KCCX

Thanks to the deep pockets of the Cornell Cycling Club (not to mention the fact that practically no one races in the fall!), Jake and I got to travel to Kansas City for Cyclocross Nationals.

I flew out Tuesday, December 9 to get to KCI airport at night...just in time to get my bike box and catch a shuttle to the Econo Lodge ($42/night!...there's a reason it was that cheap).

Wednesday morning I took a shuttle back to the airport to get my car- a Chevy Aveo. What a piece of crap...I'll take my Subaru. At least my bike box fit in the back seat.


Now armed with transportation, I made my way towards Kansas City



From far away it looks big, like Boston or similar...but it's mostly just sprawl- the combination of Eastern and Western business influence made it a mecca of fast food and strip malls. This is America.

For the next few days I stayed with probably the best host housing you could ever imagine- Todd and Wanda. Peter O and Jeremy found the family last year when they signed up for host housing as part of the volunteer crew. I'm usually skeptical on host housing since I feel like I'm imposing on the family, but it was amazing. Despite our efforts to remain "out of the way" of their daily activities, they went out of their way to be accommodating- they made us great food, washed our clothes, and even took us out to dinner (more on that later). And they're crazy about bikes. Wanda even made us complimentary lockring rings in exchange for us spreading the word about her budding jewelry business- http://soldergal.com/index.html. Sweet.

The first race:

Thursday was the 10-29 B race. I was secretly hoping it was a 19-29 race since it would keep us from getting beaten up by 15 year old phenoms like Jeff Bahnson and various Clif Bar Devo team kids. No chance. There went any chance of the much coveted "B National Champ"/sandbagger title. I lined up next to Jeff in the third row. I figured this would be the last time I would see him. That was fairly accurate.

When I rode the course at 8am it was frosty but frozen ground. If you started to slide, your tires would chatter but you would ultimately remain upright. The course looked to suit me- the lap began with a few flat turns before winding back and forth along a rather long uphill grind. There was a set of "stairs" at the top before a classic down/up on a steep uphill- I think running was faster, but there were riders doing both in all races (Trebon ran, Driscoll rode). Following all this climbing was a fairly long descent with a variety of technical turns, a set of barriers, another stairset, and a few more technical turns before you were dumped back on the start/finish stretch. A really fun course that would favor power riders on dry days and technical riders if the loop got slick.



In accordance with my preview laps, I had my pressure set in the low 40's. Unfortunately I had not factored in the warming of the course- now the frost was water, and it turned the course way slick. It was slippery, greasy mud on top of frozen ground...and every lap became progressively worse. I guess this is the situation where a pit bike would be handy.

I had a fair enough start coming from the third row and encountered more than a fair share of bumping in the hole shot and first few turns. Unfortunately, since it was a B race, a lot of the riders were doing me no favors by jamming up the turns. There was also a major crash on the inside of turn 1 which forced everyone to the outside, transforming the hole shot to a rather significant bottleneck. I could see the 15 year olds getting away at the front. Ah well.

I missed the train off the front, but I eventually worked my way through the masses to get into that small group of people who went out too hard and subsequently got shelled. Eventually I made my way up to probably 7th or 8th position. Unfortunately it was becoming clear that my legs were more than a little stale from not riding since NBX on the Sunday prior. There was a rider just ahead that I just could not catch for the longest time- even on the uphills.

When I finally did make contact I was further humiliated- he was riding a single speed with flat bars! At least it was a nice bike- a Moots Ti frame. For the next 3 laps of the race we would yo-yo quite a bit- I would try to escape on the uphills while he slowly reeled me in on the downhill. I mainly wanted to stay ahead because his tires were pretty damn wide and they were throwing mud everywhere (mainly in my face).

Our cat and mouse ended when I was catching up to a lapped rider- who fell right in front of me on the slickest part of the downhill. I had few options other than ditching, although I tried as best I could. Down I went, and my nemesis went by, never to be seen again. I ended up having to sprint in for 8th place- but I won that minor battle. Not a terrible race, but I know I could have had much better legs. I hoped that Sunday (the collegiate and last race of the season) was my chance for redemption.

As for the teenagers-It turned out that Jeff Bahnson DNF'd, leaving the win for a Clif Bar kid.

Friday/Saturday:

When I wasn't working on my take-home final for turbulent fluids, I spent time at the course, watching a super muddy day on Friday, where the 17-18 Junior race turned out to be a great battle. I rode the course about 7 times during the open course time, falling a ton of times as I tried to ride the outrageously slick turns faster and faster. Even putting a foot down didn't work because your foot couldn't get enough purchase to keep you upright. As the day progressed the wind and ample riding served to dry out the course and make it a slow, tacky mud for the remainder of the day (and the next couple). If it stayed like that for Sunday, it would definitely work in my favor.

I later read that Katie Compton recommended only limited pre-riding since the course was "very heavy on your legs". Good to know, since my legs were destroyed from Thursday and Friday. I hoped some good rest on Saturday would have me in form for Sunday.

I also hoped a (un)healthy dose of bbq'd pork would give me ample protein to fuel my muscles. On Friday night, Todd and Wanda took us out to Oklahoma Joe's- a classic Kansas City BBQ place inside a gas station. I got the ribs (and a strawberry soda).

(Ok, I split this with Todd since it's about 3 feet long and a foot wide)

Sunday- Collegiate CX Nationals:

Sunday started out at 65 degrees. Then, in probably 10 seconds, the temperature dropped 30 degrees when a cold wind blew in. In the course of an hour, it dropped 40 degrees down to probably 25! I still lined up without leg warmers and no embrocation- eventual winner Will Dugan also went bare-legged (no word on embro). Northeast solidarity.

I had a second row start, which was great. No front row pressure, like Verge. This was my chance to nail the start and hopefully ride into a top 15. Not knowing the competition I figured that sounded about right. Unfortunately I didn't nail the start, and I ended up in the middle of the field, as usual. If I learn anything from this season- I need to work on starts.

I definitely had better legs today, and was passing a ton of riders on the uphill. The downhills were nice and tacky and you could really nail all the turns. Pretty large ruts and berms built up over the last couple of days so it was pretty non-technical- check out the photos of the pros for a good look at the ruts.

Over the first few laps, I moved my way up to 14th place. Todd and Wanda kept me constantly updated on my progress as I picked off riders on each subsequent trip uphill. I was surrounded by a ton of Fort Lewis and Lees-Mcrae riders- as it turned out I was the highest placed ECCC rider except for Dugan. With 1.5 laps to go, I had a small group of 3-4 riders ahead- prime for the uphill taking. Could I possibly go top 10 at D1 collegiate nationals?!?

Then it all came crashing down. Literally.

As I was railing through a right turn halfway down the hill I was squarely planted in the rut...unfortunately I was going a tad fast to stay in said rut. I popped out and went down in a heap. Dammit. My chain was off. So I fixed that. Then I went to ride and noted that my front wheel was not moving at all. Then I saw that my tire wasn't on my rim anymore!!! I rolled my first tubular...what a momentous occaision.

I was decidedly in "oh shit" mode and delayed my run to the pits being in a bit of shock. I was more focused on the riders ahead that were getting ahead- and the riders behind that were blowing by me. Then I realized I wasn't terribly far from the pits...so I ran.

While running I managed to unhook my brake and front skewer in anticipation of the wheel change- super pro. I also vainly tried to keep with the riders through the slower turns and almost fell. I finally ran into the pits with enough desperation to eventually get attention from the SRAM guy, who kind of fell asleep. He grabbed a 404 with a 55psi mud2 (it was HARD) and I was on my way again, trying to regain my positions. I suspect I lost a minute...but that was a significant minute with such tight placing.

Unfortunately my legs enjoyed the "rest" a little too much...they were pretty unwilling to get moving again for the remaining lap. Also, I can personally attest that a mud2 at 55psi does not turn as well as a Grifo at 30psi (you heard it here first). If I had another lap after, maybe I could have salvaged some positions, but there was just no going anymore. I rolled in for 22nd place. I can't say I'm disappointed since I was racing well prior to that point, but I CAN say that I'm pissed that my tire couldn't stay on for ONE MORE FUCKING LAP!

I guess I have 10 months to perfect my tubular gluing- best watch out next year!

I can't wait.

Catch-up

So.

I've gotten behind again.

To recap the weekends:

November 22-23-Whitmore's Super Cross Cup
Day 1:
Thanks to Dylan McNicholas missing the start on Saturday (and my front row start), I managed to get out well, make the front group, and finally get off on my own and get my first win of the season! Let's just say my legs felt great that day. I rode solo (e.g. damage control mode) for what seemed like forever (with no lap cards) before the official signaled that I was done. Which was good because I lost a contact lens and I couldn't see- note the picture.

