September Cyclocross

Running the sand at Dogfish Hermann CX.
Photo Cred: Dan Singer.

Dogfish Hermann CX: I wasn’t as fit as I hoped, but I didn’t have any mechanicals.  Jeff Yeilding put a great course and well run event together.  My brother David hopped the train from KC to Hermann for the weekend, rode the 1 mile to the race course and joined me camping out Saturday after our races.  He did well in his first CX races.  We had lots of fun and I hope set the pattern for fun “brother’s CX weekends” in the future.  This weekend is a “DO NOT MISS” racing weekend.  

Manion’s CX Day 1: With the wife and kids out of town I jumped in the car and drove over to KC to see my rents.  I got to watch David win the Jrs race and then I finished in the top 10 of the Open Men’s race.  (PRO) Joe Schmalz cleaned up on the day.  BUT, unlike the last CX race against him, I did not get lapped.  That’s some real progress!  I was pleased with my result considering I only had 1 functioning brake (my own fault) and that really limited my ability to hit the downhill, dusty, switchbacks.

WTB LaVista CX: I showed up 30 min before this race and managed a decent finish (6^th) in the Open race.  It was an encouraging day as some of the guys I gauge myself off of (Scott and Aaron) were both behind me.  They usually finish ahead of me!

Teammate BJ throwin down in the mud at Gateway CX Cup with Scott.
Photo Cred: Dan Singer.

Gateway Cross Cup: This was the CX season goal.  The timing was early enough that some road season fitness would still make me fast.  The course was a “grass crit” supposedly.  I registered early enough to get a start in the first 2 rows.  Things looked good until I got caught behind schedule at work with a project.  I showed up when everyone was already in the start grid!  I sprinted to the start (without checking tire pressure) and arrived just as they blew the whistle!  Marin and Mark let me jump in (I preregistered) and started chasing (with zero warmup – yay!).  I made contact with the pack at the big barriers, then completely biffed my remount.  I mean, thigh meets saddle then drop onto the rear wheel.  I take a deep breath and then do it again.  When I finally mount the dang bicycle the chain has fallen under the chain keeper.  Fight the chain for a minute and I completely switch gears mentally.   With some help from Jim Klages, I get the chain on and start chasing.  In the next couple laps my shifting gets gummed up with mud (it was super muddy) and then I flat my rear tubular.  Then I got pulled.  What an exciting story.

COMO Awesomo: Columbia, MO hosted a midstate CX race which provided an opportunity for David and I to race and my folks to see their grandkids.  David struggled with tired legs from soccer and finished near the back of the cat 4 men’s field.  Nonetheless, as a first year junior, I think he’s doing just fine.  I lined up in the open men’s with Dan Miller and Butthead.  BJ and I thought the plan would be to hold Butthead’s wheel as long as possible.  The first couple laps were good for me but I felt flat and lost contact with Dan and Josh.  I started bleeding (stop me if you’ve heard this one) but then rebounded at the end to finish 3^rd.  Josh and several other guys DNF’d for various reasons.  I definitely had a hard time focusing throughout the entire 60 minutes, but that’s why I do this sport, to train that weakness.  BJ finished 4^th and we both smoked our legs for the next day.

See, I was in fact racing for a few minutes...
Photo Cred: WTB Superprestige CX.

WTB Gordon Moore Park #1: After COMO I didn’t expect to be able to make it to GMP.  I’m glad I was able to – it is a fantastic venue.  We are very fortunate we get to race there.  WTB put together a great track for cyclocross.  I ran a rear tubular which I glued myself (first time I’ve ever glued a tubular).  Made the chase group selection until I caught my shifter on a stake and opened a gap to the other 5 dudes.  That was all she wrote as I checked out for a while.  Aaron and Clefcam were soon on my six and I was determined not to let Aaron attack me during the catch (like he did at Hermann!).  I slotted onto Clefcam’s wheel and soon realized that he was in the master’s class and might not race against Aaron, so I got on Aaron’s wheel and was starting to get ready for the 2^nd wind.  Remounting after the barriers I snapped my chain and that was that.  I felt like I was driving the course well and I didn’t blow up, though the CoMo race hadn’t left me with fresh legs, I was ok.  But man is it rotten to end a race like that – instant death as it were.  Once again, the guys in my peer group (Aaron and Scott) finished top 6, so I think if I rode like I was going, I’d be solidly in the top ten.  

