Quinn8it

Nice Work Vance!!!

those 1/2/3 fields at VSC are never easy! between the pros and the local up and coming junior talent it just doesn't let up!

the new bike looks great! and i like the Buff Physique your getting..

a little advice- as you pack on the muscle, you are gonna want to close that gap on the wheel in front of you!

fat-boy tactics!!!

Hermes

Vance, you look great in the pic and congrats on the race performance.

DanAVL

Nice Vance!

zitter

First night back on the track since my crash at collegiate track nats last year. Crash left me off the bike for 2.5 months and a phobia of mass start races. Did the 4/5 omnium and planned to go off the front to create a selection so I wouldn't get stuck in the 4/5 field.

First event was the flying 333/lap. I forgot how the track atmosphere was and was rushed to get my **** together. Wound up doing the lap in my 92 instead of my preferred 98 and did a 20.69. Was pretty surprised it was good enough for the best time of the night.

Second event was the 5 mile scratch. Attacked from the gun as planned and stayed away the whole time as planned. A couple guys went with me but they blew up, but then my friend who is a strong road 2 focusing on track this year bridged up and we held a half lap advantage for 15ish laps. He was definitely a smarter track rider and stronger in general (I'm a roadie/trackie, not a trackie/roadie), so he attacked me with 1 to go after my pull and I had to settle with 2nd. Felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest.

Third event was the unknown distance scratch race. I decided to change my tactics a bit as I realized there were some stronger riders in the field and I couldn't just rely on my strength to win. Sat in for about 80% mostly because I was boxed in and didn't want to go to the back to come over the top. Finally got to the front and threw in a moderate attack. Created a gap and kept going so I wouldn't get swarmed in the pack again. My two buddies/main competition went with me and I took third after being not so smart with the intensity of my pulls.

Fourth event was the 24 lap points race. At this point, I was leading the omnium with 15 points, and my two buddies were at 14 and 13 points (4th place was at 6 points). I knew I just had to beat them to take the overall. With 2 to go, we were pretty even and the race was still up in the air. I saw that second place was a little boxed in and I decided to attack and try to beat him in the final lap. As a roadie, this move might have been decent, but as I don't have as much experience on the track, I failed miserably and realized very soon that it was a bad move. It was too late and I was out of gas. Both my rivals were in the top 4 on the final lap, but I finished outside of points, so I went from 1st to 3rd in the omnium.

Lessons learned: don't rely on my strength as much, conserve more energy when pulling, know my opponent's limits, be more aggressive with positioning (will come with time as my confidence grows again), and be smarter in general haha

VanceMac

Skinny jokes aside, I was frustrated both during the race and even more so watching the video. I'm usually pretty tenacious with holding a wheel but during that race, I was not very tight. During most of the race it was just being sloppy, I think the extra fast pace had me leaving more of a gap than usual during transitions. During the last 5-6 laps, though, it was just so fast, I had trouble closing that 1 bike length. I was afraid to burn my last match closing it, but ended up burning more than that by eating wind for a kilo+. All easily assessed from my chair... but when you're about to pass out...

jmikami

I always find myself more off wheels in the early season, at new tracks or with new riders. Part lack of form in the early season, but more getting to know the people I am riding with and reaching a comfort level for who is a good wheel and where the rough spots are on the track. Especially as I have gotten older. Earlier in my racing life it didn't matter and I would overlap wheels all the time, now I find leaving a full wheel gap gives me plenty of draft while still allowing me to react to various pace changes.

I also find that I ride a steadier pace when a full wheel off the back and that I make less minor speed changes with my legs and use the bank in the corners to adjust my speed more which actually saves my legs as well as less stress on my brain. It seems the first month of the season is spent just figuring out my ideal pack position for the year - any energy wasted too far back is more than made up for in lack of stress and the additional fitness by working harder.

VanceMac

Remember that next time you're agonizing over 2" gear difference (which I do constantly). Unless someone is severely cadence limited, it doesn't matter that much. Nice job on top time.

