This marks a likely boring recap of possible one of the craziest weekends of my life. The Thursday before Battenkill I successfully defended my Masters Thesis before hoping in the car and beginning the trip up to New York. Stopping in Harrisburg, PA with an old UVa friend to split up the drive I met up with Style Mentor and Purveyor of Panache Seth Gunderson and two of his goof ball friends to caravan the rest of the way up to Saratoga Springs. Checking in and then heading out for a quick pre-ride of the last 25km before finding dinner found the course in great condition but with a monster headwind following Riddle Road (7th gravel section). The gravel was smooth and compacted dirt with only a few pot holes, hopefully resulting in minimal flats and some great racing. Just riding that last 25km got me even more pumped for the race, what could be better than a little gravel smashing. Afterdinner it was bed time as Seth, Mike, and #forAT were racing on Saturday.
Saturday was an incredible day with wave after wave of racers going off, I believe ~2300 on the weekend. It was incredible to see all the racers and more incredible to see how blown up all the fields were as I drove around the course. I don't think I ever saw a group bigger than 7 heading toward the finish. By PA buddies went off at 10:00 and 10:16 for the tough 68 mile ride. Unfortunately all were a little bummed with their result but still had a great time racing the amazing weather and course. Of course they instantly tossed pressure on me to make up for the group. With a couple quick goodbye's and a kiss on the neck from Mike (wait what?!? I just met you yesterday) they rolled off and I hit another pre-ride this time with the Kelly boys. Even more hype surrounded the event as everyone on the team was excited to smash it the next day. Dinner, bed and just like that it was race day.
Our race when off at 11:40 so we had time to relax and enjoy the killer breakfast at the hotel before meandering our way over to the fairgrounds for the race. We knew the race usually played out with an early break and then groups bridging across as the day wore along. We planned to be aggressive early and hopefully stack the break as much as possible. The race began with a brutal three laps around Meeting House Road, a 3km gravel road with some serious rollers. A break of maybe 3 riders was already gone before we hit meeting house with none of us up the road. They didn't get much distance but stayed away. At one point we brought them really close, say 10-15s, but as two guys (included our Ben Frederick) bridged the gap swelled again. The next lap Curtis Winsor snuck away from the group with another rider and made a hard bridge to the group, catching them just before the end of Meeting House road. With two guys up the road in the group of ~7 or 8, we were looking good.
Chris Jones was feeling good, Dakota Schaeffer was keeping things together, but we couldn't find Ben Fogle. Chris told me he must have flatted so we were down a guy and becoming a little out numbered in the group. The final lap of Meeting House blew the group apart as people were completely strung out with moves going left and right. Coming off meeting house groups were everyone on the road and a small group of maybe 20 guys remained but once we hit pavement it completely slowed again and everything was back together. The pace remained slow to Stage Road (Gravel Section #2). Knowing that keeping the race hard and shedding people would benefit us late, I rode the Stage Road climb at a stiff pace to see if we could shed some guys for good. Not sure of the effects but when we got back on pavement and eventually the highway leading to Feed Zone #2 we were barely riding again. Solo attacks didn't go anywhere and it was a constant shift of all out and then not pedaling.
Right after the feed zone a couple guys made it up the road, I looked at for a second, and then thought what the heck, and jumped to them. As soon as I made it to the two riders I looked back expecting to see a the field right there, but instead a huge gap had formed, the rubber band was broken. It always surprises me how these little breaks happen, just 5 minutes before no one could get a gap, but all of a sudden the field let three guys go. In my brief experience I have found that right before and after a feed zone people aren't quite on top of things and it can be a great time to move away. Our group of three quickly began working together and built our lead attempting to catch the group up ahead. Eventually they were in sight and we knew we had it. Shortly after Juniper Swamp (Gravel Road #5) we made contact, sharing a brief congratulations that we made it I went to let my teammates know I had made it. At this point I am all smiles, legs are feeling good, and now I'm with my boys. Even better, I find out Ben Fogle hadn't flatted, he was actually in the break. Now Kelly was looking really good. Unfortunately the breakaway was seriously lacking motivation and soft pedaling almost entirely with no one interesting in rotating or taking big pulls.
At this point I just wanted the race to be super hard and was probably riding the front of the break more than I should have. In the moment of lacking a solo ride rode off the front, not super hard, but sometimes those are the most dangerous moves. I thought for sure he could stick it but hesitated and didn't feel like pulling the break to him since I had just got there. Next thing I hear he has 2:00 by the 3rd Feed Zone. Right after the feed we ride up a nasty climb, Joe Bean, and I put the pedal down to split the group which had now swelled to 20. Ben Frederick helped push it as well and the group snapped, unfortunately we lost Ben Fogle, who was really helpful and kept the break moving when it was uninterested in doing so, but with 2 of the remaining 8 our chances were still looking good. Joe bean is at mile 84 and from there on the racing got serious. Frederick asked what our plan was and I told him I would attack going in to Riddle Rd. (Gravel Road #7) and see if I couldn't get away with a couple of guys to chase down the solo rider still up the road and to be ready if we got brought back. I attacked into the dirt and instantly got a gap (roadies man, so nervous), and smashed it up the climb, as I crested another rider (white kit, sorry, not sure who) was just making contact. I tried to keep it moving down the backside but we got brought back right after the return of pavement. Ben attacked on cue, but unfortunately I think everyone was ready for it and it didn't go anywhere. Coming off of Riddle is approximately 20K to go and the racing was definitely heating up, with a mostly downhill race to the final climb we started rolling.
