Doge

One of the few great SoCal Road Races.
Always in jeopardy.

tetonrider

Thanks!

Looks like a fun place to ride.

aaronmcd

Did the same race as mattm.

2/3 and 1/2 back to back.

Felt really good for doing 230 TSS the day before. Sat in much of the race, went with a couple moves that looked good but nothing stuck. 38 minutes in everyone still seemed able and willing to chase everything down so I slid back to rest up for the last laps. Then 2 guys got away with strong dude who won last time off the front. Maybe I should have helped the chase but I'm still not sure of my fitness so I let Mikes Bikes chase. They chased for 15 minutes making no headway. 5 to go they called it quits. I took off 2.5 laps to go. One guy came with me but told me he wouldn't help cuz his teammate was up the road. Um, ok, but thye have like 20 seconds on us and they won't get caught at this point. He sat on my wheel for 2 laps and I don't have the VO2 back yet to make it solo. He attacked me as we were about to get caught and went pretty much nowhere. I soft pedalled the rest of the last lap.

!/2
Wasn't fresh, so sat in waiting to get a beating that never came. Our guy got away early, and I realized I had a lot of gas so let myself put in some work. Followed a 3 to go move, got caught, then proceeded to spend the rest of what I had jumping on everything that moved until I blew up on one of the last lap attacks. Latched onto the back of the remaining guys and drifted in 13th/27

Doge

Been there a lot. One of my favs was as the race was heating up one of my fav junior riders does the "blue one" VW tag.

furiousferret

Its not bad, the race is always fun, just goats trying to ride people off their wheel until there's only a few left.

Unfortunately the Marine Corps has scarred me with grotesquely large pectorals, oversized biceps, and an unaerodynamic chest so I'll never be to compete in a race like that.

mattm

land park crit p1/2.

break went @ 9 mins in, i figured it’d come back. nope.

tried to bridge the 20 sec gap at about 30’ in, but we never caught up. break lapped the field but not my chase group.

rolled it in to fight another day. (like tomorrow at bariani - getting up in four hours, ugh!!)

Ttoc6

Double header yesterday. Timetrial at 8:30* and "crit at 11. Got to the TT, got registered only to find out I had less than half an hour to get warmed up and still had a 2 mile one way ride back to the car. I also had to finish getting dressed. ****. Rushed back, got the bike in order on the trainer, pedalled for 5 minutes ramping up to just sub threshold and back on the road to the start line. Only to find out the race was delayed due to police activity on the frontage road we race on. Slow pedaled around and cooled way off. Race time came around and I could feel the lack of warmup. Couldn't get comforatble on the saddle, and legs were pretty angry at me for the first 3 of the 10.5 miles. Had areal bad turn around 9anyone have advice for these) and felt great coming back.

I think I got 5th overall, getting edged out by some real good local Time trialists. 275W for 24minutes for 26.5 mph. New position I'm still experimenting with. I went faster on fewer watts than my position at Valley of the sun, albeit with very different courses. I was the first Cat 3. I did get beat by a guy who raced for the Hangar-15 pro team last year who was on a road bike with shallow-ish wheels.

Crit was a ****-show. The B field got caught by the A's with a break up the road that i really wanted to be in, but with the weird comingling fields it got confusing and the break came back. Nothing was going anywhere so it came to a group sprint. Was overgeared coming out of the corner (probably about 350m) and gained like one place with my very meager sprinting power to finish 5th. I guess I'll take the upgrade point lol. I definitely under performed in the race. Didn't play it to my strengths. Oh well, plenty of opportunities still this year.

aaronmcd

Flat again. Pothole at mile 44/100. The huge break was already up the road and I had only averaged 150 watts so not much training either.

I really gotta go tubeless before the next farmland road race.

jacksonhandy

Off the back, but still 20th out of around 30, Cat 4/5. Race went fast from gun, like 30mph, flicked a bunch off, got lapped a couple times. Oh well, set a nice new threshold number of 272W to train with.

