The 2013 Race Results Thread
07-11-13, 07:44 PM
#2127
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Just raced the Driveway 4/5. Felt pretty good today, was in the front going into the last lap, but chased an early attack that I could never catch and blew up. Lesson learned. Pack finish.
07-12-13, 11:34 AM
#2128
ride lots be safe
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Won the local Thursday nighter 3/4 last night. Field sprint. Well, not really a field sprint as it was pretty well lined out the last couple of laps. A couple of teams brought several strong guys, I had no teammies so I just followed their wheels and when their sprinters went I dialed it up to 10^21 gigawatts and unleashed the furry. $25 cash, baby.
Did not celebrate because after my error of a couple weeks ago... just played it cool because I wanted to be sure I actually had won and not missed somebody being otf.
Did not celebrate because after my error of a couple weeks ago... just played it cool because I wanted to be sure I actually had won and not missed somebody being otf.
Last edited by Creakyknees; 07-12-13 at 03:03 PM.
07-13-13, 11:57 PM
#2130
**** that
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Watsonville Crit p/1/2, 35 miles (50 something laps).
6 or 8 turns, residential neighborhood, small hill through the start finish. Small turnout, only 16 in our field. Maybe it was because the prizes & primes seemed to mostly consist of strawberries & blueberries (race sponsored by Cal Giant Berries team)?
I won some berries in a prime at least! On orders from the gf.. lost the race though. Missed the break, chased a bunch, won the prime right after chasing a bunch.
Hit one of the turns (110 degrees) a bit too hard, almost crashed! My rims scraped the outside curb, yikes.. popped into a driveway and then popped back out.. close one.
Form is looking good, but racecraft (making the break) needs some work. Foothills race tomorrow.
6 or 8 turns, residential neighborhood, small hill through the start finish. Small turnout, only 16 in our field. Maybe it was because the prizes & primes seemed to mostly consist of strawberries & blueberries (race sponsored by Cal Giant Berries team)?
I won some berries in a prime at least! On orders from the gf.. lost the race though. Missed the break, chased a bunch, won the prime right after chasing a bunch.
Hit one of the turns (110 degrees) a bit too hard, almost crashed! My rims scraped the outside curb, yikes.. popped into a driveway and then popped back out.. close one.
Form is looking good, but racecraft (making the break) needs some work. Foothills race tomorrow.
07-14-13, 05:37 AM
#2131
Ninny
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Got crushed at the Capital Region RR, 41st out of 87. New worst result ever!
The course suited me, with basically a half hour of power climb repeats for every hour of racing, and I should have done better. On the last, steepest climb of the first lap, I just plain ran out of gas and got dropped by half the field. Rode solo behind the front group for about 5 miles and then got collected by a chase group. The second time through the climbs I was feeling much better and we got within maybe 15 seconds of the front group, even passing the wheel car, but our chase group was fading and like a dummy I figured we'd catch them on the descent, so I stuck with the chasers and didn't try to power my way up to leaders. Of course they ended up putting more time into us on the rest of the climbs.
Looking at the numbers I should not have gotten dropped where I did. My power just disappeared halfway up the last climb, not a mental surrender but a physical one, I could barely turn the pedals over. I know what I'm capable of and I should have been able to do that climb 20 seconds faster, even after a half hour of repeats. I would feel better if I had something concrete to blame it on, some specific error or physical ailment, but I guess it was just a bad day in the saddle.
I decided to do this race at the last minute but I will be targeting it next year, the course is very challenging and draws a strong field.
2013 results: 3, 5, 2, 10, 22, 5, 3, 1, 8, 41.
The course suited me, with basically a half hour of power climb repeats for every hour of racing, and I should have done better. On the last, steepest climb of the first lap, I just plain ran out of gas and got dropped by half the field. Rode solo behind the front group for about 5 miles and then got collected by a chase group. The second time through the climbs I was feeling much better and we got within maybe 15 seconds of the front group, even passing the wheel car, but our chase group was fading and like a dummy I figured we'd catch them on the descent, so I stuck with the chasers and didn't try to power my way up to leaders. Of course they ended up putting more time into us on the rest of the climbs.
Looking at the numbers I should not have gotten dropped where I did. My power just disappeared halfway up the last climb, not a mental surrender but a physical one, I could barely turn the pedals over. I know what I'm capable of and I should have been able to do that climb 20 seconds faster, even after a half hour of repeats. I would feel better if I had something concrete to blame it on, some specific error or physical ailment, but I guess it was just a bad day in the saddle.
I decided to do this race at the last minute but I will be targeting it next year, the course is very challenging and draws a strong field.
2013 results: 3, 5, 2, 10, 22, 5, 3, 1, 8, 41.
