Delmarvolous

The Tour of St.Louis Delmarvolous crit was a good race for me. It was the first flat crit for me this year as a Cat 3. I really wanted to pull a top ten and prove to myself that was capable of doing so.

The course was pretty flat and a perfect rectangle. It was kinda windy but it never really seemed to help or hurt us anywhere out there. There were only about 40 racers which is kind of a small group but it was still enough to make you have to watch your position.

As the race got going the tempo seemed to be in the mid 20's which I was fine with. The pace didn't bother me but the sprint out of every corner is something my legs are not use to yet this year. I stayed in the middle of the peleton for most the race trying to stay protected from any wind gusts.

About the midway point I reached down for my sports drink and remembered that I didn't bring any... I ran out three days earlier! It was pretty hot out this day with the highs near 90. This was also something my body was quite used to so that sports drink would have been very help full. So dealing with the heat and not being able to replenish the sodium I was loosing during the race I could feel that I was started to get a little tired and the hint of a cramp was poking in my calf.

I sat in the entire race and when it came to the sprint finish the best I could do was 21st. I wasn't happy with this but wasn't that bothered really either. I know I will do better soon because my legs are just starting to get rolling.

That's it... nothing funny, just a quick recap.






Holla

Tour of Hermann-(sufferfest09)

Tour of Hermann has come and gone and my knees are still there. I was very excited to do this race. The country side is gorgeous and I did very well here last year as a 4. This year I was a 3 and didn't do so well.

I just want to say that Jeff Yielding is the man for putting on primo race after primo race. It doesn't matter what type of race it is... If his name is on it, its going to be good and I'm going to be there. Thank you Jeff!!! But man.... you must have been mad as hell when you put these routes together because they were punishing!!

The TT - Stage 1.

Last year I did this race on a standard road bike. It was my first ever tt and had no Idea what the hell I was doing and averaged 22.5 or something like that. This year I had a little better set up with some deda clip on TT bars and a new seat position to match, I was going to have a better time for sure. My "no idea what I'm talking about" goal was a average of 25. After the TT was done I went and check the result and saw that I had a 24.5 average. I was cool with this.... It wasn't the 25 I was looking for but it was still 2mph faster than last year. SUCK!!!!

The Crit - Stage 2.

Crits seem to be my specialty on the road bike and this was my best chance for making some bucks and some omnium points. That was until I saw the devastating course that Jeff had put together which had a hill in it bigger than Alton.


As the crit started I wanted to make sure I was near the front for the 50 MPH down hill. I came through the first lap near the front only to fade on the hill. And then fade a little more the next lap.... and then a little more the next lap. Until I found myself in probably the last group of the bunch which was where I stayed for the remainder of the race. We never got lapped and I finished a dismal 22nd... IL take it. There were others who would have loved to finish on the lead lap so I shouldn't complain.

The Road Race Stage - 3!

I woke up Sunday morning to the sound of Rain. Knowing I was going to be wet I had to throw on my Belgium knee warmers (embrocation for those not in the know). We rolled down to the start of the race and basically waited for them to say go. GOOOOOO!!!!!!

We started with a cruise through town just like last year and the race actually started on the first hill out of town just like last year. I pretty much got dropped on the last part of the hill where it kicked up. I suck at climbing.... something that has been brought to my attention about 10 times this year on non Illinois rides!!! When we got to the top Jason from our team was right there with me... dropped. I told him we needed to start kicking and get back in there. When we hit that first down hill at close to 50... we were able to hammer along pretty good and get back in there easily.

It seemed the hills just kept coming.

When we got to the second hill I got popped off the back again near the top. After I got my legs back I started to chase to get back in the peleton and made it. Then we came to the third big hill and I got popped off the back again near the top. After my legs came around I chased and caught back up to the peleton. At the fourth big hill we came too I got popped off again... about half way up the hill. After my legs came around I started to chase again for the fourth time this day. It seemed to take longer this time..... my legs where fading like neon green in 93...

It took me about 2 miles this time to get back into the peleton. As soon as I did(and lucky me) the attacks started. It took a couple attacks but eventually a breakaway formed with about 6 dudes in it. I started to relax as we were now in a slightly flatter (when I say flatter, I mean not mountain sides but still rolling county side) section where you could kinda just cruise along in the peleton. The gap was opening fairly quickly to the breakaway and I was having nothing with it. The group I was in came off a slight down hill and I hit it.... I was near 40 MPH on a slight down hill trying to bridge the gap but fell short on the next little rise where I blew the F up. I got close to them but never made it close enough to grab on.

The peleton I had just attacked from rolled by and I was done. My legs had been reduced to wet waffles which are not good for riding in Hermann, MO. I finished the lap with a couple other guys who had been dropped earlier and were probably all in the same boat I was - not good at climbing. I called it quits back in Hermann. I didn't feel like going back out for 30 more miles in the rain by my self.... I'm a pussy, sorry.

