The 2014 French Fry Crit

2014 McDonald’s Tri-State Criterium

 Huntington, WV

Course:  Flat, 4 corner, 0.8 mile loop – 45 minutes

Field:  W1/2/3

If you were somehow dropped in front of the Starbucks at Pullman Plaza in Huntington, WV last Saturday, you would have assumed the race was something along the lines of Richmond 2015 – which tagged onto the Collegiate Nationals.  Bleachers, inflatable arch over the finish line, music blasting from a very good sound system, and a deep payout for amateur racing (M1/2/3 paid $8000, 30 deep).  However, in Huntington, a national title was not on the line nor is the town preparing/practicing for a world road racing championship.  This town just knows how to host a bike race.

The day held races for different populations, starting with a 20 minute race pitting the fire department against the police department.  After that, the “Citizen’s Race” - filled with flat pedals, hairy legs and numbers pinned upside-down.  What I found interesting about the event – the emphasis on encouraging non-racers to give racing a try, both men and women.  The race promoter had activities for children, both a kids race and things like face painting, and it seemed that a lot of local families without ties to the small cycling community showed up to cheer on the racers.

To further set the scene – at the Civic Center, there was a Comic Book Convention.  Two worlds colliding with people dressed in strange clothes – from the 300+lb Bat-Girl clad in latex and whole host of others dressed as their favorite character to all the racers clad in spandex….I wonder if they looked at us with puzzlement as I did them.  There was also the young lad who took a shining to me – and asked me all sorts of details about sitting on such a small saddle.  He was crushed to learn that this race didn’t occur every Saturday. 

My field was very small and I knew from a little research and the race last year, that – if a hill suddenly appeared, I would be golden but….this was flat and there were some women, such as Jenette Williams (who races in MABRA from time to time), who could sit in and wait for the final sprint.  I could not.  My plan was to jump from the start to either get away (difficult on this course, I think) or at least make them suffer and take something out of their sprint.  Gun goes, I go.  Caught.  There were maybe 4 other women who would actually attack or push the pace.  Otherwise, everyone was happy to pedal in a rectangle, exchange recipes and wait for the sprint.

The corners were nice and wide, pavement smooth, and a strong head wind coming from the river which affected two of the four legs of the course.  The wind seemed to neutralize any gap.  About halfway through the race, I realized that, while many would not attack, they would chase, so I stopped chasing down the other surges and focused on what to do to win the race.  (Flat crits with easy corners = lots of time to think).

Chuck is from Huntington and his family still lives there.  His dad, two daughters and ex-wife were at the race.  I was worried about the end of the race if it came down to a sprint, since I wanted to, as we all would, look good in front of his family – so I decided all attacks and sitting at the front should be done only on the part of the course with the start/finish.  Why not have the announcer have to say for almost every lap, and “Rider 157, Dana Stryk, from Evolution Cycling, at the front” or “There she goes again.”?  So that is what I did.

On the last lap, I was second wheel.  I expected the field to begin the jockeying for position on the windy-straight-away.  I was wrong.  Someone came up on the right and dove the corner in front of me.  The course is wide…plenty of room to take the corner on a different line other than MINE…but….I found myself at the back of the pack as I hit my brakes to avoiding hitting her.  As we turned onto the windy  leg, I moved up – and planned to move into the wind to get to 2^nd wheel coming into the final turn.  I miscalculated the effects of the wind, my leg strength, etc. and did not have enough real estate.  I made the final corner well out of the top 5 and it was over. 

I had a good race until that last lap and honestly, I would probably make that mistake again.  I ended up in 8^th place and $75 richer….and with a coupon for a Big Mac….

