Even though this was only the third running of the Tour de Susquehanna, this was by far the most anticipated one yet. Each year has seen a number of competitors, yet only one champion – Brett Baronak, a native of the area who travels back (from Florida) to get in on the action.

Last year, Jeff Miller (reigning King of the Mountain champ) came to test his luck, but could only pull off second place.

Then for 2008, despite the addition of prize money, the big names stayed home! The best placed rider to return was my riding buddy Mike Yankevich, who placed third in the 2006 and 2007 editions. Even Spokes N Skis, a fairly local team who usually sends five or six guys, had just one rider in the peloton this year.

We had been planning our race strategy for this exact situation!

But Mike and I (Marathon Equipment) didn’t have it easy. Todd Mann (Spokes N Skis) was looking good, Chad Swanger (Allied Milk Producers) was ready to go, and Kevin McElhinny (Countryside Cycling) looked like a powerful rider to be reckoned with. To top things off, a few 15-16 year old kids lined up in front of us – you have to watch these young guns, you never know when they’ll blow up the entire field!

Here’s how the race went down…

The start was like any other – despite instructions to take it slow for a rolling start, the pace car zoomed off and overzealous riders sprinted by, hoping to win the 22 mile race in the first few yards. I avoided the commotion and slowly made my way to the front section of the pack, keeping my eyes on the previously mentioned riders.

Things were pretty calm on the first hill. A few new riders set a decent pace at the front, but they could only hold it so long, and eventually faded back… leaving maybe 10 strong riders setting the pace. All the pre-race favorites were right up there together.

On the final section of the climb, as I rotated to the back of our little paceline, I noticed that our little group had started to open a gap, without any actual attacking! I was so excited I surged back to the front to make sure the pace stayed high and our gap widened.

And that it did. At the crest of the first fill, we had a seven-man paceline with a big enough gap that only a strong team effort would have any chance of catching us. I was thinking, “great, now we can ease off a bit and have a steady ride until we hit the next hill.”

But as luck would have it, the group consensus was more along the lines of a super fast paceline. At least we had a good group this year and everyone did their part. In past years, there were a few notorious wheelsuckers that sat in the back and got pulled to the finish, fairly effortlessly. (This year even the skinny young climber Chad Swanger was putting some serious power down on the flats!)

I hung on, but the big gears were taking their toll – I was pretty beat by the halfway point. So much for any kind of attack on the second hill!

I think we were down to six at this point, and Todd knew we were hurting, so he put the hammer down on one of the many twisty little hills on these back roads. That dropped the rider from Advanced Office Systems, and myself, although I dug deep and caught back on.

But that didn’t last long. A mile or so later, we hit the base of the second hill, and Todd, Mike, and Chad picked up the pace. I couldn’t counter another attack, so I had to let them go and focus my attention on Kevin. I stuck with him and we traded spots once or twice, but towards the top of the climb I could see he was really hurting…

So I thought, “why not go after the top three?” Somehow the climb gave me some extra energy, and I exploded over the top. Good news – the top three were still in sight!

I gave it all I had, railing the turns, big-ringing the short but steep inclines, but couldn’t catch on. All the while, Kevin was looming behind me…

Once I hit the final six miles of flat road back to the finish, the leaders were totally out of sight, and Kevin was gaining on me. I slowed slightly for a few seconds before he caught me, making sure I’d be ready in case he tried an attack right there to secure fourth place…

I think we were both too tired for anything that exciting, because we kind of worked together and moderately pacelined back into town. (I say “kind of” because I was running on empty, just hoping not to be left alone again.)

About half-mile from the line, Kevin accelerated slightly, opening about a five second gap. With the finish around the next bend, I stood and sprinted, but I didn’t pick up any speed! I was just too exhausted. I just kind of rolled into the finish (with that five second gap,) and rounded out the Top 5.

