Mt. Hamilton Road Race - Masters 55+123
Placing unknown – results not posted yet
No teammates in 55+
Ken Spencer raced in the Cat 4
Part One.
I decide to do a road race that I swore I would never do again – Mt. Hamilton. We line up and I notice most of my competitors look under-nourished. My right leg thigh is larger than most of their waists – I am a flatlander in a sea of climbers. There are 2 options for riding the first 20 miles up to the observatory: Option A.: Ride with the leaders as they push a hard tempo pace trying to weed out the field or Option B: ride at your own pace and treat it like a time trial. Option A is tough since a race pace will take 1hr and 20 mins and that would mean most of my ride would be above FTP or AT and that isn’t possible. I would pop before the top and would then face another 50 miles of road while trying to recover. I choose Option B – given that I can break 1hr and 30mins and would not have me going over FTP. I expect to collect up with others who back off the pace. As expected the leaders push a hard tempo and riders start backing off early. I decide to go at my own pace and back off. I keep others in sight. There are 3 sections to the climb up Mt. Hamilton. I do a good time up the first 2 sections but start to loose concentration on the final stage, which is 7 miles. I get to the top and I don’t see any of the 55+ groups – this is a problem. My time is off….
Part Two
I descend a very technical section down the backside for 6 miles never seeing any riders. I get to the bottom at the bridge at Isabel creek. It’s hot and the headwinds are starting to kick up. No riders just me and a hawk flying above. I get off my bike take off my undershirt, rearrange my back pockets, take a nature break, and count the number of gu-chomps I have left. I'm having a mini picnic. This is now an endurance ride. I get back on my bike. This is a 20 mile section with 2 climbs – one 3 miles and another about 1 mile. I make good time on the flats but when I get to the climbs I have no motivation to hammer these at any pace. I saw a video clip of Mark Cavendish at this year’s Giro climbing a very steep stage of the tour – very slowly. That was about my pace. Then the broom wagon shows up and the guy asks me how I am doing. I tell him I’m fine. There is no way I’m getting into the car. I’m worried that he might cut off my numbers since I’m out of the placing time period. I am now racing against a DNP…
Part Three.
I get to the top of the final climb. This is the final 20-mile section of the race and the elevation goes from 2800 feet to 820 feet at the finish. I am way off in terms of time so I decide to get to the finish line in less than an hour. My wife is waiting and I told Ken Spenser I would give him a ride back to his car at the start. I start this section with a 25mph headwind – my bike meter indicated gusts up to 45mph. This section consists of descents, rolling terrain, and false flats. I get into a big gear and just crank keeping an average at about 25mph. I have seen no riders since the top of Mt. Hamilton except one 55+ who had turned around after Isabel Creek. My legs hurt going against the 25mph headwind. I finally come up on a rider and see that he is from the 45+ 123 group – he has no interest in riding with me. I finally get to the 5K sign and I’m on a really fast descent. 1K then 200 meters and I’m done. I finish 20 miles in 53 minutes – the best workout of the day.
63 miles
6,475 feet of climbing
TSS 305
I will never do this again. Onward to CCCX on Sunday
DP
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Mark F's Morgan Hill Crit report (with some ed notes) 5-28-12
Memorial Day Crit, 5-28-12
Morgan Hill
45+ cat 3 & 45+ cat 1,2,3
Team Mates: Devon Joos & John Wilde
Written by Mark Foster
I wasn’t planning on doing these crits, but changed my mind at the last minute and bombed down to Morgan Hill for a 10:45 Start.
The three of us (Ed Note: John Wilde, Devon and Mark) warmed up together and Devon admitted he hadn’t been feeling great and had been on meds. (ed note: He claims the meds are for a physical condition-though some of us have asked him to investiage some for mental as well :) We both knew he could still sprint, he just didn’t have the same mojo he normally has.
I felt great and didn’t really care how I did (Ed Note: Sure, if you know Mark, he is the most competitve dude out there. Him "not caring" means he will not throw a total fit if he does not have the day he wants :), I was just glad to be out riding on such a beautiful day. The race was packed with tons of riders. The results haven’t been posted so I’m not sure how many were in the first race, but my second race had over 70 riders. At any rate, the whistle blows and we’re off. It didn’t feel that fast, but it was. The average speed was over 26 mph. I was messing around up front along with John. He asked me if I wanted a lead out for a “preem”, I declined. I saw big Rick Morgan off of the front with another guy (Ed Note: Rick has a big backside, so I am surprised anyone could see there was someone with him) for about five laps, but we reeled them back.
At one point with about five laps to go an Alto Velo rider said to me, “let’s go for a break!”. I agreed and off he went with me on his wheel. He gave me the “elbow flick” and I came around him and hammered hard for over a minute. When I gave him the flick….nothing. I look back and I’m all alone, but about 50 yards off the front….nice. Five miles to go was too far for me to try to be a hero. I obviously agreed to break with the wrong guy. He said after the race that I rode him off of my wheel. At any rate, I soft pedaled until the peloton caught me. I blended into the group and hid for the last few laps. With a lap to go, I’m about twentieth heading into the wind. I hear Devon’s voice behind me, “Dude, you gotta go”. So “go” I did. With Devon on my wheel, I went into the wind and up to the front guys. I stayed in the wind the entire last lap, but was at the front, to the side of the other leaders. As I came into the final corner, before the sprint, the “check engine” light came on. There was nothing left. Devon did his job and took second and I limped in to 16th. I had completely tapped myself out. My pulse hit it’s highest number this year at 189….ouch. It would barely go under 100 in the next hour and a half before the next race….I was toast. (Ed Note: Awesome teamwork. Would have been hard for Devon to get up front without using up his sprint if Mark did not help-This was great team racing and a well earned Second place for both Mark and Devon)
The next race was the 45+ Cat 1,2,3 race. It started and I hung on to last place for a few laps. Then I started feeling better. I moved up a bit, but was careful never to stick my nose into the wind. I hid the entire race. As the laps wound down I slowly moved up. My heart was still suffering from the previous effort. It’s hard to move up in a pack of over 70 riders and never get into the wind; but I did it. By the time we crossed the finish line I had worked my way up to 19th place. I haven’t seen the results(other than where I finished), but I beat most of the 3’s who had beaten me the previous race (Ed Note: See? Not competitive at all, just out for a fun day. Except that he takes notes during a race and if you beat him, watch out, he will get you the next time out! Mark is a bull, we are just hoping he does not realize it for a while so we can still ride his wheel from time to time - unlike that AV guy in the first race.) No glory (Ed note: Leading your teammate out to a 2nd place is glory my friend!), tons of fun! Thanks for reading. –Mark F.
Morgan Hill
45+ cat 3 & 45+ cat 1,2,3
Team Mates: Devon Joos & John Wilde
Written by Mark Foster
I wasn’t planning on doing these crits, but changed my mind at the last minute and bombed down to Morgan Hill for a 10:45 Start.
The three of us (Ed Note: John Wilde, Devon and Mark) warmed up together and Devon admitted he hadn’t been feeling great and had been on meds. (ed note: He claims the meds are for a physical condition-though some of us have asked him to investiage some for mental as well :) We both knew he could still sprint, he just didn’t have the same mojo he normally has.
