esammuli

I think Matthew Shackley was the youngest. I saw him doing roll out before the race. Unfortunately he flatted, chased back right before the climb, then got popped.

spinwax

Ah, that is too bad. Matt is local here in Vegas. He is a great rider with lots of potential as well.

spinwax

I raced Sun. It was extremely slow. I pushed the pace a bit when I went to the front and pulled it up the hill which still wasn't real fast because I felt like crap(anyone can vouch for me that I did all the work at the front to the top of the climb). The downhill was fast as well when my teamate James Pearce sat in the front for about 5 miles (he placed 6th). Honestly, I was happy it was slow for the terrible day I was having. I barely made it around...LOL You can't be on all the time I guess.

I overheard some guys from a team (no name mentioned..LOL) saying it was slower than their Sunday group rides, but I never saw any of them go to the front and try to make it faster let alone make the top 6 places...LOL. That talk always makes me laugh.

esammuli

My brother was in your race. I think he said your lap time was around 1:26.

FWIW ours were 1:19, 1:14 (ouch), and 1:16

umd

It looks like you almost had the guy for 3rd but he just edged you out...

umd

Our first lap was noodling around 1:24, second lap despite getting dropped halfway up the climb I did 1:23... I'm pretty sure I just didn't eat enough and what I did eat was too much protein and not enough carbs.

spinwax

WOW! Cool photo. Yep that is me (blue and white) and you can see my teammate right back there. I could barely stand up I was so cramped. I have never cramped like that before. Yeah, I lost 3rd by about 3 inches. I definitely was not nearly close to the top of my game.

I still had a blast racing with some really nice folks and that is all that matters. It is amazing the really cool friends with the same interest I have made in less than 5 months of racing. Racing/riding is the best thing I have done for my self in a long time.

I am so excited to race 4s. My first race as a 4 is SLO. Can't wait!!!!

Sinn

Cat 4 mens Scnca State Champ RR Bakersfeild:

Half of this report is eye-witness, the other half hear-say. I'll indicate which is which when relevant.

First lap: SLOW, with a very finicky pack. Lots of speeding up and grabbing handfulls of brake. There was a mishap not 50 yards from the start -- only one guy down. Not a good omen. After that there was a 6 man break before the first climb. It was caught before the climbs too. First descents were very finicky. Still no one wanted to attack. Everyone seemed to be saving it for the second time around. I got out front a few times, reintegrated into the pack during the climbs and hung out the back on the first descents (away from the push and stop). The group was mostly relaxed on the flats. Only one attack. It happened on a downhill and, of course, it came to nothing (he must not know the third law of racing: never attack on a downhill).
(all of this is eye-witness)

Second Lap: Group was extra tight this time around. I spent most of my time boxed-in on the far left-middle of the pack. It seemed like everyone was boxed-in like this. A line opened up before the climbs (after the right turn) and I took it. I held a reliable wheel up 3/4 of the climb, but I had to cool it in order to make it over the top. I was at the front of the last 1/3 of the group when I crested the ridge.

On the second descent, I underestimated a switch-back about 1/2 way down. I entered it a bit too fast and, while modulating my speed to make it through the turn, my rear wheel slipped on the dirt on the road. After recovering (and relocating my dislocated shoulder -- ouch!) I noticed that the turn had 2-5 feet of dirt covering the road on each side. A very sharp, very steep, very narrow turn. Not easy. I should've entered that turn slower. I am paying for it with a very sore neck, ribcage, and shoulder today.

The rest of this is hear-say from the guy I hitched a ride home with: There was a breakaway over the second climb. But they slowed up on the flats and got caught. Before the final turn in to the straightaway, somebody hit a road sign (What?!) and took out 5 or so other riders. Then, while the pack was gearing up for the final sprint, someone at the front of the pack fell over (why, my pal couldn't say) and took out 10-15 (including my pal).

I have no idea who won. I rolled in 5-10 minutes after the carnage to find a bunch of grumbling cat 4s.

Another typical cat 4 road race, I guess.

umd

I was standing at the finish and heard about the crashes at the finish from the announcer and a junior friend. I was behind the announcing booth so I didn't see anything, just heard lots of talk of the carnage. Just be glad you weren't out in the wet on Saturday, I lots of people with torn clothes, road rash and broken bikes. Fortunately I fell into the road-rash only category, but a lot of people overcooked the descent. It was actively raining during the first wave and merely still wet during the second wave.

Spinwax, I was in the group lined up to start when you guys where finishing. You can thank my wife for the pics

spinwax

Tell her thanks!!! My wife will dig the pics. She is the good looking asian girl with the big camera taking all the photos. She has been having some camera issues so her photos were below par this weekend. I had a below par ride and she had below par photos...LOL.

Does anyone know who won the 4s? 3s? SocalCycling doesn't have any results posted yet.

Yeah, I hated to hear about the crash. A few guys I know ended up in it.

BTW, I thought the race course was pretty nice. I liked the scenery. The only ugly part was the oil field area. The climb was cool and steeper than I thought. I think if our race was two laps, the sprint would have came down to a group of only 10 or less.

umd

spinwax

Thanks man.

My picks to win 4s was either Jamie Lanza or Freddy Prado.

For 3s it was Shane or David Santos.

Man, good guesses. I should be a booky or something. LOL

I am assuming Shane and David will move to 2s soon? I don't think that guy David Santos has EVER had an off day. He wins EVERYTHING!

