However it's a while, but let me focus here on more special events and activities exclusively from now on.
1st race of 2016, finally!
Friday -- leaving work on time once in a while, good to have a schedule and ferry booked, carpooling with Johnny.
A smooth sailing... but the dark side awaits with thunder and a few heavy downpours at night.
Checking in at the Hampton Inn in Cheekopee. Room next to the elevator, yay... But not too busy thanks goodness. Easy morning, breakfast part from home (own Muesli mix), milk, yogurt egg from breakfast bar.
Little drive to and up Quabbin hill road. Looking good, sky clearing up, roads drying up.
Signing in, pinning number, getting ready. So relaxed after years of racing, great atmosphere, just loving it leaving all day thoughts stress behind.
Slowly the time to staging approaches. Waiting in a friendly pack of about 80+ racers in the CAT4 field, a mix what can hardly be more divers -- from Junior level racers (CCAP), some eager styled up cycling buds of some Columbia team, a few team matching mates here and there and a mixed bunch of individuals including Py.
A little update from the Quabbin CAT4 race itself. This year was all new and a good one as well: this time "all USAC official" and with all support you can ask for, SRAM wheel support, police at every turn, motos, ... :)
A really enforced neutral "slow" start down the hill. And then some awesome racing in a while. Py pretty much stayed in the big pack trying to maintain "upper 1/3 region of the pack most the time" until about 1/2 way little beyond the feed zone. Then Py figured to better roll up to where it was a longer single file pace line. And prompt at the next hill up front the pressure was put on at every hill. A slight stretch out and catching back on with a rider Py knew from ToC -- good to see you. At that point the field got significantly decimated. Happy hanging in with those fast kids. The final climb up the Quabbin Hill Road stretched the left over group further out. Heck managed to drop the chain in a moment of stupidity actions, could not rescue before coming to a stop, but no big deal, staining relaxed, putting it back on at the bottom of the big ring and pedaling backwards -- good to go, passing that few riders just dropped again..., coming in some where ahead of the last few of that leading group/bigger break. Not sure what exact place at this time, waiting for full results, some delays.
Final results are in later -- but some how they could not figure it out right, so what Py does not really care about 32nd or 33rd out of 80 some thing starters. But happy to claim "in-official" 3rd in 40+ within that group.
Seams no race pic this time :(
But magnificent weather, hanging out at the finish hill top enjoying the sun for a while.
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