I felt great and didn’t really care how I did (Ed Note: Sure, if you know Mark, he is the most competitve dude out there. Him "not caring" means he will not throw a total fit if he does not have the day he wants :), I was just glad to be out riding on such a beautiful day. The race was packed with tons of riders. The results haven’t been posted so I’m not sure how many were in the first race, but my second race had over 70 riders. At any rate, the whistle blows and we’re off. It didn’t feel that fast, but it was. The average speed was over 26 mph. I was messing around up front along with John. He asked me if I wanted a lead out for a “preem”, I declined. I saw big Rick Morgan off of the front with another guy (Ed Note: Rick has a big backside, so I am surprised anyone could see there was someone with him) for about five laps, but we reeled them back.
At one point with about five laps to go an Alto Velo rider said to me, “let’s go for a break!”. I agreed and off he went with me on his wheel. He gave me the “elbow flick” and I came around him and hammered hard for over a minute. When I gave him the flick….nothing. I look back and I’m all alone, but about 50 yards off the front….nice. Five miles to go was too far for me to try to be a hero. I obviously agreed to break with the wrong guy. He said after the race that I rode him off of my wheel. At any rate, I soft pedaled until the peloton caught me. I blended into the group and hid for the last few laps. With a lap to go, I’m about twentieth heading into the wind. I hear Devon’s voice behind me, “Dude, you gotta go”. So “go” I did. With Devon on my wheel, I went into the wind and up to the front guys. I stayed in the wind the entire last lap, but was at the front, to the side of the other leaders. As I came into the final corner, before the sprint, the “check engine” light came on. There was nothing left. Devon did his job and took second and I limped in to 16th. I had completely tapped myself out. My pulse hit it’s highest number this year at 189….ouch. It would barely go under 100 in the next hour and a half before the next race….I was toast. (Ed Note: Awesome teamwork. Would have been hard for Devon to get up front without using up his sprint if Mark did not help-This was great team racing and a well earned Second place for both Mark and Devon)
The next race was the 45+ Cat 1,2,3 race. It started and I hung on to last place for a few laps. Then I started feeling better. I moved up a bit, but was careful never to stick my nose into the wind. I hid the entire race. As the laps wound down I slowly moved up. My heart was still suffering from the previous effort. It’s hard to move up in a pack of over 70 riders and never get into the wind; but I did it. By the time we crossed the finish line I had worked my way up to 19th place. I haven’t seen the results(other than where I finished), but I beat most of the 3’s who had beaten me the previous race (Ed Note: See? Not competitive at all, just out for a fun day. Except that he takes notes during a race and if you beat him, watch out, he will get you the next time out! Mark is a bull, we are just hoping he does not realize it for a while so we can still ride his wheel from time to time - unlike that AV guy in the first race.) No glory (Ed note: Leading your teammate out to a 2nd place is glory my friend!), tons of fun! Thanks for reading. –Mark F.
Dave Tripier Podiums at CCCX Mnt Bike race-5/26/12
Class: Cat 2 w/15 riders
Result: 3rd
Location: Monterey, Fort Ord
Length 23 miles 2500 ft of climbing
Sunday, I headed off with the whole family to the CCCX race in Monterey. I love the circuit there, tight single track, not too much climbing, and real friendly atmosphere. The kids also like it because the bikers make multiple laps which provides them something to see and enjoy.
My race started out with a quick warm up lap to check out the course, see where the crash traps are, and to plan out my race strategy. The pre-ride was good idea because there was some big sand traps around blind turns which I thought to myself – “there will be carnage..”
The start we went in a normal group by category (pros, cat 1, cat 2) by age as well. I did my normal strategy which was been be in the top 5 heading into the single track – I was 4 heading into the narrow single track.
I held that position for the majority of the race hanging behind the 3 place guy who was a roadie. He was a great climber but lacked handling skills especially around tight turns and sand. He would get a gap going up and then I would catch him on the down and through technical sections. He did crash in the sand on the forth lap – out of 5 – but caught me on the climb again and passed me on the 5th lap.
I stayed on his tail until the end and beat him on the sprint home for 3rd place.
Very happy with the result,
Dave
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Rick Adams takes on the Bend, OR Road Race and Crit
Saturday Road Race, East of Bend, Oregon
50 riders in combined 40+ & 50+
Result: 1st in 50+, 5th overall
The course was a 10-mile loop of rolling hills with the biggest climbs less than 150 feet. We did 5 laps for a 50 miles race – very fun. Even better was the monster wind including a 1.5-mile section of 25 mph crosswind – I felt like I was back in West Flanders! Of the 50 guys in the combined 40+ and 50+ race, we lost no one on the climb but we lost many riders each lap in the crosswind.
After the first lap, 4 guys got away on the crosswind section. For a while they were out of sight but eventually a few teams brought them back. Then with 12 miles left and again at the beginning of the crosswind, 4 guys got up the road but no more than 200 meters. On the last lap, I thought for sure we would bring them back. But the right teams were represented, so that did not happen and guys in that break went 1st-4th.
With 600 meters to go, we made a right hand turn and the finish line was straight ahead slightly up hill and into a very strong headwind. As the entire group hesitated, I went all of the way to the front and immediately 2 guys attacked the group with 500 meters to go. I was straight on their wheel but unfortunately they both died with 200 meters to go. At that point I did not wait. I simply kept sprinting straight for the finish line. I won the field sprint giving me 1st in the 50+ group and 5th overall.
Sunday Criterium, central Bend, Oregon
40 riders in combined 40+ & 50+
Result: 3rd in 50+, 9th overall
Really fun 1 mile loop. Fairly technical, one small climb, and again a fair bit of wind. Lots of attacking in this race and with 8 laps left I was in a break I though would make it to the finish. But with 4 to go, we were brought back. With 1.5 miles to go – before we got to the bell – 4 guys attacked hard. I got on this attack but lost contact with these guys up the small rise before the final straight. 4 guys caught me right at the line including 2 other 50+ guys. I finished a not so disappointing 3rd.
Monday, May 21, 2012
JP's Modesto RR report- 5-20-12
John Pauley's Modesto Report
Race Day, Sunday, May 20,
Race: Modesto Road Race
Course: 63 miles (that's further than they raced in the TOC on Sunday!) Seven laps of a 9 mile, 10 turn course in the orchards of Salida, CA
Category: 35+ 1/2/3
Riders: 80+ (only 17 had pre-reg'd)
Teammates: Scott Fairman
I knew that I was going to make the decision on whether or not to race at the last minute, but I didn't decide until 6:00 a.m. on Sunday. That's cutting it a bit close. Anyway, load car, eat as I drive, get there an hour before race and check in. No problem. I'm in the "day of race" line which is about 20 guys deep and Bubba Melcher is in line behind me. I introduce myself and he and I talk about his win the day before at the Modesto crit which he won in a 10 lap solo breakaway (uh oh, today is going to be fast). Bubba's a pretty funny guy and he has everyone in line cracking up. That's good for me as it loosens me up before the race.