Mike, Todd, and Chad were already waiting for us at the line, having had a chance to cool down, grab some cold drinks, get massages, and do some photos and interviews for the local paper. (OK, they were only a minute ahead of us, but that’s a pretty good lead to have built up in the last six miles.)

About the three leaders…

Last time I had a good view of the leaders was about 1/4 way up the final climb. I guess they stuck together on most of the hill, but Mike launched a decisive attack right at the top, giving him a little gap. Todd and Chad caught him, though, before that crazy S-bend turn on the downhill.

On the flats again, they pacelined for a few miles, but things got tricky coming into town – a good jump on the sprint would be key to victory, so they all jockeyed for position. Mike was able to make a good move, and although it was a long sprint to the line, he got the win!

Chad and Todd came in a few seconds apart for second and third, respectively, to round out the podium. Props to those guys for holding a fast pace the whole way through!

So we have a new champion…

Although I played virtually no role in Mike’s victory, I was still pumped to see a local rider (and my teammate of the day) take home the Tour de Susquehanna victory! And the rather large, exquisite trophy that goes with it!

I’m sure Brett will be back next year with hopes of taking back the title!

Overall…

It was a superb race, probably the most fun yet! Thanks go out to Mike Butler for organizing the event, the American Legion for serving breakfast, the other racers for attending despite super high gas prices, and definitely to all the volunteers and local authorities who ensured a safe, smooth race for everyone!

Full race results provided by Runner’s High at RunHigh.com.

Photo credits: Randy Hurley

On a very foggy July morning (last Sunday the 15th at 6:55 AM to be exact,) I set out with plans to win the second annual Tour de Susquehanna in Clearfield, PA. As you may know, this race takes place on my local training routes – a great place to win. But things don’t always go as planned…

Last year it was a dropped chain on the second climb, this year it was…

A lack of training!

This lack of training, although disappointing, provided a new dynamic to the race, which in turn makes for an interesting story to tell.

After a typical warmup, we lined up at the start at 7:55. I saw familiar faces, like Brett Baronak, the reigning champion, Jeff Miller, who has won every single King of the Mountain race we’ve had here in Clearfield, some Spokes N Skis guys, and my arch nemesis, Brian Lytle.

Things started out just like last year, and things were pretty controlled up Park Avenue as we headed out of town. I think people were even calmer than last year. I was thinking of attacking on the hill, but my mind started to wander as we climbed steadily, and before I knew it, we were nearing the top.

For two years straight, Brett Baronak has attacked right at the top of the hill before it flattens out. This attack breaks up everything. Last year I made it, this year I couldn’t hang on as the pace picked up. All the race favorites were flying down the road while Brian and I tried solo efforts to catch them. Neither worked, and we joined a small group of Spokes N Skis riders.

This made for an interesting race, because our group of five was trying to catch the lead group while simultaneously watching for attacks from behind. We didn’t work together very well, but as I found out later, the lead group didn’t work out that well either. (We never caught them though…)

As we approached the second real climb, I thought this would be the time to attack, but it wouldn’t have helped, so I just climbed steadily in false hopes that the other guys could draft me. That didn’t pan out, and as I sat up on the descent to regroup, the other guys flew by and dropped me… Maybe I should have attacked!!

So I ended up chasing yet again. I kept the four in sight on the downhill in hopes I’d reconnect for the last six flat miles.

Around one bend, one of them got a flat. Now I was chasing three.

But by the bottom of the hill, they were mostly out of sight. I got one glimpse of the two remaining Spokes N Skis riders before they were out of sight, but that was all.

Alas, I made it onto Route 879 for the final stretch, and Brian Lytle was still in sight! I was ready to hammer, so I figured I could catch him and we could paceline into the finish.

Well, my energy didn’t last very long as I cranked my big gear, and I didn’t get any closer to my competitor. But I kept hammering with everything I could muster, and after five or so miles of chasing, I finally got close to Brian!

