Mark Foster's CCCX (Winner!) and Burlingame Report

CCCX Road Race 6-25-11(one hour circuit race)
Class: 45+ Cat 4
Riders: 26
Team mates: Tom Rice
Weather: overcast 57 degrees

So the CCCX race is always fun. It’s a relatively safe venue and requires some brain power to be in the right place at the right time. The race went at a faster pace than normal. Usually we old cat 4 master guys go slow till the finish, so that we don’t strain ourselves too much and enjoy our evening cocktails without feeling too tired. This one was different. Maybe the non-sprinters wanted to do well. Or maybe we had more mid-life crisis sufferers than normal, but the pace stayed brisk. Tom and I tried to attack(not like Rich in the 1/2/3 race) and got a bit of a gap; but then Tom said to me,”Stop, this isn’t working”. We were successful in pulling the field for a while; but dropped no one(I think). So many of the riders took a turn pulling and I got much more of a workout than expected. The pace of course picked up on the last lap and especially so on the final rollers. Todd Munk of SJBC took the lead over the last hill and I moved into the third position as we began the descent. I know not to hammer too fast on the downhill or you’ll end up leading into the final turn. It’s funny because they all start yelling, “Go! Go!”; yet everyone is smart enough to know not to. Then as we approach the final turn, a Livermore guy takes off. Munk tries to catch him. I stay on Munks wheel through the corner but realize the leader has some steam. The surge starts coming around me as I wind up for the final 200 meters. I get Munk and some other guy but it seems I let too much of a gap build to catch the leader. He starts to fade as I build up speed; and I blow by him right at the line. He throws his hands up like he won the TdF and I think, “wow, that was close.” The photo finish showed me winning by a couple of inches. I get my money back plus a case of Gu. Nice!

Burlingame Crit
Masters 35+ Cat 4
Riders: 70
Team mates: Tom, Scott F.
Weather: beautiful, 70 degrees

I was feeling a bit fried from the day before. Apparently as we age, recovery takes longer. At any rate, it was only my legs that felt tired. As I warmed up around the High School I started feeling better. Then, with about fifteen minutes before the race, I ran over some glass and heard the ear wrenching “Hiss” of a blowout. Of course I had tubulars with no slime. I was about 1 mile out so I rode back on the flat until the road got rough and jogged in cycling cleats the rest of the way. I passed my team mates in the parking lot on the way back; so they helped me calm down. Fortunately I brought spare wheels. Everything was fine. I got a great start and was in the top 10 right away. I stay in the top five or ten up until the first “preem”. I committed about a quarter of the way down the final straight and got the guy at the line to earn $50(So I thought at the time) Yes! Scott came by me at that point and helped me recover, but I still faded back to about twentieth or thirtieth while I recovered from the sprint. After I recovered, I moved back up to the front( Scott was there too!) and managed to stay there in top five or ten for the rest of the race. I wimped out at going for any more “preems”, and there was one significant one( a set of new wheels) that had me considering going for it. I elected to concentrate on the race. Finally with one lap to go, I found myself following two SJBC guys. One of them pulls over. Now I’m in second place following Todd Munk again(like the day before). Then he pulls over, now I’m leading the race with two thirds of a mile to go….Oops. I don’t pull over. I keep hammering, but leave something left for when the surge comes screaming by. I manage to hang on to the lead all the way until we start into the final sweeping right hander into the finish. I start really hammering to grab a wheel as the surge envelops me. I get one. Now we’re on the final sprint for the finish. I dig as deeply as I can but don’t have the same power I had the day before. They crawl by me as we get closer to the line. I see Scott on my left. I finish eighth, Scott finishes seventh. Tom hangs on to the pack. Not bad. It was a blast! I went to pick up my fifty bucks after the race and they told me I didn’t win that “preem” lap. I said,”Yes I did. Show me the tape.” They erased the tape, and I elected to not start a conspiracy theory. I still had a blast and made it though the weekend in one piece. No complaints, it was a great weekend!

Keith's Burlingame 35+ 1/2/3 and P/1/2 report

M35+ and p/1/2 (John, Christian, and Andrew in M35+)
about 15th in M35+ with one prime sprint
about 20-25 in p/1/2

not much to say, but it was fun to be in a race with teammates. We didn't have a big team race plan as it was 2nd race for the others and they all did well in their previous races, which is cool. Thanks for getting in the 2nd race guys. no successful breaks got away in m35+, but I did take a prime by sprinting out of the pack and coming around Andres and Patrick - both old teammates that have been much more successful than me racing for several years. It was nice to do something in the race. After the prime sprint, I was out solo by a little bit and 3 were catching up to me, so I made the mistake of waiting. Ends up they were just doing the masters thing and chasing me down to stop trying. too bad. I should have just kept going. Next time.

