short straightaway begins the rocky pothole section.

For all its messiness there are actually some nice lines. All the way to the right takes you through some dirt but otherwise solid roads. All the way to the left is actually the smoothest part of the beginning. The center is fine also but it appears that snow plows have dug up the parts of the road in which car treads go. After passing through the initial pothole section there are six cones laid out real close to one another creating a bit of a slalom look. Those are easily navigable with some other holes noted with orange paint. It's rather intimidating at first but the smooth lines are there. After passing through here the road takes another sharp left for a smooth straightaway and then another left (sounds like Nascar - "Go Really Fast and Turn ...LEFT!!" leading to a generally smooth shot to the finish. This is actually on a slight decline. It's good to note that the rocky section is where the course rises slightly.

Now if memory serves me correctly - the race highlights consisted of a good pace, many attacks that didn't stick and one breakaway that did. For the first 25 - 30 minutes, the pace was fast and some breaks went off the front but nothing that stuck. I tried to join in a few but nothing came of it. As I fell back a bit in the field to catch my breath I saw that Stoffel went off the front and Jim immediately latched onto him.

As soon as that happened I came to the front of the field and began to slow down the pace. It was an effective strategy as the time gap grew greater and greater. Khary and Mike came to the front too and we worked a nice slow pace. Several other riders attempted to get off the front and Mike wisely chased about five guys who got in front of us. Nothing came of that. By this point we had lost sight of Jim and Stoffel.

I'm grateful for Jim's hard work as it let me just ride for about 6-7 laps at the front in a nice easy pace. No major intervals or efforts there. I was surprised that nobody else tried to get an attack organized but being out of sight really helps. Then one rider went off the front solo and I figured that one guy wasn't going to bridge, but he did...

Jim: I had been talking to Stoffel about a break and he suggested we wait till a little later in the race and I agreed.  A lap or tow later I was in about 10th position and someone in front of me wasn't holding their line, so I decided to move up on the left as we started the Start/Finish leg of the course.  By the time I accelerated I noticed Stoffel moving up on the right.  I upped my pace and went out on what I thought would just be a burner (quick sprint and then the peloton would catch), but Stoffel grabbed my wheel and we went off (although earlier than both of us had wanted to originally).  This is a little different than Brian's report, but at least that is what I remember.

We were pulling well together for several laps averaging about 1/3 of a lap pulls.  After this I started to loose a little steam (I would like to say this is carry over from being sick over the weekend, but that might be pushing it). This is the time where I really needed my watch to tell me how much time was remaining (I had started it what turns out to be about 10 minutes into the race, but at the time did not know how long it had been). I had looked back and saw the peloton maybe 150 yards behind, which seemed like a smaller gap than we had originally, then this fellow bridged and joined us out of nowhere.  In my adrenaline/lactic acid haze, I thought the peloton catch was moments away, so I laid up just long enough to grab a few breaths.  I quickly realized that the peloton was nowhere to be seen, but it was too late to stay with Stoffel and the eventual winner.  So I drifted back and joined the front of peloton  Thanks for blocking guys.

Brian: Now within the pack the race for 3rd was underway. The pace picked up for the last several laps and the field, pretty much strung out by this point, went blasting through the rocky section. Bikes were rattling and I saw a water bottle go popping off onto the side of the road. Amazing how when the heart is pumping and the juices are flowing you're able to go blasting through rough patches that seemed like craters earlier in the race.

Steve came into play at this point as he was working hard at the front. Mike was nearby and Jim was right there. Khary was also back from his flat and free lap. I think, and spectators would know better, but we took five TOA members into the final top ten during the last two laps. (Now it would be better to say that we placed four guys in the top ten as the finish but that's ok too).

With a few laps to go TOA really began to push the pace. Another rider jumped and I went with him as Jim was right there and Steve was nearby with Khary and Mike. The field came along for the ride so he wasn't going anywhere. For the final two laps we went through the two
quick lefts each time and then blasted into the rocky section. This was where the race was going to be won or lost. You had to hold your speed through that section or you were being left behind. My strategy was to stay as near the front as possible for fear of being boxed out.
I also assumed that the pace had strung the field out and I didn't want to get caught in the no-man's land of lacking a wheel to get on at the end.

