Another Top-10 finish, so another race report is warranted.
This past Saturday, June 22 2019, was the CRCA-Hincapie Lou Maltese Memorial race, which for the P/1/2 field meant a 9-lap race around Central Park (~55mi). This race is also part of an omnium series with next weekend's CRCA-Trek Mengoni Grand Prix, so doing well in both races could mean overall placing as well (with additional prizes). The P/1/2 field had 94 racers, so this was likely going to be a fast race. Since this was a P/1/2 field and Conor was out of town, it meant my only teammate in the race was Anthony, who is definitely more of a sprinter, leaving me to do my thing and try to get in a break.
From the start, the pace was pretty high, but I was surfing near the front to watch for anything dangerous that was trying to get away. There were a few moves during the opening laps, but generally things were either just a few riders or the wrong mix of teams, meaning that they were pulled back without gaining much distance. I managed to jump into a few of the more promising groups, and we even managed to get a handful of seconds off the front on one of the attempts, but the field wasn't quite ready to give up time.
On the start of lap 5, and with about an hour of hard racing already in the legs, a small group of four or five kept the gas on over the top of cat's paw and up past the Met. Near the top of the Met hill there was a small truck on the far right of the course, and as we approached the truck I looked over to see Anthony was also near the front of the field. He gave me a look that said "that one looks dangerous" and I figured they had established some space without too much chase from the field, so I made the jump. I tucked in and went full TT to catch them just after Engineer's gate, and quickly assessed that there were now six of us, so I am not sure if there had been five or if someone had hung onto my wheel during the bridge. Regardless, our group was looking formidable: Bill (Foundation), Luiz (Benzel), Josh (Rockstar), Dominic (Jamison), Iain (Bicycle Habitat) and myself. Everyone seemed willing to work and we quickly continued to power away from the field.
The next few laps consisted of hard pulls and recovery as our group worked reasonably well together. There were a few skipped pulls or slowing of the pace that would occur, but Bill and Josh continued to rally the group to keep on the gas and not get caught before the finish. I would occasionally check back to see if the field was gaining, but never saw any signs, so figured we were still doing well, but I was disappointed that none of the course marshals or officials were giving us time-gaps. As we were working down the west-side on the final lap, Dominic, Iain and Bill started to skip pulls. Iain was looking like he was suffering, so I figured if we kept the pace up, he might blow up. Josh again pleaded that everyone keep working so we wouldn't get caught on the line.
As we entered Horseshit Alley, I was on the front and figured that someone else might have to do the last bit of work, however as I flicked the elbow no-one was willing to pull through, and I took a peak back to see everyone start to jockey around. Figuring that since I had already been pulling and potentially had a weaker sprint, I decided to roll the dice on a long-range attack. I put my head down and went full-gas, hoping the others would wait too long to chase me down. I managed to pass 72nd with a little gap and hoped I could keep the power on until the line. I worked to carry as much speed as I could through the line into Cat's Paw, but as I made the turn onto the straight and the final run-in to the line, all 5 managed to shoot by me in a sprint. I held onto 6th, feeling pretty worked, but happy with the result. The field ended up finishing in a sprint about 30sec behind us.
I was surprised to learn that Iain took the win, since he had been looking gassed, but I guess he had just played the sprint right and was saving energy for the finish. In hindsight, knowing we had a big gap, I could have tried to play a bit of the sprint game, but I am still happy with the result. Now it is just time to build up for another chance next weekend.
Photos by Bicycle Racing Pictures
Bike Racing, Fit Science, and Physical Therapy
Showing posts with label Road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Road. Show all posts
May 9, 2019
CRCA Zach Koop Memorial Crit at Orchard Beach Park 2019
Hey Readers, sorry for the long hiatus from posting about bikes, racing and PT/Bike-Fit, but hopefully I can get back into a more regular posting schedule. Also, hopefully this race report will keep you entertained!
Men's Cat 2/3 Race
Per my Cat 3 teammate Cormac Daly (who just finished 2nd place in the Men's 3/4 race after his Di2 malfunctioned and he had to sprint from the 53/25) and watching the early races, today the chance of a breakaway win were big; It was cold, wet and windy, meaning that most racers were just trying to survive the race rather than compete for the win. The course was such that there was a solid cross-headwind on the finish straight and a cross-tail on the opposite side, along with the wet roads limiting the corners to a roughly controlled speed.
I made sure to be along the front right away, and sure enough a solid break of 4-5 formed pretty quick - Myself, Ben G (Blue Ribbon), Aaron B (NE Devo), and some dude in Rapha kit, and I think there was someone else who was there briefly. We pushed a few laps and then the Rapha guy pulled the plug, leaving the 3 of us. We were working together ok, although I was yelling at the other guys to keep their pulls smooth and to keep going hard to keep the pace up. I could see from looking across the center of the course that Bastien (Huge engine racing for E2Value) had jumped off the front of the pack, and saw he had someone working with him/hanging on, but couldn't make out the kit and I was more focused on keeping our pace going and trying to prevent the bridge.
Unfortunately Bastien eventually caught on and now it "seemed" like there were 4 of us trading pulls. We slowly caught the field and I quickly moved up through it figuring I might be able to sneak away again while the others sat in the field, unfortunately Bastien, Ben and Aaron all quickly were back with me and we were pulling away from the front of the field. After a lap or so, Bastien put in a deep pull and started pulling away. I was yelling at Ben and Aaron to keep the wheel and they both looked at me drained, so I had to jump solo. I was slowly working back to Bastien's wheel for the next 2 laps when he sat up and I assumed he realized we had a gap and was ready to work together, although as I caught him I heard him swearing and coming to a stop - he flatted his rear tire.
I was roughly 1/2 lap in front of the field with 15ish laps left, so I put the head down and fell into a smooth rhythm: 400-430ish watts into the wind, smooth top corner, 360-380ish with the wind down the back stretch, smooth corner, repeat. While working I would catch a look across the infield to see my progress (along with my teammate Mike yelling gaps at me from the sidelines) and was slowly adding time before I could tell the field lost interest and slowed down.
I caught the back of the field with about 5 to-go and realized I should just sit there safely off the back and easy pedal the last laps rather than get caught out in any scrum at the front - my win was already secure. With 2 laps to go, my teammate Conor jumped hard off the front of the pack - I assumed this was securing 4th place, and was surprised no-one even tried to go with him. He built a solid gap and held it to the line - only afterwards did I learn he was the hanger-on to Bastien's bridge earlier and he was also 1-lap up on the field like Ben and Aaron, meaning he had effectively locked up 2nd place without any sprinting at the line! I rolled in to the finish on the back and happily took the big W, and it was sweet to share the podium with Conor going 1-2 in the race!
Men's P/1/2/3
Lining up an hour after the finish of the 2/3 race, this one was a "see what you can still do" type effort - my legs were definitely a bit tight and I was a bit chilly from the weather, so I figured the good bet was to again stick toward the front and try to warm-up through some efforts. Right off the bat there were attacks and I just worked to stay in the front of the race and defend my position. After a few laps I was feeling better, however the legs were definitely still a little tired. I did a good job of holding my position and suddenly I was in a break with a gap on the field - Alejandro (Foundation), Margarite (Jamison), Myself, and a dude from Bike Habitat.
Our little group actually fell into a good rotation with everyone putting in decent efforts - the Bike Habitat guy definitely did the weakest/shortest pulls and also took the corners the slowest, so I noted he was likely the weakest link in our group and tried to avoid being on his wheel in case he accidentally opened a gap or ate it in a wet corner. We continued to pull away from the field and spent the majority of the race 1/2 lap up. This continued, with me making sure to meter efforts, but also ensure we stayed away.
Once the lap numbers popped up, I figured we were gold, and with around 10 to go, we were actually starting to close in on the back of the field. Realizing that Foundation and Jamison had guys in the field that could help those guys, I reduced my efforts quite a bit to make sure the gap to the field stayed open, leaving it to just be us four. I started really trying to get the right layout with 3 to go, and with 1 lap remaining, the positioning really started to play out. I ended up behind Alejandro going into corner 3 and realized he was going to have to go hard from the corner to have any chance, so I tried to time my jump and catch his tiny draft as well as I could. We were going full-gas up the straight and with about 50m to go, Margarite shot past me, but Ale managed to hold it to the line and I came through in 3rd - not too bad considering the company and having raced earlier in the day. Very happy with the performance and with 2x podiums over the day!
Men's Cat 2/3 Race
Per my Cat 3 teammate Cormac Daly (who just finished 2nd place in the Men's 3/4 race after his Di2 malfunctioned and he had to sprint from the 53/25) and watching the early races, today the chance of a breakaway win were big; It was cold, wet and windy, meaning that most racers were just trying to survive the race rather than compete for the win. The course was such that there was a solid cross-headwind on the finish straight and a cross-tail on the opposite side, along with the wet roads limiting the corners to a roughly controlled speed.
I made sure to be along the front right away, and sure enough a solid break of 4-5 formed pretty quick - Myself, Ben G (Blue Ribbon), Aaron B (NE Devo), and some dude in Rapha kit, and I think there was someone else who was there briefly. We pushed a few laps and then the Rapha guy pulled the plug, leaving the 3 of us. We were working together ok, although I was yelling at the other guys to keep their pulls smooth and to keep going hard to keep the pace up. I could see from looking across the center of the course that Bastien (Huge engine racing for E2Value) had jumped off the front of the pack, and saw he had someone working with him/hanging on, but couldn't make out the kit and I was more focused on keeping our pace going and trying to prevent the bridge.