Veldrijden Columbia: After that really fun (but expensive!  Flatted tubie, broken chain, y'know, stuff...) block of cyclocross racing, I’m ready to put together the course for this weekend’s cross race in Columbia, IL.  I purposely have not replaced the chain on the CX bike so I would not put riding above race prep.  (I also took my road bike out of commission – the only way to assure I won’t ride.  Lol.)  After a few days of trimming back in the single track areas, I think the course is ready.  The city recently mowed and temps and precip are settling in to be just about perfect!

Gateway Cup 2012 + End of the Road

Gateway Cup P/1/2s

Wow, what a crescendo to the road season!  I thoroughly enjoyed myself, though I didn't get any noteworthy results.  The most noteworthy item was that I went 4 days without crashing (and without taking freelaps - jerks!) despite racing in the rain (and on Friday, in the dark).

I was going to write a big long writeup on each race and how I faught for positoin and then each day ended up near the back of the lead group.  But I think this conversation distills it fairly well:

Me: Yeah, so I was on Huff's wheel and looking for the move but trying to get ready for the sprint...
Coach: So were you still on Huff's wheel for the sprint or were you out of position for the sprint?
Me: Yeah, too far back.  But on Monday I was in decent position the last few laps till Huff said all the money was up the road.  That was a bummer since I didn't go with any of the moves which were still away.
Coach: So you never saw the front?
Me: Well, no.

lol.  It is tough racing with the big boys.  I think I got better each day, but I didn't really do much, just got comfortable in the pack at that level which is an important stepping stone for next year.

Kinda sums up my weekend.

Here's a bar cam video of the first couple laps on Friday night.  Whoever that jerk is who is clipped in at the start, well, I want to have words with him... Also, here's a blog post with several videos from the P/1/2 races.


Here are some other photos from the weekend:

Rollin with the pack at Benton Park (Monday).  Photo cred: Nikki Cyp

On PRO Chad Hartley's wheel at Benton Park. Photo Cred: Nikki Cyp

Looking like a racer in the rain at the Giro Della Montagna.  Man, felt great early and terrible late!  Photo Cred: Dan Singer

End of the Road (Season)

And just like that the road season is finished.  I'm itching for more but it's probably best its over.  I'm sure I'd burn myself out if the racing continued indefinitely.  I did get a pleasant surprise with the end of season rankings that USAC has started.  It says I'm the best cat 2 crit racer in IL.  While David Reyes (Bloomington) is clearly better (for instance he finished ahead of me 3 of 4 days at Gateway), the silly algorithm has me first.  Whatever.  Still kinda nice.

The thing about being "the best cat 2?"  There's a lot of cat 1s and PROs who are way better!

It's that time again Playas.

MO State Crit Championships + My Secret Training Schedule

30+ Crit

I haven't competed frequently in masters categories yet, being only 30, masters hasn't been an option.  My cycling is (I hope) in its spring or summer, not Autumn, though that time will come.  This weekend was a departure though as the main target was the MO State criterium championship's 30+ Cat 1-4 race.  As a first year cat 2, my teammate BJ thought the 1/2 a more realistic goal for next year, so he set his sights on the 30+ prize.  Checking the startlist, we did not have a large field, so we brought our own in the form of 8 Quantum Mesa Cycles racers.  The boys worked together wonderfully.  We are at about 85% on tactics.  With 3 near podium sweeps this season, we are getting close.  Considering how young in the sport we are, it's reason for pride.  Well, we had the largest team by a factor of 4 I think, so we set about tiring rivals and keeping protected riders fresh.

Controlling the field.
Photo credit: Kelly Croy Patty.

Two of our riders who spent a lot of time off the front were Eric (5+ laps solo) and Chris ("fresh" off his state TT winning ride the day prior).  But everyone worked, and worked well.  I tried a move with Dr. Mark 20 min in but it didn't work.  Unfortunately we were primed right after being caught. Ouch.

