Boulder Roubaix 55+ race

Boulder Roubaix is our local attempt at riding a course that is not only difficult but demanding due to the condition of the roads used.  Yesterday the dirt roads were very kind, mostly hard packed, a little loose and of course if you missed the line your body was jarred and bike bounced in washboard ruts.

For those of us racing for Mix1 in the 55+ we came to the race wondering how hard it might be.  Several teams had multiple strong riders present, many of whom were cycle cross racers as well and our field was large, 51 on the start line.

Right from the gun Steve Birnbaum went to the front setting a hard tempo that soon had the line strung out.  Steve Matous was right on his wheel (you have to be named Steve to race in this category) and when the road went up for the first time took over on front and continued to push the pace.  As we turned onto Nelson and went downhill the Steve’s let up to have some other riders pull on front.  Heading north into the next dirt section a Boulder Masters rider was on front when Steve Matous again went right past him and starting to pick up the pace, soon after in the hilly section we caught the group that started 2 minutes in front of us, the 45+4’s.

There were some young and strong riders at the front of their group who tagged onto us as we headed east along St Vrain road swelling the size of the group to 25 or 30 racers.  Heading north on the dirt again Chris, Bill and Steve M all took turns on front and created a break.  With Bill yelling “go Steve go we have a break” Mix1 rode hard to Hygiene road,  but as so often happens in the Masters categories the other teams in the break did not want to work and once we stopped working on front it came back together. 

The rest of the first lap and second lap up until heading west on Nelson road was a repeat of Mix1 working on the front pushing the pace, passing the 45+4’s on the dirt, 45+4’s catching back on the pavement with an occasional rider from another team getting on front. Most noted Dan Grygier from CO Bike Law did a long pull setting a hard tempo on front.

We spoke to the 45+4’s trying to get them to not sit on our wheels and also with our fellow 55+ racers telling them not to sit on the 45+4’s wheels just to ride our own races, but did not get much cooperation.  It certainly helped those other teams who were not working on front when we sprinted for 3^rd place at the end.

Just at the turn back onto the final dirt section at 55^th and Nelson, Steve Crowley jumped and Bill got on his wheel.  Chris and Steve M did not chase and the group seemed not to care as Steve Crowley and Bill went ahead.  Now a group of 20 or so 45+4’s and maybe seven 55+ riders rode hard but did not chase as we headed into the final long straight to the finish.  As we approached 500 meters everything changed and it was game on!

The pace quickened and just when it seemed our group would catch up to Bill and Steve Crowley Bill turned around, saw us and sprinted to the finish.  His 6^th win of the Boulder Roubaix!

The final sprint with the 45+’4’s all over the road was bedlam!  Chris came in 4^th and Steve M grabbed 9^th both four seconds behind Bill.  Steven B finished 21^th after a great day, his racing on front in the first lap setting the team up for its individual and team wins.