Giro del Cielo

The Giro del Cielo is in its 6^th year, and it’s easy to see why this race has expanded and grown in popularity — it is part of the New Jersey Women’s cat 4 cup, and they first began sponsoring men’s fields in 2008. I grew up in rural northeastern New Jersey about 20-minutes from the New York and Pennsylvania borders where agriculture is king and the Appalachian Mountains are at your backdoor. All of which make for a great scenic venue for bike racing in my hometown. It gave me a great opportunity to get intensity in as part of my prep for the Killington Stage Race at the end of the month.

SATURDAY MAY 15

STAGE ONE: a 4.6-mile uphill time trial on Sunrise Mountain Road through the deep woods of Stokes State Forest, with spectacular views of the tri-state area. I saw this as my best opportunity to score points. I chose to go without the TT bike this weekend as did most of the field. At registration, I see a number of Green Line Velo racers including Kyle Butler, who grew up in the next town over from me. They have 2 each in the Men’s Cat 3, Men’s Cat 4/5, and Women’s 4 fields. As I’m on my trainer warming up, long lost Threshold Cycling team member Aaron Hall stops by and says hello. I had not seen Aaron since last year’s Connecticut Stage Race. Take 40-minutes to warm up. Climbing legs are ready. 8:28:30 AM and I’m off. Feel solid. Focus on execution. Final kilometer is a VO2max lung scorcher at 9%. Finish in 17:10. No idea where that put me, but TT results will be posted at the start/finish line of stage 2. Down a recovery shake and cool down for 20-minutes. Prep for the afternoon race starts now. The TT was my favorite race of the weekend.

STAGE TWO: Doesn’t go off until 1pm; which is nice. Allows me some time to go back to my parents, refresh and refuel. Head to stage 2. Sign in for the afternoon criterium. Check the TT results. Currently sitting 14^th on the GC with 2-pts. The criterium was 22 laps on a 0.7-mile loop at Sparta Corporate Park. 9 primes were to be awarded including 2 for GC points. The loop consisted of 2 left hand turns and a gradual rise out of turn #1 into a headwind. What made this course very difficult was that they gave us half the road to use. The rest was blocked off by cones. It was a constant battle to get position and keep position. In order to do well, you must be in the top 5 wheels entering turn #2. We roll out with one neutral lap and it’s on. There were at least 3 or 4 teams from the tri-state area in force here. Pace is up and down with guys willing and not willing to do work at the front. But because of the narrowness and short course, racers were immediately pulled from the race if they fell off the back of the pack. It takes me 5 or so trips around the course before I learn how to take the 1^st corner to move me up. A couple attempted breaks from riders; but to no avail. Mid-way through the race, one other rider and I take turns at the front for a few laps to bring one back. Recovering back in the pack now, sitting top 10 with 6 to go, trying to keep position. I always keep in mind what Curt Comber once told me about crits, “you are either making a pass or getting passed.” Final laps and slowly losing positions. Pack finish for 19^th in the afternoon and no points. Drop to 22^nd on the GC.

SUNDAY MAY 16

STAGE THREE: The Velo Circuit Race was 5 x 5.5-mile loops through Green Township that included a false flat finish. As with the crit, riders were pulled for safety reasons if they fell off the main group. Lap #2 was for GC points. I meet up with the GLV crew, and we head out to warm up and recon the course. This race was the Mid-Atlantic version of the Turtle Pond Circuit Race. Narrow roads, etc. which made for an ‘interesting’ Cat 4/5 combined race. Another race where maintaining position was key. Fast forward ahead to the final moments of lap #2. There is a sweeping slightly downhill right hand turn about 0.5-miles from the start finish line. I am sitting top 10 wheels on the outside entering the turn. Goal was to move up a few positions coming out of the turn to compete for some GC points. I take the turn wide…and fast. ‘Oh….$%^*.’ I slide right out and lay my bike down on the right side. Hit the pavement and continue to slide into the grass. Quick bike check and I’m on my feet. I quickly realize the pack is still going by and I can get back in this thing. I right my bike to remount and the race volunteer working the corner asks me if I’m OK. A quick ‘yea.’ GLV rider Kyle Butler slows his pace and says ‘get on Vic’ as he goes by. Tons of respect. The race volunteer holds my saddle and gives me a push from behind Tour de France style as the last few riders who have fallen off the main pack ride by. I TT-it up to Kyle, sit for a second in his slipstream, move around, and we pick riders off making our way back to the main pack a mile later. OK . . . deep breath. It all happened really quickly. Time to asses the damages, recover, and get my bearings back during lap #3. First thing I feel is burning down the outside of my leg. Well that’s because I no longer have the words ‘Four Burgers’ written on my kit down the outside of my right leg. Add in some road rasped knuckles and I seem to be in one piece. Realize we have 2 laps left, and hey, I can get back in this thing. Start to slowly work my way up the field again. Move ahead to the final lap. Sitting in the top 1/3 on the inside of the main pack. As the main group is coming out of the first turn on the course, a rider stands to accelerate and bumps with the rider directly in front of me. They go down. I veer off course into the grass cow pasture on the right to avoid the crash, narrowly avoid hitting a wooden fence. I am upright and rolling. Most of the main field goes by as I make my way back onto the course and to the main field . . . again. Not much time left or areas on the course to move up. Two guys try to make a break through some rollers with about 2 miles to go. One holds off the field. The rest is a pack finish. 15^th earns me 1 point on the GC.

MONDAY MAY 17

Early rise to assess the damage. A rough weekend of racing for me. Took my lumps. This race has great potential taking into account the beautiful locations in this part of the state. But with Killington right around the corner, it was time to put the finishing touches on my race prep. Base maintenance. Finish with 4-hours in the saddle through the Kittatinny Mountains in NJ and PA.