Monday, July 14, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Stage Race Report
by Mike Arena
July 3, 2008
Stage One: Individual Time Trial
The time trial course was 6.9 miles long, and fairly steadily uphill for the first 5 miles, followed by a fairly quick descent to the finish. I had a chance to ride the course the night before, so I knew what to expect. I had an early start the next morning (8:38:30), and got plenty of sleep, but not quite enough of a warmup. I opted not to borrow any clip-on aero bars, as I hadn’t trained with them at all, and was running a regular road setup. This might have been a mistake, in hindsight.
When I got to the starting ramp, there were gaps all over the place in starters – I didn’t have a 30 second man, and my one minute man was missing two people in front of him. I walked my bike up and tried to breathe deeply. The holder started squirming, and I nearly ate it before I even started.
The launch went smoothly though, and I quickly accelerated up to speed after, of course, posing for the five cameras lining the road just past the ramp. I hit the first hill entirely too hot, and nearly blew up before I reached the top. I dialed it back a bit (kept the heart rate down to 186) and kept going. I caught my one-minute man about 2.3 miles into it. I caught sight of my 2:30 man at about mile four. By the time we crossed the line, he was about 100 meters in front of me. I had closed in a bit closer by the top of the climb, but his aero bars and disc wheel (and legs too, I suppose) let him open it back up on the descent.
I kept it in the big ring the whole time, which definitely saved some hassle, but found myself out of the saddle twice, barely turning over 53x25 (I refused to dump it to the 27). All in all, I came in with a time of 19:46.08, good enough for 19th place, and I think possibly the best time for a non-aero setup. It felt good, and was a blast. Time trials are definitely in my future.
July 4, 2008
Stage Two: Road Race
The road race was only 46 miles long, but with a fairly large amount of elevation change. The staging area was in the parking lot of a ski resort, and went down a quick descent (started halfway down) into a hard right, which then rolled for a few miles, before turning and heading straight up a wall into the town of Princeton, taking a hard right, and continuing straight up out of the town for about another quarter mile or so. The road then climbed steadily up before rolling slightly and reaching the King of the Mountain points line (and also the turnoff for the mountain finish). I’m not sure about the exact elevation numbers (somewhere around 900 feet per lap), but my ears popped twice – once on the way up, and once on the way down.
I’ve never started with such a huge field of riders. I believe there were 130 or so. Straight off the bat, the race hit 40mph heading down the second half of the descent with a huge pack of nervous folks. By the time we got the first corner, I was on the outside and managed to keep my speed through the turn and make up about 20-30 spots to put me toward the front of the field, but still about 40 riders back.
The beginning of the race was fairly uneventful – lots of dropped chains, a few flat tires, but no major hang-ups. The first time up the wall, some guys at the front decided to push it and see who was there to race. It was a tad nerve-wracking having 130 guys all out of the saddle and rocking their bike at the same time, but everything ended well enough. The pace picked up as people were gunning it for the KOM points, which I gladly sat in and watched them rack up – conserve, conserve, conserve. The first time down the hill was fierce, easily hitting 57-60mph. I was tucked fairly well and trying not to touch the brakes. Thankfully, they’d opened up the entire road for this part of the course, so there was plenty of room to move around.
I stayed toward the front for the next lap, and found myself sitting about three back for the second time up the climb. A friend on Cambridge Bicycle’s team (and the race leader at the time) was out in the wind, so I offered him a wheel to follow and paced him up the climb.
The third lap read much the same; surges everywhere, faster on the ups than the downs, a few chain drops, a few flats. The wall was starting to hurt a bit (as if it didn’t on the first lap…) but it was still manageable and I was still feeling incredibly good. That is, until we got to the descent.
I’m not quite sure as to the cause, but my chain popped off the ring to the outside just as I was getting up to speed down the hill. I tried not to panic (difficult when things are going wrong at 55mph) and attempted to shift it back on. Somehow it became jammed between the small ring and the chainstay, and my cranks locked up. Uh-oh. I managed to barely come to a stop safely (of course just at the bottom of the hill) and quickly jump off and fix it as the field absolutely flew by me.
I hopped back on and used the little that was left of the hill to get back to about 45mph, but with the field still flying, it was useless. I made the decision to give it everything to try to get back on, as the first few rollers were generally recovery time in the pack. The smart thing to do would have probably been to ride tempo to the finish, climb the mountain, make the time cut, and race the next day. I’ve never said I’m a smart rider. I kept seeing lines of stalled traffic at the top of every hill, giving me hope that the pack was just over the next roller, and I’d be back on in a few minutes. Not the case. After about six miles of chasing at my absolute limit, I hit the wall and quickly realized the folly of my ways.
Never before in my life have I hated the sound of clapping and cowbells so much. I barely struggled up the hill, nearly falling just before the corner. By the time I got to the KOM points line, I was toast. There was a delightful rock pit on the side of the road where I single handedly won a cookie-tossing contest. With only two miles and 700 feet of climbing left, I was finished.
Given another chance, I’m sure I’d make the same mistake again and try to chase back on with everything I had. If I’m not racing to win, I’m not really racing.
