North Carolina's Koppenberg Race
So there wasn't a historic cobbled climb that has featured in some of the biggest bike races of the last century, there wasn't even a cobbled climb, but this race was something like the Koppenberg cross race. It was mostly uphill or downhill so I got the climbing I was after.
The course had a couple hundred meters of road that was slightly up hill until you took a right and then did a short climb to the high point of the course and turned into the fields. For some reason they didn't start us on the road. I'm a traditionalist, if you have a suitable road why not start the race on it like a cross race is suppose to start? They probably had their reasons. Instead they started us a couple hundred meters futher back just past the finish line towards the top of the climb. Anyway, after the road section the course mostly went downhill thru pretty bumpy grass fields. There was a nice little dirt road section that led into some steps they had cut into a hill, forcing a dismount. More downhill, some sweeping turns where you could lose time. A very fast descent into some mulch and then you were at the bottom of the course and did some flat riding along a creek for a minute or two. Just a hint of mud in some spots. The planks were in this section. Then you came to the piece de resistance of the course. A very steep hill that was just rideable. The steepest parts were at the bottom, so it put you into the red immediately and then it just kept going up, albeit not quite as steep. The finish line was in the middle of the climb where it leveled off a bit, then you hit the start line and climbed some more until you got somthing of a respite as you dropped downhill a bit and hit the road section.
My game plan was to pace myself. Only really place to catch some draft was the short slightly uphill road section before it really kicked up and I didn't think it would be wise to hit the hill at the end of lap 1 totally in the red from trying to keep up. I still had a good start and was well placed as we went into the fields, but lost time and places on the fast downhills, probably riding just outside the top 10 when we hit the hill for the first time at the end of lap 1. My strategy seemed to work as I was able to ride the hill while other guys had to dismount. My pacing was still good coming to the end of lap 2 as I caught and passed 3 riders on the long uphill. End of Lap 3 on the climb I dug deep as I saw two guys up in front of me, one of whom I know regularly beats me. I just caught onto the closer rider coming off the road at the top of the course. The guy dropped me like a bad habit on the descending portion of the course. He probably was 50 meters ahead by the bottom flat part, but I told myself not to worry I had caught him the previous lap on the climb and the other guy was still just in front of him. So up the hill for the 4th time we went and this guy just took off, he left me in the dust, caught the guy in front of us and dropped him. He was long gone by the time we finally reached the end of the road section and the top of the course. And I was starting to not go well, as the other fellow had pulled away from me also. Laps 5 & 6 were uneventful, just got passed by the front couple of 45+ guys. Again I got on one of their wheels at the top as we turned off the road and he schooled me thru the turns on the downhill section. This race certainly showed me where my relative weakness is, I pretty much lost time to anyone who was around me on the technical sections. Then again, I already knew that's not my strong suite. Unfortunately I don't have the power to compensate. Didn't stick around for results, I think I was just inside the top-10, maybe 8th. All in all, I felt pretty good for the end of 2 week training block, including a metric century on Saturday. Now I start taking it easy for the next couple of weeks and tapering for the state champs next week and then the double UCI weekend in two weeks. If this works as planned should be able to squeeze a bit more power out of the legs.
I can see why Lance went to Boone back in the day to do some training. Looks like really good riding around there. Next week is the state champs race in Pinehurst with double points on offer.
The course had a couple hundred meters of road that was slightly up hill until you took a right and then did a short climb to the high point of the course and turned into the fields. For some reason they didn't start us on the road. I'm a traditionalist, if you have a suitable road why not start the race on it like a cross race is suppose to start? They probably had their reasons. Instead they started us a couple hundred meters futher back just past the finish line towards the top of the climb. Anyway, after the road section the course mostly went downhill thru pretty bumpy grass fields. There was a nice little dirt road section that led into some steps they had cut into a hill, forcing a dismount. More downhill, some sweeping turns where you could lose time. A very fast descent into some mulch and then you were at the bottom of the course and did some flat riding along a creek for a minute or two. Just a hint of mud in some spots. The planks were in this section. Then you came to the piece de resistance of the course. A very steep hill that was just rideable. The steepest parts were at the bottom, so it put you into the red immediately and then it just kept going up, albeit not quite as steep. The finish line was in the middle of the climb where it leveled off a bit, then you hit the start line and climbed some more until you got somthing of a respite as you dropped downhill a bit and hit the road section.
My game plan was to pace myself. Only really place to catch some draft was the short slightly uphill road section before it really kicked up and I didn't think it would be wise to hit the hill at the end of lap 1 totally in the red from trying to keep up. I still had a good start and was well placed as we went into the fields, but lost time and places on the fast downhills, probably riding just outside the top 10 when we hit the hill for the first time at the end of lap 1. My strategy seemed to work as I was able to ride the hill while other guys had to dismount. My pacing was still good coming to the end of lap 2 as I caught and passed 3 riders on the long uphill. End of Lap 3 on the climb I dug deep as I saw two guys up in front of me, one of whom I know regularly beats me. I just caught onto the closer rider coming off the road at the top of the course. The guy dropped me like a bad habit on the descending portion of the course. He probably was 50 meters ahead by the bottom flat part, but I told myself not to worry I had caught him the previous lap on the climb and the other guy was still just in front of him. So up the hill for the 4th time we went and this guy just took off, he left me in the dust, caught the guy in front of us and dropped him. He was long gone by the time we finally reached the end of the road section and the top of the course. And I was starting to not go well, as the other fellow had pulled away from me also. Laps 5 & 6 were uneventful, just got passed by the front couple of 45+ guys. Again I got on one of their wheels at the top as we turned off the road and he schooled me thru the turns on the downhill section. This race certainly showed me where my relative weakness is, I pretty much lost time to anyone who was around me on the technical sections. Then again, I already knew that's not my strong suite. Unfortunately I don't have the power to compensate. Didn't stick around for results, I think I was just inside the top-10, maybe 8th. All in all, I felt pretty good for the end of 2 week training block, including a metric century on Saturday. Now I start taking it easy for the next couple of weeks and tapering for the state champs next week and then the double UCI weekend in two weeks. If this works as planned should be able to squeeze a bit more power out of the legs.
I can see why Lance went to Boone back in the day to do some training. Looks like really good riding around there. Next week is the state champs race in Pinehurst with double points on offer.
posted by Venga, Venga, Venga! at 5:32 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home