RockHopper Classic

[Paul Montgomery]

The Rock Hopper Classic (RHC) makes my fourth race of 2012 and my first race report.  One of my standard goals for each season is to qualify for the National Championship race.  Usually this is accomplished at the Sea Otter Classic (SOC).  Unfortunately, due to a broken chain and subsequent repair (5 min), I could only manage 20^th, which is outside the allotted 15 qualifying spots.  And local USAC qualifiers are a little scarce this year.  Two qualifiers were on tap in California within three weeks of SOC. I chose the closest in distance, which is the recently revived Rock Hopper Classic in Vacaville Ca.  The descriptions of this venue focused on the heat and the climbing.  The reports were correct. 

As a matter of course, I try to be at maximum fitness around the SOC event.  Having to stretch my “taper” for another three weeks had me a little worried about the longer effort in the RHC.  Also real world obligations and back pain had added more stress and distraction.  Oh well, I only race for “fun” anyway.

The race date was May the 12^th, one day after my 53^rd birthday, so it was easy to justify a new crankset for the race rig.  Based on a low grade persistent knee pain and the need to keep leg speed up on those occasional crazy steep climbs, I opted to return to the “classic” triple configuration after having used doubles the last two years.  This proved to be a good decision as the RHC unfolded…

Race day arrives and I feel ready.  An easy one hour + drive (not too early), we arrive at the Lagoon Valley Regional Park in Vacaville around 9 am and it’s already hot.  Although out of sight, parts of the course are located right beside Interstate 80.  As we hunt for a parking spot, I recognize a couple of fast cohorts that were not on the “who’s signed up” list kitted up in the parking lot.  As it turns out, I was not the only one looking for a qualifying opportunity.  Luckily, enough of us old dudes showed up to justify our own group of 50+ Cat 1.  What a relief.  This would be a fair slice of serious racers to judge my efforts.

Because of the larger than expected turnout of unregistered racers, the start of the XC race was delayed until 11:30 am. The temperature felt like 90+ degrees with the sun directly overhead, no clouds and no wind.  The start was clean and everyone settled into the usual red-line trance.  We sorted on the first uphill, only the sounds of labored breathing, missed shifts and the stream of traffic on I-80... it was down to business.  I was able to go with the top ten and realized that Bill Buckingham was right with me.  This was good, because Bill has been faster than me in past races and pacing him would keep me at maximum effort.  I did not recognize any other 50+ racers in front of us.

I had not pre-ridden the course, so the first lap was a learning experience.  The course was not technical and the few spots that had bike handling challenges were well marked.  The real test was the loose over rough hard pack surface and the climbing.  On paper the 1,600’ per lap of elevation gain seemed reasonable, but as the race wore on that total felt under reported.

At about half way through the first lap, Bill informs me that we are going too fast for the 3 lap effort in front of us.  I took his advice seriously and we pedaled on.  Bill had done this race before and opted for a full suspension (FS) bike.  As we emerged onto the hillside portion of the course, he would be able to take advantage of the downhill sections for speed and recovery.  Bill’s FS strategy was paying off; he got by and was getting away.  Unfortunately, my hard tail made the fast flow sections into more of a ride-a-jackhammer experience.  Quite the reverse of a recovery opportunity, I looked forward to getting back to the uphill sections.  (And it’s pretty obvious the derivation of the moniker “Rock Hopper” at this point in the race.)  By the time we get back down to the start/finish, I had managed to pull him back to within a couple hundred feet thanks to traffic.  As we turned onto the last run-in, Bill made a small mistake and ran off course, which allowed me to get by.

Through the start/finish and onto the second lap, I felt pretty good and knew I needed to get a working gap before the DH section later in the lap.  I could see I had a 15-20 second gap; it was probably going to close back up.  Motoring on it would be awhile before the course opened up enough to check on the progress of my pursuer.  Once in the open, it appeared I still had the gap.  At this point no one was coming back to me either, so it was time to ride smart and conserve resources for the final lap.  By the end of lap two the pounding was beginning to take a toll, arms and legs were “pre-cramping”, luckily the climbing was about to start again.

On the last lap, racing for position and not time, I began to take full advantage of the 3rd chainring, spinning up the legs hoping to forestall the imminent cramping.  Riding alone...I was well spent and focusing on not making any mistakes. All the while aware that I was giving up time, arms and legs began cramping in earnest at the end of the last downhill.  Perfect timing, I was able to pedal them out and roll through the finish line.  And who do I see already at Start/Finish?  Bill.  Unfortunately he had to pull the plug sometime in the second lap.

The only question: Was there anyone in front of us from the start?  The answer: Dan Sovereign and Cliff Millemann had gotten away.  That meant third place for me.  First time this year to be on the box, it’s a good feeling.  My race effort was solid for the first two laps, but the third one revealed limits.  I’m still an order of magnitude away from the “stars and stripes” contenders nationally in my age group, but, so far, my fitness continues to get better.  And with the advantage of hindsight racing is “fun”.

3rd Place, Cat 1, 50+. Thanks to Michele for her support and the bottle hand ups.  As well as Team Summit.

[Jim Hewett]

Great job out there!

3rd was good enough to qualify for Nationals, right?

 

[Paul Montgomery]

Should be...

[Carl Sanders]

Most excellent report! Them full bouncy bikes do have merit on rough courses.

Off to ID?

[Paul Montgomery]

Maybe, looking at the logistics...