Your favorite race
08-06-14, 03:15 PM
#1
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Your favorite race
What is your favorite race of all time?
Could be because the course is cool, the atmosphere, or maybe you won it, etc.
Could be because the course is cool, the atmosphere, or maybe you won it, etc.
08-06-14, 04:10 PM
#3
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Nevada City, because it is So. Damn. Hard.
08-06-14, 04:48 PM
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University Road Race.
Nowhere to hide. Nobody undeserving has ever won it. No way to fake it.
Nowhere to hide. Nobody undeserving has ever won it. No way to fake it.
08-06-14, 05:47 PM
#6
out walking the earth
Where I used to live there was a 200 meter tunnel that connected the rear parking lot to the front of the supermarket. When I was 14 we'd go head to head there. Standing start.
08-06-14, 08:20 PM
#10
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So far:
CCCX circuit races, and Red Kite circuit race. Love them circuit races. Medium length, hilly enough to hurt everyone but no long & steep featherweight climber's hills. Haven't placed in any of them due to a combination of bad luck and bad racing, but great for my specific strengths for whenever I do figure out how to race.
CCCX circuit races, and Red Kite circuit race. Love them circuit races. Medium length, hilly enough to hurt everyone but no long & steep featherweight climber's hills. Haven't placed in any of them due to a combination of bad luck and bad racing, but great for my specific strengths for whenever I do figure out how to race.
08-06-14, 09:35 PM
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here is a video of the San Rafael race. Maybe if i can scratch enough points together I can be on drone cam next year in the p12s and maybe be mattm and fudgy will be there too
Last edited by save10; 08-06-14 at 10:15 PM.
08-06-14, 09:35 PM
#12
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Can't say I've raced enough races to have a true favorite. I think I have some in mind that rank up there (Davis 4th crit and Chico Stage Race), but need more time. With that and for the time being, I'll say Modesto Crit because I won there.
08-06-14, 11:54 PM
#14
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I like the Madera Stage Race. I liked the crit in the morning followed by the ITT in the afternoon with the bees and the wind plus the road race the next day had the rough road section. For time trials, I like the Santiago Canyon (SoCal) because it is an interesting course and for hill climbs, the GMR (SoCal) because it is a longish climb with good pavement but not too tough of a grade. My favorite track is Velo Sports Center in Carson, CA.
08-07-14, 05:05 AM
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Limiting the choice to just one race is just not possible.
(1st) Has to be the Killington Stage Race, not this version but the former 5 day version.
(2) The Mad River Road Race, which is today a stage in the Green mountain Stage Race.
(3) The Peillon Circuit Race, a small regional race in Provence France. I don't even know if it is still around. But in terms of difficulty, this was a 8+
A short 3km circuit with a corkscrew 1st turn into a 53-12 descent, into a 90 degree second turn ( brick facade giving much incentive to turn ) still heading downhill, to a 3rd 120 degree turn which not only changed direction but also threw you back uphill ( 39-23/26 ). At the top of the hill the 4th turn into the only flat section ( start / finish ) which was about 6-800 meters long.
The race started in a village perched on top of a hill. In july Provence is just bright sun, 100 degree temps but no humidity.
I recall receiving a fresh water bottle each lap and one poured over my head if needed.
Result was blisters in my palms ( I wore gloves ) shorts saturated with evaporated salt and a 16th placing.
I probably should also add the Lake Placid Race, a race that my teammate Jim Ortel and I naively decided to race.
(1st) Has to be the Killington Stage Race, not this version but the former 5 day version.
(2) The Mad River Road Race, which is today a stage in the Green mountain Stage Race.
(3) The Peillon Circuit Race, a small regional race in Provence France. I don't even know if it is still around. But in terms of difficulty, this was a 8+
A short 3km circuit with a corkscrew 1st turn into a 53-12 descent, into a 90 degree second turn ( brick facade giving much incentive to turn ) still heading downhill, to a 3rd 120 degree turn which not only changed direction but also threw you back uphill ( 39-23/26 ). At the top of the hill the 4th turn into the only flat section ( start / finish ) which was about 6-800 meters long.
