Southern California - DEL MAR Crit series, who's in!!

See ya'll wednesday night!!!

Look for me on the cervelo...scary!!

you know i'll be there. racing under the lights!

I'll be there on saturday. The drive on a wednesday night is just too far for me, besides I have a chem test that night too. stupid college.

I'll bring some pom pom and cheer from the sideline NOT HAHAHA
but I'll be there watching for sure.

Well...it's off to home for a nap and some pasta then to the races tonight....stoked merckx89 isn't gonna be there!!!

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Common crash I'm expecting a report here. Looks like a nice course.

Common crash I'm expecting a report here. Looks like a nice course.

Interesting....very interesting...the course i thought sucked...but i could have been the company...god bless us 5's but there were some bonzai (sp?) riders out there tonight..:eek::eek:

more to follow after i empty the truck and take some motrin!

Well i don't know what it was like but it looks like wide corners and a nice straightaway for the sprint.

it was a fun course if you were going through the corners by yourself, but as always, that was almost never the case. two crashes right in front of me(i think it was the same ladera rider both times) and plenty of near misses. one guy told me to hold my f'ing line and end-up tangled in the first crash less than a lap later.
i stayed in the entire time and ended-up moving too late. i was on the gas for the last half of the final lap, making up places, but i just didn't time it right. i hope this isn't becoming a trend already. the sprint started about 2 seconds before i got off the final corner, and when i really started to boogie, my rear end lost traction and i did a nice big tank slapper:D scared the crap out of me for a split second and lost some momentum. good thing is i didn't lose any spots and ended-up 13th.
i need to figure out how to time that move right at the end! since i've moved up to 4's i've gone from a solid top 5-10 to a top 15 finisher.

Well what a DAY, about 4:25 TODAY I said F-it and I'm gonna try to race. Called up chucklehead to ask about the wait list thing. Packed my gear from work and headed down. I went in there ready to give it my all and see where I stand, not nessisarlly to do well or didn't care if I finished, I just wanted to give it 110% from go. I think I did that. I havn't rode much and the endurnace part showed up today. With as lil less winds I think I could have done better.

I lined up in the middle with a piss poor warm up, no trainer so light spinning on the inner track.
As planned, I floored it from the go, was middle pack, saw it getting strung out already 1/2 lap in so I pushed towards the front group. Trying to see which big guy I can draft to recover but able to hold his line. Two other big guys up front, one guys was shaky so I pulled around him, next big guy was taking poor line and hitting his brakes. Few laps in I found myself in the front 5, with all small guys around me. One flyer went out but not far, he got folded back in after some turns putting me in second, behind a small guys, got on this wheel and there was no draft there to be had, crappy. He went wide into a turn so I floored it and made a small gap but timing was ALLL F'd up right into the damn winds. Pulled hard through the winds and next couple laps then pulled off the front. I tried to wheel suck but the winds did too much to me. I fall into the second group, then end up leading the second group, no one want to work. In the winds again, I pulled off hard, let 5-6 bikes go in front then sucked their wheel for some. Then we get the famous whistle to get off the track FUN.

So I went hard for good 10+ minutes, got it up to 29mph top speed then died off to another DNF. Best
f-ing DNF I had to date. Better to get dropped IN the race rather then at the beginning of it. That makes 3 but damn this one was fun. Fun course as long as the guy next to you knows what they are doing. First few laps were shaky for me in the turns but I got the flow and good lines without using the brakes.

Next race, be more prepared, race smarter and hide from the winds as much as possible. I have some HW to do on the bike now, I know what I need to work on. This is JUST what I needed to get me head back into the game:D

chucklehead, your kits blends with other teams and field of 75. I tried my best to find you before the sun went down, enjoy

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Well i don't know what it was like but it looks like wide corners and a nice straightaway for the sprint.

the straight away was long enough for a good sprint...however...it wasn't wide enough...and the corners were fine if you were single file.


So on to race report...

I didn't warm up enough..so that sucked..:mad:.

The race started ok with me holding strong at about 3-7 wheel the first 4 laps...then Jeff (jisgone) took off cause he got frustrated...i tried to get up to him with out blowing up myself to tell him to relax and drop back but the damage was already done...i guess he popped hard and dropped off along with at least half the field...so you got that going for ya jeff...you blew up most the field in 2 laps of your hammerfest:eek:

So mid race goes on and i can't get my HR down as i chased 2 small groups down including jeff's break and i am freaking...at this point i have been over 190bpm for like 10 minutes:eek::eek:...hurting bad and i almost quit...then i heard 6 to go and like an idiot cooled off too much and moved too far back...the lead guys were starting to get about 50 yards in front so with 2-3 to go i am back in 10-12th wheel after some hard work..

so..2 laps to go..sitting good at about 8th wheel and recouped allot..then we are heading down the main straight starting the bell lap and i am about 10 now maybe..and BOOM...2 guys go down, then 4 guys about 6 inches in front of me...some dude on my right got target fixation came across my front wheel to hit the guys that were going down on my left, i come to about a complete stop and have to pedal around meanwhile i watch 12-15ish guys go off into the sunset on the last lap...i sprint the whole last lap and caught them on the start/finish line to pull off 9th overall...i must have passed 6 guys in the last 100 yards.