(photo from cyclingcaptured.com)

It ended up that I had a 40 second gap to second place. The key to winning? Have the main competitors not register (Jeff Bahnson), DNS (Dylan), or start in the last row (Colin).

Day 2:
Dylan made it to the start on Sunday. Also, Will Dugan rode for UVM so he could qualify for collegiate nationals. And unlike Saturday, he was there to ride on Sunday.

Just like on Saturday the split occurred somewhat early and before not too long we had a group of 5 riders (Dylan, Will, Rob Collins, Alex Crooks, and myself). I was hoping we had gotten a good jump on the last row starters but when I slid out on an off camber...sure enough there was Dylan and Will. Then they decided they had enough riding at our pedestrian pace. Will put in a few attacks that popped everyone but Dylan, myself included. I managed to claw my way back and join them again on the steep hill when I found that Will had broken his chain from the application of too many watts. So then it was down to just Dylan and me. We rode together for most of the race (Dylan would later tell me he was feeling ill) before I tried a few attacks in the last lap. After finding out that attacks were futile (if Dugan couldn't drop him, how the hell could I?), I got on his wheel and figured I'd take my chances in the sprint. That is why I put a 48T outer ring on, after all.

As we came into the final pavement section I set up on Dylan's wheel. There was a long straight drag, a gentle right hand onto some bumpy grass, and then a short pavement finish. I emphasize short, because I imagined it was longer, despite riding it so many times. Thus, I planned on coming around after the grass. Long story short- didn't work. As we came off the grass I thought I had a chance, but Dylan stood up and put in a couple good pedal strokes to shut the door. Ack. Oh well...taking Dylan to a sprint for the win is pretty good anyday...even if it was an off-day for him.

November 29-30- NOTHING!
I think I lost my chance for third place in the Verge series by not going to Baystate. Meh.

December 6-7- NBX
Day 1: Decidedly a power course. Yes.

Despite my epic fall(s) in the sand thanks to overzealous running (see Colin's end of the season recap ~3min in) I was able to recover and constantly re-attach myself to the front group either through said running or riding very hard in a straight line. The first few laps were pretty tame and there was a rather large group at the front of the race- not what I wanted. I could see no one wanted to come around Dylan, so I took the initiative and went right to the front. I'm not sure how effective the initial attack was, but I eventually got the group down to 5, then 4, and then just Dylan, James Tosca, and myself. With a podium position effectively in hand, I was willing to let them get back in front and take some rest. So I let them fight each other over the last few laps until they pulled away in the last 300m and I slotted into third. Regarding the battle for the verge podium? James "Slim" Patterson flatted earlier in the race, Colin was 5th, and Jeremy Dunn was 7th- no one was out of contention. It really would come down to the final race of the season. Pretty cool.

Day 2:
This was the polar opposite of the previous day, although the course retained (and in fact lengthened) its running sections. It also snowed 2" overnight. When you take out practically all the power sections and replace them with tight turns covered in mud/snow it wasn't shaping up to be great for me. Colin expressed that he was worried about my MAD running skills. I didn't tell him that I was worried about his riding skills.

Right out of the start I got swarmed and slid back in the field. So it didn't help that the attacks started early (from what I heard). Then I couldn't clip into my pedals for half a lap. I was instantly out of contention for the battle for the win between Patterson, Tosca, and Dylan, but everyone who really mattered was still in relative sight. Colin was in a two man group 50m ahead, and I was constantly yo-yo'ing with Jeremy, Cary, and a few others. If I could beat Jeremy and remain within a couple places of Colin (if he doesn't podium), then I could maybe get third for the series. Unfortunately this race was a series of one mistake after another.

The running sections kept me in contact with the group (when I was on my feet), but not with Jeremy since he is apparently a very strong runner as well. The procedure was as follows:

1. ride into sandpit (usually in second wheel)
2. botch dismount, hit course tape/stake, or trip (or combination thereof)
3. get passed by Cary et al.
4. get up
5. empty mouth of sand
6. run past Cary et al.
7. lose 5m to Jeremy

With every fall JD would extend his gap on me by just a little bit- enough that I couldn't ride back on without long power sections. Jeremy was pulling away and Colin already had his gap, although it was slightly coming back. Cary reminded me to stay calm and ride smoothly, but I kept trying to power through technical sections and riding really sloppy. Not my finest day.

In the end, both Tosca and Dylan flatted which allowed Colin to pull into 2nd and Jeremy into 3rd. Of course Dylan had such a huge gap prior that he rode the entire lap on the flat and still beat me for fourth. No matter...even if I got that place I would have ended up 5th for the series. The only thing I could have done was actually beat Colin and Jeremy...which wasn't going to happen that day. In any case it doesn't matter (although the cowbell would have been nice), but it was a ton of fun racing against those guys all season. I'm sure we all cannot wait to get killed in the elite races next year.

Maybe I'll go re-read Matt Kraus' article/interview in CXmagazine to inspire me to upgrade next season...

Mercer Cup USGP

Aside from nationals, this was probably the biggest weekend of the season, at least as far as the professionals go. For us lowly amateurs, we could only bask in their awesomeness while "prepping" the course for their races.

It rained the night before, which meant mud...but there shouldn't be this much!


From the week prior, I had been dealing with sub-par shifting thanks to old shifter housing. With this fixed, I was excited with the prospect of changing gears. Unfortunately, this weekend came down to the fact that my bike never wanted to stay in ANY gear...

Day 1:
Tip #1 for having a good race- make sure you are at the start when the gun goes off!

I was busy warming up on the course when I heard "1 minute to the start of the Men's 2/3/4 race!" Unlike the Verge series, there was little to no time scheduled between races for course preview. This threw off my usual warm-up of getting onto the course when the previous race winner crosses the finish line. I frantically rode over to the starting pavement area to see the entire field gridded up and waiting for the signal to go. I stripped down to my skinsuit just to hear the whistle and watch the race go by. A spectator held up the course tape as I ducked under the joined in, already 50m behind the last rider in the field. Richard Fries instantly commented on my remarkable start, noting that I was a "podium finisher in the New England Verge series" but was dead last here.

The holeshot accordian allowed me to make contact with the field and proceed to weave through. I pulled up next to Jeremy Dunn and was only a few wheels behind Colin. I should note that most of my progess was made by running through (and over) others- not by riding. After only a few hundred meters it became apparent that you could run most of the course faster than you could ride. I began to wish I'd gone to the nordic practices and actually run in the past year.

Running was fine. Riding was not. As I tried to churn through the thick mud, my chain would slip on EVERY pedal stroke, causing more than a few disastrous unclippings. So I stopped and played with my barrel adjustors. Then I tried to ride 25m more and realized that didn't help. So I did it again. And again. Linnea can testify that I actually flipped the bike over to do this at one point. The only gear I could use was my 15 tooth. Unfortunately that was far too big a gear to turn at any section of the course, save the pavement finish. Turning a 39x24/27 was hard enough. My bike was a big muddy weight, incapable of helping me in any way. Anyone have a spare pit bike?

In any case, I slipped and ran my way around the course 4 times, for a total race time of probably 1 hour (note that the race was supposed to be 40 minutes). The top riders were turning in 14+ minutes laps, so I can only figure it was far worse for me (since I was probably almost lapped!). Either way, I didn't get placed since I missed the start. Probably good...I don't really want existing evidence of that race.

Day 2:

I took my bike to the SRAM mechanics after the race on Saturday to find out that my derailleur hanger was significantly bent. After riding around on the road a little, it seemed that my situation was resolved. Or not.

I actually made it to the start on Sunday and rode to the first mud section in a pretty decent position. Then I realized the same thing was happening with my rear cluster. Every pedal stroke felt like my chain was breaking. So I ran a little (ok, a lot). Then I tried to ride down the false flat and someone ran by me. Then I gave up. I didn't feel like fighting my bike for another 40 minutes. So that was it for the weekend.

As it turns out, I didn't consider the fact that my cassette is probably 3 years old, and my chain barely a month. I guess that could explain why it was slipping...

Richard Fries put it in perspective when he saw me walking around during my race- "Everyone has a shitty weekend- forget about it, and come back next week."

Here's a picture of local pro/hero Dan Timmerman on the first day. If these guys won't ride this stuff, what hope do the mere mortals have?

Revelations...

As I was adding up expenses for reimbursement forms, I realized I've spent close to 10% of my annual earnings on travel, lodging, and registration fees on this past cyclocross season. Perhaps this is made more significant because my TA stipend isn't exactly lucrative, but it really puts things in perspective...

Are there studies on what percentage of income drug abusers spend to support their habit? I would guess it's more than 10%, but I feel like a similar figure could really drive my point home.

Mercer Cup and Southampton reports soon.

The weekend of Nov 8-9

Ok, so I fell behind again. Time to catch up.

Beacon Cross:

Long story short- tire pressure.

