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!

Faust Park Bubba CX, a Stupid Tax, and No Good Rotten Sandbaggers

The Stupid Tax

Thursday night I was trying to eat healthy, so I cooked some salmon and put it on top of some greens for dinner.  The fish that I ate I thought was about a week old (should be ok, right?)  My wife informed me later when I was nauseous and dizzy that the fish that *I* purchased and *I* opened was probably closer to 3 weeks old.  It didn’t smell bad…

Yes, I paid a stupid tax.  It sucks to be sick due to something so foolish/preventable.  My main suggestion to any of you considering eating old fish – don’t.  

The entire episode is quite ironic because of the intensity of my desire to avoid processed/industrial foods, especially “fast food.”  And here I go eating old fish and getting sick.  Fortunately only I ate it and the kids and wife had something else.  Whew.  Also, the whole episode only took 24 hours to run its course.  

Bubba CX Faust Park Saturday

Saturday evening Faust Park hosted the next round of the Bubba series.  This was the coldest race yet, probably in the 40’s.  The course was the least technical CX course this year (out of 4) for me with only 4 or 5 technical turns per lap.  Pre-riding the course, the grass seemed way too long and everything seemed super bumpy.  My only thought was: my back is going to be cooked after 1 lap!  Fortunately several fields went over the course and packed the grass down enough that by the B race, it wasn’t so bad.

I bailed on the costume stuff – I just didn’t have the energy after the fishy stupid tax I paid Thursday/Friday.  So I lined up in the second row of the B race and had a great start.  An Off the Front racer (dressed as Buddy – bravo) won the hole shot and was really digging.  I got into third wheel behind Rich and sat tight for a few minutes as OtF blew up…so that’s what I look like normally!  I took the front about halfway through the lap and soon found myself with Rich and Pete (on a single speed!) with a little gap.  Realizing that the race was not 3 laps, I let someone else pull for a bit.  Pete and I kept it quick as Rich started to fade.  At this point Matt (dressed as a woman) began reeling us in.  Soon it was three again and that’s more or less how it would stay to the finish.  There were some attacks, counters, and bad lines taken but whenever one of us appeared done, they’d fight to get back on terms.

On the last lap each racer wanted a favorable position.  Matt was leading with 3-4 turns to go while I was second wheel.  Into a downhill off-camber turn (my fav on the course), Pete took me on the inside!  We still had a few 180’s left but I got a little gaped and was forced into chasing back to Pete’s wheel through them. 

 

The barriers framed the finish.  Since the finish was downhill from the barriers, I reasoned that whoever got to the barriers first had this thing in the bag.  Coming into the left hand climb I sprinted up and gained the first spot, keeping it clean and fast through the barriers, thus sealing my first cat 3 CX win.

To curb my enthusiasm, I immediately lined up for the 1/2/3 (A) race.  I knew I wouldn’t be able to race the next day and I wanted another race start.  Beginning near the back I finished at the back - second to last.  It was basically a fun workout once the field got away from me.  Sadly, I got lapped by the podium, but I still had a good time fighting off last place.

After the finish Johnny served me up a bowl of chili and gave me a Bud Light (perhaps my first ever – not certain).  It was perfect in that moment.  Though I think about anything would have tasted good after that second race!  (Anything but fish, of course.)

The racing was encouraging as I felt I drove my bike better than previous races and my back didn’t give out in the first race.  Progress is progress!  

Sandbagger Ranting and CX Categories

There has been talk lately of sandbagging in our local series.  It’s pretty off-putting for me as internet ranting usually does not correlate to actually talking with people face(book) to face(book).

For my own part, I don’t think I’m ready to upgrade.  I haven’t met the performance requirement for the 3->2 license move, the road parity rule notwithstanding.  Also, as most of the races are on Sundays it’s quite difficult for me to race the A’s and still make it to church on time.  What’s worse, being called a bagger by whiny people (like myself) or not racing?  I think I’ll chance it with the whiners for the next month.

The nice thing about being a CX cat 3 is the variety.  If I want to race later, I can hop in the 1/2/3’s.  Earlier?  The B’s (3/4s).  Want to get smoked?  Double up on the A+B races or 3’s and 1/2/3’s in Chicago.  It really seems to be the best option right now.  Also, now that I’m officially old according to cyclocross, I can do the 30+ races when offered.  The triple fun day (30+, 3’s, 1/2/3’s) is tempting.  I haven’t done it yet but maybe if I want 3 lackluster results in a single day… I think next year will favor quality over quantity.