07-14-13, 06:33 AM
#2132
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Likewise. I was expecting more from myself, I'd been feeling pretty good lately and thought I would at least being able to hang with the pack for the first lap, but I got dropped on Tracy. I worked a long, hard, hot day lugging heavy camera gear around shooting a wedding Friday, but I don't think that explains it all. Oh well, live and learn and all that.
07-14-13, 06:52 AM
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gmt
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Don't feel too bad. I got dropped while averaging 5.5 w/ kg on Whitbeck. A few spots further up at the corner might have meant holding on. Maybe.
07-14-13, 09:26 AM
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Watsonville Crit p/1/2, 35 miles (50 something laps).
6 or 8 turns, residential neighborhood, small hill through the start finish. Small turnout, only 16 in our field. Maybe it was because the prizes & primes seemed to mostly consist of strawberries & blueberries (race sponsored by Cal Giant Berries team)?
I won some berries in a prime at least! On orders from the gf.. lost the race though. Missed the break, chased a bunch, won the prime right after chasing a bunch.
Hit one of the turns (110 degrees) a bit too hard, almost crashed! My rims scraped the outside curb, yikes.. popped into a driveway and then popped back out.. close one.
Form is looking good, but racecraft (making the break) needs some work. Foothills race tomorrow.
6 or 8 turns, residential neighborhood, small hill through the start finish. Small turnout, only 16 in our field. Maybe it was because the prizes & primes seemed to mostly consist of strawberries & blueberries (race sponsored by Cal Giant Berries team)?
I won some berries in a prime at least! On orders from the gf.. lost the race though. Missed the break, chased a bunch, won the prime right after chasing a bunch.
Hit one of the turns (110 degrees) a bit too hard, almost crashed! My rims scraped the outside curb, yikes.. popped into a driveway and then popped back out.. close one.
Form is looking good, but racecraft (making the break) needs some work. Foothills race tomorrow.
07-14-13, 12:33 PM
#2135
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State Senior Crit Champs, SW4, 2nd/22
Nice course, wide with good pavement, L-shaped, flat. Pretty uneventful, there were a few early attacks that didn't stick (one of them was me), then 2 gals who were the top 2 threats got away together. Luckily rather than working together, one of them pulled the whole time, so my team mate and I and a few others were able to reel them back in, in a few laps. Then the bunch stayed together the rest of the race, I fought for position starting at about 4 to go, was about 5th wheel going thru the last turn (wanted to be closer to the front), we sprinted, I passed someone right before the line to get 2nd by about half a wheel.
Nice course, wide with good pavement, L-shaped, flat. Pretty uneventful, there were a few early attacks that didn't stick (one of them was me), then 2 gals who were the top 2 threats got away together. Luckily rather than working together, one of them pulled the whole time, so my team mate and I and a few others were able to reel them back in, in a few laps. Then the bunch stayed together the rest of the race, I fought for position starting at about 4 to go, was about 5th wheel going thru the last turn (wanted to be closer to the front), we sprinted, I passed someone right before the line to get 2nd by about half a wheel.
07-14-13, 01:28 PM
#2138
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Wells Ave. A, around 10th or so, hard to tell, and it doesn't matter as it's a training race. With Naugatuck cancelled, I wanted to race my cajones off to try and get my confidence back, which has been lacking of late. This was definitely an improvement. Lots of pros and Cat1's in the field. They went at the gun. On lap 3 I kiloed to catch them within a lap. After recovering I started taking pulls, which were in the 29-30mph range. That's too fast for me. I skipped pulls and worked when I could but I still got yelled at by some whippersnapper. One guy tried to gap me off several times unsuccessfully. That is not how you get someone on the edge to work when they are no threat to you in the sprint. We stayed out for 15 laps until they just didn't want to work any more. I rested for a bit, went with another short lived break, rolled OTF after a prime with 5 to go hoping to get something going, but was reeled in. On the last lap I ended up third wheel, which for this field was way too far up front, so I followed the two leadout guys and just pulled as hard as I could to the line, staying out of the way of the sprint.
Nice to see you bostongarden and dnuzzomeuller. Nutso, thanks for your help getting me to the front but all we were doing was pulling the field around so I sat up.
Nice to see you bostongarden and dnuzzomeuller. Nutso, thanks for your help getting me to the front but all we were doing was pulling the field around so I sat up.
07-14-13, 02:06 PM
#2139
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Foothill Circuit Race, cat4, 22/50
I was able to squeeze in ~15 minutes of warm up in the surrounding hills. Would have been more but they put the registration tent about a mile from the parking lot.
