"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - 2007 Ronde De Bethel, Bethel, CT, helmet cam

I'm the cammer and I'm also one of two race promoters. So those are reasons for me to put this up. But I also put this clip out there because I thought it's something fun to watch.

Race stats - Cat 3-4's, about 1 hour long, 70-something racers, 0.8 mile loop, 150 meter hill (finish line at top), max grade 6 or 8% for a couple feet, extremely windy, temps in the mid-low 30's F. A guy soloed for most of the race, two bridged up, and the field (where I was) was sprinting for 4th.

enjoy!

2007 Ronde de Bethel, March 4, 2007 (http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/03/bethel-spring-series-ronde-de-bethel_07.html)

cdr

Some serious disorganization in that pack.

*tear* if wasn't injured the entire winter I'd probably be in that video...early season Bethel, looks bout right. Given that about half the course is downhill, its pretty easy to get lazy in the pack.

Thanks for that! I love it! And as an added bonus, we knew when you were efficient in the draft and when you were pushing wind bigtime! Hopefully, we will see more in the future.

*tear* if wasn't injured the entire winter I'd probably be in that video...early season Bethel, looks bout right. Given that about half the course is downhill, its pretty easy to get lazy in the pack.


I would say almost 100% of all crits and circuits are half downhill. ;)

I would say almost 100% of all crits and circuits are half downhill. ;)

Like the man said cycling is 50% skill, 50% luck and 50% mental.

I would say almost 100% of all crits and circuits are half downhill. ;)

ROFLMAO!

My commute is always headwind, uphill both ways!!:D

Are those people fat or is that camera fitted with a big fisheye. j/k nice vid. :D

Thanks Carpe, nice job! It has been a while since I raced in Bethel, I forgot how much of that course is downhill.

(Borat Voiceover) I LIIIKEEEE.....

Thanks for that! I love it! And as an added bonus, we knew when you were efficient in the draft and when you were pushing wind bigtime! Hopefully, we will see more in the future.

The wind noise is telling isn't it? I'm always amazed at how much I'm in the wind at the end versus the rest of the race.

cdr

The wind noise is telling isn't it? I'm always amazed at how much I'm in the wind at the end versus the rest of the race.

cdr

The wind noise was so pronounced my daughter asked me to turn the volume down on my laptop as I watched the video : ). Bethel IS a windy spot....

Aki, - nice job! I was wondering what the conditions were like last Sunday. Family function ruled over race. See you Sunday

Sung

Interesting to see.

I grew up not so far from Bethel, and ride the Sunday/Tuesday Sleeping Giant ride when I'm back a couple of times a year, so I've probably sat on a few of those wheels before.

have yet to do one of the races there, but who knows?

BTW - Kind of a loose field if the wind was as bad as you wrote, also - what's with the dudes in knee warmer in 30° weather??? :eek:

Don't ask me why, but I really like the Keltic team kits, even if the designer threw in adidas stripes on a champion systems kit.

The race itself was very stop and go. The "Move Up Lap" was probably 5 laps in, and it happened to be just before a prime (so I shot backwards right after that). I was very sick (flu) so unfortunately I couldn't make any moves.

There was an initial break after the prime, a lot of guys tried to make various moves work, but one guy solo'ed for most of the race. A LOT of teams used their guys to keep it close, then two guys from another team rocketed across the gap - they bridged at about 5 to go.

About kneewarmers - one of them won. And he just placed 8th in a stage race in Arizona a few weeks ago. There were guys unzipping their booties. I used my "light" tights (not windproof), and at the end I was frantically trying to peel my two head covers off my ears.

The gaps - on the last lap there were a lot of frantic moves and I guess people had problems keeping gaps closed. I couldn't contribute very much.

You'll notice one guy shooting up the left side on the last lap after the first turn. He shot backwards on the hill - but only after he led his teammate out for the field sprint win (4th). That's the team that also got 1st and 3rd.

The next week (March 11) is also a great race, an 8 man break who was away for virtually all of the race was caught halfway up the hill in the sprint. 3 teams (Bethel Cycle, Jonathan Adler, Target Training) wasted themselves bringing back the break.

I'll post a link when I upload.

cdr

The race itself was very stop and go. The "Move Up Lap" was probably 5 laps in, and it happened to be just before a prime (so I shot backwards right after that). I was very sick (flu) so unfortunately I couldn't make any moves.

There was an initial break after the prime, a lot of guys tried to make various moves work, but one guy solo'ed for most of the race. A LOT of teams used their guys to keep it close, then two guys from another team rocketed across the gap - they bridged at about 5 to go.

About kneewarmers - one of them won. And he just placed 8th in a stage race in Arizona a few weeks ago. There were guys unzipping their booties. I used my "light" tights (not windproof), and at the end I was frantically trying to peel my two head covers off my ears.

The gaps - on the last lap there were a lot of frantic moves and I guess people had problems keeping gaps closed. I couldn't contribute very much.

You'll notice one guy shooting up the left side on the last lap after the first turn. He shot backwards on the hill - but only after he led his teammate out for the field sprint win (4th). That's the team that also got 1st and 3rd.

The next week (March 11) is also a great race, an 8 man break who was away for virtually all of the race was caught halfway up the hill in the sprint. 3 teams (Bethel Cycle, Jonathan Adler, Target Training) wasted themselves bringing back the break.

I'll post a link when I upload.

cdr

If you're friendly with morgan s. tell him one of his old sheepshead teammates says hello from cyberland.

If you're friendly with morgan s. tell him one of his old sheepshead teammates says hello from cyberland.

I am and I will.