The race starts with 80+ riders, it starts on time (8:15) and we have seven - nine mile - very flat laps ahead of us. It's basically a really long criterium on a really big course. The race is a typical 35+ 1/2/3's race in that it is very fast sometimes and very slow others. We average 25.7 mph for the 63 miles and every lap averages between 25.1 and 26 mph. Amazingly consistent considering every lap felt different in regards to where it was fast and how hard the wind was blowing. (p.s., almost no wind for this course, but it did continually increase as the race went on.) The first lap was uneventful. The second lap there were a couple of break attempts, but nothing stuck. We get to the feed zone after lap two and I finally figure out the trick getting a bottle; dive in at the last minute, cut off two or three riders, knock a couple of bottles out of the hands of the feeders in a feeble attempt at grabbing them and then grab the last bottle available so the riders behind don't get anything (oh no wait, that was the idiot in front of me, grrrr). On lap three, five guys went hard and got a small gap and I hear someone yell "Everyone chase, you need to attack! Bubba Melcher's in that break! Go, go go!" So I turned to see who was yelling, and it was Bubba. All the riders around him were laughing. The break stayed away for the next three laps and we caught them sometime near the beginning of the final lap. I was still feeling pretty good so I started thinking that maybe I would take a flyer with a kilometer or so to go and see if I could surprise everyone, but my plan, and my strength, were thwarted. Around 2 miles into the final lap, a group of 10 riders got away. A group of 15+ chased and gapped the group I was in (another 35+) and we chased all of them. We dropped about 15 of our group and continued to chase for three or four miles. We finally catch back on, just as the group in front of us catch the break and we are gruppo compacto with 2 miles to go and I am worked. I try to relax and save something for the final kilometer, but it doesn't look promising. We make the final turn which is approximately 1 mile from the finish and I am sitting mid pack (around 20th). With a kilometer to go, the speed really ramps up and it's all I can do to hang on. I sit up with 200 meters to go and roll across in 42nd place.
All in all it was a good race for me to do for my first race of the year. I'm very happy that I was able to ride smart, dig deep when necessary, recover after each effort and finish with the main pack. I think that with a couple of weeks of riding, I will get used to the new position, start using my quads more and hopefully I will be able to ride up and over rolling hills like I used to be able to do three or four years ago. (fingers crossed)
Monday, May 21, My hamstrings and my quads are very sore and stretching isn't helping. This new position will help in the long run, but I'm paying for it now.
Thanks for reading,
JP
Race Day, Sunday, May 20,
Race: Modesto Road Race
Course: 63 miles (that's further than they raced in the TOC on Sunday!) Seven laps of a 9 mile, 10 turn course in the orchards of Salida, CA
Category: 35+ 1/2/3
Riders: 80+ (only 17 had pre-reg'd)
Teammates: Scott Fairman
I knew that I was going to make the decision on whether or not to race at the last minute, but I didn't decide until 6:00 a.m. on Sunday. That's cutting it a bit close. Anyway, load car, eat as I drive, get there an hour before race and check in. No problem. I'm in the "day of race" line which is about 20 guys deep and Bubba Melcher is in line behind me. I introduce myself and he and I talk about his win the day before at the Modesto crit which he won in a 10 lap solo breakaway (uh oh, today is going to be fast). Bubba's a pretty funny guy and he has everyone in line cracking up. That's good for me as it loosens me up before the race.
The race starts with 80+ riders, it starts on time (8:15) and we have seven - nine mile - very flat laps ahead of us. It's basically a really long criterium on a really big course. The race is a typical 35+ 1/2/3's race in that it is very fast sometimes and very slow others. We average 25.7 mph for the 63 miles and every lap averages between 25.1 and 26 mph. Amazingly consistent considering every lap felt different in regards to where it was fast and how hard the wind was blowing. (p.s., almost no wind for this course, but it did continually increase as the race went on.) The first lap was uneventful. The second lap there were a couple of break attempts, but nothing stuck. We get to the feed zone after lap two and I finally figure out the trick getting a bottle; dive in at the last minute, cut off two or three riders, knock a couple of bottles out of the hands of the feeders in a feeble attempt at grabbing them and then grab the last bottle available so the riders behind don't get anything (oh no wait, that was the idiot in front of me, grrrr). On lap three, five guys went hard and got a small gap and I hear someone yell "Everyone chase, you need to attack! Bubba Melcher's in that break! Go, go go!" So I turned to see who was yelling, and it was Bubba. All the riders around him were laughing. The break stayed away for the next three laps and we caught them sometime near the beginning of the final lap. I was still feeling pretty good so I started thinking that maybe I would take a flyer with a kilometer or so to go and see if I could surprise everyone, but my plan, and my strength, were thwarted. Around 2 miles into the final lap, a group of 10 riders got away. A group of 15+ chased and gapped the group I was in (another 35+) and we chased all of them. We dropped about 15 of our group and continued to chase for three or four miles. We finally catch back on, just as the group in front of us catch the break and we are gruppo compacto with 2 miles to go and I am worked. I try to relax and save something for the final kilometer, but it doesn't look promising. We make the final turn which is approximately 1 mile from the finish and I am sitting mid pack (around 20th). With a kilometer to go, the speed really ramps up and it's all I can do to hang on. I sit up with 200 meters to go and roll across in 42nd place.
All in all it was a good race for me to do for my first race of the year. I'm very happy that I was able to ride smart, dig deep when necessary, recover after each effort and finish with the main pack. I think that with a couple of weeks of riding, I will get used to the new position, start using my quads more and hopefully I will be able to ride up and over rolling hills like I used to be able to do three or four years ago. (fingers crossed)
Monday, May 21, My hamstrings and my quads are very sore and stretching isn't helping. This new position will help in the long run, but I'm paying for it now.
Thanks for reading,
JP
Tale of Woe at Modesto 5-20-12
Mike McLaughlin reports from the Modesto Road Race-45+ Cat 4/5-
[Tale of woe alert]
I was looking forward to this race immensely. I'm back in shape after a winter of non-riding, feeling good on the noon and Spectrum rides. Executed my pre-race plan to perfection (when to leave, what to eat, etc.). A little bit of confusion for me at the start -- the organizers had split the 45+ 4/5 in to two groups. I did not pre-reg, so I was in the "B" group. There were about 50 in the A group and 30 in the B group. Teams represented, as best I can remember: Tri-Valley Cycling (5 riders, Livermore area), Major Motion (3 riders from Oakland, I think), two guys who rode in kit that says "Santa Barbara aircraft", two TIBCO guys and one San Jose Cycling guy (I think). I rode the race pretty much as I planned. Stayed near the front, made sure no threatening breaks went away, and frankly struggled with the boredom of 54 miles of flat roads. Studied the last turn and finish line each of the 5 times we passed it, so I had a plan, at least for what line to take through the turn and which way the wind was blowing.
