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Fruitlands Cup of Cyclocross


Photos by Jeff - of Jeff | Cat 4/5 35+ Lap 1 Video | Strava | Results | My CX History

A Tale of Two Cyclists

MAX WRITES: This was my fourth cx race so far, and perhaps the most appropriate for my (lack of) skill level.

Start in the back, as always, a row or two behind JeffD, but generally together with the others: JeffD, TroyK, JasonW, and DavidG.

Feeling good on the first hill--which is a nice change, since I basically had to take September off due to grueling work schedule. Last week was the first week I started to keep up in group rides again.

On the next long, slow ascent, I catch up to, and pass, Jeff. I blow by him, really, now leading the Macs. I do not think I will see Jeff again unless I crash.

At the end of the second lap, after a long downhill section, Jeff is lurking behind me (I can tell he is calculating, scheming, his brain churning). He knows all my weaknesses from CX practice--which are: I cannot do anything related to CX, such as dismounting, remounting, taking corners, going over obstacles, etc.

Finish second lap about the same time as Jeff.

Somewhere on the third (or fourth?) lap, Jeff decides to take it to the next level. On some corner, he elbows me into the tape to keep me from passing. Nice. Gloves come off (of course we are probably in the last 14-20 positions in a Cat 5 race at that point, but that does not seem to phase either of us--not to mention we are wearing the same kits!).

I generally stay ahead on power sections, and Jeff catches up on steep downhills and remounting.

Fourth lap. Jeff sneaks ahead, and I pass him in the first 1/3 part of the lap, right before a very sharp right turn in front of a punchy short climb. I pass him. A spectator yells at Jeff at the top of her lungs to pass me back on the inside of the climb. There he goes. I elbow him into the fence. Two of us are riding elbow to elbow for a few seconds, leaning into each other on our bikes, Jeff trying to stay off the tape. Words are exchanged. I keep the lead.

Somewhere during this fourth lap, the announcer says: one lap to go. I think, ok, we have not gotten lapped, so I need to finish this lap + 1. Leave something for the last lap.

Now, Jeff and I get lapped by a leader, about 2/3 through the fourth lap.

Last section of the lap--a quick, slippery right turn, a short punchy climb, and a false flat leading to the end of the lap. On the right turn, Jeff passes me and really cranks it up the hill. I am thinking, wow, ok, where did that come from? Jeff then takes off on the false flat. I am thinking the whole time he won't make it through the last lap! Toast! I will easily reel him in!

Jeff stops at the end of the lap, uh, finish line. There was no extra lap. He "won."

Nice work Jeff.




JEFF WRITES: First, it was a blast trading elbows through the several turns. Note the "trading"--a person reading Max's report would be forgiven for thinking I was the only aggressor. To be fair to Max, he tends to battle with his shoulders where I go "elbows out." With his wingspan advantage, I needed to get inside at his ribs.

I'll pick things up where we saw the 2 laps to go sign. I think that I was slightly ahead at that point. Not long thereafter, Max blasted past me on the first part of the long climb (as he did on every lap). I stayed on his wheel through the "plateau" section before heading to the second part of the long climb. For the first time, he didn't gap me there. Moreover, my legs were feeling pretty good ... but there was NO WAY I was going to take the lead. Not when I had a wheel to follow with no one else close ahead or behind.

At the summit, I was still right on his wheel, and the rest of the lap played to my (relative) strengths--namely, downhill turns and short steep climbs. I held off on multiple chances to pass, as I had him right where I wanted him--a half wheel ahead with two short steep climbs ahead right before the finish. Of course, it wasn't the finish, it was just the end of the lap, as we were still on 2 laps to go.

Until the leader passed us, followed a few seconds later by the second place rider.

Max said it best: "... calculating, scheming, his brain churning." I was willing to bet that he hadn't picked up on "our getting lapped" translating to "this was the end of our last lap."

