"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Mothballs Crit report

While the team was together and nearby for training camp, we figured we'd head down and do Sunday's Mothball Criterium in Goleta. Pretty much your typical "D" shaped industrial park course, around 0.6 miles. I registered for the 45+ 1/2/3/4/5/6 and the 35+ 3/4. They closed the 45 field at 75 and the 35+ field was near capacity.

First up was the 45+. Not knowing many of the players, we were treated to a dissertation on the many accomplishments of several of the guys, noting the subtle rainbow stripes and stars and bars on some of the sleeves. Pretty much your usual array of stoopid fit guys and guys with giant thighs. A bit tanner than the NorCal regulars but otherwise you could just switch kits and get the same feel.

We had worked on our leadout train the day before for our sprinter, my job was to go with but not work in any breaks that looked dangerous. Not knowing anyone I did a lot of that, as there were at least 3-4 attacks per lap and all kinds of reshuffling. Missed one cash prime by a half bike. Got in one two man break that I worked in for a half a lap or so but the horsepower was coming to the front so we pulled the plug. Two laps to go I went to the front to drive the pace up and string things out for the train, after most of a lap I blew and pulled off to watch the finish. We went too early and our guy was only able to manage 7th.

Rolled out for the 35+ 3/4 with less guys but a little better understanding of the course. Jumped on a lot of breaks, took two cash primes and sat on a gift certificate prime sprint that had enough guys to be dangerous (passed on going for it, the logistics of gift certs when you live 9 hours away are a bit daunting).

Last lap we had things lined up perfectly, with all four of us stretching the field. On this one I was the final lead out guy, according to the speedo had things up to around 35 into the headwind and launched our guy to a close 3rd. I was so enamored of the work we did I stopped pedaling to watch, had I been a little more lucid I might have rolled over the line in the top 5-7. As it was I coasted to 11th. Dum dum dum.

Great week of training and racing. We ended up with three podiums.

I smell race season. I love this team.

Great report, great job. I am looking forward to doing the same for my team. Just be the engine that drives everything home. Way to go. Keeping me inspired.

First up was the 45+...
...Two laps to go I went to the front to drive the pace up and string things out for the train, after most of a lap I blew and pulled off to watch the finish. We went too early and our guy was only able to manage 7th.


Being one of the beneficiaries of your team's train, I should split my prize with you!

You had a nice line of five guys with one-to-go, and I was sitting in 6th. I wouldn't say that you went too early, rather I think you needed another mph or two. (Easier said than done!!) You succeeded in holding off the swarm until after the last corner which is a good accomplishment against that field.

I also think a small mistake was made on the last corner because you still had two guys, and they went really wide out of the corner. They both should have stayed as tight into and out of that corner as possible so anyone who wanted to come around them would need to go the longer way around (remember that it continues to sweep to the right) and on the windy side. As it was, I jumped to the inside after the corner and went by your two guys. Then, Gibby Hatton blew by me with such force that it almost knocked me over, and he was followed by Butch Stinton. I held on for 3rd, which made me happy since 4th place was the 45+ crit national champ!

It was fun racing against your team. Good luck for the rest of the year!

Then, Gibby Hatton blew by me with such force that it almost knocked me over, and he was followed by Butch Stinton. I held on for 3rd, which made me happy since 4th place was the 45+ crit national champ!


did gibby win it? he works at my lbs and i've been getting to know him recently....asking questions about track riding and racing, etc.

did gibby win it? he works at my lbs and i've been getting to know him recently....asking questions about track riding and racing, etc.

He won it easily. Won it last year too. You could re-run that race 10 times and unless there was a break, he'd win it at least 9 times. Not meaning to dis anyone else in that field, it's just that he's that fast!

He's certainly a guy from whom you could learn a lot about sprinting and crit riding. Very few people have as much experience and success as he does.

He's certainly a guy from whom you could learn a lot about sprinting and crit riding. Very few people have as much experience and success as he does.


apparently, he also instructs at the adt center velodrome. i might be picking up a track bike this week and be riding there soon.

he is a good guy...i'll probably swing by the shop this week and ask him about the goleta race.

Very cool report--thanks Vinokurtov!

was a fun start to the season.
45+ seems always among most competitive classes at mothballs, this year was no exception.
doing course and marshall work from about 6-ish on, I didn;t get to see the races quite as coherently as I would have liked, but what I did see showed a lot of riders already in top season form.
45+, I seem to remember that race being won by a rider who took a flyer with 2 laps to go and he finished quite a bit in front of the group of 6 which he was part of and which could have lapped the field if they had continued to work hard. Or am I thinking of another class?
my race (55+) was unspectacular from the start to finish, not very fast, not very motivated. Personally, I've had real cramping problems this past month, and it surfaced again about 10 laps into the race. I ended up having to spin my a%# off for most of the ride cause any attempt to push a gear caused serious cramping. Came around the last turn in pretty good position, around 5th, but dropped three positions by the finish cause I couldn't push a proper gear. Hey, but it was fun and a start for the season :)
I'll get the cramping thing figured out, and its gonna be a long season.

noted the VOS jerseys out there - whatz that team affiliation and sponsors?

noted the VOS jerseys out there - whatz that team affiliation and sponsors?

The team is VOS Racing, sponsored by Value Outsourcing Solutions, Summit Windows, Kidwells, Rock Lobster and Joselyn's Bicycles, it's affiliated with a club out of Monterey CA. It was formerly Newman's Own Organics. Really neat team, I was lucky enough to get asked to join them this year and it's been a blast.

The team is VOS Racing, sponsored by Value Outsourcing Solutions, Summit Windows, Kidwells, Rock Lobster and Joselyn's Bicycles, it's affiliated with a club out of Monterey CA. It was formerly Newman's Own Organics. Really neat team, I was lucky enough to get asked to join them this year and it's been a blast.

If VOS is the old Newman's Own Organics team, is Mark Patten riding for VOS?

If VOS is the old Newman's Own Organics team, is Mark Patten riding for VOS?

Yep. I was his lead out in the 3/4 race.