The guys I was riding with, at least those who spent time at the front, all seemed to be solid, experienced riders. There were a few squirelly "to be avoided riders" but by and large I was lulled into a sense of complacency because everyone was riding smoothly and sensibly. I didn't pay much attention to the guys lurking in the back. In retrospect I see that this lulled me into a false sense of complacency. This was, after all, a Cat 4/5 race. After lots of noon rides I had become used to riding among good bike handlers who stay in their line and don't make sudden movements. I was very focused on finishing well, and didn't remind myself when the time came for the sprint to BE CAREFUL. You never know how inexperienced riders will behave when the heat is on. Big, big mistake.
I felt great in the last lap. Pulled myself into the top 5 for the last turn (thanks to Andrew's pre-race advice), came out of it in a great spot behind the second wheel. I wanted to win, and felt I had a shot. After about 200 meters two guys who had moved themselves up on either side of me tried desperately to get out of the wind and push me off my wheel. I was pinched in between and had to chicken wing my elbows to back them off. No big deal, but it got my dander up a bit. Rode 50 meters more and momentum slowed just a hair, so rather than jam on the brakes I let my my front wheel coast slightly up between the two wheels riding side by side in front of me . It was close quarters, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. I was half-wheeling the guy on my front right by maybe 6 inches, and they were riding with 1.5 handlebar lengths between them. Next thing I know, a flyer comes up the left side and the guy to the right jumps out of the saddle with a Cat 5 caliber jerk -- slowing himself down so my 6 inch half-wheel was suddenly 18 inches -- and he dives left to chase the rabbit. His rear skewer enters my front wheel and I'm flying through the air. No one else fell, which is good.
I have a well developed and too-frequently practiced duck and roll instinct, which kicked in well. The crash was right in front of the feed zone about 400 meters from the finish, so help was there immediately. Onto a backboard and neck brace and off to the hospital. I was about 300% more pissed than hurt, but there was no way I could fight the system, and the oxygen didn't feel all that bad. The top of my helmet was cracked, so I don't blame them taking the precautions they did. Released 2 hours later and the husband of the very nice ER nurse drove me 20 minutes back to my car (thanks for the hospitality, Modesto General!!).
Damage assessment: 3 broken spokes on the front wheel, one leg of the carbon fiber fork snapped just below the crown and the other leg cracked, new scratches on my rear derailleur and front shifter, bar tape chewed up a bit, slight scrape on the saddle. Ample road rash on me, but I have had much worse. I will say that there is no better way to make every muscle in your body seize up like concrete than being strapped into a back board like Hannibal Lechter for 90 minutes right after a 2 hour race.
Lessons learned: Truism #1 -- it is always the guy right behind the guy who makes the dumb move who pays the price. Truism #2 -- never put yourself in a position to be the victim of the dumb move in front of you, especially in a Cat 4/5 race where the chances of a dumb move increase exponentially. I was too focused on winning the race, and not focused enough on protection of life and limb. I have been in plenty of close quarters sprint windups and never had a problem. The law of averages caught up with my complacency.
Recommendation Needed: I need to replace the HSC 5SL fork on my Look frame. Any recommendations on a shop? The Look authorized dealers near me (Portola Valley) include Front of the Pack on El Camino, Velo Tech on Emerson in PA, Palo Alto Bicyles on University, and Goride and Chain Reaction in Redwood City. I'm willing to drive farther for trusted service. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.
Hopefully I will be back on the road by next week, bike repair permitting.
Cheers,
Mike
[Tale of woe alert]
I was looking forward to this race immensely. I'm back in shape after a winter of non-riding, feeling good on the noon and Spectrum rides. Executed my pre-race plan to perfection (when to leave, what to eat, etc.). A little bit of confusion for me at the start -- the organizers had split the 45+ 4/5 in to two groups. I did not pre-reg, so I was in the "B" group. There were about 50 in the A group and 30 in the B group. Teams represented, as best I can remember: Tri-Valley Cycling (5 riders, Livermore area), Major Motion (3 riders from Oakland, I think), two guys who rode in kit that says "Santa Barbara aircraft", two TIBCO guys and one San Jose Cycling guy (I think). I rode the race pretty much as I planned. Stayed near the front, made sure no threatening breaks went away, and frankly struggled with the boredom of 54 miles of flat roads. Studied the last turn and finish line each of the 5 times we passed it, so I had a plan, at least for what line to take through the turn and which way the wind was blowing.
The guys I was riding with, at least those who spent time at the front, all seemed to be solid, experienced riders. There were a few squirelly "to be avoided riders" but by and large I was lulled into a sense of complacency because everyone was riding smoothly and sensibly. I didn't pay much attention to the guys lurking in the back. In retrospect I see that this lulled me into a false sense of complacency. This was, after all, a Cat 4/5 race. After lots of noon rides I had become used to riding among good bike handlers who stay in their line and don't make sudden movements. I was very focused on finishing well, and didn't remind myself when the time came for the sprint to BE CAREFUL. You never know how inexperienced riders will behave when the heat is on. Big, big mistake.
I felt great in the last lap. Pulled myself into the top 5 for the last turn (thanks to Andrew's pre-race advice), came out of it in a great spot behind the second wheel. I wanted to win, and felt I had a shot. After about 200 meters two guys who had moved themselves up on either side of me tried desperately to get out of the wind and push me off my wheel. I was pinched in between and had to chicken wing my elbows to back them off. No big deal, but it got my dander up a bit. Rode 50 meters more and momentum slowed just a hair, so rather than jam on the brakes I let my my front wheel coast slightly up between the two wheels riding side by side in front of me . It was close quarters, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. I was half-wheeling the guy on my front right by maybe 6 inches, and they were riding with 1.5 handlebar lengths between them. Next thing I know, a flyer comes up the left side and the guy to the right jumps out of the saddle with a Cat 5 caliber jerk -- slowing himself down so my 6 inch half-wheel was suddenly 18 inches -- and he dives left to chase the rabbit. His rear skewer enters my front wheel and I'm flying through the air. No one else fell, which is good.
I have a well developed and too-frequently practiced duck and roll instinct, which kicked in well. The crash was right in front of the feed zone about 400 meters from the finish, so help was there immediately. Onto a backboard and neck brace and off to the hospital. I was about 300% more pissed than hurt, but there was no way I could fight the system, and the oxygen didn't feel all that bad. The top of my helmet was cracked, so I don't blame them taking the precautions they did. Released 2 hours later and the husband of the very nice ER nurse drove me 20 minutes back to my car (thanks for the hospitality, Modesto General!!).
Damage assessment: 3 broken spokes on the front wheel, one leg of the carbon fiber fork snapped just below the crown and the other leg cracked, new scratches on my rear derailleur and front shifter, bar tape chewed up a bit, slight scrape on the saddle. Ample road rash on me, but I have had much worse. I will say that there is no better way to make every muscle in your body seize up like concrete than being strapped into a back board like Hannibal Lechter for 90 minutes right after a 2 hour race.
Lessons learned: Truism #1 -- it is always the guy right behind the guy who makes the dumb move who pays the price. Truism #2 -- never put yourself in a position to be the victim of the dumb move in front of you, especially in a Cat 4/5 race where the chances of a dumb move increase exponentially. I was too focused on winning the race, and not focused enough on protection of life and limb. I have been in plenty of close quarters sprint windups and never had a problem. The law of averages caught up with my complacency.
