The Wheel Den: Root 66 #6 @ Pats Peak Report

Pro/Semi-Pro
9th/22

Another race, another 9th. Ho, hum.

Just kiddin'!

Headed south, picked up former apprentice, now kick-my-asstice French Freye, headed south some more, then west, then north, then west to Pat's Peak in Henniker, NH for another Root 66 event.

I had this on the calendar as a back-up Natz qualifier in the event something went wrong at last weekend's Coyote Hill event. Despite the fact that I should be qualified, I kept the race on the to-do list and I'm glad I did! I have to thank Babs and the boys for letting me go because it was an 11 hour day away and Babs represented the family at Harold Alfond's Celebration of a Wonderful Life at Colby College that day.

Plus she took the boys to hockey, I know she loves getting them boys dressed in a nasty locker room.

Anywho, this course was well worth the trip. Mike Joos had evidently raced here before and likened it to a mini Mt. Snow. He was so right! It even had a short loop around a retention pond! There was 850' feet of climbing per lap interspersed with some hair raising-how out of control fast over water bars down ski slopes descents, short singletrack slope crossings, off-camber coasting, and 1 helluva long singletrack descent complete with bermed turns that made all that climbing worth it! That was a PROPER course and I will keep this event on the sked annually.

At the start line I gave props to Thom P, hoping I could maybe, possibly keep him in sight today given all the climbing. After all, he has only 1 gear! Could it possibly be right for the whole course?! Indeed, he did. I also got to chat up Steve Humphreys, a seasoned veteran whom I used to chase in the Expert class. He took the semi-pro plunge last year so it was interesting tracking his success and helping me to decide whether to do it as well.

The gun went off and we charged up the hill. I opted out of the narrow chute over a water bar and gained a few spots by doing a wheelie instead. Is that wrong?! Hard to say who was ahead, but suffice it to say it was the likes of Freye, Parsons, and like 7 other dudes! We were in a long line in and out of the first singletrack and down the fast descent. This place was super dusty, perhaps the only drawback. They didn't get the rain we did in ME. Then the course really started to go up. I quickly lost contact with the group. Matt O'Keefe led out, but then I saw Freye kick it up a notch and drag a couple guys with him, then there were another 3 together, then a couple stragglers then me. I was already in no-man's land. I was also in pain-land. Similar to last week, the pace was torrid at the start and I could not maintain it. I again was thinking DNF and was writing my blog in my head when I finally snapped out of it, right about the time I reached the peak of the climb and began the descent, funny how that happens! The first run downhill was wild as I had no idea what to expect around every turn, so I felt like I went down very slowly. Nonethless, I made it with no incidents (other than losing a bottle AGAIN!), lost no positions, and soon came upon O'Keefe of all people who stopped to do some bike repair. I set off for lap 2 in a better frame of mind and focused on my pace. Matt soon bridged up to me and I opted to ride with him for the next 2 laps. It was a treat riding behind someone for once. He was smooth and I followed his line. But it was soon apparent Matt did not have his "A" game and we had lost time on the places ahead of us. I was concerned we would get caught so I felt rested from the tempo we were riding and pushed the last steep on the 4th lap and all of the 5th lap. I never got caught and made up lost time on the spots ahead as they were again in sight.

Could I have gotten 8th? Perhaps. But I don't care. I learned more about my competition and about myself and come away with confidence as my prize.

Freye was solid and was 2nd, outclassed closely by another pro.