With 8 laps to go the field was together save a trio just off the front.  I attacked the pack and went overtop of them into turn 5 (if you count the big sweeper around the capitol as turn 4).  Through the chicane I had a gap but no protected teammates on my wheel!  (It turns out that BJ got pinched in turn 5.). So decision time, sprinter, write that match off and go back to the field or cruise and wait for fellow passengers to join the pain train.  I chose the latter.  And it made all the difference.

After 2 laps solo (not a big deal to most, but it's me we're talking about here) and BJ is coming across with clean wheels.  It's a happy and painful sight since its time to go to work.  We drilled it for the next four laps, checking our 6 every corner and getting splits at the top of the course from other teammates.  As the laps counted down I knew we had it.  I was able to keep the speed up during my pulls and the gap was going out.  We took the last lap a little easier and posted up the last 100 metres.  A win is a special thing - even for the best they don't happen every day - but a state championship win is even sweeter.  To celebrate over the line with a teammate, the gameplan executed to the letter? Magnifique.  That is one of my happiest moments in cycling.

B.J. and I crossing the line.
Photo Credit: Kelly Croy Patty.

And yes, in case you're wondering, I was scolded by the officials for removing my hands from the bars while we posted up.  But what they didn't know until now is what my weekly training schedule looks like.  This is super secret, so don't tell anyone!

Mon: Rest/Spin
Tues: Post up Practice (3 sets x 5 reps x 100m, don't forget to zip up jersey)
Wed: Bib short tan line alignment (2 legs x 20reps)
Thur: bike throws (indoors on the trainer)
Fri: spin
Sat: race
Sun: race

Jeff City P/1/2s

The lure of the state title along with the central location (StL v KC) brought a healthy field for the big boy race.  I had a chat with Brad Huff (Jelly Belly pb Kenda) and picked his boy Austin (Mercy) for the win.

BJ and I lined up for round two with no expectations - we accomplished what we came for, now we'll get some motorpacing in.  And motorpacing it was!  I suffered like a dog.  Attacks went off the front quite frequently as GatewayHD, Dogfish, and Mercy threw down.  I'm very glad I was in the race as it woke me up to the speeds I'll be seeing the next three weeks.

Anyway, a field split happened.  I tried and failed to go across, then the field came back together (no thanks to pack fodder like me!). With five to go I moved up but only enough to see the field sprint get polished off by Devin while I picked guys off to the line, finishing 13th (payout 10 deep).  


It was fun to race with the Western MO/KS set, catch a PRO tip from Huff, and get put in the box.

After the race we all ate at this greasy pizza joint on the course.  It's not often I eat a double bacon double sausage pizza, but I think I earned it.  Now for another grueling week of training.

State Line RR + The GEO + Cinema

State Line RR

My family vacation kicked off with a trip to KS to visit my folks and give the kids some grandparent time.  It doesn’t hurt that my parents have a few acres with a tractor, horses, cats, dogs, bees, and chickens.  It’s heaven on earth for my toddlers.  I just so happened to schedule the trip alongside one State Line RR, a 6.5 mi 9 lap affair that seemed like a circuit race more than a proper RR.  It was a well run event put on to benefit the local KCOI U20 Jrs team.

Lining up I had my eye on Andrew Coe (Mercy/Kuat), Andy Chocha (US Mil Cycling), and Brian West (Bikes to You).  There were 20 of us lined up in a 1/2/3 field.  I was an unknown to the others, which is always good.  Attacks started right away as Athletes Forward’s Josh Estes rolled off the front, discontent with an 18mph pace.  West was super active and Chocha seemed to enjoy chasing everything down.  Perhaps everybody was marking him as the big dog and therefore we just followed wheels?  About 3 laps in there was a promising break up the road so I bridged solo, kinda showing my cards to the field but I thought it was the break du jour.  It wasn’t.  We were caught by the top of the climb (there was a multitiered climb coming into the finish which didn’t tickle).  I was pretty pissed as I had burned a big match bridging.

