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Turtle Pond Circuit Race |
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Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
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Written by Chris Gardner
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Monday, 23 April 2007 |
Turtle Pond Circuit Race
April 21, 2007
Louden, NH
Looking out the windows on the drive down from Belfast, ME to Loudon, NH for the Turtle Pond Circuit Race, it was plain to see, and no surprise, that Spring Fever had become a New England epidemic. Upon the first glimpse of the warm sun in far too long, motorcycles crowded ice cream stands, baseballs flew across front yards, and, most refreshingly, arm warmers, leg warmers, winter hats and full fingered gloves sat clean and folded in the back seat.
This would be my first race of the season, about a month and half later than I started last year, and having traveled prior to April, I would be going in with only two weeks of riding under my belt. I took advantage of most every mild hour that I could get over those two weeks, but snow and storms put me on the trainer more than I would have liked. My final preparation was good, however, having arrived the day before to pre-ride the course and to stay with a few friends who would also be racing. The Cat 4 field maxed out at 100 riders, so given my fitness level, I set my goal accordingly - finish in the first group.
The course began with the most significant climb of the 11.4-mile loop, a hill that would eventually serve as the approach to the finish. A fast, rolling section with some spectacular views followed, before two ninety degree turns though a residential area took us onto another rolling section that at times changed the order of the field and at others allowed us to all to take a drink and recover. Another similar stretch lead us back to the big climb. 4 laps equaled about 46 miles for the Cat 4 field.
I was surprised at the pace of the first lap. I didn’t necessarily expect any moves from the get-go, but I didn’t expect that the group would tend to slow at each incline on the rolling section either. With the group still completely intact after one lap, it became clear that this climb would do the majority of the whittling, taking off a bit more of the field on each pass.
At the halfway point, I found myself in a bad spot and ended up a few lengths back of the large first group upon cresting the hill for the third time. As we hit the fast section, a few lengths started to look and feel a bit longer, but a steady effort with a handful of other riders put us back into the field. We remained intact for the third lap, and as we hit the climb once again, I was able to pass a few more riders, but ended up in the same position that I was in on the lap before; looking at the lead group, still large, from a short distance that grew longer once the speed picked up and wind played in.
Alone, I gave a hard effort to catch back on, but eventually it became clear that it was just not meant to be. After a minute or so, a few riders from behind joined me, two of whom had been on a three-minute break early on, and after riding at a casual pace for a bit, we began to work towards the finish together, and the race at least became comfortable once again. Two riders regained some legs and went off on their own, and in the end I managed to make it up hill first out of our party, 5 minutes off the winning time of 2:00:33.
Despite missing my goal for the race, I am happy with the learning experience of having to adjust once the situation has changed. Had I kept a better eye on my position in the group and spent a little more gas on making sure that I was in a good spot leading into the climbs, I am sure that I could have placed better. This course was a blast to ride on, especially along the scenic, sweeping road overlooking Turtle Pond. For the most part, pavement was great, and where it wasn’t, there were no incidents. The marshals, officials, and organizers did a terrific job, traffic was rarely an issue, and parking and registration were hassle free. I have read several reports from years past, each of which touts this event as New England Road Racing at its finest, and I certainly second these reviews. Thanks very much to the Legal Sea Foods team and everyone who had a hand in putting on this great race!
Chris |
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