3 Villages Tour Race (Smashing Pumpkins)

Posted by Kelly on Sunday, September 21, 2008 to Race Report

It was a great day for a bike race; sunny sky, moderate temps, and a slew of orange racers. Even though the 45+ field had plenty of entrants, the 35+ and 55+ were a little thin so the promoter combined all 3 fields. At the start Paul Curley put my own thoughts into words when he expressed his displeasure w/ this turn of events. It really was a kind of bait and switch that would completely change the dynamics of the race as now we had to deal w/ the presence of some very strong 35+ guys.

When these guys made their move, the strongest 45+ guys could go w/ them and get away for the win.Mystics' job was to marshall the front and keep everything together for our sprinters, Ed and Wayne, who had some fierce competition (i.e. the aforementioned P. C.). Things started well. I was very close to the front and was able to keep tabs on things as they developed on lap 1. The pace was relatively easy and it all stayed together  the 1st time around. The 2nd lap started relatively calmly with a little more pressure as we climbed toward and past Sayles School. We were all together with the moto lead and State Police cruiser (which had all of its flashing lights on).

As we were about to make our right turn, an oncoming motorist decided that it would be a good idea to make a left turn directly in front of  the cop car, the motorcycle,and a group of about 50 racers who weren't exactly dallying. We make the turn and now the slow moving car is in front of  us all and the gap is quickly shrinking as we pick up speed. The trooper gets right on the bumper of the car as if he's trying to get it to hurry up or pull over or do anything besides continue along in front of us at 20mph.

The driver appears to be totally oblivious to all of those flashing lights 5 feet behind him/her and eventually turns LEFT into a driveway (w/ no directionals) and we continue on our way to the climb on the back side of the course.It's a little intimidating, but the long descent on the other side makes it hard for anyone to get away. The 1st  few times up that's how it plays: a little separation followed by a high speed chase and then everybody's back together again. On the 3rd lap after the descent, a few guys got away and stated out there for awhile. Mark D. left the pack to chase, but he was the victim of his developing feud w/ another rider who bridged and refused to work.( I have a feeling that we'll hear more about this in the future).

The field caught the little break  and as we crossed the RR tracks there was a surge @ the front and a split developed just as we started to climb toward the school. I didn't see any orange in the front group so I bridged over just before the speed really picked up. The field was chasing big time and by the time they caught us we were all strung out single file and breathing hard. I drifted back a little for some recovery as we made the right and approached the 2nd climb. I figured that as long as I stayed w/ the group I would be OK  because the field would come back together on the descent. Unfortunately, Bill Thompson, Mark Gunsalus, Mark Luzio, and a few others figured that if they went absolutely ballistic, they would get away for good, which they did w/ no orange in their little group.

Chip and I worked our way to the front, but w/ some blocking by teammates of the guys up the road, our efforts were too little and too late. There were still a few places up for grabs in the main bunch and as we got closer to the finish it got somewhat aggressive. About 1/2 K from the line there was a  crash in front of me to my right and it was an instant fustercluck. Roughly (and I mean ROUGHLY) 10 guys hit the deck , including Bob Meikle, Ed Deming, and Wayne Kirk.

Mark used a side street as an escape road to miss the carnage. Ya know, he's right; it is funny to watch someone ride away from the race, but I really wasn't laughing @ the time. The rest of us sort of straggled to the line and waited for a damage report: big $ in equipment  ( 1 frame, 1seatpost, 1 fork, etc.)and @ least 1 broken rib (Bob). What a stupid sport! This entire ordeal really upset me and it would be over 24 hrs. before I would race again. What a stupid guy!

 

 

 

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Juniors then and Now, Part II

Posted by Christopher on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 to Juniors

