The Mountain Stage is a 75 mile point to point course that features fast descents, tough climbs and the summit finish at Killington Ski Resort. Conditions were dry and warm. There were about 100 riders at the start. The plan was to conserve until the second time up North Road (mile 40). This was the right plan and everyone was using it. Matt Moon brought me to the front and just in time to catch on to the surge up North Road. It was hard work and the field shrunk a bit in size. The race pushed on through the big descent and the dirt road section. The pace on the fourteen miles on Route 4 was very fast. We passed the 40 Plus field and perhaps another group. It was hard work. Dan Vallaincourt brought me to the front as the race turned onto the East Mountain Road and the final climb. The pace did not slow a bit, and there was traffic from the previous categories. I could see right away that I was going to have a hard time keeping up with the lead group. They were in sight up until the second hairpin, after which the climb became a personal journey to go as fast as possible without blowing up completely. I managed to join a small group that pushed on for the summit finish. The last section was as hard as always with open road and the 500 meter flag beckoning in the distance. I crossed the line in 29th position with a time of 3:08. I was pleased with the result given the level of competition, the difficulty of the terrain and the size of the field. There is no way I would have made it without the nerve and wisdom of Matt Moon and Dan Vallaincourt, who finished the climb soon after. It was warm at the finish and after some recovery, we made our way back to the house. I was really tired.
 |
| The last 500 meters |
No comments:
Post a Comment