The course is a pretty basic loop with 1 real hill and two smaller kickers (one leading to the finish). Super fun and right up my ally with a fast descent and a hill that's just long enough to make people hurt, but doable in the big ring.
TL;DR 22/50, lots of gas left over, did pretty **** in positioning myself for better results but at least the legs feel great.
Long version:
Took the first few laps to get a read on the bunch; legs feeling great. Everyone seemed pretty evenly matched, lots of strong riders, and for the most part very smooth racing.
I found myself descending WAY faster than 99% of the bunch and had to hit the brakes hard at the bottom of the back descent if I wasn't toward the front. I started just going around the outside (in the wind) and still passing people. No clue what was going on there but it made it so I would frequently find myself at or near the front for the start of the climb to the finish. I took a one lap flyer after one such 'finding myself at the front' but it wasn't enough to cause a gap (though it did string out the field for a bit).
Seeing that it wasn't doing anything, I sat up a let others come around. That was probably the most exciting part of the race for me. This is my first race back in months and it showed. Things I sucked at and will focus on for San Rafael:
-Positioning and holding wheels. I did really poorly at surfing and frequently found myself towards the back of the bunch
-Wind management. I spent a lot of time in the wind trying to make up places and move up. Need to work on finding the gaps and moving up in the middle of the pack, rather than the outsides
-Commit. I should have went harder when I was at the front and tried to get a gap going.
-Shrink my sphere. Again, spend more time in the bunch and hold wheels/work on surfing. Too much braking.
I found myself in awful position on the second to last and bell lap and couldn't make up more than about 10 wheels on the final climb. I ended up finishing the race still feeling relatively fresh. Bummer. Hoping to do much better at San Rafael.
I was able to squeeze in ~15 minutes of warm up in the surrounding hills. Would have been more but they put the registration tent about a mile from the parking lot.
The course is a pretty basic loop with 1 real hill and two smaller kickers (one leading to the finish). Super fun and right up my ally with a fast descent and a hill that's just long enough to make people hurt, but doable in the big ring.
TL;DR 22/50, lots of gas left over, did pretty **** in positioning myself for better results but at least the legs feel great.
Long version:
Took the first few laps to get a read on the bunch; legs feeling great. Everyone seemed pretty evenly matched, lots of strong riders, and for the most part very smooth racing.
I found myself descending WAY faster than 99% of the bunch and had to hit the brakes hard at the bottom of the back descent if I wasn't toward the front. I started just going around the outside (in the wind) and still passing people. No clue what was going on there but it made it so I would frequently find myself at or near the front for the start of the climb to the finish. I took a one lap flyer after one such 'finding myself at the front' but it wasn't enough to cause a gap (though it did string out the field for a bit).
Seeing that it wasn't doing anything, I sat up a let others come around. That was probably the most exciting part of the race for me. This is my first race back in months and it showed. Things I sucked at and will focus on for San Rafael:
-Positioning and holding wheels. I did really poorly at surfing and frequently found myself towards the back of the bunch
-Wind management. I spent a lot of time in the wind trying to make up places and move up. Need to work on finding the gaps and moving up in the middle of the pack, rather than the outsides
-Commit. I should have went harder when I was at the front and tried to get a gap going.
-Shrink my sphere. Again, spend more time in the bunch and hold wheels/work on surfing. Too much braking.
I found myself in awful position on the second to last and bell lap and couldn't make up more than about 10 wheels on the final climb. I ended up finishing the race still feeling relatively fresh. Bummer. Hoping to do much better at San Rafael.
Last edited by Jandro; 07-15-13 at 12:20 AM. Reason: much better race report
07-14-13, 02:31 PM
#2140
RacingBear
Watsonville crit. CAT4/5. Super small field of 15. Lost position on final couple of laps, dejavu!, some guy gapped so had to chase the pack. Finished 7th. Legs were hurting.
Foothill CAT4. Stayed near the front. Race was fast. Legs felt good, then on final climb they just blew up. Not sure what happened. Field punched it and I couldn't keep up. Did way worse then last year. Going to recover next week then Berkeley Crit.
Foothill CAT4. Stayed near the front. Race was fast. Legs felt good, then on final climb they just blew up. Not sure what happened. Field punched it and I couldn't keep up. Did way worse then last year. Going to recover next week then Berkeley Crit.
07-14-13, 03:27 PM
#2141
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Watsonville crit. CAT4/5. Super small field of 15. Lost position on final couple of laps, dejavu!, some guy gapped so had to chase the pack. Finished 7th. Legs were hurting.
Foothill CAT4. Stayed near the front. Race was fast. Legs felt good, then on final climb they just blew up. Not sure what happened. Field punched it and I couldn't keep up. Did way worse then last year. Going to recover next week then Berkeley Crit.
