Here is a brief description of the last race of the season at Pacific Raceways told by Chad Sullivan.
Last night was a showdown between Dan Caputo and me (and my CycleU brothers) for 2nd place in the season standings. We went into last night separated by only two points. Rain was guaranteed although it did let up after the race started. With me were Brad, Shawn, Tims 1 and 2, John Wendl, and Gabe. Dale made a guest appearance but did not race. It was a short one, only 25 minutes, compared to an hour during the longest days of summer. They set up the finish on the flats/at the start line, instead of the top of the hill. Gabe blasted up the hill to a sizeable lead, but was caught and passed by Dan in a gutsy and impressive move. I thought Gabe had it, so I didn't chase. Tactical error #1. The team worked to shut down the breaks, but the hill almost always provides separation. Another break took the second prime which set up the finish sprint. Tim 1 helped pace me up the last hill and then surprisingly, Dan came around near the top of the hill to try to bridge to the riders about 20 yards ahead. I stayed on his wheel as we caught the frontrunners with 100 meters to go. I was in the perfect position to see him initiate his sprint. I passed him with about 50 yards to go and willed my legs to keep firing. It seemed the finish line would never come, and we both threw our bikes toward the line. I got him by about a wheel. I think he might have made a tactical mistake by "leading me out" but he may have had no choice. Letting the pack catch us, he might have missed out on the points and he sure didn't want Brad and CU leading me out. So it was a showdown that lived up to the billing. We each earned 5 points and CU finished the season in 2nd place in Cat 4/5. We had some fun after at the "awards ceremony". I got a certificate for my next season half off. I plan to race in the masters category, and/or help a new CU GC guy to the podium. From the first race, I had a blast out at PR and racing with you guys this year, both on and off the road. Thanks a lot for the support and camaraderie. I look forward to more racing with you guys at Cross and next season. See you at the team rides!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
My First Race!!
This is from a new road team member Gabriel Holmes who recently joined the road team. Welcome to the team and great job!
My first race at PR last night was a whole lot of fun. I think most of the night I was alternating between holding on for dear life and thinking "this is no problem." Even after everybody's advice about where to be in the field, it seemed like I ended up rubber banding from the front to the back and side to side most of the night. I think there was only one brief point in the whole race where I was actually riding in the middle. Somewhere close to the end, I actually found myself at the very front right after the bleachers. The series of thoughts that went through my head were "Holy Crap, there's nobody in front of me." "Hmmm, the wind up here sucks." "Oh man, I am running out of gas. What do I do? Guess I'll pull off a little."
Then it started to rain. We had been doing flat ccw but they changed us to do the escape route. I slowed down a bit since I was a little sketchy about where we were supposed to go. I figured that I would just follow everybody else. I ended up near the back though. Coming down the hill, there were a lot of guys putting on the brakes and I felt like I was going through an obstacle course of hoses. Then coming up the hill, I tried to pick a wheel to suck but guys were running out of gas left and right. Everybody started to get strung out.
The last lap, I was way in the back and got dropped but sprinted at the end and almost made it to the back of the lead group. All in all, I ended up finishing and not crashing so I was pretty pleased with myself.
Next race, I might try to focus on trying to position myself instead of ending up wherever fate decided. There was one point where I looked over and saw a bunch of CycleU guys a little in front of me all the way over on the right side when I was on the left. I thought, "Ok, how the hell do I get over there?"
I want to say thanks to all the CycleU team members at PR last night. Everybody was really helpful. I'll try to remember everybody's name and face, but there were a lot of people there. I might be asking some of you your names again. If I call you by the wrong name in the future, I apologize. Also, thanks to all the advice on the message board.
Cycle U had 9 teammates at Pacific Raceways Tuesday night 6/08. Way to go!
My first race at PR last night was a whole lot of fun. I think most of the night I was alternating between holding on for dear life and thinking "this is no problem." Even after everybody's advice about where to be in the field, it seemed like I ended up rubber banding from the front to the back and side to side most of the night. I think there was only one brief point in the whole race where I was actually riding in the middle. Somewhere close to the end, I actually found myself at the very front right after the bleachers. The series of thoughts that went through my head were "Holy Crap, there's nobody in front of me." "Hmmm, the wind up here sucks." "Oh man, I am running out of gas. What do I do? Guess I'll pull off a little."
Then it started to rain. We had been doing flat ccw but they changed us to do the escape route. I slowed down a bit since I was a little sketchy about where we were supposed to go. I figured that I would just follow everybody else. I ended up near the back though. Coming down the hill, there were a lot of guys putting on the brakes and I felt like I was going through an obstacle course of hoses. Then coming up the hill, I tried to pick a wheel to suck but guys were running out of gas left and right. Everybody started to get strung out.
The last lap, I was way in the back and got dropped but sprinted at the end and almost made it to the back of the lead group. All in all, I ended up finishing and not crashing so I was pretty pleased with myself.
Next race, I might try to focus on trying to position myself instead of ending up wherever fate decided. There was one point where I looked over and saw a bunch of CycleU guys a little in front of me all the way over on the right side when I was on the left. I thought, "Ok, how the hell do I get over there?"
