Hermes

The course is in my backyard so I will do it if our schedule permits. We have a pretty heavy racing and travel schedule for 2014 with forward commitments which is great.

revchuck 

The TX state games TT and RR are on the same weekend as my team's home stage race. LA games aren't until sometime in September. Looks like I'm SOL.

Allegheny Jet

June 24 and 25 are already marked on my calendar. I'll probably do the TT again with my track bike in addition to the RR's just like at last summers State Games.

sarals 

PSG is the qualifier here for the 2015 NSG. I'll be at PSG! I haven't decided on Huntsman, yet.

George

Hey Chuck, if you go to the TX games, I may see you there.

Cleave

???? Per the National Senior Games Association (NSGA) web site and the California Senior Games Association (CSGA) web site, the San Diego Senior Olympics are the state qualifying games for the 2015 National Senior Games. You have to dig into the web site to see that the 2014 Pasadena Senior Games will conduct the cycling events for qualifying for the 2015 NSG. The CSGA web site also notes that there will be "Second Chance Qualifying" 2015 NSG in NorCal on Nov 8-11, 2014.

The cycling events are June 10-11, 2014, on my "home" circuit in El Dorado Park in Long Beach.

Hermes

The Senior Games are low on my priority list and I assumed that there would be a qualifier in NorCal. If not, not interested.

sarals 

Hermes, as Cleave said, there may be "second chance qualifier" in November. Keep your form up! Oh - on second thought, you do keep your form up!

AzTallRider

So there are currently (at least) 4 of us racing in the Pasadena Senior Games June 17-18: 5K TT and 40K RR Tuesday; 10K TT and 20K RR Wednesday. I just registered, and now I need to get a reservation at Casa Ex. In my mind, the big questions are:

1. Can I maintain my 3.3" advantage over Cleave in the 5K, if he doesn't have to race with a recalcitrant shifter?
2. Will riding an actual race bike in the 40K, and an aero one at that, keep cleave and Ex from bridging up when I attack? Or maybe let me contribute more when they do?

if you can call slowly rolling off the front an attack, which is what I did last year. I believe the thinking in the pack was "What? We're not racing already, are we?" Even Ex asking if they were sure they wanted to just let me ride away like that (thanks coach) didn't get them excited. Maybe it was the steel Gunnar that made them all shrug. We'll see what happens this year. The three of us are all in different age groups, so a three-way gets us three-golds. I think there will be more of fight this time. That would be good.

Hermes

Maybe when you rolled away, the competition was at its limits.

shovelhd

I'm qualified but won't know if I'm going until next year. I got a flyer for Huntsman in the qualifier goodie bag. Mid October. Nice and specific.

Good luck to everyone qualifying next month.

AzTallRider

I'm qualified for the NSG from our AZ races, but am definitely in "we'll see" mode.

From what I've heard, Shovel, the Huntsman games are really great, and I've been wanting to give them a try. I first heard of them from a neighbor I ended up next to at a stop light.

sarals 

I am told the Huntsman Games are a must do. Not this year for me, though.

I've got my work cut out for me in the four races this year. My team mate will be there, and I heard another 60 + woman who is deadly will be there, too (Norma). Maybe we can do what you did last year, AzT, and get a break going. Maybe I'll get to use my sprint!

I too have to make my reservation at Casa Ex. Taking the wine order, too.

Cleave

My earlier post showed the original dates for the cycling events. The new dates give me my first excuse out of my Bag-O-Excuses®; my wife and I are going to a wedding in Colorado on the Friday through Monday before the games. Maybe sleeping at altitude for the four days prior will give me an advantage for the 5K ITT on Tuesday.

1. Can I be only 3.3 seconds behind this year?
2. Can I win the field sprint after you and Racer Ex lap the field?

The quality of the field has varied greatly over the years. I think there is only one time that I didn't medal in the 40 Km road race. A former Polish national team member (and teammate to Thurlow at the time) was in the field and he was obviously, from looking at him, a sprinter. He was also strong enough to chase down anything that I or my friend could throw at him. If one of us wasn't attacking, we were otherwise plodding along. I ended up leading out the sprint with predictable results -- bad. The Polish guy said that at least I and my friend wanted to race. The others, not so much.

I've managed to get a medal in all of the other races I've done for the Pasadena (formerly California) Senior Games. This year will be especially difficult for me.

Huntsman World Senior Games: Cycling races - Oct 7-10, 2014. Basically, if you have a USAC license and race more than twice this year, you are in Division 1.

I have a few friends who have done this. They say it's a lot of fun and it's hard. One race per day that includes a full 40 Km ITT and 62 Km road race with a fair amount of climbing. I still can't go this year for what is now a number of reasons and with Minnesota on tap for 2015, I probably won't go to the Huntsman games until 2016 (if I survive until then).

Glad to hear that there will be more women racing this year. I need to drum up some support from the few Masters women that I know in this area.

Looking forward to the races even though this year has been pretty terrible for me at El Dorado Park (2nd excuse ).

shovelhd

Thats a very different format than the NSG. I don't have a TT bike so to have a shot at the jersey I'd have to do the hill climb. Ugh. Sure is cheap compared to the NSG though.

Cleave

One more training ride on the TT bike this evening before three rest days (Fri - Sun). A bit of a wake up ride on Monday and then we'll see what I've got for Tuesday and Wednesday at El Dorado Park.

Looking forward to it. Really.

shovelhd

Go get 'em.

AzTallRider

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and to doing a bit of racing. I'm slow right now, but will give it all I've got.

Oh, and between now and then, there is little RR, for the state jersey. I told a teammate that, since he feels strong and I don't, I'll do some attacking on his behalf, and if I'm still there, pace him up the final climb for as long as I can.

sarals 

I'm I don't know if I'm fast or not, yet. Got that?

I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone!!!!

I hope there's a decent master's field in the women's road races this year. I know my team mate is pretty darned good, and I'll be hanging on to her wheel for the duration. I hope I position better for the sprint this year, that is if the field isn't so strong that I won't be there at the end (could happen). If certain people show up, we could have a 40K crit on our hands. That would be cool!

Racer Ex 

I'm riding the Shogun in one of the TT's.

Cleave

^^^ No aerobar extensions, just bullhorns.

Hermes

I am 90% sure that I am coming down on Monday. I am torn between bowling and table tennis for the senior games. I figure those 65+ guys cannot bend over to bowl or see the table tennis ball so I will have a competitive advantage.

Cleave

Good times! More to follow.

AzTallRider

And more amazing hosting by Racer-Ex and his lovely and amazingly accommodating wife!

sarals 

Indeed it was!