Early in the race, Christian and Andrew were up front. Andrew was active. When I saw him on the front I moved up to help mark wheels, but he was just missing the 3 man move a few times, so I didn't need to jump in and help a move get away at that point. It was good to see him up there and almost making a nice move. He was working hard. Christian battled well at the front for the first half and I saw him a lot. He;s easy to spot in the pack with his fluorescent armwarmers. I thought they might go away when it got hot, but I guess he likes them a lot.

A good sized move went with about 8 guys about 1/2 way through the 40 minute race and I went through the front to bridge. We had nobody up there, so I had to do it. Unfortunately, my bridge wasn't overly explosive and I simply closed the gap for the field. That's okay to do, better than letting the 8 person move go with the teams all represented.
Prime prize was a bunch of gus and bars, so I'm happy to give you guys some at the beginning of next race that we are at if I remember to bring them along.

p/1/2 felt easier than m35+ but that was because there was no surging, just constant speed and nobody going anywhere far in a breakaway. I hung in the back because my knee starting hurting for the first time ever. Ends up that my new bike with integrated seatpost wasn't put together by me as sound as it should be. operator error - I didn't tighten the seatpost bolt down enough and the seat clamp fell 6mm (the entire length of the total gap between top of the cut post and the top of the clamp. I didn't know until after the race. Position is very important and just 6mm drop caused some strange pains in my left knee. Problem diagnosed and fixed tonight. I will install a shim and never have that problem again.
There were three notable crashes in this race, 2 in last five laps and one in the top 10 that landed 10 feet from the finish. The question came up, if you crash near the finish and your bike crosses the line in top 10, but you do not, do you get a prize? I avoided all crashes just barely - one with shoulders leaning on another rider and one with a nice skid. Maybe rolled in 20th-25th with no real action in this one. Knee didn't have too many problems later in the race and pain has already subsided.

Andrew's CCCX and Burlingame Report

CCCX Road Race 45+ 1/2/3
Teammates: John Pauley, Rich Del Valle
34 in field

I love this course. It has a few rollers that make it kind of hard but not so hard that it crushes you. Keeps the race interesting and pretty safe. About 20 minutes before race start, Rich shows up. For those that don’t know Rich, he is an old time Cat 1 racer. He is just 45, but been racing for so long he remembers racing on wooden wheels. way, Rich has called me several times to say he was going to race only to be a no show come race time. The typical response is, "dude (Rich is a very mellow guy), I meant to go, but just couldn't muster the energy." At this point, I really did not believe Rich still owned a bike. So seeing him at a race is like spotting Big Foot.

This race is thought of as one you can do well at since it usually is not that stacked of a race. I guess word got out because this time it was a bit different. Had a few guys there that are very strong, so I knew the race would be pretty fast. Race starts and attacks go from the gun. First lesson learned, warm up better! That first lap was the hardest of the race. It stayed fairly fast but as the raced moved along I felt better and better since I finally warmed up. I had a blast watching Rich attack. He would go hard, get a decent gap and then try to stay away. I would sit on the front and try and slow the group down each time he went for it. Very fun to see and fun to support a teammate. You can see from the pic here the fun I was having. I had this goofy grin most of the race. Anyway, Rich attacked about four or five times. Once he has his fitness back he will be dangerous! Well, with about 2.5 laps of the 5.5 mile per laps to go a break of two took off. No one chased. They stayed away and won. Field sprint for third place. I came in fifth, so 7th overall. Not bad, but had something left, so next time!

Lessons learned in this race: Bike racing is about decisions. You either do or you don’t. You can not hesitate and do any of it half ass. When Rich attacked, he attacked hard and got a gap. That is what you have to do, either that or don’t attack.