Unfortunately Bastien eventually caught on and now it "seemed" like there were 4 of us trading pulls. We slowly caught the field and I quickly moved up through it figuring I might be able to sneak away again while the others sat in the field, unfortunately Bastien, Ben and Aaron all quickly were back with me and we were pulling away from the front of the field. After a lap or so, Bastien put in a deep pull and started pulling away. I was yelling at Ben and Aaron to keep the wheel and they both looked at me drained, so I had to jump solo. I was slowly working back to Bastien's wheel for the next 2 laps when he sat up and I assumed he realized we had a gap and was ready to work together, although as I caught him I heard him swearing and coming to a stop - he flatted his rear tire.
I was roughly 1/2 lap in front of the field with 15ish laps left, so I put the head down and fell into a smooth rhythm: 400-430ish watts into the wind, smooth top corner, 360-380ish with the wind down the back stretch, smooth corner, repeat. While working I would catch a look across the infield to see my progress (along with my teammate Mike yelling gaps at me from the sidelines) and was slowly adding time before I could tell the field lost interest and slowed down.
I caught the back of the field with about 5 to-go and realized I should just sit there safely off the back and easy pedal the last laps rather than get caught out in any scrum at the front - my win was already secure. With 2 laps to go, my teammate Conor jumped hard off the front of the pack - I assumed this was securing 4th place, and was surprised no-one even tried to go with him. He built a solid gap and held it to the line - only afterwards did I learn he was the hanger-on to Bastien's bridge earlier and he was also 1-lap up on the field like Ben and Aaron, meaning he had effectively locked up 2nd place without any sprinting at the line! I rolled in to the finish on the back and happily took the big W, and it was sweet to share the podium with Conor going 1-2 in the race!
Men's P/1/2/3
Lining up an hour after the finish of the 2/3 race, this one was a "see what you can still do" type effort - my legs were definitely a bit tight and I was a bit chilly from the weather, so I figured the good bet was to again stick toward the front and try to warm-up through some efforts. Right off the bat there were attacks and I just worked to stay in the front of the race and defend my position. After a few laps I was feeling better, however the legs were definitely still a little tired. I did a good job of holding my position and suddenly I was in a break with a gap on the field - Alejandro (Foundation), Margarite (Jamison), Myself, and a dude from Bike Habitat.
Our little group actually fell into a good rotation with everyone putting in decent efforts - the Bike Habitat guy definitely did the weakest/shortest pulls and also took the corners the slowest, so I noted he was likely the weakest link in our group and tried to avoid being on his wheel in case he accidentally opened a gap or ate it in a wet corner. We continued to pull away from the field and spent the majority of the race 1/2 lap up. This continued, with me making sure to meter efforts, but also ensure we stayed away.
Once the lap numbers popped up, I figured we were gold, and with around 10 to go, we were actually starting to close in on the back of the field. Realizing that Foundation and Jamison had guys in the field that could help those guys, I reduced my efforts quite a bit to make sure the gap to the field stayed open, leaving it to just be us four. I started really trying to get the right layout with 3 to go, and with 1 lap remaining, the positioning really started to play out. I ended up behind Alejandro going into corner 3 and realized he was going to have to go hard from the corner to have any chance, so I tried to time my jump and catch his tiny draft as well as I could. We were going full-gas up the straight and with about 50m to go, Margarite shot past me, but Ale managed to hold it to the line and I came through in 3rd - not too bad considering the company and having raced earlier in the day. Very happy with the performance and with 2x podiums over the day!
June 17, 2014
Getting there - WA state Road championships 2014
This past weekend was the 2014 WA State Road championships, this year held up in Bellingham on the Northshore RR course. The course, which I have only raced once before, is only about 8 miles long, so for the Road Championship minimum distance we had to ride 10 laps. The field wasn't huge (results say 34 starters) but as it was a state championship race, the strong riders were in attendance and it wouldn't be an easy race. We started with three racers: Matt, Alec, and myself. This was Alec's first race since he crashed in March, so while he was excited to race, he wasn't sure how it would go. Matt and I both were feeling ok and decided to see how the race played out without locking into roles. We figured there would be a break at some point, so we would both watch and see if we could make the jump.
The course is rolling and generally defined by the two climbs each lap. Starting from a local restaurant (the Fork), you immediately start a stair-step climb that takes you out toward the "official" lap point. At the top of this climb, the road flattens out (maybe even a small downhill) before an off-camber right angle turn into a small uphill. Here you then accelerate down a short hill to the lap point and make a 90-degree turn to the left. A longer flat section offers a time to sit in temporarily, although this also seems to be an area for kicking the pace up as well. At the end of this straight, the road kicks up for a short climb before the field flies into a downhill section at full speed. A sharp right turn at the bottom of the hill before another small downhill section to keep the ride at speed. Then begins the soul-draining section of the course - a long, open stretch of gradual uphill. The road looks like it is flat but actually averages around 2-3%, so you begin to feel quite drained by the later laps. At the end of this section you get a moment of rest before the 2nd climb - a longer section that kicks up toward the end (and is the site where most riders fall off the back). Once you force yourself over the crest, you are rewarded with a long winding descent back to the Fork to begin the lap again. This continues until the final lap, where instead of making the left turn at the "lap" point, you instead go straight into a short but brutally steep little hill before a flat roll over the line.
As I mentioned earlier, the fact that the race was a championship meant that the main players were in attendance and ready to rip each others legs off. From the gun we were racing at a brisk pace, with small attacks literally going from the beginning of the race. The field stayed roughly together for the first lap, but eventually the strongest of the field managed to break away in a group that contained a large selection of HSP riders. Matt ended up in a small group in-between the fields that slowly drifted back and rejoined the main peloton. Our field got into a rhythm of rotation and were slowly closing in on the lead group after a lap or so, but couldn't close it down completely. At this point, our field was starting to lose riders - casualties of the high chasing pace. It was on lap 4 that Alec pulled the plug and rode with a few other riders on a cool-down lap before heading back to the cars.
The reduced peloton (still containing Matt and myself) continued to work together, but the leaders had a significant gap and we wouldn't see them for the rest of the race. At this point, the race was turning into a game of attrition; it seemed that every lap would result in riders disappearing off the back. On lap 6, a strong Apex racer attacked off the front of the group and pulled away from us. The field continued to rotate, but it was disheartening that the Apex rider stayed away (I would later learn that he quit at the end of that lap, but I assumed he had caught the leaders and finished with them).
Toward the end of lap 7 Matt and I had a short chat about how tired we were. The relentless climbing and chasing was wearing down all the riders and I could tell we had slowed down compared to previous laps. Matt asked if I intended to finish or not since he was feeling spent. Since we were soon to start lap 8 of 10, I figured that as long as I stayed with the group I could finish. At this point we had 8 riders left in the peloton. As we started lap 8, I noticed we had lost more riders and were down to 6. We started charging along the flat section and suddenly Matt was not in the rotation - I realized he had pulled the plug. Shortly afterward, the 10-Speed Hero rider (another strong engine in our little group) also disappeared. It was now just 4 of us: Starbucks, Olympic Ortho, Therapeutic Associates, and myself.
For the rest of lap 8 and lap 9, we all rotated evenly sharing the workload of hauling toward the finish. I didn't know how many riders were up the road, but figured we were well out of the placings (and we hadn't seen anyone fall back from the lead group, so I assumed they were all together as well) so I was happy to work to get to the finish. Once we finally began lap 10 however, things definitely changed. During the flat sections the work was relatively even, but suddenly I was leading up all the hills. Going up the last hill, I could tell that the others were attempting to save something for the finish. I had been having small cramps for most of the lap, so I figured I would let them play and just ride my race. We flew by the Fork for the last time and into the stair-step climb together. As we approached the top, Starbucks took his chance and jumped ahead. The other riders looked at me to chase and then continued to sit in as I worked ahead at my own pace. We rounded the final corner and down into the finish stretch watching Starbucks stay roughly 500m ahead. Finally, as we hit the short hill, the other riders jumped past me. I stood to climb and immediately was back to seating as my legs refused to work any harder. I rolled across the line to end up 16th for the day.
Our group ended up finishing roughly 13 minutes behind the leader. It turned out the lead group had splintered on the last laps as well, with 2nd place finishing a minute back, and 3-9 finishing another minute back from #2. #10 was about 45 seconds off that group and 11&12 finished only a minute ahead of our group. 2 more riders finished about 7 minutes behind us, and were the last people to finish (16 DNFs).
Definitely a hard race, but I was happy to have finished, even if I did not contest my group. Now it is time for a little break before we hit the peak Criterium season.