On the first of the two punchy steep climbs, I made my pass. No opportunity for him to pass me back on the subsequent left turn or the loose right turn around the tree leading to the second punchy steep climb.

And, if my bet was right, no real incentive for him to pass back just yet, as he was still thinking one more lap and those long climbs where he'd have a great chance to take me.

Coming off the top of the second punchy steep climb, I went into full-on sprint mode. Well, I didn't go to my drops, and I didn't stand up, and I didn't "windup," "punch," "draw;" "pry," or "lever;" but I did give it everything I had left, having been bitten recently (Night Weasels) by getting nipped at the line.

I crossed ahead of Max and coasted to a halt. Max pulled up seconds later. "What, are we done!?"

"Yep," I answered, satisfied that age and experience had trumped youth and innocence once again.


DIEFFENBACH CROSS RESULTS


2015 RESULTS

Race Field Distance
(Mi)
Avg
Speed
(mph)
Max
Speed
(mph)
Elevation
(ft)
Elevation/
Mile (ft/mi)
Avg
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Max
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Cadence
(rpm)
Place Field
Size
Percent
Back
Race
Points
(lower better)
Overall
Rating
(lower better)
AVERAGE/MAX -- 7.4 10.9 29.5 412 - 55.3 155 174 68 -- -- 75% 617 --
Fruitlands 10/24 Cat 4/5 35+ 5.6 9.6 17.4 551 98.4 158 174 n/a 46 65 71% 642 560
Providence 10/03 Cat 4/5 40+ 8.7 11.0 29.5 574 66.0 n/a n/a n/a 79 108 73% 641 560
Night Weasels 09/30 Cat 4/5 6.6 9.6 18.6 453 68.6 n/a n/a n/a 83 100 83% 646 560
Gloucester 09/26 Cat 4/5 35+ 4.0 11.6 20.6 272 68.0 n/a n/a n/a DNF 116 n/a 726 560
Midnight Ride 09/23 Cat 4/5 8.6 12.2 22.2 213 24.8 n/a n/a 72 64 113 56% 576 560
Sucker Brook 09/20 Cat 4/5 35+ 8.0 11.6 25.3 279 34.9 155 166 72 54 83 65% 604 566
White Park 09/19 Cat 3/4 9.0 9.9 21.3 564 62.7 152 163 61 55 61 90% 523 568
White Park 09/19* Cat 4/5 9.5 11.2 21.0 558 58.7 157 166 61 46 53 73% 642 n/a
QuadCross 09/13 Cat 4/5 35+ 9.0 11.8 19.5 387 43.0 156 164 n/a 40 62 65% 576 585

