The Maple Bay 65km Masters race was held yesterday under sunny skies and temperatures warm enough for shorts and sleeveless jersey. The course was a 16km rolling loop on roads in and around Maple Bay, just north of Duncan, completed four times. With the Australian pursuit format the time gaps for the age groups were as follows: 70+ first; 60-69 left 6 minutes back; 50-59 five minutes further back (11 minutes back in total); 40-40, four minutes further back (15 minutes back in total); the 30-39 a further 3 minutes back (total 18 minutes back).
There were 14 of us in the 40-49 group and about the same number in the 50-59 group, and a few less in the 30-39 group. There was some solid firepower in the 50s group and, although our group proved to be stronger, we did not catch the 50s by the finish. We gained about 3 minutes on them in the end, and took an additional three minutes out of the 30s.
Gerry van Gaans of the 50s group was the overall winner, while Bob Cameron took our group sprint and the fastest absolute time on the day (1hr 39 for us versus 1:42 for the 50s group and 1:42 for the 30s). Eric Rayson was the top 70+ rider, David Mercer the top 60+ rider, while Conny Strub was the top female (of two in total – Rhona Lettau being the other). Scott Martin, recently back from training in Arizona, was the top 30s rider.
In our group I began attacking very soon after the first significant climb on the course, about half way along the loop. At 65km, the total course was not long. The only real hill was also fairly short, the steepest part being about 400m, with another 500m of false flat. As a result there was little time to waste in attempting to tire the group or to break away. The last time I did this race I managed to escape clear of the group of 30s (my category at the time) and the 40s, whom we had caught, and just missed catching the 50s ahead. So, I knew what the best strategy was for me on this course. Essentially against Bob’s fearsome sprint, the only chance I have against him and other sprinter-types (almost everyone can outsprint me!) is to attack and get away well before the finishing sprint.
So, very soon into the race, I deliberately began to disrupt the rhythm of the group while also keeping the pace high; my strategy being to create gaps and fatigue the others by forcing them to chase as much as possible. I could almost hear silent, but collective name-calling when I commenced this tactic, since ordinarily during the first half of a Masters race, an organized paceline is established in order to catch the groups ahead. My strategy was risky, as it requires continually being at the front and forcing the pace and creating gaps and, as such, is highly fatiguing. One has to be in very good condition to wear down a whole group of riders, but because I am a poor sprinter, it is a risk I must take if I have any hope of winning.
I had the added disadvantage of having no team-mates to assist me, as I am with a different club this year (Schwalbe). Bob had Rob Breathet and Steve Munro to assist in chasing breakaway attempts (IRC members) and to effect counter-attacks, which they both did very effectively. There were other individual riders, though, including Tom Stewart, who had just won the hill climb the day before, and a few riders from Vancouver. So the possibility existed that self-organized alliances could form to counter the IRC team strength, but in the end no effective ones really materialized.
In any event, with my multiple attacks and other tactics (like very quick pulls and rotations) to force fatigue, on the day nothing quite worked. Tom attacked on the final climb taking me with him. We put about 50m on the group, but the remaining five or six riders clawed their way back. Rob B counter-attacked; I went after him.
This was potentially a winning move since Bob (Rob’s team-mate) was unlikely to chase, forcing the others, who were not as strong as Bob to bridge the gap. I had nearly closed the gap when a truck forced Rob to slow up at a roundabout with three km to go, as it did me, giving everyone else a chance to catch back on. And so it was destined to be a group sprint, my nemesis. I gave it one last ditch effort and expended my last ounces of energy to escape clear with 1km to go. I put about 30m on the group and held it to 400m when I could give no more and my legs locked up. A desperate glance to my side and there was Bob hauling the train past me like I was standing still. At that point, I barely made it across the finish line.
I was happy for making a race of it, though. I tried everything and gave it everything on the day. Bob took the day with Tom second (in our group), and a hard-earned effort for everyone, since it was a hard course and a decent finishing time. A fun, hard day, for everyone.
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