Body Concepts Bicycle Race Team – Race Results:
Date: 2013-04-14 Turlock Lake Road Race Report 45+ 4
Race Report: 2013 Turlock Lake Road Race Report: by Pete Gemmell
Race Videos: Turlock Lake Road Race Videos
Field: Total of 50 registered riders including 7 Cushman, 6 Kovaris, 6 Wells Fargo, and Charley, Dave, DJ, Gary, Ron, Pete were representing Body Concepts.
Course: 46 miles = two 23 mile laps on rolling hills / mostly flat mostly good roads
Conditions: 70 degrees, sunny, steady 12mph W/NW wind
Plan: lead out train of at least 4 of us at the end with Gary DR and DJ on his wheel
Equipment: new GoPro Hero 3 white edition (video to be emailed or posted somewhere soon)
Race: The pace was pretty tame for the 1st 4 miles. Then there was a bit of acceleration for the 3 miles. Then it was downright slow and boring on Keyes Road going west into a headwind and confined to a single lane. However, the pace picked up heading north with multiple surges at the front. Then there was a right hand turn onto a flat tailwind section of about 2 miles when a group of 3 followed by a group of 2 opened up significant gaps. I sensed a break opportunity and so sprinted off the front and caught the 2 (including Nick Roberti of Rio) as the course turned left onto Lake Road.
The three of us worked hard for about another 4 miles before we caught the 3 leaders and were joined by 2 more riders (for a total of 8 as I remember). BC, Cushman, and Koraris each had one rider in the break. Initially, our group worked well together. However, it gradually became apparent that some of the riders were significantly stronger than others. The pack got within several hundred yards of us as we entered Keyes road heading east. But then Cushman and BC effectively shut down the chase and the break opened up a big lead.
About this time, I realized that I was weak (despite eating Gu) and gradually increased my shirking of pulls in the break. My reasoning was (a) if I pulled, I might very well wind up dropped and (b) it was better to rest for the sprint and risk the pack with a rested BC sprint team catching us. One guy complained a bit, but I explained my reasoning. On the bigger rollers heading north, we dropped the Cushman guy. On the right turn into the big tailwind, 2 guys opened a gap on the remaining 5 of us. I made the error of not chasing them right away. They still had a gap as we turned onto Lake Road. The 5 of us rotated to chase them, but then this rotation stopped.
After this chase was abandoned, one guy pulled all the way to 200 meters. I marked Nick on the sprint, but was only able to beat the guy who did all the recent pulling. I therefore got 6th. Ron and DJ did well in the field sprint for top 15 (please correct this if inaccurate). Gary unfortunately got taken out by a Cushman guy who passed on the far right side of the road when there was essentially no room to pass.
Race Report: 2013 Turlock Lake Road Race Report: by Ron Faulk
Ditto…
I saw Pete getting after it when two broke away and he joined two other chasers on Lake Rd as we turned east. I then found myself chasing down a Pen Velo rider who was trying to bridge. He saw me on his wheel and looked at my jersey and gave up. From there until the 1K to go marker at the end of the race, Charley and I worked along with Cushman and Wakefield and Kovarus Wells Fargo to limit the chasers to one or two man teams that only got close to catching the break one time before we turned west into the wind, which is when Charley said “here is where the break gets away”, and it did.
At 3K to go, I went to the front and set myself in front of Gary and looked for teammates to see if we could get together to lead Gary out for the field sprint. I was sitting about 5 or 6 ft. off of the right edge of the road to give Gary a clear shot if he needed to move up sooner and also to give him some shelter from the wind. Charley was to my left and I was thinking we were going to line it up when I felt a wheel against my rear wheel and hear crashing and dragging behind me. This was at about the 1K to go marker. I was hoping it was not Gary, but didn’t turn around to look. The pace ramped up and I began looking for opportunities since I did not hear Gary’s voice any more. Kovarus and Cushman and Wakefield attacked and I followed and was passed by DJ at about 250 to go. I kept digging and finished 5th or 6th in the field sprint.
Lesson learned:
- We CAN race aggressively and do well.
- If not for the crash, I think we would have put more riders in the top 15 since it seemed the other teams were pretty tired and Dave was also tangled up with another bike during the crash, which slowed him down.
- Pete is an animal. All I saw was elbows and butt as he drilled it into the break.
- We have a great team. BC out worked the other two teams with riders in the break to keep our guy away. Kovarus and Wells Fargo had more in the field, but worked less than we did.
- Pete was in the right place at the right time to get into the break because he stayed up front and took his opportunity when it came.