Conference noted::bicycle

     Well, it's over - Frank's Spoke 'N Wheel dominated taking all 3
    top places in the Men's 35+(?) group. I think there were approx.
    30-35 riders in this group.
    
     Congratulations to the following:
    
     1st - Jeff Roberts
     2nd - Rich Korn
     3rd - John Walker
     4th - yours truely... 
    
     I think Pete V. placed 9th, but don't let that fool you. He played the
    workhorse role for Frank's. Also, I got to see Mark Reid and Tom Dahl
    was also there...
    
     Pete took the lead immediately. We came out of XRE's parking lot like
    we were shot from a catapult (a la Pete). The race was fairly unevent-
    ful. At one point Mark was off the front and Pete was blocking nicely
    up front. After watching this for a time I went to the front and
    speeded the pack up a bit. As I went by Pete he shouted "go get him"...
    I retorted "Ya, right Pete"... Anyway, we reeled him in.
    
     The pack was fairly good sized. Many, many corners to the course. Not
    very hilly either so it stayed in tact. There's a fairly long but easy
    climb as you approach the finish line (300yds). Once on the top it's
    about another 400yds to the line. 
    
     Once the pack spotted that hill things warmed up a little. Pete shot
    out with about 30yd-50yd lead. Behind him was Dave Lystila (10th place)
    who rides with me for the FCC. I was behind Dave (maybe 20yds) at the
    front of the pack watching nervously. As we rode up the hill I decided
    to close the gap because we were getting close to the finish. I caught
    Dave. I think I was dragging John and couple other guys, but I didn't 
    look back to see. I got out of the saddle and started to work up the
    hill. The pack dropped off. I did catch Pete and decided to keep as
    hard a pace as I could into the finish. Pete had pretty much cooked
    himself working the front. And, as revealed later, played out to their
    plan exactly. He had already pulled Dave of the front. He was
    struggling as I passed him. Pete was struggling as well, but the race
    was getting late.
    
     For a fleeting moment, I thought I was going in alone. No one was on
    the side of me or passing me. With about 30yds to go Jeff went by me
    like I was backing up. I was pounding as hard as I could, but the work
    I'd put into getting out front and sprinting to the line chopped me.
    I started a little too early and paid for it. Then Rich went by me,
    a little slower than Jeff, but I couldn't do anything. Then John, at
    the line with me about a bike length off.
    
     It was a really fun finish. As Mark stated, the race was pretty
    boring. The finish made up for it, I thought...
    
     Next year!
    
        Chip
    
     

That was loads of fun; my first race of the year. I was in the sub-master's
category (26-34). We raced with the juniors, and the open (not sure if that's
the correct term; the category between juniors and sub-masters). The overall
pack had about 25-30 people.

We were the first group off. The first mile or two is on narrow, terrible,
rolling roads. Immediately from the start the group strung out. The first six
or eight riders were separated from each other by a few bike lengths up the
initial climb. I was around sixth or so, happy enough with my position (not
being blocked further back). But I was not happy looking a ways in front: The
first four riders just motored away. After a couple of miles a group of four
of us formed to chase. I made a half-hearted attempt at organizing a paceline,
but it didn't come together. We picked up a rider who had been dropped from the
leading group (whom we were never to see again).

I spent a fair amount of time at the front of the chase group, which I liked.
Most folks were working, which made me feel OK. I never really took any good
looks back to see if our group was being chased in turn, but I don't think so.
I really didn't want us to be caught by anyone else. At about the 8 (out of 14)
mark mark, while coming around a corner to a long straight, we saw a group of
riders way up the road. A ha! I thought, we've got them. I came to the front
and started pulling fairly hard. Something didn't seem right, though, as there
looked to be too many riders. After a couple of miles we caught and passed
them, who turned out to be a group not in the race at all! Oh well, the chase
was fun. 

Now we were at 10 miles, four from the end. The five of us were still intact.
One fellow took a flyer on a straightaway. I was somewhat knackered from
catching the bogus group, so I didn't sprint after. But just upping the tempo
some caused us to re-group in a minute or two. Now it's time to get nervous for
the finish. We rode at a moderate pace up the hill Chip mentioned that is a
ways before the finish. At the top I decided it was time to go. There was a
little dip and rise, and then pretty much flat to the finish. Here I made a
mistake. Coming up the hill I was in a 40x17 or x15 gear I think. Thinking
about the rise a little further on, I stayed in the small chainring and dropped
into the 13 cog and went off. Bad idea. I took the dip and rise fine, but I
could only spin at around 27 or 28 MPH on the finishing straight. Two other
fellows came around me with 100 yards to go or so, and I just couldn't pedal
fast enough in the dumb low gear. 

In the end I was sixth in the starting group, and fifth I think in the sub-
masters category. Remember the three riders who disappeared from the gun? They
finished two minutes up on our chase group! Zowie; my hat's off to them.