I’ll keep trying, I’ve got 7 races in two years, Cat 5 for life. Guess I need to race more, find faster groups to ride with, lose another 25lbs, or something.

caloso

Bariani 45+123. 10/42

Overslept bc of DST, had to rush. Forgot my checkbook but luckily had exactly the right amount of cash for registration. Got zero warmup, nearly got dropped a couple of times but just made it my whole race to hang on as long as possible, made the split, didn’t get dropped after all, and finished 10th.

I think that might be my first top 10 in a M123 field ever, so yay me!

tetonrider

nice!

sometimes it is worth it to practice those scenarios -- never know when you'll show up late for a time trial, for example, and it is nice to know that it usually works out just fine as long as you don't panic.

well done!

ntnyln

Congrats! Great effort

furiousferret

Friggin Awesome!

hack

Land Park 35+123

Racing is a loose term for the day. Did the climbier race ride in the morning before the race and had no expectation for the crit other than build fitness.

Expectations met. Bridged up to one move about 20 min in, but the group was too big and it failed shortly thereafter. Plodded along with the others until the end.

Hermes

@caloso Congrats on the top 10 and new pre-race protocol.

mattm

Bariani p1/2 RR. "Slept" about 3 hours, with maybe 1 hour of real sleep.

That said I felt fine in the race itself. Early move went 0.5 miles in to the 100 mile race, but it stayed away. The peloton soft-pedaled after it went, I was fine with that since I had a guy in said early break.

The pace was generally easy, except for one cross-wind section where everyone got guttered and it was hard.

Bridge group went after a few laps, bridged up to the break, @Ygduf made it to that move which was awesome. He got 5th, which was also awesome.

I flatted out 70 miles in - have been riding a tubular for over a year now and figured it would go soon. Visible inspection didn't show any issues before the flat, but about an hour before it blew I could feel something lumpy with every revolution of the tire. Had to ride a few miles on the flat to the finish, since there were no follow cars (apparently).

As a side-note, I've never seen so much peeing in a race before! I've never done the pee-off-the-bike thing. I was giving my team mate a push while he did, but we started getting gapped and he was peeing FOREVER so I had to bail on him and get back in to the pack. I think it was a bad section to try it on, a slight cross wind. Also it was hard pushing him, made me tired!

Later on in the race after both breaks were long gone the whole peloton took a pee-break, a first for me! lol

wktmeow

Two crits and a circuit race at Murrieta this weekend.

I was definitely a bit nervous about the crits. Ran my 24mm tubulars at 80 PSI, but still felt a little bit of sliding. Made sure to take the inside line as often as possible, which saved my ass when a guy slid out 2 wheels in front of me in the first race. Basically played support this weekend as best as I could. Tried to get a break going in the baby masters race (30+ 3/4), and rolled hard for a lap to establish it, but we got caught pretty quickly. @TMonk went with around 10 to go and got a prime, it came back together. We got 5 of us all at the front just a bit after 2 to go, but it wasn't made clear who was going for the sprint before the race, so we didn't really manage to execute a proper train. Teammates still managed 4th and 7th, but I caught a case of nerves on the last lap and fell back to mid pack through the corners.

2nd race was wetter than the first, and I was cornering really poorly in the first half, sprinting hard out of each. Started to get my bearings half way through or so. @TMonk attacked, but no one came with, and he grabbed a couple of primes but ultimately it was too soon. Couple of strong guys countered with about 4 to go, but some of the other teams were stringing it out and looked like we would catch. Coming into the final lap, the front of the group sat up, so I put my nerves aside and charged to the front and pulled as hard as I could until corner 5. Gained a good bit of ground on the group, and thought we would catch them both before the line, but one of the guys attacked his breakaway mate and managed to win, while our sprinter came in 2nd.

