It was misty and getting cold. I stayed in the same Courtyard in Saratoga Springs where we'd stayed before. I was able to meet up with Jake and the Miller School team for dinner at a local Olive Garden. Coach Andy Guptil and Ass't Coach Phillip Rob (who also owns Cutaway Clothing) were there along with (17-18) Hayden Blom, Spencer Virtue, Marcio Oliviera-Filho, and Pedro, and (15-16) Thomas Marucci(?), Leo Yip, and Chris Derby. A bunch of the boys are from Brazil and Leo is from Hong Kong. It was fun to eat with them and shoot the shit.
Saturday was cold grey and windy. I went over to Cambridge and went for a ride, and around 1:30 the team came over to drive the course and pre-ride the final 15 miles or so.
 |
| Jake and Andy lead the way |
 |
| The Miller School of Albemarle Death Star |
The team went back to their host house and I had dinner and hung around the hotel room. It would be an early wake up for the 8:50 start on Sunday.
Sunday it was cold, sub freezing but sunny and the wind was down. I scored a parking spot for me and the school van and helped Andy and Phillip get the boys together. Jake lined up for the stacked 17-18 race. Tanner Brown and Sam Lear from GS-Cyclelife were also there. I got a chance to meet Marcello Cesario's parent's in person. Networking with other parents is always a nice part of the races.
 |
| Spencer was ready to rob a 7-11 later |
start from Scott Thompson on Vimeo.
Andy and Phillip had to stay with the 15-16 group so I went to the first feed zone. It was the same Dairy as last year. The race played out really weirdly. A group of 3 (with one from Hincapie) came through and they had a 4 minute lead already on on a group of 3 with Tanner and Sam Lear (and another Hincapie boy), who then had 2 minutes on the field (Spencer was solo between them and the field). We thought something must have happened because usually they stay together, but Jake says the first group went immediately and everyone just let them go thinking it was too early. Then Tanner & Sam went shortly thereafter, and again Jake said they just let them go figuring it was too early. Also, with 2 up the road, Hincapie apparently started to actively "defend."
I had to stick around feed zone 1 to feed the 15-16 Miller boys so I didn't get to the 2nd feed zone in time. Andy called while I was en route (racing through country roads). The lead 3 then had 8 minutes on the Tanner/Sam group, who had 3 minutes on the field.
So I rushed to the corner of Center Cambridge Road and Rt. 74, which is the corner I went last year to see whether Jake made the group after the decisive Meetinghouse Road climbs. The situation was similar, 3 still 7 minutes ahead of Tanner/Sam group, then 2 boys a minute back and then Jake came through with 8 boys another minute back. He had made the first group from the field again, which was great. These were all national-level racers from big national teams. Jake's group caught those 3 just a few seconds in front of them through the turn.
Jake group after Meetinghouse Rd from Scott Thompson on Vimeo.
I waited a bit. Marcio came through next with another boy. they were 2 minutes behind Jake's group. Jake said they had gone ballistic on the big climbs immediately after the 2nd feed zone, essentially sprinting up the climbs. Jake said he had to dig in multiple times to stay with the little group.
I went to the finish. The 3 came through. Then 2 more. Sam Lear came through solo 7th, then Tanner 10th then a few more boys then Jake came through 15th just a minute or two later. He said had just gotten gapped at the top of the final climb, but he had also dropped and beat several of the boys from that group, which is really impressive.
I'm really proud of Jake's race. He road hard and dug deep. In more than 95% of cases, those little groups that go at the beginning of the race don't say away. It's a choice that everyone had to make. Kudos to Tanner and Sam for a nice move that also stuck to get them in the top 10. Jake stayed with the field but when the moves came he was able to go with the top boys, which bodes well for the year. With his first year in the 17-18 (he's 16 but race age 17 because he turns 17 in August), getting in the top 15 was a reasonable result. His first time in the 15-16 two years ago he was 16th and then 7th last year. So next year should be a good one.
**POST SCRIPT -- a review of the results shows the top 5 were 18. Jake was the 6th 17 year old.
The boys hung around a little bit after. Thomas and Leo had scored 7th and 9th in the 15-16 race, which was great. Then it was time for the long drive home and back to school for them
No comments:
Post a Comment