2016 Race Report #4: Peter Teeuwan Memorial Time Trial

My fourth race of 2016 was the Peter Teeuwan Memorial Time Trial, held in Chesapeake, VA, on a flat 21.4 mile out-and-back course, on Sunday, June 12. The weather was hot and humid at my 8:15:00 a.m. start time: temperature was 86 degrees, humidity was 60 percent, and the wind was variable at 6 mph.

This course overlapped the Conquer the Canal course that I raced at the start of season. The promoter had extended the course by 2.2 miles at the start, before reaching the Conquer the Canal start line, then extended the course another 2 miles past the Conquer the Canal turn-around point to the very edge of the Virginia-North Carolina border. I skipped this race last year when my age group race distance was shortened to only four miles. Two years ago, when the race distance was 21.4 miles, I won my age group with a time of 0:55:58 (22.94 mph average).

I finished a quick 23 minute warmup on the trainer and headed to the start line. There were a total of five entries in my age group, though only four of them showed up. My main competition was Mark H., a new competitor in my age group. This was our second head-to-head competition. At Conquer the Canal, I finished third in 0:31:29 (23.05 mph average), with him second in 0:30:58 (23.44 mph).

Anticipating a tailwind inbound, I was conservative with my outbound pacing at 23-24 mph. I hit the turnaround point in 0:27:34 (23.28 mph average). Then, I discovered that the tailwind had switched direction and become a cross-wind at 5-6 mph. I was able to maintain my pace on the inbound leg, which I completed in an identical 0:27:34 (23.28 mph average). My official finishing time was 0:55:08 (23.28 mph average), sufficient for second place. Mark’s winning time was 0:53:50 (23.85 mph).

I failed to restart the GPS on my bike computer after my warmup, so there is no race replay.

As I’ve mentioned in previous race reports, this race’s promoter is my least favorite. Again, all of her faults were on display. Other promoters email a list of start times for every competitor at least 24 hours before the race. Not this promoter. She sent out an email with only the start time for the first racer in each category. Registration opened less than 45 minutes before the start time of the first rider, an inadequate amount of time for a proper warmup. Fortunately, the course was adequately marked with safety cones.

But, there were no printouts of finishing times. The officials at the finish line must have phoned her with the names of the top three finishers. That’s how we were notified if we would be awarded a medal. And, finally, all of the other promoters post the official results to USA Cycling and other race results websites within 24 hours. It has been four days since the race and the results have still not been posted to USA Cycling. Looking at her previous races, this promoter has taken a week or more to post her results, which is just plain lazy.

Mark and I will meet again for the third and final time this season at the Shenandoah Time Trial on Saturday, June 25. This is a 22.25 km hill course with grades upwards of 17% on the main hill. I’ve raced this course for the past three years. This will be Mark’s first time on this course. With my recovery complete from my bout of pneumonia, I hope to give him a closer race.