John Benenate

At the Piece of Cake road race, I saw the Cat 5s and
the Masters cat 4/5s, because I drove the wheel
support vehicle for both those races. From the tower
of power that is my 1989 Dodge Caravan, I saw the
whole thing.

I saw the two or three early attacks in the fives and
the two meager attacks in the Masters 4/5s. I saw
teams go to the front and proceed to NOT chase their
team mate down. Once I saw someone jump through and
join the little breakaway, though it was doomed to
fail.

Most significantly I saw whole teams go to the front
and tow. EWEB in their bright new jerseys towed at
mach 10 for a whole lap, but no one got dropped. It
didn't even string out. Why?

Probably because everyone was too strong at that early
stage in the race to let go of the wheel in front of
them.

Both races jumped and started around the course in a
boiling cauldron of strength and lack of impetus.
Everyone ready to slam on their brakes, but no one
ready to jump off the front.

In corners however there was speed and therein
carnage. Not the carnage that was had in the 2s when
they had the ultimate centerline violation - a head-on
collision, but the kind of carnage that leaves new
folks chasing off the back.

When the race was nearing the end, I saw about five of
the blue jerseys of Portland Velo take the front.
Sometimes they did not drive the speed up, but merely
sat in at about 20mph. No one who might of attacked
there then did. There was no one forming up anything
other than PV by the last lap of the race. With no
attacks, there was not enough room for Portland Velo
or anyone to allow much flow, as the road was about
five people wide.

When the Master's 4/5s finally came to the final
corner into the descent off the dike, PV attacked in
leadout fashion. It seems they attacked a little early
for their team's capability, but they probably created
the most uncongested moments of the day.

Perhaps if other teams would create lead-outs or
attack and counter scenarios, the pack would string
out, or smaller gruopettoes would form. But with most
doing nothing, except waiting in the bunch, it was
stressful for many new racers to cope with feelings of
self loathing as they bided their time waiting to lose
a race they had paid $20 to ride around in.

Congratulations to the promoters of the 2008 Piece of
Cake, for in the two races filled with complacent pack
sitting beginners, no one fell down.
Bike and Hike must being doing something right.

And congratulations to Portland Velo, the only team I
saw form up a forward moving lead-out at an
appropriately strategic moment.

John Benenate
Athletic Supporter

____________________________________________________________________________________
You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost.
http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com