2008 Tour of Walla Walla Race Report

Tour of Walla Walla
April 19th & 20th, 2008

It was a chilly weekend for a bike race in April. Temperatures in the mid 40s, the cat 4 men's field of the Tour of Walla Walla began with a time trial Saturday morning, April 19 in Waitsburg. About 90 racers in the cat 4 field lined up to give it there all in hopes to secure a time buffer going into the stages to follow over the next day and a half. One by one the race officials would count down 5-4-3-2-1 GO! Every 30 second a rider would explode from the start line to attack the 6.8 mile TT in hopes to pass a few riders that started before them and most importantly not GET passed by riders behind. I started about mid way down the pack. My goal: go hard, keep the heart rate up and pass as many people as possible. The start was an upright start with both feet clipped in while a race official held your bike up right. After a lengthy warm up on the trainer and 5 minutes to go, I quickly head to the start line and find my spot in line. "463 to the start line." They counted me off and I was on my way. I quickly got my hart rate where I wanted it and was now in pursuit mode. One by one I would pick off riders reassuring myself I was at least faster then some. The course was slightly up hill and into the wind on the way out and and blazing fast coming back with the wind. I could have used an extra gear as my legs were spinning as fast as they could. I finished the TT in 15:33:21 in 2nd place about 15 seconds behind a Whitman Collage rider Colin Gibson. 3rd place was Claton Binkly riding for Starbucks placing about 26 seconds behind the leader.

After a few hours of recovery, wrapped up in a blanket in a lawn chair and some lunch, it was time to start the 59-mile road race. I suited up and got to the start line early to get a good position up front. After a few words from the race official the men's cat 4 lead car pulled out and we road up the 3 km neutral start (ideal for a pre-race warm up). We crested the top and the lead car pulled away and we were off. I was currently sitting in second place thanks to my stellar time trial performance. It would take lots of attentiveness and luck during this road race if I wanted to move up to first place in the overall standings. The road race consisted of 2 loops (one small that would come back to the base of the 3 km hill at Waitsburg, and one larger loop taking us through Walla Walla and back to the base of the same in Waitsburg for a 3 km climb to the finish). The course had quite a few rolling hills with a significant climb and decent about 6 miles from the finish. If anything was going to happen it would be here. We finished the short loop with nothing too exciting happening. There were a few attempts at breakaways during the longer loop but nothing to worry about has we always reeled 'em back in. At one point in the beginning of the long loop I went for my water bottle and caught it on my race number attached to my bike. It slipped from my hands and down onto the road. "Water bottle!" I yelled, as I heard others yell as well. Crap, I thought, that was one of my favorite water bottles from the Titanium Man triathlon. Sandy and Brian, further back in the pack, noticed the familiar water bottle and both though "yep, must have been Ryan's." The timing was good though as it was just a couple mile to the feed zone where I could pick up some more water. The feed zone was located on a slight incline to make it easier for the exchange as it forced a slower pace. I grabbed a water bottle from a volunteer and noticed they were used donated bottles. I don't think mine was washed thoroughly before had as it had some orange stuff around the mouth piece. Needled to say I didn't drink to much water the rest of the race. I kept an eye on both the 1st and 3rd place riders to make sure I was there if anything happened. About 10 miles to go one guy broke a way and held his position for quite a while. It wasn't 'til the base of the hill with 6 miles to go did 2 other folks jump out to try and catch him. I noticed one of them was the 3rd place guy from Starbucks. I made my move to bridge and try not to pull the rest of the pack with me. I caught them at the crest of the hill and started working together to sprint down the other side in hope to catch the leader. By the bottom we were all 4 together working a very strong pace line but it didn't take long until the original guy fell off the back and then it was just three. With about 4 miles to go and the chase group clearly in site I thought about how risky this would be to spend so much energy to keep away and then have a 3 km hill to climb for the finish. All three of us worked hard in a pace line and eventually put 45 seconds on the case group before the base of the last hill (as one of the race officials told us as he drove up beside us in his car). It's still anybody's game though. I thought to my self this was a very risky move. If I worked too hard to brake away I would risk exploding on the hill. The three of us started the climb. My legs felt good. The other two quickly fell off and I pulled away never looking back. I continued to climb not knowing if anyone was right behind me. About a kilometer to go an unfamiliar rider cough up with me. Obviously someone that hade been playing it conservative during the race to save his legs for this finish. He stayed on my wheel for a bit and then started to make his move. I chatted with him for a bit in as calm a voice as I could to not let him know how very much I was hurting. He then got out of the saddle and quickly started accelerate everything in me wanted to let him go and settle for second but I hadn't worked this hard to just let him go. I quickly jumped back on his wheel and gave it everything I had. It wasn't long before he exploded and and started to slow. I took this opportunity to continue the effort and pass him. He was done. A calm "nice work, keep it up" as I passed him to remind him I was clearly stronger than him and crush any hope that he might have enough strength to hang with me. I continued to pull away and finished 1st putting 10 second him, 30 seconds (plus 10 seconds time bonus for 1st) on the winner of the TT and 37 seconds on the Starbucks guy. I was now sitting in First overall with a 25 second cushion. Just don't do anything crazy during the crit and I would hold my overall placing.