Jim: Somewhere on the second to last lap Brain told me to grab his wheel, which I gladly obliged.  Brian kept us positioned in the top 5 until the second turn of the Bell Lap, where he got squeezed out.  I ended up on Mike's wheel (a place I should have stayed), but just leading into the rough section (approximately 1/2 lap from finish) another guy makes a strong break.

Patience may be a virtue (but it ain't easy) ...I went screamin after the guy who I never really caught.  On the finish stretch I heard Brian screaming go, go, go from directly behind me, but the legs would not listen.  Probably 10 guys (including Brian, Mike, and Steve) passed both me and the guy I was chasing before crossing the line.  Mike & Brian I owe you each a leadout.

Brian: I figured that Jim was well-rested from his break and my hope was to give him as much of a leadout as possible. I called for him to get on my wheel as I attempted to get into fourth position for the final run in. This was interrupted by the car that almost pulled onto the course (I was never so happy to see David waving an orange flag) Jimmy came around me quick and I got on his wheel. I started yelling, "Go, Go, Go" as I knew the field was charging hard behind us.

Jimmy was pounding as hard as he could and then peeled to the left as I came around him. I once read that adrenaline tastes like metal in your mouth and now I agree. I attempted to use the added downhill with my, ahem, added weight to my advantage and pedaled as hard as I could. The line couldn't come fast enough and with Jim's leadout I was able to snag 7th place.

Josh: Well I'll save you all the suspense. At Rockleigh, I got my ass handed to me, and not even on a silver platter. It was one of those Styrofoam trays you get at an elementary school cafeteria. I stuck with the pack for the first few laps, but then I got caught behind the crash, and had to swerve off the course to narrowly avoid it. From there, I was basically sprinting to catch up the pack and draft a bit, but the race official pulled me off the course before I could catch up (and kindly gave me a free lap).

When I merged back into the pack, it was just a matter of time before I got dropped off the back. At a certain point I recall thinking, "You know Josh, you're going to have to ride back home." But I quickly put that thought out of my head, and put everything I had (and then some) into trying to get back in the pack. I basically time trialed at 110% for the last half of the race. I sprinted across the line, and my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. If I wore my heart rate monitor, it would have probably sizzled.

Anyway, I learned two lessons. First, I needed to drink WAY more before the race began. I was seriously dehydrated (to the point of shaking) at the end of it. Thanks to a generous contribution to the "Water for Josh Before He Keels Over and Collapses From Dehydration Fund" by both Alex and Steve, I was able to recover somewhat for the ride back to the city. Second, I can blame it on a myriad of things, but the bottom line is that I need to train more (stupid school getting in the way of my bike riding).

Josh: The ride back home was interesting as well. Jack, Khary, Steve and myself rode back via 501, in the dark. I had literally nothing in my legs after the race, and then they started to cramp. I took the men to the bridge via an intricate series of back roads to avoid riding on a dark 9W with cars whizzing by at 60 mph (and also to avoid climbing back up THAT hill). The best part was while we were riding parallel to the river on Hudson Ave, a cop rolls up behind us and yells though his megaphone, "You've got to be kidding me!"

At the end of the day I was on the bike for 4 hours and 19 minutes, with a total ride of 78ish
miles. Which begs the question, what the heck was a Queens boy thinking by riding out to a race in Rockleigh New Jersey?

Steve: It was a great learning experience for me, and it was fun too. I will try to make this race again, as it is convenient for me and it gives me the chance to race with Cat 4's.

Jim: Great turn out for a race guys.  Excellent job to everyone, in particular Steve for riding strong in the 4's and finishing in the top of the pack.  Your performance bodes well for both your remaining Cat 5 races and your eventual promotion to Cat 4.  I am certain we can make something happen in one of these races if we keep getting this kind of turnout.  We also have some good background to work some pre-race strategies.

Brian: All in all, a good race on a great night. Many thanks to the TOA members who in the midst of pre race prep took a few moments to say hello to the family. They had a great time and I was happy they all got to see me ride in circles. Usually that would require a 4:00 AM wake up, traveling to Brooklyn or spending the night in Vermont.