Burlingame Crit 35+ 1/2/3
Teammates: Keith, JP, Christian
1000 in Field (felt like that, but probably 65 or so)

I thought this race may be one to hang on for deal life. At the start line I had Kevin Metcalf sitting next to me and next to him was Eric Wollberg (former pro and Canada Olympian). A few riders over from them was Pat Briggs from the Yahoo team. About six Safeway guys and pretty much everyone else who was strong was there. This would not be a slow race. First lesson learned came quick to me. Clip in quick! I missed my pedal and had about 100 guys go by me before I made one pedal stroke. Now I was at the back and fighting for position. I worked my way towards the front after the first five or so laps. This was interesting race. It actually did not feel that fast to me (though we averaged about 28 mph). What was a real struggle was holding position. I would work my way up and just as quickly I would find myself locked in the middle again. This was pretty much my race.

My one highlight was mid race. A break of about five guys went off the front and the break included Pat Briggs. I figured that one might work since he is such a beast. I took off from the front of the peloton and in front of the start/ finish line sprinted as if it was the end of the race. I caught the break and sat at the back of it to recover a bit. As Keith mentioned in his report, it turned into a "typical Master's break". Once we had that gap, no one worked and the field caught us two turns later. Well, there I was, mid pack again. Three laps to go and I fought my way to top third. I wanted to get in position but just could not move up any further. The sharp turns and high speed prevented any movement. By the time we came to the final sprint, the top 15 sprinted and the guys I was with just sat up. Suddenly I have about 7 or 8 guys around me coasting in. Kind of hard to sprint everyone sitting up, so with no choice, I do the same and coast across the line in about 25th to 30th place (I just check the finishing results and they gave both Keith and myself a DNP-that is crap. We both were top 35 for sure. Oh well, hard to fight for 35th place).

Lessons learned: clip in quick. Fun racing with teammates, even if there is not much you can do to really help.

Christian's Nevada City Race Report (with Video)

Christian Parker's report
Race Report Nevada City Classic 2011
• Elite 3/4, 55 entered
• 80 degrees
• Teammates: John W. & Christian P.
• 50 minutes, 17 miles, 1700 feet of climbing
• 21rst and 48th place

Last Sunday Christian Parker and John Wilde represented CoreTechs in the
Cat-3 field at the historic Nevada City criterium. We raced for 50
minutes on a 1 mile loop that featured a sweeping high-speed
haybale-lined corner and relentless climbing and descending. With the
final words of the official "you won't be pulled if you aren't lapped
in the first 15 minutes" in mind we managed to hang onto the pack for
the first 3 laps, but lacking courage in the 45 mph downhill we let
gaps open and spent the rest of the race trying to just keep the
pedals turning on the uphill. We were helped in no small way by water
handouts from Christian's dad and cheers of support from his Aunt (who
lives in town) and sister. Christian was lapped once and John twice but we still pulled out
respectable places from a field of strong riders. A word of advice to future racers: bring
plenty of water and drink early and often.
A real short video is attached

