NECS # 1 Weeping Willow Race Report

Well here we go again. This will be my 3rd year in a row racing the EFTA series. It’s also year three racing for Team NEMBA. What’s better than getting to hang out with a bunch of like minded trail building knuckle heads that show up week after week to race against some of New England’s Finest.
May 20th feels kind of late in the season and the weather had me feeling like late June. Sunny and warm, highs in the mid to high 70’s. The team had requested full length zippers, a great decision made in the dead of winter but a must have for our climate.
Noon time start had most people a bit nervous. It was warm, the race tent was full with new racers in their new kits. All in all we would see over half the team attending. Wow! A great start to what should be the largest race of the year.
All of the usual suspects returning as well as some new faces. For us nooners, we would have seven racers. Three single-speeders and four experts. Newcomer Mark Tucker would be joining Kevin and Shaun. Carl and Adam would join me in expert and Art took on the world in Vet II.
The geared guys went out for a ok warm up about 40 minutes before the start. Legs felt pretty heavy during the warm up so there was no telling how this day would go.
The strategy put forth by Carl was to go out and hold a moderate pace while waiting for the guys up front to crack. This in the past was never the Bully way. Hammer down get out front and try to hang on till the end. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t. I had also decided that a whole shot wouldn’t mean much on this day, it was too warm and too long a race, I was planning for a minimum two hour race. Start with a 50 oz pack, ditch the pack and switch to bottles for lap two and three. Also in the arsenal was some gels enough for 2 per lap.
Lap one starts at a slower than normal pace. I was sitting in mid to back of the 20+ group. I think Carl was close behind and I would not see Adam at all. Long fire road section and everyone stayed together but thinned out the herd into the first single-track. At this point I was sitting around mid pack legs feeling ok but no real go in them. At about half lap Carl showed up as we got stuck behind a Riverside guy and a Bike Barn guy. It was clear he wanted to pass however the Riverside guy wasn’t giving up position. It was a clear view of wasted effort watching many attempted passes. I was quite comfortable watching the story unfold.
Carl was great, he knew the course; “stay left” “quick up” “big right hander” as he called out features. He was also keeping me in check from chasing too hard. Approaching lap two I tried to ditch the pack, I couldn’t get the damn thing off and had to stop at the tent. Once back on course Bike Barn guy and Carl were way up ahead so it was TT mode to catch up which I did after the first single-track section. Pete Smith (Mad Alchemy) was coming back into the picture at this point as well. Apparently Bike Barn guy was bothering Carl so he decided he wanted to catch the Elites and threw down some major wattage and was gone on the second fire road section. No way I was going after him since I was still recovering from the first chase. It was Carl’s day and his course, and his time. Cold Crank, Massasoit, and now Willowdale. Would this be his day?
Well I continued to ride smart, perhaps out of the inability to lift my pace. Apparently elite pace was causing the engine to overheat and Carl was back in play. Shaun Pinney was nice enough to move over as we passed oh and now Pete Smith was there too. Mark Tucker and Kevin were up ahead as well. It was Team NEMBA vs Pete. We went by and hit the fire road that takes us back to the start. Time to finish bottle two and another gel. I was yapping at Carl to pick it up! He said no. He was going to stop at the tent and get some fluids and food. I had to stop for my last bottle which was nice and cold.
Last lap and I was sent off in a barrage of squirt guns and cheers for Dad! Too bad they weren’t super soakers, that would have felt nice on this day. I continued to turn them over through much of the last lap before Jorma Mueller (Riverside) would get me at around mile 19 or so. Out to the fire road for one final push. Nobody behind or in front, and like so many finishes I was all by myself.
A respectable 7th place was a surprise to me. Pretty happy with the result as last year I finished 12th and out of the points. Looks like Carl was right.
The Riverside guys put on one hell of an event. 2012 saw the return of many of the best sections from the 2010 season. The heat surely took its toll. Many racers cramping, stopping on the trail side, crashing out, and slicing sidewalls. It was a hard day on one of the best courses I’ve competed on. The Superfly worked flawlessly once again, and the new Bontrager 29-1’s were fast and cornered without issue.
Special thanks to my wife for bringing the kids out to watch their dad suffer for a couple hours which always is the highlight of the day no matter the finish.
Oh and by the way, USA Cycling gave me my Cat I upgrade after the Massasoit hammerfest! Apparently Crossley, King, and Ward softened them up for me.