I want to say thanks to all the CycleU team members at PR last night. Everybody was really helpful. I'll try to remember everybody's name and face, but there were a lot of people there. I might be asking some of you your names again. If I call you by the wrong name in the future, I apologize. Also, thanks to all the advice on the message board.
Cycle U had 9 teammates at Pacific Raceways Tuesday night 6/08. Way to go!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Find more at Facebook
More team news and good banter on Facebook. Check it out for more up-to-date info, search Cycle University Road Team and become a fan!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Olympic View Road Race
Cat 4 race report from Brad Haley.
My alarm went off at 4 am. Yup 4 am. I got my stuff together and met up with Travis, Tim3 and Tina at Renton park and ride. We all piled into Travis' Land cruiser and off we were. The news had been warning everyone about the work they are doing on I-5 south so we thought it better to leave early. We arrived at a gas station to get some coffee and apparently this little stop was the place to be. Tim3 mixed it up with the locals that were in line. My normal coffee of choice is a double tall non-fat vanilla latte. Cost here in the city is almost $4, I think $3.90 to be exact. Coffee at this little window at the gas station was $2.87! Must be the small overhead for that price difference but I suspect its the reality of living in the city.
We arrived to some light rain and for some reason I couldn't get warm enough. Travis was the same and we layered up thinking it was 30 degrees out. I had hand warmers, toe warmers, 3 undershirts, my vest, leg warmers and two sets of arm warmers. That is alot of clothing. We were racing 54 miles of a 18 mile loop. Shawn and Tina did some recon on the course last weekend and came back with its a mix of Mason Lake and Tour de Dung in Sequim, rolling hills and mostly flat with chip seal. This course was alot of fun. The first lap was pretty chill until we got to the 90 degree downhill right turn. I moved up on the inside of the turn as everyone fanned out to the left to carry momentum into the right. After that it was a quick left, right then over a bridge then you were 3k from the finish line. This is where we had a group of 20 or 30 that split the group up. We probably could have completely stayed away but the guys at the front sat up a bit and the rest of the peleton caught back on. Which was ok because we were moving pretty good and it took alot of effort to catch back on. I think it was Matt from Recycled Cycles that took off the front on the next lap and stayed away for a bit. Its fun to get away for a bit until the pain sets in and then its not so much fun especially by yourself. We gobbled him up just before the biggest climb on the course. I was telling Shawn that we need to hold a "drinking and racing or racing and eating clinic". You really had to keep your focus because several guys were very swervy when drinking or trying to dig out some food. I am not the best rider by any means but I think I can do those things fairly well. Mark Taylor from SCCA/Starbucks was behind Shawn and I and told us after the race he thought this little conversation was pretty funny. Shawn and I were chatting it up and Shawn was crackin jokes when you hear the horrible sound of air seaping out of someones tire. We both looked at each other and Shawn said "you got a flat". I then looked at him and said, "no, you got a flat". Then at that moment Shawn disappeared to the back. Poor guy, two road races in a row. He was able to get a neutral wheel though and still finished. Good job. It was down to Travis and I. Several teams had big numbers like Recycled Cycles, Cucina Fresca, Bikesale.com, and Firstrate Morgage. We left the pace making to those teams and just hung on as long as possible. Travis did really well and we stayed close for most of the race. Once we got to the last climb which is about 2 miles from the finish the pace increased. I think this is where Travis said he went to the back of the group. I stayed close to the front for the downhill 90 degree right turn and moved up some more spots on the inside. Then I really hit the gas and so did Bikesale.com as they had 3 guys at the front setting the pace for the finish. As we got to the 1k to go sign I positioned myself behind a real fast guy, Phil Spencer of Lenova. I knew he would be a good wheel to follow. When we got to 200 meters I was out of the saddle sprinting but had to sit down because guys were moving to the left and not holding there line. I got back up out of the saddle and was able to come across the line in 6th place. Travis was able to finish with the pack. Bikesale.com had the numbers and controlled the race when it counted and won. That is how its done and congrats to them. Good job to our Cat 5 team with Tim3 finishing in the top 10 and Rhae finishing in the top 5 for the Womens Cat 1,2,3 race. Heal up fast Mario and we hope to see you back on the bike soon!!
Stay tuned for Walla Walla...
My alarm went off at 4 am. Yup 4 am. I got my stuff together and met up with Travis, Tim3 and Tina at Renton park and ride. We all piled into Travis' Land cruiser and off we were. The news had been warning everyone about the work they are doing on I-5 south so we thought it better to leave early. We arrived at a gas station to get some coffee and apparently this little stop was the place to be. Tim3 mixed it up with the locals that were in line. My normal coffee of choice is a double tall non-fat vanilla latte. Cost here in the city is almost $4, I think $3.90 to be exact. Coffee at this little window at the gas station was $2.87! Must be the small overhead for that price difference but I suspect its the reality of living in the city.