It wasn't as nasty out for the circuit race, but still damp out. Plan was for two of us to cover/get in breaks, while the other two would sit in and wait for a sprint. However, a few laps in I noticed that my bars were angling down every time I hit a pot hole. And on this course, that was often. Strong triathlete guy attacked solo and had a good gap. Thinking I'd eventually have to pull out because of the bars, I decided the best thing for me to do would be to burn everything I have chasing, so that's what I did. Except I didn't end up pulling out. We caught the solo rider within a few laps. Felt like I was close to being dropped a few times, but after the catch the pace dropped a bit and I was able to recover. The moto ref in this race kept getting in the way. I'd be going with a move and we'd catch the moto! It's like he wasn't checking his mirror often enough. Also he told us it was 3 to go when we were on the bell lap. That, and there was a truck blocking half of the road for a while. Then, coming into the 3rd to last corner, a cop had stopped a car right at the exit of the corner, which riders were prone to going a bit wide on already. One guy ended up in a ditch trying to dodge it, and I believe a couple clipped the cop's moto. Seriously messy. I was going to try to give one final push to lead out our sprinter so he could take the GC, but the car chaos threw me off a bit. We ended up taking 2nd overall, beating 1st from Saturday but getting passed by 3rd, and due to the tie-breaking rules the more recent result took precendence.

My bars after the race:

Ygduf

So same race, obv. Our teammate was one of 4 in the suicide 100-mile break that was far out of sight by about 10 minutes into the race.

There is a cross/tailwind section with a slight uphill gradient on this course where moves go. It is good if you know about it, sucks if you get caught out because the moment anyone puts a dig in the whole field goes single file and the only relief is riding on 1 inch of busted-ass farm road pavement that drops out every few hundred meters.

Anyway, 30 miles into the race I see my smart teammates moving up on this section. I'm basically riding for 2 guys who could/can win in this field. J & B. Anyway, I see B in a short-lived bridge/break forming and the pack is stretching out. I hate riding right on the edge of the road so I figure I better get up near the front and cover some moves.

As I'm moving up I see this strong dude and his teammate getting itchy. I slot in behind and when they hit it I'm able to get up to speed and get their wheels. We catch a few others who had been otf of the pack by 5-10s and now we're a group of 6 and they are rolling ****ing _hard_ to establish a real separation from the pack.

For reference, when it was getting dicey in the field and moves started going, it had been about 8 minutes of cross/tailwind at (for me) 310w. Far from peak climbing power, but enough that guys were willing to let some **** go. From the jump to the bridge, then sitting on the chase it was 16min at 350w (just sitting on! unbelievable) then another 20 at 320w until we caught the break. Anyway, p12. Kids be strong.

Now in the break there are 3 teams with 2 guys and 4 solos. I'm looking at my teammate, feeling my legs, and I tell him we should kill this. Neither of us will place well in this group. He assures me he's OK, just get him to the end and he can sprint. Everyone can outsprint me, so OK, I guess. Akrasia and low blood sugar have me taking his pulls and my pulls at like 90%. I don't like it and was never committed, but I wasn't a total slug.

~30ish miles later, mile 70, I get the first cramps in my right quad and tinges in my right hamstring. **** me. I'm telling him, dude, we gotta sandbag this and let J or B go from the field. Again he tells me just to not talk and hang on...

10 miles after that, going into the short climbier section I figure I'm about to get popped so I start taking the desperation jumps. I get a decent one where they give me ~5 seconds and I go again, stretch it to ~15 seconds and hope that the chase pops guys. It works. We lose 4 dudes, including my teammate, for whom I'd been busting my ass.

Now we're really screwed and my whole goal becomes to not get dropped in the last 20 miles. Make it to the end, maybe get on the podium.

Fast forward, I put digs in when it was to my advantage (downhills, fast, crosswinds) made it over the hill with the leaders and pared off 1 more dude. Down to 5 and sitting in waiting for my whoopin' in the sprint when I look back at about 1.2k and see dude #6 about to make contact again.

