2013 Tour of Washington County: Life is like a (empty) box of Cheez-Its

Race Report

Dana Stryk

Evolution Cycling p/b Long and Foster

Race	Tour of Washington County
Date	June 15-16, 2013
Field	20+
Field Demographics	Women's Open

Race Results:  7^th RR, 13^th TT, 4^th Crit, 9^th GC

Title for this novella:  “Life is like a (empty) box of Cheez-Its”

When the schedule for a new season becomes populated with races, I look for the Tour of Washington County (TOWC), circle the dates and surround them with stars on my calendar.  TOWC, a stage race in, not surprisingly, Washington County, MD, is always an enjoyable weekend of pain and suffering.  This stage race opens with a kick-off criterium which is outside of the general classification race (GC) on Friday night in downtown Hagerstown, MD.  Saturday brings a road race (RR) with a marvelous uphill finish and cows along the route.  Sunday is particularly torturous with an early morning time trial (TT) followed by a downtown criterium complete with time-bonus premes (translation:  more peloton induced pain).

The women’s kickoff crit began at 6 PM, earlier than last year which for me had one plus (daylight so I could see) and one negative (with traffic, we could not get to the race in time).  My teammate Kelley represented Evo quite well, finishing 5^th in a field filled with fast women.

Since this is a race report that will turn out to be far too long, I will minimize one aspect of the weekend. CA and I decided to acquire a Race Vehicle - others may MISTAKINGLY call the RV a Recreational Vehicle, but they are incorrect.  It is a RACE  VEHICLE.  We were able to camp at the start/finish line for each stage.  Given that my idea of camping is a 4-star hotel with a nice view from a balcony, the Race Vehicle is camping.  Given CA’s WV roots and deployments to war zones, he thought me a bit wimp-ish and rolled his eyes when I packed a hair dryer….The weekend was enhanced having a place to shower, fresh water, COFFEE, apple tv, my own bathroom, etc.  End of Race Vehicle Report.

Smithburg Road Race:  6 laps, 2 smaller bumps, one larger bump, uphill finish.  Cows.

Saturday morning dawned.  Kelley and I sit around thinking of ways in which we could position one of us in good standing for the GC.  The field consisted of one team and many solo strong riders and we were not sure how the race would unfold.  We assumed the well-represented team (ok – we all know of which team I speak – ABRT) would launch attack and counter-attacks.  We needed a plan to cover and, as many do, made race-day alliances. 

At the start, I told Kelley that I would, to the best of my ability, sit on Katy’s wheel.  I would ignore the rest of the race and sit there.  If she stopped to pet a cow, so would I.  I would knock others off the wheel to maintain it (not literally).  When we rolled out, ABRT was toward the back. While I have improved my ability to stay at the front of the pack, I did not want to test that ability to both match Katy’s jump and navigate through riders simultaneously.  I stayed toward the front and Kelley sat on another ABRT wheel.

From past years, I knew that I could save a ton of energy maintaining good position through the turns.  A gap can easily form and the chase to reattach wears on you.  I also wanted to avoid being on the front – a difficult battle to maintain 2^nd or 3^rd wheel and not end up without wind protection as the person at the front tried to get off the front.  After a couple of attacks that failed to sustain, I found myself on the wheel of Ms. Giles.  Focus. 

(Writer’s note:  These are my impressions of the race, which may be entirely different than everyone else’s recollection, especially Katy’s.)

Katy launched a couple of attacks and I was able to stay with her.  One of these efforts had success for a period of time.  Despite the efforts of Kelley, Laura and Katy’s teammates, the group caught us.  For a few moments, I had such hope…. Back to sitting on her wheel while Kelley maintained watch over a couple of the other threats in the group.

Choosing one wheel on which to sit is a suboptimal strategy when someone not named Ms. Giles attacks.  Alas, we were not party to their team strategy and Sue from ABRT attacked with success and her lead soon grew.  She would go on to win the race.  Kudos to her on a strong TT effort!