July 3, 2008
Stage One: Individual Time Trial
The time trial course was 6.9 miles long, and fairly steadily uphill for the first 5 miles, followed by a fairly quick descent to the finish. I had a chance to ride the course the night before, so I knew what to expect. I had an early start the next morning (8:38:30), and got plenty of sleep, but not quite enough of a warmup. I opted not to borrow any clip-on aero bars, as I hadn’t trained with them at all, and was running a regular road setup. This might have been a mistake, in hindsight. When I got to the starting ramp, there were gaps all over the place in starters – I didn’t have a 30 second man, and my one minute man was missing two people in front of him. I walked my bike up and tried to breathe deeply. The holder started squirming, and I nearly ate it before I even started.
The launch went smoothly though, and I quickly accelerated up to speed after, of course, posing for the five cameras lining the road just past the ramp. I hit the first hill entirely too hot, and nearly blew up before I reached the top. I dialed it back a bit (kept the heart rate down to 186) and kept going. I caught my one-minute man about 2.3 miles into it. I caught sight of my 2:30 man at about mile four. By the time we crossed the line, he was about 100 meters in front of me. I had closed in a bit closer by the top of the climb, but his aero bars and disc wheel (and legs too, I suppose) let him open it back up on the descent.
I kept it in the big ring the whole time, which definitely saved some hassle, but found myself out of the saddle twice, barely turning over 53x25 (I refused to dump it to the 27). All in all, I came in with a time of 19:46.08, good enough for 19th place, and I think possibly the best time for a non-aero setup. It felt good, and was a blast. Time trials are definitely in my future.
July 4, 2008
Stage Two: Road Race
The road race was only 46 miles long, but with a fairly large amount of elevation change. The staging area was in the parking lot of a ski resort, and went down a quick descent (started halfway down) into a hard right, which then rolled for a few miles, before turning and heading straight up a wall into the town of Princeton, taking a hard right, and continuing straight up out of the town for about another quarter mile or so. The road then climbed steadily up before rolling slightly and reaching the King of the Mountain points line (and also the turnoff for the mountain finish). I’m not sure about the exact elevation numbers (somewhere around 900 feet per lap), but my ears popped twice – once on the way up, and once on the way down.
I’ve never started with such a huge field of riders. I believe there were 130 or so. Straight off the bat, the race hit 40mph heading down the second half of the descent with a huge pack of nervous folks. By the time we got the first corner, I was on the outside and managed to keep my speed through the turn and make up about 20-30 spots to put me toward the front of the field, but still about 40 riders back.
The beginning of the race was fairly uneventful – lots of dropped chains, a few flat tires, but no major hang-ups. The first time up the wall, some guys at the front decided to push it and see who was there to race. It was a tad nerve-wracking having 130 guys all out of the saddle and rocking their bike at the same time, but everything ended well enough. The pace picked up as people were gunning it for the KOM points, which I gladly sat in and watched them rack up – conserve, conserve, conserve. The first time down the hill was fierce, easily hitting 57-60mph. I was tucked fairly well and trying not to touch the brakes. Thankfully, they’d opened up the entire road for this part of the course, so there was plenty of room to move around.
I stayed toward the front for the next lap, and found myself sitting about three back for the second time up the climb. A friend on Cambridge Bicycle’s team (and the race leader at the time) was out in the wind, so I offered him a wheel to follow and paced him up the climb.
The third lap read much the same; surges everywhere, faster on the ups than the downs, a few chain drops, a few flats. The wall was starting to hurt a bit (as if it didn’t on the first lap…) but it was still manageable and I was still feeling incredibly good. That is, until we got to the descent.
I’m not quite sure as to the cause, but my chain popped off the ring to the outside just as I was getting up to speed down the hill. I tried not to panic (difficult when things are going wrong at 55mph) and attempted to shift it back on. Somehow it became jammed between the small ring and the chainstay, and my cranks locked up. Uh-oh. I managed to barely come to a stop safely (of course just at the bottom of the hill) and quickly jump off and fix it as the field absolutely flew by me.
I hopped back on and used the little that was left of the hill to get back to about 45mph, but with the field still flying, it was useless. I made the decision to give it everything to try to get back on, as the first few rollers were generally recovery time in the pack. The smart thing to do would have probably been to ride tempo to the finish, climb the mountain, make the time cut, and race the next day. I’ve never said I’m a smart rider. I kept seeing lines of stalled traffic at the top of every hill, giving me hope that the pack was just over the next roller, and I’d be back on in a few minutes. Not the case. After about six miles of chasing at my absolute limit, I hit the wall and quickly realized the folly of my ways.
Never before in my life have I hated the sound of clapping and cowbells so much. I barely struggled up the hill, nearly falling just before the corner. By the time I got to the KOM points line, I was toast. There was a delightful rock pit on the side of the road where I single handedly won a cookie-tossing contest. With only two miles and 700 feet of climbing left, I was finished.
Given another chance, I’m sure I’d make the same mistake again and try to chase back on with everything I had. If I’m not racing to win, I’m not really racing.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Support for local racer
There is a HUGE 5 day juniors stage race (The Tour de l’abitibi) held in Canada (40th annual this year) at the end of July that has been touted as the largest junior stage race in the world, and is part of the UCI Juniors Nations’ Cup. Two of our fellow Central Florida Cyclists have been invited to attend as members of the Florida Velo Development Team (Jimmy Page of Citrus Cycling and Will Willis of ASV/Gold’s). Obviously this is a HUGE opportunity for these guys as well as the rest of their team plucked from South Florida (Preferred Alliance) and North Carolina (Hincapie) as these guys will be competing against 26 other teams from around the WORLD (including the USA National Development Team)!! This international competition is considered the most important development road race of its category. It is also North-America’s most difficult and longest in duration and distance.
