Road Bike Racing - Southern Nevada Stage Race

Reporting from the trenches via phone.

Today was the first stage which was a 20K time trial. Course was a mostly flat out and back and it was warm by my standards a 51 degrees and a little windy. I was rather nervious since I haent had any intensity or good riding in the past month but turned in a 24:37(29.4 mph) and took the lead in the 3's. Breifly got to meet BF member umd but I rushed off to check the results.

stage 2 and 3 to come.

Hi,

Remind me not to race with you when you've had some good training. :rolleyes:

Great job and good luck with the rest of it. Hope the weather stays reasonable.

I was rather nervious since I haent had any intensity or good riding in the past month but turned in a 24:37(29.4 mph) and took the lead in the 3's.

Reduex from private Email:

Subject: F'you

I knew you had it in ya.

Kill them all.

And I add:

I got to watch jrennie work his arse off the last couple of. Proud of ya.

what started so good went so bad in just 45 minutes.

Stage 2 was a basicly flat, very wide, safe crit course. Not the kind of race I would expect to see any time changes save the bonuses on the line. Well, a break went about 5 seconds into the race and through BS racing and what I can only describe as frusrating riders they managed to stay away the whole time. I wasted tons of energy at the front and trying to work with people to close the gap but all in vain as I lost a minute to the winner and now sit in 2nd place on GC and 12 seconds down. Tomorrows stage is a killer with 7k feet of climbing in just 54 miles. I'm now only hoping to hold on to a top 10 overall.

That was a pretty amazing breakaway. Impressive for an attack off the line to stick for the entire race. I watched the whole thing, they were working really well together. No attacks until 2 to go.

That was a pretty amazing breakaway. Impressive for an attack off the line to stick for the entire race. I watched the whole thing, they were working really well together. No attacks until 2 to go.

Were you in the 4's race?

After my eventful drive (http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/250/and-there-was-a-race-too) yesterday, I phoned in my TT (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4848732) and finished not quite (but almost) DFL. I did 29:43, averaging 22.3 mph. which I tell myself isn't too bad for no aero equipment and no warmup on a windy course.

Today, I had a decent showing at the crit (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4855290). I was worried because I'm not very comfortable with high speed group cornering, and I got dropped, lapped, and pulled from my last (and only) cat 5 crit in San Luis Obispo. But I felt pretty good, got comfortable with the cornering after a few laps, and near the end decided to move up and improve my position. Unfortunately, it was right as a break was going off and I ended up at the front chasing it down for 3/4 lap... I told my teammates about it later and they said "why did you do that?" Tactically, not the best move, but I felt really good and now I know that I am a lot stronger than I was last year. And I got a really cool picture out of it.

Here is the UCLA break:
http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/1720.jpg

And me chasing it down:
http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/1721.jpg

The highlight of the day was my cat 2 teammates Gary and Brian finishing 1-2 in the Pro/1/2 race.

http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/1719.jpg

http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/1722.jpg

Dang it.

24:37(29.4 mph)

Wow.

Quick report from the CAT4. Had a sucky TT (30.27) but about what I expected on my non-aero roadie. It was cold and windy and it really hurt. I was glad when the TT was over!!

The crit was another story. Due to some technical difficulties it started an hour late so warm up and prep got all out of whack but no biggie. Supposedly "the safest crit you'll do all year" but I have to disagree - there was a bottleneck through this fence gate with two large potholes, one on each side. :eek: What were they thinking? The rest of the crit course was safe. Anyway, took 6th in the crit. Very happy with that. :D

And the road race. Wow! It was pouring rain, windy, and cold but I had a blast! An absolute blast! Made it to the turn around without getting dropped or any incidents which was cool. The way back was a killer climb and lost a lot of time to the good climbers but I still held my own. I must have moved up a little in the GC but haven't seen the results yet. The best part of the RR was the last 8 miles to the finish. It's slightly downhill and there was a little bit of a tailwind so I was just spinning my 53/12 as fast I could the entire way solo. Managed to reel in one guy and blow by him at the line. Totally bittcchhin stage race!

Bummer I missed this, I was really looking forward to the TT and Road Race. I was registered, but came down with the flu about 2 and half weeks ago. I'm just starting to recover, hopefully some of my fitness comes back around by Boulevard. Good job everyone.

Hey, if anyone is still in Vegas and has access to the results please look me up and give me my results for todays RR and overall GC.

CAT4, #405


Thanks!

After my eventful drive (http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/250/and-there-was-a-race-too) yesterday, I phoned in my TT (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4848732) and finished not quite (but almost) DFL. I did 29:43, averaging 22.3 mph. which I tell myself isn't too bad for no aero equipment and no warmup on a windy course.

Today, I had a decent showing at the crit (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4855290). I was worried because I'm not very comfortable with high speed group cornering, and I got dropped, lapped, and pulled from my last (and only) cat 5 crit in San Luis Obispo. But I felt pretty good, got comfortable with the cornering after a few laps, and near the end decided to move up and improve my position. Unfortunately, it was right as a break was going off and I ended up at the front chasing it down for 3/4 lap... I told my teammates about it later and they said "why did you do that?" Tactically, not the best move, but I felt really good and now I know that I am a lot stronger than I was last year. And I got a really cool picture out of it.

Here is the UCLA break:
http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/1720.jpg

And me chasing it down:
http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/1721.jpg



Thanks for the pics, that was a pretty fun crit. The road race was brutal, nothing like a 40mph decent in 45 degree pouring rain. I'm pretty happy with the results. UCLA ended up getting 3rd, 4th, and 5th (me) in the road race and 2nd, 3rd and 6th (me) in the GC.

