Wake Habitat Cycling Challenge
Raleigh, NC
May 28 & 29
by John Fillyaw (NARC)

 
Memorial Day weekend, I traveled to Raleigh, NC with my wife and two Basset Hounds to compete in this Saturday road race and Sunday crit. There was also a Friday twilight crit in downtown Raleigh for the big boys and girls.

Saturday

I opted for the 35+ 4/5 race that started at the very merciful hour of 11:15. We actually ran in a combined field with the 45+ 4/5 race but were scored separately. The start was neutral for about 1 mile out to the main loop, but as soon as we turned the corner, the hammer dropped. I was hopeful that over the course of 45 hard miles through rolling hills of North Carolina farmland and some sharp turns that some significant breaks would form. Alas, it was not to be. Though a few very small or solo breaks got off the front, all were very short lived, and we were “groupo compacto” for the sprint. Remembering that discretion is the better part of valor (and that I’m not a sprinter anyway), I stayed away from the fray out of the final turn and ended up 20th in the 35+ crowd. Though my result could best be described as “pack fodder,” it was nice to get in some quality miles, and I did enjoy the fresh, cool breezes off of Jordan Lake not to mention the fabulous views of the nuclear power plant.

Sunday

The course was an exciting one, a 7/10ths of a mile. “L” shaped loop. With 6 corners, I was expecting it to be a very technical course, but all of the streets were wide enough that only two corners were even moderately technical - a quick left, right combo on the back section. Turn 5 was lots of fun as we blasted through it each lap at 30+ mph. The home straight was a long, big ring climb. I again opted for the masters 4/5 race which was slated for 40 minutes. I was hoping for a very hard race from the beginning, and that between the pace, the technical section on the back, and the home straight hill, that the pack would be thinned out. Of the 50 or so starters, we were left with about 20 to 25 in the front group by the end. Still way too many sprinters for me, but I was happy to bring home 13th in my first crit of the year.

Overall, a great, well run event with lots of clean North Carolina air…took me a while to realize what that strange smell was.