Reports by:

• Tim
• German
• Richard
• Garry

Category: 4
Teammates: Keith J, German, Scott

Well, I'm motivated to write up my race report because German just posted all of his...

Arrived to the race around 11:30ish and put in a good 30 minute warm- up on the trainer. I started the race in the back of the pack again. I hung out there for the first 10 minutes of the race.

After the first prime, I decided to move up. The prime whistle blew again on the following lap. Since I had just passed Keith J. on the outside, I told him to grab my wheel and I put in an attack. Midway between turns 1 and 2, I looked back to make sure Keith had my wheel, but he was dangling 3-4 feet back. I asked him what was wrong and he said his legs were shot. At that point the field was gaining on us, so I just sat up. After the race, Keith later told me he'd gone for the first prime and hadn't recovered by the time I told him to grab my wheel. I guess Keith isn't superman after all. :(

I was pretty tired after that effort off the front so I tried to recover in the back. Unfortunately, I stayed too far off the back and wasn't getting enough draft to recover; my heart rate was pegged at 180 for the remainder of the race.

Coming out of the last corner on lap 4-to-go, a bunch of people decided to go down in front of me. I braked and swerved to avoid a couple of riders, promptly gapping myself by about 30-50 meters in the process. I sprinted back to the pack by the first turn, but I was pretty much toast and got dropped on the next lap.

Unfortunately as German mentioned, Keith went down pretty hard on the last lap.

After the race I was talking to Russell White from Third Pillar. Apparently, I've earned the reputation as "last wheel", in that if you get passed by me you better grab my wheel in a hurry, cause there ain't anymore. Hrrmm.. I'll try to remedy that tomorrow morning.

Back to top

Category: 35+ 4/5
Result: 7th
Teammates: Scott

After my prior upset in the elite 4 race, it was time to make it up to the team, even though I was still with the flu, but my legs were tuned up from the prior race and the temperature raised to the 70's, however, the wind was still a real killer.

My strategy was kind of the same, but didn't face the wind in the front; there was always someone ahead of me facing it. Prior to the race I spoke to Scott and we decided to try to get some dash for cash money in the very first prime. Certainly, we went for it and all of the sudden it was he and me in the front except that we got beaten on the sprint for the prime, but I didn't go too hard as Scott did, so, I got to keep my energies and went to top 10 position and defended it for a while. After that, lost contact with Scott, don't really know what happened to him; but, I was told that he retired after the dash for cash attempt.

I kept defending my position, my legs were warmed and started to feel good, I was able to manage a good draft at second and third corners were the wind was doing a really good job. My lungs were cooperating better than the prior race; but, still were stuffed; the higher temperatures were helping me. I started to gain my confidence back and decide to stay in the front pack most of the time keeping a safe race for me; especially, in the middle of corner 2 and 3, where there were some cones and people was pushing toward these in look for a good wheel(s). It was scary to see the side to side transitions, meaning from left to right in serpentine mode in a single line, especially after corner 3, right before the final corner. The one that didn't follow a wheel was dropped for sure, no way they could recover a gap with such a strong wind, it was fun and very technical, it remains me the Tour de France final flat stages where they do the same moves at high speeds.

My legs were just fine, my hearth rate was in the 175's but was able to breath, my confidence was getting better, but I had to try to avoid any collision, so I continue in safe mode. Finally, 5 laps to go, again, I remember Richard's words and thought to my self, great! I won't be taken by surprise at this time, so I started to move up from 15 spot to top 10 and it worked well enough because in order to move up I never went on my on, I jumped on someone's wheel and helped me to gain more valuable places and saving lots of energies. Final two laps and the pace really went up again, serpentine moves in single line but at a more aggressive pace, I was able to hang on top 10, then the final lap and I said to myself, it is time, let's go! Single line, serpentine moves in between corners 2 and 3, started to push harder and suddenly and see myself in 5th place without having to face the nasty wind all the way to corner 4; but, when I started to take the final corner, once again I got sandwiched by two guys who forced me to slow down losing my top 5 position and messing me up completely!! I said no freaking way!! I moved to the left side I was basically facing the wind alone, most people were already sprinting on my right side and nobody was on my left, so I went very hard up to the point that I remember seeing my front wheel lifting off the ground just a little bit, then I really start sprinting extremely hard reaching a maximum speed of 39.6 mph, I started to gain ground on the front riders very quickly, I was really surprised how hard I was going, I really thought I was going to win, but I ran out of ground and the finish line was there already! 20 more yards and I could have won it!! Dam it!! I realized that I have a very good sprint! And finished in 7th place out of 128 riders. Great result but, a bit frustrating because I could have won it if I were not to make a mistake in the final corner. Fortunately, the weekend is not over yet and tomorrow's race at EMC2 will bring me another chance for revenge.

Thanks for reading!

Back to top

Category: E3
I think that there is now a well-established correlation between the length of the race report and the success of the author.

With that in mind: I sucked yesterday. The HR was up where it was for the Morgan Hill crit, but the good feelings I had in the legs were not there. Maybe they will be today? See you out there.

Back to top

Category: Multiple
Result: 22nd and 10th
Teammates: None

Another two race day for me

Masters 45/55 unlimited cat

Quite a lot of firepower in the event, Lar Nolan and another dude rode off the front never to be seen again. The rest of us surged / rested / surged / rested for the remaining laps. some teams tried to bring them back, but it all came to nothing. Come last lap and I swung around the turn 4 in about 30th and followed wheels and moved up to finish 22nd out of about 50 or so starters

Masters 45+ 3/4

Another Larry Nolan Show. He went away with some more friends. The rest of us did our time and I sprinted in to finish 10th out of 55 starters

This was a windy day, and it affected average speeds considerably. The wind also played an important tactical part to the racing.

Back to top