Most of the course was packed sand, so I pumped my tires up pretty hard (~55psi) for speed. Bad idea. As we started the race, rain was coming down pretty hard and it greased up the corners pretty good. I went down 3-4 times and broke all my rhythm. I did manage to destroy people in the 80m beach run and the "ampitheater of pain", though. The downside of this race was that it destroyed my drivetrain with sand. My cable housing was so caked with mud and sand that I could barely shift for much of the race. I ended up with a 9th place, far removed from the winners. Just a bad day...I couldn't make myself go. Let's forget that race ever happened...

HPCX:

This course was more to my liking, unlike Saturday. I used to think I was at least somewhat competent in sand, but Beacon cross definitely made me doubt my abilities. On Sunday, we were back to a more typical grass circuit. Add in the rain from the previous day/night and we had a bit of mud to deal with. Unfortunately I was still hung up on my crappy technical riding from the previous day, and I wondered if my finish would suffer again. I probably did 3-4 preview laps, and studied some of the technical turns and uphills pretty thoroughly. I guess I'd find out how my mudding skills are.

Naturally I missed the call-up because I was riding, but I slotted myself into the third row, on the outside. Hopefully no one hated me too much for that. In my defense, they staged very early. I heard, "ten minutes to start" and everyone was already set in the grid.

I had a decent start and made my way into the first group, which unfortuntaely was already gapped by Jeff Bahnson, the ridiculous 15 year old who has won every MAC B race this year. The first uphill separated people out a bit, and I moved my way up, slotting into the top 5. As we got into some of the more technical sections on top of the course, I began to realize that I was apparently the superior technical rider (wait...what?). Over the next half lap, I put myself into the gap between Jeff and the chase group of probably 5 riders. For some reason I was very worried about this group of 5, probably because I still cannot process the fact that we are not on the road and group dynamics aren't necessarily (read: rarely) advantageous in cross. So I rode faster.

Over the next couple laps, I began to make ground on Jeff. I noticed that he slipped on a few of the uphills, and I was able to ride them relatively clean. Despite my best efforts to clean/lube the cable housing I still had crappy shifting, so I had to grind my bike up every rise, hoping that it would slip into a more reasonable gear in the process. This was hurting a lot, but I still had a lot of energy to spare. Unbelievable what a difference a day makes.

Finally, with about 3 laps to go, I made contact with Jeff. He was consistently dismounting on this turning uphill section, and I was able to ride it everytime. I'm almost sure it was faster to run that small portion, but when I factored in the energy consumption and the remount time (not to mention the fact my shoes have no traction or spikes), I think I made the right decision. I caught him just after this section, on the final uphill grind before the course descended to the snaking loops below. Rather than wait like I should have, I went right by him. Probably a bad idea. In retrospect, I think he was waiting for me and saving his energy.

I led on the downhill before he probably saw my weakness and came around before the slower, more technical areas ahead. I was slightly gapped, but generally in contact. I knew I was in trouble though. Gah. Nevertheless, I couldn't let the fans down, and I tried to stay up with him.

[Editor's note: People all over the course were zealously cheering for me. I guess Jeff's relatively uncontested win streak has made them hungry for an upset...I was temporarily the great hope...then failed miserably.]

I fought to close/maintain the gap over the next couple of laps before he decided to destroy me in the final lap. I think he put 25 seconds into me over the last time around. In defense of my failure, once he was clear I began to shut it down and focus on staying upright and not losing my 2nd place to a stupid crash or mechanical. I also got mud in my eye. In the end, he won by 30 seconds, but the gap from me to third place was 1:13, so I'd say I definitely had a good performance. I can feel my form coming along and I'm really happy with this race...totally makes my weekend worthwhile after Beacon. Hopefully I can keep it up!

I also won a thing of Heed (subtle melon?) and a $55 Easton carbon fiber bottle cage. I'm thinking of mounting it in my car as a cup holder, because it would look absolutely ridiculous on my dented Specialized road bike. Maybe it will be useful if I go all weight weenie/carbon fiber on the road next year (ugh, road biking...).

Cycle-Smart Day 2

Thanks to the DNF Saturday, I was rested and out for redemption on Sunday. I had slipped a few places in the Verge standings, but was still able to start on the front row, in 6th I believe. I even had ample course preview, since we got to Look Park at 7:45am to deliver Jake and watch the cat4 race. (Note: the cat4 race was easily the most entertaining race of the day...well worth getting up for).

I got a chance to pre-ride the sandpit a bunch and was confident with my ability to clean it. That is, until I began to ride it in traffic and found that it's difficult to ride through when someone crashes in your line. I then decided I would run it for at least the first few laps. The ride-up was easy enough, save for the fact that my 39x19 gear kept skipping violently, and I would inevitably choose that gear most of the trips up. Luckily SRAM makes a good chain (rather, contracts a good chain manufacturer) and it didn't break.

Temperatures were a little cooler, and I went with a very un-pro look, wearing both arm and leg warmers. Totally unnecessary, especially from a pseudo/former ski racer. But maybe my unassuming appearance would work in my favor?

Ok, so the race.

I had a decent enough start and did a little pack slide into the first ten or so positions, as usual. Still in the hunt, but without the responsibility of setting the pace. Not that I could have anyway...by the time I was through the first right-hand turn, I hear Richard Fries announcing that James "Slim" Patterson is "attacking the downhill/tracks!" By the time we hit the field, he and Colin had an outrageous gap to the rest of the field. I figured they would have to come back at some point, so I tagged onto the back of the chase.

I sat there for probably a couple laps, pretty comfortable with the pace. Patterson was still ahead, but Colin had begun to lose his gap to us. All the other big names were in the group, so I was pretty content with the situation. Well, somewhat.

The group seemed a little too content with the riders ahead, especially when Dylan McNicholas from NorEast jumped clear. Patterson wasn't coming back, and Colin was maintaining a fair amount of space to us. As we came to the back pavement section, I pulled alongside of the paceline and came to the front. I half suspected Hunter Pronovost was soft pedaling, waiting for someone to pull through, but apparently that was not the case. I gapped the group pretty quickly and began to make my move up to Colin. Toby Wells joined me on this.

After a crazy fast start, Colin seemed to be looking for a little respite and I went by with Toby fairly quickly. Up and around the top half of the course, it was just the two of us, and Patterson was not too far ahead. I pulled on the pavement section, eager to close the gap on sections where technical ability was of no consequence. Clearly, I'm not going to close Patterson down in the techie sections. As a matter of fact, Toby was not too happy with me leading after we turned off the pavement. As I slowed to avoid running over an injured Jordan, I was told to go faster or get out of the way, haha.

We rode down to the lower part of the course, and dismounted to run the sand. A bobble on the previous lap further convinced me that running was the better option for me. I guess Toby fell here, and I was by myself, quickly closing down on Patterson.

I can't remember exactly where I made contact, but when I got there, I found James had broken his front lever/shifter. I guess that's how I caught up. I know what it's like to not have a front brake, except for the fact that I DNF'd when mine broke! He's good enough that he doesn't need it.

So that's how it went for the rest of the race. Dylan was fairly out of sight...and not just because I lost a contact lens with 3 laps to go...he was goooooone. It came down to settling for second place. I did my best to make the turns with limited vision, and made my bike wide enough to keep Patterson behind me. I think he paid a little for the early efforts (and his self claimed lack of riding) because he didn't even attempt to come around for the technical stuff, where I was assuredly slowing him down. Where I could, I put some more power in, hoping to finally shake him...which I did as we began the final lap. All I had to do now was stay upright...

As we came down to the lower field, I had a 4 second gap as I hit the turnaround/track crossing near the parking lot. While I crested the tracks, my front wheel crossed up a bit and came down sideways on the far side. I went down in a heap, bending my shifter inwards as usual. This was not the time for this, and I said that to the people nearby as I got up and jammed my brifter back into place. Naturally Slim caught up and passed me here. So much for my earlier efforts...

Since he was pretty burnt at this point, it didn't take too long to get back up to him and make the pass. As I came by, he pretty much said, "Go ahead, my legs are done." After all there was a substantial chase behind and we didn't want to get pulled in by such a large group so close to the finish. I took up the responsibility of driving the train again.

Now, while I was having a pretty solid race...others were not doing so well. Jordan fell and separated his shoulder on the first right hand turn, and they were finally bringing the ambulance in...unfortunately they drove the ambulance right in front of us on the back half of the course! This required some evasive action, and I hoped I wouldn't end up inside said vehicle trying to get around. Luckily the driver saw us and stopped backing up into our path. Thanks guys.

In any case, I used the next few power sections to open up another small gap which I would keep to the finish, floundering technical skills notwithstanding. No sprint loss this year! I checked over my shoulder on the final stretch and saw I could safely cruise in for my top finish of the year. Still no win, but 2nd in a Verge B race is probably more than I would have guessed at the beginning of the year. The points from this also mean I can probably still get a call-up for NBX, since I will be skipping Baystate and forfeiting any points there (noooooo).

