Working Man’s Stage Race

If you are reading this, there is one thing you need to know about this race: IT IS AWESOME, AND YOU REALLY SHOULD TAKE TIME OFF WORK NEXT JULY TO DO IT!

Seriously though, this is the third year in a row I have done this race (once as a 5, twice as a 4) and it never fails to be one of the highlights of the racing season. Now the honor of writing the race report really belongs to our teammate Drew as the high-finisher on the squad (9th on GC) but since I love this race so much I figured the least I could do is toss out a few highlights from the three nights of racing in the hopes of encouraging more folks to pin-up for it next year:

This race has a somewhat unique format and scoring. It takes place over three nights (Tue-Thur) and the stages consist of an ITT, circuit/road race, and a points race on a track at the All-Star Speedway in Epping, NH. Instead of calculating on overall time, a point value is awarded based on finishing place in each stage. I won’t go into all the details on the scoring but this system keeps more people in the mix for the three stages and really adds to the fun.
We had 4 guys in the cat 4 race, and 2 guys race in the 2/3 field. In general the fields are smaller than the average weekend race, which is always nice on the narrow New England roads, and it is really great when you hit the track on the last night.
Team highlights: Shane was the high finisher in the TT, Drew the high finisher in the road race, Gert the high finisher in the Points Race. Cory and Jeff (both cat 3s) blazed the TT, then hung tough for the next two stages in the 2/3 field.
Personal highlights: I was disappointed in my TT time, but I managed to improve upon last year’s effort. Had a better road race than last year, but pulled up short with some cramping and a broken spoke near the end. Managed to score some points by taking 2nd in a sprint in the points race, and finished 11th overall that night as a result.
The Circle of Death: this is the fond nickname for the track where the points race takes place on the final night. Its a banked, asphalt track, and despite some rutted pavement it is great to race on. For me the points race is the highlight of the three nights, as people are sprinting against each other every 5 laps, and trying to calculate on the fly who is scoring and moving up or down on GC.
Great organization and great people: a big thanks to the organizer Armand Pantalone, the B.O.B. cycling team, and all the volunteers and officials who worked at this event. Our team had a blast and we really appreciate all the effort that goes into running this terrific race. Last year we had three team members race, this year we had six, and I hope next year to have even more.

One Response to “Working Man’s Stage Race”

healthy recipes says:

December 6, 2011 at 7:00 am

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