General Discussion Race Reports! » Gran Prix of Gloucester Cyclocross Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply

Gran Prix of Gloucester Cyclocross - CycleOther


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Gloucester, Massachusetts
United States
55F / 13C
Sunny
Total Time = 40m
Overall Rank = 100/104
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Arrived early (7:30) for a 9:00 start. With a predicted 3hr drive, you never know and we made good time, so were here early. Did the parking lot change into bibs and jersey, waited the registration line to get my number. Came back, pinned on and went to warm up
Event warmup:

Went out to run a couple warm up laps and learn the course. Seems like a short course, but the guide said 7min/lap. Runs up-hill to the finish, onto grass, switchbacks, off camber and then onto a gravel road. Up over a poorly paved hill, then into the central part of the course on the hillside. On an up/down, I lose my brakes driving the pads completely under the rims. SH!T!! I crash through the tape. After fixing the tape, I return to the car and work on the brake problem as best I can. After getting the brakes aligned, I make down to the start for call ups. I'm in row 6, but it hardly matters. After pre-race instructions, we start and the first trip up the hill, I slide back the group and by the end of lap 1, I'm OTB.
Bike
  • 40m
  • 18 kms
  • 27.00 km/hr
Comments:

My crash in warm-ups definately affected my confidence. I chicken sh!tted every technical section and was dubious if the brakes would work when I needed them. Consequently, I was on them the whole time. Still, I had a good race even though I got lapped just before the final one. The eventual winner (both days) was on the Sydney Olympic rowing team, so losing to a connsumate sandbagger like that isn't as demoralizing as it could be.

Results at:
http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2007/10/13-Gran-Prix-of-Gloucester.a...
What would you do differently?:

Get my bike set up exactly right before race day, not "good enough" after a quick 30min in the workstand.
Post race
Warm down:

After not puking and coughing up 1/2 a lung, I grabbed a coffee and watched the B's and the masters before heading home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Too sketchy on technical sections.

Event comments:

Great venue, great race. I should have done better, but was out of my element being first time here. Maybe next year if my surgery goes well and I can race next season.




Last updated: 2007-10-19 12:00 AM
Biking
00:40:00 | 18 kms | 27.00 km/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/104
Performance: Below average
Wind: None
Course: Start is up-hill on road. After the crest, you enter the grass switchbacks. A side hill section and then a gravel road. The roads turns to really rough pavement up a small hill, then enters the park by the HUGE boulder. The course traverses this hill; a downhill into a 180 then a run up with barriers. Clear this, another switchback and onto the northern 1/2 of the course. More long power sections here, but a sand pit interrupts the flow just enough.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Below average Cornering: Below average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Below average
Race pace: Too hard Drinks: Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

{postbutton}
2007-10-19 6:31 PM

User image

Champion
16151
50005000500010001002525
Checkin' out the podium girls
Subject: Gran Prix of Gloucester Cyclocross


2007-10-21 5:57 PM
in reply to: #1016518

User image

Expert
795
500100100252525
New Mexico
Subject: RE: Gran Prix of Gloucester Cyclocross
I've always wanted to try cyclocross. Congrats on hanging in there and finishing. Glad you found out about the brake problem before the race.
General Discussion-> Race Reports!
{postbutton}
General Discussion Race Reports! » Gran Prix of Gloucester Cyclocross Rss Feed