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Millikan Memorial Crit. CAT 5 crashtastic.

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Millikan Memorial Crit. CAT 5 crashtastic.

Old 02-15-09, 04:11 PM
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Millikan Memorial Crit. CAT 5 crashtastic.

Just got home from the Millikan crit in Brea CA, what an awesome course, too bad 9 guys went down in the last two turns of the last lap of the race . The race was fast (only 25 min) and the pack was pretty spastic. Don't know exactly what happened on the outside but 8 riders went down hard, one gashing his shin open bad enough to need stitches. Then in the final sprint another guy just went down randomly in the middle of the road about 20 feet in front of me. I ended up taking 23rd which I'm sure wouldn't have happened if 9 riders hadn't gone down. I hope everyone is ok that went down. I'm not going to lie seeing that guy's leg kind of shook me up about bike racing.
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Old 02-15-09, 04:21 PM
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Crashes happen in races and just riding around the streets.

How was the turnout for most of the races?
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Old 02-15-09, 04:32 PM
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Pretty good turn out, there was a waiting list for the 5's. The girls 3/4 was pretty small, I didn't stay any longer.
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Old 02-15-09, 09:18 PM
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I heard from a friend (I believe he was talking about the 5s) that a rider (I forget which team, but everyone that survived ID'd him to the officials) went from the outside, swept across the whole front of the group, and caused the crash just before turn #3, taking out a bunch o' guys.
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Old 02-15-09, 09:32 PM
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I arrived early, looking to do the 35+ race, in case the rain started for my later Cat 3 start at 4:15pm.

I hadn't done Millikan before, so I arrived and saw the hill. Hmmm, 35+...hmmm... Well, you only live once. Well, I lived all of 10-minutes: OTB! I knew I had to later do the 3s, hoping they'll be a bit easier, and I didn't want to waste my energy, so I dropped out at turn #4. In the 5 laps I got in, I was going up the hill pretty much at 26mph. I was being passed left and right

In the 3s, it was definitely easier: we only went up the hill at around 22mph. At any rate, I did well considering. I was surprised: my Garmin showed 1,000+ feet of climbing in the 22 miles we covered. Not bad at 25.4mph avg, including the neutral start and the cool-down laps. 3 laps to go, I move up the field into about 15th or so as we climb through the S/F line. I'm thinking I might do okay. Last lap, somebody attacks just before turn #1, strings us all out, and I'm at the back trying to stay in contact. So much for doing okay.

At any rate, I finished on a hard course (for big 'ole me). Now I just have to do more Montrose rides, the Rose Bowl when it starts up, and more Master's races and get up to their speed.
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Old 02-15-09, 09:47 PM
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I heard the same thing from one of the guys who crashed, supposedly this kid was being really squirrelly and cut everyone off. People supposedly had been yelling at him all race to hold his line, sounds like he caused a lot of people a lot of pain and cost at least one the cost of a bike, I saw one of the bikes, cracked straight through the seat and chain stays. :/
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Old 02-15-09, 10:01 PM
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Originally Posted by fauxto nick
I'm not going to lie seeing that guy's leg kind of shook me up about bike racing.
lmao. Reminds me of that scene in the first Spiderman where he's watching the guy scream "My Legs! Oh god, I can't Feel my Legs!"

Just guessing, but wouldn't be surprised to learn one of the crashes was the one guy from La Habra. He needs to do a few more coffee shop ettiquite rides before 'upgrading' to the 5's.
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Old 02-15-09, 10:27 PM
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Originally Posted by fauxto nick
I heard the same thing from one of the guys who crashed, supposedly this kid was being really squirrelly and cut everyone off. People supposedly had been yelling at him all race to hold his line, sounds like he caused a lot of people a lot of pain and cost at least one the cost of a bike, I saw one of the bikes, cracked straight through the seat and chain stays. :/
Was the crash on the turn right before the power climb?

If so, then it happened right behind me. It was on the last lap on turn 3--I just exited the corner towards the outside then I heard a loud crash and promptly felt a foreign bike hit my rear tire. A buddy of mine in the race told me he saw a Super Six flying in the air.

Sucks for the broken bike--I hope everyone is fine.
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Old 02-15-09, 10:30 PM
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I hear you on the crashes...witnessed a brutal 35+ crash today that had a few guys riding in the ambulance as I was registering for my FIRST cat 5 race...I definitely had to try real hard not to think about that while waiting for my race.

guy ended up breaking his collar bone, and road rash galore, another guy broke his wrist.

Chad
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Old 02-15-09, 11:05 PM
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Well I stayed near the front of the 3s race but yeah that last lap it got really strung out and I was out of contention by the time we got down into turn 3. Oh well.

What an awesome course. I'm still feeling amp'd. See you guys @ Ontario next week!
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Old 02-15-09, 11:37 PM
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Originally Posted by vladav
lmao. Reminds me of that scene in the first Spiderman where he's watching the guy scream "My Legs! Oh god, I can't Feel my Legs!"

Just guessing, but wouldn't be surprised to learn one of the crashes was the one guy from La Habra. He needs to do a few more coffee shop ettiquite rides before 'upgrading' to the 5's.
I heard that it was a guy from La Habra, didn't personally see the guy.
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Old 02-16-09, 12:09 AM
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Originally Posted by OCshark
Well I stayed near the front of the 3s race but yeah that last lap it got really strung out and I was out of contention by the time we got down into turn 3. Oh well.