A quick trip home for dinner and a good night's rest would lead up to the final event the next day. The last event was a criterum held in downtown Walla Walla. A beautifully constructed crit course consisting of 6 corner, 1/2 mile course, complete with hay bails and spectators running directly in front of Starbucks. Who could ask for more? Conditions were cold but dry. After a 1/2 hour warm up on the trainer, 10:00 am rolled around and the men's cat 4 field were called to the start line for our 40 minute race. I quickly found a spot in the front on the start line. A few words from the race official and without further adu, we we were off. I quickly clipped in (flawless) and hammered to the first corner to lead the pack. It was there I would stay for the next three laps pushing the limit, stretching out the pack and dropping a good portion of the field. Cheering spectators lined the streets with clanging cow bells and yelling which helped keep the excitement going especially some very enthusiastic kids with official "Tour of Walla Walla" cow bells that made sure no one was going to give anything less than their best effort. I eased back and let some others take their turn leading the group but never letting any more than 5 or so riders get in front of me. It was too easy to get swallowed up by the pack so I worked hard to stay near the front using corners to move back up. Passing the start/finish line I hear the prime bell. Prime lap! There would be two primes today; each offering a 2 second time bonus for the first one across the line for that particular lap. Ok, I'm going for it. I surge off the front and pull a significant gap on the group right from the start. Every corner was hit fast and hard using up the entire road to complete the turns. Rounding the last bend into the strait-a-way to the start/finish I punch it and give it everything. Ok, the 2 seconds are mine and nobody else's. Granted, I really didn't need the 2 seconds but I couldn't resist and I wasn't about ready to just give it way. "If you want it ya gota work for it." I eased back into the group and continue to push the pace to stay out front. Every lap at a point further around the course I would hear "Go Ryan Brown!" as my friends were walking the course making sure I was on top of the game. I am truly blessed with such great friends. Thank you! Another prime bell rings. What the heck. I give it everything and pull away from the group. This time I'm starting to feel the affects of the hard efforts I've been sustaining. Two corners from the strait-a-way to the start/finish line the 3rd place Starbucks guy catches me. I felt a little relieved as I could let him pull me for a bit and take it at the end. I let him pass and as he come up beside me he asked me to give him the time bonus as he needed it to keep his placing in the overall standings. I thought for a second and decided I would help him out. After all, he was in my break away group during the road race giving it everything he had so I felt I owed him. And I didn't need that prime anyway. So I surge ahead to help pull him then let him pass for the prime. A few more laps at we were upon the final lap to the finish. I attempt another breakaway with a lap to go but did not have the power as I had earlier and just strung the group out. Approaching the finish I keep up the effort and let the rest of the pack sprint for the win. I finished the crit with the lead group in 10th thus securing my 1st place overall placing with a 22 second lead on the Whitman Collage guy and just under a minute on the Starbucks guy. With my win on Saturday I now have more than enough points for an upgrade to cat 3.

Thanks to Richland Bycycles and Fitness for repairing my bike after my crash at Tour of the Frozen Flatlands two weeks earlier.

Other Chinook riders were Brian Schur and Sandy Poulson for cat 4 and Mark Skiffington in cat 5.

Final results can be found here: http://www.tofww.org/results.html

Up next: Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, May 15 - 18

Thanks for reading!

