This past weekend about 8 OVC racers took part in one of the marquee races of the season, the Poolesville Road Race. The 10 mile course has it all -- narrow, rough roads, sweeping turns, tree-lined twisties, a punchy climb or two, and, most famously, 1.3 miles of pot-holed gravel. Poolesville races historically have high attrition rates due to flat tires and the tough course. Luckily, the weather this year was cooperative and the gravel was just about as nice as it could be.
Dean and Ted started off the day with the 53 mile Masters 45+/55+. As usual, Dean’s race featured some heavy hitters. I think it came down to a field sprint, with Dean getting OVC’s best result of the day -- 7th pace -- and logging the fastest race of the day at 24.1 mph. Ted grabbed 13th in the 55s. Great work, fellas.
Frankie, Mark, and Jason lined up for the 32 miles Cat 5 race featuring a large 60+ rider field. Mark took the first turn into the gravel a little hot, and had a tumble. He fought to get back into contact, but the field remained just out of reach and he stayed out there to place 47th. It looks like the finish came down to a field sprint, with Frankie and Jason comfortably securing 12th and 14th, respectively. Great work, guys! All three of these racers are closing in on their Cat 4 upgrade and we look forward to racing with them more as they move up the ranks.
In the afternoon, I was up next in the 64 mile Cat 3 race. An early 2 man break went off the front immediately and the 53-rider field was content to let them cook for a while. After about 30 miles, a few riders attempted to bridge up. I tried to jump ahead to a 3-man group that looked promising. I failed, and while I recovered in the back, I think the field got within striking distance of the leaders, allowing a few more riders to join them. I got a migraine, attempted another mostly-solo chase, and was eventually content to place 22nd overall in the field sprint.
Finally, Alex and Caleb raced with the Cat 4s. The 53 mile race was their first Poolesville attempt and featured 65+ riders. Despite a fairly high attrition rate, Alex and Caleb hung with the main field for the whole race. Things got strung out a bit in the last mile up the steady rising Westerly, but Caleb and Alex both finished solidly mid-pack at 30th and 38th, respectively.
OVC thanks NCVC for putting on one of our favorite races of the year!