hack

a lot of sprint coast sprint coast sprint yelling more yelling then more sprint coast sprint coast

Ygduf

sounds like date night!

carpediemracing 

My crank/bb, with its current 3-5w reading while the cassette is still freewheeling, would have wiped you out. The original install, which would run about 6w at normal rpms, really would have been bad.

Nice job on the race. To race with the new understanding of fragility is very tough, and you had it tougher than most.

I'd ask you to fill in some details but, well, you know, there's some kind of character limit on these posts

carpediemracing 

I never made it to the crit in a normal stage race (TT-RR-Crit). I always got eliminated in the RR. I'd typically place in the last 5-10 in the TT.

I don't know why promoters don't put the crit first. Yes, I understand that it doesn't favor the climbers, but there's a reason the Tour doesn't start in the Pyrenees or the Alps. They do the first bit on flatter roads so that the guys that won't make it through the mountains have a reason to attend. If there was a stage race that started with a crit on favorable-to-me terrain I'd be all over it, even if the RR had 10k feet of climbing and the TT was up the side of Mount Washington. However since I realistically will never make it through a 55-65 mi RR within 30-40-50 minutes of the leaders I'll never make it to the crit stage so I don't bother entering any stage races.

btw the stage races I did were a lot of fun socially. Racing-wise it was just a waste.

revchuck 

tetonrider - Welcome back! And I see you got your shift key fixed.

valygrl

Nice job getting that race under your belt, teton, and staying safe. Love your instrospective write ups. I bet you will get your head back in the game, that takes time to heal, just like the body.

mattm

the crit is the reward for surviving that long!!

the only reason i do stage races is because the crits are usually big and fun. well the main reason anyway, not being a gc guy.

beatlebee 

great job teton!

thechemist

Really enjoyed the read @tetonrider. Sounds like you have a very solid outlook! It is very easy to see how far we have to go without realizing how much we have already obtained!

shovelhd

Perspective can be very tough to find in this sport. Nice write up Teton.

Hermes

Tetron...

Hermes

Possible...however the videos with embedded annotation were conspicuous by their absence.

AzTallRider

Great report and spectacular effort after all you've been through, Teton. Your determination in bouncing back quickly is truly inspiring; was actually just comparing the differences in our comebacks with TallWife. And it took me a long time to truly get my "crit-mojo" back and stop that wanting to back off in a tight spot, or hesitating to slot in where I should. Finally got there.

waterrockets 

Nice Teton.

robbyville

Teton, awesome write up, thanks for reminding me what the excitement is all about, in fact it helped me a little at today's Shenandoah TT.

I started my first season racing at 45 this year, was really enjoying myself this past Spring and enjoying the workouts to get stronger. Unfortunately this crazy work thing has very much gotten in the way this summer (unusual for me, normally I'm at my busiest during ski season), and my training has suffered greatly. I'd say my FTP has actually gotten lower this past month and a half.

Today I was finally able to make it to one of my races, my first since May. Intended to be a 40km TT but due to safety reasons the organizers cut it down to around 34km. Course had a lot of ups and downs with a long false flat at around 2%. I had what I thought was a decent strategy to maintain steady power until my meter decided to punk out on me, figured I'd go by heart rate, then decided that at 34km, I should pretty much just go as hard as I could (I mean, this is an Eddy Merckx race, most of us are cat 5's, so c'mon). I felt like I was going about as hard as I could, pretty hot day, and finished strong. In fact I felt so good at the end that I now think I probably didn't go hard enough overall ah well.

Ended up 22nd out of 26 avg spd of 20mph which for me is ok, but all of this did serve to help me remember why I wanted to pick up racing, I'm renewed!

hack

So, San Rafael Twilight E3, does DNP really count?

Totally shelled. Hadn't seen the course before and it worked me over. Short rectangle with a punchy climb into a light descent then a quick drop and back to a false flat. Not bad if you're in good position, but a total chase fest if you're not. I was not, started to fall off the back, lost a contact lens, lost the spirit, and got yanked.

Re: the contact lens. I've lost 3 in the past two weeks!!! Wtf?!?? I changed sunglasses about 2 months ago (from Oakley radars to Smith Pivlok), can that make that much of a difference?? Regardless it's frustrating as all hell.

Moyene Corniche

Somewhat echo's my feelings of wanting (wishing ) for the old Killington Stage Race Format to return. ( 5 days )
(1) Uphill TT to the base lodge
(2) Circuit Race
(3) Brandon Gap RR
(4) Rutland Crit
(5) Final RR with final climb to the finish same as the TT, just to remind yourself what fun this last section really is.

