Cat 5 Men - Strong at Orosi

Seems like in the past Orosi’s been good to Touchstone riders: Pat won there, Markham and Craig S. also fared well. This year it was the Cat 5’s turn.

Chris K. and I drove down to the metropolis of Visalia (would you believe wine bars and chique restaurants with $25+ entrees on Main Street) on Friday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and rode one lap of the loop course, a whopping 30 miles (more than I rode all week).

Seems like Orosi’s got a bit of a reputation. A Google search will turn up reports of sustained climbing and ‘hardest race in the district!’ During our reconnaissance ride we focused on the beauty of our surroundings: mainly the vast fields of flowers, which marked various stages of the ‘hill’ – yellow on the bottom, white near the top. Huge bulls were strutting among the oaks, decomposing granite boulders dotted the landscape, the sun had a late afternoon glow, and we knew the leisurely pace would be far removed from the pain we anticipated for race day.

The course has a flat promenade to a left turn, another short, flat section, and then kicks up to a gentle grade (mostly 4-5%) with some relief and a few steeper sections for a little over five miles. Then there are some more bumps and rollers, until the high point around 12 miles, followed by more bumps and rollers with a gentle downhill trend. Much of this section is bumpy and has gravel and sand on it. With tubulars and a Specialized Roubaix it didn’t feel all that bad, but it was certainly the most technical section of the race. Eventually one turns right on Boyd, goes through more rollers (with a downhill trend), until finally descending steeply on a narrow road which is flanked to the East by a spectacular view of orchards on the valley floor below. Climbing, bumps, gravel, and every thing else – this was a varied, fun, and spectacular course!

We went for dinner at some Italian place in town and I assured Chris K. and our table neighbors that I would indeed be able to finish the rather large Calzone in front of me. Know this – it’s the little skinny guys who can eat massive quantities of food and still walk away from the table! Needless to say I had to finish off with Chocolate Mousse, but unfortunately forsake the port. We rolled back to the hotel and did a quick rear derailleur adjustment on my bike.Seems like I have somewhat of a reputation of pulling up to the starting line at races with a maladjusted rear derailleur, leading to later fiddling with the barrel adjuster when I should be thinking about my legs going soft and my heart and lungs evacuating!

Sometime during the night Justin joined us to complete the trio of Cat 5 Touchstone starters.We awoke way too early, ate breakfast, and headed to the start at Orosi high school. Dustin and I spent 15 minutes on the trainer, while Chris K. opted to be chased by the local dogs instead.The race started late, which facilitated two more bathroom breaks. Finally we’re off, but as soon as we’re a couple of miles into the promenade people are pulling off into the orchards.The main group turns the corner and the race is on!

The flat part is benign, the group in a forgiving mood. The orchard stragglers (including myself) catch back on, the hill kicks up - the pace stiffens a bit, but remains manageable. I suck wheel, until I realize that the guy in front of me is hyperventilating. Primal instinct tells me that I ‘Must go find new wheel!’ Move up, but stay out of the wind. The hill goes on a bit, which is a good thing. I figure I eat too many Calzones to be a ‘real’ climber, but the fact is that I enjoy climbing, thus the longer the hill the better – grind it out! A carpet of white flowers appears, the worst is over. Looking around it becomes apparent that there’s been quite a bit of carnage.We’ve decimated the field by over a half and eight riders remain in the lead group. The three Touchstone jerseys are there. We stay together for the remainder of the lap and the start of the hill on the second lap. About two thirds of the way up I’m in 4^th place, Dustin is right behind me, and Chris K. decides to make his move in the front, ratcheting the pace up another notch or two. I sense impending doom, the transformation of legs to noodles, and wave Dustin through: ‘if you can hang with them go for it, if not wait for me.’ He gives it a spurt and pulls away, but doesn’t quite latch on to the three in the front. Another guy passes me and pulls away, there are two more behind.

I reach the top and recover a bit, mindfully trying to keep some sort of pace. Looking around I see a guy from Simply Fit chasing me. He pulled us through the flats on the first lap and has legs the size of tree trunks! I hear his shifting problems on the last steep bump and give it all I’ve got. He’s gone. Hammer, hammer, hammer. I’m resigned to riding the remaining 25 miles on my own and taking sixth!

A couple of miles later Simply Fit is back - the man’s a moose. I’ll work with him (suck wheel) and let the tree trunks kill me at the finish, taking 7^th. Fine, (in my mind) it’s settled! However, the race has a different agenda. We catch the last guy to pass me on the hill AND, surprisingly, one of the three riders from the lead group. Cool! Chris K. is in line for 1^st or 2^nd! We drop the former lead group rider on the steep descent (no time to look at the pretty orchards below this time around) and Simply Fit starts pulling us through the flat. We catch Dustin, who’s struggling a bit. I give him a pat and he hops in the back. Simply Fit pulls, and pulls, and pulls.The pace is strong and steady. We round the corner and head toward the finish and he’s still pulling. I’m amazed at the fact that he’s so damn strong and that he’s willing to tow us to the finish. I figure the tree trunks are just getting warmed up for the sprint and tuck in behind, watching his every move.

Wow – what just happened??? We’re 100 yards or so from the finish. Simply Fit blows, slows, and pulls off. I see the other guy (FastTrek?) come around from behind me on the left and watch Dustin pass him further over to the left! Everything is in slow motion. I hear Chris K. scream! It’s over! Chris K took 2^nd, Dustin 3^rd, and I finish 5^th… Touchstone likes Orosi!

