gsteinb

Since PCad is absent I figured I'd do something I hate doing and write about racing.

So here's the early morning race report while I drink my tea in the Adirondacks. After two weeks of hiking and tandem riding in Maine I got back on the race bike for Chris Thater and felt god awful. I was like Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder....get off the race bike.....get off the race bike. Now granted I still managed fourth, but it was an ugly fourth and I was noticeably slower then when I won the race in NH on the way to Maine for vacation. That was a pretty sweet win with a balls to wall field sprint, a bunch of New England teams going what's a Global Locate and the third place guy getting relegated for pushing Michael Norton into me at 42 MPH. But Chris Thater was another story. I tried to get in a bunch of breaks but none formed that had the right representation to stick. With a half dozen laps to go some Fred in a red jersey launched off the front and everyone was content to let him go. Bad move. Fred was fast. And then he got help. A guy from Affinity Cycles chased solo at one point, the two joined up and it didn't take too long for them to get 30 seconds and end everyone else's hopes for the win. Bah. I thought I had the field sprint but the camera had me lose by the width of a tire.

So after driving like 1000 miles in 24 hours (Down from Maine and up the Daks after dropping my son off, over to Binghamton the next morning) I headed home to Jersey to grab four hours sleep and drive to Cherry Hill for the state championships. Incidentally that part of NY state is pretty much hell and every single Subway was closed.

At about 8:45 am the 35 plus race rolled off the line and it was hard as hell. There were 5 stacked teams and every break had one of everyone....and well, me. I swear there should be limits on how many guys a team can have. I didn't have much of a choice to be there though. None of the moves stuck so it was a lot of hard efforts for naught. With six or seven to go four were up the road, I launched to a small chase that formed and we had a seven man break until four to go when we got caught. This is the point where I knew I was in trouble. I was absolutely on the rivet so I determined to suck wheel until the finish no matter what formed. On the bell lap two guys were dangling at four or five seconds going up the small rise to the last turn. For whatever reason everyone was just watching. I figured this wasn't the way I wanted to lose to state championships so I jumped. I took everyone with me but it gave me my field sprint, which I had won....until about 3 feet before the line when I got passed by 3x champion Dave Hudson. Silver. ****. It's interesting to get attaboys from guys when you're beyond pissed with yourself. "Which part of I lost don't you get?" Now of course I appreciate it and yeah it's good, but in the moment it's losing.

So I had an hour and a half to kill before the Cat three race so I got to flirt with the energy drink girl who happens to be my team mate's niece. Can someone explain the whole Irish thing with nieces and uncles being in the same age range? Anyway she was hot. Pinned my number and fed me energy drinks. Which probably didn't help calm me down at all cause at this point I was jacked up (did I mention she was hot?). I mean, there was no god fer saken way I was losing this race. I can't even recall much about it other than I had two guys working for me and if I didn't go for a move they were bringing it back. This one guy I know who is strong told me before the race he was going to go early. I was like yeah ok good luck with that...let me know how it works out. The most notable part of the race was the last turn when I was in the three hole we hit the turn at 35 mph. I honestly wasn't sure we were going to stick it and there were screeches of terror behind us. It was the kind of move I thought someone should have raised there arms after wards like a gymnast. A guy who wants to ride for us next year was in the two hole and delivered me to 200 meters. State Championship. Since they wouldn't give me the jersey for the NY crit championship I had to go win the one for my own state. The win moved me up, evidently, into first in the national rankings though I'm not nearly smart enough to understand that system run by the wundernuts at the USCF or if it means a thing. My team mate won the 45 plus race and took second in the threes. Two guys four medals and a new lead out guy to hide behind. Might be a good name for a band.

ljrichar

Sounds like a Guided By Voices song title. Anyways, congratulations on the wins! IIRC, Pcad has been saying you guys need a lead out man. Score.

gsteinb

or that Sufjan dude with his longer than a haiku song titles.

waterrockets 

Congrats! Good reports. I hear you on the "too many teammates" thing. I had a crit this summer where half the field was on the same team. I followed way too many moves.

Nice work on getting the Cat 3 redemption

I'm looking forward to my own Cat 3 state champ attempt in three weeks... only one teammate though.

substructure

Yup, there will prolly be half a dozen of us at the SC State Championship this weekend. Me being the noob, I'll just do what I'm told.

merckx89

I agree. Around here we sometimes have races with upwards of 10 people from the same team in the race. Multiple teams have the ability to do this too and it sucks when your out there alone.

cmh

Congrats on your New Jersey jersey. Sounds like some hard racing.

rizz

We have team out here with a red and white kit that believes in swarming races. It's quite the sight and I wish I could see less of it.

Sandbaggers.

gsteinb

I do believe PCad may owe me a pony.

MDcatV

well done gsteinb. i'm just relieved you didnt die typing reports about that many races.

gsteinb

I had really intended to write "get off the race bike or you might die," but it just slipped my mind.

Racer Ex 

Too bad dose udder guys couldn't make da race



I hear they hang the medal around your neck with piano wire.

JohnKScott

Congratulations!

gsteinb

I thought of your signature at some point yesterday

Chucklehead

SC Velo, LaGrange, PAA, Swamis... Who else?

merckx89

That's pretty much it. I've seen banning have 7 or 8 at some of the ontarios, most of the other teams keep it to 4-6 people.

Bantam

But it's our race, why are you trying to mess it up!?

Nah, it's ok, I went up to your race in June.