Hermes

Each year to honor the developer and designer of the Hellyer Velodrome, there is Edward Steffani Memorial San Jose Grand Prix Omnium held at Hellyer. After many clinics, practice and training at the track, Velodiva and I decided to enter our first sanctioned mass start track event and participate in a number of different races. The race started at 1PM and ended at 5 PM. It was non stop racing with many different races.

Each participant enters by age and / or category. So I was a Cat 5 and a 50+. You can enter as many races as you like. The more you enter and place, the higher your score in the omnium. However, placing and winning individual races are key. We did about half of the races offered. Each race entered has an outcome and that outcome converted to points was used to determine the winners in the omnium.

In track racing, there are very few women. So the women have to race with the men. This may seem unfair but it is the way it is and the women will definitely HTFU. Here are the results...

----Overall Omnium----
Hermes:
50+ 1st out of 5
Cat 5 4th out of 8

Velodiva:
50+ 2nd out of 5
Cat 5 5th out of 8
Women 1st out of 3

----Individual Races----
Flying One Lap
Hermes 50+ 1st

One mile scratch race
Hermes 5th

10 lap Cat 5 Point a lap (puke race)
Hermes 4th

25 lap Points Lotto race
Hermes 4th with 19 points (3rd place was 20 points)

Australian Pursuit
Velodiva 3rd

Below are pictures of Velodiva and me in the 25 lap Lotto points race. It was great racing with her and she did fabulous job racing with the men and staying in the lead pack. In the Lotto points race, the bell is rung at random and each time it is, you sprint one lap for points. The number of points determines the places.

We start by hanging on the rail and do a one lap rollout. Racing begins on the next lap.



Here we are in green.



This is the field early in the race. Why I am out in front is a mystery to me. I can assure you I was not going very fast.



The woman operating the bell rang it four times in a row and blew up the field. We ended up with 6 riders with the others dropping out.



Here is one of the sprint finishes. I was second in this one. There is another racer to my left on the inside. Most of the sprints were this close. I was a bridesmaid but never a bride.



This one is interesting. What is Velodiva doing above the stayers line (blue Line). Well, according to her, she was going to pass us over the top. I did not happen but....I like the way she thinks.



On the final lap, I decided on a different strategy. I went to the front out of turn two and went to 100%. My idea was to keep the pace so high that no one would dare or want to pass until turn four. I hoped to have enough at the end to sprint for a finish. You can see in the pic that a guy came around for 1st and I got 2nd or 3rd. The difference between 2nd and 3rd was a tire width.

Velodiva is shown as last in this pic, but in reality, there is another guy behind her so she beat one of the men in the lead pack on the last lap.

The winner of the race was Pelikan, BF member and a member of Roaring Mouse Club. One of his friends was in the stands and shot the pictures I used here. Congrats Pelikan on a great race.



I do not have any pics of Velodiva in her Australian Pursuit race , but she did a fantastic job of holding off the fastest guy at the race for several laps and came in 3rd. In this race, everyone is spaced around the track and when the whistle blows you chase the others. If you pass someone, that person is out. The last person remaining wins. I did not participate in this race. I was gassed from the points race.

maddmaxx 

This looks like fun............

Congrats to you and Velodiva.,

Allegheny Jet

That is cool, way cool! You and the Diva have got it right. Keep it up!

And Hermes, isn't it time to upgrade?

Jet Travis

what maxx and jet said.

cranky old dude

You two certainly know how to have a good time together!

Congrats on jobs well done to you both!

cyclehen

fantastic!

George

I'd be affraid my wife would beat me, bad. Nice pictures Hermes.

NOS88

Man, you and your wife just blow me away with your feats! Congrats to both on very respectable races.

maddmaxx 

I think he should keep Velodiva!

Hermes

And besides...my second wife has not been born yet.

CB HI

Figures all the pics would be of Hermes and none of Velodiva. Very misleading thread title.

Hermes

^^^^^^^
Au contrair...she is in all but two, one which is the hanging on the rail.

Louis

Way cool, Hermes.

The mechanic in me has to ask, do the tires on your track bikes wear unevenly on the "high" side?

Velo Fellow

Looks like a blast.....but I think I prefer your trip (with pics) to Majorca (I think it was Majorca). You two certainly explore many avenues in cycling! Way cool.

Hermes

Track and road racing licenses are different and have different rules for upgrading. To upgrade from a 5 to a 4 you need 5 track days, not races. If I count Nationals from last year and the sprint tournament, I have 4 track days. I will probably get something for the 1st 50+ omnium finish.

As far as upgrading Velodiva, it is hard to improve upon perfection.

Yes, they wear unevenly. And the concrete surface is tough on tires.

The trip to Mallorca was very cool and we want to go back again. Cruising around on the tandem, climbing the mountains and meeting new people was fun. The racing is complimentary since the power gained in racing makes the fun cycling and climbing a lot more fun.

Red Rider

I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said.

You two are amazing. Congrats on your impressive finishes!

kr32

Very nice...very nice! I really like the reports you give and this one was just as good as the rest!
As others have said Very cool.

That looks like fun....tons of fun to be honest and I am not a racer either.

HAMMER MAN

super cool, especially doing this with your spouse

Dellphinus

The "Australian Pursuit" sounds like a killer. Nice pics and writeup- I had no idea how a velodrome was used.

Allegheny Jet

I was hoping that you wanted to upgrade Velodiva and that she might be looking for a younger Cat 4 racer on the rebound.

jppe

Wonderful stuff!! I'm so out of shape if I tried to do that stuff I'd be leaning over the rails for a different reason!!!

Hermes

I suspect she would go for a younger, no strings, P/1/2.... Preferably P.

Is this the same guy who assaults mountains, does centuries in 5 hours and TTs at 25 mph? 25 laps is only 8 Km. You would have probably lapped the field.

Hermes

She is very tough on hill climbs, TTs and road races. She will clean my clock. Thankfully, she races with the women and I do not have to compete against her in those races.

Thanks RR. It was a gas.

The Australian pursuit is extremely hard especially at the end. The last 3 or 4 racers just keep going and pushing the pace. It was painful to watch from the infield.

alicestrong

Beautiful on so many levels!!