Adams, Mike
Sounds wonderful. At an early age I learned from an old Italian ex-pro that brakes are for emergencies and if you are a rider on someone's wheel and you cross wheels, or get sideswiped and go down because they reacted to the flow of the race in front of them, then you learn not to do it again unless you like road rash. Someone in the Masters 4/5 race stated I almost made someone wreck behind me, I guess they want follow my wheel so close next time.
-----Original Message-----
From: Candi Murray [mailto:cmur-@obra.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:46 AM
To: ob-@topica.com
Subject: [OBRA Chat] FW: Really Racing!!!- Story fro Larssyn in Europe
Howdy All,
This one's a little long... Sorry I hope you don't have too much work to
today. I had a lot to write about.
-------------
*Europe has their own set of rules.
Two weeks ago I had my first race in Italy. After that race I couldn't
get over the chaotic mess of the field. However, having that race under
my belt, I rode in the field with ease this weekend. I don't know if
the racing in Italy is really chaotic, I'm beginning to think it's just
different from the US. In the US we say that you're responsible for
your front wheel, no one else. If you stick it somewhere it doesn't
belong it's your fault, not the fault the person in front of you who
might happen to sideswipe you. In Italy this is multiplied infinitely.
It is not a question of if you will get sideswiped, because you will.
You always must be in control of your bike because they don't use brakes
here and if you do you will get sent flying to the back of the field.
So here are a couple of tips.
Number one, stay in control of yourself and your bike, because you're
the only one responsible for yourself. I've yet to see anyone look over
their shoulder before charging full bore from the right side of the road
to the left or vice versa. I've personally discovered that, if you
first look over your shoulder you're too late and will be swallowed by
the field.
Number two, when racing in Italy you don't use your brakes. Except in
extreme measures you don't need them. Once you get the hang of things
you can begin to see paths that in American, are considered brick walls.
But in Italy if you flow with the field you can move up considerable
positions with no effort at all.
Number three, just to clarify things, there is no such thing as
"staying" at the front. If you want to stay at the front of the field
you must consciously, continually move up in position. My theory is
that if you can master this, that it will become an unconscious action
and then you will have mastered the ability to "stay" at the front of
the field in an ever rotating position. I'll let you know in a couple
weeks, but it worked this weekend.
*Racing, I mean really racing with the big girls!
I had a new meaning of confidence in this weekend's race. I don't know
if I had it before the race began, but I know it grew throughout the
race; confident both in the field and with my strength and fitness.
This weekend's race was only ninety-four kilometres. For the first two
thirds or three quarters we did the same loop ten times. It came
through the finish stretch. The finish stretch was fun. With two k to
go it was down hill. Just after the one k to go flag, the road
dead-ended into a roundabout where we had to turn right. Following the
roundabout there was a median in the road so it was tight. That road
was only 200 meters or so before a quick right hand turn onto the
up-hill finish stretch and just 250 meters to the finish. The rest of
that loop was relatively uneventful.
For the first part of the race I rode fairly conservatively. I was
always near the front but not really in the action. There was one break
early with ten to fifteen women, but my team mate Bettina was in it so
there was no chasing to be done. Gradually I took more part in the
action. I learned that if I had no fear to ride full-on, almost
directly, into the round-about I described above I could slip into a top
three position with little to no effort. I might have to ride on the
median for a bit but that was a little price to pay for the benefit I'd
receive. Once at the front on the uphill stretch I was set to get into
any break. All the action happens at the front. It's way more fun to
take part than to always play catch-up from the back or even middle of
the field. As important as I'm finding positioning is, you have to have
legs as well. You have to have the legs to maintain positioning and to
capitalize on it. I was very surprised at the reaction from my legs w!
hen I asked for more this weekend.
I first took part in the action by following some attacks. For a while
nothing lasted more than a kilometre, but I was happy to be a player. I
found not only could I go with some moves, but I could counter things,
and attack on my own.
After, I think, sixty kilometres or so a woman from Nicole Cook's team,
Safi Pasta Zara Manhattan, was alone off the front. The field wasn't
really going anywhere. There had been several good attacks very close
together, so people were getting tired and weren't wanting to do much.