We arrived to some light rain and for some reason I couldn't get warm enough. Travis was the same and we layered up thinking it was 30 degrees out. I had hand warmers, toe warmers, 3 undershirts, my vest, leg warmers and two sets of arm warmers. That is alot of clothing. We were racing 54 miles of a 18 mile loop. Shawn and Tina did some recon on the course last weekend and came back with its a mix of Mason Lake and Tour de Dung in Sequim, rolling hills and mostly flat with chip seal. This course was alot of fun. The first lap was pretty chill until we got to the 90 degree downhill right turn. I moved up on the inside of the turn as everyone fanned out to the left to carry momentum into the right. After that it was a quick left, right then over a bridge then you were 3k from the finish line. This is where we had a group of 20 or 30 that split the group up. We probably could have completely stayed away but the guys at the front sat up a bit and the rest of the peleton caught back on. Which was ok because we were moving pretty good and it took alot of effort to catch back on. I think it was Matt from Recycled Cycles that took off the front on the next lap and stayed away for a bit. Its fun to get away for a bit until the pain sets in and then its not so much fun especially by yourself. We gobbled him up just before the biggest climb on the course. I was telling Shawn that we need to hold a "drinking and racing or racing and eating clinic". You really had to keep your focus because several guys were very swervy when drinking or trying to dig out some food. I am not the best rider by any means but I think I can do those things fairly well. Mark Taylor from SCCA/Starbucks was behind Shawn and I and told us after the race he thought this little conversation was pretty funny. Shawn and I were chatting it up and Shawn was crackin jokes when you hear the horrible sound of air seaping out of someones tire. We both looked at each other and Shawn said "you got a flat". I then looked at him and said, "no, you got a flat". Then at that moment Shawn disappeared to the back. Poor guy, two road races in a row. He was able to get a neutral wheel though and still finished. Good job. It was down to Travis and I. Several teams had big numbers like Recycled Cycles, Cucina Fresca, Bikesale.com, and Firstrate Morgage. We left the pace making to those teams and just hung on as long as possible. Travis did really well and we stayed close for most of the race. Once we got to the last climb which is about 2 miles from the finish the pace increased. I think this is where Travis said he went to the back of the group. I stayed close to the front for the downhill 90 degree right turn and moved up some more spots on the inside. Then I really hit the gas and so did Bikesale.com as they had 3 guys at the front setting the pace for the finish. As we got to the 1k to go sign I positioned myself behind a real fast guy, Phil Spencer of Lenova. I knew he would be a good wheel to follow. When we got to 200 meters I was out of the saddle sprinting but had to sit down because guys were moving to the left and not holding there line. I got back up out of the saddle and was able to come across the line in 6th place. Travis was able to finish with the pack. Bikesale.com had the numbers and controlled the race when it counted and won. That is how its done and congrats to them. Good job to our Cat 5 team with Tim3 finishing in the top 10 and Rhae finishing in the top 5 for the Womens Cat 1,2,3 race. Heal up fast Mario and we hope to see you back on the bike soon!!
Stay tuned for Walla Walla...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Frozen Flatlands Omnium 2010
The hardest day, and a most frustrating day.
Time Trial
The weather report leading into this race looked terrible. High winds, cold temps (low 30s), and a good chance of snow. I came prepared for blizzard-like conditions in the time trial. With that mental preparation the conditions didn't seem too bad when I pulled into the staging area. The temperature was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing at 20mph, with gusts up to 35mph. I don't know what the wind chill was, but at least the sun was out. Remembering my college days at Gonzaga, this just seemed like a typical spring day in Spokane.
Needless to say the time trial was a challenge. The distance was longer than most TTs at 12.4 miles (out and back). The way out was into a major headwind and crosswind. It was a battle to keep the bike straight and keep some kind of rhythm going. I probably traveled 8 miles on that leg with all the weaving I did on the road. Looking at my computer was depressing, since I was only going about 16-18mph. After the turnaround the wind was a big help, and I was able to get the speed over 30mph. I actually started to get warm because there was no air to push through--it was like riding on a trainer. About a mile before the finish I passed my 30 second man, Nate B. from L 'ecole (who put in an impressive ride with no TT gear). Finished 14th, which later became 13th due to a disqualification.
Saturday Road Race
We didn't have long to rest before the road race, only about three hours. Sitting in my car resting I watched the weather deteriorate outside. By the time we were about to start, it started to hail. I rushed back to my car to get my jacket and hat. While we waited for the neutral rollout, guys were already suffering from the cold.
The road race was 48 miles and the wind was certainly going to play a factor, I just wasn't sure how. Once we started racing there were a couple surges but the pace stayed fairly slow. I think guys were tired from the morning effort and didn't want to go crazy in the first few miles a long race. At last someone grew impatient and attacked up the road. Everyone looked at him thinking "have a nice day" and within a couple minutes he was out of sight. I was looking for a chance to breakaway, and I thought now was a good opportunity. 5 miles into a 48 mile race? Why not? I attacked hard from about fourth wheel, looked back, and had the pack on my wheel. I sat up and let things settle. Surprisingly nobody wanted to be at the front so I started moving from left to right in the lane to see if the guys would stay on me. After a couple weaves I looked back and had a gap of about 25 feet. I turned around, put my head down and took off.