Cycle-Smart Day 1

Thanks to the bureaucracy of Cornell and Ithaca canceling the Ithacross event, the weekend of October 25/26 saw no racing. I decided against a race in Rochester in lieu of training and chainsaw operation at Swan's. This meant a few good workouts during the last couple weeks...we'll see how this whole "planned training" goes.

Saturday's Cycle-Smart race featured the same course as last year where I finished 3rd in the cat4's, losing the sprint for 2nd to Tyler Sage. This year was my chance with the killer B's. I was not looking forward to that first right hand turn onto the gravel with 100+ riders behind, but I was looking forward to a good result, given my improving form of two weeks prior. Maybe I could move up into 2nd place in the Verge standings...

I staged with the usual suspects at the front, eager to botch my clip-in and lose my great starting position...

Within the first 20m I had slid a few places back, but I was still in the top 10 as we flew into the first right-hander and into the first turns down to the railroad tracks. Colin was on the front setting a pretty ridiculous pace. I managed to find my way safely over the first section of tracks and sprinted down the straight to make up a place or two before the sharp turn over the second track section. Remember...everything in moderation.

As we came to the turn, the riders ahead stacked up in typical fashion and I was not quick enough on the brakes to avoid plowing into them. Great. I went into someone's back wheel, but was going too fast to avoid losing it and hitting the grass. Normally, given the relative speed of the riders around me, this wouldn't be a big deal. Pick up your bike and carry on. Not so.

As I stood up and pushed my bike to remount, my rear wheel popped up, indicative of a locked front wheel. Apparently my pre-race brake adjustment allowed my pad to slip below the brake track, which is unusually thin on my front wheel (lower weight?). This required a couple curses and some quick muscling to get the brake back to normal. 50 places lost, I got back into the mix. But now I was stuck midpack, as the Verge leaders pulled further away. Nooooooooooooooooo!

I frantically made back a few positions just in time to get horribly backed up at the run-up (read: wasted energy). Bottlenecks are no joke. I came to a complete stop for over 10 seconds before I began my slow trudge up the slope. At least everyone back there was pretty cool and laid back. I wasn't exactly happy with the situation, but I didn't succumb to yelling in vain like a Long Island driver in an LIE traffic jam. Mountain scaled, I remounted and continued the good fight.

As I came around the rooty turns at the top of the course, lightning struck twice as my pad went completely into my wheel as I came out of the turn. The spokes completely sheared off my right brake pad. I signaled my pull-off and finally ended my disaster of a race. Given the current situation, the heavy traffic, and the lack of a front brake, I decided to save it for tomorrow.

As "luck" would have it, a few of the other Verge contenders had their fair share of mishaps between flatted wheels and broken shifters, so my losses were somewhat limited, and I would start on the front row the next day as well. Nothing like a mechanical and only a half-lap of crappy racing to make you look forward to tomorrow.

Wissahickon Cross

From two weeks ago...

Ok, so the previous day was not too hot. Crashes and general mayhem are not the prescription for a good race...just a fun one. I had a similar terrible position to start Wissahickon, but the long power sections and course knowledge from last year would suit me well for passing. Here we go.

I got clipped in and sprang up the left side of the pack, barreling over rocks and large bumps (arguably the worst possible line), probably making my way into the first 50 riders by the time we started the first series of switchbacks down to the field below. This time I managed to successfully navigate my way through the chaos and into some small groups at the first third of the race. Unfortunately, the race leaders were already in the sand pit at this point...at least 45 seconds ahead. Damn.

As I came through the barriers the first time around, I overheard that I was somewhere around 25th place. At this point things were pretty strung out, so I figured I could settle in and pick up positions one by one over the course of the next 37-40 minutes. And so it went.

A few laps later I found myself in the top 10. Then I was alerted to the fact that the rider ahead had the 5th place position. I quickly bridged up and sat on, getting some valuable rest. I'm honestly not sure how I picked up so many positions so quickly. I could see the 4th place rider in the pinwheel/spiral of death before the barriers, but those are impossible to judge gaps from, so I was realistic about my odds of making the catch. I put in a few digs, but couldn't shake the (former) 5th placed guy over the second to last lap. As we came through for the final time around, I took the lead into the turns below. Still couldn't lose him, even after a really strong ride through the sand. I finally let him by, going wide into a turn to open the door. Assuming I didn't screw anything up (all too possible), I presumed I had a good chance in the final sprint uphill. I setup on his wheel, keeping a careful eye backwards, as Jeremy Dunn was starting to close in the final lap. Fourth place was just out of contention, and the top 3 had gotten such a huge early gap that they were hopelessly far ahead. Damn your front row starts, MAC regulars.

As we came into the final turn, I could tell that this guy was either a match sprinter or had nothing at all. He was either waiting for my kick to start his, or he had burned too many matches before. With 100m to go, I came around pretty easily and slotted into 5th place. Sweet. If I can sneak my way forward in a few more races, I can hopefully get enough MAC points to score a call-up for the USGP in a couple weeks.

Cyclingnews.com candid photos

For some reason I end up in a lot of cyclingnews.com photos...

Granogue

Despite the protocol of last year and lack of description on the website, the staging for the MAC weekend of Granogue/Wissahickon was based on registration order...probably not good that I registered the day before...Thus, I started in probably 85th position, an unfamiliar spot for the season so far. I might be so bold as to suggest that the MAC conference change it to a 2/3 race, rather than a 2/3/4 to keep the numbers lower.

There are definite pluses and minuses to starting at the back of a cross race. The advantages being:
-you can always blame the start for a bad race
-no pressure to clip-in efficiently...you have 30 seconds before you can even move
-riders are usually more fun/chill back there

The problem with starting in the back isn't necessarily that it's impossible to pass so many riders...the problem is that so much other crap goes on back there that it takes your focus and rhythm.

Right out of the start, I slammed into several riders trying to get in gaps that were probably a little tight. On the road, I would have no issue getting in those spots...but with cat4 crossers, it's not so easy. So yeah, I made a little progress on the road, and managed to pass quite a few people in the early turns where people forget how to ride bikes in a non-linear fashion. Then I got severely held up at the tight turns around the watchtower, forcing me to run around half the corners.

Another problem with starting near the back is that you need to ride super aggressive to even have a glimmer of hope for a good race. This means you overshoot turns and slide around a lot. The combined effect of my heart rate (too much frantic running) and the need to take awkward lines to pass on off-camber sections caused me to go down pretty hard...my first legitimate crash of the season (hitting the barriers in VT doesn't count as a failure of bike handling, I think).

I recovered and resumed my charge to the front with slightly less enthusiasm, since the leaders were already several minutes ahead on course. After all, I have no position or reputation(?) to defend in the MAC...let's just do this for the workout.

I started to get a little rhythm, although I was usually held up in the turns in any of the technical sections. But that's racing, and I'm usually the one who's holding people up. In any case, this spurred on another ill-advised pass, which I should have thought about more carefully, save the lactic acid block in my brain. As I passed the pits, I tried to pass between the course tape and another rider who was setting up for the upcoming turn. He forced me into the tape, over a stake, and eventually over the bars. My bike took flight and somehow my saddle became snared in the front wheel of a following rider. This stopped him pretty effectively as well.

We spent the next minute untangling the rubix cube of seat/wheel/fork that was our two bikes. I don't know how they even got like that without destroying his front wheel...perhaps by some variant of a quantum tunneling process. Oh...and then my chain was off, so I had to fix that. Suffice to say, this really damped my enthusiasm for the race.

I was resolved to finish though and I regained some steam over the next few laps, making it hurt as best I could, in the end salvaging 22nd place. Surprising, given that I would have previously guessed somewhere in the 60's. Wissahickon would be an opportunity for redemption, I hoped.

CX recap

Ok, got a little slow with this thing again...

Green Mountain Cross- Day 2:

So the second day of Green Mtn Cross went slightly better than the first. Thanks to Colin's slow leaking front tire, I had one less contender to be concerned about, and the damp/loose conditions made for a more decisive course.

After a couple laps of slowly losing riders, I made the selection with James Tosca and Jeremy Dunn, and we kept it together for most of the race, holding a pretty solid gap to 4th. With 1.5 laps to go, I put in a half-hearted dig on a power section to try and increase the pace, but I just ended up towing them around. In retrospect, a harder attack was needed.

As we got to the final log run/ride up, Jeremy and I dismounted and Tosca rode it, as he had for the previous laps. I was hoping he would slip on the logs one of these times, since he was clearly the strongest rider among the three of us and it's always nice to whittle down the competition. As we crested the top, I hear "to your right" as Tosca thrusted his bike over the last log. Without thinking, I moved over and let him by (and Jeremy), forcing me to attempt a remount on a bumpy rooted section. And that was it. By the time I could remount and find my pedals, I was gapped and they held it to the finish. Game over. I just couldn't make contact again, and I cruised in for 3rd place. Gotta say, I'm pretty happy with that, given that I actually rode well in pseudo-slippery/techincal conditions (not really technical at all, but I'll pretend).