BIKE GUY: JUNIORS THEN AND NOW PART II: RIDING WITH GREG LEMOND Bill Humphreys September 10, 2008
	Flash forward 30 years from my 1978 Junior National Road Team of LeMond, Demgen, Kiefel, Rogers, Carmichael, Bradley ET. All to my current Mystic Velo Club junior team made up of mostly 15 year olds beginning their first full season of racing. I would not have taken on this team if I did not have the commitment of two dads’ with racing experience and one mom who would travel to the races with the team. The presentation meeting in February was meant to introduce the parents and riders to the sport and what roll the sponsors would play in supporting the team. The first clue that I may have to adapt my coaching style to fit the diverse personalities on the team was evident when I read the questionnaire’s I made them fill out in January. This group consisted of; honor roll students, robotics team guys, and school band members with season goals ranging from; podium 3 times, to finish every race, to beating master’s in the local time trial, while their Cycling Goals beyond 2008 varied from; someday going pro, to winning the Tour de France, to maybe being accepted at a college with a cycling team. This was not a bunch of kids that were concerned about qualifying for a junior development camp or if the Belgian junior team was doing tempo behind a motor over pave in the rain that day. It was a bunch of kids however that had some horsepower and if guided properly could make their mark on the regional scene here in New England. Sensing that my commando style of coaching left over from those days working with the national teams on the dirt roads of South America and rainy mountain stages in France might not be appropriate with this group of youngsters, I put two dads between me and the boys. These dad’s, were my partners in this venture, and my job was to secure the sponsorship and manage the overall direction of the team through them. I distinctly remember telling them and everyone in that crowded room that night that, “I will not be traveling to all the races, but I expect weekly reports on training and race results. If the direction and focus of the team begins to get off track and communication breaks down, you will hear from me and you probably won’t like it.” For many of the parents in the meeting that night back in February, this was a whole new world that did not fit snuggly into the organized sports programs that exist in every school or park and recreation system in this country. There were no set practices from 4 to 5:30pm 3 times a week, where they could drop of the kids and pick them up. There was no set game schedule with local towns on weekends. There was no familiar carpooling to practice or games and even more importantly there was no knowledge of what the rules of the game were. We were essentially taking these kids, in the very beginning of their teenage years, out of the social structure of the local school sports system and putting them into another system for which there was no point of reference or proven track record of success, other than what we had told them. It is now May 19th and Greg LeMond is coming to spend the day with the kids. I had arranged for Greg to be a featured speaker at the Major Taylor Statue Unveiling in Worcester, Ma and he was gracious enough to grant his old coach a favor by coming down to Connecticut to do an informal clinic for the juniors and a press conference for my upcoming criterium, The Whaling City Cyclone. The boys had written permission to miss school this day and there was excitement in the air, which was overcast and cool. It was also the same day that our new custom kits had arrived from Squadra, whose vice president of sales was Doughboy, Greg Demgen, a former member of the 1978 junior team. Greg arrived at the house on time, squeezed into our team kit jersey, and immediately blended right in with the boys as they tried on their new kits and shook hands with their instructor for the day. As our group headed down the road towards the bike shop I had the boys in a single file pace line with good tempo, when our town line champ, Ben, goes after the first sprint of the day, which brings a smile to Greg’s face. As we roll into Niantic on a particularly fast section, I tap Greg on the butt to let him know it is going to get fast real soon, and just then Ben take’s off again from behind us Greg goes for his wheel but is too late and he gets boxed out by two juniors who get Ben’s wheel and away they go for the town line sprint. Greg sits up coasting and looks over at me with a big grin and the thumbs up sign. This will end up being the highlight of the day for me, and for the riders when I tell them later what happened on that now famous town line sprint. The rest of the day went by without a hitch. We arrived at the race course on New London’s waterfront with local television and newspaper reporters interviewing Greg and the juniors.  Greg just loves to ride his bike, and his enthusiasm was contagious, as he stayed at the front keeping me for sure, and many of the juniors on the rivet for the 20-mile headwind ride back to the lake.  Once back at the house Greg finished setting individual bike position’s for each rider when his wife reminded him that they had a plane to catch. In an instant he had packed his bike, changed his clothes, said his goodbyes and was gone. It was a magical day, one that these young riders will never forget as they had plenty of quality time with this former junior and 3 time winner of the world’s greatest bike race.

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2008 Green Mountain Race report

Posted by Christopher on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 to Race

Race report submitted by Kelly Parsons

Time Trial

Fun? Nope. Safe? So far. Ass kicking? There was a lot of that alright, but not by us. A lot of 50 yr. old mutants up here this weekend are dealing out the serious smack. We Mystic guys finished in the middle of the bunch in today's prologue, a 10K up and down TT w/ no super steep ramps, but the little ring was used @ times. Bob was not terribly pleased w/ the way he was feeling and Mark had some misfortune that cost him a few places, but I finished right where I should, 36th out of 66. Mediocre, but it is what it is. My time was within a few seconds of other people that I usually finish close to, so I guess things went OK. I had the lung burn cough after the TT (and still have it a little 6 hrs later) so I probably couldn't have gone much harder. Tomorrow is the 64 mile circuit race; I'll try to keep you informed.  Later, Kelly

Stage 1-Ciruit Race

Things went OK today. An early break of two guys went up the road, one of whom was Bill Thompson who was 3rd on GC. This put all the pressure on Dave Viney in the yellow jersey as it was now his race to lose. The pack made it over the KOM pretty much intact and we dropped down Baby Gap to the turn that put us on the approx. 15 mile high speed run to the finish. We were moving quickly and soon the break was in sight. When we could see the whites of their bibs a couple of guys shot off the front to bring them back. This was what the guy in yellow was waiting for and he gave chase with yours truly glued to his wheel. Very cool; he never even thought of giving me the elbow to pull through. He just motored until we caught the chasers and we established a 6 man rotation until the break was pulled in. Believe me; I did NOT linger on the front at that speed. By then we had done about 35 miles w/ 30 to go and I started to feel twinges in my quads. Soon after Bill Thompson gets away AGAIN and 4 other guys join him. Adios, amoebas. We approach the KOM (which isn't that steep, but it's followed by a false flat) and my calves are starting to protest, I mean beyond twinges here, it's like aliens are going to burst out of my lower legs. I try to stay calm and keep my big boy face on and things settle down as we drop down Baby Gap. We make the turn for the run into the finish and now it's time to panic. I look around though and I see a lot of guys trying to stretch their legs or shaking them and 1 guy were pouring water on his, so I figured I wasn't the only one feeling the strain. By now we were starting to smell the barn and the pace was picking up. OK with me, let's get this sucker over with! Absolutely no reason to sprint as we were all going to get the same time, but boys will be boys and off we went, Mark on the left and me on the right. Mark got 4th in the field sprint (10th over all) and I got 8th and Dr. Bob was right with us. Not too shabby Abby. We moved up quite a few spots on GC and were not among the 30 guys that got dropped along the way. We also didn't get caught up in the little crash 5 miles before the finish. No worries, I missed the guy by a good 6 inches. Oh yeah , once I got over the line at the end, my right leg locked up completely so I headed for a patch of lawn to fall on and assume the fetal position until things settled down. Much better now after a 22 oz. malted beverage W/ dinner. Tomorrow is the reality check: a 77 mile road race that includes going over Brandon Gap, Baby Gap, and the biggie, App. Gap. I hope I have good news to report afterwards. Later, Kelly