Race date 6-18-11

Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic

Class: Masters 45+ Cat 4

Riders: 92 Entered

So I knew Pescadero was going to be hard. But being a classic, it was a venue I had to try. Our race started at 8:05 and they weren’t kidding about the 92 riders. It was a mob. Tom, Mike and I were relegated to the back at the start, but we had 47 miles to catch up. I was concerned that there might be a break on that first climb up stage, so I was going to make sure I was in position to not get gapped there. Sure enough, we couldn’t move up in the pack until stage. Tom and I maybe made it up to the top 60 or so, but it was ridiculously crowded. As we went up stage for the first time, there were holes forming so that I made it to the top 30 or so by the first hump of stage. I bombed the downhill between the humps and must have been in the top 15 or so by the time we started up the second hump. The pace was comfortable and I was feeling confident but realized I was overly dressed….oops. The descent back to 84 was tame by my standards and I would guess there were 50 or so heading up 84 to Haskins. I saw Tom and Mike and they both appeared to be fine. The first time up Haskins was pretty brisk, but I was in no pain at this point and crested with the top 5 riders. We hammered the descent and formed a paceline as it flattened out (which is why it made it harder for Tom to catch back on). I had no idea where Tom and Mike were, but I’ve climbed with Tom before and knew that if he was having a good day, he’d have no problem hanging in. Then I saw him as we rolled through Pescadero…he looked fried. He told me he and another dude just pulled 15 guys back up to the front group. I know he’s capable of recovering, but there wasn’t much time between there and stage. He was going to suffer again soon. There were about 40 now that Tom brought 15 guys back to the group. We hit stage for the second time and the pace quickened. I felt really good so I took the lead and hammered up and over the first hump of stage road. I bombed the gnarly downhill on the other side. When I looked back at the bridge at the base of the second hump I had over one hundred yards on the front group, so I slowed down until the group caught me, and then we hammered up the second hump. Again the next descent was tame…. then we were on 84 heading up the last eight miles or so, to the base of Haskins. I felt great, so being the moron that I am, I pulled the group for a couple of miles with no help. Finally realizing that the “noon ride elbow flick” wasn’t going to get me any help, nor would asking for help; I just backed way off and melted into the top five. There were 20 riders left at this point. Literally 2 minutes after I let myself fade back to get some help, an attack of six riders broke off the front from the outside line. I’m boxed in and screaming at the guys in front of me, “Go! Go! Frigging Go! Damn it!” They wouldn’t move. I was screwed, but didn’t panic, because they always chase in Cat 4…right? Well they didn’t chase. I moved back to the front and pulled like heck for a couple miles….begging for help. They said, “sorry dude, we have team mates in the break”. Now the break was about 200 yards ahead and as I was pulling the group, two guys sprint past me to try and bridge. I sprint and caught them, thinking, “right-on”. Then the guy I was behind started to fade and get gapped by the rider in front of him. I yell for him to go or move. Then the bridging rider sensing he had a gap, hammered really hard and was going over 30mph and I elected not to burn a couple matches. So I was in between the two groups and faded back to the chase group. As I got back to the chase group, I saw the bridging rider make it….damn. So I pulled the chase group for a while more, head hung low, knowing I screwed up. I should have buried myself to catch on….oh well. With about two miles before Haskins, and the lead group now out of sight, I gave up. Then….. I finally got some help. Maybe there was hope? We picked up the pace, and I sat in and tried to recover as much as possible before the hill. As we turned right on Haskins(Pescadero Creek trail) I could see the lead group about 200 yards up. It was game on. I was about 6th in our group entering the hill, so about 12th overall. Three guys took off in pursuit of the lead group and I battled with about five other guys for the first mile up Haskins. By halfway up the hill, a few guys in the lead group were coming back to me and I had finally dropped the guys I was battling against. Two of the three that took off at the base of the climb were starting to come to me as well. I twisted myself as hard as I could. I passed three guys in the last 400 meters and caught three more, but didn’t get them by the finish line. I finished 7th over all. Not bad, but I wasn’t happy with how it turned out. I made three mistakes:1.Dropping Tom the second time up Stage(he can pull like a diesel on the flat and could have helped me bridge). 2.After a monster pull, getting boxed in, causing me to miss the break.3. Thinking the group would

Tom Rice's Pesky RR 45+ Cat 4

Tom Rice's Pescadero RR report
45+ Cat 4

So... my first road race in almost 25 years, first race with CoreTechs and my first Pescadero Classic: I'd forgotten how much fun road racing is!
Mark Foster and I, racing in the Cat4 45+ race had talked quite a bit about the race but honestly I was just getting my feet wet again and I'm not gonna tell you I had any real tactical plan. I'm not a great climber so I "planned" to see how it went and adjust on the fly.

Mistake 1: I was too far back at the start and got stuck behind some of the slower climbers going over the first climb on Stage Road but I was able to get around these guys on the climb. The pack was close so I charged the descent to re-join the peloton at the bottom, right before the tree shaded bridge. I used way more energy in this section of the race than I should have.

Goal 1 achieved! I stayed with the pack through the first climb and descent.

The flats between Stage and Haskins were uneventful and I made my way closer to the front of the pack. The pace here was comfortable.

The first ascent of Haskins was going much better until about 1/2 way up. It seems like the pace of the front runners picked up and I didn't have the legs to keep up. The front of the pack was out of sight but not out of mind as I crested the climb. Again, I charged the descent and passed quite a few guys and settled in for the chase.

After a kilometer or so a group of 8 developed. We weren't working well together so I tried to encourage a smooth, quick paceline but most of the guys didn't have the horsepower or didn't have the good paceline skills required to pull this off. In a paceline like this, the front rider needs to make 6 to 10 very strong pedal strokes and pull off for the next rider in order to maximize speed.

So, a rider (in red kit - I didn't get his team) and I did a bunch of monster pulls and the small remaining front pack came into sight before the Butano Cut-off. Everyone else in our group just hung on. One more huge pull by Red Kit guy and one more huge pull by yours truly (this is what I'm good at) and we were back in the pack a klick or two before town.

