2022 Race Report #1: ABD Unofficial Illinois eCycling State Time Trial Championship – UPDATED
My first race of 2022 was suppose to be a virtual lap of the Kaneville, IL, flat 9.28 mile time trial course that we race several times each season. Due to unexplained technical issues, I was unable to race the course at the scheduled time. The RGT Cycling application failed to display the “RIDE NOW” button which would have placed me at the start line. I had logged into the app 15 minutes before the 10:00 a.m. start time for all of the age-group competitors and waited for an additional 30 minutes for the button to appear. It never did.
I had completed a test ride of the course with the RGT Cycling app successfully on Thursday morning. I finished in 0:28:52 for a 19.3 mph average. I rode conservatively for the first two-thirds of the lap and increased my pace to 24+ mph for the final third of the course. Average power was 158 watts; maximum power was 200 watts.
I completed my structured 40-minute warmup on my smart trainer for 12.66 miles. Average speed was 18.9 mph; maximum speed was 24.0 mph. Average power was 119 watts; maximum power was 199 watts.
UPDATE #1: The promoters were able to provide five makeup race sessions today for those who were unable to race yesterday. I choose the 9:00 a.m. session and was the only competitor on the course. I focused on averaging 20 mph and reducing my lap time by 2 minutes over Thursday’s test race. At the 5.1 mile mark, there was a sharp kicker with a 4.5% grade. My rear wheel slipped and I could not regain traction until I crested the rise. My speed dropped from 22 mph to 5 mph. I lost both time and momentum. (After the ride, I tightened the trainer tension by a whole revolution.) But, the result was a poorer performance than Thursday. Average speed dropped from 19.3 mph to 19.1 mph. Maximum speed also dropped from 24.2 mph to 23.9 mph. Average power was 155 watts; maximum power was 216 watts.
Race replay: ABD Unofficial Illinois eCycling State Time Trial Championship
NEXT RACE: ABD John Fraser Memorial 12.8 km Time Trial, Maple Park, IL, Sunday, April 10, the first outdoor race of the season.