Gran Prix of Gloucester 1 and 2:

Both days at Gloucester went pretty much the same for me. But given that I had not ridden since the previous Monday and had just recovered from food poisoning hours before, I didn't have great expectations. I had a front row spot, but couldn't find my pedal quick enough and slowly slipped into the interior of the field before the hole-shot. However, I fought my way back to the front, actually making contact with the front group on day 1. Unfortunately I couldn't ever comfortably stay attached and eventually I slipped off, barely holding off Colin's late charge to slot into 8th place for the first day. It just wasn't a great day for me...my legs never felt good and I had a couple minor incidents with tripping on the barriers. On day 2, I could see the front, but was consistently 20m off the last wheel of the front group and never actually made the bridge. Another case of mediocre legs. However, a late crash allowed me to pick up another spot and come in with 9th place, maintaining my 3rd place in the overall season standings.

Green Mountain Cross, Day 1

Lacking Swandrome cross the previous week, I embarked on my 2008 cross campaign with the first Verge NECCS weekend in Williston, VT at Green Mtn Cross. Coming in, I had hopes of a top 15 placing, but I wasn't sure how my legs would react (first race in 2 months) or if my neck would even allow me to race. But I paid $70 in registration fees and we had a hotel booked...no turning back now.

When I got to the course on Saturday morning, I instantly recognized it as the place where St. Michael's College histed a cross country meet back when I was a freshman at Clarkson. This was good, because all I remember about that course was the hills. Sure enough, it delivered.

I tried to work the tubular glue off my front rim to no avail, so I was forced to run a clincher (mud2) in the front, and my Challenge Grifo in the rear. I was pretty bummed about this, since I was really happy with how the Grifos rolled...but not so happy with how the front rim made the bike shudder and squeal with any brake application. In any case, the course was dry enough that I could run a reasonable pressure without much fear of pinch flatting.

After call-ups, I was put in the third row...not terrible given how wide the opening stretch was, and the climb directly after. I could most likely slide up during the first climb.

My clip-in was pretty flawless and I weaved through a couple fumbling riders to get within the top 15 going into the "hole-shot" (because it wasn't really a hole-shot). I had to fight a bit for the good line, which was a 3" gravel hardpack in the middle of an otherwise soft grassy hillside...there was a good amount of bumping and grunting but I ended up in the path, which means I won. The next task was the navigate through the field on the uphill.

This would have been a lot harder if Colin Jaskiewicz hadn't crashed through a right hand turn at the top of the hill. Luckily I was far enough behind to navigate through the cursing mass of riders and pull in behind the train that was about to leave the station.

Four riders used this opportunity to get a gap on the field- led by Colin Reuter, who had great legs, despite his misgivings about this being a roadie/climber friendly course. I tried to make the catch before the downhill section, but I remained dangling off the pace. If I could limit my losses in the turning/downhill sections, I could probably bridge on the power intensive sections. Ok, no problem...right?

I spent the next lap clawing back 20-30m until I finally made contact. That was a pretty difficult catch. As I joined the front group, Colin called for some help at the front, since the other riders were wheelsucking pretty intensely. I explained that I just caught on and needed a quick rest. That lasted for about 10 seconds before I shot to the front on a difficult grind to the top of the course. Foolishly they let me by before the downhill! Ha!

Once at the front, I was pretty energized and somewhat nervous about being the one to set the pace. As we came into the downhill, there was a right turn which dumped us over a rock and into 180 left hand. I handled the first turn decent enough, but continued to pedal over the rock, causing my rear wheel to jump/flare out and making me look rather foolish. That didn't go unnoticed, since it came up in the post-race breakdown. For all my technical improvements, I still have some strides to make.

But here's a sweet picture that Colin sent, via some other photographer...



I led the group around for most of the next lap before swinging wide in a turn before the barriers and letting the others by (aka Colin took the lead again). I tagged onto the back as we came through the start finish. Richard Fries made sure to comment that I was apparently "barely hanging on" the train. For the most part we were safe from any big chases behind, but there were a couple of riders looking to make the bridge.

The next lap or so was relatively uneventful, except for the constant pace surges which were beginning to take their toll on me. Our first group got strung out a bit, with Colin and Tosca ahead. However, I was still in relative contact, and would plan on making efforts on sections where I could close the gaps back down...at least until the barriers came. I knew I had to make this one clean and hopefully close some more distance. As we came around the gentle left turn in, I threw my leg over, un-clipped, and proceeded to trip+slam my front wheel into the first barrier. This caused me to splay out between the barriers in a probably comical fashion, and the bike to follow suit. Luckily I hadn't hit the second barrier and my recovery was pretty quick. However, my confidence was fairly shaken.

Back on the bike, Colin and the eventual winner were well out of sight, and third place was probably 100m ahead. I looked back and didn't see anyone else. OK...safe for now.

Over the next lap I could feel my legs failing all too quickly. Normally you can last the final lap...except that each trip around was taking close to 10 minutes since the course was so damn long! As I came to the top of the hill I began to see a rider in pursuit behind...and Jeremy Dunn was behind him. In other words, I coulnd't cruise in, content with my fourth place. However, even though I felt like I was putting out some respectable power, the chase was closing in. I held off the fourth place rider until just before the barriers, where he took advantage of my failing body and hesitancy. However, Jeremy was just behind him. I had to last at least another 300m to the line.

And I did. As we came through the bushes I glanced back to see 5th place was safe, so I didn't need to kill my legs for a sprint. That's a good thing.

So yeah, fifth place in my first killer B's race, and my first race of 2008. Given that my legs aren't anywhere near ready to race yet, this has got to be a good sign.

The weekend.

Saturday I went up to Swan's place to help setup the course for Sunday's race. Thanks to ample course tape, I suspect it was the most legit Swandrome cross race to date. I was pretty excited to get my first race done, and hopefully shake the rust off before next weekend's Verge races in VT. Perhaps too excited...

After finishing the course, we did some hot laps with a small pack. As we entered one of the wooded sections, I flatted my front wheel on a small rocky section. I was going probably 15mph through a shallow turn at the time and could not steer the bike at all upon exiting. Next stop- the tree on the outside of the turn.

I hit it square on, cracking my helmet and injuring my neck. Expensive little flat.

I tried to wake up and race the next day, but lacking the ability to turn my head and the noticeable pain precluded any racing. Hopefully it clears up before the weekend. And hopefully I don't suck in VT because I haven't ridden in 4 days thanks to this and ample work to keep me inside. Ugh...

I offer nothing.

Ok, so I haven't written anything since I raced Wilmington-Whiteface. I started to write a post about the Off-Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell, but that became derailed somewhere. Rather than try to remember races from several months ago, I'm going to bring things up to date...

Following Whiteface, I did Fitchburg-Longsjo. I didn't quite have the time trial I wanted(36/111), and I didn't do super well on Mt Wachusett (15th place), but I finished 18th overall on GC in the cat2 field, which is ok by me. It was nice racing against only cat2's, and not being outrageously humbled by future pros (well, there are probably future pros in the cat2 field, but you know what I mean). I'd like to train more intelligently (maybe do intervals!?!?) and get at least a top 10 next year. If I'm smart about my early season, I think it's doable.

Thus ended my road season for 2008.

I followed up Fitchburg with ORAMM in North Carolina, did Tandem Track nationals with Steve, an open track day, and two ECCC track weekends, but have not officially raced my road bike since. Track had varied success- we raced faster than last year on the tandem, but still fell short of winning any races (and no one let us run away in the 5k scratch race). My first two track weekends, one after Tandem nationals and the other at Kissena, were nothing to speak of. I finally was able to muster some speed at the final track day at Trexlertown, where I placed in both the the points and scratch races. Allegedly my performance garnered me an on-site cat3 upgrade, but I have yet to see about that.

All in all, since Fitchburg, I have only done a few long rides, a bunch of fixed gear track rides, some time trials, and some low-key mountain biking. Here and there I threw in a Tuesday night race. I guess the point is that I was preparing to concentrate on cyclocross- I learned my lesson last year when I started CX totally burnt from summer racing, especially GMSR.

Then, last weekend I started racing again with the ECCC MTB season opener at Lehigh- again with varied success.

Saturday was the XC race. I naturally signed up for A's, since I they got cool plastic numbers and the other classes got paper. Also because I figured my fitness could carry me through whatever my bike handling couldn't. Since it had rained a little the previous day, the course was pretty slick, and the rock gardens were proving to be quite a mess for me to deal with. I lowered my pressure to ~38 psi...I figured that was reasonably soft enough to get traction, but not soft enough to cause pinch flats. More on that.

