Giro di Coppi 2012

This weekend I got to combine my roles as Soigneur Dad and President of Squadra Coppi.  The Giro di Coppi is one of the premier road races in the Mid Atlantic.  It is an unrelentingly hard course providing a never ceasing diet of 30 second to 2 minute climbs.  I've done this race every year for 9 years.  Jake has been coming to the race to help me road guard since he was 8 or 9 and has wanted to ride the course since he was 9, but he has never done the race or even ridden the course because it's too hard for a 10-14 junior category.  This year he would get his first try -- in the 50 mile Cat 3 race.

The team puts a lot of work into this race.  It takes a big effort that starts months in advance.  I can't thank them enough for the work everyone did.

Friday night we had dinner at our sponsor, Vapiano restaurant.  Saturday morning I woke the boys at 6AM.  We needed to pick up donuts and bagels for the police officers who work the race.  The donuts made it to the race without Liam getting into them, so that was something.

Jake lined up with Shane, Matt Amman, Matt Clements, and James P. for the Cat 3 race at 9AM.  I had to run down the the corner where the race would come out of the parking lot, but I got some video of the start.

So, we got the races going and I'm down at the corner by the feedzone so I can road guard and also feed Jake.  When I immediately get a call from a teammate.  During staging Jake told him he forgot his gel and asked if we could hand him a water bottle with gel packs in it.  Liam ran up to the car and got a bottle and some gels.  I was able to get the bottle to Jake their first time past (Liam was set up at the end of the feed zone with a first full of gel in case Jake missed the bottle).  The race continued and Jake was nicely placed in the pack on the 2nd and third time through.  Me and Dave Pedersen were road guards, but Dave was the most stylish.

Here are a few photos of the Cat 3 and Cat 4 by Jay Westcott

James Difilipi and Mike Russo in the Cat 4

Brad Evans pushes the pace in the Cat 3

Here are some added photos by Leslie Olson

James & Jake on probably first lap

Brad Evans & Jake (w/ Wes Schempf on the other side and James Hibbs)

  After they passed the last time, I got a substitute to cover my road guard spot (thanks Drew) and rode my bike to the finish line about a mile up (literally) the road.  It was a long 12 miles from the last time I saw Jake in the field.  I've gotten dropped and cramped up on the last lap of the Giro many times.  I stood there with Sue Hefler who had come to see her boys finish.  Here's what we saw (click through to YouTube to see larger version):

Wow.  Jake was 15th (out of 65 or so).  Incredible.  Matt A was just beaten for 5th by Coppi Dave Wilson (who is riding really strong).  They told us after than Shane had launched a bid for victory with about 2km to go and had a gap with 2 others but they couldn't hold off the pack.

Shane & Jake at roll out

Matt Shane Jake

James Sue Shane

Jake & James at roll out

I really can't say how impressive this result is.  This is a hard hard course.  Grinding, unrelenting.  And this is a strong field.  After a difficult Nationals and a not super finish at Chantilly last weekend (Jake launched off the front with 3 laps to go but couldn't get back into the pack when they caught him after a lap so finished off the back) this confirmed that he has the chops for the Cat 3.  I told him he should have some confidence after this.

I "raced" in the afternoon in the Category 4/5 35+.  It was a way to get a hard training ride. It was a different race that the past 2 years, much more hard attacking or off the gas on the first lap and I got dropped on the 2nd lap after a hard pull trying to close down an escape group was more than my poorly trained legs could handle.  I finished the final lap alone (a full 13 miles less than Jake's).  I was still 27th despite being more than 5 minutes behind.

Liam gave me a water bottle hand up, which he was thrilled to do.  He really enjoyed the race and on the way home said he wants to do some upcoming races (he asked "when is the next flat criterium").  I told him that he needs to spend some time on his bike, so maybe we can do that for the next 2 weeks then throw him into the Shenandoah time trial and maybe the Miller School Road Race.

Overall, the race was a great success, I hope.  I heard many kind words.  We hope everyone enjoyed the race and the atmosphere and the challenging course.

The Recovery Tent was the spot to be (photo by Jay Westcott)