"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Bethel - March 8th

Who's going to be there? I am making the trek down for the CAT 5 race and will be planning on staying most of the day to take some pictures of the other categories.

- Joe

I'm signed up for the whole series, two races each day. I live only 1.5 miles from the race, though, so I should do the whole thing.

The Weather Channel can't make up it's mind about the 8th. Every 12 hours it flip-flops between partly cloudy and rain/snow showers. At least the forecasted temp is steady at 26-44F.

If the weather doesn't force cdr to cancel (again), I'm in.

i'll be there in the 5s..

I'm racing Cat 4. I might go up with a Cat 5 buddy though and stay for his race before mine. My first race in ten years.

BL

i may go depending on the weather.......guess i should probably renew my license first though.

I'm heading down with a friend to do the 3/4 and maybe the 1/2/3 as well. I'll be doing the Branchbrook race as well on Saturday-popping my cherry on that one, the course looks fun though.

123 and maybe 3/4. Mass guys don't forget Plainville is Saturday if the weather is crap for Sunday.

Plainville isn't on bikereg yet for some reason...

Plainville isn't on bikereg yet for some reason...

You can pre-reg through www.plainvillespringseries.com

If I pre-reg for the 3/4 in Bethel, how much will I have to pay to race the 1/2/3 on the same day.

^it's on the website:


Pre-reg prices increase by $1 (due to USAC's higher insurance surcharge). Day of race goes to $20 for the first race, $13 for the second race.

oh. prereg/day of. nevermind.

^it's on the website:


Pre-reg prices increase by $1 (due to USAC's higher insurance surcharge). Day of race goes to $20 for the first race, $13 for the second race.

oh. prereg/day of. nevermind.

You got it right. Second race of the day is $13 day of, regardless of how you paid for the first race.

cdr

You got it right. Second race of the day is $13 day of, regardless of how you paid for the first race.

cdr

Thanks CDR, you may want to clear that up on your website, I thought the same as Queerpunk, that tthe price was only for day of registration.

I realized if you pre-reg for a second race, we don't have a price for that. I'll have to figure something out.

If you pre-reg for a second race, it's (supposed to be) $11 for the second race.

Day of race second race, $13.

Lemme see if I can get bikereg updated.

Aki

Update: if you select two races for one week, a discount is applied at the end of the check out process.

I didn't verify this myself so if you get charged more, bring a printout to registration when it's not very crowded, or find me at the race.

cdr

....Sunday forecast for Bethel, CT:

Mostly cloudy (who cares, no precip), 47-61F!!! :D

Now I can start mentally preparing for my first race of the season. Let's see, what should I wear...I know, SHORTS!!

I saw that new forecast, tyrade, and cheered. Rain has been in the forecast for days, and it was awesome to see it out!

Woohoo! I was not looking forward to having to ride in the rain. This is great news.

Bad news: rain is back in the forecast. The trade-off is it is going to be 60 degrees.

Who's going to be there? I am making the trek down for the CAT 5 race and will be planning on staying most of the day to take some pictures of the other categories.

- Joe

Now you have me thinking about it :giver:

I'd offer you a ride, but I am heading out to stay at my cousins place tomorrow night. But definitely keep thinking about it!

No biggie

My Sister In-Law used live not too far away from the race. Her husband thought it would be a good idea to move to Maryland so there went that crash spot :notamused:

I'll take look at things in greater detail later this evening. BTW...tell Leo I said sup...we rode together on a Landry's ride couple of years back. I've been corresponding with him off and on lately.

How'd everyone do?

I was in the first cat 5 group. For my first race, I thought I did pretty well. Felt comfortable, rode steady (I think) - last few laps started to hurt, when the break formed and the wind seemed to tear us apart. Last lap, everyone was splintered, I tried to gain some ground by jumping from wheel to wheel, and I think I ended up towing 3 or 4 people up with me to the 10th or 11th position guy - they then proceeded to blow by me on the finishing hill.

No one that I was near seemed too sketchy, though someone did flake out a bit in some sand (I think) coming up on the hill on one lap. No one went down though. There was definitely some nervousness at the turn after the start/finish - safest place seemed to be the inside line, there was sand but it was avoidable, and no one else seemed to want to go near it.

some photos, courtesy the wife -
http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/slynkiestuf/Ris%20Van%20Bethel%202009/
PM me know if anyone wants a bigger version of anything.

The second cat 5 group looked harsh, they seemed to splinter basically from the start. Not sure if the wind had gotten stronger or what. Unfortunately I couldn't stay to take more pictures. Hope everyone else had fun and success of some kind!

^Cool photos.