After the bottleneck saw the race leaders well up the trail, I settled into almost DFL with a couple other riders. Soon, we caught up to the field ahead as we went into a short climb and followed with some small rock gardens. I made a couple passes and settled back into the line. Unfortunately, since I couldn't see the line ahead, I plowed right into a couple sharp rocks which pinch flatted BOTH my wheels. Race over. I tried to fix them and continue on, but my mini-pump broke. I raced 1 mile of collegiate mountain biking and proceeded to walk a useless bike back to the start.

Sunday was the short track XC, which was held on a ~800m loop with 500m of climbing and 300m of a switchbacking descent. If there was ever a course made for me, this was it. I could reasonably manage my losses on the downhill and make my time on the up. And the race was only 35 minutes.

Right out of the start, someone fell in the middle of the field, causing a small pile-up, which I quickly navigated through. I looked ahead to see a small group of 5-6 riders up the trail. Beyond them, I couldn't see anyone. Either the first few guys really flew off the line, or I was actually near the front of the race. Over the next couple laps, I made up the gap and joined their group. While catching my breath, I settled in behind Vanya, who had avoided the earlier crash altogether.

Over the next few laps (before they started showing lap cards), I moved my way up, passing what I believed were the remaining leaders, including a rider who I saw got third on the previous day. This race was going pretty well by all accounts. I kind of thought I was winning, but I was not sure. At this point we began to lap some riders, so I really could not tell what was going on. I began to wonder if the 'officials' were paying attention and that I woulnd't get screwed in the confusion of riders being lapped everywhere. In any case, I kept pressure on the pedals.

Unfortunately, I probably gave too much too early, as I began to get caught by a UMass and UVM rider I had passed earlier. As I got more tired, my already limited ability to descend the hill began to get progressively worse. With 3 laps to go, I was passed and really didn't have the ability to respond. Oh well, I still am on the podium, right? I mean, I don't see any others ahead, and I haven't been passed/lapped myself...

As it turned out, I ended up 7th...apparently one lap down(?!?!). At least I guess that was the case, since they placed me behind a rider marked as being down a lap. I personally find this highly improbable, since I was only passed by two riders whom(who?...I don't care) I had previously passed. It's a good thing I don't care too much about my collegiate ranking, because otherwise I'd be a little more bitter about it. However, I'm feeling pretty positive about the race with cross around the corner.

This weekend is Swandrome cross, then next weekend is the official season opener in VT. I think I'll be able to stay on top of race reports now that the races are actually exciting...

Wilmington-Whiteface

Somehow I was coerced by my advisor to attend a conference at Colby College in Maine from June 22-27. But damn, such a long drive...I had to come up with a way to make it shorter. Luckily, the Whiteface-Wilmington race provided a nice stop-over in Lake Placid so that I could pretend it wouldn't be so painfully far from Ithaca.

We (the Cornell/Chris' Cookies cycling conglomerate) rolled in pretty late on Friday night, where we camped off the Marcy Dam access road just prior to the ADK Loj. Since I really haven't been back to the High Peaks since I left Clarkson, I forgot how much I miss hiking and camping there. But no...no time for that-we're here to race bikes!

After a huge breakfast at the Lake Placid Brewing Company and some bike porn at High Peaks Cyclery, we headed out the Wilmington for a 12:30 start. In reality, there was no reason to browse bikes at High Peaks since there were triathletes everywhere, previewing the course for the ironman which was this past weekend. I've never seen such a density of high priced bikes under so many goofy looking riders. I've also never seen such little regard for such high price bikes. Imagine several Cervelo P3c's left unwatched outside of practically any store where one can fill water bottles and buy snacks. Anyway...

The race consisted of a 6-7 mile jaunt out to the main loop, which we would do several times (I don't remember how many) before returning and climbing to the finish located a couple miles up the toll road. 72 miles total. Naturally, I should have looked at the climb before the race, but I didn't.

The 1/2/3 race was pretty small with only 25 starters, but there were a couple Canadian wild cards and a lone Fiordifrutta rider, Cory Burns. From the start it was obvious that he was not going anywhere off the front of the race. Any move on his part was instantly covered...wearing that jersey earns you quite a bit of respect from the field, but must be a pain to deal with.

Here's us sucking Cory's wheel over the top of the climb

The main loop was gently rolling, save one punchy climb through the feed zone. If any separations were going to occur, it would certainly be there. Luckily our group was well represented, with myself, Steve, Cameron, and Jake. While we're not quite CSC, we were hoping to have some minor control over the race...or at least settle to not chase each other down. Unfortunately, our strength was cut by 25% when Steve got off the bike to piss. An attack soon followed, and he found himself on a 50 mile time trial. We tried to get to the front to slow the field, but that didn't work very well. I suppose a real team may have dropped to pace him back to the field, but then we may very well have had a 4 person 50 mile team time trial. Oh well.

The race stayed together for the most part, with a couple small attacks going off, and actually gaining some ground. The desire to chase was decidedly lacking, but the time gaps seemed reasonable enough to pull back in the final miles, as long as they didn't grow. More than a few times we found ourselves at the front to accelerate the pace when it slowed significantly. None of us made any real moves, but we definitely did quite a bit of time with our faces in the wind and the stinging, intermittent rain. Given the speed on the flats and especially on the climb, the breaks weren't going anywhere.

This played out for several laps, and we reeled in the final solo breakaway with probably 10 miles to go. As we crested the climb through the feed zone, we were guided off the loop and back towards the Whiteface toll road. The race had officially started...all the rest was a warm-up (not really).

We came flying back into Wilmington on a road that was largely flat and downhill. Those not so confident in their climbing skills (or those overly confident) fired small attacks off the front, hoping to open a gap before the turn to the final climb. I'm not too sure what happened in that stretch of road, but I'm pretty sure all of them came back. It's possible the Canadian rider who won shot off in the flurry of attacks. Cory Burns put in a ton of digs, but clearly he was the last person the field would let go. As I shook out my legs on a small downhill section, Cory remarked, "Yeah, I hear ya." We talked for a bit as I tried to glean as much information about the climb from him. He described it well, warning me to ride my own pace and not get sucked into early efforts, doomed to fail. As we made the right turn onto the toll road, we wished each other good luck and dropped onto our little rings.

The Whiteface climb starts out very gently; I was honestly expecting something a little steeper. I didn't picture it very well from Cory's description- I openly queried whether this was the final climb or just a lead-in. The silence around me confirmed that it was indeed the final climb. In retrospect, I think they just thought I was being an asshole. No, I was being genuine. The road stretched out straight in front at a small, but tiring grade.

At this point, the field shattered as the climbers grouped near the front and others went into survival mode. I was hurting, but kept an eye on the front. I knew Steven Pingree was strong- he placed just behind me at GMSR, and had been beating me all spring in ECCC races. Also at the front was Nicholas Bruno, who beat me at Housatonic Hills in the cat4 race and placed 13th in the p/1/2 at Housatonic the week before. And then there was Cameron, not that I was racing against him. I knew we'd all make it hurt. The Canadian guy held a small gap to our group of 4.

Up ahead I spied a sign that read 1km...YES! Only a couple more minutes of suffering left! Somewhere around here, Cameron just barely slipped off the back of our group. I think he was still adjusting to not having a triple crankset and couldn't spin his insanely fast cadence. I was just following wheels, not processing the fact that the Canadian guy was going to ride away untouched. Not that I could do anything about it anyway, haha.

As we came to the 200m sign, I debated making an early charge to the line, but I still couldn't see the finish. The road curved left, and the trees successfully obscured the tent and timing equipment. The road was also noticeably steeper than before. With probably 150m, I jumped on the left, pulling around Nick and drawing Steven out on the right. My move was strong enough to get a little room, but perhaps a little too early. I also should have taken up another gear somewhere, because I was chugging a bit and couldn't match Pingree's acceleration when he finally pulled past at the line. 3rd place! Not too bad- two podiums in two weekends. Photographic evidence suggests that I could have won the sprint if I had been in the drops!

Looking naturally resplendent with my moustache.

And a picture!

I finally hooked up the digital cam to unload some pics...

WARNING: Gratuitous side-butt nudity

For whatever reason, this picture doesn't capture the full essence of the road rash...and it sure as hell hurt a lot more than it looks.

Another (late) update

It appears I've let this thing lapse again...time to recap...

Sunday, June 15, 2008- Housatonic Hills RR

After my respectable 2nd place at the Cyclonauts race, I was happy, but kept my hubris reserved since the big names of New England cycling weren't there. Sunday would be my chance to see them again...and be horribly beaten again.

