Oh, to be a Cat5! Beautiful day for racing, sunny and cool this
morning in Sac. Race started off squirrely from the start. You could
feel the tension in the entire group of 30+ riders. Guys were
swirving, cutting, and making bad decisions right from the beginning;
I should have known bad luck was coming...and come it did. About lap
6, just past the last turn to the finish, a rider in front goes down
(for god knows what reason). We got around him and just started
accelerating, I'm on the outside curb at this point, when a kid just
in front of me loses his chain. Instead of just slowing down
gradually and allowing everyone to pass, he brakes and cuts toward the
curb! Well, going 20mph you don't really have much time to react and I
plow straight into his rear. I go over the handlebars and we both take
headers into the curb. After shouting a few choice words, I gather my
yard sale items, and get back on my bike (which was fine, thank god).
Here's where my inexperience and lack of knowing the rules come into
play. I get the free lap, which I believe to mean you can go around
the coarse once until the group catches you, then slip back in with
them...wrong! Apparently, you have to wait at the pit for them to come
around again. Welp, I got pulled and didn't finish the race. At least
I learned something for next time and came out with only a few
scrapes. I can't wait to upgrade to Cat4 though!
Joe
Monday, May 14, 2007
Golden State Crit -- Josh Rennie
It’s a wonderful (cycling) life:
Every time a bell rings, an angel makes me sprint.
First off it was a beautiful day and the course was perfect. It was you typical corporate park crit course but the road was super smooth and lots of trees around to kick back at watch the hammers of the pro/1/2 duke it out before my race.
Field was smaller than usual but still good sized at 40 riders. I had two goals for this race, only put effort out when it matters and get a top 10(need two more for upgrade). Whistle blows and race starts with typical fashion, off to a fast start then slow down. I make a point to keep a position in the first 10-15 without going to the front and wasting energy.
A couple laps go by and they ring the first prime bell. Coming out of the last corner, I was about 10 back or so and hopped on Jim’s wheel. He pulls off and I figure what the heck I’m close enough to go for it. I sprint only to be beat by a wheel right at the line. We sit up and the pack comes around. I quickly jump back in about 10 wheels in.
Several laps later, a group of three was about 20 seconds off the front. I was on the far left in the front and Jim was on the right. He glanced over to me with a nod and we both jumped on it trying to bridge up. As we are chasing the break, I hear that damn bell again. We round the final corner just as we make the catch and I take off in a sprint for the line determined not to be nipped again. I cross the line and look back to see a good 10 bike lengths to the next guy and a visualize a trail of burnt matches behind me, oops.
I tuck back in towards the front and conserve energy until the end of the race. There was a team there that had I think seven guys in the race and tried to control the race and lead out “their guy”. They lacked the strength to do so but the effort was very visible and cool to see, even masters dropped down to make a big showing(hint hint). Last lap rolls around and I have been sitting just off the front the entire race but at some point on the last half lap I am not sure what happened but I wasn’t paying attention and slotted back to about 25 back. I sprinted for the line and only managed 16th and Jim nabbed a top ten. This is the fourth crit in a row I have taken at least one prime but not been in the right spot at the finish. I am making baby steps to not wasting energy pulling the field around but need to work on the only sprinting when it counts.
Josh
Every time a bell rings, an angel makes me sprint.
First off it was a beautiful day and the course was perfect. It was you typical corporate park crit course but the road was super smooth and lots of trees around to kick back at watch the hammers of the pro/1/2 duke it out before my race.
Field was smaller than usual but still good sized at 40 riders. I had two goals for this race, only put effort out when it matters and get a top 10(need two more for upgrade). Whistle blows and race starts with typical fashion, off to a fast start then slow down. I make a point to keep a position in the first 10-15 without going to the front and wasting energy.
A couple laps go by and they ring the first prime bell. Coming out of the last corner, I was about 10 back or so and hopped on Jim’s wheel. He pulls off and I figure what the heck I’m close enough to go for it. I sprint only to be beat by a wheel right at the line. We sit up and the pack comes around. I quickly jump back in about 10 wheels in.
Several laps later, a group of three was about 20 seconds off the front. I was on the far left in the front and Jim was on the right. He glanced over to me with a nod and we both jumped on it trying to bridge up. As we are chasing the break, I hear that damn bell again. We round the final corner just as we make the catch and I take off in a sprint for the line determined not to be nipped again. I cross the line and look back to see a good 10 bike lengths to the next guy and a visualize a trail of burnt matches behind me, oops.
I tuck back in towards the front and conserve energy until the end of the race. There was a team there that had I think seven guys in the race and tried to control the race and lead out “their guy”. They lacked the strength to do so but the effort was very visible and cool to see, even masters dropped down to make a big showing(hint hint). Last lap rolls around and I have been sitting just off the front the entire race but at some point on the last half lap I am not sure what happened but I wasn’t paying attention and slotted back to about 25 back. I sprinted for the line and only managed 16th and Jim nabbed a top ten. This is the fourth crit in a row I have taken at least one prime but not been in the right spot at the finish. I am making baby steps to not wasting energy pulling the field around but need to work on the only sprinting when it counts.
Josh
Berkeley Hills -- John Marshall
The 50th running of the Berkely Hills Road Race was Saturday morning. I rode the 45+
open along with Paco, Paul, RIch and fellow from Truckee that I have not met yet. The
course circumnavigates San Pablo Dam Reservoir just over the first line of hills from
Berkeley on roads my father raced as a grad student. We raced 2.7 laps (51 miles) that
brought us over the mama/papa bear hill series 3 times, with the finish atop papa bear.
These climbs are the main selectors and are 5-8 minutes long and fairly steep. Weather
was cilly in the morning but later warmd to a perfect riding temperature. Some wind,
particulalrly a nasty head wind up mama bear.
Our race was frankly a bit wierd. Webcor had 10 riders, one of whom went off the front on
the first lap. Rich and Paul pointed out the two stronget Webcor guys that were planned to
mark and they were sitting up. Nobody chased so the lone rider got 45+ seconds on the
pack as we headed for the climbs. The first lap climbs were relatively controlled and the
entire pack stayed together. The second lap saw a few accelerations with Paul going off
the front near the bottom of mama bear. The second time through the climbs were more
intesne but not full tilt. The pack was split in half though. On the third lap, numerous
accelerations were made by solo riders on the long San Pablo Dam road stretch but
everythong was covered quickly.
Near the end of this stretched Paul siddled up to me and asked if I was ready for some
TT'ing. I nodded affirmatively and at the next opportunity (the last downhill before a right
turn off SPD raod, I jump and got a good gap, know that when I was got, Paul would go,
with RIch in reserve for the climbs. I motored alog riding the rollers with vigor and stayed
off for about 8 minutes. Paul and Rich report that the move unsettled Webcor a bit as they
had to chase. I slowed when it loked like my attempt was catch was nearing. Shortly after
I was caught, Paul jump got a gap and a strong rider bridged. With 2 riders off the front,
Webcor was under pressure again and their leader was shouting at guys to chase. A
strong man came to the front and chased down some stragglers from the 35+ 4's meriting
a nice rebuke his fellow riders as they pointed to Paul up the road. Richa and I covered the
attempt s to catch. The pack caught Paul mid-way up mama bear with a lone rider off the
front. We then raced down and set up for the final grind up papa bear. The final climb
was gruelling and not very exciting to report except that Rich , Paul and I were at the back
of the lead small group and finish well at 6 (me), 7 (Rich), 8 (Paul). I was accerlerating over
the final 50 meters and tyhe 5th place guy and I were separated by a tire width after our
exhausted bike throws (not a pretty sight going uphill at 6 mph).