In a few miles I caught the early attacker, Joshua from Northern Rockies. We turned to the east and got a big help from the tailwind, building a 2-3min gap on the field. On the rises we could look back and see some other riders trying to bridge up. One was getting fairly close so we slowed to let him catch us. This turned out to be Steve from WSU, who is very strong and ended up winning the whole omnium. The three of us turned south into the head/crosswind and unfortunately we were in the open fields and there were no trees to protect us. We got a pretty good rotation going but had to use massive amounts of energy because of the wind. At one point I turned around and saw the demoralizing sight of the pack gaining ground. Eventually we were swallowed up just before the turn to the west.
Now the wind was coming from the left and everyone was trying to find shelter. I was tired from my early effort and worked to get in an echelon to recover. This was hard to do because everyone else was in the gutter thinking the same thing. The merciless wind was taking a toll on the peloton as one by one riders dropped off the back. One of those turned out to be Joshua from the breakaway. I was almost popped myself and had to dig deep to stay with the lead group. Not only was the wind pushing us all over the road, the hail would occasionally come down just to add to the sufferfest.
Eventually we made it back into the trees and the wind calmed down. The pack had dwindled to about thirty riders at this point. I could tell everyone was gassed as the pace became ridiculously slow. I recall looking at my computer and seeing 11mph! A great time to attack, if I hadn't of blown myself early in the race. But everyone was blown too so we all braced for a final climb referred to in the race flier as the "wall." Once to the climb I had recovered sufficiently and made it over without losing too much ground. I found out later a bunch of guys fell off the back on that climb.
The last turn was to the north, and we were in the trees and protected from the wind. Guys were pushing the pace and I was doing my best to hold on. I was running on empty because I had only brought enough food for a two hour race. But with the wind, the race took about 2:45 and I was a little bonked at the end. The constant accelerations further shrank the lead group to about a dozen. No one got away and we geared up for the sprint finish. I had one more bullet to use. Sitting about fifth wheel I moved right to open up my sprint...only to get blocked by three riders from the Masters C field slowly cruising into the finish (we had been passing these guys all afternoon). Swerving around these riders I tried to sprint again, but had nothing left. I finished 11th.
Sunday Road Race
The profile of this 25 mile race was flat, but the wind again would be a factor. The only event of note early in the race was when Phil from Lenovo flatted about five miles into the race, probably costing him a spot on the GC podium.
The last ten miles of the race headed south into a strong headwind. The pace was slow because everyone was tired from racing the day before. The road was narrow and it was hard to move up. A couple times I had to take some risks riding on the shoulder to get back to the front. At 1k to go, a couple riders went off the front. That would be short lived as no one could get away into the headwind. At 250m to go I was in a great position--on the centerline with riders to my right blocking the wind. Then suddenly a rider from behind jumps over the centerline, passes me, and moves back over the centerline into my front wheel. I don't know what the heck he was thinking, and I can't post what I was thinking. When his rear derailler went into my wheel I heard the horrible sound of a carbon wheel being chopped up. While regaining control of my bike I realized my front wheel was toast. I steered over to the left hand shoulder to inspect the damage. The wheel had a bunch of broken spokes, the true was off, and it wouldn't spin. So I hoisted the bike onto my shoulder and ran across the finish line in 39th place. I somehow managed to beat a dozen or so riders who must have been dropped from the group.
Incredibly frustrating to be a great position for the finishing sprint only to have my front wheel chopped up. Unfortunately I don't know who the rider was because it happened so fast. The officials tried to find him after the race but never did.
Time Trial
The weather report leading into this race looked terrible. High winds, cold temps (low 30s), and a good chance of snow. I came prepared for blizzard-like conditions in the time trial. With that mental preparation the conditions didn't seem too bad when I pulled into the staging area. The temperature was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing at 20mph, with gusts up to 35mph. I don't know what the wind chill was, but at least the sun was out. Remembering my college days at Gonzaga, this just seemed like a typical spring day in Spokane.
Needless to say the time trial was a challenge. The distance was longer than most TTs at 12.4 miles (out and back). The way out was into a major headwind and crosswind. It was a battle to keep the bike straight and keep some kind of rhythm going. I probably traveled 8 miles on that leg with all the weaving I did on the road. Looking at my computer was depressing, since I was only going about 16-18mph. After the turnaround the wind was a big help, and I was able to get the speed over 30mph. I actually started to get warm because there was no air to push through--it was like riding on a trainer. About a mile before the finish I passed my 30 second man, Nate B. from L 'ecole (who put in an impressive ride with no TT gear). Finished 14th, which later became 13th due to a disqualification.
Saturday Road Race
We didn't have long to rest before the road race, only about three hours. Sitting in my car resting I watched the weather deteriorate outside. By the time we were about to start, it started to hail. I rushed back to my car to get my jacket and hat. While we waited for the neutral rollout, guys were already suffering from the cold.
The road race was 48 miles and the wind was certainly going to play a factor, I just wasn't sure how. Once we started racing there were a couple surges but the pace stayed fairly slow. I think guys were tired from the morning effort and didn't want to go crazy in the first few miles a long race. At last someone grew impatient and attacked up the road. Everyone looked at him thinking "have a nice day" and within a couple minutes he was out of sight. I was looking for a chance to breakaway, and I thought now was a good opportunity. 5 miles into a 48 mile race? Why not? I attacked hard from about fourth wheel, looked back, and had the pack on my wheel. I sat up and let things settle. Surprisingly nobody wanted to be at the front so I started moving from left to right in the lane to see if the guys would stay on me. After a couple weaves I looked back and had a gap of about 25 feet. I turned around, put my head down and took off.