During the pre-race period at Cyclonauts, there was a lot of talk about the "new" course for Housatonic Hills- suffice to say, people were worried. The climb up Constitution Hill was now part of the actual loop...not just the last 2 kilometers. Allegedly each lap had 2700 feet of climbing- we had to do 3 loops, for a total of ~81 miles. I was less bothered about the climbing and more concerned about the length. I'm not used to racing these distances yet, and without help in the feed zone, we had to carry anything we wanted to drink. I did 81 miles on two water bottles. Dehydration imminent!

The first time up the climb was neutral, but it was still annoying since I could not climb at my pace. That's not to say we were going slow, but I was not in the rhythm I'm used to. My legs felt pretty bad- I guess I didn't recover well enough from the previous day. And I had to piss like Sea Biscuit (to steal a line from Juno). Now I'm in for it.

After the neutral climb, we hit a rather long descent where I lost a few wheels. On the subsequent flat and climb I began to fall off the back of the field. What the hell? Not even 5km into the race and I'm in trouble! The SRAM wheel car pulled around, placing itself between me and field. Considering this somewhat of an insult, I forced myself to man-up and get back in. And it worked. Safe for now.

This happened a few more times on the first lap as the pace shifted when attacks went off the front. Eventually I could see Targetraining sitting on the front- presumably they had a rider up the road and they were slowing the pace. Phew...thanks guys!

As we finished the first lap, we began our first race pace ascent of Constitution Hill...and my legs felt awful. I could still see the big names just ahead, but they were pulling away. I guess when the field includes a soon-to-be Olympian (Todd Wells) and more than a handful of other great riders, the pace is bound to be hot. I grabbed a few wheels and managed to pull myself up to the middle of the group as we came over the top. And then I was dropped on the descent again...time to chase.

Once again, I spent the second lap yo-yo'ing with the peloton, almost losing it for good at one particular point. I practically turned the bike around to head back to the start...but then I remembered how much I spent in time/money on this weekend...so I chased back on, with a little help from a Targetraining rider who was also popped off. We were even applauded by the neutral support car! Safe again, at least for the remainder of the second lap. What a crappy day.

The third lap began with an insanely fast ascent of Constitution Hill, where the big separations occurred. In front were the elites of new england cycling...behind them formed the human cat2's. I was happy for this separation, because it meant the last lap would be easier and I wouldn't die. With both of my bottles practically empty, it probably wasn't long before dehydration and cramping set in.

As expected the third lap was easier, as people became content with what was left of the peloton. The pace ahead must have been tough, as we picked up Josh Lipka, who drifted back to us mere mortals. Small attacks went off, but were usually brought back without much effort. Matt tried a few pulls, but didn't get much help in the wind. It looked as if the final KOM climb would be the launch point for attacks.

We turned onto the KOM climb (which was more of a 3-4% false flat than a real climb) and people went nuts. I'd say the group got split in half in only the first third of the hill. I had my front wheel pinched as two riders stood in front, but managed to stay upright (yes, bike handling!). Someone swerved severely and forced Matt out of his pedal and practically into the side of the road. For a race of allegedly good riders, it wasn't pretty.

Matt managed to claw himself back with surprising speed, but had lost Lipka's wheel in the prior melee- and now he was gone. As we looked ahead, he had sufficiently buried his head and was riding away from really damn quickly. And like that, he was gone for good. Ridiculous.

The final drag was extremely fast as riders tried attack after attack on the largely flat/downhill miles...great effort, but largely wasted. I sucked wind at the back as my mouth became increasingly cotton-like. Since my bottles had been sucked dry miles earlier, I could do little but think about the cold drinks at the finish line. Concentrate on the race for now.

As we came flying past the front of the school things that got pretty sketchy as everyone jockeyed for position into the final turn. Having pretty fresh road rash from Balloon Fest, I slid back and let the others fight it out. We slammed through the turn, where a slight uphill sprint of ~200m began. I passed quite a few people in our group as they popped. Unfortunately I got boxed into the side of the road by someone, which quickly ended my charge to the line. I hit the brakes and maneuvered around, losing precious speed and severely screwing up my gearing into the final 100m. I managed to hold on for a mid-pack finish within the group, good for 32nd overall, 5:17 back from the winner. Meh. Matt uncorked a pretty solid finish, getting 4th in the group sprint and 23rd overall. But he stole a coke from someone at the beginning of the last lap, so that's cheating, haha.

Overall- pretty happy to finish, especially given the difficulty in the early miles. Could have done better, but man was that race hard!

Wilmington-Whiteface report next!

Cyclonauts Road Race

After a disappointing outing the previous weekend, I had mixed feelings about a two race weekend, with Cyclonauts on Saturday and Housatonic Hills on Sunday. On one hand, I wanted to recover some semblance of pride after Balloon Fest, but on the other hand I didn't want to prove that my crappiness wasn't just an "off day."

Cyclonauts is a short race at only 56 miles, so a warm up was definitely required. For once, I think I did a decent job of this. Matt and I headed out on a stretch of road and put in a few good digs to get the legs ready. I should note that I had to stop at one point to take off my shoes since my feet were so hot and itchy. Still not sure what that was all about.

The race was pretty uneventful, save for a few attacks that were quickly covered. Oh, and I lost my water bottle within the first two miles. I've only ever lost two water bottles in races and they've both been at Cyclonauts.

Both Matt and Don were pretty active and got into a couple breaks, so I would attempt some pace slowing at the front. However, that usually didn't work, as small groups would almost instantly try to bridge up. Naturally I followed their wheels, and the field was together again. I made a couple efforts to get into small break groups, but the same thing happened, as no one was letting anything go away. Without any dominating teams with insanely strong riders like Fiordifrutta, this race wasn't a lost cause from the start.

A little under halfway through the race it began to rain pretty damn hard...like a classic Ithaca downpour. Between the rain from the sky and the spray off the tires, I had a really hard time seeing anything. When you're cruising around in excess of 30mph, good vision is important. I finally decided that the glasses were doing more harm than good and pocketed them for the remainder of the race.

Two prominent features of the cyclonauts course (aside from the fact that it seems more downhill than up) are the railroad crossings a few miles out from the finish. In dry conditions these are a pain to begin with. The tracks are heaved at spots and the pavement is pretty poor. In the rain...these things were deathtraps. The first crossing claimed 2 or 3 riders, and the second set took another 2, one of which was Matt. He apparently slid and wasn't hurt at all, but it put him off the back of a peloton moving at a rather quick pace. He gave chase, but that ultimately was the end of the race for him. He did finish the course, though. I imagine he would have had a very high finish if not a win had he stayed upright.

In any case, the hill through the lap/finish line caused some separations in the field. I was having a hard time with this hill for whatever reason, and several riders went up the road. I think their group was 4-5 guys strong. Before not too long, they were out of sight. I tried a similar thing in the 3/4 race last year, but the field never let us get far enough away. This time it seemed to work. Whether the field was lazy or being slowed by teammates of riders in the break, everyone seemed content that there were people up the road. Ok, so we're racing for 5th place or something like it...not bad I guess. After all, this isn't really my style of race, I figured.

Despite an apparent lack of concern, as we came to the final miles we began to see glimpses of the break. The SRAM car was the initial giveaway. People began to get interested once again. Attacks flew off the front, and the field countered their efforts as we got the race back up to a fast pace. This was like a perfectly timed catch in a professional race!

As we made the turn onto the final stretch (probably 2k from the finish), we began to reel in the break as they blew apart. Riders scattered everywhere on the initial pitch, and I began to weave my way to the front. This time I felt strong up the hill. I got to third wheel as we hit the small rest section prior to the final kicker to the finish. Since the speeds were pretty high on this section, everyone started to line up for the final sprint. I shifted up to the big chainring in anticipation of uncharacteristic finishing strength(!), haha. With a 27 in the rear, I figured that even if I could sprint the small ring, I could err and still not get too hurt by being overgeared.

As we hit the final pitch with probably 300m to go, I had the perfect position in third wheel. A CCB/VW guy had the front of the line and began to stand up and get some gap on the wheel I was following. He looked overgeared and was really chugging to turn it over. I stood up and came around to the right, passing both of them without killing myself too much. Before I knew it, I thought I was clear of everyone with maybe 150m left. For a second I thought, "I'm gonna win this damn thing!" Then, in my peripheral, I began to see a rider charging hard on the left, right near the yellow line. Unfortunately, I stupidly downshifted and found myself pushing too many gear inches- too many to respond and accelerate. Even if I hadn't messed up the shift, I think the other guy was definitely stronger over those last meters. I looked around and saw I had 2nd place locked up, so I coasted in, happy but mainly surprised with how well I did. Perhaps I'm not doomed to be permanent pro/1/2 pack fodder after all...there may be some hope yet!

Unfortunately the payout was reduced since there were "only" 45 starters...the planned payout was $90, but 2nd place only got me $30!!! That didn't even cover my entry fee of $35...oh well, I guess I don't do this for the money after all.