Obviously, traveling and supporting a 5 day stage race takes some funds, so Citrus Cycling is holding a benefit ride (metric century and some shorter distances) to help these guys pay for their trip the weekend after Independence Day. It would be great if we could get a bunch of us to show up and support these guys and ride alongside the future legends.
I’ve attached some links that explain the race and the benefit ride below.
floridacycling.com
TourAbitibi
(click on the English tab at the top right if you cannot read French)
Citrus Cycling
Team Armada
JP/CL
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
They're Here!
The long-awaited, much anticipated photos from our trip to the Tour of Georgia. There are many many many photos, some may seem like duplicates, but this slideshow was generated by compiling the photos from three different groups of people.A large amount of work went into trying to add captions and descriptions for most (at least the fist half) of the pictures...so make all the time spent on this stupid thing worth while by reading a few of them.
If anybody would like a high resolution version of any of the pictures in this slideshow, contact the team and we'll work something out for $20-$30/photo.
Enjoy the photos by clicking HERE
-OR-
Go to www.5count.com/ToG-Gallery/
Catching Up
Be sure to scroll down our blog to find new additions, announcement and results. We have also updated some older posts with great photos thanks to our resident pro, Gerry Bouchard. We've been lax in our updates and have recently made a concerted effort to bring you back up to speed, "Catchup", if you will. Some entries of note:• Stolen Bikes!!!
• State Road Races, Age Day and Category Day
• New Member: Tal Mincey
• Sugarloaf photos by Gerry Bouchard
• A State Crit report by Scott Pfaff
• Photo Slide show from the trip to North Georgia for the Tour of Georgia
STOLEN BIKES
This past weekend, two of our teammates had their bikes stolen. Below is the original email from our very own Rachel Hallum regarding this heinous act.
Hey everyone,
Last night Roger and I had our bikes stolen from the Turkey Creek area (off Hwy. 441, near Alachua). Some jerks literally ripped them off our roof racks.
The bikes are a silver and black CANNONDALE SYSTEM 6 and a black and white SPECIALIZED TARMAC EXPERT with red handlebar tape (both are between 49 and 52 cm; I can't remember the exact frame sizes). The Specialized has a couple of scratches on the top tube. Both of them are missing their front wheels, and the Cannondale is also missing the back wheel.
PLEASE, if you see these frames anywhere, or if someone tries to sell them to a local bike shop, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
My number is 386-956-9231.
Roger's number is 352-870-8600.
Hey everyone,
Last night Roger and I had our bikes stolen from the Turkey Creek area (off Hwy. 441, near Alachua). Some jerks literally ripped them off our roof racks.
The bikes are a silver and black CANNONDALE SYSTEM 6 and a black and white SPECIALIZED TARMAC EXPERT with red handlebar tape (both are between 49 and 52 cm; I can't remember the exact frame sizes). The Specialized has a couple of scratches on the top tube. Both of them are missing their front wheels, and the Cannondale is also missing the back wheel.
PLEASE, if you see these frames anywhere, or if someone tries to sell them to a local bike shop, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
My number is 386-956-9231.
Roger's number is 352-870-8600.
Monday, June 16, 2008
State Road Race Championships-Age Day
photos by Gerry Bouchard
It was once said, "To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport." -Scott Martin
Members of Cycle Logic confronted pain this past weekend on the beautiful State Road Race course surrounded by horse farms in the Ocala area. Saturday's races were reserved for all the age-groupers and Cycle Logic made it to the podium on more that one occasion.
The Juniors 10-12 race once again saw Justin Pfaff step up onto the top of the podium as he took his second State Championship jersey of the year (ed. Justin also won the State Criterium Championship back in May).
Kerry Duggan, Ken Sallot, Rob Robins, Tal Mincey and Scott Pfaff were the other brave teammates to vie for a State Championship crown.
The veteran, Kerry Duggan, had no problem keeping pace with a deceptively strong 45+ Masters field to finish in the lucky 13 spot for his 50-54 age group. In the 30+ Masters race Ken Sallot got caught behind a gap in the peloton and was forced to venture forward solo. Despite having to race the following day, Ken drove it hard to the finish for a respectable 39th on the day.
Competing in the same race as Sallot- Rob Robins, Tal Mincey and Scott Pfaff were left to fight for position in the field while some of the fastest men in the state forced the pace at the front. Tal's first experience in Masters races proved to be a successful one as he was the teams top finisher in the ultra competitive 35-39 age group. Tal finished 12th and more than proved his worth as Cycle Logic's newest teammate. Rob Robins continued to show his great form as he slotted in just two spots behind Tal for 14th.
Still in the same race, but competing against the 40-44 year olds, Scott Pfaff pfinally reaped some glory after sewing the seeds of consistency all year long. Racing against these same guys week in and week out proved to be the advantage for Pfaff as he knew the wheels to watch in the closing laps. Staying close to the front and giving it everything all the way to the line resulted in Scott's first ever podium finish as he placed 2nd in his age group!
