The Tour of the Dragons is a two day stage race held in Bennington, Vermont. It is billed as the “Most Challenging Racing in New England”. The Pro 1/2 race features a 10.7 mile morning individual time trial and a 64 mile afternoon circuit race on the first day, and a 125 mile road race on the second day. The time trial features 1,000 feet of climbing, technical turns and a very fast descent. The circuit race features 4,000 feet of climbing and 25 miles of dirt roads. The road race features 9,500 feet of climbing, numerous dirt road sections and fast descents. Frame and Wheel is the only rider from O/A Cyclemania Masters Cycling Team at this race, but is lucky to have the great company of the Fit Werx 2 Racing Team (Dean Philips, Derck Treadwell and Kieth Kelly) on and off the bike. Frame and Wheel is using the Austro-Daimler Superleicht Carbon Di2 on the road and the Austro-Daimler tt Carbon for the time trial.
Frame and Wheel starts at 11 am and is the second rider out of the gate. Conditions are dry and calm and temperatures are in the 60s. Frame and Wheel sets off and gets up to speed. The first climb begins and the thirty second man and the lead moto is in sight. Frame and Wheel catches the thirty second man by the barn and heads down the back of the climb to the the sharp right turn. The turn is negotiated smoothly and a section of flats follow. Frame and Wheel keeps up the momentum and gains some time. Frame and Wheel treats the next sharp left turn cautiously and loses some speed on the short sharp climbs that follow. Frame and Wheel eases through the final sharp turn on the course (a left hand hair pin) and begins the very fast descent. Frame and Wheel quickly hits 45 miles an hour and is bearing down on the moto. Fortunately, the moto stays away and no traffic emerges from the side roads or numerous driveways. Frame and Wheel arrives at the base of the final climb (by the pasture) with plenty of momentum. Frame and Wheel stays in the big ring and makes an out of the saddle effort that maintains the momentum The final two miles are a gradual descent over some some rough road. Frame and Wheel pushes through to the finish with a time of 24:33:43 which is fast enough for 5th place. Frame and Wheel is very pleased with the result, but is very aware that maintaing this position through the circuit race and the road race is going to be very difficult. Frame and Wheel heads back to the hotel for some lunch and a nap
The circuit race begins at 3:30 pm. Conditions are calm and dry. Temperatures are in the upper 60s. Frame and Wheel learns from the previous waves that the course has been altered and now includes 7 miles of dirt for each 16 mile circuit. Thus, the dirt road sections become the primary feature of the circuit race. The dirt roads are very dusty and rough and the dirt is sandy and deep in some sections. The KOM is also on a dirt road. There is an attack right from the start. The field chases and soon arrives at full gallop on the dirt section. It is rough riding. There is a lot of dust. One one steeper section, the deep sand requires some riders to hop off their bikes and run. The field begins to breaks up just after the KOM, but it regroups on the following down hill. The second time around, the pace is slower as the break has formed. Nevertheless, the riding is rough and the field is being stressed. There are numerous flats. The field is shrinking. The third time around there is a horse back rider at the base of the KOM climb. The field stops perhaps remembering the startled horse at the Tour of the Catskills in 2010. The horse is startled but the rider is in control and the field is able to push on. The pace surges again and the field gets smaller. Frame and Wheel is feeling the effort and is resolved to stay with the group and conserve energy as best as possible. It is hard to do. The last lap through the pace is high. Frame and Wheel is keeping up but is more rattled than tired. A rear spoke on the Zipp 202 is broken. There are potholes on the descent. Riders are fish tailing on the dirt road. Frame and Wheel wants to get to the finish. This happens soon enough. Frame and Wheel finishes in 23rd place and has lost seven minutes to the winner. Frame and Wheel has slipped to 11th place in the general classification, but is relieved to have completed the race and pleased with the result. Frame and Wheel heads directly back to the hotel for some real food and much needed rest.
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| Glad to have the Paves |
The road race begins at 9 am. Conditions are dry and calm. Temperatures are in the 60s. Frame and Wheel has switched out the Zipp 202s for Zipp 303s running Corsa Evos. This turns out to be a smart move. The trauma of the circuit race has weakened the tires and wheels on many bikes and thus there are many riders suffering flats and mechanicals in the first few miles. The field arrives at the first climb. The brisk pace cuts the field in half, but it regroups soon after. The following dirt section results in many more flat tires and mechanicals. The field shrinks again. The climbs continue. The roads are rough. It difficult to know where the race is on the course. It is getting warmer. The hydration and nutrition is going fast. Frame and Wheel glances at the clock and sees that only two hours of racing has gone by. There are still three hours to go. The KOM climb, the dirt road climb and the other climbs are all very hard, but Frame and Wheel is able to stay in contact. This becomes the character of the race: grim attrition, punctuated by very fast descents and a particularly tough and windy grind across a valley floor. At about the four hour mark, and on the last time up the grinding dirt road climb, the field of about a dozen riders breaks up. The break is in sight at the KOM hill, but Frame and Wheel is in no condition to try to bridge across on the toughest climb of the race. Frame and Wheel joins Tim Mitchell and one other rider for the last 25 miles. Frame and Wheel struggles to keep up on the descents and is out of water and nutrition. There is the occasional twinge of cramps. Frame and Wheel is pleased and amazed to have endured this long and simply wants the race to end. This happens finally. After some five hours of racing, Frame and Wheel finishes in 9th position and maintains 11th position in the general classification. Frame and Wheel is one of 16 riders out of 86 starters to complete the race. It is among the toughest races Frame and Wheel has ever contested. It takes most of a week to recover from the effort. Nevertheless, it is a highpoint of the season and the career: Frame and Wheel has made a dent in the scaly skin of the Tour of the Dragons.
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| Heading into the corner |
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| Too tired to put the bike on the roof |
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| Here there be Dragons |
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