I wondered about my strategy.  In other races, I noticed that Amanda (also ABRT) would jump once her teammate’s time gap was large enough for the break to stick.  I decided to sit on her wheel.  A couple of times I noticed Katy on the front with Amanda sitting 2^nd wheel and thought…this is it…Amanda will go and Katy is there to create the gap.  Sadly, my expectations were similar to someone shorting the euro recently….wrong.  On the final lap, Katy jumped several times.  I made it with her on a couple of them but the final one, I was gassed and she, along with another rider, had a break.  Phooey.

Now we are racing for 4^th. 

My legs feel like jello and I am falling back through the pack.  NOOOOO.  I did not stay at the front of this race to finish at the back of the pack.  Kelley calmed me and told me to rest at the back.  At Tour of Page County, I felt the same way – I had chased and worked at the front and gave up on the final sprint hill.  This was different.  I bided my time after the final turn.  There are two hills and many people power up the first only die on the second.  I used the first hill to move forward and left where my climbing line was clear.  At the bottom of the final bump, I stood and sprinted, stupidity mistaking the white line on the road “almost” at the top of the hill for the finish…which cost me one position.  Evo ended up with two in the top 15 – I ended up 7^th and Kelley 14^th.

Willamsport Criterium:  25 laps (I think), one tight turn, one downhill fast turn and a hill that increases in grade as more laps accumulate in your legs.

Kelley and I rolled around the course to loosen the legs after the TT warmup.  Last year, I sat in the back of the pack and had a painful last half of the race, getting popped off the back with 2 to go. CA was “suggesting” a race strategy. Given my lack luster TT performance, I was 30 seconds out of fifth and out of GC contention.  Given that information, he thought if I jumped, the GC podium contenders would let me go.  He made me promise to use the first 20 laps to pick my attack spot and then jump with 5 to go.  Avoiding all eye contact I muttered something that he interpreted as an affirmative response.  I was tired and irritated with my TT – which was 19 seconds slower than the previous year.

During the race, we would have 1 prize preme and two time bonus premes, which translates into massive amounts of pain for those laps.  Last year, this is what slaughtered my legs.  This year I wanted to learn from my mistakes.

Throughout the race, I tried to remain no further back than 5^th wheel.  Without video proof, I can only guess, but I think I achieved that goal.  For each of those painful premes, I sprinted up that ever increasingly steeper hill.  I even managed to swipe one of the 3^rd place time bonuses for the last preme. 

As we approached five laps to go, I still could not find a good place to attack, if I overcame my nerves and executed.  On the flat stretch after the first turn there was a strong head wind….bad.  The downhill into the turn into the chicane had a chance.  The uphill was too expected.  As I contemplated this and we hit lap five, Ms. Giles of aforementioned wheel sitting (mine on hers) attacked a hair before the turn into the downhill, which was a great place and about which I had not thought.  With the turn, one tends to slow and she accelerated through the turn.  Luckily, I heard someone moving on my right and was able to follow suit.  I am sitting 4^th or 5^th and we have a gap on the rest of the field.  Through the chicane, into the sharp right and up the hill.  I am not sure when to start to sprint up the hill – and go when I see Michelle Miller start her sprint. I cross the line in 4^th…..Kelley finishes a few seconds behind in 12^th.

Kelley and I were 12^th and 9^th respectively in the GC.

The title of my blog comes from our RR cool-down ride, where a local gentlemen in a truck showered us with a gift....an (empty) Cheez-Its box.  The next day, Michelle Miller stated her depression stemming from the fact the box was empty....

Lessons Learned:

Using “bad” race memories can really motivate when one is tired.

I am now uncomfortable in the back of the MABRA pack – a big change from last year when moving to the front was almost asthma inducing.

Those Sufferfest Revolver workouts are golden.

Kudos and Shout-outs

Kelley:  That was an awesome weekend of racing!!!!!!

Michelle:  Great win!  The best quote of the weekend belongs to you and therefore is the title of my blog.

Joe Jefferson:  TOWC simply rocks.

Mark:  Thanks for a wonderful dinner and glass of wine!

CA:  What a great weekend – from the Race Vehicle to the “Youarenottheonlyonewhoistired.Everyoneistired.Justgirlupandrace” pep talk before the crit.  I am getting closer……One of these days my race results will correspond with your prediction.