Charity

Finally, if you read this (wow!) and you race in the StL, give a thought to my friend and future teammate BJ “The Coach” Keane.  If the guy could go more than 3 laps without breaking a: spoke, chain, saddle, or rolling a tire, why, I think he might win again.  I think he has the Gateway Cross Cup Sandbagger Curse™.  I haven’t told it to his face(book), but he’s such a sandbagger, being a cat 4 CXer and (presumptive) cat 2 road racer.  *cough*

Ironic Self Referential Addendum:  If you missed the irony of the preceding section, I can't help you.  However, I think there is a real chance some of you might in fact "miss it" (hence this note) and this note is, ironically, my attempt to help you.  Wow, that was like The Matrix or something.

But the real irony of this piece is in the decrying of the sandbag whiners.  Sandbag whiners anonymously complain about others without (usually) naming them and insinuate some fault on the accused-baggers part.  Here of course, in this very blog, I have risen above them to call out some fault in the sandbagwhiners under a pseudonym!  This makes me no different, of course except, in writing this I acknowledge that I in fact know better.  Hmm.

This all begs the question: to what end do sandbagwhiners and smarmy bloggers call foul?  As I mentioned earlier, if they truly wanted what was best for the "accused", they would go to them face to face rather than bloviate anonymously.  I must conclude that I (and they) do not really want whats best for the other.  By process of elimination, it's not hard to guess who they are trying to serve with their comments.

Further Irony Which I Importune You to Consider in this David Foster Wallace Mini-Homage*:

After writing all that other crap I realized the name of the park.  Oh the tantalizing narrative possibilities.  

*Please pronounce "homage" like "oma" plus the "g" sound from "entourage." Please.

Bubba Opening Weekend

The three weeks between Dogfish Hermann CX and the Bubba opening weekend did not go as planned.  The first long ride on the cx bike (5 hours) produced knee pain that forced me off the bike – not cool!  

So the Bubba opening weekend races were at Queeny park on the west side of StL.  The knee behaved leading up to it so I decided to give it a go.  I’d never been to Queeny so I made it out early on Saturday to ride a few laps before dark.  The course was quite bumpy and featured two barriers, two steep ride-ups, and one scary descent into the parking lot.  A few extra turns were added on Sunday.  The barriers seemed really tight (not a complaint, just an observation) such that at speed (which, if you saw me you’d call it “slow”,) I could only take one step before jumping over the next barrier.  I guess I should be thankful I had that moment of feeling like Ryan Trebon.

Saturday’s race: I got a third row starting position which was just average.  I moved up into fourth before bleeding a bit when the back locked up and I had to slow.  One thing I don’t understand is how guys lined up on the first row and then ran the steep ramp on the first lap.  If you can’t ride it, why are you in front of everyone else?  Know thyself!

Sam Moore rode away with the race, having strength and skillz.  I was doing battle with Rich for a while and after recovering a bit on his wheel I came around and hoped to ramp it up.  Unfortunately I caught a tree branch with my eye on the 180 leading into the barriers.  Oh well.  I finished 7^th which was respectable and consistent with my Hermann results.  This, despite ribbing from my roadie compatriots, shows I belong in the ‘B’ race.

How to Blow a Turn... Photo Credit: Mike Dawson.

I should mention that with the mid October evening the temps were cool – mid 50’s, which is well into knee warmer territory for me.  I used Enzo’s Embro Stick (Medium) instead, and it worked great.  This was my second race using the product and I’m pleased with performance.

Sunday the heat was hot, my mouth was dry, but the air was full of sound – or something like that.  My teammate Nick showed up to watch and watered me every time through the pit.  I started out going pretty well but by lap three the heat (80's!) and my back got the better of me and I was toast, going from trading first place with Sam to eventually 15th.  I finished in 14^th after gaining a place back from Sunny.  The race was one giant tactical mistake on my part.  I thought I’d have the gas to keep going when I saw the front but I lost my cool.  Just foolishness!  Know thyself!  I guess during the race I figured that I was fast, but I’m not – yet.  

Finally, after the chain drop imbroglio at Hermann (my own fault), I adjusted the chain keeper and guess what…it kept the chain on, even on that sick bumpy section near the s/f.

Nuetella sponsorship?  Photo Credit: Mike Dawson.

The family joined me for Sunday’s race and got to see daddy get all red-faced and dusty.  The kids seem to have more fun at CX races with the constant viewing opportunities, ample cowbell, and the local drive times.  Now if we could just get mommy on a cx steed…

Monday I got my back and legs taken care of by Kurt Fletcher who has a massage therapy business in StL.  He took second in the A race on Sunday so he knew how everything ached after the race weekend.  I strongly recommend the extra recovery massage affords.  I also should point out that with all the bumping and jarring of the Queeny Park course, I have zero chaffing or saddle sore issues thanks to Enzo’s Chamois Cream.  It’s not just for road season!