In a few miles I caught the early attacker, Joshua from Northern Rockies. We turned to the east and got a big help from the tailwind, building a 2-3min gap on the field. On the rises we could look back and see some other riders trying to bridge up. One was getting fairly close so we slowed to let him catch us. This turned out to be Steve from WSU, who is very strong and ended up winning the whole omnium. The three of us turned south into the head/crosswind and unfortunately we were in the open fields and there were no trees to protect us. We got a pretty good rotation going but had to use massive amounts of energy because of the wind. At one point I turned around and saw the demoralizing sight of the pack gaining ground. Eventually we were swallowed up just before the turn to the west.
Now the wind was coming from the left and everyone was trying to find shelter. I was tired from my early effort and worked to get in an echelon to recover. This was hard to do because everyone else was in the gutter thinking the same thing. The merciless wind was taking a toll on the peloton as one by one riders dropped off the back. One of those turned out to be Joshua from the breakaway. I was almost popped myself and had to dig deep to stay with the lead group. Not only was the wind pushing us all over the road, the hail would occasionally come down just to add to the sufferfest.
Eventually we made it back into the trees and the wind calmed down. The pack had dwindled to about thirty riders at this point. I could tell everyone was gassed as the pace became ridiculously slow. I recall looking at my computer and seeing 11mph! A great time to attack, if I hadn't of blown myself early in the race. But everyone was blown too so we all braced for a final climb referred to in the race flier as the "wall." Once to the climb I had recovered sufficiently and made it over without losing too much ground. I found out later a bunch of guys fell off the back on that climb.
The last turn was to the north, and we were in the trees and protected from the wind. Guys were pushing the pace and I was doing my best to hold on. I was running on empty because I had only brought enough food for a two hour race. But with the wind, the race took about 2:45 and I was a little bonked at the end. The constant accelerations further shrank the lead group to about a dozen. No one got away and we geared up for the sprint finish. I had one more bullet to use. Sitting about fifth wheel I moved right to open up my sprint...only to get blocked by three riders from the Masters C field slowly cruising into the finish (we had been passing these guys all afternoon). Swerving around these riders I tried to sprint again, but had nothing left. I finished 11th.
Sunday Road Race
The profile of this 25 mile race was flat, but the wind again would be a factor. The only event of note early in the race was when Phil from Lenovo flatted about five miles into the race, probably costing him a spot on the GC podium.
The last ten miles of the race headed south into a strong headwind. The pace was slow because everyone was tired from racing the day before. The road was narrow and it was hard to move up. A couple times I had to take some risks riding on the shoulder to get back to the front. At 1k to go, a couple riders went off the front. That would be short lived as no one could get away into the headwind. At 250m to go I was in a great position--on the centerline with riders to my right blocking the wind. Then suddenly a rider from behind jumps over the centerline, passes me, and moves back over the centerline into my front wheel. I don't know what the heck he was thinking, and I can't post what I was thinking. When his rear derailler went into my wheel I heard the horrible sound of a carbon wheel being chopped up. While regaining control of my bike I realized my front wheel was toast. I steered over to the left hand shoulder to inspect the damage. The wheel had a bunch of broken spokes, the true was off, and it wouldn't spin. So I hoisted the bike onto my shoulder and ran across the finish line in 39th place. I somehow managed to beat a dozen or so riders who must have been dropped from the group.
Incredibly frustrating to be a great position for the finishing sprint only to have my front wheel chopped up. Unfortunately I don't know who the rider was because it happened so fast. The officials tried to find him after the race but never did.
Monday, March 29, 2010
IVRR 2010
Here is a report from Cat 4 racer Jed Barden
IVRR Report
When I got to the course I barely recognized it because the sky was sunny and clear. This was quite a change from a year ago, when we had to cope with pouring rain and snow. This race marked my first full year as a road racer, as IVRR 2009 was my first road race. That first race was a short one for me. I was spit out the back on the first climb and struggled over the the ensuing flat section with help from teammates. After Mark T. dropped me on the second climb, it started to snow. The descent was harrowing, since I was blinded by the falling snow and was starting to freeze up as the snow accumulated on my shoulders and quads. Then my rear tire flatted on the descent. I had long since fallen behind out follow car and had no support. After about ten minutes the Cat 4 women's race rolled through, and their follow car picked me up. I must have been quite the sad sight on the side of the road.
In the year since I have learned a few things about road racing. Minor things such as training, eating, and wearing proper clothing. I looked at IVRR 2010 as somewhat of a redemption race - and as a progress check to see how far I've come over the last twelve months. My teammates in cat 4 were Shawn H., Brad H., and John W. This was John's first race as a cat 4. The start of our race was delayed for 15 minutes due to finish-line crashes in the morning races. Race organizer Eric encouraged us to race aggressively (i.e. not wait for a bunch sprint) so we could go home in our own car instead of an ambulance.
