The crew headed out on the road again yesterday, loading up the machinery (the ol’ trek 2.1 with its proven worn tires and all) into the Curtin & Hadzor big blue battle wagon and took to route 20, heading towards Canandaigua for the Bloomfield Spring Classic. Randy was set to compete in the cat4, ~45mile road race, consisting of four 11 mile loops of quick little hills.

A dismal gray morning vanished as they traveled west towards the race, beautiful blue skies abound in Seneca Falls, only to be consumed once again by a constant gray cloud cover that spat a couple bouts of hail intermittently with its persisting gusty winds. The gear was assembled, and the Mello Velo uni was donned, as well as supplemental tights, shoe covers, and a couple pairs of gloves.

The race cued up in the drop off circle in front of the Bloomfield school and had its controlled start out to the course. During the first bit it was a relaxed pack, getting acclimated to the gusts of the strong cross wind and over all just settling in. One rider in red put in a couple surges on the first lap, perhaps feeling antsy with the excitement of the new cycling season, perhaps trying to make things interesting. On his second surge a mid-pack conversationalist noted that it was always on a downhill the Red guy would make his move off the front and sarcastically remarked ‘maybe this one will stick’. Around that same time Skinny Phil had moved up to the front to shake things up and get people racing. There was a solid Ommegang representation in several fields in Bloomfield that day, and in this race in particular there were a handful of ‘gangsters. Upon seeing Phils move to the front and listening to the pack chatter Randy decided it was as good a time as ever to see what was going on up front.

A space opened up and he joined Phil where they made a pretty clean break from the peleton. Off the front Phil and Randy worked for a bit to get a little separation from the pack to see what would happen, on the hill nearing the start/finish line, almost at the close of the first of the four laps, Phil says “Randy, Go!”. Not thinking about it much Randy hammers off into the wind. Only for a split second did it pass through his mind that this was a move off the front for 36miles remaining, and that that was quite early. The rest of thought process were filled with admiring the terrain and scenery, surging the hills, and thinking of how in other races when people just walk off the front and are never seen again. Perhaps that could be him today, and if worst comes to worst and the pack nears, he could always rejoin and try again later.

The laps ticked by and Randy held the lead open, encouraged by the locals of Bloomfield out for their weekend long runs and zipping through the finish zone and each time the lap counter was less. A simple yet reassuring constant. The 2.1 with it’s silly chain ring size differential were an interesting character to be dealt with as in the second lap the chain decided to drop to the inside, where 2.1 had to be dismounted and with clumsy adrenaline filled fingertips a couple attempts were made to eventually successfully replace the chain, remount and complete the hill. Later it was learned that the strongest rear cog also liked to throw chains, this time to the outside which was slightly more convenient as it was semi-easily set back on while coasting a downhill.

As the final lap wound out, every push and hill mattered, as Randy interpreted every noise and mailbox out of the corner of his eye as the inevitable attacking peleton. Luckily though, the lead was held and victory was claimed for Mello Velo /  BTB / Middle Ages!

Also luckily the weather held off entirely for the cat4 race and until almost the end of the pro/1/2/3 race when the clouds then unleashed the pent up rain, sleet and hail. Only affecting those dudes riding the last bit their race and then worsening and most likely cutting cool downs short, as the riders were last seen shielding their faces with their free hand from the fierce ice shooting winds.

Congrats to all!

– BTB

Randy Hadzor, 1st Overall Cat4

results: [ http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/files/user/cat_4_men_overall.pdf ]

Bicycle Racin’ season is back!

[insert image of ridiculous lobster arm tan line]

Bob and Randy Hadzor headed out east, packed up the bicycles and hopped on the ol’ Erie Canal and, well ok, we took the thruway.. crossed the Mohawk River and entered the hills just as we entered the area that the race would be held coming in through Greenwich and down to Cambridge.

We got all situated at the registration tent where Randy checked in for the Cat4 gray race and with 11 spots open Bob was tempted to have a go in the 60+ category but we kept to our plan. We headed out to drive the course and scope out this 25% dirt road race and check out the hill scenario. Shortly into the course preview drive we had to stop to get a gift for Pete whom we were staying with..

We stopped at a little shed where the signage announced that they had home made maple syrup. Pete who is a connoisseur of sweets we thought we’d pop in and grab some quick and continue on the course. However, upon entering the little shack, there was no counter, no display of syrup bottles and goofy hand made junk for souvenirs. Instead there was a giant hulking shiny steel apparatus, with gauges and dials abound, puttering and steaming and an old woodchuck lookin’ guy with a long white beard, camouflage vest and two different colored eyes. “I’d like to buy some syrup?” Bob declared to the man, feeling slightly rushed to get on with the course preview, though slightly overwhelmed with fascination at the suprisedly high tech contents of the little cabin-shed. “Yea, that’s it? You don’t wanna look around or anything do ya.” The man stated, knowing for sure that we did indeed want to know more about the operation. Randy chipped in “Yea we’ll check it out!”

In .3 degrees they were about to take the final draw of the season from the magical syrup machine which he designed each bit, and where he can calculate the barometric pressure humidity and determine the precise point at which it would boil and at which to draw the syrup from its process (218.1). As soon as the temperature was reached they began the process and flipped the switch to dispense an amazingly consistent flow of hot delicious dark amber liquid.

We continued to scope out the ups and downs, the pot holes, and the gravelly surfaces of the course. It looked a bit daunting with some serious downhills on incredibly rough terrain.

Before long the race had begun, as you got into it the ride goes on and the rough and scary roads seemed to become normal. Though racers flatted as they hit sharp gravel, the crunching sound of carbon wheels on potholes was frequent followed by spontaneous expletives and riders slowly moving off to the right and the peloton swarming on. There was only one substantial wreck that I was aware of and luckily it wasn’t in our field, some one had apparently crashed on one of the sharp corners on the back country dirt corner near a pretty sketchy good ol’ homestead strewn with various vehicles, farm equipment and other lawn ornaments.

The race went on and with each minor bicycle explosion and each quick climb the pack thinned. Until it was a line of about 16 and apparently one squeeked off the front on one of the dirt roads when I was allowing ample room in case evasive maneuvering was necessary. Upon realizing that I moved to close the gap, and on the dirt gravel rapid decent, the familiar speed/eye tearing turn unnerving as dust and sweat got all up my eye! Had to hold back for a second to clear it out and the pack grouped back up. Then the pace line thinned out and began to cycle through. The finish was a ways off and then all of a sudden we were upon it 500m to go out of the saddle get moving, had a sharp hammerhead type turn and then a super short sprint to the finish, unfortunately I hadn’t previewed this part of the course (what was I thinking!) but picked up a couple places just enough to squeek in to the top ten, finishing ninth, just inside the top 10 pay out.

And that was that, ride over. It was definitely the most adventurous road race I’ve ever done, Bob was at the finish with some ridiculously delicious chocolate milk in a glass bottle, with the company logo stating best in New York and on the other side the Battenkill 2011 logo… awesome design and super great delicious chocolaty recovery.