Callville Bay Classic Stage Race

 

This weekend was the Callville Bay Classic stage race,  and Team Platinum had three racers Derek Johnson, Steve Smith and Steve Weixel  in the Cat 3 race, and Kim Bleth in the 55+.  Thursday through Sunday we stayed on the “deluxe” houseboats conveniently located adjacent to the start of all the races.

 

There had been a strong tailwind early in the afternoon but by the time we went it had evaporated. Derek went first of us, and put in a respectable time of 11:05, faster than I had gone last year. I followed about 6 minutes later and managed 10:45, good enough for barely the top half, and Steve followed shortly after with a 10:32 and 20th. The fastest guys all had TT bikes… mental note for next year.

 

Road Race 
The weather forecast, clouds, and radar all looked ominous leading up to this race, and sure enough minutes before we went off it started raining. It sprinkled off and on for the first half but was clear and quite nice by the end. All things considered, it went ok for me, but I was hurting for most of it until about the last 8 miles. I positioned myself well near the end, but an accident at the finish of the previous race (Women 3/4) and the resulting emergency personell all over the road complicated things and I never really sprinted, coasted in for 18th, 29 seconds back from the solo break, with Smitty on my wheel and Derek a few minutes back.  Only 30 finished in the main field out of the 53 starters; I moved up to 22nd in the GC, and Smitty moved up to 18th.

 

Criterium
The crit was much harder than I remembered from last year… although the very stiff winds did not help me, and I’m pretty sure that they tightened up the radius of the final sweeping corner. I was really suffering until about halfway in, where I think I finally losened up and stopped sketching myself out. I was near the back for most of the race, but I could Smitty and Derek together near the middle frequently and a few moves by Derek on the front. The final lap through there was an accident in that corner, someone clipped a pedal and went down and many of us. Derek sprinted for 4th, I had to go way wide, around a light pole and over a speed bump, and coasted in for a pack finish.