Foothill CAT4. Stayed near the front. Race was fast. Legs felt good, then on final climb they just blew up. Not sure what happened. Field punched it and I couldn't keep up. Did way worse then last year. Going to recover next week then Berkeley Crit.
Good race today. Super fun course.
07-14-13, 03:35 PM
#2142
RacingBear
07-14-13, 07:10 PM
#2143
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07-14-13, 10:03 PM
#2144
**** that
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Another Foothill circuit race report, p/1/2.
15th out of 40-something, bleh. Legs feel great though!
No real big dogs were there, just a few medium-size ones and this no-name cat 2. Sat in for a while, to get a feel for the course - I like it! Went with a move about 30 mins in, didn't pan out. Sat in the rest of the time, just working on position and marking the Cal-Giant guy that won yesterday. Of course, everyone else was marking him too..
Was in top 10 at the start of the last lap, but then got cut off on the first climb and lost about 10 spots there.. on the final uphill sprint I was moving up the outside but kind of boxed in, and some guys spoke broke next to me which made me kind of brace for a crash since it sounded bad.. I blame him for my bleh finish!!
15th out of 40-something, bleh. Legs feel great though!
No real big dogs were there, just a few medium-size ones and this no-name cat 2. Sat in for a while, to get a feel for the course - I like it! Went with a move about 30 mins in, didn't pan out. Sat in the rest of the time, just working on position and marking the Cal-Giant guy that won yesterday. Of course, everyone else was marking him too..
Was in top 10 at the start of the last lap, but then got cut off on the first climb and lost about 10 spots there.. on the final uphill sprint I was moving up the outside but kind of boxed in, and some guys spoke broke next to me which made me kind of brace for a crash since it sounded bad.. I blame him for my bleh finish!!
07-14-13, 11:27 PM
#2145
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Another Foothill circuit race report, p/1/2.
15th out of 40-something, bleh. Legs feel great though!
No real big dogs were there, just a few medium-size ones and this no-name cat 2. Sat in for a while, to get a feel for the course - I like it! Went with a move about 30 mins in, didn't pan out. Sat in the rest of the time, just working on position and marking the Cal-Giant guy that won yesterday. Of course, everyone else was marking him too..
Was in top 10 at the start of the last lap, but then got cut off on the first climb and lost about 10 spots there.. on the final uphill sprint I was moving up the outside but kind of boxed in, and some guys spoke broke next to me which made me kind of brace for a crash since it sounded bad.. I blame him for my bleh finish!!
15th out of 40-something, bleh. Legs feel great though!
No real big dogs were there, just a few medium-size ones and this no-name cat 2. Sat in for a while, to get a feel for the course - I like it! Went with a move about 30 mins in, didn't pan out. Sat in the rest of the time, just working on position and marking the Cal-Giant guy that won yesterday. Of course, everyone else was marking him too..
Was in top 10 at the start of the last lap, but then got cut off on the first climb and lost about 10 spots there.. on the final uphill sprint I was moving up the outside but kind of boxed in, and some guys spoke broke next to me which made me kind of brace for a crash since it sounded bad.. I blame him for my bleh finish!!
I think this was my favorite course so far this year.
07-15-13, 12:20 AM
#2146
RacingBear
First few laps, and last couple. Unfortunately my camera died so didn't capture last one. 
Definitely needed to be comfortable riding in close quaters in this one. Still can't believe I went from top ten last year to mid pack this year. Bleh. I have more then enough top tens, maybe I should upgrade on that and become CAT3 pack fodder. lol.
.be
Definitely needed to be comfortable riding in close quaters in this one. Still can't believe I went from top ten last year to mid pack this year. Bleh. I have more then enough top tens, maybe I should upgrade on that and become CAT3 pack fodder. lol.Last edited by UmneyDurak; 07-15-13 at 12:24 AM.
07-15-13, 06:49 AM
#2147
a runner no more
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Saucon Valley Circuit Race - M45+ and M35+
Nice local race - 2.5 mile circuit, one hour for each race (worked out to 10 laps for M45+, 9 for M35+). Short but steep (barely big-ring) climb toward the end of the lap was the primary feature. It hurt a little more every time up.
M45+ - I had three strong team mates, which set our team up to do well. All of the moves involved one of us. I got off the front with a strong masters racer for a lap or two early on, but I'm afraid I wasn't enough of an asset to make it stick. That effort limited how much I could do rest of the race, though. After we got caught, my strongest team mate went off the front for a couple laps, and when he got caught, another one instigated the winning move. Three strong teams represented in that threesome, so blocking was pretty efficient. Our guy went for the win; I rolled in with the pack.