So...bummed cause i felt good enough i think i could have gotten a podium and stoked that i don't have to buy George and Nytro a new cervelo!!!

Thank God for keeping me clean on that one.

Sounds like a fun race. You can't control what the other idiots out there are doing though unfortunately. That's where the luck of bike racing comes in. Next time crash, next time. And when are you getting out of the 5's, I thought you had you races already.

Sounds like a fun race. You can't control what the other idiots out there are doing though unfortunately. That's where the luck of bike racing comes in. Next time crash, next time. And when are you getting out of the 5's, I thought you had you races already.

today was the last one...but i am doing the series in the 5's and then droping (RYANF) my upgrade.

then Jeff (jisgone) took off cause he got frustrated...i tried to get up to him with out blowing up myself to tell him to relax and drop back but the damage was already done...i guess he popped hard and dropped off along with at least half the field...so you got that going for ya jeff...you blew up most the field in 2 laps of your hammerfest:eek:
one.

too bad it was only 2 laps, I lost my touch:mad:

too bad it was only 2 laps, I lost my touch:mad:

nah, you did good. you affected the outcome of the race. now you just need to build that endurance and you'll be fine. keep working at it. you looked good out there.

thanks!!!! I didn't know I was effecting the field, usually I'm on the other side of that coin LOL

too bad it was only 2 laps, I lost my touch:mad:

if it means anything you put one F of a hurting on me those 2 laps, good on ya!!! i was actually getting a little bit pissed at ya for the pace...You did good bro...talk to Jason more about those mistakes;)

See ya out there again soon right?

LOL sorry to piss you off

I can't race this weekend (might rain anyways!!!), but next month I'll be there. Today was my b-day present to myself, financially speaking.

BTW, how the rental feel under the race? I saw you face after that crash and it was like "I just saved 2000 bucks" One of the guys that went down, was Mike from cal Pools, he rides with Kermit. Has bad luck crashing though.....long story. That Swamis guys went down HARD, think he broke is colar bone. Saw him rub his front wheel then BAMMMM.

talk to Jason more about those mistakes;)


:mad:

will i ever live that down?

when did I miss this? HAHA

it was a few weeks ago at the CBR anger management crit. i went for it right at the begining of the last lap and blew up in the final corner. had i saved it for the sprint i would have gotten an easy top 5 or win, but i ended-up 16th. still respectable, considering. and it's not like i got LAPPED BY THE GIRLS.

I'm sure you had your reason for launching so soon

a few reasons. ended-up on the front on accident. i sprinted up to reach the front group, and they sat up just as i was catching on, so i rolled right on by. the race was meaningless to me, so i figured what the hey, i'll give it a shot. there were two guys a good distance off the front, so i decided to go after them and caught them with half a lap to go. still figured what the heck and kept going. blew up.

the only thing that bummed me out about it was that i was really strong that day and i didn't stick to my guns.

Good job guys! Keep racing and keep posting!

That Swamis guys went down HARD, think he broke is colar bone. Saw him rub his front wheel then BAMMMM. I may have seen that guy - there was a Swami's guy in the infield wearing a sling. He had road rash over about 1/3 of his back. Poor guy, I'll bet he didn't sleep last night.

Sucks about the guys crashing....hope they all heal up quick...that swamis guy was pretty strong too if it's the one i think it was.

There was ALLOT of ******** racing out there last night...that was the first crit i have done that i had a scare on EVERY lap.

Some guy in a rice crispy's jersey kept blowing up the inside and then would F the apex all up...it really frustrated me that he came in ahead of me cause as i was caught up behind that crash. Some other guy in a yellow jacket was ping ponging off everyone out there it seemed, he rubbed elbows with me like 3 times and couldn't hold a line to save his life...the guys behind me were yelling at him left and right.

Like i said earlier...just happy i am not buying a new bike today!

Retribution will be brought on saturday the 22nd!

there were two other swamis guys who took eachother out in the pro race. pretty noisy crash, but no injuries.

that 18 year-old rock racing kid who won the juniors race finished 4th. toyota united guy won, and bahati took the field sprint.

