GA Neuro Cycling Team's Jake Andrews, John Stowe and I raced the GA Gran Prix, an omnium format road race in the Covington GA area on July 22-24. Friday's race was a rolling course of about 10 miles which we raced 7 laps in the Pro,1,2,3 field. While we always want to race well, our primary concern was surviving the heat with the race starting at 2:30. Temperature was 93 degrees with a heat index over 100! As is usual in the P,1,2 races there was a flurry of attacks and some short-lived breakaways, and about halfway through the race a 3-man breakaway built about a 2 minute lead, chased by a few more and then the remainder of the field. Normally, there would be a concerted effort to bring back such a small lead, but I think the heat caused a lot of lethargy and so the gap continued to creep upward--my post race analysis of each lap did show a general slowing trend, and about 1/3 the field didn't finish the race. Our team had done a great job of attacking and getting into the early breakaway attempts, but we didn't have anyone in the two small breakaways, so I took advantage of opportunity when a rider made a move to sprint up to an 8-man group that was dangling about 200 meters in front of the peleton. He towed me all the way there, and had such overtake going that I thought he'd keep going. He didn't, but I did. I got an impolite yell from the group as I flew by, but I figured I was committed, and if they had the legs to join me, then they should. I kept my pace going up the gentle rise, and set my sights on a rider that was a few hundred meters ahead. He jumped right on my wheel, and we were off. We collected a rider that had been dropped by the lead group, but unfortunately he wouldn't/couldn't help. After a lap we were caught by a strong group of about 6 riders and 9 of us set out to catch the four riders up the road or at least keep from being caught by the remainder of the peleton. I knew that I would be largely outgunned at the sprint anyway, so I made an attack about 500 meter out...and then got passed by all but three of our group. That put me in 10th which I am still pretty happy with. John finished with the peleton, and Jake had an unfortunate mechanical when a plastic bag got stuck in his rear wheel, and he had to drop out.
Saturday, John raced both a short time trial (finishing mid-pack time) and a criterium in downtown Covington. The crit was a 6 turn L-shaped course, so accelerations were the name of the day. Team Type 1 almost immediately got a breakaway group of about 7 riders going and the rest of the 90 minute race was characterized by failed attempts of groups ind individuals to bridge to that breakaway. Fun to spectate, but probably aggravating as a racer unless you were in the breakaway. John made a few mid-race attempts himself, but ended up finishing with the field.
Sunday, all three of us raced again in a 25 lap circuit race of about 1.7 mile laps...again in the heat of the day. The course had two punchy hills that served to break up the field. I managed to bridge to a strong breakaway early on, but we got caught after about 2 laps. Jake and John went with other moves, and it was John that got himself in the successful move of the day. About 15 laps into the race I attempted to bridge to a chase group that had gotten away, and had almost made it when I just ran out of steam. The next couple of laps were tough for me, and Jake did a good job of sticking to any move that looked serious. Jake took a flier with a few laps to go, and I caught a two man flier with one to go, but the peleton chased us down. John finished a respectable 13th and Jake and I finished in the main field.
