General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 2013 cycling race report thread Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
 
 
of 4
 
 
2013-04-17 9:31 PM
in reply to: #4703854

User image

Champion
9060
5000200020002525
Charlottesville, Virginia
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Dlaxman31 - 2013-04-17 10:47 AM

great race report.  Course sounds pretty painful, especially those last few turns too!

 

Congrats on 4th.

Where are your RR's?



2013-04-18 10:57 AM
in reply to: #4704903

User image

Master
1484
1000100100100100252525
Sedona, AZ
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

Thanks everyone! State RR this weekend, finishes with a 7 mile climb...

dalessit - 2013-04-17 7:31 PM
Dlaxman31 - 2013-04-17 10:47 AM

great race report.  Course sounds pretty painful, especially those last few turns too!

 

Congrats on 4th.

Where are your RR's?

Yeah! Share your pain!

2013-04-22 8:09 AM
in reply to: #4705494

Pro
4054
200020002525
yep,
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
MonkeyClaw - 2013-04-18 11:57 AM

Thanks everyone! State RR this weekend, finishes with a 7 mile climb...

dalessit - 2013-04-17 7:31 PM
Dlaxman31 - 2013-04-17 10:47 AM

great race report.  Course sounds pretty painful, especially those last few turns too!

 

Congrats on 4th.

Where are your RR's?

Yeah! Share your pain!

I'll update later today.   Got 2 more that I need to post for. 

2013-04-22 9:52 AM
in reply to: #4586301

Pro
4054
200020002525
yep,
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

Alright so I need to update you guys with a few races:

Carl Dolan: http://app.strava.com/activities/48864189

2.1 mile loop around an office park with a single open right hand turn that hits a long down hill (1k from s/f line) which then hits the hill roughly 3-4% climb for about 400-500ms. Consisted of 8 laps of this 2.1 mile course

 

Started out near the front and from the Gun got to the front of the pack to pick up a decent pace.  Myself and another teammate controlled the pace for the first lap and a half or so.  On the second lap there was an attack on the right hand side and the pack let it go for a bit.  Knowing this rider wasn't one of the stronger riders he was quickly pulled back. 

Much of the race consisted of the group maintaining a consistent pace through the lap, bombing the downhill and then trying to hammer it up the uphill. This uphill is where some attacked tried to happen.  Myself and another teammate played duty to bridge the pack back.  Needless to say we both got a bit tired pulling a majority of the pack back.  

Near the middle lap 4 or 5 I made a small attack on the hill to just keep the pace up and see what would happen, since I came out of the downhill with a good bit of speed.  I redlined a bit, pulled to the right and watched the pack move by me at a consistent clip.  I thought my race was over at that point.  The pack started to slowly pull away and I dug pretty deep to pull back into the peloton in about 1/2 of a mile.  I recovered for the next two laps and began to make my way up to the front again.  

With about 2 to go the pace picked up considerably but I still wasn't in a good enough position to not have to hit my breaks going into the right hand turn.  (This is one thing I'm excited to not have happen in the Cat 4 races).  So I would loose a lot of speed as the rest of the pack infront of us kept up with a consistent pace.

Bell lap, pace picked up again, charged down the downhill and into the final sprint up the hill.  Of course as always guys tried to begin their sprint WAYYY too early and blew up.  We had a few teammates further up the hill and I just tried to dodge my way through the pack and sat up coming in around 25th (mid pack).  

 

All in all I was happy with my results but spent too much time up front and tried to do a bit too much work.  Lesson learned obviously that I can sit upfront a good bit and keep the pace of the faster guys but need to sit maybe 3-4 wheels back in order to get out of the wind.

 

 

Other race reports coming later.

2013-04-22 12:08 PM
in reply to: #4709765

User image

Master
1484
1000100100100100252525
Sedona, AZ
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

Nice job finishing with the pack. When you're hurting, just doing that is an accomplishment!

It's hard to stay off the front sometimes, isn't it?

