Purgatory RR - Sutton, MA

Purgatory Road Race Sutton, MA

The 14 mile Purgatory Road Race circuit is an unrelenting course in New England bike racing and maybe the crown jewel of the road calendar. It has all the elements of a classic - stiff climbs, technical descents, crosswinds and places to get out of sight. DER sent four of its strong men to the race early this past Sunday.

The course. We rolled out with a neutral from the Sutton Middle School. No attacking here; that’s not cool. The neutral roll ended with a turn onto the feed zone climb and the starting of the first loop of the race. Not really much of a hill but a kilometer of 3-4% grade in the big ring begs for respect as it grinds you down lap after lap. A few step-like hills ultimately released the tension to a flatter rural roads after the right hand turn onto Uxbridge Road, a 2.5 mile descent. This is a tight 1-1/2 lane road through the luscious green canopy of New England. I was forewarned to open up my mountain bike skills here and be attentive. As riders get dropped here because they were asleep for the speed and handling required. At the bottom a long fast rolling right hander onto Barnett Road that was followed by another right onto Whitins Road for mostly flat to rolling terrain about 5 miles in length. This section was really the only place on the course that I could get some fuel into my pie hole and actually chew and swallow it. Following the Manchaug Road reprieve a sharp right hand turn and a sudden up turned gradient near 10% started the demanding 3/4 mile climb up Lackey Road. This climb is tight and enclosed with treed canopy. The climb itself really can be dissected into three climbs with very short 3% grade respites for about 100 meters in between steeper grades close to 16%. But letting the pressure off the pedals here is not a good idea if you plan to stay in the group, this is a full on blood bath from the bottom to the top. In fact our race split on every lap with the weaker going straight out the back. At the top of the climb a straight false-flat exposed 500 meters of the finish.

The result. On the Uxbridge descent two riders pulled away and loitered off the front of the peleton for a couple of miles and then about two-thirds into the first DER rider Eliot Pitney dug a deep hole and launched a 900+ Watt attack to bridge across solo to the breakaway riders. Ten minutes at 400W would solidify him into the move only to have one of the two up front fall off the pace leaving Eliot with a charging two man break. These two would remain in front of the chase until we hit Lackey Road. The pressure would increase to 450W at base of climb. I worked my way to the front of pack by the final 16% pitch and would put the power up even higher drawing out about 7 riders from the pack. This would dig me a hole and as we rolled over the top into the exposed finish straight I would find myself at the back of the group as it kicked again to secure its separation from the field. This effort would break me and I just struggled to keep contact. As this happened I found about 8 or 9 more riders on my wheel bleeding out their eyeballs but up for the task of chasing. Coming around to feed zone hill I found myself on the front driving the train with the breakaway 25 seconds or so in front of us, going fast but not appearing to work together. Staying seated I put the watts at 400 and drive the chase group up the hill, we loose a few more off the group but I'm convinced we can go across. The break would stay more or less 20-25 seconds for what seemed forever. On one of the 3% grinders three jump off the back of the group in an effort to jump across to the break, I'm on the front and just cannot convince my legs to respond. Successfully the three make it across. I head to the middle of the chase with the goal of taking a breath and flushing out my legs while wishing the gap to come down. Our chase group is really not working well though and the break seems to be gaining a second here and there. At this point Hank feels the same way and comes to the front to give me a spell and keep the speed up and the gap steady. He looks over to me and says "jump across the gap when you can". My spirits still excited I figure the second time up Lackey Hill might be the last opportunity. The problem is I've been on the front for much of the chase lap and the chase group is still not really working together. As we hit Lackey Hill my brain tells me to up the watts and see if I can close in on the break which is only about 20 seconds in front of us, I mean we can still see them in these tight twisty lush canopied roads. The reality starts to set in half way up the climb that I am not loosing but I am not closing in on the lead group. I try to put the watts up higher but the legs are just not making up the difference I need. I simply have been on the front too long trying to limit the gap going into the climb (a hole I will need to plug in my next training block).

We go over the top mostly in tact with a first chase group of four with our heart rates near 180 bpm and enter the exposed top straight looking for an answer. I take up the front and keep the pressure on as we go into another lap on the relentless circuit. Ultimately, we continue to drive the pace catching a dropped rider from the break here and there but never get back on terms with the break. On the final climb I am looking to stay at the front of the group putting out 450 watts but short of blowing up. Realizing that the 300 m flat exposed finish will actually be harder than the climb itself since everyone in this group can still taste a top ten result if they have a good sprint to the line. I end up second wheel over the top and my head is on a swivel looking for the explosion to occur as we crest the summit of the hill. Everyone is just blown and bleeding out their eyeballs, which is good. Then one, and two riders try to wind up the sprint from 250 meters, I jump on the wheels. As we hit 150 m to go one rider swings from behind me and I match the jump as we accelerate with our legs burning toward the line, 100 m to go. I am holding with the rider but cannot gain the 1/2 bike length I need to go past him. We end up going 10th and 11th across the line. My teamate Eliot would make it to the finish with the break and finish 8th. All in a days suffering fun on the bike.

Stay tuned...more racing to come...until then RIDE ON!