The race started in a village perched on top of a hill. In july Provence is just bright sun, 100 degree temps but no humidity.
I recall receiving a fresh water bottle each lap and one poured over my head if needed.
Result was blisters in my palms ( I wore gloves ) shorts saturated with evaporated salt and a 16th placing.
I probably should also add the Lake Placid Race, a race that my teammate Jim Ortel and I naively decided to race.
08-07-14, 06:24 AM
#18
Senior Member
Birmingham Bike fest in Birmingham Michigan is probably one of my favorites. .5 mile 6 turn downtown course..really fun. One of my last races as a cat 5 and I got 6th place in it after getting dropped in pretty much every race I did that year. Both quads cramped up on me last year and I got dropped so Im hoping for a better race in a couple weeks
Tulsa Tough because of the atmosphere...one day I will finish either day and not get pulled, and by either race I mean Saturday because 200lbs doesn't go uphill very well no matter how short the hill.
Tulsa Tough because of the atmosphere...one day I will finish either day and not get pulled, and by either race I mean Saturday because 200lbs doesn't go uphill very well no matter how short the hill.
Last edited by Wylde06; 08-07-14 at 09:03 AM.
08-07-14, 06:52 AM
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08-07-14, 07:37 AM
#20
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I've never even thought about this. I think my favorite races are fred "races." Maybe I should reconsider priorities. Or consider myself a fred.
08-07-14, 08:16 AM
#21
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Races where I'm fit and there's a lot of cornering in a bigger field.
Scotch Plains NJ (8 corners, 1 mile?). I loved doing the race even though I don't think I've finished it once. I got my only ambulance ride during one of them. Another I was on J-ME Carney's wheel, he was maybe 3rd wheel, with 3 turns to go when someone did a suicidal dive to the inside and took a bunch of us out. As a 3 that was the closest I ever came to placing in a true P123 race. Used to be huge fields, like 100 starters.
Binghamton MI (I thought it was 8 corners, 1/2 mile, but it might have been 6 corners, 1/2 mile). Raining, 125 starters. I had one off (technically didn't fall but my rear wheel was busted and I pulled my foot out of my shoe trying to stay upright).
However now I can't finish those kind of tough races.
Recently? New London Crit, did it two years (no longer held), 7 turns, 1 mile, narrow downhill lane to the last acute turn, uphill sprint. I could barely stay on in 2010 when I was fit, got shelled quickly when I wasn't fit.
Scotch Plains NJ (8 corners, 1 mile?). I loved doing the race even though I don't think I've finished it once. I got my only ambulance ride during one of them. Another I was on J-ME Carney's wheel, he was maybe 3rd wheel, with 3 turns to go when someone did a suicidal dive to the inside and took a bunch of us out. As a 3 that was the closest I ever came to placing in a true P123 race. Used to be huge fields, like 100 starters.
Binghamton MI (I thought it was 8 corners, 1/2 mile, but it might have been 6 corners, 1/2 mile). Raining, 125 starters. I had one off (technically didn't fall but my rear wheel was busted and I pulled my foot out of my shoe trying to stay upright).
However now I can't finish those kind of tough races.
Recently? New London Crit, did it two years (no longer held), 7 turns, 1 mile, narrow downhill lane to the last acute turn, uphill sprint. I could barely stay on in 2010 when I was fit, got shelled quickly when I wasn't fit.
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"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson
"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson
08-07-14, 08:29 AM
#22
Senior Member
Hard to say. I haven't done it in years, but possibly Grant's Tomb criterium in NYC. It's not a particularly big or important race, but the course is just so much fun. Or it was - it's been so long that my tastes may well have changed. It was my second crit ever, and rose-colored glasses may be involved.
08-07-14, 09:06 AM
#24
Senior Member
You mean Birmingham? I will try to find out more about how the race was in a couple weeks when I race there (Aug 24th)
08-07-14, 09:54 AM
#25
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"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson
"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson