Carolina Masters Cycling

[DP]

Minutes before the start of the race, in an effort to get the day’s events back on schedule, the promoters decided to combine the Master’s 1-2-3 field with the Masters 4-5 field. What resulted was a larger field that spanned the spectrum of experience, ability, and leg hair length.

The move made sense for the officials, the spectators, and the riders, who no doubt had family pool parties and grilling duties to tend to back home. But suddenly a race that had fit the Carolina Masters very nicely had become snugger than a 20 year old pair of pants. More riders means more elbows, which of course means fewer available lines in the turns. Cram all of those wheels and body parts onto a course that is already horrifically bumpy in spots and things become that much more treacherous. I don’t scare easily, but any time the chief official warns you that you cannot go around the outside of a traffic island because you “might run into a train” I get a little tentative.

Determined to be on the offensive instead of the defensive, Derek attacked going into the first turn. It clearly wasn’t a race winning move, but his pace for the first 2 laps kept the field honest and strung out…..and also led to Charlie Brown’s first attack. the field was having none of it, though, and clamored after Charlie like crazed paparazzi. it was obvious that it was shaping up to be one of those races where the field is pretty willing to lose to anyone courageous enough to attack but NOT willing to let Charlie Brown get away.

As soon as Charlie was brought back, though, the pace slowed, allowing Greenville, SC, resident Phil Humbert to attack. Ever the attentive teammate, Derek immediately gave chase. Derek had useful insider info on Phil. They’d known each other for almost 20 years, going all the way back to DP’s glory days in New York in the mid 80’s, and Derek knew that when Phil was on his game he was a formidable time trailer. The two joined up and immediately began to put time on the field. Within a few laps the gap was up to 20 seconds and was growing by almost 2 seconds per circuit.

That’s when the video game portion of the day began.

Not even 10 minutes into the race Derek and Phil started encountering lapped riders. Because there were 2 different races going on at the same time, the officials weren’t pulling any riders who’d fallen off the pace. The 4-5 riders were free (as they should have been) to ride their own race, which meant that they were often attempting to occupy the same stretch of asphalt as riders going 10 miles an hour faster than them. This rolling obstruction wasn’t just one menacing guy lolly gagging around the block. There were groups of 2, 3, and even 5 making their way through the world trying to fight out their state championships. They were everywhere, and many of them looked drunk or confused or worse, vengeful, like they WANTED to get in your way for turning the screws on the race. Worst of all, they were completely unpredictable. Some would hug the inside line through the turns, others would stay outside, others would veer off wildly at the last second….in either direction. Between the raised manhole covers on the straights, the bumps in the corners and the carbon obstacles roaming the course there was no relaxing. Phil and Derek had a tough enough time of it as a duo. There’s no telling how tough it was for Charlie back in the (remnants of) the field. Obviously, though, he did just fine.

About half way into the race, right when the gap between the break and the field reached 30 seconds, John Fender stepped out onto the course near the start finish line, cupped his hands over his mouth and said “Charlie’s coming up with one other rider.”

Every joyride comes to an end, doesn’t it? Either you run out of gas, you crash into a row of mailboxes, or you get caught by the cops. But when your teammate and team captain is in the chase group behind you, well, that’s the one instance where your joyride has a happy ending.

Respectful of the work he’d done AND their friendship, Derek pulled up alongside Phil right after hearing that news and said “sorry,” then took up residence on his back wheel for the next 3 laps.

Charlie Brown and Kevin Gordon arrived a few laps later, but they didn’t stay long. In an effort maintain their gap to the field, (and in an effort to shake loose Gordon, who has to be one of the most tenacious riders around), Derek drilled the pace as soon as the following duo made contact. It didn’t rid them of Gordon, but it definitely tired the others out enough to allow Charlie to stand on his pedals and simply ride away.

After witnessing that show of strength the guys in the break were no longer like paparazzi willing to do anything to get a shot at a superstar. No, they’d become more like guys who’d had a few too many beers and let themselves get talked into entering one of those tough guy boxing competitions. And Charlie’s attack was like that first solid punch they got to the solar plexus, the one that sobers you up, rattles your spleen, and leaves you wondering for about a week after the contest if the blood in your urine is something you should be concerned about.

Within a lap Charlie was out of sight, and shortly after that both Gordon and Humbert were looking to take off their gloves and head gear and get out of the ring. There was no time for that, though, since the field behind had come to life and started to eat into the advantage the 3 held over them.

Knowing that they’d come too far and worked too hard to get caught before the finish, Phil asked Derek to help with the pace. Eager to medal (and equally eager to stay out of any carnage the final few turns could create in a field sprint) Derek did just enough work to maintain the pace, all the while keeping an eye on Gordon, who Charlie had warned him could always produce a decent sprint, even when he appeared dead.

Charlie soloed in a few laps later as the NC State Criterium Champion for the 3rd year running. And behind, as predicted, Gordon suddenly came to life within sight of the finish line. He attacked around Humbert going into the 3rd turn and led going into the final turn. But Derek was ready for his acceleration, and he quickly went around Humbert and closed in on Gordon, then easily passed him before the line. The field followed the break in some 20 seconds later. It was at least the 8th time this year to this author’s knowledge that the Carolina Master’s Cycling Team had swept the top places in an important event, a nice roll to be on heading into the state road race championships in 2 weeks.