Recommendation Needed: I need to replace the HSC 5SL fork on my Look frame. Any recommendations on a shop? The Look authorized dealers near me (Portola Valley) include Front of the Pack on El Camino, Velo Tech on Emerson in PA, Palo Alto Bicyles on University, and Goride and Chain Reaction in Redwood City. I'm willing to drive farther for trusted service. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.
Hopefully I will be back on the road by next week, bike repair permitting.
Cheers,
Mike
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Rockhopper Mnt Bike Race-5/12/12-Miles Reports
When- May 12th, 2012
Race- 40-49 Cat3 mens- 14 racers
Stats- 1 lap, 10 miles of fire road, double and single track trails.
1600 ft of climbing per lap.
I was solo in my race but teammate Dave Tripier was in
the Cat2 race ahead of me.
We left Menlo Park around 8am for the 1.5 hour drive up US80. Our races started at 11am, staggered starts of 1 min apart.
I haven't written a race report for a while now since there really hasn't been much to write about my Road Races lately. I have been getting frustrated and had been having more fun riding Centuries rather than riding in the peleton. I picked up a new 29er hardtail this past winter and started breaking up my rides from road to dirt just to keep it interesting. I've been feeling pretty comfortable on the new off road rig and thought I should try a race.
With Dave T egging me on, I decided that the Rockhopper Classic was a good one for me to get my feet wet, since I dont mind going up hill and the 29er hardtail climbs like crazy.
My background is dirt, racing motorcycles on very similar terrain, and I felt pretty comfortable with the change of surface.
In the car on the way up I drilled Dave with questions so I could come up with a plan of attack. As many of you know I dont do well with the unknown and need a plan ahead of time (bite your lip Laura!). The start seemed to be a big part of MTB races since you funnel down to single track soon after the start and cant always pass quickly if needed. As I lined up for my start I made it to the front row, far left side, so I could be in the top 5 or so after we started to get going.
My plan was to keep track of the front few as this race was really a sprint and happens all with in an hour. I got a good start and was around 6th going onto the trails.
The first few miles are mostly rollers with some flat spots to recover or make up ground, which ever is needed. In the first loose grassy section, some guy in front of me tries to force a pass and washes out his front end and goes over the bars and hits the ground tumbling. One down. 5 to go...
As we get climbing a little I get into a battle with 3 or 4th place (not sure at this point), he throws a chain on a steep climb but gets back up to me a few minutes later. We battle a few more times back and forth and I can tell he is already spent because of his efforts with his chain. We get to a flat gravel road for a few minutes and I decide I'd had enough if this guy and click up two gears and hammer. I never see him again. One more down, 3 to go...
I was feeling great at this point and hitting all the climbs hard but not at max. It gets messy here and there as we catch up to the slower riders n the race in front of us. I have to walk up two sections as the riders in front are stalled out mid climb and blocking the single track.
As I pass riders I keep track of their numbers and most are in the class ahead of me. I wish for more in my race. Eventually I catch 3rd place and get him on another climb. This one is basically the second half of the race and goes up and up via tight switch backs. After I pass him my goal changes to riding smooth & not crash. The hardest thing here is passing the lapped riders cleanly and still keeping your momentum up so you don't fall or go backwards. Again Dave T gave me the low down, and I knew that after this good 900 ft ascend I was home free with mostly down hill left. As I get close to the top I can see one more guy and challenge myself to pass him before we crest and start to descend. I get him a few pedal strokes from the top and take a big calming breath as we start going down the sweet flowing single track. At this point I am starting to feel the effects of my efforts and my mind starts to wander. I'm not sure if I'm in the lead or top 3, but know that I'm doing good. I really try hard to concentrate, as one wrong move and your off the trail and down a really steep hill to my side. There are a few large obstacles here and there and I try hard to keep my concentration up. I think to myself that this is identical to my motorcycle races were your mental state at the end is the difference between finishing your race in one piece and crashing out of the race with a laps in concentration.
Once I got to the last section which is relatively flat going into the finish I feel great and actually recovered a bit during my descend. There are a few racers ahead of me and I hammer one last time to past a few. The numbers tell me that these were all riders in the race ahead of me again. As I cross the finish line I am pretty happy with my ride, but not sure if I won or am just in the top 3 or so. There is one guy that looks like he just came in ahead of me and we talk between breaths to confirm placement. He really didn't know either. The cool thing at this race was there were chips in everybody's paper number, so results were pretty quick. I went straight over to the large flat screen and could see the results within minutes. 2nd place. He had beat me by 27 seconds. I feel good about my first podium on a pedal powered bike.
I recover and look for Dave as he finishes a stellar 3rd place finish!
After our race we get a free lunch, I make Dave hang around after the podium ceremonies for the raffle. I figure we had good luck today and have a good chance at some sweet swag, but it wasn't meant to be. I end up missing my daughters soccer game in lieu of the ceremonies, but screw it, I got a medal!
Thanks for reading
-Miles
Monday, May 14, 2012
Tom and Mark's Berkeley Hills RR Report-5/13/12
Written By Tom Rice (with Supplemental by Mark Foster below)
Where – Berkeley Hills Road Race in Orinda, CA
When – May 13, 2012
Race - 45+ Cat 1,2,3 - 60+ Racers
Stats – 52 miles in 2.7 laps on country roads around San Pablo Reservoir
Mark Foster, Daryoush Paknad and I are the CoreTechs riders in this race
I finish well off the back of the pack
Our race is scheduled to start at 7:45 AM. So, Mark, Daryoush and I agree to meet at the Edgewood Road Park-n-Ride for a 5:45AM departure in my big pickup truck. I pack the night before but I still have to get up at Oh-dark-thirty for a good breakfast. (From Kate: "Really, 4:30AM? I can't believe you're going to get up at 4:30 on a Sunday to go for a bicycle ride." We racers might be just a little insane.)
All is well as Mark, Daryoush and I get to Orinda an hour before the start. But, there are a couple of logistical issues: 1. The lines for the porta-pottys are really long and 2. We have to pin on TWO numbers instead of the normal one number. As my frequent readers know, pinning numbers is not my forte but I respond to this unexpected challenge with aplomb. Oh, and it is cold. The temperature when we arrive is 51 degrees and everyone is fretting about what to wear. I decide on my winter kit even though the forecast saying it should be well into the 60's by the time we finish. It is overcast, I'm a sissy and I don't like to be cold.
In spite of these immense challenges, we're all ready to go with plenty of time to get to the start. But, we don't have time for a good warm-up. Daryoush speculates that, at this race, we don't really need a warm-up, I get to the start line way early and Mark is doing laps in the parking lot...
... not a direct quote but here is a synopsis of our pre-race briefing: "The roads are rough but you guys have ridden rougher so be careful. The Yellow line rule is in effect so don't go over the yellow line or you will be disqualified. Try not to crash or do anything stupid. Pay attention to the referee on the motorcycle. At my whistle, go. TWEET."
