Griffin Criterium and Greenway Time Trial - Masters 35+ (battle for the 45+ bonus)
The criterium was a short one kilometer course featuring a headwind uphill side, where the Start/Finish was located, and a fast, bumpy downhill side leading to a sharp high-speed turn onto an uneven surface. There was some carnage in this tricky turn on this day, but not in the Masters race.
The usual pre-race favorites started in blazing fashion and in less than 10 laps had lapped nearly the entire field, before it was all over they had nearly lapped everyone again. [Editorial observation: No one can deny the strength and skill of these riders, who are capable of consistent top-5 pro/am finishes, however most everyone questions their sportsmanship - I say if they are not doing anything illegal than everyone should shut up]. Nonetheless a field of more than thirty Masters 35+ (and a few 45+) chose to race in spite of the disparity.
In behalf of the GA Cup series promoter, who do not want to completely alienate all the "Geezer" racers, there is a small bonus offered to the top-5 Masters 45+ who compete in the entire Omnium. Among those Masters 45+ battling for the top-5 bonus, Dan Coy and Phil Bonfiglio led the way. Phil had scored huge in the previous day's road race at Brooks by getting in the breakaway, however Dan came in second in the inner-race for the 45+ bonus with a strong finish among those contesting the road race field sprint.
In the second event of the Masters 35+ Omnium, the 43 minute plus 5 laps Criterium, Dan Coy used the draft of powerful lead group, who were a lap ahead already, to eventually gain a lap on the other 45+ racers. After 6 or 7 laps at the back of this high-speed train, Dan sat up and rode among the lapped 45+ to an eventual 1st place for the 45+ bonus competition. Phil Bonfiglio, who started the day with a point advantage, finished the criterium with a 3rd place in the 45+ bonus skirmish. Hold on to your calculators, this bike racing math can be a little confusing.
Later in the afternoon an 11 kilometer time trial was to be the final event of the Omnium. The course was mostly flat and fast, except at the end was one long small-ring climb into a headwind. The same pre-race favorites took top honors in the Masters 35+ time trial while the inner battle for the 45+ bonus continued with Phil Bonfiglio producing a fantastic ride for a 7th overall and 1st place 45+. Dan Coy suffered on the climb and finished 10 seconds behind Phil resulting in a 9th overall and 2nd place 45+.
Many riders hung around for several hours waiting the results, no one's sure how many days it actually takes to calculate all that (sorry, that's a poor joke at the score keeper's expense). The 45+ riders calculated among themselves, unofficially Dan Coy (scoring two 2nd's and one 1st) was declared the overall 45+ winner with Phil Bonfiglio a very close second (scoring one 1st, one 2nd and one 3rd).
[Be prepared, there may be pop quiz later this week]
Posted by dancoy at March 13, 2005 10:20 PM