As Paul and I drove back to Reno, we hashed over our strategic choices. DId our attacks
on the last lap serve any purpose? We could not honestly answer whether we would have
finish any higher had we sat and rode more defenisvely. But we concluded that that is not
the type of racing we want to do; sometimes it will work (Paul escaping at Madera),
sometimes it will be inconclusive (this time) and sometimes we will blow and limp over the
line.
Our execution of the first attacks we agreed could have been better as we could have tried
to escape together the first time. Next time. Also, in retrospect I think we lost our
aggresive edge on the final climb as we sat and looked for wheels to grab as the moves
were beng made by others. Perhaps we should have gotten, myself, Pail then RIch in a line
and grinf the f-er out and force other to react. Next time.
And thank you Mike D for the loan of sexy wheels; I thnk I won the steel bike category
(grasping, I know). Now to watch the Giro!
open along with Paco, Paul, RIch and fellow from Truckee that I have not met yet. The
course circumnavigates San Pablo Dam Reservoir just over the first line of hills from
Berkeley on roads my father raced as a grad student. We raced 2.7 laps (51 miles) that
brought us over the mama/papa bear hill series 3 times, with the finish atop papa bear.
These climbs are the main selectors and are 5-8 minutes long and fairly steep. Weather
was cilly in the morning but later warmd to a perfect riding temperature. Some wind,
particulalrly a nasty head wind up mama bear.
Our race was frankly a bit wierd. Webcor had 10 riders, one of whom went off the front on
the first lap. Rich and Paul pointed out the two stronget Webcor guys that were planned to
mark and they were sitting up. Nobody chased so the lone rider got 45+ seconds on the
pack as we headed for the climbs. The first lap climbs were relatively controlled and the
entire pack stayed together. The second lap saw a few accelerations with Paul going off
the front near the bottom of mama bear. The second time through the climbs were more
intesne but not full tilt. The pack was split in half though. On the third lap, numerous
accelerations were made by solo riders on the long San Pablo Dam road stretch but
everythong was covered quickly.
Near the end of this stretched Paul siddled up to me and asked if I was ready for some
TT'ing. I nodded affirmatively and at the next opportunity (the last downhill before a right
turn off SPD raod, I jump and got a good gap, know that when I was got, Paul would go,
with RIch in reserve for the climbs. I motored alog riding the rollers with vigor and stayed
off for about 8 minutes. Paul and Rich report that the move unsettled Webcor a bit as they
had to chase. I slowed when it loked like my attempt was catch was nearing. Shortly after
I was caught, Paul jump got a gap and a strong rider bridged. With 2 riders off the front,
Webcor was under pressure again and their leader was shouting at guys to chase. A
strong man came to the front and chased down some stragglers from the 35+ 4's meriting
a nice rebuke his fellow riders as they pointed to Paul up the road. Richa and I covered the
attempt s to catch. The pack caught Paul mid-way up mama bear with a lone rider off the
front. We then raced down and set up for the final grind up papa bear. The final climb
was gruelling and not very exciting to report except that Rich , Paul and I were at the back
of the lead small group and finish well at 6 (me), 7 (Rich), 8 (Paul). I was accerlerating over
the final 50 meters and tyhe 5th place guy and I were separated by a tire width after our
exhausted bike throws (not a pretty sight going uphill at 6 mph).
As Paul and I drove back to Reno, we hashed over our strategic choices. DId our attacks
on the last lap serve any purpose? We could not honestly answer whether we would have
finish any higher had we sat and rode more defenisvely. But we concluded that that is not
the type of racing we want to do; sometimes it will work (Paul escaping at Madera),
sometimes it will be inconclusive (this time) and sometimes we will blow and limp over the
line.
Our execution of the first attacks we agreed could have been better as we could have tried
to escape together the first time. Next time. Also, in retrospect I think we lost our
aggresive edge on the final climb as we sat and looked for wheels to grab as the moves
were beng made by others. Perhaps we should have gotten, myself, Pail then RIch in a line
and grinf the f-er out and force other to react. Next time.
And thank you Mike D for the loan of sexy wheels; I thnk I won the steel bike category
(grasping, I know). Now to watch the Giro!
Berkeley Hills -- Spencer Ericksen
I gotta say, those Berkeley boys know how to put on a good race. Registration was quick and easy, there were plenty of friendly and knowledgeable volunteers, we had follow vehicles for every field, the course was interesting and well-marked (with marshalls at every intersection), results were posted quickly, and the prizes were great. Easily worth the 200 mile drive from Reno, in my opinion.
My day started with an amusing interaction in the parking lot while I was getting ready. I was parked next to a guy from a Bay Area team (Thrid Pillar), and as we were suiting up I noticed him taking hits off an asthma inhaler. "Hey, you got a waiver for that?" I joked. He laughed and then asked if I had seen "that hilarious posting on ebay selling the Basso blood bags". Apparently, Bullisimo's humor has risen to the level of viral internet humor (just like that picture of the 70 pound house cat and the music video of the guys dancing on treadmills). Good on ya, Richard.
Now to the race: Jim Herzman and I were the only Wheelmen in the 50 rider Elite 4 field, with 52 miles and 3 trips over the set of climbs on the menu. Jim and I ended up at the back of the field after the neutral start and were content to sit there for the first 5 miles or so, watching the hammerheads take turns towing the group into the wind. On the long descent down San Pablo Dam road, I coasted my way into the leading 10 riders and stayed there all the way to the climbs. The group strung out and then split in front of me on the first climb (mama bear). The gap was small and not too worrisome, but I noticed that all the hammers that had been towing us for 13 miles were in that lead group. So I bridged up on the crest over mama bear, figuring I should keep an eye on those guys and stay close in case they decided to attack. Jim wasn't too far behind me, but he stayed tucked in the pack. Well, the little split on that first climb turned out to be THE move of the race, as our group of 9 improbably stayed away the rest of the race. The gap back to the pack was so small by the top of the second climb (papa bear), that most of us in the break were sitting up and waiting for the catch. But one of the original hammers in our group came storming by, saying something like "we might as well give it a go" and then started bombing down the descent. I was unconvinced, but grabbed his wheel anyway and let him pull all the way down the mountain. By the time we got back onto San Pablo Dam road, our gap was large enough that it made sense to commit to the break, so we organized a rotating paceline and went for it. The only team with 2 guys in the break was Berkeley, and everyone else was solo, so there wasn't much game playing and everyone took their pulls.
Fast forward another lap, and it's still status quo in the break. We'd lost 2 guys due to punctures, but the 7 of us left were still trading pulls. I started worrying that we'd get caught, though, since the break really wasn't working very hard. My heart rate had come down to 150, and a few of the people left in the break were definitely dead weight. I took a few strong pulls to test the group, but it was clear no one was weak enough to be easily dropped. Then, the moto came by and told us we had a 3 minute gap to the first chase and that sealed the deal: nice easy run into the finish, sprint for finish line at the top of papa bear. After the descent off mama bear, the stronger of the two Berkeley guys rotated to the front for his pull and, as if by unanimous consent, the rest of us just left him on the front. We came onto the flanks of papa bear, and Berkeley was still going pretty strong, with me sitting 3rd wheel. When we passed the 1k to go sign, Berk put in an acceleration and opened a little gap on the rider in front of me. I hung back on number 2's wheel, the gap started growing, and number 2 finally seemed to panic with a "There he goes!" comment. I came around to start closing the gap, wheelsucker number 2 grabbed MY wheel, and it was 9 mph mayhem for the last 300 yards. Number 2 launched by me with about 100 yards to go and ended up catching and passing Berk for the win. I was slowly closing the gap on Berk, but my legs ran out of pep even before I ran out of room, and I crossed the line 3rd about 10 yards back. The rest of the guys in the break had given up long before, and it was a good 50 yards back to 4th place.
