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Mar 07-2010 |
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Merco RR update
45+ team takes 1st and 2nd! Great job Peter Allen and Michael O'Rourke and the rest of the 45s
35+ 9th, 19th and 20th.
Official Results
And nice job SAFEWAY/BP/PRC for lighting it up in the Pro12 crit yesterday.
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Mar 06-2010 |
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Merco Crit results
Gregg 2nd
Jan 8th
Michael 10th
Dan, Nick, John, Patrick, and Jonathan E round out the field. Fast racing today.
Pro race, Bahati foundation goes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Nice!
Official Results
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Sep 20-2009 |
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Tony was HOT:
35+ 3,4 - Just poor me. Chico Corsa had 6 guys out of 40 or so and Davis had 4 so I figured I'd watch them. EARLY on a San Jose guy attacked, then a Chico guy bridged. Seemed to early. Then a guy I've ridden in several breaks in before went to bridge so I though hmm, better but it took me 1/2 a lap to get in position to get to the front. I spent the next 4 laps clawing my way to toward the 3. Finally a 3rd pillar guy came up to me and we worked for another couple of laps but he was spent and sat up. I flogged myself for another 4 or 5 laps and got within about 5 seconds but couldn't quite get across. It was unbelievable how the pack would let Chico sit on the front. Very frustrating race. Davis did some work but gave up and went for the field sprint which I figured out. I followed Fred Schnars for the last lap and a half sitting second wheel with his teammate behind me. Fred ran out of gas a little early and a couple of guys got around me into the last corner. I think I was 6th out of the final corner and finished 4th for 6th overall.
I immediately went to the fountain in middle of the course and essentially took a shower and then lined up for the 1,2,3's with Robert and Gregg. Fast and furious from the gun. About 1/2 way through, Gregg says he thinks he might puke. Not a good sign...so I told Robert that Gregg wasn't feeling well and that he should probably get in a break so he attacks and there goes the race. Unfortunately, EMC managed to get both Chris Baker and Alex Holtz into it. With 4 or 5 to go, Kurt Bickell attacked and got across. I saw it coming and should have covered it. Not sure why I didn't. Now the 1st 9 spots were up the road. A Chico guy got away from us with 2 to go and then Gregg lead ME out for 11th. Meanwhile Robert was getting tag teamed by EMC and Lombardi (sorry Robert, should have been there!) and Chris got up the road with one other for the win. Robert attacked to try and get away but they weren't going to let that happen so Alex got 3rd with Robert 8th.
P,1,2,3 - All Robert. Gregg and I sat on the sidelines and sweated but nothing like Robert did. Our friend young Andrew Talansky was ON FIRE. He went from the gun and had it strung out for about 10 laps before no one could hold his wheel. He then proceeded to lap the field and then solo off the lapped field for the win. Very impressive. Robert was helping Andrew and was in the 1st chase group with Chris Baker, Pat Briggs, and 4 or 5 others and wound up 3rd in their sprint for 4th overall. Way to go Robert!
Details due from Robert on both races!
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Sep 19-2009 |
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Jesster wrote:
Pat, Robert, Jess vs. Full field inc. Cale Reeder & 2 teammates, Bickel, 3 Reno (as if).
We totally controlled this race. Bickel went solo for the first half of the race. Lots of attacks and counters by the 3 of us. Finally we got Robert up with Bickel and several guys joined them, including Reeder, who was the last guy to join. Jess & Pat tried to bridge a few times, but the pack wouldn't have it, so we blocked the living shit out of the race.
In the end, Robert got gapped from Cale's wheel in the sprint, and he ouldn't cath. Finished 2nd. Pat won the pack sprint.
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Sep 17-2009 |
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Jonathan Eropkin is not sure why:
I'm not aware of another event on any racing calendar like this one. The typical hard bike race is usually difficult because of the level of competition combined with the race course and conditions. Everest is different to the extent that the level of competition is irrelevant, and your biggest competitor is YOU. The course, however, is spectacular, terrifying, at times tedious, and overall extremely impressionable.
Driving into Bishop you're greeted with a ring of mountains that soar to incredible heights, seemingly insurmountable. After the race and driving away, they seem a bit smaller.
For those that don't know about the race, its a two-day stage timed race that starts and finishes in the Owens valley, and each day you climb up to the top of three different mountain summits (two of which are over 10,000') and descend back to the start. Day 1 is about 15,000' of climbing and 102 miles of riding. Day 2 is only 13,000', but you cram that all within 65 miles.