- Elmar

Copperopolis- March 22, 2008 (Milton, CA)

Hilly course: One big hill, One small hill, one screaming descent all on terrible roads.

Touchstone riders: Markham Connolly, John Ormsby, Larry Benzie

2 laps- 44 miles

It was a beautiful day for a picnic and maybe a race - sunny, upper 60’s, very little wind and no ants.  The Masters Cat. 4/5 (A Group) gathered at the start around 11:10 trying to get in position toward the front anticipating that the race was going to be fast from the get-go.  Getting to the front early was on my mind constantly leading up to the the race. Sure enough there was a little jockeying for position toward the front once the whistle blew, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought.

John Ormsby got to the front easily and I fell right behind him.  Thanks, John. (Comment from John: I am very good at getting to the front early, not so staying there late.)  We passed the feed zone about 2 miles in at a good pace but all was intact.  We were all looking for “The Climb."  Finally, the road started to go up.   I kept reminding myself to stay relaxed.  I got behind the wheel of a Pacific Bank rider and stayed on it.  Our tempo was good and steady.  I had no idea what was happening behind us.  Were we dropping people or were they hanging on? I did a quick look around to see that there were a good number as we hit the steep section about 3/4 of the way up.

All the while I stayed attached to Mr. Pacific Bank’s wheel hoping that we would start to splinter the field.  We got to the false flat at the top and I did another quick assessment. Damn! More people than I thought.  I think there were about twenty of us. John and Andrew, a former Touchstoner but still good friend, were still in there, though. Good! But, where's Larry? Larry is new to the race scene who manages to start his season signing up for one of the hardest races on the calendar, and with very little training. He must've realized that when we hit the climb. Ouch! At the top one Synergy guy took off but we let him go thinking it was way too early. The rest of the lap was uneventful and downright slow.  This allowed more riders to join the lead group.  I remained toward the front to cover any significant attack

The second, smaller hill is preceded by a section of short rollers.   Once on the hill we went again at a solid tempo, with no one really trying anything dramatic.  I was in good position on the hill before the descent.  The descent at Copperopolis is almost as notorious as the first climb.  Together they define the race.  The descent is fast, twisty and bumpy.  Some racers hate it, some love it.  I love it.   We all went down mixing it up some with the Juniors. I have to say that it was a little nerve racking passing the little grommets.  Coming to the end of lap one I saw John go after the finish line like he was going for a preem.  I think he "won" it but no prizes handed out on this one.

As we rounded the corner in Milton to start the second lap I saw that I was not far enough toward the front. Again, it was easy to make my way up there. This is where I thought things were going to get really hard.  We hit the feed zone, and I was still in great position being among the top 5 guys.  Mr. Pacific Bank was there and I thought I’d just do the same as the first lap, sit on his wheel.  Too late, someone else got there. I saw Mr. Webcor come up and sucked his wheel and stayed on it through the steep section. I think we were all starting to hurt and heard some grunts exposing the “that’s it, I’m done.” I started to see a gap separating Mr. Webcor and me. It was on the very last little bit of steep before the false flat. I had to dig a little to get back on. They decided to surge again. I had to dig again. I was cursing at these little climber rugrats. I got on Webcor’s wheel and stayed there knowing that he would not let a gap happen.  I recovered fairly quickly as we rolled around the reservoir. There was, I believe, about 10 of us with more clawing back to the pack including John.

I was getting a little frustrated thinking that this supposed race of attrition was going to end up in a bunch sprint with 20 guys. I looked around to see who the contenders were. I got to the front with the Synergy guys remembering that there was one of them out front. I also saw a SF Sport and Spine rider go off the front somewhere on the flats.  Okay…two guys off the front and twenty of us here.  I’m not happy.  I want to make sure to go after the next one who goes. Sure enough, the two Synergy guys went on the last hill. I jumped and had them within reach and feeling pretty good on the climb.  I passed the Sport and Spine rider and saw that there were three Synergy guys just ahead of me as I was closing the gap.  Good, we caught the last from the earlier break.

As we started to crest the hill I looked back to see if we created a gap. Right behind me were two Wells Fargo riders, Mr. Webcor, and an unattached guy who was up with me in the front most of the day. The eight of us, in fact, created a good gap and shattered the rest of the field.  We bombed it down the descent at 48 mph keeping or extending the gap.  Coming to the uphill sprint finish, I was in perfect position being 5th rider with only a K and a half to go.  We passed the 1k sign and all of sudden the guys in front of me slowed down. I suddenly found myself in 2nd position- the 2nd worst possible place to be before the sprint to the finish. I got out of there with about 200 meters left. I lost all my momentum doing that stupid move. The rest barreled past me. I got on a Wells Fargo wheel and started to gain on him as we saw the crowd on top of the hill. I saw the yellow line and noticed I was on the left hand side of it and had to make my way back adhere to the center line rule. We were all together and I was with the Wells Fargo rider half a bike’s length in front. I finished 8th with the front pack.  John Ormsby came in 17th after getting dropped with cramps on the last climb.

All in all I felt pretty good.  I was a little heavy-legged coming in, so I was happy that even so I stayed strong and where I needed to be until the very end.  Looks like I need to work on my tactics and sprinting.  I've got Orosi, Wards Ferry, Sea Otter, Wente and Berkeley Hills coming up so I hope I have several more chances to apply lessons learned.