All in all, a great race. I cooled down, rode back to the start line, and had just enough time to towel off and down a recovery drink before the results were posted and I got my podium call. Third place was good enough for $20, a bottle of Stonehouse Olive Oil, a T-shirt, a water bottle, and a handful of Gu's all in a cloth Stonehouse grocery bag. The T-shirt didn't achieve the high level of fashion statement that the Velo Promo ones do, but I was nevertheless much impressed. And with that result, I get to end my fun in the 4's and move to a whole new level of suffering in the Elite 3's. Yippee! :-)
Next up, Mt Hamilton Road Race on Memorial Day weekend.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Pinenut Cracker -- Josh Rennie
I received my initiation into the mtn. bike world yesterday with the Pinenut cracker race in Minden. I signed up as a beginner because that's what is on my norba licence and I was alright with that as the only four other times I rode a mtn. bike was during the cyclocross races.
I roll up to the race and there were a lot of RW jerseys but I didn't recognize most of them for reason stated above. I sign in and then find out that I can race the sport class by just asking; I wish upgrading on the road was this easy. I already have my number on the bike(not jersey, just weird) so I stay. They started the race in several waves first with the expert/pro then a couple minutes later was the sport 19+/women, couple more minutes sport 40+ then finally us lowly beginners. I got the advise that the best thing to do in a mountain bike race was just go for it right from the start so that is what I did.
After a couple of miles I came to the first granny gear climb(which the race promoters were nice enough to mark as such) and at this point I left the beginners and was rapidly making catches on the 40+ and some women. This is where I didn't like mountain bike racing, trying to pass on single track and then the bottle neck on the climb resulting in me getting off and running because three guys couldn't make it. I continued to motor up the climbs and when I reached the top I figured I had enough lead on the rest of my class to coast on the single track descent and keep it upright.
My asphalt loving really shown through on the rolling descent. I was riding just in front of a woman in the sport class. I asked her if she wanted to pass and she said, that's ok you leave me on the hills. I told her I preferred the road and it all seemed to make sense to her at that point. She said "You guys(roadies) go great uphill but suck going down" I know a couple of guys that would take offense to that but it was pretty accurate for me so I just laughed. I cruised back to the start/finish line a couple minutes ahead and still with all the skin I started with.
Give me asphalt, skinny tires and 98 other guys dive bombing a corner any day.
Josh
I roll up to the race and there were a lot of RW jerseys but I didn't recognize most of them for reason stated above. I sign in and then find out that I can race the sport class by just asking; I wish upgrading on the road was this easy. I already have my number on the bike(not jersey, just weird) so I stay. They started the race in several waves first with the expert/pro then a couple minutes later was the sport 19+/women, couple more minutes sport 40+ then finally us lowly beginners. I got the advise that the best thing to do in a mountain bike race was just go for it right from the start so that is what I did.
After a couple of miles I came to the first granny gear climb(which the race promoters were nice enough to mark as such) and at this point I left the beginners and was rapidly making catches on the 40+ and some women. This is where I didn't like mountain bike racing, trying to pass on single track and then the bottle neck on the climb resulting in me getting off and running because three guys couldn't make it. I continued to motor up the climbs and when I reached the top I figured I had enough lead on the rest of my class to coast on the single track descent and keep it upright.
My asphalt loving really shown through on the rolling descent. I was riding just in front of a woman in the sport class. I asked her if she wanted to pass and she said, that's ok you leave me on the hills. I told her I preferred the road and it all seemed to make sense to her at that point. She said "You guys(roadies) go great uphill but suck going down" I know a couple of guys that would take offense to that but it was pretty accurate for me so I just laughed. I cruised back to the start/finish line a couple minutes ahead and still with all the skin I started with.
Give me asphalt, skinny tires and 98 other guys dive bombing a corner any day.
Josh
Madera -- Darin Olde
Cat 4 Madera Report – WARNING: Maximum MAXIMUM verbosity!
Truthfully, I didn't want to race Madera. Having raced last year in
the blistering heat and having to hitch-hike from the crit to the TT
only to have the race results botched (after a timing mishap) made
the whole thing lackluster. But, this was a team RW event. Spencer
Erickson was lobbying hard for support, and with Cat 4 races filling
up nearly a month in advance, I decided to jump in.
My motives were somewhat different. I needed only 2 more mass-start
races as a Cat 4 to upgrade, hence this would seal the deal,
regardless of the result. That means I was free to do anything – a
proverbial loose canon – an unpredictable wild card to harass and
harangue anyone content to hang in the pack – a completely free
ticket to mess it all up for conservative favorites. Oh boy!
Not to say I wasn't going to work. Dimitri Hallerbach switched
categories to join Spencer and I. So I was clear with the group in my
intentions: Force a break, block, or provide leadouts - and hopefully
with advance notice.
Crit: Everybody was saving energy for the TT. Nearly 15 minutes deep
into a 45 minute race and not a prime to be had, nor an attack. I
launched off the front. No one chased. Dimitri blocked. Of course, on
that lap – ding, ding, ding – and the pack would chase catching me on
the final corner heading for the prime. Spencer then countered. A
break began to form. I stayed in the pack and attempted to block. No
dice. Later, we would try again with other riders, but the pack
wouldn't have it. In the final lap Spencer was in good position. I
attempted a leadout on the inside, but there were too many strong
riders willing to do the same. I finished 7th, Spencer just outside
the top 10, and Dimitri not far behind. More team practice and
communication on my part would definitely have helped.
TT: Heat, heat, heat. I decided to do a little research on heat-
related emergencies. A common thread: Heat Cramps may often be
followed by Heat Exhaustion, and in the worst case, may progress to
Heat Stroke. We were all strong enough to drink beer later that
night, so I don't think we suffered THAT bad. But holy freakin' hot!
Both heat emergencies, among many other symptoms, may be accompanied
by Altered Mental Status. And this, friends, is my long-winded,
highfalutin way to explain why I missed my first turn and went off
course. The real reason, of course, is that I'm an idiot. But, had I
NOT borrowed Paul Gossi's aerobars and TT helmet, I might have been
dead last – (save the rider who took a tour of the women's prison –
which you may also hear about). Stupid bike racing, indeed. Spencer
faired slightly better, finishing about 2:30 back, but suffered from
the heat as well. And Dimitri… I think we might need an exclusive
report here – and don't spare any details, please ;)
RR: So with nothing to lose, the plan would be simple: Attack as
often as possible, hopefully with enough non-GC contenders in a break
that the leaders would allow. Or make them chase – ALL DAY. And
attack we did, on the flats, on the crappy concrete, on the hills,
and on every lap save the first. Fortunately, there were enough
riders with the same idea. And while a break never succeeded, the
leaders, or their teams chased ALL DAY. With the pack now cut in
half, Spencer and I sat in on the last section of crappy pavement,
knowing that the field was tired, but would continue to chase. As the
pace ramped up, and the rollers approached we stayed out of the wind,
but near the front. I approached on Spencer's left, letting him know
that I was there. He moved onto my wheel and as the final roller
approached we sprinted, passing several riders. I pulled to the right
and continued driving. There were three wheels jockeying for the
line, and as I pushed the bike forward in that final moment, I was a
half-wheel ahead. I turned to the second-place rider, and saw Spencer
and his big %&^# – eating grin staring back. We finished 1-2, with a
simultaneous "Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah!!" to punctuate the finish.
Ah… bike racing.