It was once said, "To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport." -Scott MartinMembers of Cycle Logic confronted pain this past weekend on the beautiful State Road Race course surrounded by horse farms in the Ocala area. Saturday's races were reserved for all the age-groupers and Cycle Logic made it to the podium on more that one occasion.
The Juniors 10-12 race once again saw Justin Pfaff step up onto the top of the podium as he took his second State Championship jersey of the year (ed. Justin also won the State Criterium Championship back in May).
Kerry Duggan, Ken Sallot, Rob Robins, Tal Mincey and Scott Pfaff were the other brave teammates to vie for a State Championship crown.
The veteran, Kerry Duggan, had no problem keeping pace with a deceptively strong 45+ Masters field to finish in the lucky 13 spot for his 50-54 age group. In the 30+ Masters race Ken Sallot got caught behind a gap in the peloton and was forced to venture forward solo. Despite having to race the following day, Ken drove it hard to the finish for a respectable 39th on the day.Competing in the same race as Sallot- Rob Robins, Tal Mincey and Scott Pfaff were left to fight for position in the field while some of the fastest men in the state forced the pace at the front. Tal's first experience in Masters races proved to be a successful one as he was the teams top finisher in the ultra competitive 35-39 age group. Tal finished 12th and more than proved his worth as Cycle Logic's newest teammate. Rob Robins continued to show his great form as he slotted in just two spots behind Tal for 14th.Still in the same race, but competing against the 40-44 year olds, Scott Pfaff pfinally reaped some glory after sewing the seeds of consistency all year long. Racing against these same guys week in and week out proved to be the advantage for Pfaff as he knew the wheels to watch in the closing laps. Staying close to the front and giving it everything all the way to the line resulted in Scott's first ever podium finish as he placed 2nd in his age group!
State Road Race Championships-Category Day
Cat 3's
With our expanding number of category 3 teammates, Cycle Logic was able to field four strong, smart, competitive cyclists for the Cat 3 race. So Rob Robins, Eric Stubbs, Gerry Bouchard and Kerry Duggan toed the line. (Would have been 5, but some moron stole Roger Montes' bike the night before the race)
With the feed zone packed with other Cycle Logic teammates and supporters, the heat of the day was kept at bay by way of copious amount of ice-cold fluids. The boys in Orange and Gray were vigilant at the front in the early laps and Rob Robins was diligently going with everything that attempted to go up the road.
In the end, it was gruppo compacto and a bunch kick was surely going to be served. Due to Eric Stubbs' pension for finding the front at the end of a race, the boys sacrificed themselves in hopes of yet another good finish by Eric and once again, he didn't disappoint. Placing 7th gave Cycle Logic an outstanding finish in a supremely competitive field. Rob gave it a dig in the sprint but was bumped into the grass and was forced to roll through cyclocross style.
Cat 4's
Ken Sallot, Anthony Musalo, Mike Arena and James Penrod took to the line in the Cat 4 race which started in the heat of the day at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The blistering sun would soon be replaced by Armageddon-like clouds which ultimately brought hurricane force winds, lightning, thunder and cold rain.
With all our 4's on top form for this race, hopes were high that we'd be able to work some tactics and have a serious card to play in the finale. With Sallot working tirelessly at the front in the early laps covering any promising move, the field thinned under the pressure and heat of the day. Musalo and Arena negotiated the hills effortlessly while Penrod found the pace to be easier than his spirited training rides over these same roads.
As the storm approached the race officials shortened the race by two laps and gave the field "one to go". With lightning strikes hitting the ground only a stones throw away from the finish line and the wind blowing riders all over the road, a portion of the field wisely exited the race and took cover along with the many stranded spectators.
Musalo bravely forged ahead for the final lap managing to stay at the front of the attacking field. As the remnants of the cat 4 field came into view on the finishing stretch, the wind was blowing the rain and the riders sideways. Unable to see the finish line Musalo misjudged his kick slightly and still managed a 9th place finish.
All of our team, friends, family and supporters stayed safe and the worst of the storm passed without casualties.
All in all, a great weekend of racing and some more great results for Cycle Logic. Thanks to all the teammates who came out and raced, volunteered driving wheel trucks and official cars, worked as corner marshals, or picked up trash along the course following the races conclusion. Cycle Logic has once again shown it's support for the Florida racing scene through its willingness to help.
With our expanding number of category 3 teammates, Cycle Logic was able to field four strong, smart, competitive cyclists for the Cat 3 race. So Rob Robins, Eric Stubbs, Gerry Bouchard and Kerry Duggan toed the line. (Would have been 5, but some moron stole Roger Montes' bike the night before the race)
With the feed zone packed with other Cycle Logic teammates and supporters, the heat of the day was kept at bay by way of copious amount of ice-cold fluids. The boys in Orange and Gray were vigilant at the front in the early laps and Rob Robins was diligently going with everything that attempted to go up the road.In the end, it was gruppo compacto and a bunch kick was surely going to be served. Due to Eric Stubbs' pension for finding the front at the end of a race, the boys sacrificed themselves in hopes of yet another good finish by Eric and once again, he didn't disappoint. Placing 7th gave Cycle Logic an outstanding finish in a supremely competitive field. Rob gave it a dig in the sprint but was bumped into the grass and was forced to roll through cyclocross style.