I jump! Very exciting. They all look at each other and I get about 5 seconds. I do 700w, all standing because when I sit I cramp, for 30s. Then I have about 90s to the line and it goes like it goes. Power sitting is about garbage and my legs begin to cramp so I stand again. It goes less well, but I make it to 200m alone. Then everyone comes past. lol. I thought I had 4th and then got pipped by a bike throw.

data


picture of me losing by craig huffman


I'm actually looking for the last guy from the break, didn't see him. He's the one who got me at the line. I was petulant and changed out of my kit, thinking I'd force them into a 3-man podium and deny 4th place the picture. he asked me nicely to stand in the 5-man podium though, so this is what those youths get.

caloso

That was awesome.

rubiksoval

Good stuff!

Radish_legs

C and B crit races tonight.

The C crit was my worst race ever. It was super sketchy the entire time. I almost crashed 2 or 3 times during the race, including another rider swinging out and slamming into me. Luckily it was a light weight woman and I was able to stay up and keep her up (she was pushed out by someone else). I was stuck in the back of a large field with no room to pass for the last lap+. Then in the finish, I tried to move through the field like an idiot would decide, and around the last bend got pushed off the course into the grass. I averaged 169 watts for the race. I should have hit it. I should have attacked and attempted a breakaway. That was ridiculous.

B crit, I had another near crash where my teammate slammed into me. I was on the outside and he was on the inside and somehow he comes into me. Don't know how I held that one up. I attempted some blocking (when teammate + 2 were on breakaway), but was chastised by a teammate for being on the front, and I explained I was on the front soft-pedaling. Actually I think it helped. I will have to go back on strava to confirm. And then I stayed near the front staying on wheels trying to bridge. Going into the finish I was in perfect position, about 5th wheel, and then had to hit the brakes as one of the riders peeling off the front was right in my path where nowhere for me to go. So my sprint was screwed up, as I had to re-accelerate. Finished 10th. Survived.

hammer down

I raced the same B race in our local crit as Radish last night, only I did a much poorer job of positioning myself for the sprint. Oh well. 2 guys were off the front for the entire second half and ended up holding off the field, the chase kept the race relatively calm and smooth but didn't leave a whole lot of action for the rest of us.

Coincidentally last night was also my first 1/2/3 crit and it came exactly 10 months to the day of me buying my first road bike. Fun race but the pack splintered almost immediately which surprised me a bit. Got hooked onto a chase group and just tried to hang in there. Hopefully I have some better luck tonight.

Radish_legs

The parts we didn't mention is that my teammate was in the break and got 2nd, and your teammate won the sprint and got 3rd. I stayed near the front after the break went up the road patrolling things. Going with attempted moves (basically only one serious attempt). I guess Hammer, if there was going to be a team that tried to bring the break back, it would be your team.

Based on my observation, there is usually a breakaway and a split in the A race. When you have a few really fast Cat 1s, the slower guys just can't stay with them. Not saying you are slower, but you know who I am talking about, the guys who have essentially no chance at finishing in the break or first chase group (hopefully I will be in that lagging group in the not too distant future).

I will post a vid of the race probably tomorrow. I took a look at the moment in the sprint where I felt delayed. It looks like nothing on video, but it felt like a big deal in the moment. When I look at the video I feel like I should have been able to stay on the wheel. But I couldn't. Just too weak I guess.

furiousferret

My teammate who raced it seemed pretty pissed about some cop moto, now it makes sense! After reading you're report and hearing about the conditions I'm glad I skipped it.

Radish_legs

Did the new Wed night crit series. Had no warmup. Smallish field. Most technical course I had ever raced, took me a while to get my feet under me. with a lap to go I have worked myself up to the front of the chase group, and there is a breakaway of 2 up the road. I would suggest starting the video at 20:45 to see what happens. If you feel like giving advice, would like to hear it in terms of right/wrong/indifferent.