M35+ - immediately followed M45+, and at least half the field was doubling up, which probably explains the slightly slower overall pace. All of my team mates started, but two dropped out early, so there wasn't as much teamwork opportunity - not that I had much left for that, anyway. About half-way through, one strong racer shoots by me as I'm near the front of the pack on the climb. Another racer shouts to me "this is the one guy your team can't let go" but it was too late. I chased for a half lap but the gap only got bigger, so I dropped myself back into the pack. The guy went on to win solo. And the pack started falling apart, breaking up into smaller groups, and shedding more riders off the back. I cringed when I expected to hear the bell and instead saw two to go. At that point, avoiding DNF was about the highest goal I had in the reace. I barely escaped finishing DFL, but I made it. The ride back home was one of my more painful riding experiences.
Nice local race - 2.5 mile circuit, one hour for each race (worked out to 10 laps for M45+, 9 for M35+). Short but steep (barely big-ring) climb toward the end of the lap was the primary feature. It hurt a little more every time up.
M45+ - I had three strong team mates, which set our team up to do well. All of the moves involved one of us. I got off the front with a strong masters racer for a lap or two early on, but I'm afraid I wasn't enough of an asset to make it stick. That effort limited how much I could do rest of the race, though. After we got caught, my strongest team mate went off the front for a couple laps, and when he got caught, another one instigated the winning move. Three strong teams represented in that threesome, so blocking was pretty efficient. Our guy went for the win; I rolled in with the pack.
M35+ - immediately followed M45+, and at least half the field was doubling up, which probably explains the slightly slower overall pace. All of my team mates started, but two dropped out early, so there wasn't as much teamwork opportunity - not that I had much left for that, anyway. About half-way through, one strong racer shoots by me as I'm near the front of the pack on the climb. Another racer shouts to me "this is the one guy your team can't let go" but it was too late. I chased for a half lap but the gap only got bigger, so I dropped myself back into the pack. The guy went on to win solo. And the pack started falling apart, breaking up into smaller groups, and shedding more riders off the back. I cringed when I expected to hear the bell and instead saw two to go. At that point, avoiding DNF was about the highest goal I had in the reace. I barely escaped finishing DFL, but I made it. The ride back home was one of my more painful riding experiences.
07-15-13, 07:26 AM
#2148
You blink and it's gone.
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First Masters race in the US complete... Michigan State Road Race Champs...
Not much to report in the sense that not much happened in the race. I was a bit apprehensive going into this race since I've never raced a straight Masters field in the US and usually struggle in the Cat4's. At home I'm in the Master3 field (we use ability based fields) and I'm working like a dog to hold on.
The pace of this race was quite pedestrian at times, which really surprised me, and I was never in any real trouble. I even got my nose into the wind at the front end of the pack for a bit. I was there with 3 other members of my team and didn't factor into the team tactics since normally these guys race Master1 at home and my goal was to hang on, which I did.
I did notice the difference with the pack, compared with the Cat4 field, in that this ran much smoother and a lot less sketch moves going on and when the gas was on man was it on. Those were actually the best part of the race, when the pack was stretched out and everyone was working to maintain position and get out of the wind. The rest felt like a Sunday group ride...Odd, considering it was the state champs...
In a couple weeks I'll be doing Provincials at home and the Master 40-49 race will not be like that... It will involve a world of hurt!
Not much to report in the sense that not much happened in the race. I was a bit apprehensive going into this race since I've never raced a straight Masters field in the US and usually struggle in the Cat4's. At home I'm in the Master3 field (we use ability based fields) and I'm working like a dog to hold on.
The pace of this race was quite pedestrian at times, which really surprised me, and I was never in any real trouble. I even got my nose into the wind at the front end of the pack for a bit. I was there with 3 other members of my team and didn't factor into the team tactics since normally these guys race Master1 at home and my goal was to hang on, which I did.
I did notice the difference with the pack, compared with the Cat4 field, in that this ran much smoother and a lot less sketch moves going on and when the gas was on man was it on. Those were actually the best part of the race, when the pack was stretched out and everyone was working to maintain position and get out of the wind. The rest felt like a Sunday group ride...Odd, considering it was the state champs...
In a couple weeks I'll be doing Provincials at home and the Master 40-49 race will not be like that... It will involve a world of hurt!
07-15-13, 07:34 PM
#2150
ride lots be safe
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Double Barrel Crit weekend. Two days of laps around Tom Kimbrough Stadium in Murphy, TX. Clean smooth white concrete all the way around the rectangular parking lots. 4 turns, 2 have narrowish entries to wide exits and 2 vice versa. A bit of elevation change, maybe 15 ft from the s/f to the bottom of the course. Open to the wind on all sides.
https://www.txbra.org/db/events/2013D...dSaturday3.pdf
It's a first-time weekend on this course, local club Dallas Racing put it together. Low key grassroots racing. I pre-reg'd for the cat 3 and the 40+, each listed as 40 minute races with a couple of other races between.