2014 Memorial Day Weekend of Racing: 2 Down, 1 to go: Tour of Somerville

Tour of Somerville

Women’s P/1/2

20 miles – 15 laps – 4 corners

I joined Kelley for this classic criterium in NJ, along with Tina Pic, Erica Allar, Laura Van Gilder and UHC.  I heard from Wendy and others that this is a fun race in downtown Somerville, NJ.  All along the race course, which goes along Main Street and a residential street with 4 corners to make the oval, were people with cowbells, loud voices, and grills.  People set up tents on front lawns with beer and some awesome smelling food to watch the day’s races.

The front of the race, as Chuck looks for me in the field (hint:  I am no where near LVG)

The women’s field was the second to last race of the day.  As the call-ups began, the nerves actually calmed down. I guess I was too penned in to escape into the crowd and realized that I was going to start my 4^th NCC race.  My record so far:  finished: 1, pulled and scored:  1, pulled and not scored: 1.  I really wanted to finish with the pack.  This course was less technical than the ones we did last year but….Pic, Allar, UHC, did I mention Van Gilder…..and I did not have fresh legs.

As we lined up at the start, the announcer introduced Mildred Kugler, for whom the race is named.  History lesson:  She was born in 1925, started racing at age 14, national champion in 1940, the same year her father started the Tour of Somerville.  With the words, “Ladies, go”, we were off.

Wendy told me that after a few laps I would notice a rhythm to the race, and I did.  A friend of mine told me that by riding in the center of the pack, the wide roads would make it seem like I did not need to pedal given the draft.  He was correct.  Each lap was virtually the same…first corner easy, second corner slower with sprinting to catch up to the person in front of you, mellower pace, some serpentining down the back stretch, scary corner, less scary corner, pick up the pace on the final stretch, repeat.

Kelley and I both moved around the pack a bit. I was trying to find the place I was most comfortable through the 3^rd corner.  I went through a couple of times in the inside following a UHC wheel that, compared to our cornering in MABRA, was, well, yikes.  With about half the race to go, I realized that I could finish with the field.  I even managed to drink something out of the water bottle.  I could smell food and even cotton candy.  I started to enjoy myself.

With two laps to go, I told myself that the group would accelerate out of the second turn and keep going.  No matter what, I would stay there.  I would have my best whatever minute effort to hang on.  While the pace picked up, it was not brutal and Kelley and I were in the main field on the last lap.

And then, the famous 4^th corner.  It loves skin, I have been told.  We cleared the scary corner and I moved to the right to move up.  We went into that last corner and all of a sudden, Colavita was down in front of me, with bodies in front of her.  I swerved to avoid her and was heading to hit the curb.  I tucked and bailed to the ground and curled up into a little ball in case someone behind me hit me.  Luckily, I was wide enough that I was not hit.  I got up, noticed the bike seemed ok and caught three people ahead of me – perhaps in bad taste to sprint for 47^th place….but….the crowds cheered for me nonetheless.  Kelley ended up 33^rd or so and with all her skin intact.  Meredith, our guest rider from Richmond 2015, was also in the crash and fared worse than I did, and my fingers are crossed that she escaped without broken bones (she was scheduled to see a doctor today).

2014 Memorial Day Weekend of Racing: 1 Down, 2 to go: Ft. Ritchie Age-Graded Championship

Ft. Ritchie Age-Graded Criterium Championship

Womens 45+ (racing with the 35+)

Flat 1.5km loop with a chicane and one final corner that tells it all……

Happy to discover that I could still walk and my legs seemed to be willing to pedal a bike after Saturday, Wendy and I chatted before the race.  We were racing at the same time but different races – how do we manage if one of us is up the road with someone from the other’s field?  We agreed that we needed to treat this as two different races and if I were up the road with a 35+, she should chase and vice versa. 

My field was VERY small – and I was concerned about Janette (Colovita Mid-Atlantic) who I knew wanted to win (she crashed last year the day before the crit championship which I won and I figured she wanted a little justice from the “crash” gods) and is very good at sitting in and sprinting at the end.  I either needed to get into a break or wear her down.

