acorn_user

But upgrades are usually done by local officials. I'm sure they know the score on Jeff Cup and will count it. It is a bit odd how much work it is to get from 3 to 4 for women. We have some strong women who would like to, and could, ride women's A for collegiate races, but they would have to do a large number of races to get the points, especially with the fields being so low that points are hard to come by.

[I don't know who the change in collegiate upgrades was supposed to benefit, but it does seem to get in the way of a lot of people]

Colonelmom

we will probably get wet... and only 8- 17 mph winds... I road and raced in TX for a little while.. so anything under 20 is a breeze... but that's enough to keep a break from sticking unless a team sits up front and holds the field...
I'll ride my Orbea.. I've put too much work into it and me... not to.... if the roads are wet.. I'll just let a little air out of the tires...

aicabsolut

Oh ok, I was seeing something saying that they'd be around 20. I'm from the coast, so I'm used to wind...just not with these wheels yet. I don't get too worried about it till it's over 25mph, but if the road is crowded, I don't want to be pushed around too much.

Flatballer

Got a few teammates heading up. I hesitated for about 3 minutes and didn't get into the 5s, it closed almost immediately.

I'm going to Greenville, NC for a crit Sat and Sunday instead. Seeing the weather, I'm kinda glad I'm not going to Jeff Cup. Maybe next year, as a 3 hopefully by then.

Colonelmom

After ALL that the weather reports has changed again... "A chance of showers before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph increasing to between 13 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible." Typical Jeff Cup weather...

bdcheung

Translated: "We have no effing idea what the weather is going to be but we'd rather give a pessimistic forecast so that, if we're wrong, you're happy".

sounds typical for this region.

bdcheung

And now the chance of precipitation before noon is 30%.

ridethecliche

One step at a time. You (and I) both have a long way to go.

acorn_user

So I rode the course this morning. Parts of the course took a beating over the winter; you need to watch for a series of nasty potholes on the right hand side of the road inbetween the start finish line and the first climb. Once over the climb, there is a nasty hole on the left hand side of the road at the bottom. The course looks ok otherwise.

See you tomorrow! (I'll either be wearing a white UVA cap or a green fedora)

Colonelmom

thanks for the intel.... I'll pass along to my teammates...

I be in my Rostello colors... or in a "life is good" cap

acorn_user

This morning's race was afflicted by punctures. I think some kids had been smashing beer bottles over the course the night before. I saw three people get punctures in the men's 50/60 race just riding to the start line. It was pretty mad. A lot of people ended up puncturing and then could not make it back in. I feel for the Van Dessel rider who flatted both of his wheels though. He'll be spending some time gluing tonight!

I followed the 5 race later on in the wheel van. We had no takers at all. The 5 race was extra aggressive, with a couple of my team mates repeatedly trying to get off the front and not quite making it. In the end, one of the went with a k to go, figuring he would beat some people and keep out of the way of the sprint madness. Unfortunately, one of the guys who caught him before the line hit him and they both crashed. Poor sod.

*new*guy

by the time the masters race started at 2:45, the wind was a significant factor, and it affected the race beginning on the 2nd lap on the "big" climb when the pack split. I was too far back and got caught behind the split. Me and another fellow tried to get across and nearly made it before we both popped. At that point, I thought we were done for but the folks behind had bigger numbers so we jumped on and all got back on the front group. The wind combined with the accelerations the group would make on the downhills while those in the middle or near the back were still going up were just too much for the pack to stay together.

On the third lap the group split yet again and I, along with two others made big efforts to try and get back on but it just wasn't happening. The wind was too much to fight without a larger chase group. At this point, I decided I was just going to put my head down and bury myself for the remaining 35miles or so. Every so often I would catch and pass someone who had fallen out of the main group and when I came to the final K, I saw the field coming back towards me on there way back to staging, so I couldn't have been that far back of them at the finish so it was a good exercise in turning myself inside out alone. Crap result, great workout.

NomadVW 

Rolled the masters, had a teammate up the road with the longest break of the day - then we caught the break halfway through lap 5ish and he wasn't in it. He cheered for me from the side of the road as we started lap 6 and explained later he bonked hard and should never have tried for the break.... ah well. Tried to get some free pulls up to the break, but Evo was doing a great job keeping things in control - even tried to ride MDCatV's coattails up to the break but nothing else was sticking.

Nearly got caught out the first time the pack nearly split when ABRT tried to shutdown the main break of the day, but played much better cards rest of the race heading into that top corner - except the last lap where I got to cyclocross my way up the hill from the leeward side.