At this point we were about one minute from the finish, and I knew he wouldn’t want to finish one spot behind me yet again, so I had to strategize. Luckily, I don’t think he knew I was getting that close, so I kept things quiet until I got real close. Then I stood up and sprinted by him, hoping to get him by surprise.

I think I did surprise him, and he was probably out of energy, so we didn’t have a sprint finish. Unfortunately, even though I beat one of my rivals, my other rivals had already finished three minutes before I crossed the line…

But I took my sweet yellow t-shirt home, ate all the food I could fit in my stomach, and went to bed! (Note: I didn’t go to bed at two in the afternoon – it just took me about eight hours to eat!)

Time to train for 2008…

Want race results?

Photo credit: Randy Hurley

With an 8:00 AM start time, it’s a good thing I was pumped up to do this race. It was also good that the start was just a few miles from my house!

I awoke at about 5:53 so that I had plenty of time to get ready and get a good warm-up. With the big hill at the very beginning, I knew that it would get pretty tough, real fast. (I also wanted some extra time to slide into my skinsuit!) During my ride to registration, there were two other riders out warming up on the foggy streets of Clearfield. Then there was a parking lot full of riders downtown! There were 55 or so riders, not too shabby for a small town race in its infancy!

Surprisingly, everything went well before the race. Got my timing chip, switched bottles, climbed a couple hills, and lined up in time to get towards the front. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes at my last road race to get my stuff, I was very pleased at how everything went.

At the line, I had to make a quick appraisal of the competition. I was kind of caught off guard by the amount of people that had shown up. I eyed up a few notorious local competitors, my training partner, and the crew from Spokes N Skis. Then I just sat back and waited for the gun…

We had a pretty smooth, straight road to start on so things rolled along nicely as everyone got organized. No one went crazy, but plenty of people sped up to get toward the front, and I drifted back to the middle of the pack. A minute later, we made a left turn and started the first climb!

My position was perfect because I was able to ride up the side of the pack and effortlessly join the front group. As the road kept tilting up, racers kept slowing and drifting back. I was looking around to see who would make the first attack.

About halfway up the hill, everything was pretty organized and the pack was thinning out a bit, but still big. I was sitting maybe around the 10th spot, and I sure didn’t want to crest the hill with all these people still around me. So, I decided to pick up the pace!

For what could have been the first move of the day, I quickly eased past everyone on the shoulder, but sat up and moved to the left after about 15 feet. I just wanted to get people moving around, and it was fun! I kept close to the front as we crested the hill, but over the top a small group opened a bit of a gap that I had to close. Unlike my last race, this gap closed quickly and relatively painlessly. I brought a few others behind me, forming a lead group of nine riders.

We stayed together and kept the pace fairly high, with a slight attack every so often. No one was able to get away, but I don’t think anyone was really trying at that point.

I was anxious to descend into Glen Richey, expecting things to heat up on the smooth and twisty back roads. As we headed at the first sharp turn, I launched an attack from the front of the pack. It was a perfect spot – right turn, slight uphill, and a twisty road with lots of trees. I put a bit more effort into this one so that people would actually have to chase.

After that attack, we had plenty of others on the twists and turns, but it seemed that no one could get away… and that no one was going to get dropped. I sat at the back and counted the riders a few times, ensuring that there were only nine, which meant a guaranteed top-ten finish if I just stayed with them till the finish.

I kept calm for the next few miles so I could rest up for the other big climb which was coming up. I was expecting some decisive moves on that slope, and I wanted to be ready.

There was a bit of a move as we started the climb, but everyone slowed down and took it easy. I was content sitting toward the back and conserving my energy for a while. But as the end came near, I knew this was my last chance to launch any sort of worthwhile attack.

Knowing my mom was at the top of the hill with the video camera, I decided to move up to the front. People thought I was attacking, but I just moved up so that I?d be on the video

Once I was up there though, I started to realize that maybe some people were low on energy… so I picked up the pace. When I did that, a couple big guns broke away and I went to latch on with them as we crested the hill. With a twisty downhill farm road up ahead, this was the chance for the locals to do something.

