Driveway Returns
Bike racing is back! In Austin, at least. After two practice sessions in which organizers worked out their socially distanced staging and start procedures, and riders got a chance to remember what it feels like to ride in a group, the Driveway Series held its first race since COVID19 shut things down in March. The lack of beers, burritos and socializing during the event is a bit of a downer, but a weekly group cycling activity is, nonetheless, far superior to having nothing at all.
The postponement of Driveway was the loss of the nucleus of road cycling in Austin. We have an unusually strong race-oriented cycling community for a city of this size, with amazing group rides and a plethora of outstanding bike shops, all of which serve to support the weekly running of one of the best criterium series in the nation. We’re fortunate to have Driveway at a time when road racing is seeing an overall decline in participation, and I think it provides a strong motivation to train for a large portion of the Austin road-cycling community.
Personally, the loss of the Driveway and group rides significantly reduced my motivation to train. Sure, there’s always Strava, but something about being dropped or struggling for breath while the person next to you continues their casual conversation seems to more thoroughly shame me into not skipping workouts.
I was present for one of the practice sessions as well as the first two races. It was so good to feel the community vibe we’ve been missing for over three months. A poorly timed meal led me to dropping out (excuses) of the first event and I was dropped this week, but I didn’t regret participating. Afterward, though, I couldn’t help but ruminate on the nagging question that’s probably on everyone’s mind: Should we be doing this?
Some googling reveals hints of upcoming USA Cycling sanctioned events, but Driveway Series seems to be one of the first to reopen. USA Cycling began accepting event permits starting on June 1st, however, organizers are still beholden to local regulations, which are limiting what’s possible in many states. Here in Texas, “adult sporting leagues” have permission to operate and, as long as it’s legal, that’s exactly what Driveway is doing.
Risk?
A scary image has made its rounds on the internet over the past few months that succinctly describes what we’re all picturing when it comes to riding in groups. Are we doing this to each other?:
The image is from a study conducted in Belgium that spread quickly through social media, probably because it’s alarming, and what better purpose does Facebook serve than to spread hysteria? The purpose of the study was to examine the possibility of COVID-19 contagion through exhaled aerosols. And though the study wasn’t as comprehensive as many were led to believe, it’s certainly worth considering in light of uncertainties about how the virus spreads.
Numerous other studies look into spread via exhaled droplets and aerosols, but none come close to simulating a peloton of heavy-breathing cyclists moving at 25+ mph in 95 degree heat and 70% humidity. How fast is the air around me dispersed? How quickly is my breath evaporating?
According to USA Cycling’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Roshon, the risk of outdoor spread of the virus is quite low. This even holds true for well-ventilated enclosed spaces, such as on airplanes.
Should we listen to Dr. Roshon? I don’t know, but the fact that the race is taking place shouldn’t remove all suspicion about whether participation is safe.
The CDC, WHO and City of Austin’s guidance surrounding the virus is certainly worth heeding if we’re to assume that the virus is present in the peloton. But what if it isn’t? Should an estimate of the likelihood that we’re coming into contact with infected individuals be part of our personal assessment of whether it’s safe to race? I’m sure this is a calculation everyone made before the event. And what about age? From a personal risk standpoint, most participants are in low-risk age groups. Still, helping to slow the spread for the greater good should be the goal for low-risk populations.
Race organizers take temperatures at the gate, don’t allow spectators, require socially distanced staging and require participants to leave immediately after the race. The only real opportunity to spread the virus is while riding within the size-limited field. If someone in the group is infected, how much are the others being exposed? Is it enough to catch COVID19?
So little is understood about how the virus spreads and, in this particular setting, even less so. If we’re to follow the ethos of taking every possible precaution against the virus, then no, racing probably isn’t recommended. But when one considers the socioeconomic position of the participants — mostly professional class knowledge workers who are able to work from home or young people who aren’t currently in school — as well as the groups and overall numbers affected by COVID19 in Austin, viewable on the dashboard, I have to wonder how likely it is that another rider is a carrier. Though I’m wearing a mask as I write this, my inconsiderate, self-justifying estimation tells me that participation is generally safe due to the low chance of encountering an affected rider, along with the (perceived) small probability of spread during a crit race.
In looking ahead at upcoming events on BikeReg, it’s unclear what’s actually taking place and what simply hasn’t been updated. My out-of-town ‘A’ event for September was just canceled, and the TXBRA calendar looks bleak, with everything but a couple of gravel events and Driveway marked as ‘Suspended’. As a goal-oriented person without much to do, I’m personally willing to take the risk and race my bike. It’s something to look forward to while everything else in life is put on hold, and the risk to myself and others is small, especially when compared to all the other risks one might encounter by spending ten hours per week on a bicycle.
I support the decision to reopen the Driveway Series. It’s a shining star with big potential on a shrinking road racing schedule. If a tiny risk must be borne for Driveway to survive, then so be it.
Race Report: TKMRR
My first opportunity to get dropped came last weekend at the 2020 Tommy Ketterhagen Memorial Road Race, presented by Holland Racing. It’s an awesome event and the first race of the season on the Texas Bicycle Racing Association Calendar.
Formerly known as the Oatmeal Road Race, the ride was held in Bertram, TX, this year and last on a punchy 16-mile loop dotted with a few punchy climbs, including one leading to the finish for a bit of extra suffering as you sprint to the line. Wind seems to be the theme of the ride, with a stiff northerly wind setting the pace on the first six miles of the course both in 2019 and this year. The sun was shining, though, and temps were just warm enough to ride with little or no cold weather gear.
The race’s namesake, Tommy Ketterhagen, was a well-known member of the Austin road cycling community. In 2017, he was fatally struck while out on a training ride by a driver who left the scene. Though it took some time, justice was eventually served in Tommy’s death as the driver was sent to prison for a ten-year sentence.
The race is a way for Tommy’s family and friends to assemble in remembrance around something that he loved to do and, for the rest of us, an wonderful display of the camaraderie in the Austin cycling community.
As a slow, fat guy, my own race outcome was known weeks in advance. For the more competitive riders, however, the field was fair game. This year saw Elevate KHS Cycling return to the podium in the P123 race. Notably, among the amateurs, Austin’s Violet Crown Sports Association podiumed in three out of four races, with last year’s Junior’s winner taking first place in the 4/5A category, another Violet Crown cyclist winning the Junior Category race, and yet another with a solo win in the P123 category.
A special shout out to the race mentors, who do an outstanding job out on the course. The roads were open, and I saw their strict enforcement of the yellow line along with their reprimand of an overly aggressive rider. Most important to me, a mentor stepped in to help a group of us Cat 5s work together in a chase group. Assembling Cat 5s into a cooperative group is like herding cats, as many riders don’t have proper instruction on forming a rotating pace line, echelon or race tactics and, instead, wallow alone, falling further behind. One particular mentor helped keep us together and provided some guidance on climbing, descending as a group and general tactics, which made my participation a significantly more productive learning experience.
It’s doubtful that many riders target TKMRR as an ‘A’ event, but it’s a great opportunity to shake off the cobwebs of our brief Texas offseason and test one’s fitness as the season opens. This chance to get into the racing mindset at the beginning of January provides a distinct advantage over some colder climes.
Next on the Texas road racing calendar is the Davy Crockett Classic in Crockett, TX, featuring a time trial, criterium and road race.
Photos here:
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