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Holding Court--He is moving like a Tremendous Machine!--What month is this again?
Last Saturday at the Mass Ave Crit I saw a form of awesomeness I can only describe as sublime. In simple terms, Court Maple lapped a very strong field of masters racers on one of the toughest crit courses in the Midwest. That is the statement I have heard from many people who were there. I was there also and I can tell you it was a lot more exciting than that. You might think it an aggrandizement for me to say this but that performance/clinic/show was Secretariat at Belmont in ’73. For me at least. I mean...who the hell does that anymore in masters racing around here?
I don’t race much and I never get more than one state away if I travel but I have done some hard races and I have raced with some fast guys and most of the time...and I hate to say this...it is pretty boring. Most races I do or watch are pretty much the same thing, whether it’s a 1,2 field or masters. Start riding--couple of attacks--bring them back--counter--long solo break--bring it back--counter--small fast group gets away and either 1, stays away or 2, gets caught--three to go and calm before the storm--one to go and ramp it up--sprint for win or minor placing. We have all done this many times. We all do it weekly during any of the good “worlds”-type rides in Indy. Most of us don’t mind that it’s somewhat scripted because, hopefully, most of us race or ride the “worlds” to test our own limits. I do it because I enjoy pushing myself to see how much I can get out of my body and my mind. I love the pain and the amazing ability of our minds to disregard it and go harder. Most people don’t realize how hard you can actually go if you focus and push through that pain. We are all capable of extraordinary things...in that context. That we all have that ability, and that the fastest guys are able to harness it is what makes cycling so addicting and in some cases compulsive to many of us. It’s eery. It invokes something Higher in the universe. It is Secretariat or Pele or Bo Jackson. These are the things that are beautiful in the world. There are lots of other things that are beautiful but Sport is Play taken to the next level and play is childhood and what is more wondrous than that?
To see that dude (Mr. Maple) roll down the main straight at Mass Ave in the midst of his escape was inspiring. Head down, eyes sucked back into his brain and ringed in fire, elbows bent, forearms parallel to the ground, normal Court-smile torn off and tossed to his daughters for afterwards...wow. Loudest crowd noise of the day and start-line daylight fading quickly to black like a blanket of war-smoke settling over some pockmarked field in Belgium. No shit...this was the type of environment that makes heroes. I glanced up at the roof of a building across the street, at one point, and saw Superman throw up his hands in disgust and punch Batman dead in the face before flying off at Mach 4 with Super-Tears raining down over Fountain Square. He knew he had just lost his mojo and was now just some guy in tights and a cape...like any other hipster in that weird section of the city.
And to think that behind Court, or at this point more like in front of him, like some sort of bicycle time-warp...a Rosen Bridge?, guys like Weaver and Cox and Boggs and Dean and Brooks and Fritzinger and whoever else were chasing HARD to get back on terms! Some of the people around me were quite verbal in their criticism of Zipp for so carelessly letting him escape but they were on the sidelines and probably didn’t even know who the hell Secretariat even was. So their opinions were instantly sucked into the nearest storm drain and eaten by rats. I think Zipp did everything right. They sent their strongest sprinter into the break that Court FELL BACK TO after dropping their strongest pursuiter, presuming that the break would stay together with a bit of cooperation by those present (Weaver, Cox, Fritzinger, Maple). I would have bet on that all day long. That’s a similar mistake to the one made by Sham’s trainer at Belmont. Run him hard from the gun and he’ll never make it to the stretch. Well.............
I have ridden and trained with Court a lot in the past few years. I know what he is capable of and so I know what to do when I’m with him in small-group situations on the road. I know I cannot match him toe to toe (or, rather, cleat to cleat). First of all, he has more natural ability. Then there is the fact that his pain-sensors were removed accidentally when he had a tonsillectomy as a child. And if that weren’t enough, he can counter HIMSELF when he is apprehended after an attack. It’s nerve wracking and painful if he decides it is go-time on Tuesday nights. These qualities make him deadly in a break of anything less than seven or eight riders. And that is what doomed numbers two through four last Saturday.
And now that you are endowed with the proper context of the Mass Ave Criterium Masters 40+ race, you can properly appreciate the aforementioned statement--Court Maple lapped a very strong field of masters racers on one of the toughest crit courses in the Midwest. And I’ll add this: You all should have known! Did you see Indy Crit? Do you remember the State Championship Road Race? Did you see Parkview last year?
And Court, I promise I don’t have a crush on you, man. Just thought it a worthy subject and a helluva show!
As for Motion Elite-First Internet Bank, Nick Torrance was second in the 3/4 race after nearly catching Gunnar following his (Gunnar’s) last-lap flyer. That kid is good. Both of them. Nick is steady as a rock in any race he’s in and I look forward to seeing what he can do with the big boys next year. Paul, Tom, and Turner experienced the wrath of that wretched course in the Pro/1/2 field where I think only about 15% of the field finished. That was brutal to watch. Becker is suffering from some mystery illness and we have requested that Hugh Laurie travel to Fishers to help diagnose him. I know he is not really a doctor but he just seems so damn smart to me that I think he can help. Schmutte has raced more this year than anyone and currently lies quivering in the corner of the Fit Area of the store...rocking back and forth and muttering loose-associations at his bike, which is very clean. I think he’s done with the road for this season but has been mentioning Cross during his few lucid moments.
I am very happy with the team. It has been extremely rewarding to create this thing and watch it grow. The guys and gals have been great ambassadors for the sport and for the store and many of them have improved exponentially over last season. Next season I expect more. We will be stronger in many ways. There will be changes. There will be more structure. The reigns with be tightened. It’s been fun having no pressure this year but this is a race team and it’s time to buck-up. Stand by for some pretty cool developments with several of the teams that Motion supports....
As for me, I am really more interested in my yard at this point than going fast. We went fast last night (under protest) because RJ came out and decided to do MT intervals at 35 MPH, which was so very fun. That dude is strong. Good guy. Sort of grew up around us and is very humble and accessible. Anyway that’s it for me. I would like a vacation now.