A few of my own pics, but not nearly as good.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x220/esammuli/SNSR/IMG_1165.jpg
TT start

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x220/esammuli/SNSR/IMG_1174.jpg
Insane bike porn

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x220/esammuli/SNSR/IMG_1236.jpg
Road race results

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x220/esammuli/SNSR/IMG_1249.jpg
The Podium

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x220/esammuli/SNSR/IMG_1251.jpg
The Monte Carlo, post fire.

esammuli

Thx for the RR results pic!

I came, I saw, they destoyed. By the turn around after the first climb and decent the initial 40 was down to 24. Started back up and cracked few more. It pitches up to 17%(or so they say) about a mile from the top(then flatens with about 1/2 mile to go) the group was now 12 and I just slipped off the back as it flattened out. I jammed it on the down hill to close the gap and got on just as the repeat on the climb started. Made it about half way with the group and popped. I settled in and just rode it home. After cresting the top is 10 miles of downhill. Lost 6 minutes to the winner, 12th on the day and dropped to 10th on GC.

It was a true belgium sufferfest. rain, 40+ mph wind gusts, wash outs and pot holes. Hindsight says I should have sat in yesterday and let the loss be whatever it was going to be to save for today. But I think I rather like the Sage like advise of another racer who I value his opinion and advise very much that said go out and make it hurt for everyone. Better to try and get popped than just phone it in(not direct quote but something very similar).




UMD- You platnium guys rode really strong in every catagory, nice job. Thanks for the pic to.


*edit*- Downloaded the power file and it was nice to see my power was on par with/slightly higher than peak of last season. 320 for the TT with a very aggerssive position and 304 for the crit(45 minutes).

UMD- You platnium guys rode really strong in every catagory, nice job. Thanks for the pic to.

Those guys are amazing--I feel like it was a fluke that they let me on their team... My teammate in the 5s was doing well too until his crash in the crit (the only one all day), and despite all that still got top 9 in the RR and GC.

Here is my RR report: The course was 35 miles out and back up a mountain and down the other side, 4700’ total climbing. The frontside climb was fairly straight with a steady moderate grade, then a screaming winding descent. The group had a very lazy start and we got caught by the front of the 5s a few miles in. More on that later. We were all more or less together at the top, but shattered on the way down. It was difficult to see much in the rain and fog, and brakes were pretty much useless. Despite that, and that I generally consider myself to be a horrible descender, I managed to bridge back up to the lead group after initially getting gapped. When we reached the turnaround there were only a handful of us. On the way back up, a few riders attacked, including one of the UCLA riders from yesterday. I was in the chase group, which included two more UCLA riders and Gabe from Chicken Ranch.

One guy from Helen’s was doing most of the pace-setting, with the UCLA boys sitting on his wheel, not wanting to chase their teammate down. The pace was easing because nobody seemed to want to be the one to do the work, so I went up and picked things up to keep our group away from any chasers. The pace actually dropped off several riders from our group, including Gabe, but in the end turned out to be more than I could sustain, and I popped after an attack from one of the UCLA guys.

I was probably sitting around 10th at that point, but was eventually caught by Gabe and a few other riders. The real bummer was that I developed a slow leak about halfway up the climb and dialed down the effort in an attempt to nurse it until I could get my spare wheel from the SAG. I stopped at the top of the climb, at the 10 mile mark, where a radio operator called in for my wheel. While I was waiting, watching many 4s go riding by, the mechanic came and changed my tube. I was set back at least 7 minutes according to my recorded data. In reality, I placed 22nd (of 24) in the RR and GC. Mentally subtracting that from my time netted me several places, putting me in (in my head) in about 12th or so.

I stopped at the top of the climb, at the 10 mile mark, where a radio operator called in for my wheel. While I was waiting, watching many 4s go riding by, the mechanic came and changed my tube.

Yea, I remember seeing you at the top of the climb. I thought about slowing down and waiting for you so I could have someone to work with on the last 8 miles to the finish but as I was going by I couldn't tell if they were just starting to work on your bike or just finishing up.

Crit bike looks great with the new kit BTW.

The look on your faces after the RR just about kept me from racing but the rain let up just enough to give it a go.

Yea, I remember seeing you at the top of the climb. I thought about slowing down and waiting for you so I could have someone to work with on the last 8 miles to the finish but as I was going by I couldn't tell if they were just starting to work on your bike or just finishing up.

Looks like you finished about a minute ahead of me...

Thanks RacerEx-

Still waiting for the new bike. Its 2 weeks late now, maybe its vaporware.

The look on your faces after the RR just about kept me from racing but the rain let up just enough to give it a go.

I wish I could have seen my own face when I crossed that line. My mouth was hanging open from oxygen debt, my eyes were pouring out water and tears, and I was just so happy and exhausted at the same time after I crossed that line. I remember thinking you poor *******s as I rode by a group staging to go out. :)

Anyone else that was in this race, let me know what race you were in and what you were wearing and I'll see if I can find pics. We took tons, but mostly only of the races that had people I knew in it (i.e. not many of women or masters). Race number would help too.

Another good pic. It was taken at the top of the first climb just before the long, cold, and rainy decent. Picture courtesy of Bryan Bitters, the Cat 4 winner.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x220/esammuli/SNSR/RRrain.jpg
I'm the one with the yellow cap.