2013-04-24 3:08 PM
in reply to: #4586301

Pro
4054
200020002525
yep,
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Race: All American Road Race (Cat 5) (Final Cat 5 race too!) (Insert Strava Link)
Course: 2x(8 mile loops)..yes only 16 miles (of roughly 200-300 ft of total climbing) and slight rolling hills
Goals: Being my last Cat 5 race and having 1-2 main sprinters the goal was to stay in the front and cover any attack for the race. As always keep the wheels down and have everyone get across the finish line safely.
Weather: Cool 40-45 and breezy (head wind on River Road). Much of the course is in the woods so protected from the wind until about 2.5-3 miles until the Finish. A few potholes and wet areas from the rain the night before
Set up:Giant TCR Composite, No arm warmers, tights and wool socks
Nutrition: 1 single bottle of water. Not much needed just to keep mouth from getting dry.
Race: Lined up to the front and headed out in the beginning in the front controlling the pace and making sure my team was able to stay near the front. After about .5 to a mile I slowed up to have more teams do work on the front. While staying in the first few guys people got a bit antsy with the slow pace and there was a slight attack up the right side, which I covered pretty well and pulled a majority of my team back up to.
Hit the turn into the wind and I make a small attack to the far left just to see if anyone would jump. I go for about 75-100 yards (at 75-80%) and turn around with no one on my wheel. So I sit up, get some water, catch my breath and wait for the pack to swarm me up. I didn’t want to be up front during this portion of the race so I decided to sit near the back. I come through the finish line seeing how the sprint would be with the wind.
Second lap was a bit of the same, sat near the back and had a few attacks with 4-5 miles left in the race. One attack really dropped a bit of the group and I noticed this when I was about 15th wheel of 20-25 guys and turn around to see the moto ref right behind us. A bit surprised I moved up to a better postion to not get dropped.
We hit the wind again on the long straight turn and the pace dropped considerably. Wind was probably 15-20 now and people would try to attack up the side with no success. About .5 miles until the last turn into the finishing chute people got excited again and the pace picked up. I move up a bit and hit the last turn. Pace picks up again and people hit their sprints WAY too early as always. I move up about 8-10 spaces and try to hit that next gear. Don’t have it. Legs are a bit tired from being in the back during some of the later attacks. I head in at 16th place with teammates getting 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, and me 16. Some more guys behind that but got dropped on the attacks in the back.
All in all a good final race and was happy with my result. Wish I was a bit further in the front during the last attack to come into the final turn in a better positon.
Cat 4 upgrade was approved Monday and I have the Bunny Hop crit in a week and a half.
 


Edited by Dlaxman31 2013-04-24 3:10 PM


2013-04-25 3:06 PM
in reply to: #4713794

User image

Master
1484
1000100100100100252525
Sedona, AZ
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

Dlaxman31 - 2013-04-24 1:08 PM

Set up:Giant TCR Composite, No arm warmers, tights and wool socks

Whoah dude! Major Roadie foul! Legs ALWAYS naked before arms!

Nice racing, you did what you needed to do. Congrats on your upgrade!

2013-04-27 9:01 PM
in reply to: #4715205

Pro
4054
200020002525
yep,
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
MonkeyClaw - 2013-04-25 4:06 PM

Dlaxman31 - 2013-04-24 1:08 PM

Set up:Giant TCR Composite, No arm warmers, tights and wool socks

Whoah dude! Major Roadie foul! Legs ALWAYS naked before arms!

Nice racing, you did what you needed to do. Congrats on your upgrade!

Ha, legs always get cold first, and upper body always gets hot.  

Thanks!

2013-05-04 3:45 PM
in reply to: #4586301

User image

Veteran
287
100100252525
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

Addison Racefest Road Race, Addison New York - May 4, 2013

Not a USAC sanctioned race, open, 30 miles with a 5 mile neutral rolling start

http://app.strava.com/activities/52333165

During the rolling start, there was a lot of jockeying for position but I managed to stay at the front with the members of my club. When we hit the official start, the pace picked up and quickly things got a little strung out. I found myself third from the front with two teammates in front of me. Not where I wanted to be but I knew that one of them wanted to go off the front from the start so the three of us pushed up the pace and got a gap, then I sagged back to the group to let him go and get a real gap. He got about a 3/4 mile gap on the field soloing. There was a slight but long climb after this and I stayed up near the front about 13 to 18 back as we started to reel him in.

He got some more ground on a small downhill coming into a 90 degree right hander that lead straight into the first real climb at mile 8. As we were coming up to the turn, the group realized my teammate was caught, I counterattacked on the inside got a decent gap, nailed the corner with minimal braking and attacked the climb. 4 went with me and 3 stuck with the break over the climb. We put decent distance between us and the main group. we extended our lead as 4 until about mile 16.5. I hadn't gotten a good reco of the course and didn't know it well. I stupidly did a bunch of work on a descent trying to run down one of the guys that went off the front on the main climb of the and got dropped by all three of them when I hit a punchy, short, steep hill at the bottom of the descent. I found myself in the wind, alone in no man's land in fourth, with no clue how far the peloton was from catching me for the next 11 or so miles.

Coming up on the finish at about mile 26 I saw a chasing group in the distance and I wasn't sure if I could outrun them. I decided to give it a mile and if they gained on me I would drop back and catch my legs for the sprint. I quickly became apparent that they were going to catch me well before the finish anyway, so I sat up and got on their train with 2 miles to go. I minimized my time at the front and recovered for a mile and a half before people started making moves. I wish I had a POV video of the finish because it happened so fast but I ended up skipping from wheel to wheel as moves were made for the sprint finish and with 30 yards to go I found myself set up well and I managed to win the field sprint by blasting through the gutter for 4th overall and 1st in my age group.  This was my first race of the year and the first time I've raced where I was conditioned enough to be competitive. so over all I was very happy with my result. I have a feeling with experience, and a proper reco of the course at my next race, things will be getting better.

