Saturday, March 04, 2006
Nelson Loop Smackdown
March 1, 2006
Okay, here's how it went down.
Rob had only agreed to the Nelson Loop instead of Stazio if there were some "surges" or something like that. Knowing that it was inevitable and preferring to go on the hills where strength is emphasized a bit more than fast twitch, I jumped hard just past the Green Briar on the last hill before Nelson. I don't think anyone came after me, but I wasn't looking back. I shot my wad and sat down to soft pedal until the others caught up. The next thing I know Rob blows by going hard. I turned to see if Dan would chase him down and pull me along with him but his response was, "I led him out."
I waited a long time, then thinking that Rob must have shut it down and he had stopped looking over his shoulder, I went after him. I went hard, but didn't get him before the turn onto Nelson. He did look back and that was all he needed.
After the turn we got held up by construction and Eric Peltier (the Cat. 4 rider that lent me his bike in last year's Boulder Stage Race) was able to get back on. We rolled east for a bit until Rob attacked again. Dan went after him and I went after Dan. We grouped up, but Eric was gone again. We rolled along and Eric caught up again. We took some turns. As we neared 63rd, Rob flicks his elbow wanting me to pull through. I had resisted, waiting to attack from the back on the hill just after the turn. Rob slowed down, forcing me to take over the lead. I went through the turn cautiously and hit it hard. Dan went after me, but I had gap from the turn and held him off until I shut it down.
Dan went to the front and after a bit of easier riding, he attacked and I went after him. I caught up and Dan kept the pace really high, stifling any thoughts of further attacks. Eric got popped off at the turn and that was it for him, as far as I saw. Rob talked with him and Eric said he'd just ride in at his pace. Then Rob ran us down and told us the situation, of which we were completely ignorant.
We rolled along at a descent pace until the rise up to the Diagonal. It's uphill and we always sprint here. I wasn't sure that Dan or Rob knew that we always sprint here, but it's logical and Rob was ready. Dan was leading and I was waiting and waiting and waiting for Rob to go, but it was still too far out. I knew that to have a chance, I had to go early and go hard and hope to break him on the hill. I shifted and punched as hard as I could. I suffered and suffered and no one was coming by. Did I drop everyone? I was nearing the top when Rob came by me. I couldn't match him, but finished just a little ways back. I have no jump and Rob was glued to my wheel from the very start.
Dan peeled off a bit later, as we continued on 63rd to the office park to Jay. On the hump on 47th, where it goes over the Diagonal, where we always sprint for the top, neither one of us went. Rob turned up the pressure, though, and I barely matched him. I don't know if he was doing that to prevent any attacks or just one last workout, but I was shot from all the other sprints and didn't want to go. If he had jumped, I'd have gone after him, but I'd never have matched him.
That was a good, tough, fun ride.
Bill
Okay, here's how it went down.
Rob had only agreed to the Nelson Loop instead of Stazio if there were some "surges" or something like that. Knowing that it was inevitable and preferring to go on the hills where strength is emphasized a bit more than fast twitch, I jumped hard just past the Green Briar on the last hill before Nelson. I don't think anyone came after me, but I wasn't looking back. I shot my wad and sat down to soft pedal until the others caught up. The next thing I know Rob blows by going hard. I turned to see if Dan would chase him down and pull me along with him but his response was, "I led him out."
I waited a long time, then thinking that Rob must have shut it down and he had stopped looking over his shoulder, I went after him. I went hard, but didn't get him before the turn onto Nelson. He did look back and that was all he needed.
After the turn we got held up by construction and Eric Peltier (the Cat. 4 rider that lent me his bike in last year's Boulder Stage Race) was able to get back on. We rolled east for a bit until Rob attacked again. Dan went after him and I went after Dan. We grouped up, but Eric was gone again. We rolled along and Eric caught up again. We took some turns. As we neared 63rd, Rob flicks his elbow wanting me to pull through. I had resisted, waiting to attack from the back on the hill just after the turn. Rob slowed down, forcing me to take over the lead. I went through the turn cautiously and hit it hard. Dan went after me, but I had gap from the turn and held him off until I shut it down.
Dan went to the front and after a bit of easier riding, he attacked and I went after him. I caught up and Dan kept the pace really high, stifling any thoughts of further attacks. Eric got popped off at the turn and that was it for him, as far as I saw. Rob talked with him and Eric said he'd just ride in at his pace. Then Rob ran us down and told us the situation, of which we were completely ignorant.
We rolled along at a descent pace until the rise up to the Diagonal. It's uphill and we always sprint here. I wasn't sure that Dan or Rob knew that we always sprint here, but it's logical and Rob was ready. Dan was leading and I was waiting and waiting and waiting for Rob to go, but it was still too far out. I knew that to have a chance, I had to go early and go hard and hope to break him on the hill. I shifted and punched as hard as I could. I suffered and suffered and no one was coming by. Did I drop everyone? I was nearing the top when Rob came by me. I couldn't match him, but finished just a little ways back. I have no jump and Rob was glued to my wheel from the very start.
Dan peeled off a bit later, as we continued on 63rd to the office park to Jay. On the hump on 47th, where it goes over the Diagonal, where we always sprint for the top, neither one of us went. Rob turned up the pressure, though, and I barely matched him. I don't know if he was doing that to prevent any attacks or just one last workout, but I was shot from all the other sprints and didn't want to go. If he had jumped, I'd have gone after him, but I'd never have matched him.
That was a good, tough, fun ride.
Bill
