Profile here (this is for the trip out to the turn around. Imagine the reverse for the trip back to the finish line):
Route Map here for those that want to take a peek (now using CycleIwakuni.com map server):
Hiroshige Cannonball Race Cue Sheet
First climb is short. It arrives at 3 1/2 kilometers into the event. It climbs for just over 2 kilometers.
Average grade: 8.7%.
Max grade: 15+% (the first 600 meters of the climb averages 12%+)
The GPS tracklog I have shows a 201 meter section of road at 20%. I descended that hill today and don't think any of it is really 20%. I may have a different feeling at 6:15 am Sunday morning as we're approaching the base of the climb.
Second climb is also short, but not nearly as steep as it looks. Also just over 2 kilometers.
Average grade: 6.5%
Max grade: 8% for a couple portions in the center of turns.
Once over the second short climb, we'll descend into the Nishiki River Valley onto Rte 187 and head northwest to Iwami. This section of road I've been on dozens and dozens of times training. It should be a reasonably tame pace heading out to the Rte 434/Rte 187 intersection at the Nishiki River Stop on the Pure Line. From there you begin the ascent to the ridge line that runs down the center of the island in this portion of Japan. I'd guesstimate and say we'll take about 20 minutes to make the ridgeline.
The peak of the ridgeline comes at around 60km, which means you're just about halfway across the island. On the way down the ridge we'll hit a small "bump" for a kilometer that has a short couple hundred meters at just over 7%. It doesn't seem like much going out to Iwami, because you're coming downhill pretty quick at that point. On the return trip it's closer to 9% for a kilometer and you definitely feel it there.
The terrain profile shows downhill from the ridge to the coast. You have to take into consideration that the "downhill" is one long stretch for 60 kilometers. Descending 400 meters in 60 kilometers equals... not really descending. There are a couple short drops to get speed back up, but nothing worth writing about. If we're lucky we'll be all the way to Iwami into the headwind. The very slow gradual descent into a headwind will still keep us above 36-37kph at slowest while we prepare for the return trip.
The return trip equals more of the same, but the great thing about the return trip is every hill is less steep. Climbing back to the ridgeline center of the island hits the 9% right there close to the top, but then comes screaming downhill after the ridgeline back to the Nishiki River valley. After running the stretch along the river valley intersecting to Rte 2, we'll climb back up over to Sanzoku into Kuga. This is a big ring climb, 7 kilometers to get to what it takes 2 kilometers to get to on the way out.
Leaving Kuga it's time to go back uphill to the top of the last climb. Half of the elevation gain is very gradual on beautiful roads. The other half is at right around 10% according to the road signs. On the 39x23 gearing today it took me just over 4 minutes to climb the 1.2 kilometers that takes you to the top. The descent is very quick back into the Yanai coastal town and before you know it you're on top of the city for the finish.
Most of the riders I'll be riding against/with this weekend I've ridden with/against before. There will only be two other riders from Club Athlete riding this event and I'm not confident I'll be able to count on any help from them when the distance gets long and the hills go back up.
My plan is to play dumb about the route for the first half of the course. Legitimately, I'm not really certain where the turn around point is, though I know the rest of the way. Playing dumb on the route will allow me to sit back and hitch a ride for the distance out. 250 kilometers is a long day of racing and I have no intention of pushing a pace higher than I know I can handle. The Hiroshige riders (Hiroshige sponsors the event) can get pretty aggressive and are eventually going to expect me to pull through. Tough beans. It's up to them to drop me, as far as I'm concerned. Once we get going on the way back I can assess how strong I feel for the last 120 km and what kind of pace I can push.
I know the riders to mark from their team and a couple of the other local teams and will keep an eye on them. My plan will be to get away if possible on the climb to Sanzoku on the way back. With 25 kilometers to go, it will seem like to far to most of them. If I can't get away there it will be to getting off the front when we climb just before dropping into Yanai.
I'm not ruling out a very early breakaway on the descent off the ridgeline either. I know my way back so if I can get off the front on the descent with 60 kilometers to go, I can get up the road and out of sight pretty quick with a lot of climbing remaining.
This isn't an "A" priority race for me, so at the end of the day some of this will be chalked up to fun riding and racing. It would be nice to stomp some Club Athlete podium spots on the Hiroshige sponsored event though.