This is why we love track!

shrinkboy

Superdrome in Frisco Tx had its first Points Series races on 4/4, and I was there for it. A great night to finally get some track racing in this year, to be continued on 5/2. I'm almost 63, and this is my third year to race track. I started at the end of the crit season in 2012 and did fairly well against a bunch of juniors and much younger Cat 4s. Last year was hit or miss. I decided to commit to track this year, and have done a year of high intensity intervals on the trainer 2xweek, sometimes 3. On 4/4, as usual I was the only guy even remotely in my age group, so I got put in the Cat 4 field with a bunch of fast juniors and adult Cat 4s. There is no way to be 63 in that crowd without noticing how much younger every last one of those guys is. Anyway, we did all scratch races, 1.5k, 4k, and 5k. there was a 17 year old who dominated by attacking from the get go and splitting the field immediately. forgot his name, but he is strong. but my story here is that my year of intervals paid in that I did not get dropped and finished in the bunch on the same lap with the winners in each race. I felt like I'd won a Tour stage, especially after getting dropped in almost every race last year.

looking forward to 5/2, and big Matrix Cup weekend 5/16,17,18

gtrob

Matrix cup looks like a fun weekend, and is even a CL3 UCI event. Thought about coming down but there is enough going on around here in May.

Anyone heading to the midwest challenge in June at Indy? Planning to make the drive down and do some of the timed events.

Hermes

Nice racing Shrinkboy. Frisco is a fun track. I raced masters nationals there in 2011.

shrinkboy

thanks, Hermes. i'm sorry to have missed Nats there that year. S'drome just underwent a facelift, and got, i think, 18 new boards, plus a new surface. it is a great track, and i'm happy we have it. the people who run it are dedicated, good people

wens

What's the date(s)?

shrinkboy

Matrix is 5/16,17,18/14

gtrob

Indy is June 13th weekend, its on the NTC and UCI calender this year so should be lots of fast wheels

https://www.usacycling.org/usa-cycli...k-calendar.htm


Also a week before Ohio state champs if you are looking for a tune up Speaking of, Ill see you at the Cleveland track this summer if you are there!

wens

I'll be racing cleveland track nearly every week, so that's very likely. Indy I'd say I'm 70/30 going to do.

Quinn8it

OH!
Keirin, Team Sprint and KILO!!!

love to go to Indy this year..

indy? stay married? indy? stay married?.........

jmikami

Save it for the Alpenrose/Marymoor week. July 18-19-20 at Alpenrose and then July 25-26 at Marymoor (Nats preview)

Can't miss week ... bring the wife and stay married.

VanceMac

I couldn't find any details for this year's Alpenrose yet... will it likely be same event slate as last year?

jmikami

Details are missing ... Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge | Omnium Events

however it is always everything but team pursuit. flying lap, Sprints, Kilo, Keirin, OS for the sprinters and Madison, points, scratch, pursuit and miss-n-out for the enduros, or buy your all for one discount package. Masters, women, Open and last year they had a cat 3/4 and junior omnium. They break out the 50+ masters for kilo and pursuit.

I'll chat with the promoter next week and see when we can get the schedule up.

Quinn8it

50+ Kilo!?!?!

thats got Vmac written all over it!!

Hermes

^^^ He loves the kilo and he considers any 50+ trackies that do the 500 wussies.

jmikami

I am pretty sure the 50+ only do a 500 and a 2k, which is why they are scored separately. However the 50+ riders are more than welcome to ride the kilo and 3k, but would be scored as 40+ then. Or do the 500 in 50+ and double up with the kilo in the open field.

Quinn8it

What's not to love about the kilo?

VanceMac

Hermes jests, but I do think it is RIDICULOUS that they alter sprint distances as you age up. And especially ridiculous given that the kilo is a signature event. (How do you remove the kilo from the Olympics?!?)

gtrob

If they can have 900 different distances and styles in swimming and track running, I think they could find a place for a kilo and 4k, but thats another topic

I never really understood why masters races were always 500 instead of 1000. Its no less difficult, if anything it just turns it from a sprint/endurance event to a pure sprint event. Is Master's world cup the same way?