March 12, 2005
Brooks Road Race - Masters 35+
Brooks Road Race - Masters 35+
Distance: ~53 miles (2 laps)
Average: >23.5 mph
Gerard Remery, Dan Coy, Marshall Millard and David Nixon lined up in the GTC colors. Although the sun was out and it looked like a nice day for a ride, the winds were greater than 20 mph with occasional gusts over 30 mph. Most all the local riders turned out, and it looked like there were about 60 starters or so. Thankfully, due to the narrow lanes, it was fewer than expected.
In the early part of the race David Nixon and Gerard Remery were either chasing down or in all the moves. As anticipated a serious move formed on the only steep incline, about 17 miles into the course, and a selection was made with a couple riders from the Forum, Gerard and couple of pre-race favorites. The escapees dangled off the front of the peloton for a couple miles, many riders attempted to bridge and one or two made it. Then as we went up the long gradual hill past the feed zone, into a headwind, Tony S. made a move and bridged to the break. That was it, the final selection and the winning break was formed. Dan Coy was happy with this situation, as his teammate Gerard was in the winning break, so he moved to the front to help block along with the other represented teams, RBM, Smith-Barney and The Forum.
As the peloton neared the end of the first lap they could see the breakaway group a little over a minute up the road when suddenly a rider popped out of the back, it was Gerard. Probably Tony S. and Jon A. were working him over with gaps and surges.
David Nixon and Marshall Millard were missing in action by now, so Gerard and Dan sat near the front as a half-dozen Aarons/L5 Flyers riders lead the peloton in the chase. Their effort was valiant and they pulled the break back within a minute at one point, but no one was able to bridge. The numerous attempts to bridge, along with serious cross winds, had created a few small echelons and yet another selection. Gerard gave what he had left and pulled the pack up to the second group before retiring with nothing left left in his legs. The speed and attrition rate was high at this point.
Dan Coy stayed near the front hoping for a shot at the field sprint. As usual, the pandemonium in the final kilometer led to much banging of bars and a few cheap moves up the other side of the yellow line. Dodging the carnage in the final 200 meters, Dan rolled in among the top-15 of the field, but more than a minute behind the breakaway group. Results will be posted later.
[The accuracy of these accounts are debatable as the author was often deep in oxygen-debt and his vision was impaired by perspiration]
