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April 27, 2005
Race Update - Opus II
Last night was the second Opus Criterium race. I chose to just do the Cat 4/5 as the weather was cold and wet at a chilly 44 degrees.
The race had it's usual suspects and the three guys who performed well last week were back. My goal for the race was to place in one of the sprints (sprints happen every 3 laps) and mark the favorites with a hope to finish strong.
I rode the course (5 laps) prior to the race to get a feel for the road conditions and the wind. The lane lines were slippery as were the tar patch work on the road. The wind also kicked up on the down hill portion of the course ensuring that speeds would be a bit lower. The conditions meant that most of the riders would be nervous and the inexperienced would have trouble holding their lines (both proved to be true).
The start of the race was uneventful and I ended up in the middle of the pack. Not exactly where I like to be. I had an idea (a stupid one it turned out) that coming into the up hill portion of the course I would switch to my small gear in the front and the 12/11 in the back. I thought I could keep a higher cadence and be able to transition into a sprint easier. As it turned out in the first sprint, I was in the wrong position and my gearing was wrong, I did not have the gears to match the speed of the other sprinters.
In the second sprint, things were different. I marked the guy who typically wins the sprints and sat right on his wheel. As he moved to the outside, I was just sitting there. He looked back at me, dropped his gears down and got ready to hammer. As soon as I saw his gears shift, I shifted mine and counter attacked. We ended up going at the same time. He quickly out sprinted me, but I held on for 3rd in the sprint, as there was one guy out front that I did not know was there. So goal one was accomplished and I got a placing in one of the sprints.
After the sprint, I slowed down and waited for the pack to catch me. They caught me but sat behind on my wheel intead of passing me. A 1/2 dozen guys eventually did pass, but the lead-out guy that I marked in the second sprint held back. As we came up to the final sprint, no one in front of me was going to lead out the sprint. So I decided to jump on my own. Just as I was shifting my gears, the lead-out guy blew by me with a few on his tail. I jumped and tried to get on the train, but missed it. I ended up sixth in the sprint which put me 7th overall for the points race.
I was psyched with my race today. I placed in a sprint and finished strong at the end. I realized three things today:
1. I need to be mindful of my efforts in the non-sprint laps.
2. I need to mark the right riders and use them to help lead me out.
3. I need to use the outside lane and just go for it on the sprint laps.
Finally, at all times I need to know that I can win this race.
Posted by kermisch at 10:46 AM
April 23, 2005
2005 Durand Road Race
This morning I headed east to Durand, Wi to participate in the Durand Road Race. Durand is about 40 mile south west of Eau Claire, Wi in the middle of no where. The town sits on the Chippewa River and the landscape surround Durand is beautiful.
The conditions today were pretty gnarly with 30 mph winds from the north and the air temperature hovering around 45. At least the sun was out so it felt a bit warmer when the wind was not blowing across your face.
I rode the Cat 5 race - 27 miles, two laps around a 13.5 mile course. The course consisted of almost all rolling hills with a few steep, but short climbs thrown in to wear the legs down.
The field today for Cat 5's was 50 riders. I ran into a few riders that I raced with on Tuesday at Opus. As we awaited our start time there was this guy next to me doing his first bike race. He bragged about how great he was at century rides so he hired a coach and came out to try his hand at racing. I think he got a rude awakening. As we started, he was all over the road because he could not hold his line in the wind. I never saw him after the first mile or so.
The race started out a bit slow. I was stuck near the back of the pack and was concerned about getting up front so I would not miss the break. About mile 4 or so a break of 12 - 15 guys happened. I was able to hold on and stay with the break. Many of the riders really did not have a clue on how to ride a pace line with a cross wind. This left me struggling against the wind more than I wanted.
A mile or so after the break, a couple of riders took off up front. They never got too far ahead, maybe 30 - 45 seconds. I ended up settling behind a tall rider which let me get out of the wind. As we turned onto the back side of the course, the hills got more frequent and steeper. I found myself coasting down one hill out in front, but I sat up and came back to the pack.
A rotation on the front got into a groove and I never had to take a turn. Then all of the sudden the tall rider moved to his left, rubbed a tire and went down on my left side taking another rider with him. The crash happened right next to me (a bit nerve racking) but I luckily did not get tangled up. The break regrouped quickly and got back to work.