Confidence restored.

Oh, and did I mention the race was fast? Our average speed for 57.71 miles was 24.81 mph...and that included the small cool-down after the finish.

Been a long time...

...since I've updated much. Well, now since I'm at a conference at Colby College I have a good amount of free time to do useless things like this. OK, here's my attempt at reviewing the last few weeks:

June 7- Balloon Fest Pro/1/2 race:
In a word- awful. This was the weekend where temperatures were >90 degrees, and I hadn't yet done any riding in heat like that. Also, I hadn't raced since Dartmouth, which was a little over a month prior. You can train all you want, but you can't fake race fitness...which can only come from racing.

Matt and I stayed at a lovely Motel6 the night before and got to the race with plenty of time to spare...but I still didn't get any kind of a warm up. Big mistake, I would later figure. Even the most casual readers of this blog will note my constant complaints about lack of warm up, and my failure to do anything to remedy it.

Despite the seemingly low importance of this race, all the big names of northeast cycling were out to ride. This included much of the CCB/VW team and also a lot of Fiordifrutta. Ugh. Right out of the start the riders at the front were turning the screws on some of the short, tough climbs and this made my legs hurt pretty badly. I fell off the rear for a bit, but chased back on without too much issue. However, as we came to the significant climb on course, I found myself fighting to keep from drifting back in the field (starting at the rear also didn't help matters). For whatever reason (I'll blame the heat) I couldn't make myself get to that point where I could hurt enough to stay in contact. The result- I was dropped on a climb, for probably the first time ever. Interesting that it should correspond to the first pro/1/2 race I do...

At this point I was pretty annoyed with myself and considered dropping out. Then I remembered that I paid for a hotel room, gas, race fees, etc. and that I shouldn't go down that easily. Note that it wasn't a matter of pride...it was a financial reason that kept me racing. I grouped up with one other guy from the Kenda/Raleigh team who met a similar fate on the climb. I pulled a majority of the time and we kept the gap to the field pretty constant. At times they were rather strung out- usually good evidence that someone was driving the pace pretty damn hard. Also, we began to pick up a couple riders who were also dropped ahead of us. They were good for one or two pulls before we left them behind as well. Finally, as we came off the descending section the field widened and coalesced again- this was it...we can catch back! We pulled to within probably 50m when things got bad...

At this point, a non-race vehicle had entered the gap between the rear of the field and us. Someone in the peloton flatted and pulled to the right. Naturally the wheel truck stopped to assist, pulling to the shoulder. Unsure of what to do, the random car directly in front of us stopped abruptly right along the yellow line. Decision time- do we go between the cars or go over the yellow line, into oncoming traffic? Given the time in which this happened, coupled with our speed of >30mph, this decision had to be made fast...and rather poorly.

I was in the process of pulling through when we both had mixed reactions to the situation upon us...we each decided to go the opposite way, we hooked handlebars, and hit the pavement. Well, I did. I was on the bottom of a me/bike/bike/other guy pile as we slid into the oncoming lane of traffic. In retrospect, I'm thankful we didn't get hit by any cars going the opposite way. And I'm also thankful I didn't hit my head in the process.

The slide was long enough that I recall having to time to reflect on the general unpleasantness of the situation. I began to think about what my leg would look like when all was said and done (pictures will come soon) and what would become of the season. As much as a I tried to reorient, the weight on top of me kept me in a pretty helpless position. Finally we ground to a halt.

The other guy seemed pretty much unscathed since he was effectively sitting on top of me and two bikes during the slide. I remarked that this was end of today for me. In a way, it was a mixed blessing because it saved me from another couple hours of riding pain...if I could even last that long. As for the damage survey- road rash on my left leg/hip, torn shorts, scuffed jersey, broken rear skewer, dented top tube. Based on the dent, I wonder if a carbon frame would have survived.

The wheel car guy picked me up and remarked that we should be more careful riding around the cars when we're chasing back on. Good, obvious advice. After getting dropped off, I spent the remainder of the day being the center of attention near the finish line and medical tent. Yep...that guy. Then I spent the next few days with oozing sores, painful showers, and uncomfortable sleeping. Oh yeah, and stabbing pains in my calf whenever I moved around.

A few days following the crash, I began to suspect infection as my lower leg swelled to the point that I could not see my ankle (see: cankle). I debated getting it treated for a day of so before I went to the ER. I considered the possibility that it may just be lymph draining. The doctor didn't seem too concerned, but decided to err on the side of caution and wrote a prescription for some antibiotics. I am beyond any doubt that they were desperately needed. Within a day of starting the course, the swelling was almost gone and the wounds were healing up much better. As of now, only the scabs on my lower leg remain, the other regions leaving only reddish scarring, which I can show off with pride to some and embarrassment to others (others = other cyclists).

Soon to come- race reports from last weekends races at Cyclonauts and Housatonic Hills. Then this past weekend's exploits in Lake Placid at the Wilmington-Whiteface race. Spoiler alert- two podium finishes!

VT Six Gap

A couple weekends ago I headed out to VT to join Jordan for a little GMSR recon. The plan was to ride the 64.7 mile road course (abbreviated from the p/1/2 version) on Friday, take Saturday easy, and then possibly do the LAMB (Lincoln, App, Midd, Brandon) ride on Sunday. Plans change...

Friday was a great ride. I'm not sure I've done a ride that was long with that much climbing, but yet felt like an easy spin. We got rained on a few times and got quite cold, but the weather cleared up for the ascent and descent of App Gap. Unfortunately, the wet pavement precluded any awesome descent down into Waitsfield. Overall, pretty casual though. I think we did 70 miles in 4:10. To think that I did that race in ~2:50 last September is crazy. As a side note, Appalachian Gap is really manageable when you're not racing it. I think I like it better when my HR is below 200bpm...

As planned, Saturday was a ridiculously easy spin for 45 minutes. After all, we had this 4-gap ride tomorrow, right?

As we discussed plans for Sunday, it dawned on us that we had no idea how long this ride was going to be. After consulting with gmaps-pedometer, I roughly calculated the distance to be ~115 miles. Wow, we had no idea it was going to be that long. But then we thought...what's another 20 miles to do the fabled 6 gap VT ride? That's a good idea, right? So there it was- we randomly decided to tackle the 6 gap ride, not 12 hours before our departure.

For those not aware, here's some info on the 6 gap, including a link to Colin's report from last year. I don't think I'll do quite that much detail, mostly because it was a couple weeks ago and I don't remember every single detail. This will be more of a Cliff's notes version.

- The EASY way to do this ride is to start in Rochester and do Brandon, Midd, Lincoln, App, Roxbury, Rochester. This is normally the way people do it. Then, you hit Lincoln and App Gap (the hardest/steepest and the second hardest climbs) at ~60 miles and ~75 miles. Since we started from Warren, we had the option of doing those climbs first...or last. We chose last. We would eventually hit Lincoln gap with a full 1oo miles in our legs. Beautiful.

-I've become a real fan of riding dirt roads since I became a more competent bike handler, thanks to cross and mtb. The ascent of Roxbury was really fun and so was the descent. The descent of Lincoln was awful, though. We stopped halfway down to cool the rims and brakes.

-I don't remember too much of Rochester, although I recall a really steep finish and a fun descent. I bet that's a great way to finish the ride for those that do it based from there.

-Brandon gap is a joke. I don't know if that should even qualify as a gap.

-We became temporarily lost after the descent of Brandon gap, as we missed a turn in the road. That added about a mile to our ride. Even more hardcore.

-The worst section of the ride for me was from the base of Brandon to Midd, along Lake Dunmore. As I recall, we only had 60-70 miles and my upper back and neck were making this really difficult for me. A 10 minute stop for water/coke/food right before the turn off VT Rt. 7 provided the necessary break for me to feel like I could finish this thing. I would have hated to quit because of a neck issue, because my legs were fine.

-Possibly because of the pb&j I ate in Warren, I had awful stomach cramps while climbing Lincoln Gap and for much of the remaining 30 miles. I also tried to not use my 39x27, but was ultimately forced into it. I think I made it within 800m of the summit before I had to give up on the 24 and downshift. That climb was no joke. I laughed at the report that said you had to concentrate on not getting a wheelie, but there were several points that my front wheel came close to unweighting as I pulled up on the bars so much. As a side note- I drove up Lincoln on the way home, taking a video with my digital camera...but it doesn't do it justice at all. As usual, the camera severaly flattens the appearance of the terrain.

-App Gap is appreciably harder with stomach cramps and 125 miles in your legs. Who knows what it will feel like with ~100 miles of racing come late August this year... The last pitch to the summit/GMSR finish was pretty painful, but I 'sprinted' it out to get it over with. It was all worth it for the descent, though. I couldn't bomb down it during GMSR last year without the risk of losing GC points.