I made a strong attack and was soon with the woman from Safi Pasta Zara
Manhattan. I warned her I was coming so she could hop on, but she
didn't look back and I think she thought the whole group was coming. It
took her a second to get things together and work with me. We worked
together and were alone for six kilometres or so. It was just the two
of us with a few lead motorcycles, a camera motorcycle, and lots of
people (especially old Italian men with big bellies, in professional
cycling team jerseys) cheering in Italian and waving flags.
Unfortunately we were reeled back in. Even more unfortunately we were
reeled in with only a couple kilometres before we switched to a new loop
with a one and a half to two kilometre climb. This loop also went
through the start finish every time. When I came to terms that we were
going to get reeled back to the group, I tried to minimize my efforts
knowing that the climb was coming. However, there wasn't much I could
do and I was cooked.
As the field sprinted up the first part of climb there was little I
could do. I stayed on top of things wanting to regain contact with the
leaders. Through the second part of the climb I started to reel in more
girls. I was always with a steady stream of girls, but they were not
the girls I wanted to be with. I had used too many matches too soon and
was paying for it. After the descent and on the flat again I was in a
group of maybe fifteen girls. We could see the field, and were chasing
but were not making up any ground. I was very frustrated, and was
regretting very much my early aggression. However, I was far from
giving up.
The next time up the climb Kathryn Watt, the Australian from the Italian
team Chirio Forno d'Asolo, charged full bore. I did everything I could
to hang on as we caught a couple other women, one of whom was a team
mate of hers. We flew by them, only her team mate coming with.
The three of us worked together still chasing the field, which we could
see, but not reach. Kathryn and I were clearly stronger than her team
mate, who often ended up sitting on. Kathryn and I worked hard, still
with the hope that we could catch the field. The next and final time up
the climb Kathryn once again was on the attack. Kathryn dropped her
team mate and also gapped me. There were three girls just up the road.
Another team mate from Kathryn and a woman from the Italian team Top
Girls and one other. Kathryn caught them and the women from Top Girls
hung on. I had stayed on top of things not far behind and managed to
crest the hill with Kathryn and the Top Girl.
After the descent we were still chasing hard. The woman from Team Top
Girls could only pull every other time and was frustrating both Kathryn
and me. Kathryn yelled at her a bit, but the woman could do nothing. I
attacked with two and a half or three kilometres to go, in a successful
attempt to get rid of the woman from Top Girls. Then it was just
Kathryn and me. She said, "Ok let's work together now." I didn't have
a problem with that except that, without trying, in the second to last
corner with the round about and median I put a significant gap between
us. When I saw the gap I took it as my opportunity and charged for the
finish.
Out of the last right hand corner and with 200 meters to go I looked
back and Kathryn was on the chase coming quickly. I sprinted and gave
everything I had left, but it wasn't enough and Kathryn came by.
I cannot say I am disappointed with my race. I race hard, and it was
the first day I really felt like I could race with the top women. All
the women I've read about and thought were so amazing were there, and I
was in the action. I've never had better form. However, I have to
question what I could have done if I hadn't been involved in so many
moves in the middle of the race, and if I had not been off the front for
so long directly before the climbing began.
After the race Michi and I spoke about it. I said that it would have
been better if I had been smarter in the middle of the race. He told me
I could not say that. I saw an opportunity and I took it. Sometimes it
works and sometimes it doesn't, but that's racing. You have to take
chances if you want results. The important thing is that I was racing.
He said that right now none of the top women know who I am, so it's good
when they see that I can be a strong player and can take part. That way
someday when I'm in a break with them they will take it seriously as a
strong break that can work. The most important part to him was that I
raced hard to the finish. Every time on the climb I was catching more
girls, and not giving up hope. I told him this was the first time I was
starting to really believe that I can race competitively with the top
women in the world. His response was short, simple statement of
agreement.
I haven't seen results. I only know Nicole Cooke won. I have no idea
what my place was, but I count this as a very good race. I was in the
action, worked hard, and learned a lot!
Ciao,
Larssyn
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