Saturday - 11 am cat 3. Peak solar index. Clear blue Texas sky with the sun just scorching down. My SRM recorded 96F. It felt hotter. 9 riders showed up, we all lined up well back from the start/finish line, instead choosing to stand in the shade of the inflatable banner. I had an ice block in my jersey pocket and a sock full of ice tucked under the back neck of my jersey. One bottle with top secret go-go juice, the other with mostly ice topped with water. Wind was blowing but not too bad, maybe 10/15 mph from the SE, making a clean diagonal across the course. In hot racing it's usually very tactical racing, as nobody can really put out a full-blast effort, the CNS just shuts down. If you've been in the heat you're nodding now. I got in an early two-up move with a strong rider buddy on another team, we were working hard and starting to make progress when I looked at my clock and realized we have 30 more minutes of this. Ooof. I think he realized that about the same time as me and we both eased our pulls slightly. So... back we went. The field stayed together till the bell, one guy jumped hard and I covered - had a teammie who can sprint better than me along. I blew up, he finished 2nd. Not so bad.
2 hour break in the shade of the team cabana. See instructions here: https://pvcycling.wordpress.com/2013/...o-a-bike-race/
2pm - Master 40+ and 50+ - two prize lists, field combined. 29 starters, biggest field of the day, good mix of the local usual suspects. We brought 6 guys, a few other teams brought 4-6. SRM recorded 111.9F. Wind about the same. I don't remember much about this race, I think as sort of the body's way of protecting the mind from intense pain. I remember it was, again, tactical, lots of "let the wheel go" BS. Hate that ****. Race, mf'ers. Anyway, we know how to play that game too, so, we quickly put one of our teammies - a very fast dude - in the early move. Tactical situation was perfect, all the big teams represented, let's let 'em go. Ah well, some of the other teams didn't like the configuration of the move I guess, so they brought it back. Next round of gap-leaving silliness shuffled 8 guys up across a very quickly developing gap: 1 each from the right teams including ours, but, 4 from one team. I did not like those odds. That's where my memory gets hazy. I recall seeing the gap from a bad position too far back in the single-file line as we hauled ass around the course, then just jumping full gas and making a "there is no try" effort to get across the gap. Maybe a 10-15 sec gap? Hazy, as I said. About half a lap later I made the back end of the lead group, hyperventilating, seeing stars, etc. That was the split that came to the finish together. Recall: 2:15 pm full sun, 111F. I never really recovered from that effort, was able to tailgun that group for 9th place. They paid 6. Foof. Racing in the heat. Nevertheless, I felt good about being able to jump on the back of a fast moving train that had just left the station.
Sunday: overnight, DFW finally received that same rain system that's been drowning the Eastern US for the past weeks. I awoke to the sound of gentle rain and forecasted high temp of 73F, same conditions all day. I was ecstatic, could not wait to get on the course.
Disappointed at the drizzly 11 am start of the cat 3's to see only 5 riders. Including me. <sigh> Listen guys, this is a clean white concrete parking lot, you'll be fine in the rain. Besides, it feels great after the heat, like a constant air conditioned splash zone. Anyway. Start the race, right handers instead of left handers (Saturday) I wanted to be first into the downhill wide-to-narrow turn 2, today with a bit of tailwind as the wind had switched to blowing from the NW. Diagonally across the course, again. So I started fast, railed turn 2, sprinted down the tailwind backstraight, railed turn 3 (avoid the manhole cover and paint stripes but plenty of room on the exit), drill it up the wide open headwind uphill drag, look under the elbow and sure enough, 2 guys on my wheel, 2 severely gapped and chasing hard. The race was paying 3 guys, which was generous I thought. So I drilled it into the s/f to complete lap 1 then waggled the elbow and the other 2 guys instantly started working. We took turns with the 3 primes offered, I won a nice big tube of crotch grease. Came into the sprint, I passed one but the younger guy got me. 2nd place. I'll take it.
It was still drizzly all day of course. We set up tents but there were not many spectators out socializing. Some pix of the W-Open race I snapped while rolling around warming up for the Masters race:
I drove to Starbucks to spend some of my prize money on coffee and snacks.