I attacked again on one of the rollers that accented the end of the course but didn't get very far, Ben tried again on another with the same result. Frustrated that we were taking this group to the line and might not catch the solo rider I smashed it one more time. Looked back, boom, rubber band broken it's on now. I immediately bury my head and take off, this is it, I can win Battenkill, I can actually do it. I thought for sure I was gone but I looked back a couple minutes later through another set of rollers and they are close, I up the pace a bit but they're still there, finally motivation dies and the leash is extended. As I hit the long flat drag at ~10km to go I can see the solo rider, I can get him, check back, another solo guy trying to bridge. Honestly at that point I was feeling great and probably overly confident so I wanted him to make it to make my life a little easier. Looked back again, boom, he was gone. Looks like the headwind got to him. The gap was growing to the chase group and shrinking to the loan leader, with about 8km to go I came blowing by the solo leader, he latched and and then I knew we were gone. I did a majority of the work as he was cracking from his long solo effort.
Up the final hill with 2.5km to go I turned the scews some more and while he stayed for awhile a gap finally formed, another notch up and I was gone, as I hit pavement with 1.5km to go I knew I had it. I was actually going to win Battenkill!! My coach, Curtis and I had talked about this for the past month, defend thesis on Thursday, win Battenkill on Sunday, but I'm not sure I ever believe it would happen. As I sat in the group with riders up the road I thought it wasn't going to be my day, although I was sure it would be Kelly's. When the solo rider had 2:00 I thought it was over. As I got brought back after Riddle Rd. I thought it was over. Then all of a sudden I had it, I was going to do it. The biggest race of my career and I was going to win the thing. I couldn't believe it. I'm still in shock. My teammates played it perfectly and I was able to celebrate going across the line. Some friends asked which victor solute I went with, my reply, all of them.
As a team we had talked about the missed opportunities we had in the past at Battenkill, but none of them mattered now, we did it. After congratulating the runner up and a great and gutsy move, I waited for my teammates to come across the line, Ben snagged 4th, just missing a double podium for Kelly, but in the moment you could tell he wasn't upset. As more teammates rolled is I was filled with the joy of their smiling faces and big embraces. The team thing is new to me, but this moment couldn't be replaced. I haven't found any of the pictures yet, but the moments after the race of celebrating with my teammates will be forever etched in my memory. They road one heck of a race and no doubt made it possible. On Sunday, WE won the Tour of the Battenkill, no doubt about it. The picture of us on the podium couldn't explain us any better, full of smiles, jokes, and Murray Davis (director) stone faced. Never has Chocolate Milk tasted so good. Thanks to The Tour of the Battenkill for putting on another amazing event, what a day. Now it's on to the next one, from here on out the real fun begins.
Post race article: I only sound like a little bit of a rambling idiot.
I don't want to leave out the rest of our team that placed second the day before at Team Time Trial Nationals in Greenville, SC in a torrential downpour. That bumps our season stats to 6 wins in 8 races, placing second in both of the non wins. Not a bad start.
Some quick Battenkill Stats:
Distance: 167.5km
Time: 4:17:57
Average Speed: 24.2mph (39km/h)
Elevation Gain: 6600 ft.
Gravel Sections: 10
Calories Burned: 4,450
Food: 1 Ride Panini, Homemade SkratchLabs Chocolate Cake, 2 Power bars, 2 Powerbar Gu's, 5 bottles.
Road Signs: 250
Zip Ties: 2,000
Participants: 2,300
Post Race Cookies: 1
Post race article: I only sound like a little bit of a rambling idiot.
I don't want to leave out the rest of our team that placed second the day before at Team Time Trial Nationals in Greenville, SC in a torrential downpour. That bumps our season stats to 6 wins in 8 races, placing second in both of the non wins. Not a bad start.
Some quick Battenkill Stats:
Distance: 167.5km
Time: 4:17:57
Average Speed: 24.2mph (39km/h)
Elevation Gain: 6600 ft.
Gravel Sections: 10
Calories Burned: 4,450
Food: 1 Ride Panini, Homemade SkratchLabs Chocolate Cake, 2 Power bars, 2 Powerbar Gu's, 5 bottles.
Road Signs: 250
Zip Ties: 2,000
Participants: 2,300
Post Race Cookies: 1