The race had an odd start. During the neutral roll out the lead car suddenly slammed on its brakes and did a U turn. This was rather confusing for our group as we watched the lead car drive back towards the parking lot. What happened I don't know but the lead car eventually came back to take us around the course. When we started racing, the pace up to the first climb was slow. The first time seeing the climb sends a shiver down your spine because you round a corner and then see the road go up, up into the trees and you cannot see the top. I managed to get in the front part of the pack over the climb, and just concerned myself with following wheels and not using too much energy. Unfortunately Shawn and John got caught up behind some slower riders on the climb and became separated from the front group. Then, in his efforts to catch back up after the first climb Shawn's brand new Specialized Roubaix tire flatted.
The pace on the flats after the first climb was pretty hot, and teammate Brad came up and took a monster pull that strung everyone out. We had a large group of about 30-35 at the second climb. This climb was a lot smaller than what I remembered. There wasn't really any opportunity to get separation. A very fast descent though, with speeds approaching 50mph. Back on the flats, Brad must have been feeling good because he bridged up to a couple riders who had a gap of 10-15 seconds. With the first climb of the second lap upcoming, I was looking forward to getting some separation and paring down what was still a big group of riders.
However, one cannot force a separation from mid-pack. To attack a climb, the first order of business is to be in a position where you can attack. At the base of the climb I was about 20th wheel, which boxed me in behind slower riders. It wasn't until halfway up the climb that I broke out, charged to the front, and opened up the gaps. But the climb isn't long enough, and with the fast descent, most of the guys who were gapped off caught back on. Near the crest of the climb, we passed the breakaway (Brad included) in TdF fashion, where the strong climbers pass the completely blown breakaway riders as if they are standing still.
I cursed my poor positioning and resigned myself to more pack riding. Our lead group of about 25 went over the second climb without any significant developments. The pace was not that high and a motivated rider could have attacked and gotten away. Too bad Brad used up his big attack on the first lap. At about 5k to go, guys were fighting for position mid-pack and a crash on the right side of the road took out 5-8 riders. Fortunately I was on the yellow line side and avoided that nasty pile up. When we passed 1k to go, I was surprised because my computer said we had only gone 38 miles (the race flyer said our race was 41 miles). Instead of being at the front where I should have been I was trapped in the back third of our now smaller pack. Things got really sketchy with guys swerving and I became more concerned with staying upright then sprinting for the line. I never did get a sprint out and finished 14th out of 17 in our group, and out of 50 riders who started the race.
Great race in the cat 5. We had three Cycle U riders in the top 10:
2nd - Tim(3) W.
5th - Chad S.
10th - Greg S.
IVRR Report
When I got to the course I barely recognized it because the sky was sunny and clear. This was quite a change from a year ago, when we had to cope with pouring rain and snow. This race marked my first full year as a road racer, as IVRR 2009 was my first road race. That first race was a short one for me. I was spit out the back on the first climb and struggled over the the ensuing flat section with help from teammates. After Mark T. dropped me on the second climb, it started to snow. The descent was harrowing, since I was blinded by the falling snow and was starting to freeze up as the snow accumulated on my shoulders and quads. Then my rear tire flatted on the descent. I had long since fallen behind out follow car and had no support. After about ten minutes the Cat 4 women's race rolled through, and their follow car picked me up. I must have been quite the sad sight on the side of the road.
In the year since I have learned a few things about road racing. Minor things such as training, eating, and wearing proper clothing. I looked at IVRR 2010 as somewhat of a redemption race - and as a progress check to see how far I've come over the last twelve months. My teammates in cat 4 were Shawn H., Brad H., and John W. This was John's first race as a cat 4. The start of our race was delayed for 15 minutes due to finish-line crashes in the morning races. Race organizer Eric encouraged us to race aggressively (i.e. not wait for a bunch sprint) so we could go home in our own car instead of an ambulance.
The race had an odd start. During the neutral roll out the lead car suddenly slammed on its brakes and did a U turn. This was rather confusing for our group as we watched the lead car drive back towards the parking lot. What happened I don't know but the lead car eventually came back to take us around the course. When we started racing, the pace up to the first climb was slow. The first time seeing the climb sends a shiver down your spine because you round a corner and then see the road go up, up into the trees and you cannot see the top. I managed to get in the front part of the pack over the climb, and just concerned myself with following wheels and not using too much energy. Unfortunately Shawn and John got caught up behind some slower riders on the climb and became separated from the front group. Then, in his efforts to catch back up after the first climb Shawn's brand new Specialized Roubaix tire flatted.
The pace on the flats after the first climb was pretty hot, and teammate Brad came up and took a monster pull that strung everyone out. We had a large group of about 30-35 at the second climb. This climb was a lot smaller than what I remembered. There wasn't really any opportunity to get separation. A very fast descent though, with speeds approaching 50mph. Back on the flats, Brad must have been feeling good because he bridged up to a couple riders who had a gap of 10-15 seconds. With the first climb of the second lap upcoming, I was looking forward to getting some separation and paring down what was still a big group of riders.
However, one cannot force a separation from mid-pack. To attack a climb, the first order of business is to be in a position where you can attack. At the base of the climb I was about 20th wheel, which boxed me in behind slower riders. It wasn't until halfway up the climb that I broke out, charged to the front, and opened up the gaps. But the climb isn't long enough, and with the fast descent, most of the guys who were gapped off caught back on. Near the crest of the climb, we passed the breakaway (Brad included) in TdF fashion, where the strong climbers pass the completely blown breakaway riders as if they are standing still.