2 pm, Masters 40+ and 50+ combined, separate prize lists. Again, commendations to Dallas Racing for awarding real prize lists even with the weak turnout. I didn't get the exact starter count, maybe 15-20? Not a huge field. Many of the same guys from yesterday. A couple of legit cat 1 types which everybody marked, then a smattering of 2's and the rest of us 3's, I think maybe a couple of 4's not sure. Racing was safe in the rain, guys were not trying to win the race in the turns and there was none of the inside-diving bs that would make it dangerous. There was enough wind to line us single file on the curb when the pressure was on. Lots of attacks as always, finally one of the two cat 1's jumped and nobody went after him. I guess were all getting tired, heck it was my 4th race in two days and I was feeling the legs.
Somewhere along in here, my electronic shifting started malfunctioning. I'm not sure why yet... I had been running some non-warranty mods and I think the contacts just got wet. Anyway, I couldn't rely on the shifting... if I hit it wrong it'd go all the way across the cassette. Or, not shift at all. Meanwhile, as I'm discovering this the attacks continue and I'm getting tailed off. Messing with my gears, look up say "oh ****!" sprint, get back on... try to shift (not thinking too clearly, I admit)... and repeat. Finally I wised up enough to decide to just set it in the middle of the cassette and leave it alone. About that time, we see 5 to go and the man rings the bell for a prime. A rider jumps and nobody goes after him... in fact everyone is sitting up.
Here I am muscling this too-big gear around, coming into the back of the group having just chased on again, so I just jumped hard and went around everyone. Kinda decided on the spur of the moment... maybe I'll catch that guy for the prime... nope, not gonna catch him but hey it's 4 to go and I'm hosed anyway for any sprint, so I decided to just drill it. Tactical situation behind me was perfect, each of the big 3 teams had a man solo otf. Those ~ 8 minutes were some of the best riding I've done all year. With the cool rain I could develop full power and breathe hard for the first time in months. It was sweetness, one of those so-rare "this is how it's supposed to be" moments. I was totally committed. Friends were cheering and giving me time splits (which I couldn't hear but still it was nice). The gap behind me got to more than one straight, and I kept going. Snot strings dangling from my chin, water spraying off my chainrings, the sound of the wind and my breathing and the spray. Finally, the bell, still nobody behind me in sight. Get to the far end of the course, yep there they are, closing rapidly. I can't go any faster but I try to anyway. Last turn, I've got it, power halfway up the straight then ... relax. 3rd in the race, 2nd in the 40+. Cooling down, I was rewarded with one of the best endorphin rushes I've ever experienced. A state of zenful bliss. And $50.
https://www.txbra.org/db/events/2013D...dSaturday3.pdf
It's a first-time weekend on this course, local club Dallas Racing put it together. Low key grassroots racing. I pre-reg'd for the cat 3 and the 40+, each listed as 40 minute races with a couple of other races between.
Saturday - 11 am cat 3. Peak solar index. Clear blue Texas sky with the sun just scorching down. My SRM recorded 96F. It felt hotter. 9 riders showed up, we all lined up well back from the start/finish line, instead choosing to stand in the shade of the inflatable banner. I had an ice block in my jersey pocket and a sock full of ice tucked under the back neck of my jersey. One bottle with top secret go-go juice, the other with mostly ice topped with water. Wind was blowing but not too bad, maybe 10/15 mph from the SE, making a clean diagonal across the course. In hot racing it's usually very tactical racing, as nobody can really put out a full-blast effort, the CNS just shuts down. If you've been in the heat you're nodding now. I got in an early two-up move with a strong rider buddy on another team, we were working hard and starting to make progress when I looked at my clock and realized we have 30 more minutes of this. Ooof. I think he realized that about the same time as me and we both eased our pulls slightly. So... back we went. The field stayed together till the bell, one guy jumped hard and I covered - had a teammie who can sprint better than me along. I blew up, he finished 2nd. Not so bad.
2 hour break in the shade of the team cabana. See instructions here: https://pvcycling.wordpress.com/2013/...o-a-bike-race/
2pm - Master 40+ and 50+ - two prize lists, field combined. 29 starters, biggest field of the day, good mix of the local usual suspects. We brought 6 guys, a few other teams brought 4-6. SRM recorded 111.9F. Wind about the same. I don't remember much about this race, I think as sort of the body's way of protecting the mind from intense pain. I remember it was, again, tactical, lots of "let the wheel go" BS. Hate that ****. Race, mf'ers. Anyway, we know how to play that game too, so, we quickly put one of our teammies - a very fast dude - in the early move. Tactical situation was perfect, all the big teams represented, let's let 'em go. Ah well, some of the other teams didn't like the configuration of the move I guess, so they brought it back. Next round of gap-leaving silliness shuffled 8 guys up across a very quickly developing gap: 1 each from the right teams including ours, but, 4 from one team. I did not like those odds. That's where my memory gets hazy. I recall seeing the gap from a bad position too far back in the single-file line as we hauled ass around the course, then just jumping full gas and making a "there is no try" effort to get across the gap. Maybe a 10-15 sec gap? Hazy, as I said. About half a lap later I made the back end of the lead group, hyperventilating, seeing stars, etc. That was the split that came to the finish together. Recall: 2:15 pm full sun, 111F. I never really recovered from that effort, was able to tailgun that group for 9th place. They paid 6. Foof. Racing in the heat. Nevertheless, I felt good about being able to jump on the back of a fast moving train that had just left the station.