*Metrics not included in running total; lesser of two races in a day excluded


2014 RESULTS

Race Field Distance
(Mi)
Avg
Speed
(mph)
Max
Speed
(mph)
Elevation
(ft)
Elevation/
Mile (ft/mi)
Avg
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Max
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Cadence
(rpm)
Place Field
Size
Percent
Back
Race
Points
(lower better)
Overall
Rating
(lower better)
AVERAGE/MAX -- 7.5 10.7 24.2 343 - 45.9 161 176 70 -- -- 75% 634 --
Scrub zone 01/11 Men's B 7.1 9.3 17.7 413 58.2 166 175 66 29 40 73% 549 594
Elm City 12/21 Cat 4/5 6.1 7.8 13.9 361 59.2 161 170 70 24 37 65% 578 611
Ice Weasels 12/13 Beginner 10.2 12.3 24.2 459 45.0 164 171 n/a 48 89 54% 614 611
NBX 12/6 Cat 4/5 6.4 11.5 22.4 128 20.0 161 167 71 90 111 81% 637 617
Sterling 11/30 Cat 4/5 45+ 5.8 9.2 19.7 243 41.9 159 169 62 31 48 65% 620 616
Shedd Park 11/16 Cat 4/5 5.9 10.4 22.4 446 75.6 151 159 n/a 76 84 90% 687 621
Plymouth 11/8 Cat 4/5 6.0 10.6 21.5 318 53.0 160 171 70 68 75 91% 682 621
Crosstoberfest 10/29 Cat 4/5 35+ 8.7 11.9 17.7 128 14.7 162 170 76 46 53 87% 669 621
Orchard Cross 10/26 Cat 4/5 50+ 7.3 10.9 19.2 361 49.5 157 168 69 27 36 75% 608 621
Canton Cup Cross 10/25 Cat 4/5 35+ 9.0 13.2 22.1 384 42.7 161 174 71 72 103 70% 642 628
Cooper River 10/12 Cat 5 7.5 11.6 24.2 100 13.3 162 176 77 41 63 65% 578 615
Whirlybird 10/11 Cat 4/5 40+ 7.4 9.5 16.3 220 29.7 165 172 75 82 96 85% 652 629
Providence 10/04 Cat 4/5 40+ 9.1 11.4 20.6 653 71.8 164 172 70 89 110 81% 672 629
Night Weasels 10/01 Cat 5 40+ 6.2 8.8 17.9 482 77.7 165 175 52 15 22 68% 633 629
Gloucester 09/27 Cat 4/5 35+ 6.5 11.6 21.3 387 59.5 165 173 76 80 108 74% 642 631
Midnight Cross 09/24 Cat 4/5 8.9 11.8 23.9 299 33.6 159 171 n/a 80 102 78% 646 633
Quad Cross 09/07 Cat 4/5 9.0 10.6 16.6 446 49.6 158 170 75 57 67 85% 660 636


2013 RESULTS

Race Field Distance
(Mi)
Avg
Speed
(mph)
Max
Speed
(mph)
Elevation
(ft)
Elevation/
Mile (ft/mi)
Avg
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Max
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Cadence
(rpm)
Place Field
Size
Percent
Back
Points
(lower better)
Overall
Rating
(lower better)
AVERAGE/MAX -- 7.9 11.2 29.5 462 - 58.3 162 180 77 -- -- 80% 655 --
Shedd Park Cross 11/17 Cat 4/5 7.5 11.7 24.4 417 55.6 163 174 83 72 91 79% 679 636
Plymouth Cross 11/09 Cat 5 7.9 12.0 23.3 374 47.3 163 175 82 23 28 82% 643 636
Orchard Cross 10/27 Cat 4/5 40+ 9.1 10.9 21.3 479 52.6 161 176 75 40 47 85% 667 641
Marty Cross 10/19 Cat 5 5.7 10.3 20.8 515 90.4 163 172 75 27 40 68% 580 642
Casco Bay 10/13 Cat 4/5 9.4 11.9 29.5 554 58.9 161 170 77 54 62 87% 660 665
Providence 10/06 Cat 4/5 35+ 7.3 11.3 19.9 436 59.7 n/a n/a 75 94 107 88% 646 646
Night Weasels 10/02 Cat 4 7.0 8.8 17.0 548 78.3 n/a n/a 72 76 92 83% 698 688
Gloucester 09/28 Cat 4/5 35+ 8.8 12.4 21.5 581 66.0 164 180 79 81 108 75% 651 688
Midnight Cross 09/25 Cat 4/5 8.6 11.8 22.6 253 29.4 162 171 72 73 101 72% 671 698


2012 RESULTS

Race Field Distance
(Mi)
Avg
Speed
(mph)
Max
Speed
(mph)
Elevation
(ft)
Elevation/
Mile (ft/mi)
Avg
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Max
Heart
Rate (bpm)
Cadence
(rpm)
Place Field
Size
Percent
Back
Points
(lower better)
Overall
Rating
(lower better)
AVERAGE/MAX -- 8.0 9.6 -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- 93% 711 --
Baystate CX 11/24 Cat 4 9.3 10.0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 93 97 96% 722 704
Shedd Park 11/18 Cat 4 6.7 9.2 -- -- -- -- -- -- 85 95 89% 699 699