Chappell Hill Bank Classic (cat 3)
(9/11/2005)
"The Second Wheel Shenanigans"
Bradley Guntar
This Sundays Race was especially frustrating in the 3’s. There were two large teams in attendance GCCA and Lonestar (Michelob Ultra). Michelob got the free agent pick up of the year in an man named Adam Gaubert. He is a time trailing machine. So Lonestar decides that his sole purpose in the race will be to ride second wheel for the entire 70+ miles.
We roll out and Adam is at the front just motoring along at about 21-23 miles m.p.h. and the attacks start coming and he will bring them in. Eventually the attacks start in earnest and people are really going at it, and every time Adam is there on their wheel doing his assigned job. So far so good, but then the annoyance that is a rider who has not even raced 10 txbra races surfaces. Eventually after about a lap and a quarter the a break starts to form in earnest with each team represented. You would expect for these second wheel shenanigans to halt, but no he continues to disrupt the entire break away as if he is trying to let the pack catch up, and he is not being very safe at this point either. He is not just hopping in and slowing down when he gets to the front, but actively try to force his way in between riders that are advancing. The thing is there are about 20 guys in this break. After about a lap and a half the break is well established with the pack not making up any ground. At this point they are not going to catch us, but does Adam stop the second wheel silliness. No. Not until we come into the last 10 miles does he stop disrupting the flow and let us pull through unhindered.
I made the initial break and worked a decent amount while trying to get people to pull through. I faded hard at about mile 50, but still managed to hang in for the sprint finish.
Jimmy bridged the gap to the break after half a lap maybe and after recovering he worked hard at the front. Doing more than his fair share of work.
The sprint finish came down to about 14 guys, and we were rolling in really slow at about 17-19mph. Their were only two or three surges in the entire five miles into town. So it came down to the sprint. We spread out across the road and I was sitting on the yellow line waiting for Adam to go. I see him down shift into his 14 or so and start to pedal, BAM he unclips. I thought I was going down, but luckily (for me) he swerves left into the grass leaving me be. I got up to go but I had nothing left in the tank. Some how I managed to get across the line in 6th. I think only one guy came around me.
The worst part of the race was that Lonestar has another guy in the break who did nothing and he won the sprint.
Results
P/1/2
6 Aaron Sinclair Gulf Coast Cycling Association
Cat 3
6 Bradley Gunter Gulf Coast Cycling Association
10 Jimmy Clarke Gulf Coast Cycling Association
20 Kenneth Dykema Gulf Coast Cycling Association
Cat 4
8 Michael Rossi Team Bikesport
10 Jose Caballero Gulf Coast Cycling Association
13 J Andrews Gulf Coast Cycling Association
15 Anthony Kaim Gulf Coast Cycling Association
16 Ryan Dionne Gulf Coast Cycling Association
18 Robert Sisk Team Bikesport
Cat 5
4 Philip Trinder Gulf Coast Cycling Association
9 Andy Andreasen Team Bikesport
11 Luis Gonzalez Team Bikesport
Women Cat 4
7 Joyce Baysinger Gulf Coast Cycling
Masters 55+
8 Tommy O'Neal Gulf Coast Cycling Association