Little groups kept forming off the front and nothing got too much time.  I followed wheels to the moves and took pulls but decisive moves didn’t come till lap 7 or 8.  I was in a break/field split rotating off the front. The field came back together and I sat up figuring it was “save it for the sprint” time.  Well, West and Andrew (Colavita) were not content with that arrangement and went again, gaining a solid 20 seconds on the field.  A group with 2 Athletes Forward, a United Healthcare (not PRO, a club), Spencer (Miami Velo?) got away and started working together.  Mercy chased a bit and I thought they would bring it back for a sprint for Coe.  I admit I was kind of sleeping at this point and I woke with a start when I saw Bowes (Mercy) next to me and the pace had slackened.  A quick glance up the road and Coe was in the 2^nd group!  I asked Bowes if they pulled it back enough for Coe to bridge.  He confirmed.  I thanked him and then immediately burned a match to bridge.  I made it across clean and shared a little work.

At this point West had dropped Colavita and was out there solo while 5 or 6 of us were holding off the field.  Taking the hard right onto the finishing straight we hit the climb for the last time and I was poorly positioned at the back of the group and got gapped a bit.  Nice job Rookie!  Coe and an Athletes Forward racer also got dropped.  So I kept my head down and the pedals turning.  Fortunately for me the group started playing cat and mouse and I was able to catch back on.  Big mistake boys, you can't let this fat boy in sight of the cake!!  The finish was slightly uphill and I timed the sprint right to take second on the day.  West had enough time to post up and celebrate a little, which he certainly earned.  I was pleased with 2^nd place as this was the first race in a month’s time.

State Line RR Part Deux

What’s cooler than hitting the podium of your race?  Seeing your little bro line up for his first RR!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lanternerouge/7573446816/

Homeboy hung tough and finished 7/20 in the Jr field running his 1x10 CX rig with road tires.  Not too shabby.  Considering he’s riding about once a week, and pumped about cycling, I’m excited as he begins to learn the sport.  We’ll see if this lasts, but in a few years time I wouldn’t mind racing with my bro!  I think the only thing better was what I witnessed in Mark and Hogan Sills racing as father and son a few years ago (till Hogan went off and got all swoll).  

The Great Egyptian Omnium

The GEO was a race I tried to get to last year and as one of my first cat 2 races the crit was going to be tough.  But a t-storm blew in and it was cancelled.  This year I added the RR but opted out on the TT.  With the family vacation coming to a close on the weekend, spending the entire day out in the heat with the toddlers was not going to happen.  Plus, I hate TTs.

RR

The plan for the RR was to get BJ in a break.  Vandeven (Dogfish) was the big fish in the small pond of our 1/2/3 field.  Nick Chevalley (Gateway HD) attacked from the gun though in order to dispute that ranking.  Homeboy stayed away for the WIN!  So crazy.

Anyway, I felt like crap (maybe due to camping the night before?) and tried to keep the pace up at the front of the field and ensure BJ made the move du jour.  And when I say I felt like crap, I mean crap.  I believe the PROs say "blocked".  The legs just didn’t wake up during the first 2 laps.  But BJ did go up the road with Jim and then I could rest in the field as superman Jeremy Bock (Dogfish) (Oh btw, we’re distant relatives, so I think I get some cool points for that.) shepherded Ryan Wachter and kept the other cat 2’s in check.

Fast forward a bit and I take a wrong turn being stupid (Dan and Jeremy told the field to wait for me), and then Dan (Korte) gets away with Matt Pence (Gateway HD) and another 2 and I’m asleep in the field feeling sorry for myself.  Totally should have gone with Dan.  Anyway, I thought I should help my cat 3 teammates but they were cramping and I figured I would test my legs so I attacked a few k out and nobody chased, but I didn’t know that so I hurt myself a good bit and finished 10^th.  Almost caught a guy who had been dropped from the 2nd or 3rd group on the road.  Oh well.  Happy that the legs felt better at the end of 80 hot miles than they did at the beginning!  BJ held tough and nabbed 6^th place.

