Also known as the “hilly crit” (criterium), this course of about 2km in length features one steep, painful and unforgiving 500m hill in the middle. I won this race once a few years ago, but have also been spat out the back and sat on the sidelines dejectedly. It is a race that does not allow one to hide a lack of climbing fitness, fatigue or overtraining. Good climbers will generally do well, but a mediocre climber with good anaerobic fitness and recovery can also do well.
Originally slated for 20 laps for the A group and 16 laps for the B group, this was reduced to 18 for the A group and 14 for the B group, given the fairly small turnout. There were only about 10 of us in the A group, and about 15 in the B group.
The first lap was comfortable, but by the second lap the pace had quickly become quite uncomfortable. On lap three I took a pull up and over the top and could feel my rear tire becoming squishy. The course road surface was recently chip-sealed and is now very rough. Others also experienced flats. When my flat occurred, the group had already been reduced to five and it would have been disappointing to have to quit due to a flat so early in the race. Fortunately I was able to ride the flat with the front guys until the start line where I was able to take a free lap, and a nice fellow loaned me a rear wheel.
Jumping back in a few seconds after the leaders went through, and chasing back to them, the next few laps saw the lead consist of me, Andrew McCartney (who also rode the A race on Sunday), Kenyon Campbell, a young up-and-coming guy – light, very light, and a great climber, but who also held his own in the criterium on Sunday. For a short time a fourth fellow was there, but he dropped off at about lap 10.
After we lapped the B group, and with two laps to go, Kenyon attacked up the climb. I struggled to stay with him, as did Andrew, it seemed. However, that effort put me over my lactate threshold and, while I stayed with them until the last climb, I was not able to match their last effort to the finish. Andrew took the win, showing some fantastic strength on the hill, while Kenyon was second, to my third. Brett Boniface (Campione-Ratcliff) came in 4th and David Hilhorst (Schwalbe) in 5th. Full results at www.duanebc.com
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