Somewhere I have a few race bibles tucked away from 97-87. I should look them up to remind myself of the daily notes I jotted down.
I do clearly recall that 97 or 96 KSR was my worst ever race in any format. (1) Mechanical in the TT (2) stressed over the day before prior to stage II Circuit race, only to realize I had left all water bottles at the lodge. Bought Gatorade which made me sick into the 2nd lap. OTB, chased, got taken down by 1 guy bridging to me as he tried to pass me on my right as I was riding between the white line and the grass ( still get annoyed and laugh about that ) spent the rest of the KSR licking my wounds and staying in the fight. Making the time cuts became the primary goal versus going for a commendable GC spot... All in all it is still why I prefer Stage Races to one day races.. they teach you invaluable lessons in perseverance.
Should perhaps start a thread titled " Memories of Killington Stage Race Adventures " and hopefully have a few of the Forum members recall their adventures.

I don't feel it can be a stage race unless it is at least 4 days. Mainly because most racers can bury themselves for 2 or 3 consecutive days. It's being able to recover after 3 days going into the 4th and then the 5th that really educates you as to wether or not you planned your season correctly..

BTW... Thanks Teton nice write up, best wishes for clear sailing here on out for many more seasons.

Moyene Corniche

Not familiar with the coverage of either, but as I also wear contacts, if the new glasses are allowing more air to whisk under the lens and into your eyes, your eyes are probably trying to adjust by secreting more moisture and your contacts become dislodged and get blown out.
I would 1st look into glasses that covered more sq. inches while still allowing cooling effect and / or look into a different contact lens. I always preferred Bausch and Lomb but everyone is different.

shovelhd

4 day stage races? Tough to do for many. Juniors, retired Masters, and pros with no second job have a shot. Tough to fill fields to offset the high expenses.

thechemist

Oak Ridge Omnium: Including state RR jersey championship

RR: 50 miles. Mostly rolling terrain with one hill around mile 8.\(2 laps with 6% 1000m finish).

So good course for me but I have had a pretty awful TSS/TSB going into this with newborn etc. Flatted my tubular warming up
Lots of talent being the state RR. I took advantage of some of the rolling sections. I can string things out a bit without too much effort descending into rollers. So no real relaxed start with a couple of us pushing the pace. Had a teammate go OTF right after the climb and descent. It really didn't look like the break was going to stick and the teammate that went OTF IMO wasn't strong enough to hold it that long anyway. You could tell the vibe in the pack was let them dangle for a bit, we see them for the most part and will catch them when we feel like it. That was in fact the case and I had smartly sucked wheel for the first lap around the course. Second lap up the climb we had a guy go OTF on the decent, I was about 4th wheel and it looked like we would close the gap descending. We had the guy 2nd wheel get a small gap as well and when we caught him we thought the pack was all together. We found out from the motopacer just a mile or so later that the guy had about 30s. So we drilled it. A pretty good rotation going with about 15 guys with the rest the pack OTB. We actually passed the masters racers. Overall race speed was around 24mph for 50 miles so we were cooking. Anyways, found out the guy was out of state and that eased up the pace a bit as that meant the jersey winner was still in our group. Needless to say, we still stuck over 24mph for the remaining 20 some miles....DUDE stuck it! Held 34+ mph solo for the win. really have to given him mad respect as it was well deserved. Anyways, for the pack I finished 8th and just didn't have the legs to beat the few in front of me.


TT: ~ 2hrs later which SUCKED. didn't really want to stay on the bike but it wasn't enough time to rest up. This was also my first TT EVER, no TT bike, no TT helmet just merckx style baby! Downed a coke about 10 minutes before my start as I was warming back up...BAD IDEA. cramped real bad for the 7 mile TT and really just had an awful TT. I wasn't last but I was pretty close and it sucked.

Crit: 4/5 was for the omnium points and went first. I also did the 3/4 crit 30 minutes after crit had a 180 and really 3 other turns that weren't to technical. A decent hill and off course a nice drop into the finish, wide open.

4/5- pretty easy pace to start- UBER easy as we were all cooked. I stayed in the back for the most part. Largely in part due to me not having any mental balls to hang in the front and not wreck. So i took the 180 turn towards the back of the pack and burnt a bunch of matches tailgunning. Not to surprised with that as I am still mentally recovering from going down hard last year. I do need to man up though as I have done a TON of racing this year. So last few laps, I move up and pass a good majority of people on the little climb and take the outside line into the final downhill turn. I get pushed to the outside and grind my pedal into the curb but keep it upright and sprint ending up 10th. I had 3 guys GASSED blocking the path infront of me and could have had 6th or 7th but so it goes.