Cat 4's
Ken Sallot, Anthony Musalo, Mike Arena and James Penrod took to the line in the Cat 4 race which started in the heat of the day at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The blistering sun would soon be replaced by Armageddon-like clouds which ultimately brought hurricane force winds, lightning, thunder and cold rain.With all our 4's on top form for this race, hopes were high that we'd be able to work some tactics and have a serious card to play in the finale. With Sallot working tirelessly at the front in the early laps covering any promising move, the field thinned under the pressure and heat of the day. Musalo and Arena negotiated the hills effortlessly while Penrod found the pace to be easier than his spirited training rides over these same roads.
As the storm approached the race officials shortened the race by two laps and gave the field "one to go". With lightning strikes hitting the ground only a stones throw away from the finish line and the wind blowing riders all over the road, a portion of the field wisely exited the race and took cover along with the many stranded spectators.
Musalo bravely forged ahead for the final lap managing to stay at the front of the attacking field. As the remnants of the cat 4 field came into view on the finishing stretch, the wind was blowing the rain and the riders sideways. Unable to see the finish line Musalo misjudged his kick slightly and still managed a 9th place finish.
All of our team, friends, family and supporters stayed safe and the worst of the storm passed without casualties.
All in all, a great weekend of racing and some more great results for Cycle Logic. Thanks to all the teammates who came out and raced, volunteered driving wheel trucks and official cars, worked as corner marshals, or picked up trash along the course following the races conclusion. Cycle Logic has once again shown it's support for the Florida racing scene through its willingness to help.
Welcome, Talmadge Mincey
Cycle Logic would like to announce it's newest member, Talmadge "Tal" Mincey.Tal's incredible work ethic and ability to ride fast will be a valued asset to the team, but his easy-going, friendly personality is what makes Tal such a great aquisition. We look forward to having Tal in the orange and grey and representing our team for years to come.
Tal had one heck of a debut for the team this past weekend at the State Road Race Championships held in Ocala. Only a cat 5 and participating in the most competitive field of the day (the Masters 30+), Tal more than impressed with his 12th place finish in his age group. Just keeping pace with a field chock-full-of Pro,1,2's certainly speaks volumes to the potential of our newest member.
Please join us in welcoming Tal Mincey to the team by leaving a comment.
photo courtesy of Gerry Bouchard
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Lake Louisa Circuit Race #3 Recap
Ron and James showed up at the third installment of the 2008 Lake Louisa Circuit Race series this past Tuesday night to test their training. Both of us had only been on the bike seriously for about a week and a half. My work schedule and Ron's injuries from the Deland crit kept us from doing any serious training in the weeks prior, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing us both a well needed rest from the early Florida racing schedule. We are both ramping up for the State Road Race in Ocala in June, so we figured we'd try our legs on the rolling hills of Lake Louisa.
With only two Cycle-Logic teammates showing up, and about 6 Armada teammates present, we saw immediately we were outnumbered. I gave Ron explicit instructions not to start any fights (he's bad about that sometimes J). Seriously though, with that many of one team showing up, we figured they would ramp up the pace, and hopefully take some responsibility in pulling in any early breaks. Although we watched them intently waiting for one of them to charge off the front, it never happened. One unattached guy got away early, and two more joined him in the following laps.
Ron and I both tried to share in the work, attempting to keep the pace high enough to wear out some of the other riders while diminishing the gap at the same time. With the wind in our face on the final descent, Armada put their big guy on the front and he hammered his way down hill, reducing the gap to mere seconds. After the turn around, Ron immediately got away from the group, and with no intentions of slowing down, immediately caught two of the three guys who had been in the wind off the front for nearly the entire race and expeditiously passing them on the first small hill. Unfortunately, one of the Armada guys (Dave Perry, I believe - a lanky hill-climber-looking guy) was right on Ron's tail and stayed there until they were halfway up the final hill.
I still being in the pack approaching the final ascent to the finish, attacked the field with the craze of a rabid mongoose. Keeping an eye on my shadow to make sure nobody was following, and watching my heartrate steadily climb far past my comfort zone, I kept my head down, and stayed as aero as I knew how. Although we did have an uphill tailwind, I pegged my HR at 185, and reached deep to keep my momentum as I approached Ron and Dave. Once I reached them, they stood up and started accelerating again. It took all I had to not give up at that point.
I mean, I was dying!!
The hopes of possibly getting a 10 second draft off of these guys was all that kept me from passing out!
…and they stand up and accelerate?
Looking back, I could see the pack far enough away to tell that if I held my pace, I should be able to hold my current 4th place spot, so I just pulled whatever motivation I had out of my burning legs, and aching lungs and kept it going. Although I sounded like a steam engine with my huffing and puffing at the finish, I kept my 4th place, with Ron coming in 3rd.
We both came out to test our legs, and get a good workout, and came away with a 3rd and 4th.
Congratulations Ron.
With three and a half weeks to go, I think we should be ready for the Ocala Road Race.
See you there.
