globecanvas

Nice job @mattm. And @rubiksoval you are kind of crushing it lately! That baby is going to get bored of being in podium shots.

rideaz

I did a 110 mile/10k climbing gravel race on Saturday. It was brutal! I've never suffered so much on a ride. There were 25mph sustained winds with 50mph gusts.
I did this ride last year and it got cancelled at the 75 mile mark because of snow, this year we had heat and wind lol. I managed 4th place female, 2nd amateur but definitely cared more about the free finish line beer than the podium at this one! :-)
https://www.strava.com/activities/974121219

caloso

Awesome job Matt! Saw you guys working very smoothly and gaining time every lap. To win out of that break is very impressive.

I was in the E3 crit where the drone took out my former teammate. It must have landed pretty close behind. Unfortunately I forgot to put on my Fly6. Since it was our race it raises a lot of questions, probably not suitable for discussion here.

As far as the race went, I was in good position on the last lap but we weren't going fast enough to prevent the swarm. I got boxed in by a couple of juniors (I think) and frankly I just lost my nerve. I have a mortgage to pay and kids to feed. Sunday, I marked the race leader and we stupidly let a solo break go. And nearly got taken out by a not-a-junior who managed to piss off the entire field, multiple protests, and he was DQed.

Both days in the 45+ I just tried to help my teammate as best as I could when I could and then used the races for fitness. I don't have the motor to chase down all those stars and stripes and rainbow bands.

hack

Well run event as always ... thanks to you and your team @caloso

superdex

So, I have a short race "career." A couple DNF crits 6 years ago, 1 CX race in 2016. I'd consider myself a fast-ish rec rider. The last 3 years I've averaged around 1500mi/year, which I know is not a lot of miles to really be effective. But hey, why not dip my toes every once in a while and pin on a number?

6 May -- Oz Road Race in Watkins, CO (just east of DIA). 38mi square of flat roads (500ft elevation change). ~1mi section of "gravel" in the first third of the route. https://www.whitelinecycling.com/cop...e-directions-1

40+MM 4/5 -- my goal was to hang on as long as I could, knowing if either 1) it got windy, 2) hot from the whistle, or 3) both --I'd be spending $50 for a 35mi solo ride. I also knew the gravel section would have an impact. I pre-rode the course earlier in the week; the gravel was more like loose sand in places. I mentally noted to be on the left side when we got to it.

I had decent timing getting there, checked-in, and ~10min warmup. Shoulda lined up earlier, though: ended up in the last row. Surge City. the first 10mi or so were pretty chill, though there were random surges that just kinda happened. Being too far from the front to see, I don't know if guys were getting testy or what.

I was staying out of the wind and comfortable when we hit the dirt. Everything just kinda exploded. Riders scattered across the whole road looking for good lines and there were a handful of riders already on the side with pinch flats. I stayed on a wheel that had a good line and looked to make it to the pavement and BOOM both hands are off the bars and in that split second I have the image of Hincapie at Paris-Roubaix going no-handed into the ravine. I got my hands back where they belong and kept on charging.

So the dirt section split the group into two, with the main group motoring on and the rest of us collecting ourselves and riders to create a second group. We had about 12 guys, and after about 5mi of figuring our collective stuff out, we get into a solid, full-on, let's-try-to-catch-the-main-group rotation. That portion was a blast. Though I could feel my fuel gauge sliding. We were coming up onto a right-hand turn that put us more directly into the wind and a few miles of false-flat 2% grind.

Now, it wasn't terribly windy. Heck, it was only like 10mph. But it was enough to make a perfect storm for me: Going full-gas to catch the main group, slightly uphill (I'm 190 and let's face it, I don't have a lot of watts, especially for my weight), and now more directly into the wind.

I managed three or four rotations (maybe five) --it felt like we weren't quite lined up right with the wind on our left shoulders as there wasn't any shelter coming up the line. So by the time I was in front I was toasted crispy and could only manage a few pedal strokes before rolling off. It got harder and harder to take the last wheel and I finally lost it and popped off.

I could complain that everything hurt. My back, my hips, my left hand was numb, etc. (all true) --but I know exactly why I popped. 1) we were going full-on in chase-down mode, and 2) --and this is 99% of it-- I have very little race-situation group riding experience. So I don't have that type of training and experience. At least I'm not fooling myself.

