DP
Joined: 29 May 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject: French Broad Cycling Classic 2008 |
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The Carolina Masters Cycling Team swept the top two podium spots in an Omnium in consecutive weekends when Charlie Brown and Derek Powers finished first and second overall at the French Broad Cycling Classic. The format and the competition and the team’s roster were all somewhat different than the previous weekend’s Piedmont Triad Omnium, but the results for the squad from Salisbury were no less dominant or impressive.
Charlie turned a lot of heads (including his own) by winning the opening night’s 20K time trial by a comfortable 20 seconds over no less formidable an opponent than former master’s world champion Pat McCallion. Charlie had spent a good deal of time prior to the race discounting his chances for a win, but we all know it’s absurd to call a man who’s won almost half the races he’s entered this year an “underdog,” even if he’s racing those funny pedal boats. The self professed “adequate” time trailer seemed genuinely surprised when his name appeared at the top of the results page….but nobody else shared his shock….and the rest of the riders recognized that they were in f or another long weekend. Derek was just under a minute back in 5th place, which earned him valuable Omnium points against a field that would feature a ton of quality crit riders the next 2 days.
If the field sizes appeared smaller at this year’s French Broad, perhaps it was because many riders stayed away after the promoters decided to eliminate the traditional 2nd day road race in favor of another criterium. If those racers who steered clear of the omnium thought the weekend’s events wouldn’t be as challenging as past editions because of that change, they were wrong. The 4 corner crit in downtown Brevard that Will Sagar and the other organizers chose for the 2nd day was tough, tight, super fast and fun.
Charlie and Derek saw two things of interest while they warmed up alongside the course – they saw a couple of nasty crashes20in the circuit’s two tightest corners, and they saw John Patterson dismantle the 45+ race early and decisively. Ultimately the win in that race went to Ric Creed, who lapped what was left of the field with John, but the lesson from both observations was obvious – get to the front and stay at the front. Sure enough, there was no safety in the field in the 35+ race….because after about 15 minutes there was no field. Fewer than half the 30 starters finished the race. Part of that attrition was the course and part of it was the heat, but most of it was the pace. There were moments of complacency and respite, just like any race, but for the most part the field was single file; there was just no other safe way around the loop.
Charlie and Derek both stayed at or near the front for the entire 50 minutes, but no group could separate and then organize itself. There were plenty of attacks….and Charlie DID get in a couple of good groups. Ultimately, though, he was too marked to do anything, and Derek lacked the punch to counter attack Charlie’s moves when they were brought back. There was plenty of animation, though, and there were plenty of primes. Asheville’s Bob Wright attacked like a man possessed every other time up the hill, it seemed. Charlie won a coaching prime, as if he needed one, and in a moment of pure irony, perennial sprint king Marcus Morgan found himself someplace he hasn’t been in almost 20 years – off the front solo for 5 minutes. in the end it all came back together for TWO equally important sprints on the last lap – one to the 3rd turn, which was totally sketchy, and then the sprint to the line, which decided the places. Charlie and Derek were well placed for both sprints and negotiated them upright, thankfully. Derek navigated his way through traffic and finished 5th, while Charlie was a few places further ahead fighting for his second straight win. Alas, the Ryan Jenkins “Trifecta” eluded him, as he was out sprinted by “former” racer Bill Short. Charlie's 2nd place solidified his hold on the omnium lead, while Derek's second straight 5th place finish moved him up to 2nd place overall. Things were looking good for the boys heading into the last day of racing.
Sunday was about as close to “déjà vu” as cycling gets, at least as far as conditions go. The weather was hot and sunny, Bob Wright was eager to do his own personal interval workout again, and for the second straight day the course was bumpy and tight -- with just enough of a climb to the finish line to remind your legs they were racing for the 3rd straight day. The race, however, played out very differently. After Saturday’s field sprint, many riders were determined not to leave things to chance. On top of that, the spin cycle duo of Kevin Gordon and Emory Ball had a plan in the works to dislodge Derek from his spot in 2nd place. Attacks went from the gun, and once again half the field wasn’t around to see the end of the race. About 10 minutes in a group of containing Sledgehammer Charlie strongman Eric Marland, Girodana-Clif Bar racer Tod Schmidt, the ever present Bob W right, and an improving Chad Schoenauer separated themselves and quickly established a 15 second lead. The move was dangerous and the gap grew each lap. Both Gordon and Ball tried to get across but couldn’t make it. Confident that nobody up the road threatened his omnium spot, Derek chose to mark the pair from the capital cycling club. Charlie Brown had a different idea, though. He sat back about 5 or 6 places for a few laps and then whoosh, at the top of the hill he blew past the group like a jet car. Everybody there knew his attack was coming, but that didn’t change the fact that nobody could go with him. Within 4 laps he made contact with the lead break; 15 minutes after that they lapped the field. When the break made contact with the remnants of the field there were about 15 laps and about 15 riders left in the race. 3 of the riders who’d been in the break – Schmidt, Schoenauer, and Marland -- seemed not only content to be a lap up, they also seemed exhausted. The same could not be said for Charlie Brown and Bob Wright. They each conti nued to push the pace every time up the start/finish line hill in search of another separation. That second separation occurred with about 3 laps to go. in it were Charlie brown, Bob Wright, Kevin Gordon and Tom Ziermann. Charlie handled Bob Wright in the sprint to pick up his second win of the weekend and secure his overall victory, while Derek marked Chad Schoenauer’s last lap attempt to bridge to Charlie and Bob and then came in at the front of the field in 8th place, which was more than enough to hold onto his 2nd place in the overall.
No report on the weekend’s results would be complete without summarizing the performance of Carolina Master’s “other” thoroughbred, John Patterson. Like teenagers who call one another at night and make plans to wear matching outfits the following day, JP and the Judge’s results were carbon copies of one another. John won the time trial in the 45+ category on Friday night, just like Charlie, (with, ahem, the 2nd fastest time of ALL participants), finished 2nd in the Brevard Crit on Saturday, again, just like Charlie, and then won the Asheville Criterium by lapping the field; not once, but twice. We’ll have to talk to Charlie about why he failed to live up to the standard John set earlier in the day. Suffice it to say John won the overall omnium in his category as well.
These results in multiple race formats bode well for the Team’s upcoming rendezvous with the 9 night Crossroad Cycling Classic!!!! |
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