JP/ CL
Monday, May 19, 2008
State Criterium Championships
Weekend Race Report - submitted by Scott Pfaff
Saturday, May 17th 2008
Scott's race
Saturday’s race was held in the parking lot across the street from the Lakeland Civic Center. When I first looked at the course on Friday night I thought “alright! this is going to be flat, no problem I can handle this..” well let me tell you this 6/10th of a mile 8 corner course was anything but easy. It seemed all you did was: pedal..corner, pedal..corner, sprint..corner and then you got to coast for about 10 seconds along the back stretch just before you slammed into a tight left hand turn that was about as wide as a sheet of plywood.
The first 7 or 8 laps were the worst then you finally got the rhythm of the course and then only thing you had to worry was when your heart was going to burst out of your chest. The pace of the Masters 35+ race claimed its fair share of victims, I was almost one. For some reason I stopped paying attention and drifted way too far back, you know like 20th place, the place where you watch breaks go away and there is nothing you can do about it. I was back there thinking about crocheting or needle point or something important when the next thing I knew there were giant gaps all around. It took about 4 laps to recover from that fiasco and get back on with the lead group, yeah I know it serves me right but when you only have 3 matches to burn in a race everyone is precious (yes I only have 3, I’m old remember). I held on to the bitter end and finished in the spot they hold for me in every race, 14th.
Justin's race
Justin’s race was for some reason very nerve racking, his mom and I talked about it after the race and we couldn’t quite put our finger on why we were both so nervous about this weekend. Maybe it was the word “Championship” attached to the weekend or maybe it was because it has been almost a month since his last race. What ever the reason we both had butterflies for Justin.
Justin started his race by attacking immediately and was able to get a gap of about 20 yards. We had talked before the race about doing this and seeing if he could get one of the older kids to go with him. If not he would hold it for one lap and then ease back into the group. Well he held for 1 lap and none of the older kids would bite so that was that. As he eased back into the group one of the older kids from Colavita attacked and stretched the group out in a straight line for about a half lap fortunately Justin was paying attention and was able to fold right into the group and stay with the leaders. Team Calovita had two riders in the 13-14 age group riding in support of their 10-12 year old points leader. It was allot of fun to watch the kids experimenting with team tactics at this age, it makes the race feel like a scaled down pro event. The points leader would attack while his teammates would block and Justin would have to cover with no help from the other team. It made me happy to see him pay attention to the race and understand the tactics that were being employed. He never let the break get too far before he would reel it back. This happened about 4 or 5 times before they gave up and decided to let it come down to a sprint.
The bad thing about our position on the course was that you could not see the last two corners before the final sprint. You could see the course up to 3rd to the last corner but that was it. Justin was 4th wheel going into that corner so I felt pretty good with his position in the group. But I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him come around the final corner with about a 10 yard gap on the field. He was standing and sprinting out of the saddle like we had talked about so many times before but he never really seemed to know when to do it. This time he had it timed to perfection and was going for all he had. He just got nipped at the line by a 14 year old to get second in the overall group and first in his division. The kids in his division never made any ground up on Justin once he started his sprint. The best part of the win was the new handle bars Justin won for me, well okay, he’s not really going to give them to me but I can dream.
Sunday, May 18th 2008 “Championship Day”
Justin’s race was at 7:45 am and needless to say the butterflies started at 5:00, Jan and I both felt exactly as we had the day before. We have always felt a little nervous before Justin’s races I think that’s normal for parents but I’m beginning to think that because Justin is becoming more competitive in his racing we’re becoming more anxious for him.
Justin’s race started with an attack by the boy who leads the 13-14 age group points series and was the boy who nipped Justin at the line on Saturday. Justin went with him for awhile but came back to the group. When we talked after the race he said he was afraid he would blow up and not be able to sprint in the end. The group worked fairly well together with a few attacks on the hill leading up to the finish line. Justin was able to react well to all of them and was well placed going into the final laps. This race was not nearly as exciting as the day before as I think the older kids, while still riding in support of their points leader, were obviously thinking of their own podium position on that day.
The boy who broke away at the start was never really threatened by the group and won the overall race easily. The part that I did not expect was how the rest of the race would unfold. This course has a long incline leading up to the finish line, it’s not really steep but after going over it time after time after time it really hurts, I speak from experience on this one. The other feature of the incline is that you can’t see the corner or the lead up to the top of the hill from the finish line so it’s always a surprise as to who is going to be leading at the crest of the hill. Well to my surprise who comes blowing over the top first but Justin and he has about a 20 yard gap on the field. This time though there is nobody in the field to challenge him to the line and he wins riding away. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited as a pig in a mud bath! I was excited for the win but I was also excited because I think Justin maybe starting to realize how to finish a race, that’s something I still haven’t learned how to do!
My race started the way they all do, I look up and down the start line and say, "what am I doing here?" It seemed every pro that was 30+ years old had decided to have a go at winning the “State Championship” jersey. I know what you guys are thinking “that’s no way to start a race”! Well I still haven’t gotten over this feeling and I have been racing with these guys for 2 years now so I doubt it’s leaving anytime soon. I think it may stem back to this same race last year when I pre-rode the course in my car the night before and thought humph that hills not so bad! Well 10 minutes into last years race and 8 times over that D#$% hill and I was, how does James say it, “Attacking off the back”.
