GMSR 2021: Stage Racing in the Mountains of Vermont
A few things to know about the Green Mountain Stage Race (GMSR) in no particular order: There are four stages; all four stages are hard in their own particular way; the race is in Vermont; the weather is unpredictable; it’s within striking distance of Ben and Jerry’s; it’s a wonderful race and every serious racer should endeavor to do it at least once.
TBD sent a team of four to GMSR this year, unfortunately all racing in different fields. Matt Lloyd-Thomas raced in the Men’s Pro/1/2 race, Leah Goldberg was in the Women’s Pro/1/2/3 race, Alvaro Soltero was in the Men’s, and Yosef Fertel was in the Master’s/4 race. Of the four, only one – Alvaro – had done the race before. It was Leah and Yosef’s first stage race, and Matt’s first stage race since 2013.
All photos in this entry are from the GMSR Facebook page, a big thank you to the race for providing such excellent coverage.
Stage 1 - Time Trial
A 5.7-mile individual time trial where climbing is key but only half the story.
The course started with a stair-stepping climb that gained about 500 feet in elevation. Riders then took on a gradual downhill before popping up a short climb for about half a kilometer before the finish.
Alvaro was the first of the squad to go, followed by Matt, then Leah and finally Yosef. A massive headwind meant substantially slower times than the 2019 edition of the race – and Matt was particularly lucky to be able to borrow Alvaro’s aero helmet.
Stage 2 - Circuit Race
A long circuit race — not particularly selective but very fast — that usually ends in a bunch sprint.
For Matt, 111 miles. For Alvaro and Leah, 75. And for Yosef, 37.
Matt had the most eventful day: His shifting failed. After sliding to the back and quickly hopping onto an ill-fitting neutral bike, he spent 40 miles chasing with two other riders. Ultimately, he lost 8 minutes but made two friends. Pro tip: Make sure the batteries for your electronic shifters are tightly secured.
Meanwhile, Alvaro finished in the field while Yosef finished slightly behind the winners of his race. Leah, meanwhile, decided to pull out of her race.
Stage 3 - The Queen Stage
The queen stage — with three or four major climbs and a summit finish up the 20% gradients of Alpine Gap.
All three TBD racers had similar experiences of losing contact over Middlebury Gap, chasing back on, and then riding as hard as they could up to the summit of the last climbs. Matt’s race was fast from the start. After losing contact with the main field over the second of four climbs, he chased with a group of 20 and managed to catch back on just before the start of the last two climbs. He rode into the finish 8 minutes down on the leaders. Alvaro had a similar story, but stayed near the front of the bunch until the end of Alpine Gap, ultimately finishing slightly down on the leaders. And Yosef, too, was gapped over Middlebury Gap and then chased back on, finishing a few minutes down.
Stage 4 - Criterium
Turn, sprint, turn, sprint. The Burlington Criterium — a technical, 1-kilometer, 6-corner course around downtown Burlington.
Just as the racing started, the skies opened with a torrential downpour. Alvaro and Yosef smartly opted against racing the crit given the slippery conditions. Matt, whose field went last, had the good fortune of dry pavement after the rain ended. But poor positioning and an extremely fast field meant that he was quickly off the back.
Closing Thoughts on GMSR 2021
Overall, a great weekend of racing – if not a great weekend of results. The team learned a lot – Don’t lose contact over Middlebury Gap! Line up right at the front of the crit! Charge your electronic shifting! – and is now more motivated than ever to come back next year for a good result.
In a year full of twists and turns, some of our favorite posts from the TBD Journal