O'Fallon Grand Prix (Cat 3, 2011) a.k.a. The Sour Grapes

IL RR Championships (O’Fallon Grand Prix, Cat 3, 2011)

June is already here!  And with June came the first state championship of the season for the 708 Racing team: the Illinois state road race championships.  O’Fallon has a good course for determining an all-around racing champion.  There are three climbs per lap but they aren’t long enough for the mountain goats to distinguish themselves.  There are open areas and long stretches exposed to wind but nobody will argue that this is the Leland Kermesse, favoring the big gear grinders.  Meanwhile, the final climb (which on the third approach in 104F heat doesn’t tickle) is inside 1K from the new finish line, meaning the sprinters have to earn it.  In sum, it’s a course that produces a well rounded winner.

The conditions on Saturday were hot.  Air temp reached 97 or 98 degrees, while the sun’s heat reflected from the black pavement cooking the riders in 100+ conditions.  Winds were up to 11mph out of the WNW if memory serves.

The field was a little small considering (in my view) this is THE most important road race on the calendar.  But no matter, you have to show up to win and many were choosing not to win.  With only 26 riders pre-registered in the cat 3 field, my homework was pretty easy.  Two IL riders to watch were Dustin Morici (Burnham) - who has had a great year so far and was strong in the heat and hills of the Hermann RR - and Patrick L (R-Bikes.com) - a MTBer who had some good RR results.

The 708 plan was to work for someone other than me in a 2008“Ronde Van Vlaanderen” scenario.  In 2008 all eyes were on Tom Boonen who was marked heavily.  This allowed strong man and Quick Step teammate Stijn Devolder to get away for the win!  Is it not a little bit of vanity that I thought of myself as Tommeke?  The plan fell apart and I’d rather not get into the kiss-and-tell.  As it worked out, I was by myself in a selection of 10+/- that included 4 other IL riders.  3 MO riders were up the road.  I mistook Joe Fuller (Veda, MO) for Brett Bohanan (Proctor, IL) and instigated his capture.  2 MO riders up the road.

Speaking of Joe, I need to write a few words about him.  I was in the break with Joe and Shawn (Momentum) at Forrest Park a couple months ago.  He’s a strong rider and comports himself with class in the pack.  At the end of the first lap in O’Fallon he attacked immediately following the final turn.  I took it as an “attack the feed zone” move at the time and complained about him to others in the pack (we were not actually in the feed zone yet).  He, being the classy rider he is, bridged to 2 guys off the front and was not to be seen till the latter stages of lap 3.  My grumbling (and surprise) about his move reached his ear so he came to me the next day at the crit to talk it over – a class gesture.  I was wrong to say he was attacking the feed – he thought there was a prime for the intermediate laps. 

I don’t think I saw anyone attack the feed but the eventual winner did take feeds outside of the feedzone from his significant other.  Not his only clever tactic.  (Yes, my sour grapes are quite sour.  Nobody like a sore loser, i.e. me.)  The whole “attack the feed” concept lacks the class that makes cycling a sport of gentlemen.  These unwritten rules of etiquette belie the honor that each man carries into the race.  You may dismiss this but remember, these are the guys who follow decorum to the point of shaving their legs, wearing specific shoes, and piloting $4K carbon fiber rigs.  Alright, enough of that rant.

Back to the race, Dustin (Burnham) and I had done a lot of work at the front through the race and the heat and miles were starting to wear on us.  But about 8 miles out guys started attacking the group (remember, about 10 of us).  Dennis K. (Dogfish) took off with a nice seated move before a turn and dutifully applied a little pressure.  Brian K. (Dogfish) kept telling me what a good move it was.  I guess I agreed as I jumped hard (bike creaking and wailing – more on this in the sour grapes section below), going over the top of him into the corner I shouted for him to get on.  The group chased and after the next two turns we were back together again.  Dustin smartly countered, taking Patrick with him.  I jumped to close the gap.  This kind of thing went on more or less to the finish.  Dustin looked completely smoked yet he put in at least 3 such attacks.  Patrick always followed then sat up.