So we are sitting on the line and the official is going over all of the pre-race stuff and the guy next to me, who I have been racing with for awhile, leans over and says “what are we doing here with these guys”? Well immediately I feel this great weight lifted off my shoulders, I think at least I’m not the only one. About that time the whistle blows and the pain begins. The first fifteen minutes of a race are always the hardest for me, it seems like I always struggle to find that just right position in the field. The one where you only do the amount of work that is expected and not one bit more, remember I only have 3 matches.
The pace was hard this year but I was able to hold my position throughout the race and while I’m not going to make any teams stand up and take notice, except maybe the ones in my dreams, I finished the race without getting dropped. Yes I know, I finished in one of those reserved spots for Scott J. Pfaff, 16th.
Saturday, May 17th 2008
Scott's race
Saturday’s race was held in the parking lot across the street from the Lakeland Civic Center. When I first looked at the course on Friday night I thought “alright! this is going to be flat, no problem I can handle this..” well let me tell you this 6/10th of a mile 8 corner course was anything but easy. It seemed all you did was: pedal..corner, pedal..corner, sprint..corner and then you got to coast for about 10 seconds along the back stretch just before you slammed into a tight left hand turn that was about as wide as a sheet of plywood.
The first 7 or 8 laps were the worst then you finally got the rhythm of the course and then only thing you had to worry was when your heart was going to burst out of your chest. The pace of the Masters 35+ race claimed its fair share of victims, I was almost one. For some reason I stopped paying attention and drifted way too far back, you know like 20th place, the place where you watch breaks go away and there is nothing you can do about it. I was back there thinking about crocheting or needle point or something important when the next thing I knew there were giant gaps all around. It took about 4 laps to recover from that fiasco and get back on with the lead group, yeah I know it serves me right but when you only have 3 matches to burn in a race everyone is precious (yes I only have 3, I’m old remember). I held on to the bitter end and finished in the spot they hold for me in every race, 14th.
Justin's race
Justin’s race was for some reason very nerve racking, his mom and I talked about it after the race and we couldn’t quite put our finger on why we were both so nervous about this weekend. Maybe it was the word “Championship” attached to the weekend or maybe it was because it has been almost a month since his last race. What ever the reason we both had butterflies for Justin.
Justin started his race by attacking immediately and was able to get a gap of about 20 yards. We had talked before the race about doing this and seeing if he could get one of the older kids to go with him. If not he would hold it for one lap and then ease back into the group. Well he held for 1 lap and none of the older kids would bite so that was that. As he eased back into the group one of the older kids from Colavita attacked and stretched the group out in a straight line for about a half lap fortunately Justin was paying attention and was able to fold right into the group and stay with the leaders. Team Calovita had two riders in the 13-14 age group riding in support of their 10-12 year old points leader. It was allot of fun to watch the kids experimenting with team tactics at this age, it makes the race feel like a scaled down pro event. The points leader would attack while his teammates would block and Justin would have to cover with no help from the other team. It made me happy to see him pay attention to the race and understand the tactics that were being employed. He never let the break get too far before he would reel it back. This happened about 4 or 5 times before they gave up and decided to let it come down to a sprint.
The bad thing about our position on the course was that you could not see the last two corners before the final sprint. You could see the course up to 3rd to the last corner but that was it. Justin was 4th wheel going into that corner so I felt pretty good with his position in the group. But I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him come around the final corner with about a 10 yard gap on the field. He was standing and sprinting out of the saddle like we had talked about so many times before but he never really seemed to know when to do it. This time he had it timed to perfection and was going for all he had. He just got nipped at the line by a 14 year old to get second in the overall group and first in his division. The kids in his division never made any ground up on Justin once he started his sprint. The best part of the win was the new handle bars Justin won for me, well okay, he’s not really going to give them to me but I can dream.
Sunday, May 18th 2008 “Championship Day”
Justin’s race was at 7:45 am and needless to say the butterflies started at 5:00, Jan and I both felt exactly as we had the day before. We have always felt a little nervous before Justin’s races I think that’s normal for parents but I’m beginning to think that because Justin is becoming more competitive in his racing we’re becoming more anxious for him.
Justin’s race started with an attack by the boy who leads the 13-14 age group points series and was the boy who nipped Justin at the line on Saturday. Justin went with him for awhile but came back to the group. When we talked after the race he said he was afraid he would blow up and not be able to sprint in the end. The group worked fairly well together with a few attacks on the hill leading up to the finish line. Justin was able to react well to all of them and was well placed going into the final laps. This race was not nearly as exciting as the day before as I think the older kids, while still riding in support of their points leader, were obviously thinking of their own podium position on that day.