There's not much to share about either day, the first day I cracked spectacularly with 10km to go, climbing highway 168 up a 5000' monster to south lake. This is where your competition challenges you, digging within yourself to find the motivation to continue on and finish the stage. The field of 25 starters came apart on the first climb to Mosquito Flat, and I was caught somewhere in the middle, so I ended up riding the majority of the stage alone. The next 5 hours I only saw one other Pro12 rider, and caught all of the Cat4/5s and women (they started about 45 minutes in front of us). At 10k to go (only 2000' more climbing!), cramps, then some pretty serious fatigue and bonk unlike any other. Almost stopped the bike and chucked it over the side of the 3000' sheer cliff. Slammed the remainder of my gels and soldiered on thru the thunderstorm and fatigue and finished 12th on the stage, about 30 minutes back from the leader.
Day two went much better, the first climb of the day I felt was the most difficult of all, 10 miles at 8% up to a freakin' glacier (the Palisades Glacier, one of the last ones remaining in the Sierras). A smaller group of 8 got in front of me on this one, but I connected with a few other guys and actually had some company. Got dropped on the 60mph descent back to the valley but caught them on the second climb, the easy 2600' grinder at only 4%. Caught a few that cracked from the lead group, and started up the final 6200' beast to the Bristle Cone Forest. Dropped my companions and practically soared up this one, and rolled across the line in 6th or 7th place on the day. Unfortunately not enough time was made up to move up much in GC, I think i jumped two spots for 10th overall.
My time for day 2 would have been the 3rd fastest ever if I was in the Masters 35+ (a 4:38 effort), but amongst the little tiny P12 climbers I was pretty happy with this one. My main companion for the day was a big tall Reno guy (Mike Taylor) rocking a sweet mullet, we leapfrogged the last two climbs and he finally pulled away from me in the last mile.
While sitting at 10,100' with the boys, cheering on the finishers and enjoying the view, i realized that I'll be back next year...I love this race.
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Sep 08-2009 |
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Clovis results
Saturday - Harlan Ranch Crit 4 corner crit - 0.9 miles, best pavement of the year. Pretty windy by the last race.
35+123 - Got into a 3-man break about 1/3rd of the way thru, had Chris Black & Dennis King chasing. Both legs locked up in cramp-mode just before the last turn, rolled in 3rd. Jeff finished in the field. Pro12 - Got into a 4-man chase group with Bosch and a couple others. Kept getting windier thru the race. The lead group of 4 caught the field, then I got jumped by Shimahara and Bosch, they bridge across the 10-second gap and left me in no-man's land. Rode solo for 6 laps and held on for 8th.
Sunday - Downtown Clovis Crit 6-corner crit - 0.8 miles, fast and safe, dicey pavement in last corner. Pretty windy by the last race.
35+123 - Jeff goes early with Chris Black, they get caught, I counter and get into 5 man group. We drop two early, then Chris Black (MS), Curtis Eastin (Sierra Pacific) and I lap the field with about 8 laps to go. I slice right thru the field and go off again, but pull a Sierra Pacific guy (Bagley) that won't work with me. Back to the field to wait. Three to go, Jeff takes me to the front and launches me, unfortunatley on a $100 prime lap (which we didn't realize was happening, AND we failed to get the prime). I hit it anyway, and take a useless Lombardi rider along. He gives two 5-second pulls, I do all the rest. Get caught about 50m from the line by Black and the rest of the shattered field (Curtis cracked himself and everyone else pulling me back). Take 4th in the field sprint but 2nd overall (Jeff and the Lombardi guy were a lap down).
Pro12 - No Jeff for this one. Wind is blowing head-on 15mph on every straightaway. Field hits it immediately and a split happens, 7 go up the road (including Klein, Logan Loader, two French guys and Vincent Owens), I am stuck behind in the field. Few minutes later I give 'er a go, and bridge across the 15 second gap in a lap. Died a 1000 deaths in the process. Our group of 8 works well, lap the field about half way thru the 75 minute race. Another acceleration by Logan causes another split, and again I'm stuck behind with 6 up the road, but two of those are a lap down. We settle down and wait for the finish, then realize that we're about to get lapped again with about 20 minutes to go, so back to the front to keep the pace up. Flatted with 8 to go, no wheel in the pit but a bystander loans me his rear wheel. Jump back in and lead out the last two laps and get 8th.
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