Full Results here - Northshore RR - 2014
The course is rolling and generally defined by the two climbs each lap. Starting from a local restaurant (the Fork), you immediately start a stair-step climb that takes you out toward the "official" lap point. At the top of this climb, the road flattens out (maybe even a small downhill) before an off-camber right angle turn into a small uphill. Here you then accelerate down a short hill to the lap point and make a 90-degree turn to the left. A longer flat section offers a time to sit in temporarily, although this also seems to be an area for kicking the pace up as well. At the end of this straight, the road kicks up for a short climb before the field flies into a downhill section at full speed. A sharp right turn at the bottom of the hill before another small downhill section to keep the ride at speed. Then begins the soul-draining section of the course - a long, open stretch of gradual uphill. The road looks like it is flat but actually averages around 2-3%, so you begin to feel quite drained by the later laps. At the end of this section you get a moment of rest before the 2nd climb - a longer section that kicks up toward the end (and is the site where most riders fall off the back). Once you force yourself over the crest, you are rewarded with a long winding descent back to the Fork to begin the lap again. This continues until the final lap, where instead of making the left turn at the "lap" point, you instead go straight into a short but brutally steep little hill before a flat roll over the line.
As I mentioned earlier, the fact that the race was a championship meant that the main players were in attendance and ready to rip each others legs off. From the gun we were racing at a brisk pace, with small attacks literally going from the beginning of the race. The field stayed roughly together for the first lap, but eventually the strongest of the field managed to break away in a group that contained a large selection of HSP riders. Matt ended up in a small group in-between the fields that slowly drifted back and rejoined the main peloton. Our field got into a rhythm of rotation and were slowly closing in on the lead group after a lap or so, but couldn't close it down completely. At this point, our field was starting to lose riders - casualties of the high chasing pace. It was on lap 4 that Alec pulled the plug and rode with a few other riders on a cool-down lap before heading back to the cars.
The reduced peloton (still containing Matt and myself) continued to work together, but the leaders had a significant gap and we wouldn't see them for the rest of the race. At this point, the race was turning into a game of attrition; it seemed that every lap would result in riders disappearing off the back. On lap 6, a strong Apex racer attacked off the front of the group and pulled away from us. The field continued to rotate, but it was disheartening that the Apex rider stayed away (I would later learn that he quit at the end of that lap, but I assumed he had caught the leaders and finished with them).
Toward the end of lap 7 Matt and I had a short chat about how tired we were. The relentless climbing and chasing was wearing down all the riders and I could tell we had slowed down compared to previous laps. Matt asked if I intended to finish or not since he was feeling spent. Since we were soon to start lap 8 of 10, I figured that as long as I stayed with the group I could finish. At this point we had 8 riders left in the peloton. As we started lap 8, I noticed we had lost more riders and were down to 6. We started charging along the flat section and suddenly Matt was not in the rotation - I realized he had pulled the plug. Shortly afterward, the 10-Speed Hero rider (another strong engine in our little group) also disappeared. It was now just 4 of us: Starbucks, Olympic Ortho, Therapeutic Associates, and myself.
For the rest of lap 8 and lap 9, we all rotated evenly sharing the workload of hauling toward the finish. I didn't know how many riders were up the road, but figured we were well out of the placings (and we hadn't seen anyone fall back from the lead group, so I assumed they were all together as well) so I was happy to work to get to the finish. Once we finally began lap 10 however, things definitely changed. During the flat sections the work was relatively even, but suddenly I was leading up all the hills. Going up the last hill, I could tell that the others were attempting to save something for the finish. I had been having small cramps for most of the lap, so I figured I would let them play and just ride my race. We flew by the Fork for the last time and into the stair-step climb together. As we approached the top, Starbucks took his chance and jumped ahead. The other riders looked at me to chase and then continued to sit in as I worked ahead at my own pace. We rounded the final corner and down into the finish stretch watching Starbucks stay roughly 500m ahead. Finally, as we hit the short hill, the other riders jumped past me. I stood to climb and immediately was back to seating as my legs refused to work any harder. I rolled across the line to end up 16th for the day.
Our group ended up finishing roughly 13 minutes behind the leader. It turned out the lead group had splintered on the last laps as well, with 2nd place finishing a minute back, and 3-9 finishing another minute back from #2. #10 was about 45 seconds off that group and 11&12 finished only a minute ahead of our group. 2 more riders finished about 7 minutes behind us, and were the last people to finish (16 DNFs).
Definitely a hard race, but I was happy to have finished, even if I did not contest my group. Now it is time for a little break before we hit the peak Criterium season.
Full Results here - Northshore RR - 2014
April 6, 2014
Vance Creek 2014
After last year's DNF, I was excited to see how my form would hold out this year. We had 3 racers in the field of 47 today: Matt, Jason and I. We started at a brisk pace, but the majority of the first lap was just smaller attacks to keep the pace high. The weather report was for some rain during the race, and they were right.
Lap one wasn't too bad, and it wasn't until the hill that the fireworks hit. As we hit the initial pitch, Carson Miller (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Colin Gibson (Keller Rohrback) flew off the front while the field chased to catch them. By the time we hit the top, those two had developed a solid gap and continued to pull away. During lap two the rain started, and while we continued to push along, the leaders continued to grow their lead. The group continued to launch small attacks but they were continually shut down.
During the entire race riders were dropping out, and not just due to the speed. The road had recently been repaved, but with a rough chipseal (which made for a constant vibration while riding) that had been releasing sharp rocks into the shoulders. This, coupled with the wet surfaces, invariably led to numerous punctures.
Lap three began with a big increase in the rain, which was incredibly noticeable down on the farm road. Here we were basically holding onto wheels and hoping that no one was doing anything stupid while we couldn't see. Matt, Jason and I were all active near the front and staying out of trouble. We passed the ladies field along the farm road and then raced past their leader while going up the hill.
Starting the 4th lap, we had definitely started to whittle down the field. Matt had made the front section of the peloton at the top of the hill, and I worked with a few others in the second group to join back on along the winding section near the power plant. This lap, sensing the dwindled field, attacks began again. HSP continued to start and block attacks, and to stay out of the trouble, Matt and I stayed up near the front to avoid the whipping. I guess that near this point Jason was disqualified for crossing the centerline (I didn't see what happened and only learned this from Matt after the race, so it may have happened earlier). Again we had small groups go up the road, only to be dragged back before long.
Heading up the hill to start the final lap, the race heated up again, and by the top of the hill, there were only a few riders left in the pack. I had lost some time up the hill, and crested behind the group. At this point (only one lap left!) I tucked in and TT'd my way along the top section to catch the pack just before dropping back into the valley. I caught my breath and assessed that I was now part of a group of only 12 racers (Matt unfortunately had not made it, he later told me he pulled off at the top of the hill after having a "body flat" (Wilssens' term). I knew Colin and Carson were up the road, but I thought there were 2 more riders who had escaped as well. This meant that as long as I stayed with the group, I had a good chance of a great finish.
During the farm road, Jeff Reed (Starbucks) went off the front solo. I figured we would chase him back, but the group said we would catch him on the climb, so no worries. At this point, the pace slowed and it seemed like a rider from Oregon, one of the Olympic Ortho guys and myself were the only ones rolling the front. As we approached the first section of the climb, two riders rolled off the front. I watched with surprise as the pack didn't chase after them (in hindsight I really should have jumped with them!). Once we hit the hill, I just set my pace and slowly rolled past others who had blown up from attacking hard at the start of the hill. The big hitters really attacked the last hill and chased after the 2 racers who had escaped earlier, but didn't quite catch them in time. Wilssens (Audi) and Hitchcock (HSP) duked it out for the pack win, with Hitchcock slipping past at the last second. I managed to work past a few more racers and at the 200m was ready to push it for the final run. I missed my shift and unfortunately lost out on a higher finish, however I was very happy finishing in 12th in this very difficult race.
After having my off-day at IVRR last weekend, this finish is really nice and just reinvigorates me to prepare for the next race.
Great work to Matt and Jason for dealing with the weather and working hard in the race!
Lap one wasn't too bad, and it wasn't until the hill that the fireworks hit. As we hit the initial pitch, Carson Miller (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Colin Gibson (Keller Rohrback) flew off the front while the field chased to catch them. By the time we hit the top, those two had developed a solid gap and continued to pull away. During lap two the rain started, and while we continued to push along, the leaders continued to grow their lead. The group continued to launch small attacks but they were continually shut down.
During the entire race riders were dropping out, and not just due to the speed. The road had recently been repaved, but with a rough chipseal (which made for a constant vibration while riding) that had been releasing sharp rocks into the shoulders. This, coupled with the wet surfaces, invariably led to numerous punctures.
Lap three began with a big increase in the rain, which was incredibly noticeable down on the farm road. Here we were basically holding onto wheels and hoping that no one was doing anything stupid while we couldn't see. Matt, Jason and I were all active near the front and staying out of trouble. We passed the ladies field along the farm road and then raced past their leader while going up the hill.
Starting the 4th lap, we had definitely started to whittle down the field. Matt had made the front section of the peloton at the top of the hill, and I worked with a few others in the second group to join back on along the winding section near the power plant. This lap, sensing the dwindled field, attacks began again. HSP continued to start and block attacks, and to stay out of the trouble, Matt and I stayed up near the front to avoid the whipping. I guess that near this point Jason was disqualified for crossing the centerline (I didn't see what happened and only learned this from Matt after the race, so it may have happened earlier). Again we had small groups go up the road, only to be dragged back before long.
