Madera Stage Race today, crit and tt.

Early crit results
45+
O'Rourke - 2nd
Laine - 4th
Allen - 5th
Betonte - wins bell lap and pack finish for last lap.

35+
Weissenberger - 3rd
Martin - spent only 5 total laps in the pack, including the last one
Reade - Pack
Eropkin - Flatted with 3 to go

No tt results yet.

RR tomorrow (sunday)

 

Ft. Ord, 3/13/2010
35+ 1/2/3, 75 min., (7 x 4.3mi laps)
Stairstep rollers about 300' climb per lap, 1/3 mi downhill.
Finish = up slight incline 200m from bottom of 45mph downhill
Cool, weak xwind on rollers at top
Nick, Robert, Kyle, field of 30 Joslyn's most riders (4-5) but not strongest, 3 Cal Giant, 3-4 SJBC, 2-3 Bicycle Trip, 2 Alto Velo.

Fast first lap worth 2 points in Masters Cycling League. Nick took them. Several attacks on rollers nothing stuck. Not enough wind. Not long enough race. Not steep enough to be selective. Robert rode off front solo on 3rd lap. Stayed solo for 2 laps. We shut down Paul Dyrwal (MS), CalGiant, AV when they tried to bridge but let one guy from out of state go at beginning of 5th lap. He blew through Robert. Robert came back and stayed on front and set tempo with Kyle. Nobody else would pull through. Nick and McQuaid jumped and bridged to him. Several others tagged along including Kyle. We got about 5 second gap but when Nick pulled off nobody pulled through. Kyle led down hill to start bell lap. 2 Joslyn's riders pulled to rollers on top. Cat and mouse over first three. Coates used momentum up last roller to get 5-10' gap at top of downhill. Kyle and Robert boxed in, Nick on front leading chase. At bottom of hill catch is looking good Kyle started up right side as train came up left. Field shifted right and blocked Kyle in. He backed off and jumped on train. Closing gap to Bicycle Trip and Keith Flabababa but ran out of road. 2cm to Keith, less than a wheel to Bicycle Trip.

Kyle 3rd
Nick swamped for 20th

The pointy end of the 45+ Merco road race at the finsh line.



Peter's report:

Merco Road Race 45’s 1/2/3/4 Field

Field Limit: 100 riders – Full Field

Weather: Clear/Warm – Temp. 70 Degrees

 

I wanted to get this out quickly this morning, before I forgot most of the details that occurred during this tense road race to say the least.  I get to the course my usual two hours before hand, so I can find a decent parking location, get registered and set up.   Once pinned and ready to warm up, Gregg and Jess go riding by, so I decided to join up with them.  We began the usual chit chat, discussing Saturday’s race and all the action that goes on during a 35’s crit.  Sounded like Gregg did a herculean effort to secure a 2nd place finish in almost catching Sayer’s at the line.

 

Once we covered the Saturday crit. details, we began evaluating the road race at hand.  We have (5) riders registered, Gregg, Jess, Tony, Mike and myself, along with the normal team’s represented, Morgan (12), VOS (12), Wells (10), Webcor (7), Davis (6), Sierra (5), SAFEWAY/Bicycles Plus/PureRed Creative (5) and numerous cast of teams having only 1 or 2 riders to take a stab at the big prize.  As we were riding along, we pass the VOS team having their top secret meeting discussing strategies.  It became apparent that this was not going to be an easy task for us  (5) riders to cover three teams that have 34% of the entire field riding.   So our plan was to at least try to cover things, but at least have one of us up the road in almost every break which could have the potential of staying away. 

 

We start the race, and immediately the Echelon boy’s go off the front with a Morgan in tow, and immediately the field is not going to have any part of this and they chase it down, now remember that because you’ll hear this a few more times.  We crest the next hill and a couple of riders attack with a  few VOS and Morgan attempting to take a stab at getting way, and immediately they are chased down.   As we are doing this, I’m sitting around twenty riders back and begin to notice one really distinct thing about this field, “Guy’s are really nervous and extremely jumpy”.   It was at that point only about 2 miles into the race I saw a rider just veer over into Gregg’s line and stick his pedal into Gregg’s front wheel spokes.  It didn’t sound good and luckily Gregg was able to stay upright and not go down, like most riders would have done.   Not feeling real good about Gregg’s situation I continued to ride near the front , with my other teammates doing the same.   Attacks continued to make attempts, but immediately, they would get swallowed up and regrouping would occur.   Jess, Tony, Mike and myself rode very patiently knowing that pretty much everything would get caught, which eventually made our jobs a lot easier than previously thought.  The large teams were victims of their enormous size, every time someone or a combination of would make an attempt, the other team would just chase it down.

 

The funniest thing during this whole race, was the way riders were reacting to situations that really weren’t important, but felt it necessary to move up at every chance they would get.  I remembered one instance, I saw this guy flying up the outside, not sure where he was going and immediately hit his breaks, jack knifed the rear wheel and almost flipped over.  In talking with the other guy’s we all had similar stories of riders doing some of the most craziest things yesterday.  So let’s rap this report up and fast forward with 3 miles to go.  Cresting the last climb just before the hard left hand turn, I had moved up to to about 10 position with Mike, Tony and Jess in about the same position.  We all did a good job of staying near the front coming into this last dangerous spot of the course.  The speed at this point was around 28 mph, but as we crested the one climb before the hard right and left turns,  we go swarmed by the outside momentum.  I got relegated back to about 30th position, and I believe Mike was able to stay near the front, with Jesse and Tony back around me.  As we came through the hard left and right, the speed was pretty fast and I look up and the field was pretty strung out leading into the last sections.  NOW, here’s were an old dog does learn from past mistakes, in previous years, I have attacked from the bottom of the last short steep lefthander leading over the crest, and this year, I was determined not to go to early.   As we entered into the left turn, I noticed the field begin to slow and push over to the outside right, so I jumped up on the far left and as we crested over the top, my momentum dropped me right in front.  Not ready to really launch, I stopped pedaling and let the next 2 riders pass me and make the first move, and sure enough they took the opportunity and went.  At that point is was go time, and at 300 meters I ramped up and past the lead out very quickly.  As I was driving to the line, I could hear someone yelling, it was Mike coming up from behind encouraging me to get to the line.   As we crossed the finish, SAFEWAY, goes 1st and 2nd, with a whole bunch of carnage trailing.


Our team collectively rode a great race, everyone did their jobs perfectly and the end result was me helping the team get the “W” and most importantly, no injuries.  In our efforts, we won $90 buck, which was well spent on a great Mexican lunch with some rip roaring “Mariachi” music being played.  Next race up, Madera Stage Race, same drill, same result!

 

Peter

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.

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

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!