We were in the same field. It was my last cat 5 race.
The dude who came in second told me that the dude who came in first (blue kit with orange flames, 'cross bike with slicks) is apparently a very high-level mountain biker... or something. He was largely content to go to the front and hammer at a decent pace for most of the race, which was fine by me because he was a great draft. He'll probably be a lot better when he learns how to race, because if he had actually attacked at the right time he might have held off the field. Maybe.

I did some serious n00b stuff and miscounted how many laps were left and sprinted up the hill when there was still one to go. Looked under my armpit and saw the gap and thought, "No way!" Then saw the lap card and realized, "Yeah, no way." Sat up, tried to recover, but wasn't quite ready when the pack came around again and only had juice enough to take third. Hilarious!

Great weather and lots of friendly people, and some of the better riding I've seen in a cat 5 field - nothing ghastly. I was surprised to hear lots of braking going into Turn 1.

The second Cat 5 field got pretty blown. The eventual leader was really motoring and the chase group was organized enough to tear the pack to pieces but not organized enough to generate enough efficiency to catch the leader. My buddy/traveling companion was spit out the back of it all.

That crash in the 4 field was unfortunate but if you're going to crash, might as well be a low-speed crash at the top of a small hill during a training crit.

Wasn't able to stick around to see the end of the women's field but it looked like a great, aggressive race.

I'll be back... I'm just not sure when.

Mattio, hopefully I'll see you at one of the bethels later in march!

I might come back to school on the 22nd so I can race bethel on the 23rd. There's a crit in Newark that I want to try too, so if I can come home, get a good nap, and get back to school fast, then the 4s at bethel will be in the cards for me. Might even stick around for the 3/4 depending on how I feel and the weather.

I was in the 2nd CAT 5 group. It was basically a double paceline for the first 3 laps or so, then it split up into a lead group of 6 or 7 and everyone else chasing. Then 3 or 4 laps later the chase group started to stretch out and before I knew it there were only 3 or 4 of us left chasing. Every time we'd take a corner, we could see the tail end of the lead group taking the next corner, but we never caught them. We ended up lapping some riders on the last 2 laps, as well. Nonetheless, I finished 12th out of 20 or so. I say "or so" because the finish sheet only listed 20 riders, but I swear there were more than that at the start line.

queerpunk, congrats on 3rd! best of luck to you in the 4s.

the more i think about it, the more i can't wait for next weekend. i realize so many things i could do better with little/no effort. one of which is, my awareness - i didn't even see the break go until it had a decent (considering the wind) gap on us, though i was at the very back when it happened.

did anyone actually jump to form the break, or did people just let gaps open after the turn?

I was in the 2nd CAT 5 group. It was basically a double paceline for the first 3 laps or so, then it split up into a lead group of 6 or 7 and everyone else chasing. Then 3 or 4 laps later the chase group started to stretch out and before I knew it there were only 3 or 4 of us left chasing. Every time we'd take a corner, we could see the tail end of the lead group taking the next corner, but we never caught them. We ended up lapping some riders on the last 2 laps, as well. Nonetheless, I finished 12th out of 20 or so. I say "or so" because the finish sheet only listed 20 riders, but I swear there were more than that at the start line.

His sheets only list the top 20 finishers.

His sheets only list the top 20 finishers.

there were only 20 riders in the first cat 5 group (if i'm counting the start-line photo correctly), so that worked out nicely ;) could very well have been around 20 in the 2nd group as well, it didn't seem like there were enough (50) riders to actually force the split to 2 races.

thanks y'all.


did anyone actually jump to form the break, or did people just let gaps open after the turn?

there wasn't an attack or a jump, but a pointed acceleration around four to go (maybe?) with that was matched by, what, nine or ten riders? The nice gentle downhill after Turn 1 made it possible to get a good head of steam and I think I remember closing a gap at around 36+mph at that point. I suppose, further back, that a gap opened up that couldn't be closed. I wasn't actually sure of what happened because I was trying to stay in the first six or so. Knew that it was strung out and took a shoulder glance to realize that there were a lot fewer people behind us. I assumed that that's what separated things since there wasn't really enough speed throughout the race to lead to widespread attrition.

thanks y'all.



there wasn't an attack or a jump, but a pointed acceleration around four to go (maybe?) with that was matched by, what, nine or ten riders? The nice gentle downhill after Turn 1 made it possible to get a good head of steam and I think I remember closing a gap at around 36+mph at that point. I suppose, further back, that a gap opened up that couldn't be closed. I wasn't actually sure of what happened because I was trying to stay in the first six or so. Knew that it was strung out and took a shoulder glance to realize that there were a lot fewer people behind us. I assumed that that's what separated things since there wasn't really enough speed throughout the race to lead to widespread attrition.

yea four to go sounds right...

what did you have for avg speed? my computer data got corrupted, it tells me 21.6mph but it also tells me 8.8 miles :( someone i talked to afterward said 23 i think.

some photos, courtesy the wife -
http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/slynkiestuf/Ris%20Van%20Bethel%202009/


Please tell me the guy in red in this one (http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/slynkiestuf/Ris%20Van%20Bethel%202009/?action=view&current=P1010389.jpg) is wearing some sort of sheer white legwarmer because I don't want to live in a world where human skin can be that pasty...

