#2: Raccoon Mountain RR report
The foul weather we have been experiencing in Memphis hung around for another day in Chattanooga today. The combination of wind (10-15 mph), rain, and cold temperatures (mid 40’s) made this race. I hadn’t done RMRR since my first year in Chattanooga (2002), so I wanted to give it another go.
Anyway, Bryan Marshall and I lined up with some reluctance (due to weather) in a huge TBRA field. I heard 92 riders and also 96 riders, but anyway, it was a big field. They also used chip timing for the first time….I haven’t heard any feedback on that… the attachment and collection went smooth. I will relay relevant feedback when I hear it.
Back to the race. The course is a 27 mile loop with a couple short hills and two longer grades. The longer one is about 2 miles long and climbs up about 700-800 feet (stair-step climb). There is another shorter grade to the finish of each lap (maybe 1-1.5 miles). None of it is that steep, but it definitely wears you out. Bryan and I were in the Cat 4 field, so we had two laps to do. We both were with the field through the finish climb the first time around. Bryan stayed with them, I had to chase most of the valley to get back…but I got there. The race started to move a bit faster up the finish climb and I was off for good. Bryan also got popped somewhere around there. My group of about 4 caught up with Bryan and another guy around 4-5 miles into the lap. We all rode into the headwind to the stair-step climb. We all stayed together more or less until the end. As for how many were up ahead, I am not sure. Maybe 25-30, maybe more. We were probably 2-3 minutes back from the field.
Memphis Velo alum. Greg Casals took the Cat 3 race (1st place).
Rick Carpenter and David Bell raced together in the 50+ / 60+, not sure how they did.
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[below proved how wrong my initial impressions above were:]
Preliminary results were posted:
The chip timing used at RMRR allowed very accurate timing results and even lap times. Here is what I see on the lists.
Rick Carpenter (50+), 3rd. [+0:00.7]
David Bell (60+). 2nd [+0:54]
Scott Horkey (Cat5, 30-39), 2nd [+0:06]
Ryan Bosio (Cat4) 57th [+9:36]
Bryan Marshall (Ca4) 58th [s.t., 0.5 second behind me]
Preliminary results:
http://www.sceniccityvelo.com/content2.php?id=raccoon_2007results&format=3110&ad=0300