Goal 2 Achieved: I went through Pescadero town in the front pack on lap 2.

I was baked for the second climb over Stage Road. One acceleration by "someone" (turns out it was Mark!) about 1/2 way up and I got dropped for good this time. A small "groupetto" collected together and we cruised through the flats up La Honda Road. Four of us were stronger than the rest and this smaller group stayed together to the finish line. I think we were among the first of the remaining riders after the main pack crossed the finish line.

Mistake 2: After a rest on La Honda Road the second time, I realized I was quite a bit stronger than the others in my groupetto. I should have ridden away from the group and I would have finished closer to the top 25 instead of 33rd.

Goal 3 Achieved: I finished respectably and I had a really good time. I finished 33rd and made an impact in the race. Mark and I rewarded ourselves with a healthy (read "big") lunch at Dewart's after.

I'm psych'ed to do the CCCX on Saturday!

Thanks for having me on the team!

Tom Rice

Miles Pesky RR Report-35+ 4/5

Miles Keep Pesky RR report
Where- Pescadero Road Race
When- June 18, 2011
Race- Mens 35+ 4/5, field of 75
Stats- 47 mi, 3750 ft climbing, 70 degrees, 2 hrs 28 min
Finish- 32nd

So this was my first Pesky race. I was nervous off and on the week prior. My goal was to experience and finish the Nor Cal classic and have fun.
Being a bit of a climber, I thought that this would suit my riding style. I had done the training and have been feeling strong as of late.
I got there plenty early, my food intake and warm up went perfectly. Everything was going as planned. As I was rolling around getting ready to go to the starting line, I ran into fellow team mate Mark Foster. We chatted a bit about his race and the course. Before I knew it I had 2 min to spare, so off I went. This was my first mistake. Getting to the line early gets you a spot up front for the start, even when it's a long road race. We started neutralized from the High School and through town. There was a sprint prime at the beginning of stage road, I wasn't really interested in those, so pretty much let the sprinters do their thing. Once we started the first climb up stage, the group started to break up. I just stayed calm and in the middle of the field. On the descent on stage I lost some ground and the race took off. We turned right onto 84 and up we went. There were a few riders around so I managed to get a group of about 4 together so we (I) didn't have to go up the long and windy 84 solo. That worked out pretty well, we went hard taking turns and caught the main group about half way up. Then right onto Pescadero Rd, passed W Alpine, and started the climb up Haskins Hill. This is were I am at my best, and dropped my group fairly easily. The finish line was at the top, and we went through uneventfully. Once again, descending Pescadero Rd I lost some ground. At that point the field was smaller groups and I found myself with my "team mates" from
84. They consisted of mostly guys from Oakland Cycling Team, and a few randoms. Everyone was cordial with each other and worked well together. Through town again and up Stage Rd we went for our final lap. I pulled a bit of a gap on my group going up stage but didn't hammer too hard as I wanted to finish Haskins with a bang. We all met up again on 84 to help each other out on now a bit gusty 84. As we turned onto Pescadero Rd, and through the feed zone I grabbed a commemorative water bottle and up we went again. I noticed one less "Oakland" rider, and found out that he had thrown a chain. I figured it mattered more how I finished, so I hit the last climb hard, it's only a bit more than 2K in length. A small group of 123 men passed me going up, then a solo 2 came by so I jumped on his wheel and I finished in tow. The finish doesn't have much of a fan fare, we basically just limped back down to the high school in town.

I guess what I have learned is to get to the starting line early, and man up on the descents.

After a long hard race I felt pretty good. The longer 100+ mile rides we have done lately on the weekends have helped. I was glad I had finished in one piece
and had experienced the Nor Cal classic, and I had the tan lines to prove it.

Thanks to Tim for the attached pic of the race with me in pain going up Haskins!

-Miles

Joseph Mendes Crit-Pleasanton Report 35+/45+ 1/2/3

So I had my worst finish ever at a race, not counting the DNF's for flats at Santa Cruz, but still had a bunch of fun. The course is a standard office park crit triple F (flat, fast and four corner). The streets were wide and pavement was good. Sun was supposed to be out, but that was the one disappointment. It was windy and fairly cold.