Pace from the last turn to the S/F was as fast as I expected. I turned the corner as the last guy in the pack and watched guys get popped one after another on the long drag to the finish. Ended mid-pack, and pretty happy with it overall.

Hard race - very smooth and safe - but fantastic workout.

jfmckenna

That was rough that's all i can say. I puled out after 5 laps. First race I ever quit in my life

NomadVW 

Field attrition was no joke in the 35+ or the 123. Some big names from both race start lists are missing from the results.

MDcatV

new guy/nomad, if I would have opened up this thread and read "what an ez race" my bike stuff was going on ebay by noon.

wind was a significant factor, so was - believe it or not - heat. amazing how hot 70 deg F feels when you've been riding in 40 deg F and rain all winter long.

good race, fun and challenging. some highlights from my perspective:

-early move had fast guy on a ridley noah in it, I've learned on BF that guys on ridley noahs going up the road warrant attention, so I went with him.

-when I got to ridley noah, he and 3 others were looking at each other, so I went straight through them. I leaned on BF that I'm immoral if I dont pull through, so that's what I did.

-then we hit a wall of wind when ridley noah came around me, and I got dropped from that move.

back to the field I went, red faced and tired.

lots of front clogging happening by ridley noah's team and another team, and knowing the guys up the road, I thought they were gone. so I attempted to explain to nomad who was up the road to propose we fly the coop, he explained to me he had a guy up the road. I burst into tears when he told me this but didnt want anyone to see me cry so I just accelerated. I went nowhere, like most of my acclerations.

last lap, I felt like dung, my teammates except for 1 all felt like dung, so with about 5K to go there's a little climb, my teammate with good legs was on the front, I was about 4th/5th wheel, he looked back and I mouthed "go" to him. He went, I got on the front and went at my speed (i.e. s-l-o-w) and he was gone. 3 guys were up the road by about a minute at this point, and my teammate held on for 4th.

I laid down a 490 watt sprint for the coveted 24th place.

new guy, you werent very far behind at all. good on you for the efforts.

edit: forgot to add, very nice to see some BF faces out there and to talk with you all pre-during-post race.

bdcheung

Ridley Noah = G. Opria = Former teammate of our very own Racer Ex.

NomadVW 

Your bike stuff is safe. Good to chat more than just the "nod" on the Sat 10am last year.

MDcatV

ya, I've raced against him before and knew he as a big motor if up the road. he's a very good bike racer, I was surprised to see him again pre-finish line. as he was going backwards I said to him "good try", if he heard, I hope he understood it was sincere.

bdcheung

his new noah is good lookin, though, isn't it?

Colonelmom

SHORT VERSION.. OF the back again... BUT faster than last year..

Long version

Since Jeff Cup is one of the few race where the CAT 4 women race separately, I followed my coaches instructions and TOEd the start line... I was ready to race... we had one flat and one cut tire at the start line.. and gals that didn't know what neutral wheels ment.. so with some help.. we got the ready to race... and we're off...
I have NO trouble clipping in.. and start rolling.. looking left and right.. wondering where the field is... keep pedaling.. and I'm on the FRONT.. not where I want to be.. keep pedaling and hear.. the first crach behind me... DON't LOOK back; I've made that mistake before... and still out front.. don't want to be there... So I soft pedal, slide a couple of place back.. just in time for the first RIGHT TURN.. lot of "SLOWING" and a crash on the inside... cause me to go wide.. and loose the front five wheels... DIG up that dang hill by the winery.. and no juice... CRAP... so put my head down and work on TTing... trying to catch the gals who were also spit out the back because of the crash...
On lap TWO.. manage to link up with two other gals.. and we work to the finish... I ended up 24th.. out of a field of 43.. SO not bad... ironically finished in 1:05:16, last year's winning time was 1:12:57... LOTs of strong CAT 4 women this year.. winning time was 57 minutes this year...

MDcatV

yes. that's a really good looking machine.

*new*guy

nice that we have some BF folks working the masters fields this year. It will be fun for all of us. On to Walkersville and Tysons. woohoo. I did my 90minute ride to work this AM into that NW wind and felt almost as beat as I did yesterday.

Nomad... who do you ride with now?

jfmckenna

I didn't know it was the Masters state race till I had already registered the cat 123. I probably would have done the masters race but oh well. It's way too early in the year for me anyway, as I would assume it is for most of us. It's an early state race but then again there really are not that many road races in VA this year.

NomadVW 

Riding with Whole Wheel this year - and as long as I'm in the area (another year and a half? or so)

We're racing mostly Masters stuff this year as much as possible. Walkersville's the 35+ 4/5 for me to ride with teammates. Everything else I'm doubling up on pretty much, but focusing on the Masters stuff.