So I DNF'd the RR but for some reason...... I had a blast. Maybe because It was my first super hard race of the year....

Maybe it was because It was one day classic-ish.

Maybe.... I don't know. It was just cool.

When Suffer fest oh-10 is announced, you will see my name on the pre-registration page.








Holla atcha boy.....

Ouachita Challenge 2009

I went down to Oden, Arkansas to do the Ouachita challenge with all the boys from GORC this past weekend. We were all doing the Tour on Saturday instead of the race on Sunday. Many of us had work obligations, no big deal.

I have never ridden any of these trail systems and Matt Hayes from the club kept reminding me weeks in advance about how blown out my knees where going to be from riding these ignorant trails and how much I was going to hate life by the end of the ride. Anyway, on to the 62 mile killer....

The 300 riders started at the high school in town and covered a few miles of road before turning into fire road leading up to the single track. Bryan Adams from GORC told me, I think 100 times, to be sure you get as far to the front as possible to avoid a bottle neck at the entrance of the trail. I took this very seriously and hammered to get there and passed a ton of riders.

The first trail was the WOMBLE. Wicked fun and had tons of flow to it. Very twisty, tight, a few rocks a roots to navigate.... perfect. After riding this trail for a few miles with a couple other fellows, I asked to pass and they let me by with out hesitation, after all..... its not a race! It was about mile 15 I noticed my rear tire going soft. When I came to a fire road crossing I stopped and thought about throwing a tube in it but decided to just air it back up and hope the stans would do its freaking job. During this time those 2 fellows passed me by but no one else did which kind of surprised me. I had been there on the trail for a few minutes and only saw those 2 guys, figured I would have seen more.

Now that I was aired up I started to chase a little to try and catch them back. A few miles later I came to the first aid station and the kind people there informed me that I was in 3rd place of a non-race and that I was only 2 minutes behind.

Race or not, I wanted to catch these dudes. I chased them down a highway for a while before coming to the first check point where you get your zipp tie (you know, they don't want you to cheat for this non-race), and the kind people there informed me that I was in 3rd and the 2 guys where 2 minutes ahead. Keep chasing.

There was a deep creek crossing a mile or so later that left me and my bike a little wet. As I exited the creek I noticed 2 wet tire tracks riding a way from the creek. This was a long section of fire road and I could see the freshly laid tracks side by side for the entire 5 or so miles to the next section of trail.

The next trail was the Ouachita trail which started out fun. The hills seemed to be a little steeper on this trail than on the Womble. Way more rocks for sure but nothing to bad, yet. There were lots of little water run offs on this trail and I couldn't help but notice right after each crossing where these 2 perfect tire prints on the rocks. The guys I was chasing were still right there. I kept my pace steady hoping to catch them at some point.

As I got further into the Ouachita trail, It got steeper and more rocky. This trail was not designed for MTB riding. It was designed for people who hate them self's. Don't get me wrong, it probably would be more fun on fresh legs but it was a muther to ride during a race. The hills seemed to ride straight toward the sun and in vertical fashion. The down hills where the same which would usually be fun but when you are starting to cramp it makes it very hard. At some point in this trail there was another check point. The fine people here informed me that I was in 3rd place and only about 2 minutes behind.

I think the next section was more fire road. This didn't bother me it gave me time to get a good amount of fluids and lots of gu. A little while later I came to another Aid station.... guess what? I was told that I was in 3rd place and about 2 minutes behind. There was a good crowd that this little station and they where really cheering which was sweet for a non-race. It really made it kinda feel like an actual race.... From here I believe is where I started on Blowout Mountain(blowme mtn).

Blowout Mtn was very technical. I hiked a lot of sections that where nothing but boulders. I didn't want to chance crashing or shredding some bike parts so I just played it safe through these areas. This trail was a real morale buster. It never seemed to end and I think it took me close to 30 minutes to make it 2 miles. I had to stop and air my tire up again that went low earlier. This time it would hold to the finish. Good job stans.

At mile 437 I came to the last checkpoint. The guys there told me I was in 3rd place and about 1:30 down. What????? I made up time on them, sweet. It was nothing but fire road and pavement back to the finish. I hammered it and actually caught one of them who was suffering from a cramp. I never let up and made it back to the finish at the high school 2nd.

It felt kinda gay to ride a non-race like a race but I was happy with beating 299 other guys that weren't racing. My finishing time was 6 hours 29 minutes. Apparently that's is 1 hour 40 minutes to slow if you want to win the actual race on Sunday.

Had a great time and will probably go back next year. I'm sure I'm leaving some good details out but there is too much to remember.

Team Seagal did come through on the PBR's though... didn't forget that.





holla