I jumped at the gun and Mary Breed (NCVC 35+) was on my wheel.  We had a gap and she pulled through but we were caught by the final turn.  I tried a couple of times to get away as did Wendy and Tania and we tried our best to counter each other’s attacks.  Throughout the race, we had three premes for beer.  I used them as a way to not only stock the Race Vehicles refrigerator, but also to see from how far away I could sprint and not die.  After the premes, I continued to sprint, hoping my competitors would sit up and I would get away.  We stayed together.  Drat.

On the last preme, Tania crashed just after the finish line.  As we made the 2^nd to last turn, the motor ref slowed us, for she was still lying on the ground.  Mimi told us that an ambulance was needed as a precaution since the impact destroyed her helmet.  Once Tania was safely on her way to the hospital to be checked out, the race resumed with two laps to go.  (From Phil’s email:  Tania is ok, mad about the crash.)  Wendy and I talked about what to do – we both had strong sprinters in our fields and we both knew that you needed to be in the top three coming into the final turn.  I decided to attack on the last lap after the chicane.  Cornering had been slow and careful through that part and I thought if I went quickly and accelerated up the right side, I could get away.  I had a small gap but was caught and decided to stay on the front to make it through that corner both safely and in good position. 

As we made the final turn, Wendy accelerated on the inside and I was able to follow her wheel.  Stacey (Cloud Nine Racing 35+) accelerated up the left side.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Janette also moving left.  Where is the darn line?  As I crossed, I could tell Janette and I had a foto-finish for 1^st in the 45+.  When we checked the results, my bike push across the line may have made the difference….I defended my jersey.  Wendy was nipped at the line by Stacey, who, we learned, was eligible for the 35+ jersey despite racing for a non-MABRA.  

2014 Memorial Day Weekend of Racing: 3 days, 3 races, 700 miles - Race 1 - Mountain Massacre

Mountain Massacre Road Race Report

Women’s 1/2/3 field.

2 laps, 40-ish miles total.  Lots of pain and misery.

Chuck and I started our three day, three race weekend in Friendsville, MD for the 2^nd Annual Mountain Massacre RR.  My field was small – with day-of registrations, we totaled 8 in the 1/2/3 field with about another 10 in the Cat 4 field.  The field had two women who I know climb well, Ainoha (ABRT) and Michele S. (BMC Bike Shop) and my plan was to stay on their wheels and let them set the pace.

For those who have not done this race, there are two major climbs – Sam’s Friend Road and Pig’s Ear.  The former is longer and the latter is steeper.  In between there are several rollers and some fantastic downhills.  The race culminates with a gravel climb for about 2 miles and then another 2 miles of slight uphill to the finish in the middle of a field.  To return to the start, you have to ride another 10 miles along a different route.

We rolled out.  Everything was fine.  We hit the first climb and people start popping off the back.  At the top of the climb – I could see the top – I could not breathe.  Now I have a list of excuses – I am asthmatic and have a hard time telling the difference between an attack and red-zone breathlessness, I forgot to pack my legs, blah, blah blah.  At the end of the day, I got dropped.  I did not have it in my legs or my lungs on Saturday.   I knew that others would drop off the front group and I perhaps could chase them down and move up a couple of positions but….the podium was three deep and that ship had sailed.  With two more days of racing, and Fort Ritchie the following day, where I wanted to defend my jersey, I decided to turn the race into a ride and save my legs. 

Saving legs on a hilly course – well, “saving” is perhaps relative.  By the time I made to turn onto Limestone, the home of the gravel climb, everything hurt.  Quads felt like they would seize at any moment, hamstrings not happy either.  I was miserable and still had this dreaded steep gravel climb, which turned out to be my favorite of the entire course.  It was awesome (granted, said at a riding not racing pace).

I crossed the line and provided a quality example of “you’ve been dropped”.  For some reason, I want to do this again.

After the pain and suffering was over.

Before the pain and suffering started.