Truthfully, I didn't want to race Madera. Having raced last year in
the blistering heat and having to hitch-hike from the crit to the TT
only to have the race results botched (after a timing mishap) made
the whole thing lackluster. But, this was a team RW event. Spencer
Erickson was lobbying hard for support, and with Cat 4 races filling
up nearly a month in advance, I decided to jump in.
My motives were somewhat different. I needed only 2 more mass-start
races as a Cat 4 to upgrade, hence this would seal the deal,
regardless of the result. That means I was free to do anything – a
proverbial loose canon – an unpredictable wild card to harass and
harangue anyone content to hang in the pack – a completely free
ticket to mess it all up for conservative favorites. Oh boy!
Not to say I wasn't going to work. Dimitri Hallerbach switched
categories to join Spencer and I. So I was clear with the group in my
intentions: Force a break, block, or provide leadouts - and hopefully
with advance notice.
Crit: Everybody was saving energy for the TT. Nearly 15 minutes deep
into a 45 minute race and not a prime to be had, nor an attack. I
launched off the front. No one chased. Dimitri blocked. Of course, on
that lap – ding, ding, ding – and the pack would chase catching me on
the final corner heading for the prime. Spencer then countered. A
break began to form. I stayed in the pack and attempted to block. No
dice. Later, we would try again with other riders, but the pack
wouldn't have it. In the final lap Spencer was in good position. I
attempted a leadout on the inside, but there were too many strong
riders willing to do the same. I finished 7th, Spencer just outside
the top 10, and Dimitri not far behind. More team practice and
communication on my part would definitely have helped.
TT: Heat, heat, heat. I decided to do a little research on heat-
related emergencies. A common thread: Heat Cramps may often be
followed by Heat Exhaustion, and in the worst case, may progress to
Heat Stroke. We were all strong enough to drink beer later that
night, so I don't think we suffered THAT bad. But holy freakin' hot!
Both heat emergencies, among many other symptoms, may be accompanied
by Altered Mental Status. And this, friends, is my long-winded,
highfalutin way to explain why I missed my first turn and went off
course. The real reason, of course, is that I'm an idiot. But, had I
NOT borrowed Paul Gossi's aerobars and TT helmet, I might have been
dead last – (save the rider who took a tour of the women's prison –
which you may also hear about). Stupid bike racing, indeed. Spencer
faired slightly better, finishing about 2:30 back, but suffered from
the heat as well. And Dimitri… I think we might need an exclusive
report here – and don't spare any details, please ;)
RR: So with nothing to lose, the plan would be simple: Attack as
often as possible, hopefully with enough non-GC contenders in a break
that the leaders would allow. Or make them chase – ALL DAY. And
attack we did, on the flats, on the crappy concrete, on the hills,
and on every lap save the first. Fortunately, there were enough
riders with the same idea. And while a break never succeeded, the
leaders, or their teams chased ALL DAY. With the pack now cut in
half, Spencer and I sat in on the last section of crappy pavement,
knowing that the field was tired, but would continue to chase. As the
pace ramped up, and the rollers approached we stayed out of the wind,
but near the front. I approached on Spencer's left, letting him know
that I was there. He moved onto my wheel and as the final roller
approached we sprinted, passing several riders. I pulled to the right
and continued driving. There were three wheels jockeying for the
line, and as I pushed the bike forward in that final moment, I was a
half-wheel ahead. I turned to the second-place rider, and saw Spencer
and his big %&^# – eating grin staring back. We finished 1-2, with a
simultaneous "Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah!!" to punctuate the finish.
Ah… bike racing.
Madera -- Marian Jamison
think that probably two words best sum up the
weekend - hot, and goatheads. Why didn't anybody tell
me that Madera was the goathead capital of the world?
But alas.
Anywho, the crit, pretty much a glorified air center
course, was pretty hard for me. We raced with the
1/2's (I'm a 3) and I haven't done enough racing this
year to feel comfortable in a pack that size. I spent
the whole thing just trying to hang on a wheel, and
was successful until the final spring, in which I
took, er, 2nd to last I think.
Anywho, got to the car after the crit and had,
surprise surprise, a flat tire. Great. So we drove
out to the TT and parked coincidentally next to Darin
and Spencer. They got done with their TT and from the
way they made it sound, it was hot indeed. That made
me nervous. Plus it sounded like EVERYONE went off
course, so I was determined to atleast make all the
turns. I dunno, maybe it's just their TT helmets,
because by the time I got out there, under the ominous
warning of "drink lots of water, it's hotter then you
think," the heat didn't seem quite as bad as I'd
expected. I was feeling pretty good and since it was
a pretty short race I felt like I could push it a
little harder then I would for, say, the district TT.
I caught my minute girl, my 1:30, and 2 minute girls,
and I could see 2:30 and 3:00 not too far ahead, and I
was steadily closing the gap with about two miles to
go. And then, I flatted. Wheel be damned, I decided
to ride it in, but it definitely slowed me down.
Still, I ended up sixth, even though I think I would
have been 3rd or 4th without the flat. Lame. Oh
well.
Anyway, went out to dinner and ended up sitting at a
table with a couple of colorful individuals from the
Truckee RW contingent, who amused me throughout
dinner. But it's good, you know, 'cause I didn't know
hardly anyone before, so it's nice to feel like a
team.
Anyway, for the RR we did 4 laps, which ended up being
65 miles. We were lucky enough to get a little bit of
cloud cover in the afternoon, which made all the
difference in the temperature. I ended up drinking 6
bottles throughout the race, although a few of them
got dumped over my head. They raced us with the 1/2's
again, but no one was really attacking until the last
hill after the feed zone, so it wasn't too intense.
The bad pavement was really really bad. Anyway, long
story short, I managed to stay with the lead group (we
dropped a few people, but were reletively cohesive)
and didn't sprint soon enough so I ended up 7th. But
I held on to 6th in the GC and won a t-shirt that I
will never wear. Worth my $70 entry fee? Absolutely.
Marian
weekend - hot, and goatheads. Why didn't anybody tell
me that Madera was the goathead capital of the world?
But alas.
Anywho, the crit, pretty much a glorified air center
course, was pretty hard for me. We raced with the
1/2's (I'm a 3) and I haven't done enough racing this
year to feel comfortable in a pack that size. I spent
the whole thing just trying to hang on a wheel, and
was successful until the final spring, in which I
took, er, 2nd to last I think.
Anywho, got to the car after the crit and had,
surprise surprise, a flat tire. Great. So we drove
out to the TT and parked coincidentally next to Darin
and Spencer. They got done with their TT and from the
way they made it sound, it was hot indeed. That made
me nervous. Plus it sounded like EVERYONE went off
course, so I was determined to atleast make all the
turns. I dunno, maybe it's just their TT helmets,
because by the time I got out there, under the ominous
warning of "drink lots of water, it's hotter then you
think," the heat didn't seem quite as bad as I'd
expected. I was feeling pretty good and since it was
a pretty short race I felt like I could push it a
little harder then I would for, say, the district TT.
I caught my minute girl, my 1:30, and 2 minute girls,
and I could see 2:30 and 3:00 not too far ahead, and I
was steadily closing the gap with about two miles to
go. And then, I flatted. Wheel be damned, I decided
to ride it in, but it definitely slowed me down.
Still, I ended up sixth, even though I think I would
have been 3rd or 4th without the flat. Lame. Oh
well.
Anyway, went out to dinner and ended up sitting at a
table with a couple of colorful individuals from the
Truckee RW contingent, who amused me throughout
dinner. But it's good, you know, 'cause I didn't know
hardly anyone before, so it's nice to feel like a
team.
