MERCO CRIT
Merco Race Report 02-03 March, 2008
By Michael ORourke
This is a very fun event! 36 laps with an electronic lap counter at the top of the start banner. And a radar speed display borrowed from the CHP at the finish. How cool is that?! Oh, and $100 prime laps!!
Weather: Sun with scattered clouds, 50f, 12-15 mph wind from the NNW. Believe it or not that’s important, and here’s why: The course is counter clockwise, .8 mile and technical with 9 corners. The start/finish is slightly uphill with the wind from in front and slightly to the left. Avoid the Bot-Dots, a 90 degree left, 100 meters or so to a quick series of left/right/left ‘s’ turns which eventually gets you going south (opposite the start/finish direction), followed immediately by a 90 degree right, another 100 meters West, this time with a headwind from slightly off the right. That was the hard part. From here on it’s the last 3 corners of a rectangle, with a tailwind down the back straight, and buildings blocking the wind at the bottom. Avoid the Bots on the last turn into the finish.
Still with me? Good! Here’s the strategy; Bust a move at the start/finish and gap going into the first turn. Usually the group won’t negotiate the technical section as fast as a strong individual. Plus, the headwind will be off the right, minimizing any draft benefit and the straight is too short to organize an echelon. Down the back straight with (mostly) a tailwind again minimizes any draft advantage of the group. Yeah, sure you’re cooked by the last turn, but hopefully adrenaline will put the cap on it. And for those of you like Dan who feel it’s a waste to think that much about riding a bike, I watched this very strategy unfold quite successfully in the previous race as I was waiting to take the start.
My other new rule: Never let 3 or more get more than 15 seconds on the field. Why? Because the right 3 can stay away and 15 seconds is about as much distance as I can gap on my own. No sense in getting bit by that snake again as happened last week in Snelling! So, the rest of the race was fairly predictable. A few breaks, mostly primes, but nothing serious – which actually surprised me. Stay in to the front and out of the wind, watch the breaks, yada yada yada. I felt good, legs felt fresh, and next thing you know there’s 10 to go. To Dan’s credit, my plan turned to crap as the speeds were a little too high now to successfully gap. On to plan ‘B’; move up, hang around 5th or 6th, and save it for the finish. Right, like none of the other 100 or so riders had that on their ‘to do’ list! Still I managed and with 3 to go I’m in great position. All I need to do is hold it. Then the surge came and next thing I know I’m at least 20 places back. Should’ve known that was coming! I spent the next 2 laps fighting my way back up and eventually finished 15th.
Sorry for the anti-climactic finish as I came into this race really feeling that I could win it. However the day was still a success as I learned that I have the fitness I need, and I at least understand the dynamics of this type of racing to be competitive. But putting it all together is another story. Hopefully a story for another day that involves a podium =)