CRIT

 It was hot, a little windy on the backside.  Nick Hand (my teammate!) got in a heroic early move which determined how the race would play out.  Gateway Harely-Davidson had to chase and I sat for the sprint.  I botched it and was bested by Dan Williams of Korte.  Just played my cards wrong.  Total bummer after BJ, Nick, and Mike did a bunch of work controlling the race and leading me out.  Not much is worse to the old sprinter ego than getting posted up on. 

Dan (Korte/Bike Surgeon) bested me in the sprint.
Photo cred: Rob Raguet-Schofield (who won the masters 4/5 like a boss).

So I think of the SoIL sprinters I’m at the bottom of the heap right now.  Grrrr.  Thanks Dust and DWill!!  Although, as my friends have pointed out, if you’re upset about finishing second in a crit you’ve got a pretty charmed life.  Indeed.

The GEO was a great weekend for our team, especially the cat 3 squad as they started the weekend with decent results in the RR and then just snowballed into greater success culminating in Keith "No Sweat"'s solo crit win clinching the omnium.  Super fun to watch.

The Artist + The Dark Knight Rises (Batman)

I watched these films with my wife in the past fortnight.  I recommend them both.  One of the two I found morally reprehensible, destructive to society, and encouraging vice.  The other I found thought provoking, well written, and while bordering on melodrama, completely apropos.  

Of course, the subtle evil was The Artist, and the better film for the soul was Batman.  What a world we live in.  The laziness and weakness of the titular artist was overlooked and his wife was made out to be a sort of villain, opposing his career and affair with Peppy.  Is not George responsible for driving his wife away by failing to love and care for her?  Ha!  The film praises the “easy” love of shirking one’s responsibility and falling in with a loose woman.  I’m sure that will last George.  Have fun with that.  What we need now more than ever is honorable men, not weak ones.  It was frustrating to watch and likely under the radar of most of its audience. At least he was a decent dancer.

Much could be said about the Dark Knight finale but there is too much to be said and this blog post has already gone on too long.  Besides, I think I need to see it again!

O’Fallon Grand Prix Weekend

After the River City Bicycle Classic I drove home, packed and flew out at 6am the next morning for a five day work trip to Cali.  I took the tarmac in the hopes that I would get in some riding.  Monday I was booked.  Tuesday was the same.  But Wednesday I went in early and was able to sneak out for a little five and half hour spin.  Not too bad.  I like to get all my hours for the week in one ride.  ;)

The best way to taper is to do 4000ft+ of climbing 3 days before the state RR.

I was hoping to link up with my friend Rob but between our disparate schedules, the B.A.R.T. fire, and the U.S. Open, well, neither of us was up for crossing the bay for a ride with the other.  Well, I’m pretty sure riding Mt. Diablo is not the best taper for the state road race.  But that was just the thing: I had zero expectations for the race.  I literally was going to use it for training.  My season goal was the state crit and I accomplished my goal.  My coach told me to “enjoy riding your bike – don’t worry about it.  Just remember why you love riding.”  Exactly the words I needed…

O’Fallon Road Race – IL State Championship

The field was heavily populated with Dogfish riders.  A few riders from central IL (Wheelfast) and even fewer from upstate (Sean of Sammy’s) balanced out the Dogfish/GatewayHD/Korte numbers game.  The big equalizer was a U23 squad who stopped in from LA on their way to nationals.  The Stage 17 Devo squad certainly changed the game.  Who were these unknown riders?!

The race kicked off with a few moves but nothing serious.  A Stage 17 rider went off the front solo and forced a decision from the other teams.  I jumped in a small move just to make people think I was in the race.  The truth was that with BJ’s strong finish at the MO State race (7^th – flying solo), people would think he was working for me (as this was the IL state championship) but in fact we wanted him to get a result.  A long break with all the teams represented had a good chance of sticking, especially if a big motors from Dogfish was in the move.  So when the time was right BJ put himself in a move with Brett (Dogfish, IL), Matt Pence (Gateway Harley, MO), a pair of Stage 17 racers (CA), Robo (Wheelfast, IL), and maybe someone else that I’m forgetting.  Unfortunately Brett flatted out of the break.  This alone killed the move.  With Dogfish keeping the gap in check, it had little hope of success.

