West Branch Road Race is hard enough (1500 feet of climbing per lap) without the wind being mixed in. Add low temperatures (High 40s at start time) and rain and you have a combination that makes the primary pre-race discussion in the pits about; leg warmers or no, hat, no hat? Warming up means sitting in your car as long as you can and hope that your muscles will not penalize you for putting them into the wind and rain before the first attack. I pre-rode this course with some friends from Wolverine Sports Club and we did 3 laps. My back was still tender from all the climbing from the ride 3 weeks prior. If not for a ‘pact’ to do the race between me Danny and Derrick after our Wednesday night team ride, I would not have even set the alarm to drive all the way to West Branch in the rain. But, loyalty is loyalty…so we death marched our way north.
It is always great to have team mates at a race, on a cold rainy windy nasty day, it is even better to have some moral support. We ignored the weather, donned our team kits and proceeded to the start. In the first turn, we all communicated very well, there were 56 pre-registered, but who knows how many idiots like me actually showed up. The wind was off to our left and I kept tucked in behind some very strong cyclists for the first 12 miles of the first lap. Danny was possessed as he was on Wednesday night and was out front for a great deal of the rollers. I made a mistake and stayed on the windward side of the echelon and when they turned up the tempo, I had no legs. I knew that the race was over for me with about 5 miles left in the first lap! Three other riders worked with me in the wind, but by the time we made the turn to the first time up the climb, the pack was gone.
I rolled up the monster hill after the first lap and had the opportunity to call it a day. After all, I was done, I could not even see the lead pack any more. But, I committed to have Danny’s “6.” If he had a mechanical or something, I would give him whatever he needed to get back in the race. I also remember a team mate telling me (commanding me) that you never ever ever leave a race unless you are hurt, have a mechanical or are pulled. I fought these demons because I was all alone in the wind and had no one to work with.
I was closing in on a couple Cat 4s who were shelled out the back like me, but when the Cat 5s went by, two of them jumped on the group (an illegal move and when I protested to the follow car, the officials pulled them off, but they were too far ahead and were connected together now and I was, alas, all alone.)
Unfortunately, when you are riding by yourself in a race (it has happened to me way too often) you have time to think. I committed myself to burning calories in my final lap and ‘being there for Danny’ in case he needed me. Well, Danny was there for me at the last few yards of the climb to the finish and I know I did not have as good a day as Danny did (we still have not seen results), but I know this, I did not DNF.
Jack Miner.