Heading up the hill to start the final lap, the race heated up again, and by the top of the hill, there were only a few riders left in the pack. I had lost some time up the hill, and crested behind the group. At this point (only one lap left!) I tucked in and TT'd my way along the top section to catch the pack just before dropping back into the valley. I caught my breath and assessed that I was now part of a group of only 12 racers (Matt unfortunately had not made it, he later told me he pulled off at the top of the hill after having a "body flat" (Wilssens' term). I knew Colin and Carson were up the road, but I thought there were 2 more riders who had escaped as well. This meant that as long as I stayed with the group, I had a good chance of a great finish.
During the farm road, Jeff Reed (Starbucks) went off the front solo. I figured we would chase him back, but the group said we would catch him on the climb, so no worries. At this point, the pace slowed and it seemed like a rider from Oregon, one of the Olympic Ortho guys and myself were the only ones rolling the front. As we approached the first section of the climb, two riders rolled off the front. I watched with surprise as the pack didn't chase after them (in hindsight I really should have jumped with them!). Once we hit the hill, I just set my pace and slowly rolled past others who had blown up from attacking hard at the start of the hill. The big hitters really attacked the last hill and chased after the 2 racers who had escaped earlier, but didn't quite catch them in time. Wilssens (Audi) and Hitchcock (HSP) duked it out for the pack win, with Hitchcock slipping past at the last second. I managed to work past a few more racers and at the 200m was ready to push it for the final run. I missed my shift and unfortunately lost out on a higher finish, however I was very happy finishing in 12th in this very difficult race.
After having my off-day at IVRR last weekend, this finish is really nice and just reinvigorates me to prepare for the next race.
Great work to Matt and Jason for dealing with the weather and working hard in the race!
Early season 2014 (Sequim 1, Sequim 2, IVRR)
2014 racing has started and is off to a good start. After the work this winter, it was nice to get out to Sequim and see how it has paid off. The first Tour de Dung race was 72 miles, and while it was a fast and hard race, I felt good and finished with the pack. One of our racers was in the breakaway and managed a good finish - always a great way to start the season.
A week later we returned for the 84 mile 2nd race, which was a faster pace (no breakaways) but I felt great throughout the race and worked to help set up the finish. Unfortunately a rider caused a crash right at the end of the race, causing a big pile-up and locking our sprinter in the middle of the carnage. Luckily, one of our guys (the same racer who did well the previous week) managed to skirt the wreck and hang on to the leaders, finishing 4th! I again finished with the pack (after getting going again from the crash), so I was doing better than last year.
I then had a week to focus on training, with no race during the weekend. I continued my training regimen into the next week (and in hindsight I carried it a little too far into the week) before racing Independence Valley in Rochester. This race has two hills every lap, and can definitely start to wear you down. I started the race feeling good, but within the first lap I started feeling the training had taken a toll. My legs felt a bit heavy, and I was just working to stay in the pack. Heading into the 3rd lap, I just couldn't hold onto the group going up the longer hill. At the top I raced to chase back, but couldn't connect. I joined up with another racer and we worked together for a few minutes before catching onto a strong rider who was trucking along. We sat on his wheel for a few miles before I fell off, the pace being higher than I could hold. As I started up the 2nd hill, I caught my earlier companion, but he was now completely toasted and I rolled away from him without trying. I rolled for another few miles before another group came by. I jumped on their wheels and rolled with them to the finish line, when our group of 4 pulled the plug and called it quits without doing the final lap.
I didn't have any teammates at this race, so unfortunately I didn't have anyone to root for, but it was cool to see an old teammate win the race.
Not the finish I was hoping for after the good start, but it just shows me that I needed to alter my training to make sure I have energy for racing. Next weekend is Vance Creek, and I think I will see how I do there.
A week later we returned for the 84 mile 2nd race, which was a faster pace (no breakaways) but I felt great throughout the race and worked to help set up the finish. Unfortunately a rider caused a crash right at the end of the race, causing a big pile-up and locking our sprinter in the middle of the carnage. Luckily, one of our guys (the same racer who did well the previous week) managed to skirt the wreck and hang on to the leaders, finishing 4th! I again finished with the pack (after getting going again from the crash), so I was doing better than last year.
I then had a week to focus on training, with no race during the weekend. I continued my training regimen into the next week (and in hindsight I carried it a little too far into the week) before racing Independence Valley in Rochester. This race has two hills every lap, and can definitely start to wear you down. I started the race feeling good, but within the first lap I started feeling the training had taken a toll. My legs felt a bit heavy, and I was just working to stay in the pack. Heading into the 3rd lap, I just couldn't hold onto the group going up the longer hill. At the top I raced to chase back, but couldn't connect. I joined up with another racer and we worked together for a few minutes before catching onto a strong rider who was trucking along. We sat on his wheel for a few miles before I fell off, the pace being higher than I could hold. As I started up the 2nd hill, I caught my earlier companion, but he was now completely toasted and I rolled away from him without trying. I rolled for another few miles before another group came by. I jumped on their wheels and rolled with them to the finish line, when our group of 4 pulled the plug and called it quits without doing the final lap.
I didn't have any teammates at this race, so unfortunately I didn't have anyone to root for, but it was cool to see an old teammate win the race.
Not the finish I was hoping for after the good start, but it just shows me that I needed to alter my training to make sure I have energy for racing. Next weekend is Vance Creek, and I think I will see how I do there.
August 27, 2013
Long ride and long necks
I ended up going for a great training ride the other day, one of those days on the bike that start out simple enough and suddenly you are 4 hours in and still have at least an hour left to get home. Nothing but sunny sky and asphalt to deal with, long rides have always been a great way to clear my mind and find new routes. I planned to head out to a small loop that I used to ride and then connect it back to some of the newer routes that the team uses frequently.
While out in the roads around Duvall, I found a Alpaca farm and stopped to have a bite and check out these long-necked beasts.
About an hour later, while heading toward Sammamish and a nice climb, I ran into a separate Llama farm. Funny that these farms were on the same fun ride.
In the end, I got a great few hours on the bike, good base miles ahead of 'Cross season, which is just around the corner.
While out in the roads around Duvall, I found a Alpaca farm and stopped to have a bite and check out these long-necked beasts.
August 21, 2013
Mashel-Nisqually Kermesse
Sorry for getting this posted a little late, but things have been a little crazy recently!
At the start of the month, I participated in a little mixed-surface racing that the organizers called a Kermesse race. The course, a roughly 2 mile loop, was part asphalt (mostly a short up-hill) followed by a combination of climbing and downhill on a rock field trail. I would point out, this offroad section would be an easy little ride at normal pace, however we were bombing through it at race pace, and it was a little harsh!
I decided this would be a good race to break out the R5, since it is very responsive and has some extra clearance for some wider tires (the S5 doesn't do a good job in that regard).
Continuing my road/cross trial for Mad Fiber, I decided to race these wheels with a 25mm tubular tire - giving a decent ride through the rough section. These did the job without complaint, other than being very bumpy.
Our mixed 1/2/3 field started the course at high speed and hit the rough section going over 20mph. At this speed, the rocky road was pretty bouncy, and unfortunately my water bottle decided to dive off for the safety of the bushes (along with about 75% of the other bottles in the race) - note for future events, use a tight cage! This lack of water was definitely a set-back, but luckily the race was only 13 laps, so it was doable.
I was in the lead group of 5 for the first four laps and then one of the group blew up during the dirt section, causing a split. There were now 3 guys up the road, and my group of 3 chasing hard behind them. We kept up a high pace and eventually the lead group dropped to 2 riders. After about 7 laps, my rear wheel developed an interesting knock. I thought that I must have broken a spoke, however the wheel was still spinning true, so I kept racing hard. A few more laps and the noise became more evident - something that other racers and the spectators/announcers noticed and mentioned at the end. With about 3 laps to go, I finally began to succumb to the heat and lack of water (and the drag on the wheel). I fell off the back of my group and would spend the next few laps trying to catch back on (finished less than 200m from their group).
As I finally rolled across the line in 5th place, I was definitely spent! I rolled around to cool down and then drank about 2 bottles to get re-hydrated. It turned out that the noise was actually caused by the carbon wall on the wheel de-laminating from the rim and smacking into the brakes - so in addition to the metronome of noise, I was also fighting against the brake-drag for the last half of the race. Not cool, but at least nothing terribly damaging. I took the wheels into Mad Fiber to look over and they believe the damage was caused by the wheel hitting against the rocks with a decent amount of force - understandable given the rocks I encountered on that course!
So, 5th place, so not what I wanted, but a decent result none-the-less. I definitely learned from the experience though, and next year I will be back with a tighter cage and some bigger tires for better rolling (less bumpy) and try to get the wheels through without trouble!
Now, it is time to change pace and get ready for Cyclocross!
At the start of the month, I participated in a little mixed-surface racing that the organizers called a Kermesse race. The course, a roughly 2 mile loop, was part asphalt (mostly a short up-hill) followed by a combination of climbing and downhill on a rock field trail. I would point out, this offroad section would be an easy little ride at normal pace, however we were bombing through it at race pace, and it was a little harsh!
I decided this would be a good race to break out the R5, since it is very responsive and has some extra clearance for some wider tires (the S5 doesn't do a good job in that regard).
Continuing my road/cross trial for Mad Fiber, I decided to race these wheels with a 25mm tubular tire - giving a decent ride through the rough section. These did the job without complaint, other than being very bumpy.
