Poolesville Road Race 2013 -- Battle in the Gravel Trench

Saturday was the 2013 Poolesville Road Race.  Put on by NCVC, an annual classic punctuated by a 1 mile long gravel/dirt road section that is down in a low section near the river, with the real decider being the kicker hills that come right after.

Jake, Shane, and Ben would be in the Men's Cat 3 race, doing 65 miles, 6 laps.  It had been raining for days and there was a significant chance of thunderstorms Saturday afternoon.

Ben stayed with us Friday night and we headed out to Poolesville mid-morning.  We had heard that there was a small "ditch" cut across the gravel road by rain erosion (about 6-8 inches wide).  There were also a lot more small pot holes than in the past.  When we got there, the morning races were finishing and people were covered in dirt from the gravel road.

I talked in the parking lot with Jason Berry about looking for a breakaway with Jake.

Shane hadn't pre-registered, but luckily got into the Cat 3 race via the day-of waiting list.

The boys lined up with Shane and Ben up front and Jake sort of tucked toward the back.  I was worried about that.

So, like at Page County, I hopped on my bike to ride backward on the course, figuring Jake wouldn't need a bottle for the first two laps.  I saw them come by about 2/3 of the way through their first lap, in the rollers after the dirt road.  Jake, Shane, and Ben were all well positioned.  So I kept heading on down to the gravel road to get some video of them coming out of the trench.  When the 123 race came by, Justin was in an early breakaway (that would grow and become the winning breakaway).  There was a solo guy off the Cat 3 race, but really too early for that to stay away.

As you can see, Jake, Shane, and Ben were riding together, well positioned.  I heard that there was a bad crash in the gravel in the Cat 4 race, but I headed back toward the feed zone.  Jake came through the next time and took a bottle but had enough time to bitch at me "where the hell were you the last 2 times" (it turns out Mr. "I never lose a bottle" lost both bottles in the first two laps).  After that I stayed in the feed zone.  The next time through, the group was still together, but I didn't see Jake.  Larry Mauch said that he saw him, right behind Shane.  But no one saw Ben.  So that was after 4 laps.  After a while Ben came up the road.  He had crashed hard in the gravel.  According to Jason Berry, Ben hit a hole so hard it bounced him up in the air and he got sideways, so when he came down he shot sideways into the guy next to him and went down hard.  Sucks.  He was pretty cut up but not badly hurt, luckily.

Ben does not like gravel

So, we rinsed off his wounds a bit and sent him to the finish to get cleaned up by the medics.  Discussion in the feed zone -- poison ivy horror stories.

The next time they came by was the finish of 5 laps, so one lap to go.  Two riders were off the front, and I immediately recognized the riding style of Shane.

photo by Tom Simchak

Jake came by near the front.  I yelled for him to take a bottle but he was too focused.

photo by T Simchak

According to Jake and Jason, Shane's lead grew, and Jake spent the whole last lap patrolling the front.  If anyone tried to chase he would jump on their wheel to make them drag him along.  Jason told me he rode well, and that while he protected his teammate's breakaway, he did it in an appropriate way, that is to say, he wasn't slamming on his brakes and he would roll to the front easy without contributing to the chase just to disrupt the rhythm, but then pulling off and making sure that any attempt to go across the gap was going to take him with it.  I appreciated Jason's report.  Jake said it was really hard because even until the final turn 600 meters from the finish, he didn't know if they might catch Shane, so he was jumping to react to everything.

Well, Shane came across in first with his breakaway companion following, apparently unable to help, Shane had pulled pretty much the entire last lap.

It was great, and Shane deserved it.

winner winner (photo T. Simchak)

The field came in shortly after:

After working hard the last lap Jake still did ok, tucked in for 16th. A higher result would have been good, but I'm really proud of how he rode in support and the fact that he did it in a way that others respected.  There were 21 "did not finish" in this race.  It was hard and dangerous and Jake did well (even though he only had one bottle of water the whole time because his soigneur was out riding for the first 2 laps).

Here's a great photo that catches me getting video of Shane, with his dad across the street also getting video (photo by Tom Simchak I believe)

Susan and Pierre were also there to see it.  Shane got the gravel trophy and a pie that he threatened to eat in the car on the way home.

mmmm, Pie

It was a tough day.  Mike Russo, Chris Marrow and Chris Grengs all got caught in a crash just 800 meters from the finish of the Cat 4 race.  Andy Fleming I think avoided it but was 15th in the 4s.  But Bill Cusmano was 3rd in the 55+ and Justin was 5th in the 123 race.  So, highs and lows. 

Speaking of highs, Dustin Whitlow took this photo of Andy getting nice air over the cut in the gravel road

Jake drove home, which included driving in the rain and on the beltway.  My nerves are fine nonetheless.

Mothers Day was Sunday.  So, we gave Loren all afternoon with a quiet house.  That relaxation ended far too soon, no doubt.