Hahahaha.

Please tell me the guy in red in this one (http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/slynkiestuf/Ris%20Van%20Bethel%202009/?action=view&current=P1010389.jpg) is wearing some sort of sheer white legwarmer because I don't want to live in a world where human skin can be that pasty...

:notamused:
i swear they darken up quick in the spring/summer..

edit: and by 'darken' i mean by, like, 1/8th of a shade.

I raced in the Bethel 3/4 field. It was pretty fun, fast pace. No breaks worth mentioning.

At the final Sprint , I was coming up the hill pretty fast, gaining lots of ground, guys that died sprinting just sat in the middle of the road, I got blocked by one guy near the little bend, I got around him,then another guy about 100ft from the finish line. After that I had lost all momentum and the race was over, I saw Aki go, but a friend was on his wheel, so I left him go. There were two sketchy riders in the field of 80. I was talking to a few guys after and they mentioned the same two that I spotted so I know it wasn't me.

I have ridden with the guy that came 2nd in the first Cat 5-he's pretty strong, really surprised to see him take 2nd.
I know the guy that won the 2nd Cat 5, he puts out about the same power as me and I'm a good/better than average Cat 3.

3/4 was pretty calm, took the first prime and then just caused trouble. It should be noted no one will take you seriously if you race in a plain yellow jersey. Blew the finale when I didn't get to the inside for the windy stretch (the sheltered side). cdr picked up 4th iirc.
123 was fun, that hill is much easier when the speed is up (no speedo), surprised myself by being able to pass stronger gents in the uphill and by being able to actually attack folks.
fun day.

Okay, now you guys are really making me want to head back to school early so I can come and play at bethel the sunday before classes start up again!

3/4 was pretty calm, took the first prime and then just caused trouble. It should be noted no one will take you seriously if you race in a plain yellow jersey. Blew the finale when I didn't get to the inside for the windy stretch (the sheltered side). cdr picked up 4th iirc.
123 was fun, that hill is much easier when the speed is up (no speedo), surprised myself by being able to pass stronger gents in the uphill and by being able to actually attack folks.
fun day.

Is that good or bad ?? Could go either way.

in the 123 real bad, in the 34 less so

..cdr picked up 4th iirc...

True. I got my customary warm up (rode from van to the start line, about 100 yards), so I tried to stay calm for the first few laps. I died a thousand deaths to get to 10 to go (30 lap race), cresting the hill more than once 5-10 feet off the back.

At 10 to go, at the very back of the field (where I spent all day), an old rival and friend offered to bring me up. I declined since I would have exploded after 30 seconds of effort and I didn't want to waste his time or energy.

At 7 to go, still at the back of the field, another long time friend (he helped with the first 5-6 years of Bethel and without him the Series never would have kicked off as well as it did) subtlely pulled in front of me, tempting me to get on his wheel like old days. My conditioned response must have kicked in because I got on his wheel and he dragged me, legs protesting every second, to about 20th spot in 1/2 lap.

After that I felt compelled to follow up with his sacrifice (he'd already done the M40+ race) and tried to go with each surge up the hill and each surge when things got strung out on the backstretch.

Just before 2 to go a wave of resignation passed through my body and I thought about sitting up. About 100 meters later I decided I could at least pedal for two more laps.

My teammates Mike and Andy both offered to lead me out, Mike even asked me where to drop me off (a la Steegmans + McEwen) but he surged up the hill and I couldn't stay with him. Since we were coming up on the bell it wasn't a good time to lose, say, 30 places, but I did, and we were already 20 or so back from the front. Arg.

I was hoping the headwind on the backstretch would make positioning less critical, and although I did a few surges (SRM admits to 3 x 600-650 watt efforts, the same effort it took me to get up the stupid hill every lap), I was still about 25-30 rides back with 250-300 meters to go (and 150 meters of hill).

Then the Moses thing happened - riders either went left or right and a five foot lane opened up in the middle. Before I could even think about it I was jumping into the gap, starting my sprint literally in the middle of the field, some zen thing trusting that things wouldn't close up (or I'd have to brake and that'd be it).

I kept sprinting and things worked out - I could go sort of straight up the hill and not hit any of the riders around me.