Our mixed 1/2/3 field started the course at high speed and hit the rough section going over 20mph. At this speed, the rocky road was pretty bouncy, and unfortunately my water bottle decided to dive off for the safety of the bushes (along with about 75% of the other bottles in the race) - note for future events, use a tight cage! This lack of water was definitely a set-back, but luckily the race was only 13 laps, so it was doable.
As I finally rolled across the line in 5th place, I was definitely spent! I rolled around to cool down and then drank about 2 bottles to get re-hydrated. It turned out that the noise was actually caused by the carbon wall on the wheel de-laminating from the rim and smacking into the brakes - so in addition to the metronome of noise, I was also fighting against the brake-drag for the last half of the race. Not cool, but at least nothing terribly damaging. I took the wheels into Mad Fiber to look over and they believe the damage was caused by the wheel hitting against the rocks with a decent amount of force - understandable given the rocks I encountered on that course!
So, 5th place, so not what I wanted, but a decent result none-the-less. I definitely learned from the experience though, and next year I will be back with a tighter cage and some bigger tires for better rolling (less bumpy) and try to get the wheels through without trouble!
Now, it is time to change pace and get ready for Cyclocross!
July 14, 2013
Redmond Derby Days 2013
So, 90 minute crit right?
Not only is this easily the longest criterium I have done, but with Logan Owen and Morgan Schmidt (local Pros, Logan was recently crowned the national Crit and Road champ for the 17-18yr Juniors, and Morgan has been with Jelly-Belly for a few years), we were sure to have a fast and difficult race. Throw in a huge paycheck for the winner ($1000!) and it was a who's-who of WA cycling (and some added firepower from Oregon and I think some Canadian riders too).
Right off the bat, things were going fast, but unlike the Ballard course, Redmond has pretty wide and manageable corners so the race held together. This doesn't mean there were not attempts to break things up though. Both Pros, as well as some of the aggressive locals, all put in big attacks to try to gain ground and/or split the field. The big $$ primes were just added incentive to push the pace every few laps and keep things running full tilt.
After the initial rush of the first laps wore off, it was just a game of staying up front (to stay out of the mess of the pack) and making sure no one dangerous got going off the front. With 90 minutes of racing, not many people were dangerous in the breaks (especially since most were shut down within a lap or two), but there were definitely a few times when the dangerous guys got up the road and I had to make sure we had someone up with them or drag the field back.
Our initial plan for the race was to put Robson or Barrato into a place to sprint for the win, but the main goal was to make sure that they were ready when it came time. My job, as something of a crit specialist, was to keep things working into that direction; get into breaks if they happen to make sure we are represented, but work to bring things back together for the sprinters to do their job. I would definitely say that I did that pretty well. Andrew, Doug, and I were up front for the majority of the race, with added assistance from Munson, Alec, and Mark to make sure things stayed together well. Meanwhile, Joe and Robson just had to surf the field and stay safe for the finish.
As we moved into the second half of the race the attacks had a bit more staying power, with longer escapes initiated by Morgan, Logan, Max O'Neal, and Steve Fisher (Steve actually had an impressive amount of primes too, making his attacks at the right time to capitalize). I managed to stick to a few of these, but Andrew did an impressive job to pull quite a few back as well.
As we got down to about 15min remain, the pace ratcheted up and the pack started getting a little crazy as we approached the finale. Doug, Andrew, and I were still working the front and I know Alec and Munson were both running in great position as well. Time to start setting things up! I made sure I moved up to the front so that I could be in good position for the end and hopefully drag someone to the line.
Disaster struck with about 2 laps left, as a rider clipped Doug's wheel a few riders to my right. I saw the bikes start clipping and braced but managed to squeeze past before bodies started moving luckily! I jumped onto the wheel in front of me again and worked forward again.
Turning onto the final lap I was in roughly the top 15, which is right where I wanted to be. I moved forward a little more as I could and when we hit the last corner, I jumped into a higher gear and turned out the pedals with everything I had left, managing to pass a few people and cross the line in 12th! Ouch did that hurt, but it did pay off. I ended up the highest placed rider on our team, as unfortunately everyone else was stuck in that crash and slowed down, pulling them out of contention. Not the result we were hoping for, but at least it was a great workout and experience for the next race.
The next crit in the area is in two weeks, down in Georgetown. This will be the first time this course has been used, so I hope it is a good one. Maybe I can finally get that elusive top-ten in one of these races down there.
Not only is this easily the longest criterium I have done, but with Logan Owen and Morgan Schmidt (local Pros, Logan was recently crowned the national Crit and Road champ for the 17-18yr Juniors, and Morgan has been with Jelly-Belly for a few years), we were sure to have a fast and difficult race. Throw in a huge paycheck for the winner ($1000!) and it was a who's-who of WA cycling (and some added firepower from Oregon and I think some Canadian riders too).
Right off the bat, things were going fast, but unlike the Ballard course, Redmond has pretty wide and manageable corners so the race held together. This doesn't mean there were not attempts to break things up though. Both Pros, as well as some of the aggressive locals, all put in big attacks to try to gain ground and/or split the field. The big $$ primes were just added incentive to push the pace every few laps and keep things running full tilt.
After the initial rush of the first laps wore off, it was just a game of staying up front (to stay out of the mess of the pack) and making sure no one dangerous got going off the front. With 90 minutes of racing, not many people were dangerous in the breaks (especially since most were shut down within a lap or two), but there were definitely a few times when the dangerous guys got up the road and I had to make sure we had someone up with them or drag the field back.
Our initial plan for the race was to put Robson or Barrato into a place to sprint for the win, but the main goal was to make sure that they were ready when it came time. My job, as something of a crit specialist, was to keep things working into that direction; get into breaks if they happen to make sure we are represented, but work to bring things back together for the sprinters to do their job. I would definitely say that I did that pretty well. Andrew, Doug, and I were up front for the majority of the race, with added assistance from Munson, Alec, and Mark to make sure things stayed together well. Meanwhile, Joe and Robson just had to surf the field and stay safe for the finish.
As we moved into the second half of the race the attacks had a bit more staying power, with longer escapes initiated by Morgan, Logan, Max O'Neal, and Steve Fisher (Steve actually had an impressive amount of primes too, making his attacks at the right time to capitalize). I managed to stick to a few of these, but Andrew did an impressive job to pull quite a few back as well.
As we got down to about 15min remain, the pace ratcheted up and the pack started getting a little crazy as we approached the finale. Doug, Andrew, and I were still working the front and I know Alec and Munson were both running in great position as well. Time to start setting things up! I made sure I moved up to the front so that I could be in good position for the end and hopefully drag someone to the line.
Disaster struck with about 2 laps left, as a rider clipped Doug's wheel a few riders to my right. I saw the bikes start clipping and braced but managed to squeeze past before bodies started moving luckily! I jumped onto the wheel in front of me again and worked forward again.
Turning onto the final lap I was in roughly the top 15, which is right where I wanted to be. I moved forward a little more as I could and when we hit the last corner, I jumped into a higher gear and turned out the pedals with everything I had left, managing to pass a few people and cross the line in 12th! Ouch did that hurt, but it did pay off. I ended up the highest placed rider on our team, as unfortunately everyone else was stuck in that crash and slowed down, pulling them out of contention. Not the result we were hoping for, but at least it was a great workout and experience for the next race.
The next crit in the area is in two weeks, down in Georgetown. This will be the first time this course has been used, so I hope it is a good one. Maybe I can finally get that elusive top-ten in one of these races down there.
July 10, 2013
Boat Street Criterium 2013
A nice start to this race with sunny and dry weather, however news got
around that the seams in the front straight were a little crazy and had
caused some big crashes (including Ingy) in the morning.
The race was also the state-championships, so people were amped to do well.
Most of the crew was either skipping this one or had raced in the morning, so I was solo for the race. The field was a decent size with big groups from Keller-Rohrback, Audi, and HSP all present to put in work and make for a fast and hard race.
I got a good start and managed to hold a solid placing for the majority of the race, trying to stay out of trouble but also making sure I could stick with the front group. I had to jump across gaps a few times to stick with the lead, but it was turning out well, and I was still in good position when we finally hit laps to go. The pace picked up again for the last 15 minutes of racing and Audi and HSP were both working hard to hold the front of the race. I moved up a few spots on the back hill and then tucked in along the front to keep position. Things were looking good and with 2 to go I was in the top 10! Just another minute of work and I was done!
As we rounded corner 3 for the last lap I must have caught a turtle as I was suddenly sliding sideways. I popped back onto my feet and got out of the way as the field ripped by, but the crash had rolled my rear tire off the wheel, preventing me from jumping back into the race (and since it was the last lap, there was no free laps to give). So instead of a top ten, I instead got a DNF and some road-rash... Not the idea I had in mind
At least I am in one piece and got a great test for Redmond next weekend. Time to heal up and give that a go with the team.
The race was also the state-championships, so people were amped to do well.
Most of the crew was either skipping this one or had raced in the morning, so I was solo for the race. The field was a decent size with big groups from Keller-Rohrback, Audi, and HSP all present to put in work and make for a fast and hard race.
