Nowak Report: O’Fallon Weekend

O’Fallon Road Race

Small fields were in attendance both days. Only 30 guys showed up for the 90 mile road race, but sometimes races with so few riders are just as hard to win. The Dogfish team had the majority of guys and 90 miles was a long ways, especially when it was just me from the u25 team (but fortunately Steve Broglio of Verizon Masters lined up too). We both sat in during the opening miles as I didn’t want to get in a 90 mile breakaway that didn’t stick (and I wouldn’t have a bunch of teammates to back me up if we were caught and I was gassed). As I would discover throughout the weekend, all of my attacks were fairly heavily marked anyways so I doubt I would have been allowed to roll off very early.

As the race went on, silly moves went and came back, and finally a group of 3 rolled off. I knew none of the riders in it, so I just hoped they weren’t too fast. With about 50 miles to go, I decided that it was time to take the initiative and get a chase group going- the chase group that would bring back that break of 3, I reasoned. I attacked and attacked but was continually get chased down by the dwindling field. There was simply no way we could not get a small move together off the front of the peloton. The lead three hovered around 1 minute, which would have been small enough to bring back if the strong guys would have organized. But that just wasn’t happening and with about a lap and a half remaining I attacked again and was finally let go but unfortunately with no help. I was still optimistic that I could bridge the gap, but after chasing hard for 5 or 10 miles, the moto official informed me that I was losing time rather than making it up. The heat and the distance began to take its toll, and my focus shifted towards staying away from the field as it seemed making it up to the leaders just wasn’t going to work out. After riding the last 30 miles solo I rolled in for fourth place and the second Illinois finisher.

O’Fallon Criterium

This was another frustrating day for me. After Saturday I definitely knew who the strong riders were and I planned on gaining my revenge with a “W”. The field was even smaller than Saturday, only about 20 riders. We all clipped in and as I come out of turn 1 around 15th position I see the riders who went 1-2 on Saturday already have a gap on the field. “Who would let them go?”, I wondered. By the second turn I got to the front and attacked but the field was on me before I could close what was already a significant gap. This pattern continued for the remainder of the race. I attacked, people followed me, and then they sat up. Bryan McVey (Recycling) was the only other rider willing to do any work, so when he finally got a small gap with one other rider about 40 minutes into the race I decided to let him go. I’d rather have one of us willing to work get away for a result than for everyone to simply come to the line together.

Once the two leaders lapped the field, the Dogfish riders who had been marking all of my attacks started attacking. I went with one and soon we had a gap on the field that quickly grew. With about 10 laps to go we caught McVey and the other rider, and the four of us would battle it out for 3rd place. We tried attacking each other, but we were still together on the final lap and I took the sprint for 3rd.

All in all, it was a couple of frustrating days of racing, but I guess I can only blame myself for not being more heads up and going with the right moves when they went. Live and learn. I also realized just how hard racing can be when you don’t have six other beasts in a Verizon kit backing you up. I am looking forward to racing with everyone again next weekend at Tour de Grove, which unfortunately will be my last race before I head home to Connecticut to prep for my new teaching job.

Lastly, congrats to fellow Verizon riders Mark Swartzendruber and Dave Stone and ABD rider Jessi Prinner- who did their usual thing and inflicted pain and cleaned up this weekend. And most importantly, thanks to all of the sponsors for all their help.

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