The first few kilometers are neutralized behind the motorcycle so we slowly spin out to the main part of the course. We get a chance to begin warming up the old legs before the action really gets going. This is good because, we know the race will be hard. The course is challenging with over 4,000 total feet of climbing and we are competing against the strongest and most experienced Masters racers in northern California. We have our work cut out for us.
The motorcycle referee blows his whistle to release the pack for actual racing and immediately a lone rider goes off the front. No one chases. In fact, the pace is quite pleasant and all of us get a chance to get fully warmed-up. By the time we pass the finish line for the first time, the gap between the lone rider and the pack is three minutes. I'm not worried though. There are a number of strong teams who will, in order to win the race, work to chase this guy down. It is not up to CoreTechs to manage this solo breakaway attempt. (See? I'm learning!)
When we get into the hills, there are a few half-hearted attempts to form breakaways but they are not serious and the pack reels in each one pretty quickly. The pace has picked up quite significantly. So, I get myself positioned near the front of the pack where I can watch for any dangerous attacks.
I'll remind you here that this is my first race after upgrading to Cat 3. So, at this point in the race, I'm quite pleased with my performance. I'm riding well, managing my position well and I'm easily climbing with the faster guys in the pack. Funny how quickly things can change...
As we race through our second lap, a couple of riders attack and get off the front. Shortly, a couple more join them, and then a couple more. There are now six or seven riders off the front and the pack is not chasing. I'm boxed in about 10 riders back from the front of the pack and I'm worried that the race is getting away from us. Lots of teams have riders in the breakaway and if CoreTechs is not in that break, or if we don't reel in the break, we have no chance to compete for the podium. So, as the road abruptly narrows then gets wider again, I find an opening and I make an attack to bridge up to the break. It is a good attack, I get a gap and I'm gaining on the break. After a couple of minutes I feel a strong presence behind me... I look back to find the whole pack strung out, single file on my wheel.
So, I let up. No one passes me. The pack is still not going to chase and the break is again starting to increase their gap. I decide I'm not letting this happen. Still on the front, I do my best Jens Voigt impersonation and amp up the pace again. Over a few minutes of very high effort, pull the pack up to within a few seconds of the breakaway group. As the breakaway riders look back and find the pack closing on them, cooperation disintegrates and they give up. Now, as I fall back into the pack to recover, a Cat 1 rider comes up to give me some heartfelt advice. He is perturbed that I've chased the break down by myself and he is vociferous in letting me know his frustration. I offer that my team has no rider in the breakaway and that I was the guy to preserve our chances in the race. Perturbed Guy says that it's not my job and one of the other stronger teams should be doing that work. I ask him if his team has anyone in the break and he says he is racing solo and he just feels that he wants things to "evolve properly" and that everyone does the "right thing". None of this makes any sense to me so I simply dismiss the whole exchange. My goal is achieved, the pack is all together, and we settle down to a pace at which I can recover.
Now, this is where I make my rookie mistake: Before we cross the finish line on each lap, there is a feed zone. The feed zone is at the beginning of a climb called "Papa Bear" - 7% for 1,500 meters and at race pace, it is a very tough climb. At this feed zone, I make a decision to get a packet of Hammer Gel down my gullet. I assume the feed zone as a place where the pace will mellow as riders get water or food. I am wrong.
While I'm focused on my delicious Montana Huckleberry gel, the pack begins the climb and an aggressive attack is made with the pack responding in earnest. The pack is going full tilt and I'm completely caught out and I get gapped. Mark is nearby and I yell some encouragement at him but I've not fully recovered from my earlier effort. I can't close the gap. Mark makes it but I get dropped and I finish the last 10 miles solo.
Completing the race, I have some time to contemplate the ride and events. It seems unexpected but I've really had fun. I was a significant factor influencing the race and I proved I'm worthy of riding at this level. My confidence is soaring. Oh yeah, and it stayed overcast and cold for the whole race, so my choice of clothing was perfect!
Thanks for reading!
Tom Rice
Bicycle Racer
CoreTechs Cycling Team
Sponsored by CoreTechs Staffing, Mobius Fit and Ironkey, Inc.
Berkeley Hills Supplemental by Mark Foster:
The first time up the hill wasn’t that bad. As you guys know, I had that weird “overtrained” thing about a month ago. I recovered from that and have no problem redlining my heart. Now I’m “undertrained”, which is way better than “overtrained”. With that said, this is my first road race for a couple of months and for me anyway, this race had really hard moments, but then time to recover. I knew I wasn’t that strong yesterday, so tried to “hide” as much as I could. Tom’s bridge attempt was heroic. It seemed to be minutes long, caused the field to string out, and definitely dropped some people. I wish that as soon as he was caught, he pulled over. He REALLY didn’t want the break to get away. He didn’t realize Klien and Reeder were still in our group. We’ll never know, that break may have succeeded without Tom’s effort. At any rate, the hill was shortly after that. Knowing I was not climbing well yesterday, I took the lead on the second lap between mama bear and papa bear and led into the climb; trying get as much of a lead as I could without working that hard. Just as planned, the group passed me about halfway up or earlier as the wheels started to come off of the cart. When we approached the top of the hill, the rubberbands in my legs were getting stretched to the limit. A gap formed. I hear Tom yell some encouragement, but the frustration and hypoxia are too great to actually comprehend what he said. All I knew was….. he was on my rear wheel….keep pulling. Daryoush had passed me at about 2/3 up the hill…with the brunt of the front pack. I crest the hill and look back. There are lots of guys off the back….including me and Tom. I keep my head down and dig as deeply as I can over the hill and down the other side. I pull for a couple hundred yards, look back and see four guys with me. We weren’t climbers, but this group can hammer. I’m with Pat Brigg, Pat Tofoyo and three others. We get down to business and trade pulls.( As I peel off the front of this chase group for the first time to recover, I fully expect to see Tom in that group. He wasn’t. He told me afterwards he was literally three bike lengths back as we crested the hill and he stayed there for a long way, but couldn’t quite close the gap. He said the next group that he waited for, and went with, didn’t have the horsepower to bring back the pack.) The pack comes back to our chase group of six and we catch back on after a few miles of hammering together. I sit in at this point and just survive. I finish the race with the pack up that final hill….near the back of the pack. The results aren’t posted so it’ll be interesting to see how many of the original 65 got spit out the back. Daryoush passes me again up the final hill so he was ahead of me, but none of us finish in the top ten. As I was suffering up the final climb of the race I was thinking, ”I don’t think I want to race Pescadero!”. The good news is that pain is something you can’t really remember, which is why we keep racing.– Mark F.
Where – Berkeley Hills Road Race in Orinda, CA
When – May 13, 2012
Race - 45+ Cat 1,2,3 - 60+ Racers
Stats – 52 miles in 2.7 laps on country roads around San Pablo Reservoir
Mark Foster, Daryoush Paknad and I are the CoreTechs riders in this race
I finish well off the back of the pack
Our race is scheduled to start at 7:45 AM. So, Mark, Daryoush and I agree to meet at the Edgewood Road Park-n-Ride for a 5:45AM departure in my big pickup truck. I pack the night before but I still have to get up at Oh-dark-thirty for a good breakfast. (From Kate: "Really, 4:30AM? I can't believe you're going to get up at 4:30 on a Sunday to go for a bicycle ride." We racers might be just a little insane.)