I cursed my poor positioning and resigned myself to more pack riding. Our lead group of about 25 went over the second climb without any significant developments. The pace was not that high and a motivated rider could have attacked and gotten away. Too bad Brad used up his big attack on the first lap. At about 5k to go, guys were fighting for position mid-pack and a crash on the right side of the road took out 5-8 riders. Fortunately I was on the yellow line side and avoided that nasty pile up. When we passed 1k to go, I was surprised because my computer said we had only gone 38 miles (the race flyer said our race was 41 miles). Instead of being at the front where I should have been I was trapped in the back third of our now smaller pack. Things got really sketchy with guys swerving and I became more concerned with staying upright then sprinting for the line. I never did get a sprint out and finished 14th out of 17 in our group, and out of 50 riders who started the race.
Great race in the cat 5. We had three Cycle U riders in the top 10:
2nd - Tim(3) W.
5th - Chad S.
10th - Greg S.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Pacific Raceway's Cycling Season Opener
Several of the teammates were a bit disappointed in how we performed at the first two races of the season at Tour de Dung-eness as a team. We talked and talked about how we can do better, but you just never know how it will turn out until you are actually in the moment.
Last year we did pretty well at PR towards the end of the season. We consistently had a Cycle U team member on the podium for several races in a row. This is where I found that I could sprint. The "plan" for the evening was to have a few guys try and get off the front. That is virtually impossible when they run the flat course at PR but it does create a higher pace which is good. Tim2 and Shawn took several monster pulls at the front and got away a few times for a couple minutes before the pack gobbled them up. After that we as a team stayed together for the most part and just sat in the pack and stayed out of trouble. The last lap came around and I stuck to the back of John Wendle's wheel and the blue train started to form. Tim2 started out at the front pulling hard then Travis came around and took his turn going around turn 9 on the outside of the pack. The plan was to take the pack on the outside of Turn 9 as everyone always dives to the inside of that corner and we can carry a little bit more speed on the outside and move right up the front. Travis was still pulling when Shawn came out of nowhere and went straight to the front and took over for Travis. Shawn took huge pulls and to this point we had the front of the race controlled with nobody able to get by. I was still stuck to John's wheel. He had a SCCA/Starbucks guy and an unattached racer in between him and Shawn at the front. Shawn finished his pull and then the sprint started a little earlier than I expected. The unattached guy took off and then the SCCA/Starbucks guy took off. I stayed on John's wheel and he began his sprint to stay with them. I stayed in the saddle for about 15 seconds more then took off around John. I probably waited to long but they took off pretty early and I thought they would blow up before the line. As I came around John the unattached was on my left and Brian/SCCA was to the right. I went by the unattached and moved over to get in Brian's slipstream. Brian is a pretty big guy compared to me so I was just getting into his draft when he took a peek behind him and saw me coming and moved to the left to break the draft. That was it as we came across the line. I slapped him on the back and told him that was the winning move and I took 2nd. The team did great and the lead out from John was great with him getting 4th place. It’s like being a proud parent almost. Everyone on the team had a job to do and everyone accomplished it well. Shawn, Tim2 and Travis did alot of work at the front through out the race and then were still there at the end to put in a serious effort. I am a bit disappointed I missed Brian's wheel to stay in his draft but lesson learned and 2nd is ok for now.
Brad
Co-Captain Cat 4
Last year we did pretty well at PR towards the end of the season. We consistently had a Cycle U team member on the podium for several races in a row. This is where I found that I could sprint. The "plan" for the evening was to have a few guys try and get off the front. That is virtually impossible when they run the flat course at PR but it does create a higher pace which is good. Tim2 and Shawn took several monster pulls at the front and got away a few times for a couple minutes before the pack gobbled them up. After that we as a team stayed together for the most part and just sat in the pack and stayed out of trouble. The last lap came around and I stuck to the back of John Wendle's wheel and the blue train started to form. Tim2 started out at the front pulling hard then Travis came around and took his turn going around turn 9 on the outside of the pack. The plan was to take the pack on the outside of Turn 9 as everyone always dives to the inside of that corner and we can carry a little bit more speed on the outside and move right up the front. Travis was still pulling when Shawn came out of nowhere and went straight to the front and took over for Travis. Shawn took huge pulls and to this point we had the front of the race controlled with nobody able to get by. I was still stuck to John's wheel. He had a SCCA/Starbucks guy and an unattached racer in between him and Shawn at the front. Shawn finished his pull and then the sprint started a little earlier than I expected. The unattached guy took off and then the SCCA/Starbucks guy took off. I stayed on John's wheel and he began his sprint to stay with them. I stayed in the saddle for about 15 seconds more then took off around John. I probably waited to long but they took off pretty early and I thought they would blow up before the line. As I came around John the unattached was on my left and Brian/SCCA was to the right. I went by the unattached and moved over to get in Brian's slipstream. Brian is a pretty big guy compared to me so I was just getting into his draft when he took a peek behind him and saw me coming and moved to the left to break the draft. That was it as we came across the line. I slapped him on the back and told him that was the winning move and I took 2nd. The team did great and the lead out from John was great with him getting 4th place. It’s like being a proud parent almost. Everyone on the team had a job to do and everyone accomplished it well. Shawn, Tim2 and Travis did alot of work at the front through out the race and then were still there at the end to put in a serious effort. I am a bit disappointed I missed Brian's wheel to stay in his draft but lesson learned and 2nd is ok for now.