I got a good start and managed to hold a solid placing for the majority of the race, trying to stay out of trouble but also making sure I could stick with the front group. I had to jump across gaps a few times to stick with the lead, but it was turning out well, and I was still in good position when we finally hit laps to go. The pace picked up again for the last 15 minutes of racing and Audi and HSP were both working hard to hold the front of the race. I moved up a few spots on the back hill and then tucked in along the front to keep position. Things were looking good and with 2 to go I was in the top 10! Just another minute of work and I was done!
As we rounded corner 3 for the last lap I must have caught a turtle as I was suddenly sliding sideways. I popped back onto my feet and got out of the way as the field ripped by, but the crash had rolled my rear tire off the wheel, preventing me from jumping back into the race (and since it was the last lap, there was no free laps to give). So instead of a top ten, I instead got a DNF and some road-rash... Not the idea I had in mind
At least I am in one piece and got a great test for Redmond next weekend. Time to heal up and give that a go with the team.
July 7, 2013
Joe Matava Criterium
The second crit in this action-packed week, the Joe Matava crit took
place as it always does on July 4th. The weather was a little grey but
warm and burned to sunshine in the afternoon. For this race Ingy was the
captain and wanted to try a new strategy of having each of us mark a
rider in the field - the idea being to pick someone who is usually
strong or dangerous and learn from their lines.
My mark for the race was Colin Gibson from Keller-Rohrback - not necessarily the most likely sprinter for the finish, but dangerous if he could get off the front in the right spot and TT to the finish. At Tacoma he led out one of his teammates to get a good finish for their team.
Our race started in early afternoon with nice weather and a field of about 56 riders - big but not that bad on this course due to the nice wide corners. I had a good start off the line and entered the first corner in the top 20 riders. I continued to stay in roughly the same spot until people started to push the pace and we started to file up. As the accelerations began, I made sure to stick with the front group, that way I could be useful to the team even if Colin wasn't in position to cause trouble.
We continued in this fashion for awhile until the pace started to slow and attacks began again. As I continued to push this position, Colin finally came into the front section of the race. I made sure to quickly catch his wheel and stayed behind him for the next few laps as we continued through the pack. A few laps later he made his move and slid up the outside along the front stretch - I was watching and was on his wheel immediately. It was now Colin, an Audi rider, and myself off the front of the field and continued in this manner for the next 2 laps until they realized we didn't have enough of a gap to get clear and slowed to have the group reclaim us. I was definitely happy for the rest after that hard pull, but made sure I stayed toward the front again to avoid getting stuck deeper in the field.
The race continued to pull at a decent pace with some smaller attacks (nothing staying away for more than a corner though) until we hit the last 5 or 6 laps.
At this point HSP organized to push the pace and set things up for the sprint. I was still in good position and worked to keep or advance where I could for the next few laps. Robson, Andrew, and Doug all moved up toward the front with me to get ready for the finish. Robson was trying to set up a lead for Andrew but they were on the wrong side of the group to catch my wheel and Andrew had to move around Robson to go for it on the last lap. As we hit the slight rise on the back side, things were going full-on and as we rounded the corners I pushed as hard as I could to try to move up to the leaders. The final result was 12th place for myself, followed by Doug and Andrew in the next few spots. Not a perfect race, but I felt good with all the accelerations and am definitely getting stronger. Hopefully we can put some of these lessons together for a good team showing at Redmond Derby Days next weekend.
My mark for the race was Colin Gibson from Keller-Rohrback - not necessarily the most likely sprinter for the finish, but dangerous if he could get off the front in the right spot and TT to the finish. At Tacoma he led out one of his teammates to get a good finish for their team.
Our race started in early afternoon with nice weather and a field of about 56 riders - big but not that bad on this course due to the nice wide corners. I had a good start off the line and entered the first corner in the top 20 riders. I continued to stay in roughly the same spot until people started to push the pace and we started to file up. As the accelerations began, I made sure to stick with the front group, that way I could be useful to the team even if Colin wasn't in position to cause trouble.
We continued in this fashion for awhile until the pace started to slow and attacks began again. As I continued to push this position, Colin finally came into the front section of the race. I made sure to quickly catch his wheel and stayed behind him for the next few laps as we continued through the pack. A few laps later he made his move and slid up the outside along the front stretch - I was watching and was on his wheel immediately. It was now Colin, an Audi rider, and myself off the front of the field and continued in this manner for the next 2 laps until they realized we didn't have enough of a gap to get clear and slowed to have the group reclaim us. I was definitely happy for the rest after that hard pull, but made sure I stayed toward the front again to avoid getting stuck deeper in the field.
The race continued to pull at a decent pace with some smaller attacks (nothing staying away for more than a corner though) until we hit the last 5 or 6 laps.
At this point HSP organized to push the pace and set things up for the sprint. I was still in good position and worked to keep or advance where I could for the next few laps. Robson, Andrew, and Doug all moved up toward the front with me to get ready for the finish. Robson was trying to set up a lead for Andrew but they were on the wrong side of the group to catch my wheel and Andrew had to move around Robson to go for it on the last lap. As we hit the slight rise on the back side, things were going full-on and as we rounded the corners I pushed as hard as I could to try to move up to the leaders. The final result was 12th place for myself, followed by Doug and Andrew in the next few spots. Not a perfect race, but I felt good with all the accelerations and am definitely getting stronger. Hopefully we can put some of these lessons together for a good team showing at Redmond Derby Days next weekend.
May 26, 2013
Solo Miles with the R5
For the last few weeks I have been riding my Cervelo R5 for training (the S5 is still the designated race bike) and enjoying the change of pace. As with any time you switch between two high-end bikes, there are features you like/dislike about both. The R5 is incredibly light - even with my heavy training wheelset the bike is just a hair over 16lbs. This weight makes the bike very quick to respond to inputs and climb well. The first weekend I had it together I did a 4 hour ride and hit a variety of climbs to do over a vertical mile of climbing - a climbing workout for sure.
Fast forward to this weekend - I did a 5 hour ride of training. Since the plan was for distance, I was planning to mix up some routes. I started by riding out to Mercer Island and doing a lap of the Island before heading out toward Sammamish. From there I rode down into the Carnation valley and out to Snoqualmie Falls. A small loop at the top and then heading back down to Carnation and up to Sammamish again. This once again resulted in over a mile of vertical climbing - a domain that the R5 responds well to.
As a bike, the R5 is a great machine - I can see why most of the Garmin-Sharp team has been riding these this year. It is light, very stiff and responsive, yet it still carries a lot of the road-smoothing capabilities of the R3 it evolved from. Compared to the S5, it is lighter and a bit more comfortable over the rough stuff. These features do come with trade-offs though. Due to the wider tubes, the R5 is lighter and stiffer, but less aerodynamic and definitely less quick in the wind. The small seat-stays and reduced chain-stays make for a comfortably ride, but reduce the power-transfer. This means that when you launch a sprint, the rear-end is more likely to lift and skip a bit rather than just lay power to the ground. The R5 also has a stiffer front-end due to a wider headset and beefy fork, helping with stability and responsiveness at speed.
You can definitely see why Tyler Farrar and the Garmin-Sharp riders love this responsive and lightweight machine.
You can definitely see why Tyler Farrar and the Garmin-Sharp riders love this responsive and lightweight machine.
May 20, 2013
Top Ten
So far, my first season as a Cat.2 cyclist has been un-eventful - a collection of DNFs at a variety of races. Whether they were the result of working too hard, being caught in the wrong spot, or even being in a crash - the result was the same. Did Not Finish.
This all changed with my ride at OVRR - a combination of good fitness, better understanding of the Pro/1/2 field, and luck provided me with a solid 14th for the day. Sure, that is outside the points. Sure, it is possible it was a fluke. I didn't care, it was finally a result for the year, and that was the proof I needed that my work was paying off.
Fast forward and we were lining up for the Ravensdale road race - or more appropriately a circuit race, since we don't ride enough for it to qualify (and as a result, points are only 6 deep instead of 10). I am feeling great, but what is more important is that our team is running well - Andrew was the captain for the race, and had just cleaned up at the Tuesday race at PR. Our goal was to watch for breaks and get in any that could be dangerous, or run it in for Andrew and Mike R to contest the sprint.
The Ravensdale course is broken into two parts - the front stretch is a combination of false flats and rolling short climbs. Once you reach the corner, you get some respite as the course flattens out and even has some small downhill sections to let you get caught back up. There are then a few small corners and a short climb as we move into the final section - some short climbs and fast decents.
The race started out fast from the gun, as the neutral roll-out was mis-handled and racing began almost immediately. I managed to get into the front half of the peloton to watch out, but also stay out of the trouble of the strung out field. We hit the rollers and were hauling down the front stretch. This high pace continued for the first two laps. As we hit the corner I took advantage of the repositioning and moved up to the front group. This was perfect, since I was able to change pace with the race without dealing with the whip in the back of the pack.
After a few small attacks, the pack was still keeping together, and the group settled down a little. By keeping myself toward the front of the group, I was able to watch a lot of the attacks and make sure that we were covering any of the big moves.
The race continued in this manner until the last few laps when the speed picked up again. Now it was more important to watch your position as the peloton was more focused and getting into new spots was more difficult. As we were heading toward the last lap, two riders had a good break off the front. Andrew knew they were a dangerous pair and chased after them, which increased the speed of the pack to chase them all down again.