All is well as Mark, Daryoush and I get to Orinda an hour before the start. But, there are a couple of logistical issues: 1. The lines for the porta-pottys are really long and 2. We have to pin on TWO numbers instead of the normal one number. As my frequent readers know, pinning numbers is not my forte but I respond to this unexpected challenge with aplomb. Oh, and it is cold. The temperature when we arrive is 51 degrees and everyone is fretting about what to wear. I decide on my winter kit even though the forecast saying it should be well into the 60's by the time we finish. It is overcast, I'm a sissy and I don't like to be cold.
In spite of these immense challenges, we're all ready to go with plenty of time to get to the start. But, we don't have time for a good warm-up. Daryoush speculates that, at this race, we don't really need a warm-up, I get to the start line way early and Mark is doing laps in the parking lot...
... not a direct quote but here is a synopsis of our pre-race briefing: "The roads are rough but you guys have ridden rougher so be careful. The Yellow line rule is in effect so don't go over the yellow line or you will be disqualified. Try not to crash or do anything stupid. Pay attention to the referee on the motorcycle. At my whistle, go. TWEET."
The first few kilometers are neutralized behind the motorcycle so we slowly spin out to the main part of the course. We get a chance to begin warming up the old legs before the action really gets going. This is good because, we know the race will be hard. The course is challenging with over 4,000 total feet of climbing and we are competing against the strongest and most experienced Masters racers in northern California. We have our work cut out for us.
The motorcycle referee blows his whistle to release the pack for actual racing and immediately a lone rider goes off the front. No one chases. In fact, the pace is quite pleasant and all of us get a chance to get fully warmed-up. By the time we pass the finish line for the first time, the gap between the lone rider and the pack is three minutes. I'm not worried though. There are a number of strong teams who will, in order to win the race, work to chase this guy down. It is not up to CoreTechs to manage this solo breakaway attempt. (See? I'm learning!)
When we get into the hills, there are a few half-hearted attempts to form breakaways but they are not serious and the pack reels in each one pretty quickly. The pace has picked up quite significantly. So, I get myself positioned near the front of the pack where I can watch for any dangerous attacks.
I'll remind you here that this is my first race after upgrading to Cat 3. So, at this point in the race, I'm quite pleased with my performance. I'm riding well, managing my position well and I'm easily climbing with the faster guys in the pack. Funny how quickly things can change...
As we race through our second lap, a couple of riders attack and get off the front. Shortly, a couple more join them, and then a couple more. There are now six or seven riders off the front and the pack is not chasing. I'm boxed in about 10 riders back from the front of the pack and I'm worried that the race is getting away from us. Lots of teams have riders in the breakaway and if CoreTechs is not in that break, or if we don't reel in the break, we have no chance to compete for the podium. So, as the road abruptly narrows then gets wider again, I find an opening and I make an attack to bridge up to the break. It is a good attack, I get a gap and I'm gaining on the break. After a couple of minutes I feel a strong presence behind me... I look back to find the whole pack strung out, single file on my wheel.
So, I let up. No one passes me. The pack is still not going to chase and the break is again starting to increase their gap. I decide I'm not letting this happen. Still on the front, I do my best Jens Voigt impersonation and amp up the pace again. Over a few minutes of very high effort, pull the pack up to within a few seconds of the breakaway group. As the breakaway riders look back and find the pack closing on them, cooperation disintegrates and they give up. Now, as I fall back into the pack to recover, a Cat 1 rider comes up to give me some heartfelt advice. He is perturbed that I've chased the break down by myself and he is vociferous in letting me know his frustration. I offer that my team has no rider in the breakaway and that I was the guy to preserve our chances in the race. Perturbed Guy says that it's not my job and one of the other stronger teams should be doing that work. I ask him if his team has anyone in the break and he says he is racing solo and he just feels that he wants things to "evolve properly" and that everyone does the "right thing". None of this makes any sense to me so I simply dismiss the whole exchange. My goal is achieved, the pack is all together, and we settle down to a pace at which I can recover.
Now, this is where I make my rookie mistake: Before we cross the finish line on each lap, there is a feed zone. The feed zone is at the beginning of a climb called "Papa Bear" - 7% for 1,500 meters and at race pace, it is a very tough climb. At this feed zone, I make a decision to get a packet of Hammer Gel down my gullet. I assume the feed zone as a place where the pace will mellow as riders get water or food. I am wrong.
While I'm focused on my delicious Montana Huckleberry gel, the pack begins the climb and an aggressive attack is made with the pack responding in earnest. The pack is going full tilt and I'm completely caught out and I get gapped. Mark is nearby and I yell some encouragement at him but I've not fully recovered from my earlier effort. I can't close the gap. Mark makes it but I get dropped and I finish the last 10 miles solo.
Completing the race, I have some time to contemplate the ride and events. It seems unexpected but I've really had fun. I was a significant factor influencing the race and I proved I'm worthy of riding at this level. My confidence is soaring. Oh yeah, and it stayed overcast and cold for the whole race, so my choice of clothing was perfect!
Thanks for reading!
Tom Rice
Bicycle Racer
CoreTechs Cycling Team
Sponsored by CoreTechs Staffing, Mobius Fit and Ironkey, Inc.
Berkeley Hills Supplemental by Mark Foster:
The first time up the hill wasn’t that bad. As you guys know, I had that weird “overtrained” thing about a month ago. I recovered from that and have no problem redlining my heart. Now I’m “undertrained”, which is way better than “overtrained”. With that said, this is my first road race for a couple of months and for me anyway, this race had really hard moments, but then time to recover. I knew I wasn’t that strong yesterday, so tried to “hide” as much as I could. Tom’s bridge attempt was heroic. It seemed to be minutes long, caused the field to string out, and definitely dropped some people. I wish that as soon as he was caught, he pulled over. He REALLY didn’t want the break to get away. He didn’t realize Klien and Reeder were still in our group. We’ll never know, that break may have succeeded without Tom’s effort. At any rate, the hill was shortly after that. Knowing I was not climbing well yesterday, I took the lead on the second lap between mama bear and papa bear and led into the climb; trying get as much of a lead as I could without working that hard. Just as planned, the group passed me about halfway up or earlier as the wheels started to come off of the cart. When we approached the top of the hill, the rubberbands in my legs were getting stretched to the limit. A gap formed. I hear Tom yell some encouragement, but the frustration and hypoxia are too great to actually comprehend what he said. All I knew was….. he was on my rear wheel….keep pulling. Daryoush had passed me at about 2/3 up the hill…with the brunt of the front pack. I crest the hill and look back. There are lots of guys off the back….including me and Tom. I keep my head down and dig as deeply as I can over the hill and down the other side. I pull for a couple hundred yards, look back and see four guys with me. We weren’t climbers, but this group can hammer. I’m with Pat Brigg, Pat Tofoyo and three others. We get down to business and trade pulls.( As I peel off the front of this chase group for the first time to recover, I fully expect to see Tom in that group. He wasn’t. He told me afterwards he was literally three bike lengths back as we crested the hill and he stayed there for a long way, but couldn’t quite close the gap. He said the next group that he waited for, and went with, didn’t have the horsepower to bring back the pack.) The pack comes back to our chase group of six and we catch back on after a few miles of hammering together. I sit in at this point and just survive. I finish the race with the pack up that final hill….near the back of the pack. The results aren’t posted so it’ll be interesting to see how many of the original 65 got spit out the back. Daryoush passes me again up the final hill so he was ahead of me, but none of us finish in the top ten. As I was suffering up the final climb of the race I was thinking, ”I don’t think I want to race Pescadero!”. The good news is that pain is something you can’t really remember, which is why we keep racing.– Mark F.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Turlock RR report by Andrew (45+ 1/2/3)
32 in field
81 miles
I know I often say I am sending out a race report and then find what I typed was really some sort of philosophical lesson learned and very little race reporting. So today, I give you an actual race report. There will be no comments about the dew on the leaves or how the sun glistened off the water. This is all business.