B.J. in the "suicide break."
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Rangel

Moves went and my plan was to sit (surprise, surprise, I know!).  Brett recovered and on lap 3 started making moves off the front.  Surprisingly to me I was able to cover them.  Zach Reed (Dogfish, IL) countered one of these and was up the road.  I saw the jersey going with him.  Maurice Hessel (Korte, IL) attacked up the one serious climb on the course and drove a break over the top.  Things get a little fuzzy here but it wound up the MoHess, Zach, Trevor Lister (Wheelfast, IL), and Daniel Williams (Korte, IL) were up the road in a group with Joe Tortorelli (Scarletfire, IL) working his way up to them while dragging Jim Vandeven.

As was my habit I sprinted to the front of the pack going into the feedzone to get a clean feed.  I watched last year as guys crashed in front of me, so I was extra careful here (though it should be said that the P/1/2 field handles feeds a little better than the cat 3s).  Well, after grabbing a fourth feed from the excellent crew in the Quantum Mesa tent (thank you Rickey family, Ceecee, and Jason Wulff!!  You guys kept me alive!) I looked up and saw Joe and Jim with a 10-15 second gap on me.  Behind me everyone was still sorting out their feed.  Hmm…10 miles to go.  I put down the hammer and tried to get into the moto ref’s draft (feeling rather PRO doing so) and as he tapped the brakes I swung inside and continued hammering up to Joe and Jim.  We traded pulls and I thought I was going to pop several times but we made it up to the Lister/Reed/MoHess/Williams group.  Once there, if I was a real racer, I would have attacked and taken a few strong racers with me.  But alas, I wanted to catch my breath. (HINDSIGHT ALERT: Probably could have broken away with a group and been the freshest sprinter at the finish since Williams was hurting and Dust wasn't present.)  Unfortunately, nobody else was interested in working (though I recall rotating through once and nobody coming around).  Not surprisingly, what was left of the pack caught us a few short miles later.  Maybe it wasn’t miles and it was just yards, I’m not sure.
 

So with zero IL riders up the road, the jersey would be won out of this group, and it looked like it would come down to a sprint.  Is this tailor made, or what?!  With 5km to go Matt Brandt said adieu and stuck a solo move for fifth place.  (HINDSIGHT ALERT: I should have jumped and gone with him.  Had I done so I might have won the state championship.)  

Dogfish kept pace and I just sat on Bohanan’s wheel with one eye on Anthony Dust (cat 1, IL).  A stage 17 rider attacked as Jeremy Bock (Dogfish, MO) was done setting pace just before the 1km to go sign.  The finishing straight had a cross (maybe cross-head) wind which forced everyone to the right curb.  I was on Dust’s wheel coming into the finish as we passed 500m to go.  Now Anthony Dust is a VERY fast finisher.  I don’t think I have yet beat him in a head to head sprint.  I sure thought he was the wheel to follow and I would try to get him at the line.  However, the strong wind from the side meant I was pretty well pinned against the curb and didn’t want to get boxed in or worse yet – highside the curb.  When a few riders passed on the left I switched wheels to Williams.  Now Williams is also a very fast finisher and crushed a downhill sprint last year in a race.  With this being a slightly downhill finish I thought this was the new wheel – protected from the wind and fast to the line.  I switched lines away from Dust.  Fatal error.  Williams cramps.  Dust explodes up the leeward side.  He’s already jumped by the time I react and I’m forced to come around Williams on the windward side.  Completely botched sprint.  No soup for you!

IL State RR Championship P/1/2 Podium.
Andrew Lister (Wheelfast, Bronze), Anthony Dust (Dogfish, Gold), me (Quantum Mesa, Silver).
Photo Credit: A. Dust

A silver medal is so far beyond my expectations for this race and this season.  On the one hand I'm over the moon.  On the other hand I'm pissed - I was pretty close to getting another jersey.  My own second guessing put me out of contention in the sprint and with racers like Dust - you have no second chance.  I know easily a dozen guys that are stronger than I when it comes to a race like this but for many reasons they weren’t present.  Will they all take a hiatus next year?  Will it come to a sprint again?  It’s probably best I’m headed back out to Cali.  I’ll take this one up with Mt. Diablo.