Our plan was to try and catch the riders out front just before we got to the start/finish line and started the second lap. The guys pulling started to slow down, so I just got into my aero position and turned up the pace a bit. I pulled until we caught the rider up ahead and the break slowed a bit which allowed me to catch my breath. I actually rolled across the start/finish line in second as there was still one more rider out in front.
As soon as we turned onto the front side of the loop and got just about over the first hill, a Flanders rider attacked. This is the same guy who beat me to the line in our back of the pack duel during the open race on Tuesday night. I stood and pounded my pedals until I got on his wheel. A couple of other riders made it as well. There were now 6 of us with one rider off the front.
As we came down a hill just before a short and steep leg burner, I jumped with one rider to bridge the gap to the lead guy. I had assumed everyone would have come with me, but just one guy did. As we caught the lead rider, we all decided to work together. The pace moved up and my lungs really started to burn. I should have sat back and made the other two guys pull more, but I didn't.
As we turned onto the back of the course, the first few hills really took it out of my legs. As we crested the top of the second climb, two riders blew past us. The other two guys could react, but I just did not have it in me. They never got more than 30 seconds ahead, but I was out there on my own with no else to work with in the heavy winds.
I was able to hold my position 6th right up until the finish when the Flanders guy passed me. I jumped on his wheel and gritted my teath. Half-way up the final climb to the finish, I put it all out there and came around him for 6th place.
All in all I was psyched. I had ridden a good race, made the right breaks and had enough will power to sprint through the finish. I wish I could have been a bit stronger because I think our break of 3 could have stayed away. Either way I am psyched with my placing.
Posted by kermisch at 4:16 PM
April 20, 2005
First Race of the Season
Last night was the first bike race of the season. It was a criterium in the OPUS office park. The loop was about .85 miles and the first race was 9 laps.
I ran into a few acquaintances (Jason & Jeff) and we decided to try and work together for the first race. We lined up on the start line in the firt row and were ready to throw it down from the starting whistle.
Jeff went off the fastest with Jason and I and a few others following. By the second lap, we had caught up to Jeff and by the third lap all hell was about to break loose.
I passed Jeff and Jason on the left and was heading into the downhill portion of the race when I heard a tire blow and then a large crunching sound. I tried to look behind me, but I was moving too fast to see anything. It was not until after the race that I found out someone crashed into Jeff sending him to the pavement. He ended up with some good road rash across his legs and hands, but his bike was o.k. Jason was just behind Jeff and saw the whole thing happen. He was split from the main group and ended up riding by himself to the finish.
The rest of the race unfolded pretty well for me. The course starts off with a quick downhill that leads to a short flat section. It then turns upwards and just before the finish, the hill turns up slightly providing an extra burn to the legs. Coming into the downhill we hit speeds of 35 mph and quickly slowed to 22 mph in the uphill.
Every third lap was a sprint for points. The pace really picks up for that lap and then slows for the two subsequent laps. I was able to ride in the top 10 - 20 spots the whole race. I mainly rode the inside track to ensure that I would not get crashed into. The first sprint, I did not go for it as my position was not ideal. In the second sprint. I was able to move towards the front of the peloton on the flat section and was trying to squeeze into the 3rd or 5th position. Instead I ended up first coming into the last part of the hill. At that point. I just put all I could into it and led the sprint out for the group. I ended up around 8th across the line and my lungs were screaming.
On the final lap. I was positioned well being in the top 5 - 8 guys coming into the last push up the hill. I got boxed in a bit, but to be frank my legs were spent and I gave it my all up the hill for a top 20 finish.
Overall I was excited. I rode a pretty tactical race and the legs felt good. I definitely realized that my sprint needs some work. I did not crash and that is very important.
Jason, Jeff, and I lined up for the open race which was 10 laps and included all the men categories (1/2/3/4/5) so the pace was going to be even higher than the first race. We started in the back as none us had the energy to try and fight it out at the front. We ended up forming a group of about 10 guys who worked together through the race and left it for a bunch sprint coming up the hill to the finish. I started in the 5th position and took the wheel of a guy gearing up for the spring. I jumped about 500 yards from the line and was not able to catch the lead of the group, but came in second. The whole time I was closing the gap, but just not fast enough.
You can see more picture of me here and more pictures of the whole race here.
Posted by kermisch at 8:53 AM