Sunday: overnight, DFW finally received that same rain system that's been drowning the Eastern US for the past weeks. I awoke to the sound of gentle rain and forecasted high temp of 73F, same conditions all day. I was ecstatic, could not wait to get on the course.
Disappointed at the drizzly 11 am start of the cat 3's to see only 5 riders. Including me. <sigh> Listen guys, this is a clean white concrete parking lot, you'll be fine in the rain. Besides, it feels great after the heat, like a constant air conditioned splash zone. Anyway. Start the race, right handers instead of left handers (Saturday) I wanted to be first into the downhill wide-to-narrow turn 2, today with a bit of tailwind as the wind had switched to blowing from the NW. Diagonally across the course, again. So I started fast, railed turn 2, sprinted down the tailwind backstraight, railed turn 3 (avoid the manhole cover and paint stripes but plenty of room on the exit), drill it up the wide open headwind uphill drag, look under the elbow and sure enough, 2 guys on my wheel, 2 severely gapped and chasing hard. The race was paying 3 guys, which was generous I thought. So I drilled it into the s/f to complete lap 1 then waggled the elbow and the other 2 guys instantly started working. We took turns with the 3 primes offered, I won a nice big tube of crotch grease. Came into the sprint, I passed one but the younger guy got me. 2nd place. I'll take it.
It was still drizzly all day of course. We set up tents but there were not many spectators out socializing. Some pix of the W-Open race I snapped while rolling around warming up for the Masters race:
I drove to Starbucks to spend some of my prize money on coffee and snacks.
2 pm, Masters 40+ and 50+ combined, separate prize lists. Again, commendations to Dallas Racing for awarding real prize lists even with the weak turnout. I didn't get the exact starter count, maybe 15-20? Not a huge field. Many of the same guys from yesterday. A couple of legit cat 1 types which everybody marked, then a smattering of 2's and the rest of us 3's, I think maybe a couple of 4's not sure. Racing was safe in the rain, guys were not trying to win the race in the turns and there was none of the inside-diving bs that would make it dangerous. There was enough wind to line us single file on the curb when the pressure was on. Lots of attacks as always, finally one of the two cat 1's jumped and nobody went after him. I guess were all getting tired, heck it was my 4th race in two days and I was feeling the legs.
Somewhere along in here, my electronic shifting started malfunctioning. I'm not sure why yet... I had been running some non-warranty mods and I think the contacts just got wet. Anyway, I couldn't rely on the shifting... if I hit it wrong it'd go all the way across the cassette. Or, not shift at all. Meanwhile, as I'm discovering this the attacks continue and I'm getting tailed off. Messing with my gears, look up say "oh ****!" sprint, get back on... try to shift (not thinking too clearly, I admit)... and repeat. Finally I wised up enough to decide to just set it in the middle of the cassette and leave it alone. About that time, we see 5 to go and the man rings the bell for a prime. A rider jumps and nobody goes after him... in fact everyone is sitting up.
Here I am muscling this too-big gear around, coming into the back of the group having just chased on again, so I just jumped hard and went around everyone. Kinda decided on the spur of the moment... maybe I'll catch that guy for the prime... nope, not gonna catch him but hey it's 4 to go and I'm hosed anyway for any sprint, so I decided to just drill it. Tactical situation behind me was perfect, each of the big 3 teams had a man solo otf. Those ~ 8 minutes were some of the best riding I've done all year. With the cool rain I could develop full power and breathe hard for the first time in months. It was sweetness, one of those so-rare "this is how it's supposed to be" moments. I was totally committed. Friends were cheering and giving me time splits (which I couldn't hear but still it was nice). The gap behind me got to more than one straight, and I kept going. Snot strings dangling from my chin, water spraying off my chainrings, the sound of the wind and my breathing and the spray. Finally, the bell, still nobody behind me in sight. Get to the far end of the course, yep there they are, closing rapidly. I can't go any faster but I try to anyway. Last turn, I've got it, power halfway up the straight then ... relax. 3rd in the race, 2nd in the 40+. Cooling down, I was rewarded with one of the best endorphin rushes I've ever experienced. A state of zenful bliss. And $50.