Team Clark Logic controlled the 4/5 race very well. There were 5 of us racing (Tim, Dan, Elliot, Kevin, and myself) and we all stayed towards the front the entire race. One of us would attack, making the rest of the field chase that person down, while the others on the team were able to stay in the draft and not do any work. As soon as the field brought back the rider in front, someone else from our team would attack. This went on for the first 25 minutes of the race and things were going very well for me. I could tell that I was at a disadvantage being on my gravel bike with far less gearing than my road bike (meaning I had to pedal much faster to have any sort of speed), but I was hanging around in the top-10 of the race the entire time and feeling pretty good.
Eventually, we brought back Elliot and it was my turn to make a move. I attacked up the right side at the start-finish straight-away with about 4 laps to go, and I completely blew up. I was away for 2 corners (super not great) and the field caught me on the back stretch which was completely into the 20mph wind. I had nothing left, trying to grasp the back of the field but I couldn't do it. I was dropped. I heard the announcer the next time we crossed the line say, 'here is Charlie Eaton, he has done his work for Clark Logic and is off the back', in truth, I hadn't done that much work and I just couldn't hang. But I won't tell him that. I cruised into the finish towards the back of the race, and it was a bummer. Lesson: no gravel bikes at road races, it just doesn't work.
Next was the 3/4 race in Zeeland. It was super, super fast and I made it about 15 minutes before I was off the back and there was no catching the field. I pulled myself out of the race and I was broke, the calamity was setting in and I was pretty heated. A race I had been looking forward to for months was over and it was my worst race of the year.
As they say, the best way to get over a bad race is to race again. So race again I did. I went up to Ada Saturday and did the 3/4 race. I wasn't planning on going, but the forecast seemed like the rain was going to hold off and my legs were feeling fresh. The race wasn't until 4:30 and it only takes an hour to get there, so I had until about 2:00 to decide if I really wanted to go or not. I did some yard work early in the morning before the rain began (we still love owning a home) and then went to my parents house to hang out with my sisters (everyone is home this weekend for father's day) (the driveway at my parents house has 6 cars and a boat right now) and do some laundry. I didn't really have anything else to do so I decided I would go race.
Got up to downtown Ada around 4, went for a nice little warm-up and the race began. I was on my road bike this time, and the race was just as fast if not faster than Zeeland, but it was so much easier for me to stay with the group. I felt my positioning was good, top half of the field, but I lost focus for 20 seconds and there was a gap. I had found myself behind a couple riders who weren't paying attention and before I know it, 15 or so riders have a gap on about 5 of us. Once I realize what is happening it is too late and now I'm chasing.
There were 5 of us in the chase group and it didn't seem like everyone knew what was going on. I hate to sound full of myself, but there was only myself and one other guy who seemed to know what we should be doing. Quick pulls to chase down the group. When we began to chase the gap wasn't too large, maybe 10 seconds. If we would've worked together well from the start we probably would have had a chance to catch the field. Alas, a couple of the guys with us were taking far too long at the front and it really slowed us down. Looking back, I really wish I would've taken off with the other guy that was sort of trying to direct our group and we might of had a chance working together.
Anyway, the official pulled our group with 4 to go (if we would have kept going, the officials had calculated that our group would have finished the race at the same time as the main field, only a lap down, which would have been extremely dangerous) so we got the bell with 4 laps to go (meaning it was my groups last lap). I was determined to be first in the group I was in, so I took off on the climb on the back side of the course and came flying down the down-hill into the finish. I was able to have a real go at a sprint and I was able to maintain it for a while. I finished first in the chase group, and I was feeling super good.
3/16 Waterloo G&G, Grass Lake, MI (Gravel) 34th Overall (221) / 4th AG (6)
3/23 Melting Mann, Vandalia, MI (Gravel) 61st Overall (255) / 17th AG (31)
3/30 Dirty 30 Gravel Grinder, Saranac, MI (Gravel) 81st Overall (215) / 9th AG (24)
4/6 Lowell Classic, Lowell, MI (Gravel) 27th Overall (239) / 8th AG (15)
4/13 Barry Roubaix, Hastings, MI (Gravel) 216th Overall (1342) / 6th AG (18)
4/28 Ann Arbor Spring Training Series, Ann Arbor, MI 11th Overall 4/5 (48)
5/5 Fort Custer Stampede, Battle Creek, MI (Mountain!!) 7th AG (13)
6/1 The Waterford Races, Clarkston, MI 21st Overall 4/5 (24)
6/5 Grattan Race Series, Grattan, MI 20th Overall 'B' (37)
6/9 Dirty Donut, Martin, MI (Gravel) 1st AG (11)
6/14 Zeeland Crit, Zeeland, MI 27th Cat 4/5 (40) / 30th Cat 3/4 (38)
6/15 Ada Crit, Ada, MI 16th Cat 3/4 (25)
6/29 Port City Crit, Muskegon, MI
7/13 Detroit Cycling Championship, Detroit, MI
7/14 Corktown Crit, Detroit, MI
7/20 Whiskey City Twilight Challenge, Lawrenceburg, IN
7/26 - 7/28 Make-a-Wish, Traverse City to Galesburg
8/10 Rose City Crit, Jackson, MI
8/18 Gaslight Crit, Grand Rapids, MI
8/25 Debaets-Devos Crit, Detroit, MI
9/8 Uncle John's Dirty Ride, St. John's, MI (Gravel)
11/2 Iceman, Traverse City, MI
What started as a disastrous weekend, thinking I had washed-up and was never going to be fast, turned into something that I can be proud of and take some confidence from. I know I can hang with the 3/4 guys, I just need to be attentive and not let gaps form. I'm strong enough to stay with just about anybody, now I just need to prove I can finish well. We will get them next week.
Cheers! CE
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