Sums up my day.  Photo Credit: Dennis Fickinger

Coming into the finish I asked Brian to lead it out and promised him $20 if I was the first IL rider across the line.  Tyler (The Hub) lead us after the penultimate hill, then Brian took the front up the final climb.  Patrick held his wheel and I was on Dustin’s.  I moved up to Patrick’s wheel during the climb, cresting third.  We took the corner nice and fast and Patrick jumped around Brian.  I held his wheel as he sat back down before jumping again.  In the last 100 meters Patrick stood up and I jumped trying to come around him on the left.  I threw at the line but knew I wasn’t there.  I had lost the state road race by half a wheel.  0.035 seconds.  Thanks chip timing.

Photo Credit: Nikki Cyp

The Sour Grapes:

Two days later I took my bike to Champion Cycling in Ft. Smith, AR for repair during a business trip.  My bars would flex a good inch up and down when out of the saddle.  I suggested that the fork might be broken as I was sure the stem and handlebars were installed properly.  As it turns out, the carbon steerer tube was flexing all over as it was debonding (a word?) from the crown of the fork.  You can see the crack/separation on the unit.  When I think back to all the attacks, all the hillsides I stood on, and the sprint at the finish, I consider the wasted watts of the flexy front end.  Would it have been enough to give me a wheel in the sprint?  I think it would have.  Regardless, I have nobody to blame but myself as I am responsible for my bike and I am the one that cancelled the work order at Mesa Cycles two weeks prior.  Ugh.  My new Orbea Orca…fork is super solid and I feel like I have a new bike underneath me.  I’m pretty sure I’d have a new jersey in the closet had I raced in the new configuration.  Wah wah wah.

The two MO riders that stayed away had big earned results.  Trent (Michelob) and Brian (Momentum) both stayed away after bold early moves.  The gap at the finish was over 2 minutes.  Big ups!

Big big thanks to the Momentum crew who fed me each lap.  Thank you!

O’Fallon Grand Prix Criterium

Sunday we were back in O’Fallon for a technical crit.  Turnout was low but the conditions were near perfect: 92F (which felt nice after the previous day!) with minimal wind.  The pavement was horrendous.  It was the worst pavement I’ve raced all year.  I watched riders get air coming out of the penultimate corner! 

We had a few new faces on Sunday (Jason (CBC), Chris (The Hub)) but a lot of tired legs after Saturday’s deathmarch.  The pace was brisk and I noticed we were taking the corners foolishly – only using half of the road.  I noticed I wasn’t comfortable on those lines and getting gapped a little bit out of a few turns.  What gives?  I also noticed that I was breathing through my nose while we were lined out, so maybe things weren’t so bad.  I just had to focus on where the apex of the turns should be, as most of them had potholes in the actual corner.

Photo Credit: FicksPhotos.com

The early move was Mike and Keith (708) going off the front tempting the pack to chase.  I didn’t counter it as I think Trent and Joe (CX guy?) got off the front.  They are both motors so I bridged up – it only took an entire lap!  The two South Chicago Wheelmen juniors bridged up too.  More and more guys bridged up and soon our group was 10 strong, starting to look more like a field split than a break.  The field eventually came together and more attacks were tried and brought back.  Permit me to add that Trent (Michelob) is really rolling right now.  Keith (708) also got in a good looking move a little later but everybody had too much juice and it came back together.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Rangel

Coming into the finish we decided we’d work for one of our sprinters.  I would do leadout work with Nick.  Trent was on the front (jeez!) as we crossed 3 to go.  I thought I could hold the front long enough such that Nick and maybe Keith would only have to lead Mike the last lap.  I pulled for the next two laps and felt like a fighter pilot, taking the turns how I wanted – outside, inside, outside – and just focused on picking up the pace on the straights (so as to keep it lined out).  Trent jumped me into the chicane entering one to go and I jumped back up to him as I flicked off coming out of turn one.  Unfortunately our train got derailed on that last lap as 5 guys swarmed the front.  Mike (708) managed a solid 5^th place.  I’m convinced we had the right tactic, but we’re still ironing out the leadout.  On that course, first one out of the last corner wins.  Another “next time.”

Post race chat w/ Mike.  Photo Credit: Elizabeth Rangel

Epilogue:

The results this weekend were disappointing but our team expectations are pretty high: a cat 3 win every time.  The state championship was a personal and team goal and we took 2^nd by a pretty close margin.  Vittoria, you are elusive.

I’ve been weighing whether to upgrade or finish the season in the cat 3’s.  The prospect of getting smoked by the P/1/2’s is inviting, but I think I should race a full year as a 3.  It should be the last time I do so.  Further I have these opportunities each weekend to work as a teammate.  I truly enjoy it.  It is also an area that needs improvement.  Tous pour un, un pour tous!  

Next Stop: Le Tour de Sainte Genevieve – the MO State RoadRace Championships!