Anyway, for the RR we did 4 laps, which ended up being
65 miles. We were lucky enough to get a little bit of
cloud cover in the afternoon, which made all the
difference in the temperature. I ended up drinking 6
bottles throughout the race, although a few of them
got dumped over my head. They raced us with the 1/2's
again, but no one was really attacking until the last
hill after the feed zone, so it wasn't too intense.
The bad pavement was really really bad. Anyway, long
story short, I managed to stay with the lead group (we
dropped a few people, but were reletively cohesive)
and didn't sprint soon enough so I ended up 7th. But
I held on to 6th in the GC and won a t-shirt that I
will never wear. Worth my $70 entry fee? Absolutely.
Marian
Madera -- Christine Anderson
Well said, Jenny - mad...era. I showed up hoping for anything other
than last place, considering I've been training for all of a month
this year. Flatted on the railroad tracks in the crit but took my
free lap & got back in. However, I spent most of the time moving
backwards on the corners & forward (doing all the work) in between.
Drafting's usually better in a crit. Finished pretty much with the
pack.
My flat for the TT happened about 10 minutes before it started, so I
had time to change that one. Thought I rode pretty hard, & I
actually passed 3 people. (Granted, one of them was sitting up with
her hands on top of the bars.) Only one girl passed me, & after she
did, I was able to stay with her until the finish. I figured, 18
girls, I passed 3, probably 15th place or maybe 14th, knowing my mad
TT skills.
Next day, however, I found out I'd gotten 8th - for me, that's a darn
good TT, but it meant now that I actually had something to do in the
RR. I'd told the girls the night before, only half-joking, that I
was hoping for a flat the next day so I wouldn't have to ride 51
miles in the 127 degree temps. I didn't warm up because of the heat,
but sat on the front during the promenade, planning on warming up &
controlling the speed of the girls up the hill - worked just as
planned. However, my wish from the night before came true 1/4 mile
into the race - pothole, hisssssss! I could still see Jenny's car
that had just passed us on the horizon but it was too late. Luckily,
Mike & John (thank you! thank you! thank you!) passed me a few
minutes later & fixed me up, along with a spare tube & pump in my
back pocket. Another girl up the road flatted also, so we rode most
of the rest of the course together. I'm not sure she thought
finishing all 3 laps was a great idea, but she was a good sport &
rode it with me anyway. Overall, I couldn't be that upset - I
haven't lost as much fitness as I thought, & it was still fun hangin'
out & meeting everyone.
What I learned: Don't wish for flats!
than last place, considering I've been training for all of a month
this year. Flatted on the railroad tracks in the crit but took my
free lap & got back in. However, I spent most of the time moving
backwards on the corners & forward (doing all the work) in between.
Drafting's usually better in a crit. Finished pretty much with the
pack.
My flat for the TT happened about 10 minutes before it started, so I
had time to change that one. Thought I rode pretty hard, & I
actually passed 3 people. (Granted, one of them was sitting up with
her hands on top of the bars.) Only one girl passed me, & after she
did, I was able to stay with her until the finish. I figured, 18
girls, I passed 3, probably 15th place or maybe 14th, knowing my mad
TT skills.
Next day, however, I found out I'd gotten 8th - for me, that's a darn
good TT, but it meant now that I actually had something to do in the
RR. I'd told the girls the night before, only half-joking, that I
was hoping for a flat the next day so I wouldn't have to ride 51
miles in the 127 degree temps. I didn't warm up because of the heat,
but sat on the front during the promenade, planning on warming up &
controlling the speed of the girls up the hill - worked just as
planned. However, my wish from the night before came true 1/4 mile
into the race - pothole, hisssssss! I could still see Jenny's car
that had just passed us on the horizon but it was too late. Luckily,
Mike & John (thank you! thank you! thank you!) passed me a few
minutes later & fixed me up, along with a spare tube & pump in my
back pocket. Another girl up the road flatted also, so we rode most
of the rest of the course together. I'm not sure she thought
finishing all 3 laps was a great idea, but she was a good sport &
rode it with me anyway. Overall, I couldn't be that upset - I
haven't lost as much fitness as I thought, & it was still fun hangin'
out & meeting everyone.
What I learned: Don't wish for flats!
Madera -- Joe Sullivan
Rode E5s, only 15 in the group. As you can imagine, everyone pretty much stuck together in the crit. I was able to break away to snag some prem points, but with two laps to go I flatted out. Unbeknownst to me, there was no free lap rule under 5 laps...this really screwed me in th GC. So, I went into the TT about 4 min. behind the leader, but ended up doing well and finishing 4th in the stage. Not bad, considering I was 1 of 2 riders who didn't have a TT bike. However, I didn't make up any time overall. Road race was line pacing...the entire 50 miles! One by one, we popped off people, and ended up with 6 of us. The only exciting thing that happened was one guy that attacked in the loopdy-loops; the rest of us worked together and reeled him in in no time. Well, the mishaps continued for me: with 6 mi. to go my front brakes clamped down on my wheel. This is the second damn time this has happened to me in a race (happened at UNR crit too). Not much you can do except stop and open the brakes up. I have no explanation for how this happens! Has this happened to anyone else? I think I ended up finishing about 6th or 7th overall...I haven't seen the final results. Other than the bike malfunctions and blistering heat, I had a great time. It was good meeting some of the wheelmen and doing my first stage race!
Joe
Joe
Madera -- Jenny Frayer
Mad…era. Yep, that’s what it was for me. Either I had heat exhaustion or was suffering from a 3 day hot flash, still not quite sure which of the two it was. I had fun in the crit, but it went down hill from there- my body just didn’t like all that heat this weekend and wouldn’t let me ride to my potential. Next year…..there will be redemption. But, I had a great time anyway. As Paul Gossi said at dinner Saturday night, our goal as Team RW members this year was to make a presence as a Reno Wheelmen Team at some of the Nor Cal races. We did that and more and I am so proud of all of you who showed up and raced your hearts out. And the icing on the cake was the awesome placings we had in so many of the events!!! Congratulations to you all!!!!
We did have 4 RW women out there racing. Besides myself in the 35+ group, we had Christine Andersen and Danielle Griffo in the women’s 4’s and Marian Jamison in the Women’s 3’s. Christine and Danielle were doing quite well in the 4’s but I don’t know how it all ended up after the RR. Marian hung with the pack in the crit (the 1, 2 and 3’s all raced together) and was having the TT of her life when she flatted 2 miles from the finish. Marian rode in on her flat and still posted a faster time than a lot of the other women including myself. She was looking good when I passed her in the rr on the way out as she and the 4’s had the 11:00 start. Marian and Christine we’d love to hear how it went for you.
What I learned.
- Do not park in the center divider at the Mad-era crit course. There were more goat heads there than in the entire State of Nevada.
- Do not wear a TT helmet when riding in a TT when the temp is over 95 degrees and you are already suffering from the heat exhaustion. It is really hard to pour water over your head with a TT helmet on.
- In a stage race when it is really hot, try to get your core body temp down in between stages. I should have checked into the hotel between the crit and the TT and sat in the pool so as to get myself cooled off.
- When all else fails in a rr, stop at the feed zone and help the neutral support feed – it is way gratifying when you can lend a bit of support to anyone still out there suffering.
j
Madera -- Mike Damon
The crit went pretty much as expected. I chased some early attacks for the first half or so and tried to stay up near the front on the premes just in case someone wanted to try an attack just afterward…but that never happened. About 5 laps from the finished I tried to sit in and rest for a planned leadout for Paul in the second to last lap. Alas that lap came and I pulled up beside Paul, but it just wasn’t right so he waved me off. I sat along waiting for the next lap to see if something would happen, but alas, nothing again. I’m not sure whether I could have been much help in a lead out as the pace had really amped up by then, but I was willing to try. Oh well…I did my best to stay up in the final sprint just so I wouldn’t get any gaps and consequent time penalties. Bubba made an awesome escape simply by powering away, so I picked up a 2 second gap/penalty anyway. On top of Bubba’s 20 second 1st place bonus and one five-second preme I was now 27 seconds back in 13th place. In the end, it was a clean safe race with no crashes. The team was real active throughout, which made it pretty fun. Although it was hot, I didn’t think it was too bad, as the breeze from riding seemed to cool things down a bit.
