Events: Sourland Semi-Classic 2020
(2020) If the Hell of Hunterdon is the big show in six week’s time, the Sourland Semi-Classic is the run-up. As the Dwars van Vlaanderen is the precursor to the Tour of Flanders, the Sourland is the smattering of segments attacked in early April. The Dwars van Vlaanderen is the preview of the Spring Classic season, showcasing some of the routes and bergs at a shorter distance an approach many of the riders for Sourland mentioned for the run-up to the Hell of Hunterdon. Anticipation was high because of the beautiful weather.
Everyone was in place for the start of the Sourland Semi-Classic as some 200 participants rolled away from V5 Cycles in Flemington, NJ. The Kermesse Sport staff released the first spring classic of the season under bright sunny skies. New Jersey police controlled early intersections out of town. While the ride moved south, Shimano swag was laid out for their return. Hammer Nutrition set up the route before, during, and after with gels and drink mix. Lone Eagle Brewing, also located in Flemington, NJ, set up the finish suds. Sourland Cycles in Hopewell, NJ, was gearing up for the half-way rest stop.
The front group was a controlled explosion. The opening three miles consisted of downhill riding meaning the group swelled in numbers at a brisk pace. It was clear riders wanted to start the 2020 calendar here and now and like a jackhammer. Quickly we rode through the curtain of dust introducing the first unpaved sector. What a sight of billowing dust clouds over hedges as riders sought the left side for firmer purchase. These were the first portions of six total unpaved miles. The gravel road wound past horse farms, sending beautiful equines into a tizzy. We exited the sector and the Kermesse lead-out vehicle stepped aside. We were finally full gas.
Sector One: River Avenue was a cloudy, dusty affair with the left side being packed Jersey dirt.
The first fifteen miles of the Sourland Semi-Classic are tame. Passing through the hamlets of Three Bridges, Riverside, and Cloverhill, our group pulled the pace back on Amwell Road, heading into Neshanic. I would have none of it; I wanted to lead for just a few moments and I followed Tom, a rider I met prior to the start to the front. We rode furiously down Amwell Road. I knew what was coming. Tom would admit later he did not, for the first climb, Zion Road, watched us get swallowed by the group and spit out of the back. It is a one-and-a-half-mile climb not suited for speedy entrances. Zion Road is an enjoyable climb on this quiet back road.
We dramatically plunged down the backside of the climb and entered the middle third of the course. For the next twenty miles the route’s elevation fluctuated dramatically. I like to think there are three significant climbs in the Sourland Semi-Classic. I was proud to have stayed within sight of the dwindling lead pack going up Montgomery Road, the second climb. For the Sourland Semi-Classic, we took Montgomery Road in reverse meaning a gravel sector would be along the summit.
The gravel roads that followed from here to the end would be striking in similarity. These were not the unpaved roads of years prior. These were hard packed throughways. Any sense of gravel had to be sought near the gutters. Montgomery Road’s gravel section was downhill and fast. I scooped up riders through here. Some were pulling over to shed layers. The climbs made winter gear burdensome. A loose group, we wound our way down unique slim roads through barren trees and exposed boulders. It was exciting to have such fast conditions.
V5 hosted the finish party in fine style. Here some early finishers enjoyed post-ride pizza and libations provided by Lone Eagle Brewing.
We plunged down Hopewell Amwell Road, reversing the direction it appears on the Hell of Hunterdon in the final ten miles. This hill has crushed me time and again. Today we would enjoy its ease of passage. I had regained contact with Tom who had ripped those pulls earlier and we conversed during the pleasant descent. We plowed along one more gravel road that was similar in its pack brown sugar feel, another reversed Hell of Hunterdon sector: Aunt Molly Road. We stormed into the mid-point rest stop at Sourland Cycles. The day was heating up fast, so I declined coffee. These were perfect conditions for cramping. Coffee would hasten them.
At the rest stop I caught another rider from the star named Tom. The two Toms and I departed Sourland Cycles having resigned to easing out the day. The front group was no longer a consideration. We followed the return directions mostly north back to Flemington. The course profile tamed itself and both Toms and I conversed about how we usually find ourselves riding alone for the last portion of the ride. Who knew we would be equally paced to ride alone together? Our small group bounced back and forth with a band of about six riders. The traffic lights kept us in contact, really. We would let them loose as we picked up tailwinds more often. There were remarks just how impressive some of the back farm roads, barely a lane wide, looked in the new riding season.
We picked up tailwind to guide us back to Flemington. Here is where I started losing contact with the Toms. They caught the band of riders at a stop light in the final miles. I would catch back just in time for the lights to change and watch them gap me. The afternoon sun felt great while fighting to keep with the group. We got stuck at the final light, all of us together, and we rolled back to V5 Cycles where we split up: some went to the shop, some went to their cars to stowe gear, some went to the NICA Mountain Bike Team bike wash tent.
Early finishers of the Sourland Semi-Classic helped themselves to Lone Eagle Brewing out of Flemington, NJ.
There was excitement as riders rolled in. Kermesse Sport staff checked riders off the list then sent them over to pizza and beverages in proximity to Lone Eagle’s two taps, which were pulled regularly. Some riders scored prizes. Segafrado provided bags of coffee beans for prizes, no doubt a helpful Trek sponsorship. Shimano stocked the receiving area with Buffs and scarves. The guys I rode with shared a quick drink and a few stories, excited to have bagged the first major ride of the season. The common quote revolved around plans to deal with the Hell of Hunterdon’s nearly double amount of climbing and extra twenty miles.
We had finished the first spring classic that showcased some of the hills, dales, and sectors in store a month and a half from now. Driving home with the windows down in late February I officially gave up on the dud of a season and turned to eager anticipation for the cycling calendar. The Sourland Semi-Classic may have been a shorter distance but it was the gauge needed to assess where the fitness lie. With the precursor to the Hell of Hunterdon done and dusted, the Spring Classic Series has officially started, so too has the 2020 cycling season.
