L'équipe de Cyclisme, Baltimore County: Carl Dolan Spring Classic

LCBC sent three racers to the 19th Annual Carl Dolan Memorial/Howard County Library Spring Classic; Luke Mysko racing the Cat 1/2/3 and Joe Siegel and Andrew Stroup racing the Cat 4/5. The race weather was oddly warm (mid-80s) with a moderate breeze, making it feel more like June then April.

The Cat 4/5 and Cat 1/2/3 were the last two races of the day, so the guys arrived around noon to scope out the course and conduct their pre-race rituals. Word got around quick about the numerous wrecks on the course in almost every race. As Joe and Andrew pulled up to the starting line, the Cat 3/4 race was on the course again for a restart due to a really nasty wreck, sending a racer to the hospital with a cracked skull. During the last lap of the restart, another 5-7 bike wreck went down in the back of the pack, cutting the race in half; definitely not a good omen for the start of their race.

The officials decided to cut the Cat 4/5 distance from 10 to 8 laps, making the race about 16.7 miles. The reduced distance only increased the speed of the race with a 23.6mph pace, including a neutral lap due to a wreck mid-race. Joe and Andrew were able to maintain a mid-pack position throughout the ride, moving with the surges of the pace lines. As expected, the final lap pushed everyone's legs into overdrive, driving the pace to the highest of the entire race. The group started stretching, dodging the lapped racers on both sides, and testing the racers on whose legs would hold out to the finish line. As soon as the group made the final turn, the hammer was laid down into the descent, leading up to the incline and finish. Joe was able to pull away and grab a back wheel, only to get exposed to the wind towards the top of the hill, finishing ~10th overall. Andrew was not far behind, holding onto a wheel, attacking a little too early up the incline. Both Joe and Andrew finished well among the Cat 5s, 6th and 14th place out of 47 racers and a >80 field.

Joe and Andrew in the Cat 4/5

Luke's race followed immediately after, 18 laps on the board or ~38 miles. The pace was consistent and fast the entire race, where any mistake would push a racer to the back of the group and potentially dropped. Halfway into the race, a three man breakaway formed, consisting of two DC Velo racers and a Kelley racer. A couple of chase groups attempted to bridge the gap, but were never able to close the time difference and were consumed by the peloton. Luke maintained a solid mid-pack position, always finding a wheel and putting out solid efforts when the peloton would surge. The breakaway ended up creating over a minute time gap with 3 laps to go, securing the top three podium positions. During the final lap, Luke pushed hard around the turn and hammered out a solid sprint to secure a 21st place finish, 2nd among the Cat 3s.