The final lap was again a full-speed affair. As we hit the final corner I was about 1/3 back from the front, but got into a better spot as we climbed the biggest of the front hills. Normally the finish is only a few hundred meters from the top and people began to attack as if this were the same. The new finish this year was about 2km further than normal, so it was hard to decide where to attack for the finish. I just made sure to keep up speed and stay a few riders back. The speed got pretty high, but I stayed on the wheels in front of me and as we launched the final run-in I was in great position. As we crossed the line, a rider from HSP took the win, but Mike R took in 6th, Mike S was 7th, and I came across 9th! Top ten is pretty awesome after my dry-spell earlier this year, but since the race was only 63 miles, it counted as a circuit race and points only went 6 deep. Oh well, we are heading into criterium season - lets see what results I can manage there.
This all changed with my ride at OVRR - a combination of good fitness, better understanding of the Pro/1/2 field, and luck provided me with a solid 14th for the day. Sure, that is outside the points. Sure, it is possible it was a fluke. I didn't care, it was finally a result for the year, and that was the proof I needed that my work was paying off.
Fast forward and we were lining up for the Ravensdale road race - or more appropriately a circuit race, since we don't ride enough for it to qualify (and as a result, points are only 6 deep instead of 10). I am feeling great, but what is more important is that our team is running well - Andrew was the captain for the race, and had just cleaned up at the Tuesday race at PR. Our goal was to watch for breaks and get in any that could be dangerous, or run it in for Andrew and Mike R to contest the sprint.
The Ravensdale course is broken into two parts - the front stretch is a combination of false flats and rolling short climbs. Once you reach the corner, you get some respite as the course flattens out and even has some small downhill sections to let you get caught back up. There are then a few small corners and a short climb as we move into the final section - some short climbs and fast decents.
The race started out fast from the gun, as the neutral roll-out was mis-handled and racing began almost immediately. I managed to get into the front half of the peloton to watch out, but also stay out of the trouble of the strung out field. We hit the rollers and were hauling down the front stretch. This high pace continued for the first two laps. As we hit the corner I took advantage of the repositioning and moved up to the front group. This was perfect, since I was able to change pace with the race without dealing with the whip in the back of the pack.
After a few small attacks, the pack was still keeping together, and the group settled down a little. By keeping myself toward the front of the group, I was able to watch a lot of the attacks and make sure that we were covering any of the big moves.
The race continued in this manner until the last few laps when the speed picked up again. Now it was more important to watch your position as the peloton was more focused and getting into new spots was more difficult. As we were heading toward the last lap, two riders had a good break off the front. Andrew knew they were a dangerous pair and chased after them, which increased the speed of the pack to chase them all down again.
The final lap was again a full-speed affair. As we hit the final corner I was about 1/3 back from the front, but got into a better spot as we climbed the biggest of the front hills. Normally the finish is only a few hundred meters from the top and people began to attack as if this were the same. The new finish this year was about 2km further than normal, so it was hard to decide where to attack for the finish. I just made sure to keep up speed and stay a few riders back. The speed got pretty high, but I stayed on the wheels in front of me and as we launched the final run-in I was in great position. As we crossed the line, a rider from HSP took the win, but Mike R took in 6th, Mike S was 7th, and I came across 9th! Top ten is pretty awesome after my dry-spell earlier this year, but since the race was only 63 miles, it counted as a circuit race and points only went 6 deep. Oh well, we are heading into criterium season - lets see what results I can manage there.
April 28, 2013
Olympic View Road Race
For one of the longest road races of the year (at least in the Washington area), OVRR usually tends to result in a breakaway for the win, and this year proved to be no exception. The day started looking promising with dry roads and temperatures in the 60s. As we approached race-time however, the temperature dropped to the low 50s and the clouds darkened - we were in for some wet racing. As the 90 mile race began the pace was a little jumpy - a combination of people trying to warm up and riders looking to force a selection. Not even halfway through the first lap the main break formed. Modest at first, it was only around 8 riders (luckily we managed to get two riders into the group), and shortly after an addition of riders managed to jump across to increase the firepower in the break - all but assured of victory by now.
As we had 2 riders in the break, the remainder of our team had a free ride along the peloton. Audi unfortunately had no one in the break despite all the opportunity, and as they were the largest team without presence, they were saddled with the job of chasing. For the next lap and a half, Audi spent a majority of time digging at the front, with some assistance from the other small teams without a chance. As we rolled through the 3rd lap and heard the break was still over 3 minutes, Audi pulled the plug and the pace slowed.
About halfway through the lap we had some bad news as we picked up one of our breakaway riders. The break was now down to 10 riders. We did still have a rider up the road, so we were still free to ride along and save strength. The break had a strong lead, so there was no chance of bringing it back, but now there was at least some room to string out the race for the final lap. Robson was the captain for the race and was hoping for a strong leadout for the finish (and to snag the group-sprint), and as we were heading to the finish he requested we pick up the pace to break up the race.
I jumped with a few riders to form a breakaway of 5 or 6 riders and carried on for a few minutes before the peloton caught back. At this point I was certain of finishing the race, so I was more than happy to lay it out for Robson and do a decent amount of work. As we hit the final hill, I slung up the side and sat down at the front. Tucking down in the drops I started to crank it up and drag the field. After a few minutes I pulled to the side and found that we had broke off with about 7 riders around 100 ft off the front of the peloton. I tucked back into the group and turning the corner, was 4th in line. An HSP rider was a little careless in the corner and wiped out, causing our group to run wide and make the gap to the peloton even greater. We hit the bridge with my teammate Munson on the front pulling what was now only 5 riders. As he tired, I again pulled to front. Despite the big pull on the hill, I dropped into gear and started launching for the line, still around 500m from the finish. A rider for Hagens was on my wheel and jumped slightly after the 300m mark and shortly after two other riders followed. I tried to jump too, but at this point my legs were burning so I just continued to churn the gear and came across the line as 4th in our group (making for a finish of 14th for the day).
Behind me, the field sprint was occurring. Our pulling had spread up the field and my teammates Alec and Schwin were able to lead out Robson well and put him in the perfect place to seal the deal and take the field sprint! Not a perfect day, but we successfully managed to get riders in the top 20 with one rider in the main break at the finish, and taking the field sprint. To make matters better, I was finally able to finish a race in the 1/2 field! It has taken a bit of work to get in form and not burn out early, but I am happy to have a good result after the work at the end of the race.
I do need to start posting my reviews and the bike this year, and promise I will get these posted ASAP so keep on riding and reading folks!
As we had 2 riders in the break, the remainder of our team had a free ride along the peloton. Audi unfortunately had no one in the break despite all the opportunity, and as they were the largest team without presence, they were saddled with the job of chasing. For the next lap and a half, Audi spent a majority of time digging at the front, with some assistance from the other small teams without a chance. As we rolled through the 3rd lap and heard the break was still over 3 minutes, Audi pulled the plug and the pace slowed.
About halfway through the lap we had some bad news as we picked up one of our breakaway riders. The break was now down to 10 riders. We did still have a rider up the road, so we were still free to ride along and save strength. The break had a strong lead, so there was no chance of bringing it back, but now there was at least some room to string out the race for the final lap. Robson was the captain for the race and was hoping for a strong leadout for the finish (and to snag the group-sprint), and as we were heading to the finish he requested we pick up the pace to break up the race.
I jumped with a few riders to form a breakaway of 5 or 6 riders and carried on for a few minutes before the peloton caught back. At this point I was certain of finishing the race, so I was more than happy to lay it out for Robson and do a decent amount of work. As we hit the final hill, I slung up the side and sat down at the front. Tucking down in the drops I started to crank it up and drag the field. After a few minutes I pulled to the side and found that we had broke off with about 7 riders around 100 ft off the front of the peloton. I tucked back into the group and turning the corner, was 4th in line. An HSP rider was a little careless in the corner and wiped out, causing our group to run wide and make the gap to the peloton even greater. We hit the bridge with my teammate Munson on the front pulling what was now only 5 riders. As he tired, I again pulled to front. Despite the big pull on the hill, I dropped into gear and started launching for the line, still around 500m from the finish. A rider for Hagens was on my wheel and jumped slightly after the 300m mark and shortly after two other riders followed. I tried to jump too, but at this point my legs were burning so I just continued to churn the gear and came across the line as 4th in our group (making for a finish of 14th for the day).
Behind me, the field sprint was occurring. Our pulling had spread up the field and my teammates Alec and Schwin were able to lead out Robson well and put him in the perfect place to seal the deal and take the field sprint! Not a perfect day, but we successfully managed to get riders in the top 20 with one rider in the main break at the finish, and taking the field sprint. To make matters better, I was finally able to finish a race in the 1/2 field! It has taken a bit of work to get in form and not burn out early, but I am happy to have a good result after the work at the end of the race.
I do need to start posting my reviews and the bike this year, and promise I will get these posted ASAP so keep on riding and reading folks!
March 19, 2013
Milan-San Remo / Tour de Dung 1
This past weekend was the running of Milan-San Remo, the longest single-day race in the Pro calendar. Just under 300km, this race makes for a brutally long day on the bikes, and can play out in a multitude of ways. Every year, as with most Classics, there are the riders that are favored to win - usually due to recent success, past performances at the race, or just canny nature and skill. This year, everyone had eyes set on Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara - strongmen who excel in these situations. Cancellara has won here before, and came so close last year before being nipped in the sprint.
