Keller Rohrback/Eatonville Circuit Race

Instead of doing the equivalent of slamming our head against a wall and racing the Jack Frost TT six of us traveled up to Eatonville to race Washington's season opener, the Keller Rohrback Circuit Race.  The forecast predicted 39* with 3" of snow on the way.

Almost every one of us admitted to being willing to pull the plug on the race, none of wanted to be "that guy" so there we were, racing.

6.5ish mile circuit, 8 laps, one big-ring climb.  After pre-riding we thought it would be a race of attrition with no real break being able to stick.  With this in mind we formulated a plan of who we needed where and when.    Eli described the day's racing style as "passive-aggressive."  Heck, we're from Portland, we can manage that.  Just like last week, our plan went to total shit after about a lap.  Instead of sitting around with our hands in our jersey pockets like last week, we adapted.



After the first lap two guys were up the road.  We thought it would come back.  We were wrong.  Bedford went off the front with an HSP guy and eventually made contact after 3-4 laps of chasing.  Meanwhile back in the field we were covering anything that moved.  HSP was attacking like there was no tomorrow and by just following moves Adam got up the road and worked his tail off.  From there, I followed anything that moved.  With two guys up the road there was no way I was going to do any work but had the legs to follow and sit on anything that went off the front.  At around the halfway point another HSP guy went off the front, I followed and we got a huge gap.  I refused to do any work because it looked like it was going to come back, just like everything else but after he brought us to within striking distance of the chase group I started working and brought us up to the chase.

After a few more bridge efforts were made we had a chase group with 4 HSP guys, a Guinness and Keller Rohrback rider and Adam E and myself.  We still had Bedford up the road and HSP didn't like their guy up their guy so they went into team time trial mode, giving us a free ride.  When they finally realized they weren't going to bring it back HSP started attacking again.  Adam and I both knew our legs didn't a whole lot left to give but we had to follow the attacks until someone cracked.  Eventually I followed an attack and got a gap.  Adam yelled "work!" from the group and after seeing the gap an HSP guy and I went for it with about 3 laps to go.  With about two laps to go the snow started.  We'd been racing in the sun the past hour and a half but when the snow started there wasn't any warning, it dumped.  I thrive in these conditions so I was pretty psyched.  My HSP companion, on the other hand, was not.

With about half a lap to go another HSP rider bridged up.  2 vs 1.  Not the kind of odds I like.  We got neutralized on the downhill and the climb due to slippery roads (neutralized on a climb, really?) but it gave me a chance to rest and think about how I was going to out smart these two guys.  With a fast 2 mile stretch into the finish I didn't have a whole lot of room for error.  I knew the guy who had just bridged was pretty fresh but my original companion had about one match left.  Sure enough, as soon as we crested the last rise the attacks went.  The original HSP guy went, I followed and countered and then the fresh guy went.  With 1K to go it was three of us and a good enough gap to the next group.

Usually I'm pretty confident in my ability to out kick someone at the line but I'd been doing a ton of work and could feel the cramps coming the entire last lap.  Additionally, it was still 2 vs 1.  They took care of that for me.  My original HSP guy went and I followed, then the fresh one went and I followed again.  It was down to the two of us.  This one was going to come right down to the line.  He slowly worked me all the way over to the center line and then dove for the corner, just on the other side of a huge crack in the road.  Very smart on his part.  Unfortunately for him, he's a junior.  Unlike OBRA, at USAC races juniors have to ride restricted gearing.  Advantage: alex.

I had just one more gear and got him by a bike length or so.

Bedford wound up 3rd from his break after doing a ton of work and I managed 5th.  Money and upgrade points!!  Adam definitely gets the hard man award for the huge amount of work he put in throughout the race.

Overall, we raced a lot smarter than last week and adapted to the changes as we saw fit.  Yes, you always want to do better but apart from missing the initial move we played just about everything right.

you can follow this, or just attack the s*** out of everything that moves.  That worked for us.
(posted by Fairwheel Bikes earlier today)