Robert Shaw must have flatted, or just had a terrible day. He is a stud as well and usually is on the podium.

esammuli

I talked to Shane the other day and he said he was upgrading after this weekend.

umd

This was David's first race as a 3, and probably Shane's last. He made his bid to get away right before the climb but he was marked and nobody gave him anything. I would not be surprised if he tried to get away more times during the rest of the second lap, but he's not a sprinter and when it came down to the field sprint he was just kind of in the pack. I've heard of David's name especially after crushing the 4s in Ventura but I didn't know who he was... I'll bet that was the case for others as well. He seems to be more of the sprinter type so I'm sure he will crush his way into the 2s soon enough as well. :sigh:

I'm nothing if not consistent at least. I always seem to finish around the same group of guys... I do take some consolation in that I rode a faster lap saturday "cruising" by myself (well, one other guy, but we were riding side-by side and talking) than I did last year in the 4s so I know I'm making year-to-year progress even if day-to-day it feels stagnant.

spinwax

Tell Shane congrats!! The kid is a stud. Ah, to be young again (sigh).

spinwax

All that matters is you are still having fun. When the fun goes away, it is time to do something else, or change everything about your racing.

This is all so new to me again that I am just happy to stay up right. Next season will be a the one for me. I am going to train to win, not just ride.

redal

I know I'm jumping in a little late, but I wanted to give you guys my perspective on the race and this seemed like the best quote to respond to. I told esammuli good job after the race, the only thing I would say is that you looked a little too eager at times. You'll learn. Trust me, I'm 35, have been racing over 20years and I have learned a ton this year from my two teammates that raced on pro teams the last five years. umd correctly aswered that my teammate Jeremiah won. Our plan from the beginning was to try and keep the race together. I assured Jeremiah that if he made it over the climb three times, I would keep it together to the finish for him. Our team started the race with six guys, but not taking anything away from our teammates we knew that myself, Kyle and Jeremiah were the only ones that had the fitness to have an impact on a 93 mile race. I know that Jeremiah and Kyle are better finishers so I knew my role.
We let the early break roll and besides covering some attacks on the first lap to make sure none of the teams we would need to help us chase, got up the road, we didn't do anything until after the climb the second time. Once we started chasing we brought the gap down to a minute when the break had lost one of the guys, but then my teammate told me to chill again and save my efforts, because he would need me to keep it together at the finish. A few different groups attacked and two guys made it up to the solo leader. They then strecthed the lead back to around 2 and a half minutes. I rode tempo the last time up the climb and then we started chasing through the rolling/headwind section. I was trying to save Kyle and Jeremiah, but Kyle started taking good pulls once we were within a minute. The Platinum guys were helping as well and Walker took some good digs into the headwind once we had them within a minute. We caught the break with about two miles to go and before taking my last pull to finish them off, I told Kyle I was going to be done when we caught them. I heard him yell after I caught them and I knew I was going to have to cover the counter attacks and keep it smooth going in to the finish. I followed a couple of counters and after Walker attacked and then took a good dig just under a k to go, I pulled through and then swung off to get out of the way of the sprinters. My teammate was about 12 back which had me a little worried, but I figured it was an uphill/headwind sprint and he's the sprinter so he must know what he's doing. As I came into the finish they announced him the winner so I let out a few yells.

spinwax

^^^^^^Redal seems like a super modest guy, so I will praise him. He won the 35+ on Sat!!! Not only that he races the 93 miler 1-2 the next day!!!!???? STUD!!!!

Congrats man!!!! That is just awesome.

redal

Thanks Spin. Sometimes I feel like talking about myself on here comes across as bragging. Honestly, I was almost more stoked with Jeremiah's win yesterday than I was with my win Saturday. Don't get me wrong, I was happy on Saturday, but Sunday was the main event and J assured me afterwards that I was a big part of the win. I just put my head down and did what I was told to do. I had the easy part. He said he felt like he had to win because of all the work Kyle and I did and that he had the easy part.

BTW nice to finally meet you umd and kuf. umd, do you think you could PM me that picture that you were showing me Saturday.

umd

Oh yeah, I was going through the pictures at work but left the memory card there by accident, so I'll finish going through them and put them up on my blog tomorrow. It's funny, I was most disappointed about my accident on Saturday because I was looking forward to the opportunity to blow myself up working for my teammates. Here's a good one of you OTF at Barry Wolfe to tide you over in the meantime...

spinwax

No way, are you kidding? Your sponsors want results posted everywhere possible. That is why they pay money to be plastered on your kits! LOL.

Anyways, a guy that is strong as you doesn't need to tout himself; others will do it for you.

I feel the way you do. I was more stoked for my buddy who got 6th in the 5s. He just started racing and I not that long ago was getting dropped on Sunday rides. It was awesome to see how excited he was to be there for the sprint. It is cool to see people really enjoy the sport, friends and lifestyle.

Again, congrats. I hope to be racing (and beating ) you soon. I think I may need a little more training under my belt before I can give you a run for your money (actually, a lot more training and possibly some EPO)

redal

Thanks! I like that one. I would imagine kuf took that since you were racing? Anyways, that's a nice shot! (If I do say so myself).

umd

I suck so I need to tout myself

I took that one... I got popped after 25 minutes. kuf took pictures while I raced and I took the rest afterwards.

Grumpy McTrumpy

God that was hard.

The first long TT of the season. 20 mile out-and-back with 650 feet of elevation gain on the second half of the out leg. My FTP is definitely higher than last time I did this one, by at least 10%, although I was not nearly as well-rested as I could have been had this TT been planned as an A race. I was hoping to beat 50, came close at 50:36. That was enough to place 4th out of about 25. The course record is 46:26.

Everything hurts. Time for serious rest and recovery phase.

Youngin

Been rowing not riding so thought I wouldn't do great.

Mid pack finish.

Realized I was going faster than the group, kept that up, crossed the line and won a ninja prime. Sweet, but my MN Junior Team jersey gave me away as did my lack of a mustache, so they gave me DZNutz instead.

Stayed upright despite having poor handling skills and rubbing wheels!