On to the time trial. I felt pretty good, especially after some cute gal commented about how she liked my fancy disk wheel. No comment about the rider though. It was very hot, but on good advise, I soaked myself with water before the start (Race Prep Tip #1). This, I found, was very helpful. By this time we had also heard that many riders had missed turns, so I was sure to be vigilant for every one. Someone gave me a little tip to help. First leg 4 miles, second leg 2 miles, third leg 3 miles, and 1 mile for the finish. That’s 10 miles, but some how someone snuck another .7 in somewhere, cuz the final distance was 10.7. Two miles in my heartrate set a new high for the season of 185. Images of blood vessels in my head bursting and squirting all over the road kept passing through my mind. I didn’t know if I could stay at that level for too long, but overall felt O.K. I passed my 30 second man about 3 miles out, and could see I was gaining on my minute man. Caught him about 5 miles out. Then about 8 miles in I get passed by a Morgan Stanley rider who started a minute after me. I did my best to keep pace with him on the way in, again pushing my heartrate to a new limit of 192. I started counting down to the inevitable explosion. I really think the combination of altitude and heat pushes the heartrate higher than normal….but I’m not sure. Just a theory at this point. Luckily I never exploded as this would have messed up my wheel.
Anyway, I thought I was doing O.K, but finished 12th…I guess that’s O.K. Average speed was 25mph. This moved me up one notch to 12th on G.C. And the guy who passed me took second behind Bubba, so I didn’t feel so bad.
In the road race, we were lucky to have the morning start (a little cooler). I run into Bubba and advised him that if he had a Wheelmen jersey on he would have 10 guys working for him today. Didn’t seem to bother him much. First lap was pretty quick but then settled down as we hit the rough section. Here is where John Marshall went off the front. I was trying to just stay in whatever group included Paul and Bubba. Soon Paul sprints up and bridges to John, but Bubba doesn’t react. Could it have been any better? Both our key guys are in the break, and the top opponent is back here with us. Greg B. rides up to me and says it looks like we just got a vacation! The pack stays together through the hills till we start decending and then Bubba attacks. We all chase him down, then he attacks again. On about the 5th time, the pack can’t (or won’t chase). Jonathan bridges up to Bubba, and I see that I’m being left behind so I bridge up behind Jonathan. But when Bubba is going full tilt, bridging up takes virtually everything. Just as I make the gap, Bubba puts in another effort and splits the group, taking only two other riders with him. Unfortunately, I’m behind the split and too blown to chase back up, so I sit up and rejoin the main pack. In retrospect, this was the critical moment, and I should have dug deeper to stay with Bubba. I’m not doing too well with strategy.
I notice that Bubba is up the road about 30 seconds or so, but not much more. I tried to rally a few folks to chase, but nobody wanted to. Greg wisely comes up and asks me why I’m so stupidly riding at the front. Duh…he’s right. Bad strategy…so I’m a little too eager. I settle down, but all these other riders just sit on my wheel, regardless of how much I slow down or swerve. I call them a bunch of names, but they won’t stop harassing me. Fine…see ya later. I slow down a little, then sprint away to give my best shot to catch the group with Bubba. I assumed no one was helping him, so I hoped he would eventually tire. Bubba tire before me...dream on! I got a few hundred yards ahead and a motorcycle rides up and tells me Bubba’s group is 30 seconds up the road and the front group is 1 minute up. GOOD NEWS! I LOVE THESE MOTORCYCLE GUYS!! Cool…maybe I can make it! It’s TT for the next several miles, and I can see the group ahead. I see Wheelmen jerseys. It looks like they’re all back together. I’m excited as for once it looks like I’ll make the bridge. As I just make the catch, a motorcycle drops back, checks my number, and tells me to come to the other side of the line to come around these guys. “What are you talking about??” I ask.
He advises me that these are the 4’s, and my group is further up the road. “How much further?” I ask. “Oh….see those telephone poles up there. Just past them.” Yeah right….I’m not catching them. I HATE THESE MOTORCYCLE GUYS!!
Now I have to decide whether to try to pull some time on the group behind me, or just fall back and socialize. I just figured to keep a moderate pace, and eventually I get caught about a full lap from where I left. Ride together til the end, and sprint it off with Greg (who was 2 seconds behind me) only to lose that one. Oh well…best workout I’ve had in a long time.
Funny thing was while finishing the 3rd lap with the group, all the scenery looked new, even though I’d been through there twice before. When you’re riding hard, you just don’t notice a whole lot of scenery. I can’t comment much about the action up front since, as usual, I wasn’t there.
Best of all, it was great fun riding with all the Reno and Truckee guys and being part of a team. Cudos to John and Paul for some stellar riding. I hope I can be like them someday. At least my TT wheel is cooler!
See y’all Tuesday night.
Madera -- John Marshall
Shawn’s report gives the basics regarding weather, schedule, etc.
We had been looking forward to Madera for some time as we had 9 riders in the division plus Paco in the 55+ that ran simultaneously. Attendees were Paul G., Gregg, Mike D., Doug G., Jonathan, Barney, Sven, Jeff G., Paco and myself. I think 22 total Team RW riders present across 5(?) divisions, Great team showing!
In the crit, we tried to keep the breaks under control and snatch up available time premes while permitting Paul (our top GC contender) run as he pleased. For the most part we succeeded in keeping things together — certainly to the point of having the main team opponent (Morgan Stanley) pissed off at us. I had assinged myself the task of sitting back and waiting for the final five laps to help Paul if need but to conserve energy for the TT (the prime “sorting hat” as Paul noted for this stage race). I failed to keep to this role as I ws active with no particular results (going for one preme from .5 lap out; hanging on to a break, etc.). In the end Bubba got away in the final several laps to wim (20 sec. bonus plus 20(?) sec. time advantage over the field. Not good to spot this guy 40 seconds in the first stage. Gregg raced well, he nearly nabbed a preme and got 3rd in the finale to get a 5 sec. bonus. Be thinking about how we can work for Gregg in the District crit championship. In general, I think we functioned about as good as we can expect from our first race together. The open 45s present a range of talents, from national champs down to guys riding their first races. We need to communicate more during the race both on an instinctual level (gained form racing a lot together) and openly. But that will come from time.
After the race we grabbed sandwiches and crashed on the grass and tried to relax in prep for the TT in 2 hours. Legs up, liquids down.
The TT for me was the first time I had really ridden my new TT bike position (new stem that lowered by shoulders dramatically. In prep, I tried to do some streching the night/morning before, but as I took off and for the first 4 miles, I could feel muscles in my hindquarters hitherto unknown to me. I managed to hit all the corners but I had a hard time maintaining a decent cadence/gearing pattern. I would have to slip up a gear every so often as my body rebelled. Without data of any kind, I had no idea of my performance. But I will say that the team presence provided my final motivational resort over the last 2 miles of pain. And let me say that the long-sleeved skin suit in 90+ heat is treat! Because no results were available until the next morning, not idea of the time – nobody passed me though.