Brad
Co-Captain Cat 4
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Mason Lake Road Race # 2
Here is a report from -Greg Snyder-. Our Category 5 Captain.
I went out to Mason Lake for my first race of the season which turned out to be a good day. The Masters C/D race was starting at 9:40 so I had to get up at 5:30 to make it out the door by 6:15 to make the drive down to Mason Lake in time to register and get warmed up. Had a quick bowl of cereal and headed out the door
The drive down was good and the weather was cold but dry and clear.
I got down there just before 8 am and registered for the Masters race figuring it would be a little safer and maybe a bit smaller than the previous week. Got a 30 minute warm up on the trainer, had some water and 1/2 of my PBJ and it was time to race.
No teammates today as most of them had done Sequim on Saturday so it was just me in a group of 46 starters. There were a few First Rate Mortgage guys, a couple of Byrne and some team from Olympia who had about 5 guys and a few other scattered teams. The first lap was typical except that about 1/3 of the way in a FRM rider went off the front and a Wines rider soon went after him. The Wines guy came back to the group after a couple of miles saying he couldn't hang because the other guy was too strong. I used the first lap to try and see how easy it was to move through the group and preview the course since I hadn't done it yet. I was able to move up fairly easily and decided it would be best to sit in and see how things played out. I certainly didn't want to get my nose out in the wind too much without anyone working with me.
As we passed through for the first lap the FRM guy had 30 seconds on the pack which I figured would not last. During the second lap one of the stronger riders from Old Town tried to bridge up, but ended up coming back to the pack which was good. He is a strong rider who usually finishes well so I was trying to keep close to him especially as we got to the end.
I worked with a couple of guys on the 2nd and third laps on the front to chase down the breakaway rider and once I could see him and was confident we would get him decided to sit in and not waste anymore energy. I was feeling strong though and was feeling like it was going to be good result for me as long as I stayed up front.
As we got about 2/3 of the way through the last lap we caught the breakaway rider and I concentrated on staying in the front 5 to 10 riders. When we got to the 1k everything sped up as it usually does and tried to come up on the left side for better position and was sitting about 6th or 7th wheel at the 200 meter sign. Then everyone went and I was in the same position, but between two riders and couldn't get around, but just before the end those two riders separated and I was able to shoot through for 6th. I think if I had 50 more meters I might have been able to get into the top three as I wasn't spun out and was feeling strong.
So I am pleased with my result - it was my best so far, but I'm not satisfied.
Greg Snyder
I went out to Mason Lake for my first race of the season which turned out to be a good day. The Masters C/D race was starting at 9:40 so I had to get up at 5:30 to make it out the door by 6:15 to make the drive down to Mason Lake in time to register and get warmed up. Had a quick bowl of cereal and headed out the door
The drive down was good and the weather was cold but dry and clear.
I got down there just before 8 am and registered for the Masters race figuring it would be a little safer and maybe a bit smaller than the previous week. Got a 30 minute warm up on the trainer, had some water and 1/2 of my PBJ and it was time to race.
No teammates today as most of them had done Sequim on Saturday so it was just me in a group of 46 starters. There were a few First Rate Mortgage guys, a couple of Byrne and some team from Olympia who had about 5 guys and a few other scattered teams. The first lap was typical except that about 1/3 of the way in a FRM rider went off the front and a Wines rider soon went after him. The Wines guy came back to the group after a couple of miles saying he couldn't hang because the other guy was too strong. I used the first lap to try and see how easy it was to move through the group and preview the course since I hadn't done it yet. I was able to move up fairly easily and decided it would be best to sit in and see how things played out. I certainly didn't want to get my nose out in the wind too much without anyone working with me.
As we passed through for the first lap the FRM guy had 30 seconds on the pack which I figured would not last. During the second lap one of the stronger riders from Old Town tried to bridge up, but ended up coming back to the pack which was good. He is a strong rider who usually finishes well so I was trying to keep close to him especially as we got to the end.
I worked with a couple of guys on the 2nd and third laps on the front to chase down the breakaway rider and once I could see him and was confident we would get him decided to sit in and not waste anymore energy. I was feeling strong though and was feeling like it was going to be good result for me as long as I stayed up front.
As we got about 2/3 of the way through the last lap we caught the breakaway rider and I concentrated on staying in the front 5 to 10 riders. When we got to the 1k everything sped up as it usually does and tried to come up on the left side for better position and was sitting about 6th or 7th wheel at the 200 meter sign. Then everyone went and I was in the same position, but between two riders and couldn't get around, but just before the end those two riders separated and I was able to shoot through for 6th. I think if I had 50 more meters I might have been able to get into the top three as I wasn't spun out and was feeling strong.
So I am pleased with my result - it was my best so far, but I'm not satisfied.
Greg Snyder
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