Webster-Roubaix Part Duex:

Race Photos by Gerald Bouchard. Email Gerald by clicking here

A couple of weeks ago was Webster-Roubaix, a race that is quickly becoming a Florida classic. With 2.5 miles of dirt roads per lap of the 9 mile circuit and the longest race of the year, just finishing the Webster-Roubaix race is a feat in and of itself.

Our own Tal Mincey took part in the Masters 35+ race which is arguably the most hotly-contested field year in and year out. Packed with the who's who of Florida racing, including many former and current Cat 1 and Cat 2 racers, Tal more than held his own on the demanding Webster course.

Finishing in the top 10 without any teammates is more than worthy of praise. Cycle Logic truly appreciates the contribution that Tal is making to the team and look forward to the inevitable day when Tal cracks this field wide open.

Also testing his mettle in Webster was our very own "Patron of the Pack", the "Elder Statesman of the Race-men", El Jefe...Scott Pfaff. Scott has submitted his very own race report, so here you go:

Last year's Roubaix started out well enough but ended abruptly when my handle bars broke with one lap to go. Fast forward one year and one new set of carbon bars later and we are at the start of this year's Webster-Roubaix, or as I heard the announcer call it, "The Hell of the West”.

Tal and I pre-road the course the week before so we knew what we were in for, dirt and loose gravel. My plan was to stay at the front or as close the front as possible on the dirt sections to avoid the melee in the field that was to sure to happen.

The first few laps of the race I road at the front in order to pick my own line through the course. With 50 guys in the race I didn’t want to have to worry about someone else forcing me into a bad line.

On the very first lap two guys decided to have a go and see if they could last the 105 km’s on their own. The break never really got very far and was left dangling for a while. On the 3rd lap there was more interest in making something happen and the front of the race really came alive. This is were it pays to be at the front, if you were caught in the last half of the pack you were really going to have work hard to keep a good line in the dirt and to bridge across to the group that made it to the pavement first. This was the first selection and it easily cut the field in half.

On lap 4, a group of 12 was able to force a break on the dirt and make it stick. By lap 5 the break had been reeled in and unfortunately the guys were spent and couldn’t stay with the main break. We lost 4 from the original break of 12 over the last 3 laps to finish with 8 in the lead group.

This course doesn’t lend itself to a standing sprint, it’s more of keeping your head down and driving the pedals as hard as you can. I was lucky and managed to get 3rd overall in the 45+ field. Thanks to my wife and Justin for handing me bottles so I could wash down the extra dirt I managed to ingest on every lap. This is one race that when you finish you say to yourself, “I’m never going to do this again”, but after a few days you start thinking about next year!

Scott

Congratulations to both Tal and Scott!

All Post-Race Photos provided by Scott Pfaff

Vicious Piccolos in South Florida

Ok, not a fun weekend for Big Ryan, Il Flaco and the Dogg.
Saturday's .5 mile flat crit course at Brian Piccolo park was shaped like the letter "B" but rode like an "F."

The curvaceous course and 25 mph crosswind singled up every race like a string of sweaty, gasping, dayglo pearls desperately trying to cling together. Every lap found racers torquing hard left then right then sprinting out of the saddle over and over then slamming into a headwind on the only straightaway. The string was constantly broken with loose pearls scattering every single lap until only enough remained to make a small bracelet.

In the Pro 1,2 race only a dozen or so finished as a group. Ryan was rolled off a little before that.

In the 3 race I'l Flaco managed to roll up a $50. preme while The Dogg finished with the pack panting and drooling dog slobber everywhere.

The next day at Vista (Vicious) View park the gusty winds were even stronger and two surprisingly steep hills worked us over.
Vista View is a man-made mountainous anomaly of trash piled 100' high and situated at the edge of the dead flat Everglades. Covered with grass, the 30 or so acres has a winding, hilly paved road circuit of 1.5 miles that is only totally opened to the public for bike races.
The view of suburban neighborhoods stretches for miles in all directions and it appears homeowners, desperate for any change in elevation above southern swampland actually pay a hefty premium to back their homes up to a toxic landfill.

The race, with a hill top finish was all about staying in the front to maintain momentum in the tricky, often off- camber corners. The first hill had 70' of elevation change and a stiff crosswind. At the hilltop you expect a little rest on the decent but a rude headwind practically pushed you back up. Upon hitting the bottom you make a hard 90 then climb up 50' in elevation to the start/finish. At this point riders who had a little left tried to jump away on the 1/2 k flat but curving flat top. Then you plummet back down to a greater than 90 degree off camber left turn then head back to the big hill. Over and over you were either sprinting up two big hills, chasing solo breakaways or trying not to fly off the course into a toxic pond at the base. Every race broke up fast and finished with about a dozen.

B. Ryan placed 8th - 3 out of the money and Il Flaco about the same but with another $50. preme.
The Dogg, having an inexplicably bad day, got dropped early on but managed to team up with another loser and finished just ahead of the lapping leaders and emerged victorious ahead of all the other losers!

I can't wait to try this course again.

K-Dogg

Ronde predictions?

Go ahead, let's hear your prognostications for this weekends Tour of Flanders. **try not to name Boonen the winner

Winner gets a free Cycle Logic cycling cap*** (James'll mail it to you)

***some restrictions apply, winner to be determined by correct answers on a 1st come 1st serve basis.