What an awesome course. I'm still feeling amp'd. See you guys @ Ontario next week!
Bleh they combined 4/5 for Ontario. I am staying the hell in the front.

UD
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Old 02-16-09, 12:10 AM
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Any word on who won the 3's or 4's? And what's with all the crashes. I don't remember this much carnage in the beginning of last season. My first race is Ontario, so I'm really hoping all these chuckleheads have this crashing crap out of their system now...

EDIT - nevermind, results are already up.
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Old 02-16-09, 12:11 AM
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Originally Posted by UmneyDurak
Bleh they combined 4/5 for Ontario. I am staying the hell in the front.

UD
They always combine the 4's and 5's there.
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Old 02-16-09, 12:15 AM
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Just do what is always done in p/1/2/3 races. Hammer early... no more 3's. Depending on who's hammer, maybe no more 2's either.
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Old 02-16-09, 12:36 AM
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Originally Posted by fauxto nick
Just got home from the Millikan crit in Brea CA, what an awesome course, too bad 9 guys went down in the last two turns of the last lap of the race . The race was fast (only 25 min) and the pack was pretty spastic. Don't know exactly what happened on the outside but 8 riders went down hard, one gashing his shin open bad enough to need stitches. Then in the final sprint another guy just went down randomly in the middle of the road about 20 feet in front of me. I ended up taking 23rd which I'm sure wouldn't have happened if 9 riders hadn't gone down. I hope everyone is ok that went down. I'm not going to lie seeing that guy's leg kind of shook me up about bike racing.
I was that "guy" on the final sprint. As I was gearing up the guy I was passing cut my wheel. we both went down. luckily both of us were fine along with our bikes. the worst damage was my less-than-a-week-old ruined kit. here's the worst of it.

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Old 02-16-09, 12:42 AM
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Originally Posted by semaj
Was the crash on the turn right before the power climb?

If so, then it happened right behind me. It was on the last lap on turn 3--I just exited the corner towards the outside then I heard a loud crash and promptly felt a foreign bike hit my rear tire. A buddy of mine in the race told me he saw a Super Six flying in the air.

Sucks for the broken bike--I hope everyone is fine.
It was right behind you, I was about 6 bikes back from you and it happened next to me. The whole field shifted to the right HARD. I almost went down there everyone was everywhere.
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Old 02-16-09, 12:57 AM
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Originally Posted by captnfantastic
I was that "guy" on the final sprint. As I was gearing up the guy I was passing cut my wheel. we both went down. luckily both of us were fine along with our bikes. the worst damage was my less-than-a-week-old ruined kit. here's the worst of it.

Man I was right behind you, I'm glad you're ok man! I can clearly remember the dude's face who crashed with you it was pretty funny I'm sad to say lol.
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Old 02-16-09, 07:06 AM
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Originally Posted by captnfantastic
I was that "guy" on the final sprint. As I was gearing up the guy I was passing cut my wheel. we both went down. luckily both of us were fine along with our bikes. the worst damage was my less-than-a-week-old ruined kit. here's the worst of it.

Did he catch your front wheel, or the rear?
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Old 02-16-09, 07:59 AM
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Glad to hear none of you were too badly injured. This is one reason to buy many kits. Seasons are long and if you wreck one...
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Old 02-16-09, 08:07 AM
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Originally Posted by fauxto nick
I heard the same thing from one of the guys who crashed, supposedly this kid was being really squirrelly and cut everyone off. People supposedly had been yelling at him all race to hold his line,

Yelling at people like that usually doesn't do much good. You need to make a mental note when you identify people like that, and then stay in front of them. If you find yourself behind them, realize they're prone to do stupid stuff and be ready for it.

Also, purposefully gapping them off isn't a bad thing.
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Old 02-16-09, 10:18 AM
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Glad to hear you guys (and your bikes are ok). We heard about the crash as we were lining up to race.

I did 3 races at RMC yesterday, the 50+, 45+, and 35+. Each race was progressively longer and faster. What I love about the Masters races (vs 4s) is they are fast and safe, even though we had a big field in the 35+ race (Race Announcer said 100 but I don't believe it) . You RARELY see a sketchy move. The speeds really stretch things out and believe it or not keep things safe, and you have to ride smart or else you get popped.

I was looking to build some fitness (not really a crit racer) and racing all out, just sitting on wheels for 2 + hours, is a great way to build early season fitness. That said I didn't want to come away completely empty-handed so I took a flyer early in the 50+ race and took the first prime.

For my efforts I spent the rest of the race just trying to recover, trying to get that acidic/metallic taste out of my mouth that you get when you do a max effort. I was spitting like a cobra at the back for the last 3/4s of the race.

The RMC course is great. Fast, really wide, and safe. I'd go back again to watch the Masters genetic mutants (from the pack of course) battle it out for SoCal supremacy.
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Old 02-16-09, 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
Also, purposefully gapping them off isn't a bad thing.
So that's what they call running him into the curb nowadays.
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Old 02-16-09, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
So that's what they call running him into the curb nowadays.
No, when you're in front of the guy you want to isolate you purposefully let a gap develop between you and the pack. Forces him to chase back on. A few people all do this to the same guy, and he's going to pop off the back. Not unsafe and not illegal.
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Old 02-16-09, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by umd
Glad to hear none of you were too badly injured. This is one reason to buy many kits. Seasons are long and if you wreck one...
Yah... I got one set of bibs and one jersey I haven't even raced in the bibs yet. Next year I'm ordering 2 bibs and 2 erseys.
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