Thanks are due my teammate BJ who pushed all the chips in on the break Saturday, and even covered a move after he was brought back.  After his chances were gone he did what he could to help me.  I’m very proud of how he rode this weekend.  Also, thanks to the friends who fed me.  I was well watered and that made all the difference on a 90F+ day.

O’Fallon Grand Prix Crit P/1/2/3

I missed the early move/selection of ten but my teammate Jason was in there.  I knew it was the race as they started to get away but I wasn’t decisive to bridge when the gap was manageable.  So of course I tried to bridge when the gap was well established and steady around 40sec.  I tried 3 or 4 times but all I did was wear myself out for the sprint.  Trying to think of the last time 3 guys came around me in a sprint...

The Stone Pony, Williams, and I trying to get away from the pack.  7 man break has us by 40 seconds.  Ouch.
Photo Credit: Brian Keller

Jason had a rough time as he and a few others were gapped off the break.  He fought valiantly but the heat, pace, and second race on the day took their toll.

BJ and I got a little teamwork going in the last lap and that worked much smoother than the attempt at the Urbana Grand Prix.  However, after a great leadout from Beej I stood up and went backwards.  Thanks for playing!  Gotta love life in the P/1/2's!!

A little toasty after 91miles the day prior.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Rangel.

Regardless, it was a great weekend of racing and the opportunity to race both days was a sweet Father’s Day gift from my family.  Thanks to Korte Hammer Down Racing, Bike Surgeon, and Metro East Cycling for putting on a great weekend of racing in O'Fallon, IL.

Next up:

More work travel to Cali, so I won’t be racing till late July/early August.  I’m going to miss some great events – ToKC, ToLawrence, Morton Crit, ToAD, Superweek.  That’s a bummer, but I’ll use this time to recharge and finish the season fast(er).

Coaching + River City Bicycle Classic

Where it’s due: Credit

The last year and a half of racing has been my best so far.  Certainly when I started riding my bike I did not expect these types of results.  My first trip to the Cobb Park Crit (as a cat 5) in Kankakee had me saying: “Wow, those cat 4’s look soooo fast!” (without irony or sarcasm)  But I steadily got better (a lot smarter, a little faster) and got some results in the cat 4’s, even some decent results in the cat 3’s.  But 2011 was a breakthrough year for me on the bike and it is due in large part to the investment in me by my coach, Sean Walker.

Since working with Sean I’ve won Hillsboro-Roubaix (in the 3’s, and finished in the P/1/2’s!), silver medaled in the IL state RR and crit (cat 3’s), won a few cat 3 races, podium’d in a 1/2/3 race, and won the cat 2 IL state crit title.  These results are well beyond what I expected when I started racing. Sean has helped me tremendously with every aspect of racing – from fitness, to equipment choices, to race strategy, to cycling/life balance.  He has coached me with and without a powermeter.  I do not think I would have achieved (even this modest success) without his help.

I say all this as my recommendation of his coaching services to you.  If you’re interested in working with someone who has quite a bit of experience going fast and several years of experience helping others go fast (including people who are much faster than I), feel free to contact him at the following email:” wsean(three)at g mail dot com.  Take out the parentheses + three and just use the numeral.  Tell him Frenchy sent you.  ;)

River City Bicycle Classic

Last weekend was Tulsa Tough, and the Tour of Galena, and Le Tour de Sainte Geneveive.  I would like to race all those great events but had other plans.  Flying out Sunday for another work week in Cali I chose to go to Evansville, IN to visit the inlaws and race the River City Bicycle Classic.

Temps were lower 90’s and patchy clouds were present, but every once in a while you just cooked in the sun.  Fortunately the 0.7mi course in Garvin Park was lined with trees providing shade for us fattys to stay cool.  Oh, and they also made it really comfy for family and locals to watch the race!

