Race Report - Schabobele Classic Road Race, 2/21/2004

 

Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC raced in their first event of the season at the Schabobele Classic Road Race in Flagg Springs, Kentucky, with Travis Stebbins notching up the teams first ever victory in the Junior Men category.  Josh Tirant placed a hard fought 10th(unofficial) in the Mens Pro 1,2 race. 

 

Read the official race notes here at: www.godzulla.com

 

Quotes over-heard before, during, after the race: “Schabobele=PAIN”, “that course is all ACTION”, “why’d we come?”, “wow the Pro 1,2’s only averaged 19.9mph!”.

 

The team drove down to greater Cincinnati, OH through a 3-hour downpour Friday night.  First stop was the race pre-registration on Friday night at the organized chaos of the home of race promoter, Godzulla himself, Scott Denny.  Scott graciously gave us details of the course and played videos of last years race, then generously loaded us up with Godzulla.com water bottles, HammerGel energy packets, DVD’s of last years race and sent us on our way. 

 

Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC was represented by:

 

Travis Stebbins – Junior Men

Josh Tirant – Cat. 2

Dave Koesel – Cat. 2

John Rigdon – Cat. 3

James Whitesides – Cat. 3

Joe Lekovish – Cat. 3

Jeff Elam – Cat. 4

Paul Kundrat – Cat. 4

in addition, Nate Griffiths-Cat 2 of the Ford/Giant/AAVC team also joined in.

 

Over the winter I rode the trainer watching race videos.  My favorite has been the 2003 Amstel Gold Race.  If you’re familiar with the scenery from that race, you’ll be close to what the Schabobele Classic course looks like.  Decently surfaced, narrow country roads winding between farms and trees, steep climbs with steep descents followed by more steep climbs, AND one addition, crazy Kentucky farm dogs. 

 

After arriving at the race start and HQ, Flintlocks Bar and Grill temperatures had warmed up to 37-39F with gusting winds of 25mph.  The team suited up to check out the course, a 10.5 mile beast that Godzulla put together just to inflict pain and suffering on the racers. 

 

The start is on a flat, straight road which parallels a small river.  After about 2 miles, there’s a 110 degree turn onto the first climb.  If you weren’t well warmed up at the start, you’d be out the back of the pack right here.  The first climb was followed by a short, quick, straight descent, then the second climb, short descent, the long third climb, very short descent and a small climb to the finish line. 

After the finish line was a long, VERY STEEP descent with three quick turns.  To make it more challenging, the road had a strip of gravel cinders running down the center and mailboxes encroaching into the road on each side.  This descent left you at the base of the Schabobele Wall, a stair stepping climb averaging about 20% with a section as steep as 25%.  This was a true leg breaker and nearly all riders needed a 27-tooth cog to get over the top.   This climb left you off on the back side of the course which consisted of rolling climbs, cross winds, head winds, and two blazing descents, the second of which deposited you in front of Flintlocks Bar and Grill and the section up to the three and a half climbs to the finish line.

 

Let me add that racers were challenged by another obstacle that was present throughout the race course, the crazy Kentucky Farm dogs.  Any where on the course you had to stay attentive.  Sometimes these dogs ran out in front of the pack, sometimes they ran into the middle, sometimes they just chased along the side of the pack or just watched you ride by.  More deviously would be the dog who would watch you ride by the first time, lulling you into categorizing this dog as a “watcher” then run full speed into the pack the next time through.

 

In the Junior Men’s race Travis Stebbins was the sole team representation.  Travis rode with the pack for half the race before attacking over the climb leading to the Schabobele wall.  Travis soloed over the wall and onto the back side of the course.  After a couple miles soloing over the rollers and into the winds he was joined by another rider.  Riding together over the last half of the race these two continued to put time into the chasers.  Eventually Travis attacked and dropped his companion powering over the last three and ½ climbs to the finish like a grand prix motor car to take an impressive solo victory and the first win of the season for Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC.

 

In the Pro 1, 2 race Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC and Ford/Giant/AAVC were represented by Josh Tirant, Dave Koesel, as well as Nate Griffiths of Ford/Giant/AAVC.  A brutally fast paced race (the winters aren’t as wicked that far south) resulted in all three riders being dropped from the pack.  Josh chased back on riding over the backside of the course alone and catching the pack on the triple climb to the finish.  Another 2 laps with the pack and Josh rode to an unofficial 10th (possibly 14th).  Dave and Nate suffered the same fate as over half the starters and pulled out of the race. 

 

In the Cat 3,4 race Paul Kundrat and James Whitesides rode tough races to finish in the top 20-25.  Paul suited up for the weekend as a guest team member and climbed like a pro, staying with the leaders for the first 4 of 5 laps, eventually finishing only 2-3 minutes down on the winner.  James Whitesides rode with the chasers for most of the race finishing a couple more minutes back.  John Rigdon, Jeff Elam and Joe Lekovish were unceremoniously spat out the back of the pack on the second climb (along with about 15 other riders).  Riding a team time trial together they finished the race some 45+ minutes behind the leaders. 

 

This was the first race of the season for the team and for many of the riders, only the 1st or 2nd time riding on the road in several months. 

 

Next up for Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC is the L’Esprit Road Race in LaGrange, KY, 2/28.  

 

Keep an eye out for updates and race reports.