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2019 racing stories!

Old 02-25-19, 04:24 PM
  #76  
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Well done by you and the team at Snelling, Matt. We had our solo rider in that break, but he faded before the finish. I put my race guessing eggs in the Mikes basket, way off.
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Old 02-25-19, 04:53 PM
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Uneventful Sunday of racing at CBR yesterday. I didn't really want to go but the race director convinced me to.

cat 3/4: DNF/100

With a full field and many strong 3's and even more excitable 4's, I wasn't too enthusiastic lining up for this one. I decided that I did not want to deal with the race and so I would ride it on/off the front or tail gun the rear. After a few failed attacks and 15 min to go I resigned myself to tail gunning. The RD was acting funny the whole time and got worse so I didn't finish the last lap. A few turns of the barrel adjuster fixed that one.

Masters 30+ 3/4: 3rd/50-something

Some teammates set me up nicely with early attacks and helped keep me near (but not on) the front. I countered 10 min in and spent the next 20 min OTF solo, up 30 seconds for the middle of it. I turned around kept wishing to see a small group of riders chasing that I could win from, but it never happened. Field got me with 10' to go (lap cards) and I just stayed near the front and got 3rd in the sprint. There were 22 cat 3's who started so at least it was good for a whopping 3 points, so I'm at 24 now. Also when I was OTF I swept up a few primes, $50, a coffee mug, free race entry to another CBR and some overall points for the series.
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Old 02-25-19, 05:43 PM
  #78  
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Nice
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Old 02-25-19, 10:14 PM
  #79  
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Not sure if anyone cares about Cat 5 results but I did my first 4/5 crit yesterday at CBR #3. The course was sketchy because it was really wide for 3/4s of it then got really narrow because of cones. And the cones blocked the apex of the turn.

Naturally, in that sketchy narrow corner, someone got real close while we were leaning and hooked his hood under my right arm (I was in the drops). As he tried to get away, he pulled my arm (and thus my bars) making the bike dive into the corner. I somehow ninjad my arm off his bar and brought the bike back under me without losing my line or even slowing down. I don’t think I’ll ever save anything that flawlessly again. This was in the 4/5.

Also 4 guys crashed out directly in front of me in the cat 5 race but luckily for me they flew to the outside of the corner and I was able to sneak through the inside.

I’d say those races were mentally far tougher than they were physically.

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Old 02-26-19, 01:26 AM
  #80  
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Originally Posted by smashndash
Not sure if anyone cares about Cat 5 results but I did my first 4/5 crit yesterday at CBR #3. The course was sketchy because it was really wide for 3/4s of it then got really narrow because of cones. And the cones blocked the apex of the turn.

Naturally, in that sketchy narrow corner, someone got real close while we were leaning and hooked his hood under my right arm (I was in the drops). As he tried to get away, he pulled my arm (and thus my bars) making the bike dive into the corner. I somehow ninjad my arm off his bar and brought the bike back under me without losing my line or even slowing down. I don’t think I’ll ever save anything that flawlessly again. This was in the 4/5.

Also 4 guys crashed out directly in front of me in the cat 5 race but luckily for me they flew to the outside of the corner and I was able to sneak through the inside.

I’d say those races were mentally far tougher than they were physically.
honestly I think it’s refreshing to hear about Cat 5 races - everything is so new to you relative to us salty old vets!

Sounds like you have some good bike handling skills and decent luck - keep it up and you’ll go far!
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Old 02-26-19, 08:16 AM
  #81  
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good racin' @smashndash - rubber side down is always goal #1
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Old 02-26-19, 09:54 AM
  #82  
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@smashndash Yikes. Nice bike handling skills and save. Keep it up.
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Old 02-26-19, 10:01 AM
  #83  
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@smashndash solid racing; I too find the mental part harder in crits. Its usually an easy pace at the lower cats but your head has to be on a swivel at all times.
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Old 02-26-19, 10:16 PM
  #84  
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Aim for the crash is the go to advice for race car drivers. I'd say it applies 50% of the time in bike crashes. Usually by the time you get there, it'll already have moved away.
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Old 02-27-19, 02:53 PM
  #85  
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Originally Posted by mattm

4th for me was my best result at this race ever (possibly my best p1/2 RR result, in fact), but really all that mattered was that WE WON! Our team did everything right, and it worked. Can't ask for anything more.
honestly I felt bad not making it out to the race, and feel pretty ****ty for just being sick and out of shape on top of it. It totally made my day to see the team win, and you on the podium.

You deserve a lot of credit for putting together a very good p12 team where everyone is willing to work for each other. If B hadn't flatted out I think he could have been up there too. Everyone not-me is riding so well. I'm really trying to get back!
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Old 02-27-19, 06:53 PM
  #86  
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Originally Posted by Ygduf
honestly I felt bad not making it out to the race, and feel pretty ****ty for just being sick and out of shape on top of it. It totally made my day to see the team win, and you on the podium.

