Einsiedeln Report
Name of Race: Einsiedeln Inline Marathon
Date of Race: July 8, 2007
Location: Einsiedeln, Switzerland
Distance: 18km
Series: World Inline Cup [class 1], Swiss Inline Cup
Results (link): http://services.datasport.com/2007/sic/sic06/RANG010.HTM
Report: With a reduced field, as most of the largest teams sent three or four each to Suzhou (China), Einsiedeln was an opportunity for the smaller teams to play a larger role in the tactics and on-goings of the race. Imediately off the line, Spirotiger took advantage, sending DJ Nation and Ben Alchin off the front. It seemed that IXS Fila was doing all they could to be represented in the attack, trying to get Severin Widman with the Spirotiger duo. Most people know that Einsiedeln is a course ‘good for attacks’, and one was likely to go within the first 5km; as it has in the last few years. Jorge Botero in 2005, and attempted again last year.
Having spent some time with the Spirotiger boys before the race, I knew DJ was planning to attack from the line. I have a bit of a hard time if I start a race too hard, but I was going to try my best to get in on the attack. Off the line I was in a good spot, and in the first five guys after swimming my way through the dudes starting in front of me. It was then that Fila’s attempts at insuring Severin’s spot in the break became obvious. His teammates would force their way in front, and allow a gap to open in front of them. At one point, within the first few km’s, I could feel a tug back on me, or a subtle push off my knee, or being intentionally crowded by the other Fila guys. Most of this, for the most part, is borderline acceptable. Shitty, but acceptable, and I was quickly becoming frustrated. Out of all these ‘tactics’ the most bothersome was cutting in hard up front, and forcing a gap. It is one thing to do it from a spot in the pack, but it is another to force in and do it repeatedly. I think that’s basically bullshit.
It quickly became obvious not to let any of the Fila guys in. There was a guy in a red/white/blue Kia/Junker suit moving up on my right, and he filled the bit of a gap I had well enough for me. That was a mistake, because it too was obvious that he would be cooperating with Fila, executing the same tactics. By this point, I was already frustrated, so I grabbed his hips and tugged him backwards, with a “Oh C’mon!”
I closed the gap he had left, and was back in the attack. I looked back and there was a few others behind me, and a sizable a gap behind them. We went through an intersection, and a turn, into a downhill, and not much stands out to me as to what happened. The road was still a bit wet, and this area was wind and sun protected by the trees and a few buildings, and was getting wetter and wetter from the rain immediately before the race. A gap opened up a few spots in front of me, and a few guys came from behind me to fill it, and ended up chasing as the gap was considerable and growing. To be honest, I found the pace this early in the race difficult, and I was holding back, thinking I would eventually suffer if I wasn’t careful. I was trying to remain conservative, and trying to stay relaxed behind the guy in front of me. The gap we were chasing wasn’t getting any smaller…
The chase kept up, but wasn’t holding a speed fast enough to catch. We hit the wettest section of the course, and let up some. This was enough of an ease at this point of the race to let the break go away. Without a consistent attempt at a chase, the break was gone. We hit a bridge and two hard left 90° corners, slowed for them, and gave the attack some extra time.
The two guys in Spirotiger are owned by Dani Grab of Inilnecenter, as well as two of the other strongest teams in the peleton on the day; CMS, and my team, Inlinecenter/Bont.. While we don’t race together at all, (this is against the rules, and other teams (like Alessi)do it in every race) there was something of an understanding in this race to not work against each other.
With DJ Nation, Ben Alchin, and Severin in the break, the race in the peleton would be for 4th place. Things may have been different if it were a 100k race, or even a 42k race, but with Einsiedeln a half marathon, the break wasn’t coming back.
Some teams gave a decent chase, but no team wanted to sacrifice everything [which would have to be done] to bring the break back. There were a number of smaller attacks, but nothing was going anywhere. To be honest, this part of the race was uneventful.