Your cat 4 Tour of Walla Walla Champion,

Ryan Brown

2008 Tour of the Frozen Flatlands Race Report

Tour of the Frozen Flatlands Race Report

Location: Cheney, WA

Race Type: Multi Day Omnium

Last weekend's race consisted of a 1 hour circuit race at the Spokane Raceway and a 50 mile road race in Cheney. Brian and I left town around 10 am to meet up with Sandy and Robyn at the race way only to be greeted with winter like conditions. The temperature was in the mid 30s and there was a 2 hour delay to clear snow that had fallen that morning. Two hours later we start our warm up while Robyn starts her race in the women’s cat 4 field. She finished strong in second place. 3:30 pm roles around and Sandy, Brian and I then line up to start our event in the men's cat 4 field. This is a multiple loop circuit race lasting 1 hour. The gun fires and we're off. My legs feel heavy as I hammer to sprint to the front to avoid all the chaos that trail behind the lead bikers. Especially in a circuit or criterium, being stuck in the back is not the ideal spot to hang out. As the front group slows for sharp corners and then speeds up out of the turn these motions are greatly amplified in the back as the pack acts like an accordion hitting hard on the brakes coming into corners and standing out of the saddle, sprinting to catch the group out of the corner. So the front is where I tried to stay. After about 200 yards we take our first right hand turn. The track is wet but doesn’t seem to affect our handling. Next, a gradual sweeping left then an immediate right that takes us toward an 'S' turn. The 'S' turn consists of a very hard 135 deg left, a short striate section, followed by hard right. Negotiating these turns can be quite difficult in a mixed cat 4-5 field as inexperienced riders take shallow lines and try to pass on the inside forcing others to change a smooth line into a sharp turn while braking to avoid over-shooting. After cautiously negotiating the ‘S’ turn was a fast, slightly down hill, tail wind stretch to get back up to speed before a wide right hand loop back into a slightly uphill, headwind stretch to the Start/Finish line. One lap down. The next three laps were pretty identical in nature. Nothing too exciting. Just trying to stay in the front and not go down in the ‘S’ turn as the wet conditions made it very slick. As we made our approach in the 4th lap to the Start/Finish line things started to get a little skittish. I was about mid pack, Sandy was about 4 riders up then Brian right in front of him. I noticed Sandy try and maneuver around some very unstable riders when he clipped someone’s back wheel and went down fast and hard. Two more people in front of me went down. I had two options. 1) Ride over Sandy and keep racing or 2) try to swerve and risk clipping a wheel. I chose option 2. I did clip a wheel and did go down. No injuries although Sandy wasn't as fortunate. A pretty good sized bump and some bleeding on his head as well as a completely destroyed helmet. I got up, brushed myself off and assessed the bike. Bent front rim, ripped handle bar tape, and miss aligned shifter. I quickly reattached my chain, straitened the shifter, opened my front brake and started chasing the group. My front wheel is pretty bent and still rubbing on my brakes. I struggle a bit in this first strait section as there is a bit of a head wind. "I'll catch'em on the other side with a little tail wind," I thought. Ok, passed the Start/Finish, through the first left hand turn and on to the 'S' turn. With a little bit of tail wind and exceptional cornering skills, I'm starting to gain some ground, but not enough. Back to the strait section into the wind and loose a little ground. 3 more laps I would gain ground with the wind and cornering and loose ground into the wind on the strait section. Overall, each lap I would gain significant ground as riders would fall off the back of the main group and I would try to motivate them to help me out. It was no use. At this point I was really starting to get tired and the group starting to gain more and more ground. Finally I sat up and finished the last lap as a cool down. I was pretty bummed and wanted to call it a weekend and go home. But I still had tomorrow's road race and some fun activities planned for the evening in Spokane.

My first stop for the evening was to check into my hotel, clean up and dress for the remainder of the evening's events. My next stop was an impromptu dinner visit at a house warming party of one of Brian's friends in north Spokane. I felt a little over dressed as I was wearing a suit and tie for the Spokane Symphony to be enjoyed a few hours later. A couple of very tasty hot dogs, hamburger and pasta salad all washed down with a beer completed the formal setting I was so dressed to attend. Ahhh, a very much needed (and appreciated) dinner followed by a relaxing visit with friends and new introductions but it was time to depart for the symphony.

The Spokane Symphony, for the longest time, had been performed at the Opera House (built 1974) at the Convention Center in down town Spokane. In 2007 the Symphony purchased the Fox Theater (built in 1931 as a movie theater) and remodeled it for use as their performing arts theater. The remodeled theater seats 1725 and was a full house for the evening I attended. The Symphony's guest artist was Anne Akiko and is recognized as one of today’s most inspiring and sought after violinists for her impassioned performances. ...and what a performance it was. She walks out on stage in an elegant red dress contrasted against the black and white of the symphony members; it was quite a sight and, I might add, was nothing compared to her performance.