You deserve a lot of credit for putting together a very good p12 team where everyone is willing to work for each other. If B hadn't flatted out I think he could have been up there too. Everyone not-me is riding so well. I'm really trying to get back!
Don't sweat it man - the season is long!
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Old 03-04-19, 04:05 PM
  #87  
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I raced! Our guy got 3rd, which, with only 2 of us and an actually good field felt like an accomplishment. I'm unfortunately not the strongest right now, but I'm strong enough to watch my teammate attack, get a break going, and then all I had to do then was cover every single bridge attempt and then slot back in at 3-4-5th wheel. With a couple laps to go the gap to down to like ~5 seconds and as I was covering a move that I knew was going to get across, and it had been hard for a minute, I had to pedal more softly and accept that some dudes were going to make it across, but we kept the field from coming entirely together, and then my guy made the best of it.

Ex-teammate Dave told me afterword that I was an irritant, and that I killed everything and people were grumbling. From him I know it was a compliment.
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Old 03-04-19, 04:54 PM
  #88  
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Awesome job @Ygduf!
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Old 03-04-19, 06:40 PM
  #89  
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Yellowstone Rendezous 25k ski. Extremely cold, green wax conditions (if I had green wax..). I was in the 3rd wave (slowest) since I have no seed time. Was not prepared for my start, but got a good double pole out of the gate, and was skiing in 2nd until base of bottom of the hill where I tripped up and then fell on top of another person who fell in front of me. Chased hard and watched leader of my wave go past me on a downhill. Skied hard to try to catch but no luck. Form was good most of the race, but struggled getting back into my v2 on the slight uphill.

Honestly, ski racing is just like bike racing, pacelines, break aways and huge aerobic engines. Next year I'll race wave 2 here (and maybe the 50k). Just happy with a fun weekend away with friends and time spent on the snow.
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Old 03-05-19, 12:55 PM
  #90  
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I really missed my calling not doing cross country skiing in Minny. Long arms, legs, and big aerobic capacity would all be better on snow than the bike.
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Old 03-05-19, 01:15 PM
  #91  
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That sounds like a blast @Ttoc6. Not much opportunity here but I think I'd be really in to skiing, downhill and XC.
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Old 03-05-19, 02:02 PM
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@Ttoc6 Congrats on the race. There are few things I am envious of. I am envious of your Xc skiing. I know how to ski and have done it many times including Xc skiing in Lap Land. But I have never done it competitively.
@Ygduf Nice teamwork. I do not have a lot of patients for complainers / grumblers. A more positive way to express it would be there was a guy on the front with a teammate in the break that covered everything. Boy I wish he was on our team. What an asset.
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Old 03-06-19, 05:49 AM
  #93  
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Thanks yall. I reccomend trying xc skiing if you've got the chance, @TMonk. It's hard and there is definitely a learning curve to doing it right (think swimming). I've got a long ways to go on form, but this year has been good for my development. I took multiple minutes off of one of the (~5k)strava segments up where I ski at home with a lower heart rate on a slower day just due to form. It's an awesome sport I look forward to doing more and more of in the years to come.

Fudgy, sounds like you'd be perfect. Watching the real strong skiers it definitely develops a body type of strong shoulders, core and quads. Taller athletes have a pretty big advantage over guys like me just due to sheer leverage.
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Old 03-10-19, 07:36 AM
  #94  
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I've enjoyed reading through what people here have said, and I've been in and out of the 33 since I got my power meter in 2017.

Yesterday was my first Cat 5 race: Grant's Tomb. My goals were to a) finish b) not be taken out by another ride, or, worse, take myself out. For b) I wanted to cruise through the hairpin on the north side at the front for the first two laps. I figured that by that time, the race would string out a little and the truly bad riders would be off the back. I could then settle into the peloton and get some protection until the end.

I wanted to start on the outside, cruise forward, attack on the first downhill, and go through the hairpin. This went a little too well, as I went off the front from the whistle, and it took two laps for the field to catch me. At that point, I moved back. Eventually, I wound up on the back of the peloton, which was about 20-30 racers of the 59 who started. I think it was a 12 lap race. About on lap 11, a rider 3 wheels ahead of me double-locked his wheels on the first 90 degree turn. The two wheels behind him did the same in response. Everyone saved. I went around them. I noted the wheel locker's jersey in case I wound up on his wheel later. On the final lap, I had burnt my matches and was off the back. On the final hairpin turn, that wheel locker was picking up his bike on the inside of the turn and there were two other riders on the outside off the course moving around him. I cruised through, happy to be off the back with the rubber side down. I learned from Strava later that there were a few crashes behind me on those first two laps. I'd rather finish tired and off the back than injured.