I did two races, first race was the 45+ 1/2/3 race. Had 49 racers and two teammates; Steve Stewart and Devon. This race was a bit of a mess. I guess two guys went off the front early. I had no idea. There were six or so SJBC racers in the race with some of their better racers present. I figured if I kept an eye on them and jumped on any breaks that included them, I would be safe. I figured wrong. Devon and I stayed at the front of the pack most of this race. I jumped on a few break attempts that had SJBC riders in them. Nothing stuck. Final lap I heard the announcer say the "break had 55 seconds on the field". What the heck? I asked a rider next to me and he confirmed guys were gone. Guess we were doing a field sprint for third place. Now that sucks. Anyway, race got fast last lap and guys got skittish. A bit of argy bargy (love that term) going on. I was about in sixth position and Devon was on my right. I think Steve was tucked in mid pack. I heard the sound of metal on metal and then metal on concrete and knew a crash happened just behind me. Can't look at those speeds. Took another turn and then on the back side of the course I heard the sound of broken glass and then the familiar and scary crash sound again. Seems like a guys wheel exploded (guessing a pedal went into his spokes). Not sure why the crashes, both took place on the straight away.

By this point I was about 18 riders back and a gap formed on the last straight before the final turn and finish. I went hard to the outside to close the gap and did so just before the final turn. Not much left to sprint for and crossed the line in 14th (12th in the pack sprint).

I had a feeling Devon might have been in one of the crashes when I did not see him around me or in front of me on the cool down lap. Devon is a great sprinter and would have been near the front, so not seeing him I figured it was not good news. I did see him afterward up and walking with no broken bones. He had some road rash on his leg. Steve finished mid pack as well in 20th.

Next race was the 35+ 1/2/3. This was a big field of over 70 riders. CoreTechs had five riders in this field (Steve Stewart, Scott Fairman, Christian and John Wilde) I figured since this was my second race of the day I would try and do a few breaks and if nothing worked either sit in or possibly come off the back.

The race started very fast from the whistle. A few guys went for breaks and I jumped on them and sat on them. Each time the field brought us back quickly. I actually felt pretty good this race. About five laps to go Duane from Thirsty Bear team (guy who beat me by a photo finish in Monterey for 1st place) went for a break. I jumped on him and he got a bit of a gap. Honestly, it took all I had to just stay on him. It really hurt. We kept our gap for about half or three quarters of a lap, but the field was having none of it. All back together the last lap and the pace went up three or four notches. I had nothing left for a sprint and just sat in the pack and rolled across the finish for a glorious 30th place out of the 73 riders. Steve finished just in front of me in the pack at 27th and I think the other guys rolled across at the back of that pack as well. Was fun to have the team around. Afterward we hung out a bit (drank a beer-thanks Steve!) and watched some of the next race.

Lessons learned this day. Be aware if someone is off the fricken front! See you out there.

Andrew

Chris's Dash for Cash Race Report

Report by Chris Scheetz: June 4th, 2011
Race – ICCC Dash for Cash, Pleasanton, CA
Weather – 60 degrees plus or minus, rain
Races – Elite 4 and 35+ 4/5

This race report is for Christian Parker, John Wilde and me.

Planning this weekends riding, CoreTechs riders had a few riding options: Sequoia Century, ICCC Dash for Cash Criterium or the Top Sport stage race. Since the Top Sport Stage race was canceled, options were narrowed to the first two events. Christian, John and I opted for the Dash for Cash. When we signed up, none of us thought we would be racing in poor conditions, yet, we spent a collective 85 minutes racing in the rain. On a side note, the night before the race I had a dream. The next morning, I thought the dream may have been an omen not to race. I dreamed I got to the race venue and missed my race because I could not find the registration table. I dismissed this idea and felt a surge of confidence that the team could do well, likely to due to the fact that I had watched Valkyrie the night before.

On the way to the race, team CoreTechs set one goal: Ride together within the peloton. That goal may sound easy, but it actually takes some effort to stay together. I am happy to report, we met the goal. It was interesting to see under race conditions, how two of us would be separated from the third, and have the third rider make his way up to us only to be let in by an unattached wheel. This happened multiple times during each race. Enough about goals, onto the racing.