Ok, 2 hours of classical symphony? ...I'm ready for bed! A few blocks down the road and I'm at the hotel. Through the entrance, passed the night club (no thanks!) and to the elevator. It wasn't long before I was fast asleep dreaming about winning bike races.

Suddenly I was awoken by a very particular, annoying, sound. I'm a little disoriented and not quite sure were I was. The only thing on my mind was "what the heck is that annoying buzzing?" I burry my head under the pillow to try and block it out. No good. A moment later I start to get my bearings and look at the time. 2:00 am?!!! I smack the alarm to try an turn it off. No good! What the heck is going on? Wait, I remember this? This is familiar. I've practiced this at school and at work several times. Ok, so I trip over my bag, stumble over my shoes and stub my toe on the chair to get to the door. I poke my head out into the hall (one eye still glued shut) to find many confused people packing their bags and children down the all. Fire alarm! Crap! I quickly gather all my things (good thing I left my bike with Brian at his friends house) and head to the stairs. Oh yeah, I remember the attended saying while I was checking in "why don't I put you on the 11th floor so the traffic noise doesn't bother you while you sleep?" "Ok, sure" I remember replying. 11 flights of stairs later and I'm in the lobby getting ready to exit the building when I hear "false alarm!" Apparently some punk decided it would be fun to pull the alarm and run. A few moments later the firemen show up to turn off the alarm and give us the OK to go back to our rooms. This time I take the elevator.

After breakfast at my favorite bagel shop in Spokane "The Rocket Bakery," I'm off to pick up Brian, our bikes and a spare front wheel. The weather forecast wasn't favorable; rain and low 40s. Driving the course earlier on Saturday morning, Brian and I had the perfect plan to break away from the group and finish with the top 2 placings. Our race started promptly on time at 9:50 am. It was cold and dreary, but nothing like what we had in store for us further down the road. The neutral start led us away from the high school in Cheney, down the block and across some rail road tracks. Our pace car pulled away and we were off. The first 20 miles were pretty uneventful except for the occasional one or two people trying break away from time to time but would always get sucked back into the group as if a big fish was swallowing up its dinner. The next twenty miles were some of the most uncomfortable riding I've done so far. Instead of rain we got a hailstorm. This stuff hurt too. You couldn't look up for more than a few seconds to make sure you were still riding strait before the pain of the hail stones hitting your face would force you to look back down to block it with your helmet. These conditions would last for the next 15 to 20 miles. Yuck. It wasn't too long before a group of eager riders decided to break away -- and with authority. This time it was for real and I was stuck in the chase group. As soon as I realized these guys were for real it was too late to just jump on to the tail-end of their group. Waiting a few moments for the perfect time to jump and not take anyone with me I went for it. It took about 4 miles to bridge but eventually caught up, and with some well needed recovery. A few moments of spinning my legs I jumped in to help pull. These guys were so unorganized with their pulls I was afraid the chase group was going to catch us. Over the next 5 miles most of the riders started to get their act together and work more efficiently in a pace line but the chase group was still gaining. At about that time we came upon the hill were Brian and I had planned to make our big break, only no Brian. Apparently he was stuck in the back of the group before it broke up and was stuck in a 2nd chase group. Well, I thought, I guess I'll have to do this alone. It was perfect. With 10 miles to go, there was a short, very steep hill followed by a similar descent with a very hard right turn at the bottom, then rolling hills, gradually twisty turns, a slight elevation gain on average AND a slight tail wind. Perfect for a breakaway. So I hammer up the hill to break away, bomb down the other side in a very low tucked position and hit the turn wide and fast (knowing that it had been swept the day before and could be taken hard). Now it's time to get out of sight. I hunker down in the most aero position I could and just started crankin' out the miles. In no time I was out of sight but didn't want to let up. It was just me and the lead car and the occasional woman from the women's cat 1/2/3 field that started ahead of us. These last 10 miles was just a time trial for me, but hey, that's what I do best. The finish line approached, I through my arms up in the air and celebrated my victory. It would be over two and a half minutes later before the chase group would cross the finish line. With a DNF the day before and a win for today I would receive 2nd place for the weekend's omnium. Next stop, Tour of Walla Walla April 19 and 20.

Thanks for reading. See you at the races...

Ryan