Coxsackie, NY — Disaster was narrowly avoided this year at the Trooper Brinkerhoff Memorial Race as Ken Hammond picked himself up off the tarmac without injury after a multi-rider pile up caused by two riders who locked handlebars and hit the deck.
My plan was to stick to the R-Cubed team. I overheard them prior to the race, saying they would put someone up the road and cover any other attacks.
At the end of lap one I was sitting with them in the top third of the pack. Then, at mile 17 it all fell apart! I was about 10 places back from the crash but from my point of view I saw at least six racers hit the deck. Stuck in the middle of the peleton, I saw one guy go flying into the field end-over-end!
Ken Hammond
During the Brinkerhoff race at the start of the 2016 road season, teammate Brian McManus was caught up in a crash in which he suffered a broken femur. Luckily, Hammond was able to get up from this crash without injury and continue the race.
I thankfully only had to put a hand down as I went over the bars. I looked around and decided to ride off with at least four guys still down on the road and another four or six standing around.
With the field split into fragments spread across the course, Hammond pressed on, determined to make the most of the rest of the race.
I dug deep for a long time and got a small group together until finally, at the end of lap two, I had a guy who could hold some power. We rode away together but couldn’t see anyone in front or behind us. In the last mile, I dropped him too.
Nine riders are reported as DNF for the race, likely caused either directly or indirectly by the crash.
I finished 39th of 44 in the field with 53 total starters. The crash was terrible and unfortunate for everyone involved, and I think if it hadn’t happened, my plan would have worked— I was feeling great and was in the top ten climbers. It was a good plan, but obviously with the days events, just couldn’t make it happen. Overall, I’m happy with my performance in the situation I was handed.