Overall, it was a ton of fun. I learned a ton of lessons about protection, using your power strategically, and having others do the work. The cornering lines were terrible for the most part, but I have done enough pacelining to be able to time this, so it was good to learn that my judgement on reading other wheels is OK. The race started early around freezing temps. My warmup could have been a lot better, and I'll pay more attention to that next time. I have a lot to learn, but I'll be back.

I raced cat 4/5 about a half hour later. There were a bunch of us who had raced the cat 5 race. I was on the waitlist and they couldn't find my number. When they did, I turned to the guy behind me and had him pin it on. I got to the line with 10 seconds to spare, so I was at the back. We then rolled out. I took the hairpin and moved up on the inside. For the first two laps, I just kept moving up. I wanted to get up with the 4's who hadn't raced and sit in the peloton. Eventually, there was a group of about 5 of us 20 seconds behind. One guy marshalled us into a paceline to chase. We almost caught the peloton, but shortly thereafter I cramped on my right calf. I tried to recruit other muscles, changing my foot position. It slowly wore off. Then my left leg cramped. At this point, I was looking to be pulled. I went another lap, and a marshall pulled me out. 10 of 16 laps completed. Being pulled out was the most merciful thing done to me in the past week. Still, I had finished ahead of about 20 or so riders who were pulled ahead of me, so not too shabby.

Again, there were more lessons learned from that race. Between races, I should have kept working my legs to get any recovery I could. My fitness is good, but my tactics are bad. I'll get those honed.
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Old 03-10-19, 03:04 PM
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Good racing @TimmyT. Keep at it!
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Old 03-10-19, 04:41 PM
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@TimmyT Now this is what Cat5 racing should be like. You went in with a reasonable goal and gained some great learning experiences. Glad you kept the tires on the ground
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Old 03-10-19, 05:24 PM
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Good job @TimmyT!

Originally Posted by Ttoc6
Thanks yall. I reccomend trying xc skiing if you've got the chance, @TMonk. It's hard and there is definitely a learning curve to doing it right (think swimming). I've got a long ways to go on form, but this year has been good for my development. I took multiple minutes off of one of the (~5k)strava segments up where I ski at home with a lower heart rate on a slower day just due to form. It's an awesome sport I look forward to doing more and more of in the years to come.

Fudgy, sounds like you'd be perfect. Watching the real strong skiers it definitely develops a body type of strong shoulders, core and quads. Taller athletes have a pretty big advantage over guys like me just due to sheer leverage.
Are there any xc skiing races with only left turns? After one lesson that's all I could figure out. My pizzas are on point though.
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Old 03-10-19, 07:49 PM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by furiousferret
Good job @TimmyT!



Are there any xc skiing races with only left turns? After one lesson that's all I could figure out. My pizzas are on point though.
Funny you metnion it. When I go for my long skis, I typically just take every left turn possible and it gets me about 20ish miles around the whole park.

Seriously though, everyone has a strong and a weak side. I'm much better skiing v1 (offset) with my left hand leading. Don't know why, because when I ski v2alt (2 skate) I pole on my right side.
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Old 03-11-19, 09:06 AM
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Thanks all. I'm very glad I didn't fall as I've had both elbows sewn up in the past two years.
I just registered for my next crit. It will be a smaller field. My goal for this one includes the same two goals. This time, I'm going to let the pack organize and try to sit in it for a bit.

I looked at my numbers for those two races on Saturday, and they are comparable. I spent about 8 minutes in zones 6 and 7, with the bulk early on in the first race. I don't want to do that in the next race.
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Old 03-12-19, 12:28 AM
  #100  
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Raced this weekend - Land Park Crit P1/2 Saturday & Bariani P1/2 RR Sunday.

Team did well overall (2nd & 5th), but my personal results sucked.

At the crit on Saturday I missed the early split of ~20 riders, but with 3 teammates up the road in the move, and at least one sprinter in the chase group with me, I couldn't really try to bridge without him/everyone trying to follow. So I just had to watch them ride away, which sucked. Later on in the race I bridged up to the remnants of the split, and won the field sprint for 7th. Missing The Move sucks, but when you have teammates up there sometimes you just have to.

At the 100 mile RR on Sunday I flatted out about one mile in.. drafted behind a follow car for a while but never caught back on (see my thread about it). Teammate got 5th from the break, a guy who was on Israeli Cycling Academy last year won the race after dropping everyone in the breakaway. Teammate got 5th at least.

I would've been lucky to even survive in the pack at that race, but it sucked to have such bad luck!

On to the next ones..
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