What a lovely evening for bike racing! Mild (comparatively) temps. Not a hint of rain. And fresh black powder pavement for the descent into and climb out of Caledonia. Delicious.
The 30-mile out-and-back Pine Grove - Caledonia - Pine Grove handicapped road road race began with 16 riders toeing the line. Three groups, sent in three-minute intervals: two riders in the first, seven in each of the second two.
(Notice how I slip into sports-writer mode below. Enjoy it with me.)
The run to Caledonia in the A group began with a casual, orderly double-pace line, but as riders' legs began to warm and the road tilted upward, Kutztown Kyle (privateer) stretched his legs a bit and the rest of the group fell in single-file behind. Near the top of the climb, Alan Royek (RHR) put in a dig, with Eric Noreen (Gettysburg Bicycle) quickly bridging up. The two seemed uninterested in committing themselves, however, and Jere Ballard (SMVC) moved to the front and shut the move down before Shippensburg Road.
The catch--the A group picking up the remnants of the B group--occurred a few miles after the turn-around, appropriately, perhaps, in front of Big E's house. A couple of miles earlier, as the A group rode away from Caledonia and the gradient began to climb, Noreen launched tandem attacks, the first was reeled in without fanfare, but just as Jon Marshall (RHR) was asking Kutztown Kyle (privateer) if responding to the last attack hurt, the aggressive Gettysburg Bicycle rider fired again, with Nathan Goates (RHR) hanging on his wheel.
The two got separation, cooperated well, and with the RHR boys behind unwilling to chase, the gap grew steadily. As the two escapees picked up the B group, Brad Thompson (SU) and Joe Kahler (SMVC) put in welcome pulls, but eventually the elastic snapped and the pair broke free again.
As the pitch rose again near Miltenberger Road, Goates put in a monster pull, rocking back-and-forth relentlessly atop a big gear, which finally proved too much for Noreen. Goates soloed over the 233 hump while the chasers attempted to organize behind. It would be the last they'd see of the leader, however. Slipping out of sight, post-ride GPS data shows that Goates managed to descend from Shippensburg Road to Pine Grove Furnace State Park a solid 15 seconds faster than the RHR-disrupted chase.
Having taken a free ride for the past 10 miles or so, Royek out-sprinted Noreen and Jere Ballard (SMVC) for second place, about 1:20 off the pace set by the leader, with the others coming through in groups of two and three behind.
Thanks to everyone who came out to play. Next up, Ironmasters TT on TUESDAY, August 13, and SMSS #5 on TUESDAY, August 23.
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SMSS #4, Pine Grove - Caledonia - Pine Grove
July 23, 2013
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Individual Results
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1 Nathan Goates Round Here Racing ~1:15
2 Alan Royek Round Here Racing
3 Eric Noreen Gettysburg Bicycle
4 Jere Ballard South Mountain Velo Club
5 Joe Kahler South Mountain Velo Club
6 Kutztown Kyle (privateer)
7 Jim Hartnett South Mountain Velo Club
8 Eric Diamond Antietam Velo Club
9 Jon "broken thumb" Marshall Round Here Racing
10 John Lacione Antietam Velo Club
11 Brad Thompson Shippensburg University
12 Steve Bussey Shippensburg University
13 Chris Townsley Antietam Velo Club
14 Rick Ackerman ?
15 Kevin Griffin Shippensburg University
16 Jeff Townsley ?
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Club Results
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1 Round Here Racing 12 pts
2 South Mountain Velo Club 16
3 Antietam Velo Club 31
4 Gettysburg Bicycle 37
5 Shippensburg University 38
6 All others 51
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2013 Overall Club Standings (after four rounds)
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1 Round Here Racing 66 pts
2 South Mountain Velo Club 77
3 Antietam Velo Club 92
4 Gettysburg Bicycle 111
5 Shippensburg University 138
6 All others 165
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| What Goates was thinking when he rode across the line. |
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| What victory actually looked like (the woodsy landscape symbolizes the wholesale public apathy at what had just happened). |
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| Alan, Eric, and Jere duking it out for the lower podium positions. |
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| Joe finishing strong. |
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