With about 6km to go, and the last 1.5km the biggest climb of the race, Ed Dimmick [CMS] attacked solo, and the pack was letting him gain some time/distance. This far from the line in a race like this, with a peleton like this, is my best chance for a break, and I was salivating at the chance to make a run for it. I went back in the pack to find Jasper. I quickly told him what I was planning, with an: “I’m bridging.” And Jasper knew what to do.
With him on my wheel, from almost the back, I let a bit of a gap in front of me. I began to accelerate modestly while still in the draft. I was going about 2-3k an hour faster than the peleton, and just as I hit the guy in front of me, I stepped out left abruptly, and made one good hard cross right, and accelerated just about full. I came by the front of the pack with lots of speed, and crowded them a bit to get a draft, and to crowd their accel. Meanwhile, Jasper stepped into the back of the peleton, bringing the guys he had with him into the line, and ensured that I wasn’t bringing anyone with me.
I was bridging the 150m gap up to Ed solo. I didn’t look back at this point, as I would commit to the attack. It took me only a short time to catch him, and when I did, I gave him a nice shove forward. Double A: “You good? Let’s go.”
Ed: “Yup.”
With about 5km to go, the two of us were working together. I was relaxed, and felt alright. Through the towns at this point, I couldn’t see the pack behind us, and we were working well together. From what I could tell, I was feeling stronger than Ed, and was relishing the chance for a top 5, as it seemed the break had everything it needed to stay away. It had the right representation, it was going fast enough, it was the right distance from the line, and had enough of a gap. Things continued taking short leads each. We hit the last bridge that is known as the 2km mark from the line, and would be the best chance for the pack to see us, and for us to see the pack. I didn’t look much as I was at the front at this point, but the gap was smaller. With us now in clear sight, the pack would surely pick up the chase. We started to make our way up the hill, and I continued on at the front. We were out of sight from the pack for a bit, and we turned the corner onto the climb. We would surely be in sight of the pack on this straight uphill approach to the finish. To my surprise, the pack was in sight far long before I expected. An even greater surprise was who was on the front. I looked back to see ‘Cookie’ Glen Cooksley [CMS] Ed’s teammate chasing full, with his arms out. Behind him were the rest of his team in their black/white/yellow skins. Ed was immediately furious.
“OH FUCK OFF!!!!!” he hollered in response as he stood up in complete frustration. He immediately fell back from me, and I would continue on, still with a bit of a gap.
Ed would go back to the pack with less than 1 km from the line to have a very brief and heated ’conversation’ with his team. I have to admit, I wasn’t too happy about it myself, as I was counting on our teams [CMS & Inlinecenter/Bont] not chasing us, leaving the job for the other teams in order for the break to succed. Ed, however, was more than a little upset/angry/frustrated/”not good”/”pissed off”/”violent”/”gutted”/embittered.
I thought that I should just keep on, with about 600m to go, and not much of a gap. I figured I wasn’t going to go anywhere in the sprint anyway, so I should just hold as much speed as I could and well, ‘Hey, you never know.’ Sure enough, the group came by me moments later with about 350m to go. I looked for either Giovanni or Jasper to let me in. With the leadout going uphill the speed wasn’t too fast, but with both of them running well near the front, and me suffering, I had to look for a spot further back. I remember reaching for Jasper to pull me in, and him rolling straight by. It would have been nice to grap the spot behind him. With the slower speed up the climb, the speed differential wasn’t too much, and I found a spot at the back of the pack, but I had to sprint to get into the draft into the first bit of a gap I saw. Over the crest of the hill, I just held the spot over the line.
Funny enough, after the CMS chase, only one of them were able to come by me. I think this is a good indication of their commitment to the chase. Though another possibility, I suppose, was a commitment to leading out the rest of the Spirotiger team who also looked great in the sprint, sitting behind them to within sight of the line.
I finished 20th over the line, and you can check out the results to find out the rest. I think this was an ~ok~ performance, all things considered. Which, by the way, includes NO sleep staying at Ed’s place on the floor.
This report took me a while to get to. Sorry its so late. I am right now watching the ITT of the tour. The chicken is still in Yellow, though it looks like he will be losing it today. Oh, and Vino had a great day in the saddle.
Double A.