After a great dinner with the team — we gotta get Barney’s girlfriend (former 10 year pro) to teach us a few things — and weird night — the power kept going out — we arrived at the RR venue for an 8ish start. Up came the TT result and I sat 4th, Paul 7th (15 secs from me), Mike D. 12th, Gregg 13. Bubba beat the field by 30 or so seconds so he had a minute plus on every one. An Organ Manley rider was second, with Kurt B. in 3rd. Note but the TT. I went 10 seconds faster two years ago on the same course with substantially less fitness — such was the effect of the heat (and headwind?).
A quick tactical discussion has us watching for Morgan Stanley and VOS (Kurt’s team) to attack Bubba early. We needed to make sure that either Paul or I the right break to make Bubba work and tire him out. MS attacked right away, seemed like various efforts chased and by the first right had corner we had come back together. Near the Roubaix section on the first of three laps, Kurt wandered off the front. He hung a bit. I then came up and we nooddled along trading fake pulls to look like we were making a break knowing that without an MS rider we would be chased down. Then riders starting bridging up. First couple were minor teams, then an MS rider; we bean to get serious. The the Morgan Stanley lead GC rider joined us (I had his number imprinted) and then Paul bridged up solo and we were off riding hard. Through the rollers and down the long eastern side we generally rotated well and hard. At the start of the second rollers the moto came up and said we had a couple minutes on the field with several riders in between (Note: First race with a moto!!!!) We came through the rollers disorganized but riding generally hard. At the corning starting lap three we were got by Bubba and two other riders. An impressive display of bridging ability given that Bubba likely did most of the work.
Once together with Bubba we had to attack him. After a couple of feeble efforts, Paul and the MS rider went off together for about 3-4 miles. Bubba did most of the work chasing down aided by VOS a bit since they had nobody up the road. After Paul was caught, a chased a rider who went off solo and Bubba chased catching me relatively quickly. Then Paul attacked solo. With about half a lap to go. Paul kept off the front and forced Bubba to chase (I was glued to his wheel). Kurt and the MS rider helped chased a bit but mainly Bubba was on the front. As we got closer to the finish it became clear that Paul would stay away. Would he make the necessary 1minute plus to catch Bubba? We came in over the rollers and Kurt, the MS guy and I put distance on the rest of the front group with Bubba hanging tough just behind. I could not hold Kurt and the MS rider on the final hill for a forth place finish.
In the end, Paul did not get back enough time to go with his first place bonus time to crack the top 3. So Paul won the RR stage and I got 4th. For the final GC Paul got 4th and I 5th. As Kurt notes, Reno rider placed 4 out of the top 5 in the GC (sure would be nice to be all from the same team).
Madera -- Shawn Pearson
Loads of great reports to come out of madera and I don't want to spoil any of them, but I'll share mine....
Drove down with Dimitri H. on Friday afternoon. Hit a little traffic through Stockton and Modesto, but we made good enough time to get to the road course and preride a little bit of it. Wow was it hot! Got to the hotel, checked in and then went to a divey Mexican joint for the best shrimp burrito I've ever had.
Saturday was a late start for me... my crit didn't go till 1:30 (which really ended up being 1:50). It was super hot (a record breaking 97 degrees) and I thing I drank about a half gallon of water and a quart of Gatorade just warming up. Troublingly, I got a flat about five minutes before the start, so I had to swap out a zooty race rear wheel for a less preferred rear (no power data either). The race was really not all that hard, but I raced it conservatively, trying not to burn up too much mojo in the heat. A break went up the road with Hernando, Larry Nolan and Brian Bosch in it. The break stayed away, and Larry got the time bonuses every time the bell rang. I came in an uneventful 12th or so, 17 seconds down on the break.
Went back to the car, drank another quart of Gatorade, ate a bagel, and drove to the TT course, where I'd be racing in two hours. The TT is basically a rectangle. Uh, a poorly marked rectangle at that (loads of people missed turns, and not just in the lower cats. One of the top AMD TT'ers rode himself out of contention on GC because of the poor markings on the course). The course circumnavigates an almond grove. I parked, got the trainer out, warmed up, drank a little more Gatorade and a little more water, then hit the course at 4:45 p.m.
I'd felt like I'd held back a little in the crit and I was itching to stretch my legs. Other than slowing down for a turn that wasn't really a turn (all those cones at that corner are to let you know NOT to turn there, duh!), which saw me scrub speed from 28 mph to 11 mph, I felt pretty good. I pushed it wide open and was ready to puke by the end. Make of it what you will, but my powertap reported 360 watts average power for the 23:45 duration (previous best 20 minute power -- ever -- was 320). Frustratingly, though, that was only good for 14th! Mid pack! I did 23:45; Brian Bosch of CVC did 21:53. Ugh. Whatever, stupid bike racing.
We had a great team dinner on Saturday thanks to Spencer. It was really nice to get to sit down with my teammates and break bread without any of the other distractions of life. For a weekend we were stage racers, and we talked racing. It was a hoot.
So I went into today's road stage in 14th (out of 29), 2:49 down on GC. The road stage is a looping affair, and our group did four laps (65 miles) over the loop. Half of the loop is really good pavement with a long, rolling, false flat-ish descent. The next third of the course is probably the worst pavement known to man. Awful stuff. And of course that's where people always drill it. The next third is a roller coaster set of whoop-dee-doos, and the finish line is at the top of the last one. I'd been cautioned that with the team tactics at play that if a break with the right composition went up the road, that that would be the race. And that's exactly what happened. About seven miles into the race, a small group of eight, which included Michael Hernandez (why does that name come up so often?) took off on the first lap, right at the bad pavement section. The composition of the break was good (Hernando, two AMD guys, one of whom was high on gc, a spine GC leader, a CVC worker bee and a couple of other free agents like me), so if the break made it up the road, the likelihood of a big chase was slim.
As luck would have it, I made the break. Mucho luck. Wow. Once through the bad pavement and the rollers and back to the good pavement, Hernando set the break on a swiss-clock rotation, and we TTT'd. And we TTT'd. And we TTT'd. Two of the eight dropped out with a flat and a mechanical and then we were six. Our moto ref updated us periodically with time splits. "45 seconds!" Two laps in we had ridden through the P12 field that had started five minutes ahead of ours, and we had over a minute on the pack.
And by the third lap, the moto came by and told us we were at four minutes! All of my GC deficit erased! At that point my sole goal was the old mantra "never get dropped from the break," and I didn't do a lot of work from about 2.5 laps in. Which is not to say I could have... the rough sections were taking their toll and it was all I could do to stay on. I'd take a pull every once in a while, but I felt like I was messing it up more than helping so I mostly just sat on the back like a freeloader. On lap four through the rough stuff, the attacks began and I was hanging on for dear life. I stayed with two huge surges, but the third cracked me wide open and it happened... I got dropped from the break, about four miles from the finish.
Tail between my legs, I resolved to salvage what I could and still beat the pack in if I could. In contrast to the previous day's stellar power output, I limped to the finish on an empty-tank 260 watts. I crossed the finish line down about 1:15 on the leaders (now down to just four, since one of the others flatted)... and immediately looked at my watch. The seconds slowly ticked by. One minute. Then two.... then three! YES! I'd salvaged enough to jump from 14th on GC to 5th!
So home I came with a T shirt, $15 in my pocket (which Dimitri and I promptly blew at the first In-n-Out we came across), and a weekend fully of teamy-good memories.
Drove down with Dimitri H. on Friday afternoon. Hit a little traffic through Stockton and Modesto, but we made good enough time to get to the road course and preride a little bit of it. Wow was it hot! Got to the hotel, checked in and then went to a divey Mexican joint for the best shrimp burrito I've ever had.