The conditions this year were quite terrible - cold rain and wind turned into icy slush. The weather got so bad that the event was actually shortened - cutting out some of the snowy and treacherous sections to protect the riders. In the end, a small group escaped over the final climb and powered into the finish. This group just happened to include BOTH Cancellara and Sagan. Sagan launched a little early and ended up getting overtaken right before the line, ending up 2nd with Cancellara right behind him. Great racing from both riders and incredible effort by everyone who managed to finish the brutal race.
My recent race held a similar effect. The Tour de Dung in Sequim, WA - a staple of the early-season racing in Washington, is usually a decent weather affair due to the rain shadow from the mountains. This running however was anything but. Temperature dropped to a low 44 degrees and featured a chilling rain for the majority of the race. To make this even more challenging, a strong wind off the Sound ripped across the area, with gusts up to 45mph! Racers huddled in the cars after quickly getting changed, and hastily warmed up before the race began. The layout of the 12 mile circuit meant that you had a long section where the wind pushed us to about 40mph, spinning out the gearing, two sections where the crosswind had you riding at a slant, and another long section with a BRUTAL headwind limiting you to around 14mph.
As with last week, I felt great at the start of the race. I knew that the big thing would be to try to conserve a bit more energy compared to last week, so that I would be able to hang in for the finish. The strong winds were a constant fight, as they tried to whip the wheels around whenever you hit those parts of the course. It was pretty crazy to spin out the gearing on a flat section, but quite demoralizing fighting the headwind on the other side. As we started lap 5, I was definitely feeling exhausted. Moving up the early climb I sat on the wrong wheel and soon found myself off the back. I worked to chase back, but the gap was already expanding, and once they hit the fast section, I was never going to make it back. I powered along solo, passing a few other riders who had peeled off (many of which were turning around) and then fought along the headwind to try to catch the main grupetto that had formed. I was only about 200m back as we made the corner to start the final lap, and wisely followed them into the parking lot, once again calling it a day. As we changed out of our soaking clothes and tried to warm up, we saw the leaders of the race come around for the win. Dave had managed to attach from the group and almost catch a small group of riders who had broken away. He ended up with a great top-10 finish, and Joe was 2nd in the group sprint from the remaining pack that arrived shortly after. The final tally - only 28 finishers - over 50% abandoned!
I was once again a little disappointed that I was unable to finish the race, but definitely did better than last week, so my fitness is getting there. Tour de Dung #2 is this weekend, and the weather should be better. Lets see if I can make my mark.
The conditions this year were quite terrible - cold rain and wind turned into icy slush. The weather got so bad that the event was actually shortened - cutting out some of the snowy and treacherous sections to protect the riders. In the end, a small group escaped over the final climb and powered into the finish. This group just happened to include BOTH Cancellara and Sagan. Sagan launched a little early and ended up getting overtaken right before the line, ending up 2nd with Cancellara right behind him. Great racing from both riders and incredible effort by everyone who managed to finish the brutal race.
My recent race held a similar effect. The Tour de Dung in Sequim, WA - a staple of the early-season racing in Washington, is usually a decent weather affair due to the rain shadow from the mountains. This running however was anything but. Temperature dropped to a low 44 degrees and featured a chilling rain for the majority of the race. To make this even more challenging, a strong wind off the Sound ripped across the area, with gusts up to 45mph! Racers huddled in the cars after quickly getting changed, and hastily warmed up before the race began. The layout of the 12 mile circuit meant that you had a long section where the wind pushed us to about 40mph, spinning out the gearing, two sections where the crosswind had you riding at a slant, and another long section with a BRUTAL headwind limiting you to around 14mph.
As with last week, I felt great at the start of the race. I knew that the big thing would be to try to conserve a bit more energy compared to last week, so that I would be able to hang in for the finish. The strong winds were a constant fight, as they tried to whip the wheels around whenever you hit those parts of the course. It was pretty crazy to spin out the gearing on a flat section, but quite demoralizing fighting the headwind on the other side. As we started lap 5, I was definitely feeling exhausted. Moving up the early climb I sat on the wrong wheel and soon found myself off the back. I worked to chase back, but the gap was already expanding, and once they hit the fast section, I was never going to make it back. I powered along solo, passing a few other riders who had peeled off (many of which were turning around) and then fought along the headwind to try to catch the main grupetto that had formed. I was only about 200m back as we made the corner to start the final lap, and wisely followed them into the parking lot, once again calling it a day. As we changed out of our soaking clothes and tried to warm up, we saw the leaders of the race come around for the win. Dave had managed to attach from the group and almost catch a small group of riders who had broken away. He ended up with a great top-10 finish, and Joe was 2nd in the group sprint from the remaining pack that arrived shortly after. The final tally - only 28 finishers - over 50% abandoned!
I was once again a little disappointed that I was unable to finish the race, but definitely did better than last week, so my fitness is getting there. Tour de Dung #2 is this weekend, and the weather should be better. Lets see if I can make my mark.
DNF
Well, so much for coming out swinging.
I lined up for the start of my very first Cat1/2 race the other day, to compete in the second Mason Lake event - one of the traditional season-starters up here in Washington. Due to the early season, and the location, this race always attracts big fields of racers looking to start their racing season. We also get a good amount of Oregon riders who make the trip up to compete as well. We also had some of the locally-based Pros racing for some early-season fitness as well.
The Mason Lake course basically consists of two parts - wide-open main road (where you typically fight the wind) and a narrower, winding road around the lake. The key is to move up during the open section, since the narrower road makes things a little more difficult (especially when it is a little damp, which is a majority of these races). The finish is a slight uphill grade, roughly 350m after a sharp 90 corner (where there is usually at least one crash during the day). This uphill finish can make for a very difficult and long sprint if you don't time it right.
I felt great during the warm-up and even during the first lap and half. Moving around through the field, trying to be of assistance to the team. As we turned onto the back stretch along the lake during lap 2, I started to realize that my legs were feeling a bit tired - probably my fault for not eating enough, but I think it was just not being used to the race-pace of the field (one of my teammates mentioned after the race that the Mason races this year were the fastest for the last few years). I sunk back into the field for the remainder of lap 2 to try to recuperate. Lap 3 was an effort to rest as much as possible, but I was definitely starting to notice the lack of power in my legs.
I made it through about a quarter of lap 4 before I just couldn't hang on and fell into the no-mans land off the back. I figured that the main reason I wasn't able to hang was just the fitness side, so I continued to ride along on my own. Just before the turn onto the back stretch I caught onto a rider who had fallen of the back as well and we worked together, switching turns pulling for the next lap and half. This completed 60 of the 72 miles in the race, and I figured it was time to call it quits and catch the finish of the field. I found another member of my team who had blown up early as well and we rode back to the finish line to watch. About 2 minutes later the leaders came through - riders from Oregon taking the top 2 spots. Our best finish was in the top 10, so not terrible, but I really felt that I needed to improve my condition to be of help to the team. At least I got some good miles into the legs and hope to be of more use in the next race.
On a good note - first race on the new bike, and it performed as well as could be hoped with me dragging it down. I will post a write-up with photos shortly.
I lined up for the start of my very first Cat1/2 race the other day, to compete in the second Mason Lake event - one of the traditional season-starters up here in Washington. Due to the early season, and the location, this race always attracts big fields of racers looking to start their racing season. We also get a good amount of Oregon riders who make the trip up to compete as well. We also had some of the locally-based Pros racing for some early-season fitness as well.
The Mason Lake course basically consists of two parts - wide-open main road (where you typically fight the wind) and a narrower, winding road around the lake. The key is to move up during the open section, since the narrower road makes things a little more difficult (especially when it is a little damp, which is a majority of these races). The finish is a slight uphill grade, roughly 350m after a sharp 90 corner (where there is usually at least one crash during the day). This uphill finish can make for a very difficult and long sprint if you don't time it right.
I felt great during the warm-up and even during the first lap and half. Moving around through the field, trying to be of assistance to the team. As we turned onto the back stretch along the lake during lap 2, I started to realize that my legs were feeling a bit tired - probably my fault for not eating enough, but I think it was just not being used to the race-pace of the field (one of my teammates mentioned after the race that the Mason races this year were the fastest for the last few years). I sunk back into the field for the remainder of lap 2 to try to recuperate. Lap 3 was an effort to rest as much as possible, but I was definitely starting to notice the lack of power in my legs.
I made it through about a quarter of lap 4 before I just couldn't hang on and fell into the no-mans land off the back. I figured that the main reason I wasn't able to hang was just the fitness side, so I continued to ride along on my own. Just before the turn onto the back stretch I caught onto a rider who had fallen of the back as well and we worked together, switching turns pulling for the next lap and half. This completed 60 of the 72 miles in the race, and I figured it was time to call it quits and catch the finish of the field. I found another member of my team who had blown up early as well and we rode back to the finish line to watch. About 2 minutes later the leaders came through - riders from Oregon taking the top 2 spots. Our best finish was in the top 10, so not terrible, but I really felt that I needed to improve my condition to be of help to the team. At least I got some good miles into the legs and hope to be of more use in the next race.
On a good note - first race on the new bike, and it performed as well as could be hoped with me dragging it down. I will post a write-up with photos shortly.
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