Muddy Onion

 

On April 23, 2016 I found myself, the sole Real Pickles/Hampshire Bicycle Exchange rider, again in a sea of riders awaiting the start of another grueling Vermont Gravel Grinder. Although just over half the size of Rasputitsa, this group of 350+ was crammed into the city streets of Montpelier, Vermont, with the state house in the foreground. It is wonderful to watch the gravel explosion happen in New England. I waited for what seemed like an eternity for the event to start. I was absolutely freezing, choosing to dress light with bare legs and one base layer too few.

 

After a neutral loop around the city and onto Main Street we veered North up a series of steep paved climbs. I was just thrilled to be riding, even better to be climbing and generating some heat. I was tucked neatly into the front group sheltered behind other riders. This series of pictures tells the story of the quick toll the initial hills took on the group.

 

 

 

 



 As we finally hit our first dirt road about two or three miles in, the lead group, which contained Putney/West Hill's Kate Northcutt, was down to 15 with me hanging on to the back. The surging pack quickly became 14 as I dropped off, knowing that I would suffer later if I tried to stay with this group.

 

 

A mile or so later a group of 6 formed the chase group. This grew to as many as fourteen. It was  a peleton which lacked road racing experience, unlike the groups I had been part of at Rasputitsa. I tried to organize the group by setting a sensible pace when up front but 3 riders repeatedly attacked on the hills, causing a gap, then eventually fading back to the pack. The course was full of sharp, short hills with only two or three sustained climbs (beyond the initial climbs). I found myself with four other riders with about 7 miles to go. One of these was a strong rider who had fell out of the lead group (a few others had been shelled earlier). As we got closer to Montpelier I again experienced fatigue and stiffness in my legs. A few times I briefly got separated but was able to dig in and get back on. My descending saved me as I was able to make up time lost late in the ride.

 

On the last sustained climb the group shattered, it was mostly downhill from here. I was the last in the group. The fast group rider got away, 2 guys charged off together, I was left chasing a like aged strong Onion River rider. Fortunately I descended better than the prior, passed him and got a few hundred meters on him. As we hit pavement outside of Montpelier the terrain became flat. The Onion River rider slowly caught me. I sat on his wheel, my roadie days serve me well. He had tried to power by me and may not of known that I was sitting on him. He let up a little as a race organizer told us of the 90 degree left turn into the finishing shute. I accelerated by him and stayed in front with the two fellow pack riders just ahead. 

 

Another excellent event with tremendous support from the Onion River Shop. I was rewarded with a good feed and a Heady Topper (for the road)!