Route Map here for those that want to take a peek (now using CycleIwakuni.com map server):
Hiroshige Cannonball Race Cue Sheet
First climb is short. It arrives at 3 1/2 kilometers into the event. It climbs for just over 2 kilometers.
Average grade: 8.7%.
Max grade: 15+% (the first 600 meters of the climb averages 12%+)
The GPS tracklog I have shows a 201 meter section of road at 20%. I descended that hill today and don't think any of it is really 20%. I may have a different feeling at 6:15 am Sunday morning as we're approaching the base of the climb.
Second climb is also short, but not nearly as steep as it looks. Also just over 2 kilometers.
Average grade: 6.5%
Max grade: 8% for a couple portions in the center of turns.
Once over the second short climb, we'll descend into the Nishiki River Valley onto Rte 187 and head northwest to Iwami. This section of road I've been on dozens and dozens of times training. It should be a reasonably tame pace heading out to the Rte 434/Rte 187 intersection at the Nishiki River Stop on the Pure Line. From there you begin the ascent to the ridge line that runs down the center of the island in this portion of Japan. I'd guesstimate and say we'll take about 20 minutes to make the ridgeline.
The peak of the ridgeline comes at around 60km, which means you're just about halfway across the island. On the way down the ridge we'll hit a small "bump" for a kilometer that has a short couple hundred meters at just over 7%. It doesn't seem like much going out to Iwami, because you're coming downhill pretty quick at that point. On the return trip it's closer to 9% for a kilometer and you definitely feel it there.
The terrain profile shows downhill from the ridge to the coast. You have to take into consideration that the "downhill" is one long stretch for 60 kilometers. Descending 400 meters in 60 kilometers equals... not really descending. There are a couple short drops to get speed back up, but nothing worth writing about. If we're lucky we'll be all the way to Iwami into the headwind. The very slow gradual descent into a headwind will still keep us above 36-37kph at slowest while we prepare for the return trip.
The return trip equals more of the same, but the great thing about the return trip is every hill is less steep. Climbing back to the ridgeline center of the island hits the 9% right there close to the top, but then comes screaming downhill after the ridgeline back to the Nishiki River valley. After running the stretch along the river valley intersecting to Rte 2, we'll climb back up over to Sanzoku into Kuga. This is a big ring climb, 7 kilometers to get to what it takes 2 kilometers to get to on the way out.
Leaving Kuga it's time to go back uphill to the top of the last climb. Half of the elevation gain is very gradual on beautiful roads. The other half is at right around 10% according to the road signs. On the 39x23 gearing today it took me just over 4 minutes to climb the 1.2 kilometers that takes you to the top. The descent is very quick back into the Yanai coastal town and before you know it you're on top of the city for the finish.
Most of the riders I'll be riding against/with this weekend I've ridden with/against before. There will only be two other riders from Club Athlete riding this event and I'm not confident I'll be able to count on any help from them when the distance gets long and the hills go back up.
My plan is to play dumb about the route for the first half of the course. Legitimately, I'm not really certain where the turn around point is, though I know the rest of the way. Playing dumb on the route will allow me to sit back and hitch a ride for the distance out. 250 kilometers is a long day of racing and I have no intention of pushing a pace higher than I know I can handle. The Hiroshige riders (Hiroshige sponsors the event) can get pretty aggressive and are eventually going to expect me to pull through. Tough beans. It's up to them to drop me, as far as I'm concerned. Once we get going on the way back I can assess how strong I feel for the last 120 km and what kind of pace I can push.
I know the riders to mark from their team and a couple of the other local teams and will keep an eye on them. My plan will be to get away if possible on the climb to Sanzoku on the way back. With 25 kilometers to go, it will seem like to far to most of them. If I can't get away there it will be to getting off the front when we climb just before dropping into Yanai.
I'm not ruling out a very early breakaway on the descent off the ridgeline either. I know my way back so if I can get off the front on the descent with 60 kilometers to go, I can get up the road and out of sight pretty quick with a lot of climbing remaining.
This isn't an "A" priority race for me, so at the end of the day some of this will be chalked up to fun riding and racing. It would be nice to stomp some Club Athlete podium spots on the Hiroshige sponsored event though.
on June 6, 2007, 8:08 am
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