View 2011 Lake Sunapee Bike Race in a larger map
The Lake Sunapee Bike Race is a road race held in Newbury, New Hampshire. The course is 23 miles long and it circumnavigates Lake Sunapee. The course features long gradual climbs on open roads, short steep climbs on narrow roads, some fast downhills and an uphill finish. Conditions were dry for most of the race with temperatures in the 60s and a moderate wind coming off the lake from the south. In previous years, the race has been characterized by very hot temperatures or very cold and wet conditions. One year it was cancelled due to snow. It is nevertheless a regular event for the OA/Cyclemania Masters Cycling Team. Frame and Wheel entered the Pro123 race. There were about 50 riders in this category racing about 70 miles or three laps around Lake Sunappee.
Frame and Wheel tracked the race with an Android smartphone and inserted some labels along the course in the hopes of giving the viewer a better sense of how the race went. Total duration is 196 minutes (This includes about 30 minutes of rolling around the parking lot or warming up. Frame and Wheel doesn't want to bother fiddling around with a smartphone at the start of the race and simply starts it early), total distance is 70 miles, average moving speed is 23 miles per hour, maximum speed is 49 miles per hour, maximum elevation is 1,258 feet, total elevation gain is 4,478 feet and maximum grade is 15.2%. The smartphone held up fine and obtained a GPS signal without too much trouble.
The field plunges off of Mount Sunapee Ski Area and onto open road where a break soon forms. A chase group forms too and for a while the race is in three groups. The break soon disappears from sight and the wheel van soon follows. The chase group remains in sight of the peleton and eventually is caught. Frame and Wheel hears an observer say that the break is two minutes up the road.
The field pushes the pace on the longer hills, but the pace slows in between. The steep hills on the north side of the course stretch the field out in some places and perhaps a few riders are shed here, but no breaks form. It begins to rain and visibility goes down sharply, but the rain is not the frigid sort of previous years. Frame and Wheel expects that the third lap will be fast and takes the view that if the break is caught it will be on that lap towards the end, or not at all. Frame and Wheel settles in and lets the big boys do the work, which they do very well.
There are no breaks during the last two miles to the traffic circle as riders want to conserve some energy for the finishing climb. Frame and Wheel concentrates on getting to the front and staying there so that position will be good for the moment when all momentum and speed disappears at the bottom of the finishing climb. The lead riders get to the flat section before the final climb to the finish and the sprint begins. Frame and Wheel can get to clear road only by going into the gutter and passing and thoroughly surprising a slower rider from another category on the right. Frame and Wheels closes on the lead rider and passes him and pushes on for the line. Frame and Wheel is very pleased with being first in the field sprint at this race, a first in seven years of trying, but can tell by the silence of the spectators that they do not share the excitement Frame and Wheel is feeling: the break finished minutes before and they have already used up all the cheers that were available. Frame and Wheel finishes in seventh place and is pleased with the result. Frame and Wheel thanks the organizers for putting on a well run and challenging race and is grateful for the support and camaraderie of the OA/Cyclemania Masters Cycling Team, and congratulates them on their great performances at this race.
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