Speaking of family, the bounce house, playground, and public pool in the park made for a nice backdrop to the race.  It was definitely a nice family-friendly atmosphere.  While I would expect that to be a draw next year, the bicentennial* airshow (or maybe it’s just an annual airshow which coincided with the bicentennial?) which wowed my kids may not be present next year and was a first-race-year treat.

The 1/2/3 field had a sprinkling of solo racers, 3 or 4 duos, two 4 man cat 3 squads doubling up after the cat 3’s, and the 800lb gorilla: 8 Texas Roadhouse racers.  (No, I don’t think they were each 100lbs.)  I knew of Curtis Tolson, but made it a point to introduce myself before the race to get a good look at him.  I had heard that Greg Strock and John “Puff Daddy” Puffer were to be in attendance but no dice.  

JJ, a local in Evansville who knows a thing or two about racing, was there to support the event.  He’s an easy guy to get along with, and that hasn’t changed despite a real bummer of a crash resulting in a broken wrist.  Anyway, he gave me some pointers as we lined up.  Seems he has some experience flying solo and racing against teams.

Besides George (Guitar Lab) who was doubling up (and therefore I figured would probably suffer in the heat), I only knew Hayden Warner (OTF) in the field.  We talked a little beforehand, mainly about how out of shape we both were and how little training we had accomplished this year.  I just have to smile and shake my head at the two of us.  We both believe our own BS.  

Well the race was a series of attacks from TXR.  THE move had to have been the 1005^th little break in the race.  I had grown tired of jumping into moves after about 2 or 3 and sure enough four TXR riders "snuck" away with one Scholars Inn Bakehouse rider.  Plenty of firepower in the break (including one junior par excellance), and I knew it was the race, so of course I try a “no guts no glory” solo bridge across their 25 second gap.  And I make it about halfway across before the engine room calls out “Lolz” and a group of four (including Tolson and another Roadhauser) catch me (or just kind of scoop me up like a street urchin).  You can imagine how the rest of the race went: small group starts working together and TXR shuts er down.  By the way, I have no bitterness in that statement.  They were just racing, and clean, and smart.  I can’t fault them for having numbers!

Anyway, I missed the move du jour and then I missed the 3 man jail break with 3-4 laps to go.  I was pretty tired of closing gaps near the front of the race so I left it to somebody else, and of course, that’s the time that nobody else would do it.  So now 8 guys are up the road and the pack has been whittled down to about 15 guys anyway, but I find Hayden and bug him about how he’s feeling, etc.  We both play doormat about the other getting a leadout from us.  I tell him I’m going to work for him and start moving up the outside coming into the s/f with 1.25 laps to go.  Three TXR guys swing right (and unknowingly) box me in.  Hayden uses the confusion to drill it up the left side in what I will henceforth call “A Warner” (I mean c’mon, he does it every race!) and buries himself for the lap.  He nabs 9^th, second to last place in the $$.  Good on ya Hayden!

After Hayden departs for 9^th place glory I reassess and see Tolson motion to a teammate to get on his wheel.  Not one to turn down a ride to well, anywhere, I hop on after he looks forward.  After a little tow he looks over his shoulder and is visibly upset that his teammate lost the wheel.  By now we’re going into the final turn and I slide back a place to see if the leadout will continue.  It does and I’m on the sprinter’s wheel.  Clearly this is a teaching opportunity for the gent in front of me. Fortunately for me the gentleman was fast but made a few mistakes which I took advantage of and will not detail here for the simple fact that I do not wish them to be used against me.  And besides, this whole thing is like “kiss and tell” anyway.  But I pipped him at the line (or in the words of Jeff Yeilding: "pimped him at the line".  Though I must say that this might be a cyclocross term and besides, winning a sprint for last money spot is not pimping, as it should be quite clear, the only ones pimping were Texas Roadhouse.)

Crossers be pimpin.

So there it is.  Playas gonna play and sprinters gonna sprint.  Don’t hate.  And give a thought to Team Guitar Lab and their efforts at race promoting.  It was a swell time and 10^th place got me $85.  Not too shabby!

*Does anybody have tickets to "Red, White, and Blaine?"