 

Stage 2-Road Race

 

I have GREAT news to report; we have a true mutant on our team and his name is Bob Meikle. Things went well today as all 3 MVC riders made it over Brandon Gap W/ the big boys (even me, surprise, surprise). Things were relatively sedate as we climbed because the headwind killed the incentive on the front to jack the pace. I was quite pleased w/ this situation. We dropped over the mountain and screamed down the other side into Brandon and then headed north toward the other climbs. We hit the dirt road section and the pace was absolutely ballistic W/ bottles jumping out of cages and rocks flying and pinging into riders and bikes. We got through w/o problems and approached the town of Bristol which is just before Baby Gap. I was starting to feel some major twinges in my legs @ this point and I knew that my time w/ the group was coming to a close. Mark and Bob were looking good and I told Mark that I thought that Dr. Bob might be one of the freshest climbers in the bunch as he had been riding conservatively, sort of under the radar. When we got to Baby Gap I let the group go so I could set my own pace and limit the damage to my poor legs. Mark made it over Baby Gap w/ the group, but @ the base of App. gap he had to back off. Bob just kept working his way through the remnants of the field and was second over the line; this result is HUGE. This is arguably the most difficult road race in the Northeast and we are racing a bunch of guys w/ some impressive palmares. I don't think that Bob will ever be under anyone's radar again. I haven't seen the GC results yet, but today shook things up considerably. And now onto the crit. Later, Kelly

 

Stage 3 - Criterium

 

The Burlington Crit is one of the most insanely fun races that you can imagine. The start is just stooopid! The first three turns are supposed to be neutral, but it's always full rock and roll from the gun. Picture shaking a peanut butter jar full of hornets and then breaking it open with a hammer. Everybody just sprints to the bumper of the pace car as it does its best to stay ahead of the pack on the tight little turns of downtown Burlington. The car is a red Mini Cooper convertible and it's quite agile, but it still does some sliding on the tightest turns. Because Bob was now in the top ten he was called up to the front at the start. Bonus! Mark and I were squeezed as close to him as possible so we could benefit also. Once we got the go it was every man for himself; team tactics were out the window as everyone tried to protect their little piece of real estate while at the same time trying to steal a chunk from the guy in front of him. It was mandatory to stay away from the back where riders were dropping off one by one. Once that happens it's just a matter of time before you get the dreaded whistle telling you that your race is over. I found this out the hard way last year when I got caught behind a crash before the third(!) turn in the race. By the time I got to the back of the pack, I was too blown to stay there. I was determined to stay in this year. Also, it was an opportunity to claw my way up a few spots on GC and finish in the top half of 66 starters. I was allowing myself to feel optimistic as the lap cards flipped; I was toward the back of the field, but everybody around me seemed relatively comfortable and not too stressed as we bounced over manhole covers, potholes. And these ridiculous crosswalks that were painted with what appeared to be red wheel bearing grease. Mark was a few places in front of me and I had no idea where Bob was because there was never an opportunity to turn around and look. There was really no incentive to move up as no one was getting away and we would all get the same time coming over the line. Finally the last lap was over and what was left of the bunch (34 racers) went over the line, most of them just glad it was over and they had made it through in one piece. Bob made it through enough of the crit to finish a commendable 16th in the GC; Mark was 24th in the crit for 20th overall and I finished 31st in both the crit and on GC. The absolute best part of this race is when your race is done and you're sitting at a sidewalk cafe hard by the course drinking a beer (Beamish Stout), watching the next race. It looks so effin' hard as you watch talented racers dangle at the back, drop off and get the whistle. It's loud too, with the sounds the racers going by, the announcer, the pace car squealing, and the occasional gut- wrenching sound of carbon fiber folding into the pavement immediately followed by the sound of a 150 PSI tubular's $100 bang. It's also a big crowd. If 60 racers are on the course and 60 are warming up, that leaves over 600 to watch. A lot of these people have family with them and Burlington has a vibrant local crowd on a beautiful Labor Day, with a bunch of sidewalk cafes along the course. It really is the coolest race that I've ever participated in and man oh man, am I glad it's over!

 

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