I thought you ran a smart race. You hung in there near the front and kept in the runnning. I was near the finish line at the end though so I saw the crash from a distance. I couldn't make out any details.

there were two other swamis guys who took eachother out in the pro race. pretty noisy crash, but no injuries.

.

Zack went down because someone went down in front of him. Here's his race report...

Gurus,


Most of you were probably present to watch our "late night" crit, but for those that weren't....


Our race started off fast. We had 10 guys, definitely a strong presence in the race. The pace were hot from the gun, and several attacks were swallowed up. A few laps in, a small group of 3 rolled off the front. As the chase picked up to bring this group back, a Schroeder Iron rider in 3rd wheel managed to lay it down in the "kidney bean" section of the course, directly in front of me. Despite efforts to slow down, I went over the top of him, somersaulted, and landed on my backside pretty hard. Dana (who was on my wheel) also was a casualty of the crash, with minor road rash of his own to report. Dana and I made it back to the mechanic area, and Colter Cederlof (Swami and UCSD racer) donated his rear wheel so that I could get back in the race. My tubular had flatted due to the crash.


The race official let us back into the race on the same lap as the field and Dana and I killed ourselves, and managed to reintegrate with the field. We went straight to the front, where we found the other Swamis who let us know that the break had swelled to 6-7 riders, and had a healthy gap. Swamis entire team went to the front and slayed themselves for the rest of the race, controlling the pace and taking huge pulls in attempts to reel in the break. Unfortunately the break was mostly Pros, the gap held steady. The Swamis kept it fast (and safe) and setup up Skyler Bishop for a nice top 10 finish that was well deserved.


We may have missed out on the podium, but we rode like winners. Its an awesome feeling to have the field lined out with no less than 8 Swamis on the front at any given time. It is too bad Dana and I went down, but I've never been part of a greater team effort than tonight. We flew the Swamis flag proudly tonight, and established ourselves in the peloton, and earned valuable respect as a formidable team of quality riders.


Very proud of our squad.


-Zack Simkover

d'oh. i didn't even see the third guy. glad they're ok, anyway.

that break was smokin' it. two of them ended-up lapping the field, and the other four weren't far behind.

wish I could have stayed to watch the pro race, wife was waiting for me so we can go out to dinner, which turned into Carls Jr cuz everything closed at 9.

i had my good luck twinkie on the way home.

yummy

i believe it kept me safe on course last night. and even if i had gone down, it would have acted as an airbag. from now on, i shall carry a twinkie with me when i race.

i believe it kept me safe on course last night. and even if i had gone down, it would have acted as an airbag. from now on, i shall carry a twinkie with me when i race.

wow...that's some superstitoin for ya right there....that's like me not washing my shorts since my first top 10 finsih:eek:

that's like me not washing my shorts since my first top 10 finsih:eek:

i think i'll stick with the twinkie...

I've got my lucky sunglasses, the first time I put them on for a race I got first. Same with someone else on the team. Now we always wear them. Have fun cleaning the twinkie out of the jersey if it does get squished though.

I've got my lucky sunglasses, the first time I put them on for a race I got first. Same with someone else on the team. Now we always wear them. Have fun cleaning the twinkie out of the jersey if it does get squished though.

i'm just waiting for one of you jerks to ride up behind me and smash it in my pocket. hard to do, though, when i'm spending so much time in the back of the pack:D

i'm just waiting for one of you jerks to ride up behind me and smash it in my pocket. hard to do, though, when i'm spending so much time in the back of the pack:D

now that i know it's on!!

now that i know it's on!!

smash my twinkie i smash your face!

smash my twinkie i smash your face!

puh lease.....i am way meaner than you Jay...besides...you should've written...

you smasha my twinkie i smasha yo face,....punk A** tripin fool!

That's going to be kinda hard to do on the bike. Besides what's wrong with a nice friendly congratulatory pat on the back.

screw it. no twinkie in the pocket. i'll just stuff it down my shorts.

Bike racing is dangerous. You guys should take up R/C car racing.

screw it. no twinkie in the pocket. i'll just stuff it down my shorts.Not sure that'll help. :eek: :D

Not sure that'll help. :eek: :D

i guess that would depend on what his ultimate goal is huh?

Bike racing is dangerous. You guys should take up R/C car racing.

BTDT, lost interest. plus, they don't ahve reimbursement programs.


Not sure that'll help. :eek: :D

at least i wouldn't receive feigned congratulatory pats on the crotch just to crush mytwinkie.

at least i wouldn't receive feigned congratulatory pats on the crotch just to crush mytwinkie.

you never know...