The boy who broke away at the start was never really threatened by the group and won the overall race easily. The part that I did not expect was how the rest of the race would unfold. This course has a long incline leading up to the finish line, it’s not really steep but after going over it time after time after time it really hurts, I speak from experience on this one. The other feature of the incline is that you can’t see the corner or the lead up to the top of the hill from the finish line so it’s always a surprise as to who is going to be leading at the crest of the hill. Well to my surprise who comes blowing over the top first but Justin and he has about a 20 yard gap on the field. This time though there is nobody in the field to challenge him to the line and he wins riding away. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited as a pig in a mud bath! I was excited for the win but I was also excited because I think Justin maybe starting to realize how to finish a race, that’s something I still haven’t learned how to do!My race started the way they all do, I look up and down the start line and say, "what am I doing here?" It seemed every pro that was 30+ years old had decided to have a go at winning the “State Championship” jersey. I know what you guys are thinking “that’s no way to start a race”! Well I still haven’t gotten over this feeling and I have been racing with these guys for 2 years now so I doubt it’s leaving anytime soon. I think it may stem back to this same race last year when I pre-rode the course in my car the night before and thought humph that hills not so bad! Well 10 minutes into last years race and 8 times over that D#$% hill and I was, how does James say it, “Attacking off the back”.
So we are sitting on the line and the official is going over all of the pre-race stuff and the guy next to me, who I have been racing with for awhile, leans over and says “what are we doing here with these guys”? Well immediately I feel this great weight lifted off my shoulders, I think at least I’m not the only one. About that time the whistle blows and the pain begins. The first fifteen minutes of a race are always the hardest for me, it seems like I always struggle to find that just right position in the field. The one where you only do the amount of work that is expected and not one bit more, remember I only have 3 matches.
The pace was hard this year but I was able to hold my position throughout the race and while I’m not going to make any teams stand up and take notice, except maybe the ones in my dreams, I finished the race without getting dropped. Yes I know, I finished in one of those reserved spots for Scott J. Pfaff, 16th.
Friday, May 09, 2008
SugarLoaf recaps...
photo by Gerry BouchardSubmitted by Roger Montes
Following a tough, painful, and feeling like a “Kentucky fried idiot” on a 5 times wall climb it was hard to get motivated for another chicken run…or was it? Sugarloaf Mountain had definitely taken its toll on all of us, but we were all craving that greasy, fast speed (Rocky II).
Rob “Rowdy”, Eric “Vegan-power” and myself “Primetime” came out on Sunday to represent the Orange and Grey. The race was set at 50 min +2 laps on a flat and fast 2.2 mile circuit thru a curvy tree lined road, with a short (thank God) uphill finish only ±200 meter from the last 90° right turn. From the gun, the race was fast with attacks from the never ending ninjas of Preferred Alliance…bring it! On a course not in favor of breakaways, except for going full throttle on the uphill, we did everything we could as a team to attack, cover attacks and set the pace high. Rob took that to heart, and the man nearly raced himself out of the race. At times, it felt overwhelming to have someone respond at:
Roger: Rob get up there.Eric also did an impressive job covering and attacking the field. Before the race he mentioned to be somewhat tired from the previous day (finishing 8th on Sugarloaf Mt.), but half-way into the race he found a second wind and immediately came to the front to set the pace. He tried getting in a few breaks with Rob and I slowing the field down, but nothing was sticking.
Rob: “Okay”
Roger: Rob go
Rob: “Okay”
Roger: Rob squirrel!!! Rob killed squirrel.
We knew the race would end up on a full-on field sprint (like all the Cat 3 Races), so our plan was to set the pace high during the last lap to be in good placing at the last turn…we didn’t think everyone would have the same idea! Eric was able to fight his way up, but Rob and I were bunched up in the middle finishing 8th (Eric), 19th (Roger) and 29th (Rob).
The results don’t quite show it, but Cycle Logic rode extremely aggressive, and in my mind the three of us got podium that day….Great job guys!!!
Submitted by Kerry Duggan
Considering that us Cat 3 men were racing against girls, this Saturday's Sugarloaf road race was plenty hard. Once again, new teammate Eric Stubbs place the highest at 8th. Rob Robins was a few seconds behind him and this old dogg was (ahem) a few further seconds back in the final single-digit hill "sprint" finish.
The first two or three laps were fairly contained as people were more worried about surviving Das Loaf than breaking the elastic. Eventually a few small squads dangled off the front only to be reeled in with the assistance of all three of us.
At some point Roger apparently traded his race pass for a feed zone pass and Rachel eventually joined him. On the last lap three riders managed to maintain just enough of a gap to barely survive a large pack sprint up Das Loaf. I think if Eric had a little more hill he would have been top 3.
Eric, Rob and I had a fun time working together and perfecting our team skills by helping each other stay in position, ride efficiently and chase down escapes. I think Eric was bewilderd by this teammate excessively rotating pack position from extreme front to extreme rear several times during each lap - particularly on the big hills. This valid advance technique ensures maximum climbing efficiency. In unkind circles it is known as the "Fatman Fade" but allowed me to be more fresh toward the end - enabling me to soften up the pack by attacking off the front just before the last climb up Sugarloaf.
So what if I was chased down immediately by a girl and a fred!
I was also worried my recent lower back spasms would can the race for me but once again found my body prefers that position over all others nature had intended. Unless of course there is a beer in my hand and there was soon after.
Cheers!
K-Dogg
Cycle Logic ToG trip recap...
...Coming Soon
ToG updates and copious amounts of photos to be posted here...I know, it's going to be hard to wait, but you'll have to.
UPDATE:For a photo slideshow of the Tour of Georgia trip go here
ToG updates and copious amounts of photos to be posted here...I know, it's going to be hard to wait, but you'll have to.
UPDATE:For a photo slideshow of the Tour of Georgia trip go here
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