I knew that on a headwind sprint the first three guys who jumped would win. This is because it's too hard to overcome the headwind *and* pass a lot of people in the sprint. Sure enough the first three guys won.

They gapped the field by a bit and the guys gapped were running out of steam. I managed to just get past the last one in the field (i.e. for 4th place) before my sprint collapsed. I sort of medium pedaled the last stroke or two to the line. Ends up the guy I just beat (I only saw his wheel) is a guy from a few years back, friendly rival, car nut, helped me out couple times, who just moved into the area and we'd been talking for a while before the race. I told him I had been sick so not to look for me, and sure enough, he went looking elsewhere for a wheel. lol.

I started the P123 race, did 2 laps near the front, started to get gapped, waved the guy behind me to fill the gap, but he was gapped too. So I pulled off. Took a while for the single file and gapped everywhere field to go by me, but I was shot.

0:55 for the first race, about 5 minutes for the second. 25.2 mph first race.

169w avg for the 3-4 race, 1200 watt jump, 1000 watt sprint, and multiple 600-800 watt efforts up the hill. That means I coasted a LOT. 25.2 mph.

Beautiful weather. Raced in shorts, ss jersey, wind vest, long non-insulated gloves, and with cool shoe covers on. Clouds rolled in after the race, we transferred stuff to my car at my dad's in the rain, and it rained all the way home. Good day.

cdr

We were in the same field. It was my last cat 5 race.
The dude who came in second told me that the dude who came in first (blue kit with orange flames, 'cross bike with slicks) is apparently a very high-level mountain biker... or something. He was largely content to go to the front and hammer at a decent pace for most of the race, which was fine by me because he was a great draft. He'll probably be a lot better when he learns how to race, because if he had actually attacked at the right time he might have held off the field. Maybe.

That be Seamus Powell, who was my teammate last year before we both moved on to other teams(he's now on DEVO). He went to Junior Worlds last year. Plenty strong. Especially uphill. He does early season road racing to gain fitness for mtn biking.

That crash in the 4 field was unfortunate but if you're going to crash, might as well be a low-speed crash at the top of a small hill during a training crit.

Very true, although I was still impressed at how far my bike skidded on the tarmac. My body scrapes will heal, but the bike' won't. That's my first race crash, and I'm happy to have it out of the way w/out (serious) injury! :twitchy:

CDR, I saw you go up through the field, it was not a gap that you saw, but you got through it. I had a friend with me, I told him at the start of the race that you would finish in the top 6, he got on your wheel and followed you through, he said you pulled off the ballsiest move he ever saw, a tiny gap and you got up and went through it, nice job as usual.

heh. I swear it was about 5 feet wide. I figured it'd be tight for two riders, but for one it was a superhighway. It screamed "Ride here!" to me. I was close to someone when I jumped (s/he was to my left) so that was tighter (maybe a foot?).

Pace was not too fast leading into the sprint due to wind - I only went 27.x - 33 mph in that section, according to the SRM.

After the through-field surges I also had to coast briefly, probably so that someone would drift out of the way or something. 4 seconds at 0 watts, but I don't remember that. Probably the last flat bit, curving right, waiting for the sprint to open up (i.e so I didn't sprint through like I thought). Then I did my jump, 15 seconds of sprint, again according to SRM.

Hm. I jumped at 28 mph and slowed down all the way to the line. Odd. Yeah, it's an uphill, and I had to jump on the hill, but still, I'd have sworn I accelerated when I jumped.

Unfortunately no helmet cam, that's a tape I'd like to see again.

I can't sleep. It's half past midnight and I'm so tired I can't sleep. Ugh.

cdr

I was in the 2nd CAT 5 group. It was basically a double paceline for the first 3 laps or so, then it split up into a lead group of 6 or 7 and everyone else chasing. Then 3 or 4 laps later the chase group started to stretch out and before I knew it there were only 3 or 4 of us left chasing. Every time we'd take a corner, we could see the tail end of the lead group taking the next corner, but we never caught them. We ended up lapping some riders on the last 2 laps, as well. Nonetheless, I finished 12th out of 20 or so. I say "or so" because the finish sheet only listed 20 riders, but I swear there were more than that at the start line.

Good run, wish I could have made it. Logistically I would have needed to drive down the night before to make the race. In any case I'll see you on Wells this Sunday...I'll be in the 5s.

Very true, although I was still impressed at how far my bike skidded on the tarmac. My body scrapes will heal, but the bike' won't. That's my first race crash, and I'm happy to have it out of the way w/out (serious) injury! :twitchy:

Dude, what happened!

Is Tankus still a three?

Is Tankus still a three?

if that's his real name, he should by birthright be at least a 2.

We fought out results all last season. I'd say so.