ZeCanon

This was pretty much the definition of CRUSH. Well done, now get your ass into the A's because half our team is graduating.

Nats crit, headed off the front for the bagillionth time:

mike868y

Tuesday night training crit. I'm in the middle. Suffering. Photo by our very own RTC (hope you don't mind me posting it).

mzeffex 

That's suffering alright.

NomadVW 

Fun times going back to the beginning of this thread and seeing some fun pictures.

MR6690

botto seemed much nicer back then.

botto 

who are you?

ridethecliche

Of course not! I didn't take them to hoard them! You gave me credit so thanks . I should be back next week, but it seems that there may be some senior festivities after lunch, so I'll have to either skip out early or not go. Dammit.

kudude

with only a couple of us in a field of 90+, no idea why I was on the front

MR6690

just an observer.

botto 

an ill informed one at that.

johnybutts

No idea who that is, but he looks funny.


Me, in the only sharp corner of yesterday's crit.


On the far far left, getting caught.

Frunkin

Not much gets away on that course, much less in a national championship. At least it didn't rain.

ZeCanon

Yeah, totally crap crit course. But I'm not the pack sprinter, so I had to try to get off.

Frunkin

Were there still those nasty seams in the pavement after turn 1?

ridethecliche

Couple of pics from the tuesday nighter.

This dude won



This dude came in 2nd and looked like he was reallllly hurting right there.

ZeCanon

There wasn't anything dangerous, though our host mentioned the same seams. Maybe they were filled. The dangerous part was that it was so un-selective you had everyone from 20th-50th wheel trying to dive inside on every corner, every lap. Four man teams don't help, nobody to control or keep it fast. The only two fast laps (like NRC fast) were the last two, the rest was a cluster.

Getting off the front was easy. I never stayed there for more than 1.5 laps though. I also had a pretty big target on my back among the RMCCC teams, and anyone who bothered to look at results from this season.

Half the reason nothing was sticking was half the teams out there were just covering, never working. MSU was the worst. Understandable given their sprinter I guess, but was working with me 30 minutes out really going to hurt? No. If anything it would take the pressure off the rest of their guys. Super dumb.

I would have liked to see 1) fewer schools, larger teams 2) a more selective course and 3) a longer race. 60 minutes is piddly short.

ridethecliche

How long are pro crits?

mike868y

Lance is my boy. Very strong and tough as a dog. Not the smartest guy tactics wise, but he's learning. He has the legs to make up for it though. He's a big guy but isn't half bad on the climbs.

ZeCanon

75 is pretty normal. 90-120 minutes not unheard of.

Guys were starting to get tired at 60. 75 would have removed some of them.

ridethecliche

Tag him. And I doubt anyone's your boy little one.

Cool. Sounds like 90 should have been the cut off.

mike868y

By "my boy" I meant friend...

I tagged him in most the photos.

ZeCanon

The collegiate rulebook stipulates that the Nationals crit has to be between 60 and 90. Last year (and all the years I've done it) was 75, I think the girls did 60. No reason to cut it short, really.

90 would be epic. But very awesome.

ridethecliche

Yeah, keeping it on the short end is silly unless the course is really really hilly or something, but even then it shouldn't matter.

botto 

not suffering, but only because i had strict instructions from the organizer to stay out of the way.

it's an unlicensed race, and my normally scheduled race was later in the day, and i didn't want to miss the end of stage 7 in the giro.



hanging in the back and trying to remain incognito.



hamming it up, while a friend (who was doing the same as me) jabbers away with someone.

ninjaman

No more 'stache botto?