Old Cazadero Grasshopper 2016 - Jim Hewett's Report of the Action at the Front

[Jim Hewett]

This is my first post since last year's Old Caz' 'Hopper.  Team Acme Bikes will be on the race scene this year, with a new team and new energy.  Expect to see race reports after the good local mountain bike races.

It was a beautiful day for the Old Caz' "adventure ride".  Though we have been getting a lot of rain this winter, it was 70 degrees and sunny, with good dirt conditions.  Once again, this early season mixed dirt/pavement ride sold out at 400 people;  the usual mix of roadies, mountain bikers, 'cross racers, and everything in between.

I've finished in the top five overall here for many years, but that usually depends on who shows up.  This year there were a couple of strong road racers added at the last minute, as well as the usual local strong men.  Ted King, Lauren Ten Dam, and Levi Leipheimer were the obvious road talent, and Geoff Kabush and Barry Wicks there to represent national level XC mountain bike racing.  Otherwise, the usual 'Hopper hardmen.

I had not begun training this year, as I was switching up the usual schedule to focus on some mountain bike races that come later in the year.  I was still anxious to go hard, but became a little discouraged when I became ill on Thursday: chills, fever, sore throat, cough and aches.  I wasn't completely bed ridden, though, so I figured I would be able to give it a go.

I once again chose to race my Trek Boone Disc, this year with a 40x11-36 drivetrain and slightly larger 38mm Bontrager CX0 tires at 37/39psi.

Things started pretty casually, with the group staying together up Coleman Valley Rd.  I noticed a couple of the Bear Development kids moving toward the front.  Matthew Tracey-Cook and Tate Meintjes were out to test themselves against the big boys.  We cruised over to Willow Creek Rd, where the pace picked up and we dropped a few people before the drop down the dirt.  This high speed descent is a mixture of fun, fear, and frustration.  In the front, most people are on cyclocross bikes, with varying levels of descending skill.  I was surprised to see a few people actually unclipping for some of the tight corners, usually going just fast enough that I couldn't safely pass them.  I did overtake 3 or 4 guys, Lauren Ten Dam included, but Levi, Shane, Glen, Geoff, Barry and a few more (a couple of them with dropper posts on their 'cross bikes!) gapped us by the bottom. 

Here I figured they would be trying to increase the lead on Ten Dam, who started hammering once we were on the broken pavement.  I settled in behind him (a potential future Tour de France contender?) and let him pull us up to the front group, which was not pressing their advantage from the dirt descent. 

Here, our paceline of 20 or more proceeded at a civil pace on the flat pavement.  We made the turns through various small towns and cruised along without any attacks.

Our more casual than usual pace allowed many people to catch up, and soon our number had doubled.  Kabush decided to attack, and everyone let him go except Tate, who probably should have taken our cue. They sped away and out of sight.

I was content to stay with the lead guys until the steep climbing, which I knew would break things up pretty quickly.  We made the right up Duncan Rd and I kept up with Levi and Barry through the initial climbing.  Once we started down on dirt again, I was slowed by traffic and they got away a little.  I made it around the slower rider and pushed hard, but I was in between the top 7 and the next group as we blasted along the shaded paved roads toward the steep Old Caz' paved climbing.  I dug to catch up with the lead group just as we started climbing.

That far, my legs had felt okay, but I knew I needed to meter the efforts if I wanted my body to still work in the last hour.  The lead group slowly pulled away, and I once again was in between groups, but climbing at a comfortably hard pace.  I noticed a rider gaining on me, and slowed until he caught up.  There would be many flat paved miles ahead, and I would need some help to cross them efficiently.  We came through the bottle feed together (thanks NorCal Bike Sport) and hurried over to the dirt descent to Austin Creek.  I passed another rider going down, but slowed after the creek crossing to allow us to regroup.  Glen, Shane, Chaz, Jon, Ryan, Adam and I climbed up and dropped to the pavement together, which would be my group for pace-lining all the way back to Willow Creek.

It took a bit to get organized, and it wasn't the smoothest train, but we each took turns in the wind back on 116 to highway 1.  I got a glimpse of a lone rider ahead, which was Ryan Gardner.  We rode back through the puddles, potholes, and broken pavement of the lower Willow Creek road until we hit the final dirt climb.  Right away, Jon and Adam pulled ahead and were soon out of sight.  Ryan R. and I left the others, and soon we could see Ryan G. ahead.  I was hurting, but was able to counter an attack by Ryan R. and catch Ryan G.  I dug deep on the steep pitches and developed a decent gap, but they reconnected on the flatter sections.  I tried to squeeze more out of my exhausted legs, but they both slid by me in the last 20 seconds.  

I finished 11th, spent but happy.  I drank a coke, ate some chips, and basked in the sun as I waited for my teammates to finish.