As far as crits go, this course is pretty straight forward, clock wise rotation, flat as a pancake, good office park pavement with four right turns and 0.9 miles per lap. The "x" factors in this race where the rain and slick roads. These two elements did slow the pace a bit, but in my opinion, made the race more dangerous as you were never 100% sure your tires would hold in the corners. The wet conditions amplified what would otherwise be “non-hazards”, i.e. bot dots, manhole covers, painted cross walk lines, pavement patches and the old “rooster tail” from the guy in front of you hitting you in the face. Every turn was a function of matching the speed of the bike in front of you and hoping you did now slide out. On multiple occasions I witnessed riders in front of me loose traction, as well, my rear tire slide out on a bot dot, and Christian lost traction accelerating out of numerous corners. Surprisingly enough, even with these hazards, I only saw one crash. A rider in front of me went too wide in turn four, ran out of real estate, did some “grinding” with his bottom bracket and carbon rims on the median curb before dumping.

The first race was the Elite 4. The rules of Dash for Cash call for two racing laps with all subsequent laps up to 20, being preem’s valued at $10 each. With a preem at stake on every lap there was plenty of attempted break-aways, some successful, many not. I am pleased to report our own John Wilde, riding a cyclo-cross bike, won two preem’s this race and was probably pimped at the line on several other occasions. When you get the opportunity to race with John, you will see he has a deep well for short sustained bursts of power, (Devon, Andrew and Mark, meet your new lead out man).

After a restful four minutes, the whistle blew and we started the second race, 35+ 4/5. Being sufficiently warm and used to the conditions, this was another good showing for team CoreTechs. For the most part, we rode with the same goal in mind as the first race, stay together. The highlights of this race included two more preem wins, one by John and one by Christian (more on Christians win in a moment). I did not witness any crashes this race, but almost caused one myself. The group was rolling into turn one and the rider in front of me for some reason was decelerating into the corner and I had no option but to tap my brakes which caused quite a uproar behind me, (sorry again Christian). My personal highlight came with two laps to go. Team CoreTechs was sitting mid pack. As we made turn three onto the shortest leg of the course, I made a move on the inside with Christian on my wheel. We made it to turn four with a couple other riders for the long stretch to the start/finish and the preem. I held the lead most of the way and served as a good lead out for Christian who won the preem!! As we rolled on, I took a look back and to my surprise, there was a huge gap between us and the peloton. Holy cow, less than one lap to go, so I tucked behind the rider who took the lead and I did not look back. Turn two, we are still in the lead. Turn three, we are still in the lead. As we headed to turn four, a team member for the rider I was tailing pulled up next to us, yelled at his team mate to move, blocked me and about a dozen riders zoomed passed me as we exited turn four. Bummer, so close.

Overall, a good day for team CoreTechs with four preems, Christian with two top ten finished of 7th and 9th, me with a 19th and 21st finish and John just behind me in both races. On a side note, the next time you see Christian, ask him how he got the wheel marks on his left leg without crashing.

Dave T's Winner, Winner, Winner...Chicken Dinner report

Dave T's Epic Mnt Bike Race Report!
Rockhopper Classic May 7, 2011
Beginner Class 45-54
Place: 1st
After 1.5 hour drive I arrived Saturday morning around 8:30am in preparation for a 10am start. I wanted to get a 1/2 half hour warmup in prep for my second race MTB of the season. I did pre-ride the course on Thursday afternoon and this course was a good one, set in the rolling hills of Lagoon Valley Park/Pena Adobe Park in Vacaville, CA, with a good amount of singletrack, climbing, and tons of switchbacks. Each lap was 9.5 miles and 1600 feet of climbing.

The classes were quite full and I there was definitely some speedy competition. The race started with a group start of all ages going at once - Yike! Should be a fun race I thought to myself if I don't blow up! My strategy was to stay in the front - top 10 - and hopefully be able to keep it up to the final climb before the final decent to the finish. My legs felt ok on the first climb, but I HR was redlining. Got a little bit of a breather on a downhill and then traverse before another steep short climb. . The second steep climb was hard but I was in "3rd overall" - good news - even though I ran into a women "sport rider" at the top- doh! After untangling myself and taking a quick breath i'm behind the saddle on a choppy steep downhill with what looks like a sharp off camber right turn at the bottom. Though the meadow I go to a small jump to do a "cool picture" but I was breathing to hard to do anything but roll over the jump. I definately need more noon rides!

Up the next big climb there was a nice 360 degree view interrupted by that cross wind gust and lots of gassed people. I took advange of this and quick peddled by the 2 other leaders and never looked back. From that point there were 2 more climbs, one fire road and 1 single track. Once finishing the final climb down to the finish I go which was a truly sweet cut-in singletrack trail on the steep hillside, that gradually made it's way down to the bottom.

Fun race and first ever first place!

Dave