I pressed on solo, watching them drift away (that's the worst feeling ever, btw). With about 7mi left, another group came up behind me and I had recovered enough to get into the rotation. For a couple miles, anyway. Then I popped again.

The finish was a lonnnnng straight, thankfully back downwind and slightly downhill. I rolled through with the best IAB I could muster.

1:42 and change, 30th out of 37. I don't know if my group ever caught the main group. I hope so, if only to make myself feel better about the effort. https://www.strava.com/activities/973675429

So. Lessons learned: 1) must ride in simulated race situations, in groups. That's the only way to train for it. (obvious, but yes, obvious) 2) Don't line up in the back 3) Don't give up.

PepeM

Sounds like a fun race to me, at least before you dropped. I do love those times when a group gets all together and goes for it, probably my favorite racing moments. I'd just say that if you were starting to feel like the end was near, you should have skipped a few pulls, or just taken really short ones.

superdex

it was a blast -- definitely felt "pro" ... for a few miles anyway That's the reason to do it again...

mattm

Thanks all!

Btw I'm pretty sure if you added up the ages of the two other guys the podium with me, it's about equal to my age.. #mastersftwintheprorace

mattm

Thx man! And big thanks to you and your team for putting on the race series, it's becoming one of my favorites.

Btw any idea if any photogs were around (or anyone with a phone even) to capture the end of the p1/2 race? I haven't posted up for a win in a while and am REALLY hoping someone got a video or pic of it.. so far no luck but I'm probably just impatient.

Really bummed my GoPro didn't work for that race; with the sun from behind it would have shown my shadow posting up, would've made for a great vid.. oh well.

caloso

I'm pretty sure one of our team did. If you're on FB, they'll post links there.

scheibo

nice job @mattm! i'm looking forward to this post-up pic.

rubiksoval

Suwweeett! Congrats.

Enthalpic

Awesome as always. You too mattm and rubiksoval.

UmneyDurak

Race from my perspective. I completely ****ed up the last corner.
Maybe you can spot yourself.

The junior was he on Mikes Bike team? I think only one I saw DQed.

mattm

So far there isn't one - @caloso, can you bug your team mates to see if anyone got a pic or video of the finish? I'm probably just impatient, but it looks like the photogs went home early and missed the Pro race..

I'd be willing to buy a crappy pic at this point from anyone!

caloso

Posted on the team page. I'll let you know what I hear.

caloso

Sorry, looks like he didn't get the shot you were hoping for.

https://sacpictures.smugmug.com/2017...23/i-4HnxSfp/A

mattm

Woo thanks! Yeah I guess I posted up a little later, but this is a million times better than nothing.

aaronmcd

Yeah, that's a little too close to post up before the line!

Wylde06

Club race last night, A group. Big turnout. First time racing on the course we used in like 2.5 years. They cut out the sections of concrete that could have passed as a war zone and poured new, so it was finally safe to ride and race a bike on.


Came in not last place, but the big thing last night was that after years of getting dropped/blowing up in the A races..I was finally relevant in the race. A break of 3 went up the road about 10 laps in and I was doing my part to try to help pull them back. Took some pretty big pulls, then was able to fall back and recover enough to be able to take more pulls. On the last lap I had a choice to make..either sit in and try for a sprint of some sort, or push the pace and put a really big dig in leading to the finish. Chose to ramp up the pace and ended up coming in at the back of the group, but im ok with that.


Super happy with how im racing right now


https://www.strava.com/activities/979026790/overview

TMonk

not to beat a dead horse, but, awesome race @mattm! stoked to read that.

mattm

This is a dead horse I welcome further beatings on!

Thanks man.

I posted on FB that it was a big deal for me after crashing recently etc, and my mom was like "maybe you should quit now while you're ahead" - and I'm thinking HA! If I quit now, I'll never be able to do something better.

I think she's afraid I'll crash again on the way to greatness, which is probably true.

mattm

Awesome! Sounds like the training is paying off.

caloso

Nice job, Wylde. I know exactly what you mean.

tetonrider

this was awesome to read. congratulations!