Saturday was a late start for me... my crit didn't go till 1:30 (which really ended up being 1:50). It was super hot (a record breaking 97 degrees) and I thing I drank about a half gallon of water and a quart of Gatorade just warming up. Troublingly, I got a flat about five minutes before the start, so I had to swap out a zooty race rear wheel for a less preferred rear (no power data either). The race was really not all that hard, but I raced it conservatively, trying not to burn up too much mojo in the heat. A break went up the road with Hernando, Larry Nolan and Brian Bosch in it. The break stayed away, and Larry got the time bonuses every time the bell rang. I came in an uneventful 12th or so, 17 seconds down on the break.
Went back to the car, drank another quart of Gatorade, ate a bagel, and drove to the TT course, where I'd be racing in two hours. The TT is basically a rectangle. Uh, a poorly marked rectangle at that (loads of people missed turns, and not just in the lower cats. One of the top AMD TT'ers rode himself out of contention on GC because of the poor markings on the course). The course circumnavigates an almond grove. I parked, got the trainer out, warmed up, drank a little more Gatorade and a little more water, then hit the course at 4:45 p.m.
I'd felt like I'd held back a little in the crit and I was itching to stretch my legs. Other than slowing down for a turn that wasn't really a turn (all those cones at that corner are to let you know NOT to turn there, duh!), which saw me scrub speed from 28 mph to 11 mph, I felt pretty good. I pushed it wide open and was ready to puke by the end. Make of it what you will, but my powertap reported 360 watts average power for the 23:45 duration (previous best 20 minute power -- ever -- was 320). Frustratingly, though, that was only good for 14th! Mid pack! I did 23:45; Brian Bosch of CVC did 21:53. Ugh. Whatever, stupid bike racing.
We had a great team dinner on Saturday thanks to Spencer. It was really nice to get to sit down with my teammates and break bread without any of the other distractions of life. For a weekend we were stage racers, and we talked racing. It was a hoot.
So I went into today's road stage in 14th (out of 29), 2:49 down on GC. The road stage is a looping affair, and our group did four laps (65 miles) over the loop. Half of the loop is really good pavement with a long, rolling, false flat-ish descent. The next third of the course is probably the worst pavement known to man. Awful stuff. And of course that's where people always drill it. The next third is a roller coaster set of whoop-dee-doos, and the finish line is at the top of the last one. I'd been cautioned that with the team tactics at play that if a break with the right composition went up the road, that that would be the race. And that's exactly what happened. About seven miles into the race, a small group of eight, which included Michael Hernandez (why does that name come up so often?) took off on the first lap, right at the bad pavement section. The composition of the break was good (Hernando, two AMD guys, one of whom was high on gc, a spine GC leader, a CVC worker bee and a couple of other free agents like me), so if the break made it up the road, the likelihood of a big chase was slim.
As luck would have it, I made the break. Mucho luck. Wow. Once through the bad pavement and the rollers and back to the good pavement, Hernando set the break on a swiss-clock rotation, and we TTT'd. And we TTT'd. And we TTT'd. Two of the eight dropped out with a flat and a mechanical and then we were six. Our moto ref updated us periodically with time splits. "45 seconds!" Two laps in we had ridden through the P12 field that had started five minutes ahead of ours, and we had over a minute on the pack.
And by the third lap, the moto came by and told us we were at four minutes! All of my GC deficit erased! At that point my sole goal was the old mantra "never get dropped from the break," and I didn't do a lot of work from about 2.5 laps in. Which is not to say I could have... the rough sections were taking their toll and it was all I could do to stay on. I'd take a pull every once in a while, but I felt like I was messing it up more than helping so I mostly just sat on the back like a freeloader. On lap four through the rough stuff, the attacks began and I was hanging on for dear life. I stayed with two huge surges, but the third cracked me wide open and it happened... I got dropped from the break, about four miles from the finish.
Tail between my legs, I resolved to salvage what I could and still beat the pack in if I could. In contrast to the previous day's stellar power output, I limped to the finish on an empty-tank 260 watts. I crossed the finish line down about 1:15 on the leaders (now down to just four, since one of the others flatted)... and immediately looked at my watch. The seconds slowly ticked by. One minute. Then two.... then three! YES! I'd salvaged enough to jump from 14th on GC to 5th!
So home I came with a T shirt, $15 in my pocket (which Dimitri and I promptly blew at the first In-n-Out we came across), and a weekend fully of teamy-good memories.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Winter Training
Welcome Team RW. Today we open the Team RW blog for posting our somewhat less urgent cycling stuff. Some teammates have expressed concern over the sheer number of messages coming through on our tiny list serv, while still others are concerned that we don't discourage communication among the team. So the Team RW blog has been opened up for the team's "less urgent" discussions.
Today the Reno crew met at Lakeside Market and rode south through Washoe Valley and then topped it off with a few form sprints at the Air Center. Unfortunately we later learned that there was a crash at almost the outset of the ride with Darci Page washing out her wheel and going down. She was towards the back of the group, and, unfortunately nobody spoke up to let the front part of the group know something was going on. PLEASE, folks, if there's a crash on a group ride, speak up loudly and promptly and let the rest of the group know what's going on.
Style man.
Look ma, one foot!
Helmet Hair? Not me!
Jim, the super photo guy
The return up the east side of the Valley was more controlled (thanks in no small part to Jason "No Wasted Efforts!" Walker's tutelage) and after a quick stop at 7-11 we boogied back to Reno through Pleasant Valley. It always amazes me how fast it is through there.
Once back into Reno-proper, the real gluttons for punishment, John "Duke of Patterson" Marshall, Spencer "Hairy Legs" Eriksen, Josh "Big Watts" Rennie, Stan "I'll rip your legs off and eat them while you watch" Macdonald, and yours truly, rolled over to Air Center to work on some little-ring sprints. Nothing too hardcore... just enough to remind all of us that yes, there is some technique involved in sprinting.
Special thanks to Jim McKee for following us over to the Air Center and taking a few pics.
Today the Reno crew met at Lakeside Market and rode south through Washoe Valley and then topped it off with a few form sprints at the Air Center. Unfortunately we later learned that there was a crash at almost the outset of the ride with Darci Page washing out her wheel and going down. She was towards the back of the group, and, unfortunately nobody spoke up to let the front part of the group know something was going on. PLEASE, folks, if there's a crash on a group ride, speak up loudly and promptly and let the rest of the group know what's going on.
That mishap aside, we managed our way down to Washoe Valley where the group pacelined through Pleasant Valley and lobbed a few bombs up the big hill into Washoe Valley proper. Regrouping after the hill, we cruised down to old 395, where we stopped, removed a little clothing and broke the nine teammates in attendance into three man TTT squads. We left in two minute intervals, the intent being that the faster groups chase down the slower. Well, the "slow" guys turned out to be pretty darn fast and held off the chasers. The pace was hot, and it was good to work together with teammates to gauge and match efforts.
Style man.
Look ma, one foot!
Helmet Hair? Not me!
Jim, the super photo guy
Yours Truly, chief nerd.
The return up the east side of the Valley was more controlled (thanks in no small part to Jason "No Wasted Efforts!" Walker's tutelage) and after a quick stop at 7-11 we boogied back to Reno through Pleasant Valley. It always amazes me how fast it is through there.
Once back into Reno-proper, the real gluttons for punishment, John "Duke of Patterson" Marshall, Spencer "Hairy Legs" Eriksen, Josh "Big Watts" Rennie, Stan "I'll rip your legs off and eat them while you watch" Macdonald, and yours truly, rolled over to Air Center to work on some little-ring sprints. Nothing too hardcore... just enough to remind all of us that yes, there is some technique involved in sprinting.
Special thanks to Jim McKee for following us over to the Air Center and taking a few pics.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)