Daryoush, Devon and myself started our 2 hour and 30 minute drive, leaving at 5:15am. We arrived with an hour to spare. As Daryoush pointed out on the drive, one of the best things about being on a team is having some company for the five hours of total driving we did. Fun to talk biking and hang with the fellas. During this drive we came up with a plan for the race. Daryoush and myself were the guys to follow the breaks. If a break went with anyone dangerous in it, we would tag along. Devon, being a phenomenal sprinter, was our man to support if the race ended in a pack sprint. Otherwise his role was to sit in and protect the break if we were in it.
This race course is very similar to CCCX in Monterey, just spread out over a 27 mile loop. There are probably 15 rollers, and each roller is similar to those at CCCX (maybe slightly less steep). We had to do 3 laps, so a total of 81 miles.
We had 32 in our field, including some "big" names. SJBC had five guys out that were all super strong. This included Saltzman (cat 1-former pro), Jeremy Wire, Chris Courtney (he is the guy that won the Top Sport stage race I wrote about), Clark Foy (CCCX solo winner) and Daryl Spano (cat 2). Also present in the race was Specialized Donald Langley (45-49 current Calif State Champ), Anders Dellien (Cat 1 and winner of the CopperTown Circuit race and CCCX this year), and Hunter (one of four guys on the Echelon team that includes, Steve Heaton, Dirk and Cale). There were a couple other heavy hitters, but these were the guys that participated in the story.
Ok, now that the table is set, let's get to dinner.
Lap one starts with Hunter regaling the group about riding with broken ribs. "I'm just out here for a lap or two. Don't worry about me, just trying to keep some fitness." Then Spano (SJBC) breaks at about mile 8 with one other. A mile later, Hunter jumps to chase him down and Daryoush is on his wheel. I move to the front of the group to monitor the action. They ride off. Now there is four away. About three minutes later, someone jumps to bridge and then another. I grab that wheel and the bridge attempt is on. The knucklehead is pulling the whole pack though and does not realize it, so we end up catching Hunter and Daryoush just as they were catching Spano. Groupo Compacto.
Lap two: Mid lap a rider jumps. Daryoush and I don’t react since it is not an SJBC rider and no one we recognize. Then he is joined by a Davis rider, but again, we did not think the two of those guys were threats. Then Hunter jumps and Daryoush is on him. Daryoush and Hunter catch the other two and the foursome are gone. I think they have a shot, but not a great one since none of the big teams are in this break.
A race motorcycle comes by and let's us know the break's time is now one minute up on the group. One minute is kind of a magic number for a break. It usually means that they have a shot at staying away. I am riding at the front and talking with an SJBC rider when out of the corner of my eye I see a bike come shooting past. I jump out of the pack and grab his wheel. It was Anders. I know Anders and know he will bury himself to catch the break. I sit on his wheel. He gives me the elbow to come around and help. I glance back and can see the pack is still darn close. I can't help him yet. I don’t want to motivate the pack to chase us and thus chase Daryoush's break down. So I yell to Anders, "sorry bro, can't help, have a teammate up front."
He lowers his head and keeps grinding. Finally I look back and see we have a clear gap on the field. We are on a straight that has multiple rollers and the pack is in the distance. I decide to help Anders now since we are not being chased and we could get two in the break of six. We start to rotate (but I still make Anders take longer pulls. I don’t want him fresh) and were going flat out. I was at the top of my effort level and digging hard. It took us almost four or five miles (about 15-20 minutes of all out effort) to finally see the break of four. Finally we latch on and the break is now six.
I am pumped we made it but pretty worked. Now we have 30 miles left to stay away. SJBC was not in this break, nor were the other teams that had three guys (Morgan Stanley, Christian Cycling). I thought it was touch and go if we would survive. I was fully committed at this point, so I became the loud guy in the break. Anytime our organization started to crumble or our speed dipped I would encourage, cajole and straight out yell at the others to keep going.
Five miles left on lap 3 (end of race): Up to this point most of the guys were taking good pulls. The Davis rider and the Body Concepts team rider were getting gaped on a lot of the rollers, so I figured they were toast. Hunter probably took about 25% of his pulls and when he did pull through he soft pedaled it. I was yelling at him, but he rolled up next to me and said, "dude, I don’t have anything but I will do what I can". He would hang in the back of our group and be nothing but luggage. So in the end, Daryoush and myself took all our pulls, Anders took most of his, but even he was looking darn tired and skipped a few. The other two slacked off missing their turns and Hunter was useless. On the last two rollers, my quads started to twinge going up them. They felt on the verge of cramping, but I would back off and it would go away.
With 1k to go, Daryoush takes off. He is immediately followed by the Davis rider and I am on that riders wheel. Mentally and physically I feel great. Once again I run fun scenarios in my mind. I really think either Daryoush or myself have this race. Anders could do it too, but the other three were out of it.
With 300 meters to go we hit the uphill just before the line. Anders takes off followed by Hunter on his wheel. I stand to hammer the sprint and immediately cramp in both quads. I sit down fast and spin as fast as I can. By this point Daryoush has started his sprint and the Davis rider is with him. I spin as fast as I can and make up ground on them, but in the end the Davis guy gets around Daroush by a tire. D and I come in fourth and fifth. Anders gets the win and Hunter gets second. As a commentary, I think Hunter's second place is suspect since he took a free ride to the finish. I suppose some might call it good tactics, but when you are in a break of six, it is expected that you work. If you don't and tag along, then you don't go for the final sprint. Anders on the other hand earned his first place and congrats to him.
I later hear from the SJBC riders that they tried to chase and had Clark drilling it at the front along with Spano and a Morgan Stanly rider. I also was told by them that "your teammate", otherwise known as Devon, did a hell of a job messing up the chase by getting in the rotation and then soft pedaling or not pulling through. They even had to come up with a strategy of boxing him in to keep him out of the rotation. He did an amazing job for us!
Fun race, lots of things learned and a good time with the boys. Oh, and the sun shone off the water while the dew glistened on the leaves.
Andrew
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