Battenkill Race Report

Here's the recap of the 2010 Tour of the Battenkill Masters race:

About 100 starters lined up for a 12:40 start. 52 degrees, sustained NW wind at 16mph gusts to 25, sunshine.

After a 1k neutral start, a few big teams (Westwood Velo, Keltic Construction and Thru-It-All) went to the front and drilled the pace. We reached the first selection point, a covered bridge after a hard left at the 5 mile point, in 10:20. Yours truly led the group across the bridge, into the hard right after the bridge, and up the short climb. The field broke into several large groups.

We hit the first dirt section at about mile 7 with several large groups. The lead group had about 50-60 guys, and the pace picked up on this first of 8 dirt sections as everyoe tried to splinter the field.

The next 25 miles were eventful -- plenty of attacks, more dirt section, vicious climbs (featuring 16-19% grades), blistering speed on the paved sections, and white-knuckled descents on dirt. Nothing got clear, however, although John Spittal (Thru-It-All Cycling) tried valiantly on the first major climb at mile 27. Spittal was reeled back in, and a group of 40 or so survived over the top. On the descent -- dirt road, 15" grade, potholes -- I hit a particularly large hole, lost both bottles, and managed to have my back brake slip so the left pad was rubbing
very slightly against the rim, which I didn't discover until after the race.

Yours truly went clear solo at mile 32 on a long stretch of paved road into a headwind, toward the town of Greenwich.

Mile 39: Spittal and a Westwood Velo rider bridged to me. We charge through the Village of Cambridge. Peleton at 1:30.

Mile 49: A group of 5 bridge. Peleton at 1:45.

Somewhere around Mile 57: A brutal climb of 1.5+ miles, featuring 17-19% sections on dirt. Three riders go clear at the bottom; the rest of us could not match the pace on the hill. Peleton at 1:20.

Mile 59: Top of the final climb -- lead group clear, our group of five climbing hard but not closing the gap, peleton (now a group of 12-15) at 1:20.

Mile 59.5, literally 20' from the top of the final climb: My chain drops. Mavic follow vehicle mechanic jumps out and puts it on like lightning, and pushes me over the top of the hill, but not fast enough to be able to catch a charging Grouppo Spittal. I sit up and wait for the closing chase group, which I can see coming up the final wall.

Mile 62.17 (and 4590' of climbing): I finish in 2:46:50, dejected at the loss of a really good chance at great finish, but thrilled to have represented our team well and to have participated in the fastest Masters Battenkill race to date -- only the pro race was faster.

Post-race: I ride directly to the Cambridge Hotel, adjacent to the finish line, have a La Fin du Monde with several other breakaway partners.
If you've never done Battenkill, I totally recommend it. It's as close to Paris-Roubaix as most of us will ever get, and it was a race that I will never forget!

well my race was not that exciting! Met Cat 4, but now it was something I was happy to complete and a experience of a life time!. I was told about the bridge and was around 15th going through so that was neat. Then I lost like 25 spots by the top of the hill, i knew it was going to be a long day... The second dirt section about 50 water bottles popped out including one of mine so 2 bottles for 62 miles(ya should have had feed zone support!. then the big climb were I got snapped off, around 12 miles TOTAL! so it was me and 2 guys keeping 30-45 seconds behind the peleton (watching the wheel car) for like 15 miles it was like my rear tire was in sand! we had up to 5 riders coming off and on throughout the race so that was a new experience for me, in the end I was strongest on the hills, but rode in with a smile ear to ear for the last 2 km as I let other sprint for 50th place netting me a 59th place and no DNF!

Alan