So I shifted to my big ring, thinking about my game plan, and realized that my chain was now hanging off my right foot!! Yes, my chain fell off at the worst possible time! As I stared down in disbelief, the rest of the group passed me by one by one. All I could do was coast behind them…

After slowing a bit, I decided to attempt to get my chain back on without stopping. Much to my surprise, and after a few tries, I somehow shifted my chain back on! With a 100 yard gap to close, I stood up and stomped the pedals as hard as I could.

I could see the two leaders had a small gap on the other six, and I wished I was there. That got me moving pretty fast, but the other group was moving pretty fast too…

I went all out on the farm road, somehow hitting 45 mph on the descent. But once it flattened out, the group was probably 200 yards or more up the road, forcing the support van to pass me.

But I got another inspiration because there was a sharp S-bend up ahead, and I knew the group would have to slow down at least a little bit. I charged through faster than normal, figuring that there wouldn?t be any oncoming traffic. I was right about that, but was not back with the group.

I kept moving so I could keep the group in sight. It was a good thing because it seemed like I was slowly reeling them in… but then I hit the incline they just climbed. Once I got up that, they were a ways away.

Then something inside me just snapped. I knew I couldn’t let these guys get away in my hometown race. It just was not going to happen!

From that point on, I just went crazy! I was out of the saddle going as hard as I could muster. After a minute or so, it looked like the group was slowing down and spreading out across the road. I picked up the pace even more and next thing I knew, I was latched on again!

Apparently there was some confusion and lack of desire to work at the front, allowing me to get back in there. After a minute of rest to catch my breath, I got a second wind and decided to move up to the front and speed things up, now that I was having a huge adrenalin rush from catching this group of guys!

There were a few more attacks, but these didn’t do anything. The road was flat and everyone was able to go pretty fast. There was always someone with fresh enough legs to bridge the gap.

I’m not sure what I was thinking about for those miles, but once we got closer to the finish, I had to think about the sprint. That’s when I realized that even if I had a good sprint, there was no way I’d pull off anything spectacular with a big group of guys around me. I realized that I had to make an attack.

I launched a test attack as we neared the big intersection entering Clearfield, but it was clear that everyone still had plenty of racing left in them. After that, I just sat back and thought some more. Actually I thought mostly about where all the pot holes were, and planned my line accordingly.

As we got to be maybe a quarter-mile from the finish, I knew I had to go. Even if it was a bad move, I’d end up in ninth, which is where I?d be anyway. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I attacked!

Weaving my way through the pot holes, I was hoping there would be some confusion in the pack as they tried to catch me. But if there was, they got it sorted out soon enough. They caught me with maybe 50 yards to go.

So then I went for an actual sprint, while trying to line up for the finishing chute, which was maybe two riders wide! It was enough to put me in eighth place by a few inches, but no more.

After crossing the line, I didn’t really think about my spot. All I could think about was how sweet the race was and the fact that I bridged the big ass gap!

The Tour de Susquehanna’s inaugural year was perhaps my favorite race ever!

And that’s the end. Since I’ve already written a solid three pages, I’ll leave out any post-race happenings. Well, there were some good cookies there. Real good cookies!

Ok, the end!

————————————————————————–

For more information on the race, visit:

Clearfield Cycling and the Tour’s official site

Photo credit: Randy Hurley

Wow, that was some race today! The Tour de Susquehanna of Clearfield, PA (my hometown) was great today! This was its first ever year and the race was great, I’m just finally starting to relax – the race was over about 11 hours ago!

So yeah, it was sweet and you should do it next July if you are in PA. Actually, one of the racers actually flew up from Palm Beach [Florida] to race this and thought it was worth it!

I’m beginning my race report now… stay tuned.

2006 race report is up

2007 race report is up

2008 race report is up