What a great way to spent a Saturday morning. Good to see familiar faces. In
addition to the folks Chip mentioned, John Shortt and his wife (Elizabeth?)
were there, riding as a husband-wife team. They came in second. Good job, guys.
						-- Tom

     Tom, congrats on a strong showing in your first race this year. I
    thought you'd be in our group... Just a young whipper-snapper, eh? :-)
    
     The road at the beginning was awful. I was a little to the right
    going under the bridge, spotted a foxhole and jumped it. Of course, it
    would've been easy to avoid if Pete hadn't brought the pack up 60mph
    in about 3 seconds! I thought we'd be TT'g it for sure.
    
     I guess I was in the full-blown Masters group. I like that word...
    M-a-s-t-e-r-s... Yup, nice ring :-)
    
       Chip 

RE: <<< Note 2555.3 by WMOIS::GIROUARD_C >>>

>    I thought you'd be in our group... Just a young whipper-snapper, eh? :-)

Yep, just a 34-years-young whipper-snapper. I'm really looking forward (heavy
sarchasm in my voice) to competing against the likes of you and Pete. Oh jeez!
						-- Tom

     For us, that's "oh wheeze" not "oh Jeez"  (sorry Pete)... :-)
    
     How was your group, Tom? I thought I was in an "oaken" forest with all
    the squirrels running around...
    
      Chip

RE: <<< Note 2555.5 by WMOIS::GIROUARD_C >>>
    
>     How was your group, Tom? I thought I was in an "oaken" forest with all
>    the squirrels running around...

OK; only two problems:

- One of the fellows in my group of five was a junior. During the first few
  miles he took some pulls. He wasn't able to hold all that steady of a pace or
  line, with the result that the fellow behind couldn't stay close on his
  wheel. After that, he didn't come to the front.

- At one intersection where the course turned, one rider must have been out in
  space because he went straight. A rider behind and outside him had a scare
  while avoiding him while the rider started his turn.

Otherwise, the five of us stayed together well. Hardly any attacks to speak of.
						-- Tom

OK, I'll admit I was there too. Carole & I did the husband & wife class. I guess
we were third (out of 4) but we didn't stay to see the full placings & time.

my race consisted of a nice 15 mile TT after I couldn't hang on the wheel of the 
NEBC couple who won due to being chopped at the start line by some kids on 
mountain bikes. My time was 3:00 better than last year. Next year I'll know to 
line up at the front.

Question for Chip & Tom D.: when you guys went down & up Nagog Hill, was there
a marshall at the 4-way intersection at the top ? There wasn't when I went 
through. Seems kind of dangerous to me.

-tom

RE: <<< Note 2555.7 by BIGBAD::GULICK "Those dirty rings !!" >>>

>when you guys went down & up Nagog Hill, was there
>a marshall at the 4-way intersection at the top ?

I don't know where Nagog Hill is.

There weren't marshals at all intersections. In general only intersections
where the course took a turn had marshals, as I recall.
						-- Tom

     I can't remember (symptom of oxygen deficit - I guess)...
    
     Chip

I just thought it was wierd to come up to a 4 way intersection, with a STOP
in my direction and not have a marshall there to either stop the cross traffic
or tell me to stop.

I wouldn't swear to it but I think there was a marshall there last year.

Anyway...I had fun and nobody got hurt so I guess it's all right.

-tom

     Ahh yes Tom. I recall that now. The STOP sign and no marshal. We blew
    right through it. You're right. No one got hurt, but of all the
    intersections, that one should've been marshalled...
    
     Chip

    There was no marshal at that intersection.  I was in front 
    pulling and noticed there was no one there.  A car went through
    the intersection towards us, so I made an assumption that
    it was clear and blasted through it.  I may be crazy, but I'm
    not stupid - if that car hadn't just went through, race or no
    race, I would have slowed/stopped.  
    
    I had an slightly animated discussion at the end of the race with
    one of the promoters.  Her answer was a bit lame "Oh My....well
    we hope that all the marshals know where they should be, but......"
    I suggested that next year, they send a car over the course
    just prior to the start and make SURE the marshals are where they
    should be.
    

     I just received the official results in the mail Friday! While I
    believe the winning times are accurate the subsequent finishing time
    are defintely not (so I'll just post the winning times). I'm only
    posting the top ten (where available) as well.
    
    Submasters 26-34          Juniors 12-18            Open 19-25
    _____________________________________________________________________
    Scott Reid 35:12          Jeff Matson 37:34        Kohn Kovacs 37:45 
    Ray Johnson               Ed Coviello              Justin Hughs
    Mike Dwyer                                         Chris Thompson
    E. Dishong
    Tom Dahl
    L. Skinner
    Robin Gilmore-Barnes (1st female)
    E. Kelley
    Steve White
    Carol Decourcey      (second female)
    
    Masters 35-44               Seniors 45-55          Veterans 55+
    _________________________________________________________________________
    Jeff Roberts 36:14          Charlie Schnare 37:00  Bob Wilson 39:22
    Rich Korn                   Bob Evans              Rob D'Auria
    John Walker                 Brian Dixon
    Chip Girouard               Peter Dolan
    Juan Ochoa                  Patty Deitch (1st female)
    David Jordan                Barbara Pike (2nd female)
    Lee Knight                  Ken Sargent
    Francis Murphy              Tony Worrell
    Peter Vincent               Seymour Solomen
    David Lystila
    
     Chip