Road Bike Racing - Ronde van Brisbeen Report

My first race in 6 weeks, and this last week I've put in better training than I have all season. Mentally I was set for this race, physically I could be -11 lbs. and considerably stronger, but I yam what I yam and off we went for a 90-min. drive to the Center of Bay Area Racing this weekend.

CAT 4, 35+ -- a small but spunky group of women. 44 went off to a rousing downhill start. My strengths are not fast downhills and tight corners; I prefer sweeping turns and hills. This course was to my liking.

Since I was pack fodder anyway my strategy was to pick off the dropped racers who don't climb well. As they suffered, I prospered, getting faster with each climb. I lost time on the downhill, though, and I know what my work is between now and the next race.

In the end I placed 34th, my teammate placed 20th, and we had great fun. Good practice, good fun, great support from my family and hers.

PMan, you were spot-on with your description of the course; that knowledge kept my pre-race jitters ("WTF am I doing, at my age, bicycle racing? Against women young enough to be my kids! I'm gonna get shelled, what's the point, why do I bother?" and so on) to a minimum. So, thanks for that.

Now for a cold beer and a nap. :)

great job - I finished 8th in the E4's. It was fun - but those last 200 yards were loooooong LoL.

physically I could be -11 lbs. and considerably stronger, but I yam what I yam

Now for a cold beer and a nap. :)

Couldn't we all :)

Final motion is seconded as well.

Red Rider,

Glad I could help.:)

After racing today it was pizza, beer and a nap, the perfect way to end the weekend.

My day went something like this: Legs feel like crap and any time I try to sprint my left calf is cramping so lets try for a breakaway
Fail#1
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/2375032177_eeb39e6ce5.jpg
Fail#2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/2375030993_3b2ea4bd09.jpg
Fail#3
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/2375869116_666c38fe0c.jpg
First 3 were the same guys trying to go which if you didn't have the steam to go before you probably aren't going to have it a second time.
I didn't see pics of 4 or 5 but you get the idea.

PizzaMan really rode fantastic this weekend. Amazingly strong.

The circuit race was so much fun. Such a big change from two races I did in SoCal with constant "take it easy on the corners". Ran out of steam on the final climb, so finished mid pack. :( I don't know if it's mental or a physical limiter.

Josh,

Great seeing you attack the field like that. I was cheering for you really hoping that the break would stick, but with that wind it was really tough for anything to stick.

In the 35+, on the advice of my teammates I sat in and was patient until 3 laps to go, then attacked with only 1 guy going with me. He just sat on my wheel, so I knew I was giving him the win, but he had the strongest team with the best sprinter and there was no way I was going to finish top 2 in a pack sprint, so I pulled him all the way to the line. He was at least kind enough not to come around me for the final Prime.

The Pro race was fun. I got into a break early and we lasted 2 laps off the front until Freddie Rodriguez and a BMC rider bridged up to us.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/cphippsrun/Brisbee.jpg
(Photo credit to Jess Raphael)
I was pretty much toast after that and just fell back and hung on to the back of the chase pack for the rest of the race.

All in all a great but very tiring weekend of racing.

C

Now for a cold beer and a nap. :)

That part of racing I could handle:)

Congratulations!!

great fun, ended up 2nd in the E4 Omnium. :D

wife was whining about being cold though so i had to leave early and missed out on all the swag :(

emailed the promoter to see if he would take pity on me...wife is banned from my races henceforth

::edit:: just got an email from the promoter and he's got my swag bag for pickup!! happy happy joy joy!

The Pro race was fun. I got into a break early and we lasted 2 laps off the front until Freddie Rodriguez and a BMC rider bridged up to us.

Who was the BMC rider?

The BMC rider was Taylor Tolleson.

In the 35+, on the advice of my teammates I sat in and was patient until 3 laps to go, then attacked with only 1 guy going with me. He just sat on my wheel, so I knew I was giving him the win, but he had the strongest team with the best sprinter and there was no way I was going to finish top 2 in a pack sprint, so I pulled him all the way to the line. He was at least kind enough not to come around me for the final Prime.

I think that guy used to be a bike messenger or ride for some team that delivered stuff.

Good job man!

Jrennie, are you the zteam rider? We're you in a 2man break on the 2nd or 3rd lap from the finish?

I think i was on a flyer just about every other lap in the 3's I jumped one last time just before the bell lap and a guy from Wells Fargo joined me but it came back on the start of the uphill.

My day went something like this: Legs feel like crap and any time I try to sprint my left calf is cramping so lets try for a breakaway
Fail#1
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/2375032177_eeb39e6ce5.jpg
Fail#2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/2375030993_3b2ea4bd09.jpg
Fail#3
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/2375869116_666c38fe0c.jpg
First 3 were the same guys trying to go which if you didn't have the steam to go before you probably aren't going to have it a second time.
I didn't see pics of 4 or 5 but you get the idea.

PizzaMan really rode fantastic this weekend. Amazingly strong.

The guy with you in the first 2 pics is a team mate of mine. Seems they did pretty well, I believe a 2nd and 3rd.

I think i was on a flyer just about every other lap in the 3's I jumped one last time just before the bell lap and a guy from Wells Fargo joined me but it came back on the start of the uphill.

That last attack you put in was one heck of an acceleration. For the sake of my teammate I'm glad you didn't save it for a few laps :).

You guys wait till he's healed up. There's trouble on the horizon I tell ya!