3/4 race- Same thing harder pace. Sat in the back, tailgunned, avoided the few wrecks and flats. Moved up last few laps and hung in the pack for a finish around 15th overall and 5th for cat 4s.

So it goes. figured I would give a report as I haven't been recently.

echappist

an old cranky curmudgeon would have told you: failing to prepare is preparing to fail

jest aside, well done given the crash and the circumstances

Moyene Corniche

Hmmm... Maybe but for one if you recall KSR used to be scheduled over Labor day weekend, much easier then to schedule the 5 days ( or 6 to 7 ) needed to race it instead of Memorial Day Wknd In it's heyday I recall the fields were full, often closed and sold out so I'm not convinced that is the issue. Run a great race, get the local businesses involved but back in 97 the buzz was that the political side of promoting a race was not positive. ( I know that scenario from experience. ) It's a juggling act and often city and town politicians don't understand what is predominantly a european sport. To most americans bicycles belong on the sidewalks or in the playground.

Regardless I disagree with the current format, what made KSR was exactly the terrain, overwhelmingly uphill from start to finish, 2 stages which favored sprinters but it was more of an overall riders Race instead. It was One of Two Stage Races that we all looked forward to in New England. The other being Fitchburg Longsjo. I have not raced the newer version of KSR or for that matter GMSR but to me putting on One great Stage Race each year is better than Two. That is from a promoter's point of view.

I'm going to link a couple of articles from a former Richard Sachs rider on the KSR back in 96. It's worth reading just to understand the difference for those who never had the opportunity to race pre 2000 KSR.

https://purityofspeed.wordpress.com/2...ie-killington/

shovelhd

You will find when you return to racing next year that things are very different now then they were back then.

save10

Sat - San Rafael Twilight Criterium

Downtown rectangle with a short big ring climb. Beer tents, spectators, etc
35+ 3/4 (combined with 45 +3/4, but scored as separate races)
4/40, 7ish/90 (in both fields)

This was my biggest race of the year. Probably the same for everyone else. Physically I felt like I was ready. I started and stayed in the first 20 racers the entire race. The race was really hard. Even for a 35 3/4 race. 50% DNPs in both fields. I remember thinking 'where's the lap cards already?!' On the bell lap, I wanted to kilo-attack at the top of the hill, but it was so fast at the end that it would have failed. I got myself in as good a spot as I could and avoided a crash on the exit of the 4th corner. I felt like I was sprinting in quick sand. 2 guys passed my in the final 20 meters. they may have been 35s and that might have been a podium.

35 +123

Last year i was DNP in 12 minutes in this field. In the start area, i stopped counting national champion flags when i got to five. I was feeling pretty hot stuff the first 15 minutes, even moving up through the field. Then I started leaking oil. I was hoping for a solid breakaway to form, so maybe the field would calm it down a bit. never happened when i was there. I made it 30 minutes this time. But I spoke to some guys afterwards who were out in 10. I told them I knew the feeling. It would have been a tough ask for me even fresh. Those guys are at a level above me, frankly

Sun - Berkeley Red Kite

Neighborhood Crit. course shaped like a letter P with two short inclines

35+ 3/4
pack/30

I podium last year. I was thinking it could happened again. I wanted a breakaway. Nothing stuck. I spent two laps TTing across to the most promising move only to find the guys sitting up a drinking when i got there. I was in the top 10 on the bell lap, but at the top of the hill, my rear wheel skipped over a manhole cover and bounced. I saved it, but I sat up at that point. I finished just out of the top 10, but i was sorta coasting to the finish at the end

3/4

pack/40

Pretty fast race. Lots of single file. A disturbing amount of kids from college racing teams. And I was tired. I just hung out at the back and followed it around. A lot of people started getting tired at the end and as a result I was right in the middle of the pack on the final lap. My 'top end' was long gone but i was fine to be there. I kinda wish the race was longer like 90 minutes...i would have finished high by attrition. Then there was a little solo crash on the last lap that held have the field/me up. i was awarded 20th, but all of us behind the crash were just rolling in

Still kinda bummed about the San Rafael race. I probably would not have changed anything in the race itself. What I should have been doing is working on my sprint since last off season...drills/weights/anything...instead of *****ing about not having a sprint on BF. If I was 15 meters faster I would have been on the podium of the biggest crit in NorCal.

valygrl

Nice weekend Save10 ... and great takeaway in the last paragraph, there.