2013-05-05 9:19 PM
in reply to: #4586301

User image

Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

Our club was hosting a 40k Team TT, but I used it as an opportunity to train as I have a HIM coming up and needed mileage so I planned to do the course twice.  Once starting about 10 minutes before the first team and I treated it like an ITT, then again just to get in mileage.  I would have raced as a team, but I wouldn't have been able to race twice and I didn't feel like crashing considering I would have been racing with guys I rarely ride with.

Course is pretty much pancake flat along the shore which is where the State 40k ITT championships will be held next month...so great practice.  Weather had some light rain on about 10 miles of the course, but there was almost no wind this morning where normally there's a 15-20 mph wind.

Started out conservatively and just tried to stay low.  Averaged 257 watts to the turnaround at 29:01.  Coming back there was just the slightest headwind.  Breathing was under control and legs never really felt like fading as I slowly applied more power.  Averaged 267 watts on the way back, including 286 the last 8 minutes and finished in 58:14 without digging too deep into the hurt locker.

Possibly could have pushed 7-10 watts higher if I tapered, but this was a training weekend and made sure to get my LR in yesterday.  Felt great to race slighly below the redline and finish with more power.  Too times in TTs I start way too hard, go over the red line early, and can never recover on the course.

First time under an hour, even though it was unofficial.  Should be able to make it official next month at the ITT 40k.

2013-05-13 8:12 AM
in reply to: #4728448

User image

Champion
9060
5000200020002525
Charlottesville, Virginia
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

No one else is racing?

Just bad timing for me with races, nothing happening on days I have free, and all the good races are when I have 50 family things going on over the weekend.



2013-05-22 11:54 PM
in reply to: #4586301

User image

Veteran
287
100100252525
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
I have a stage race coming up the first weekend of June, I'll be sure to write it up.
2013-05-23 3:51 PM
in reply to: dalessit

User image

Pro
4578
20002000500252525
Vancouver, BC
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Bad timing for me too. I have weddings to attend on race weekends.
2013-05-25 9:38 AM
in reply to: #4753805

User image

Champion
15211
500050005000100100
Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
I hate racing in the rain. Particularly cold rain. More to come from Iowa later this weekend. Ugh.... Thanks Mother Nature.
2013-05-26 1:27 PM
in reply to: crowny2

User image

over a barrier
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Originally posted by crowny2

I hate racing in the rain. Particularly cold rain. More to come from Iowa later this weekend. Ugh.... Thanks Mother Nature.


Are you at snake alley? Pics look fun.

I'm not racing road this year, xterra and mountain bikes. First race in a month.
2013-05-26 9:15 PM
in reply to: #4756553

User image

Champion
15211
500050005000100100
Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Yep. Had a mechanical on the 3rd lap. Did Melon City today and Quad City tomorrow. Snake Alley was painful for the 3 laps. Nothing like it anywhere in the Midwest.


2013-05-28 1:29 PM
in reply to: crowny2

User image

Champion
15211
500050005000100100
Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread

So just wow!

Three races, three days, all Cat 4 racing.  Also my first crits of the season.

Saturday - Snake Alley Criterium.  Here is the route (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/85687839).  ~100 feet gain in about .10 mile. I was supposed to do 12 laps.  On the downside of the climb on the second lap a guy said my rear, right brake pad was vertical.  Tried to get it to go straight.  No go and no free laps on this race.  Pulled out after the next lap since I didn't feel comfortable bombing down through 3, 90-degree turns with only front brakes. But good god those 3 laps really killed me.  Whoever created this course is one sadistic mofo.

Sunday - Melon City Criterium.  Here is the route (http://www.mapmyride.com/us/muscatine-ia/melon-city-crit-day3-sunday-route-17959978).  My goal was to not get pulled.  I don't have any hills to train on so this one killed me too.  But I lasted.  Lapped 2x but was able to put in a solid 10 laps out of 13.  I got stronger and stronger as the race went on.  Wish I hadn't lost my GPS before it started to see what my laps would have looked like.

Monday - Quad City Criterium.  (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/2608989).  This one is flat fast and technical.  My goal was to not even get dropped, much less pulled.  And I failed on both.  Started out strong and with the pack for 4 of the 14 laps, but they kept getting faster and faster and faster.  I was fine in the tight corners but would lose time on the long drag races.  Came around and the pack was just barely over 1/2 a lap up on me, but they pulled me and 3 others at the 7 lap mark.  I was not happy. 

All in all, for my first races of the season as well as for my first multiday race weekend, I guess I'm ok with it.  And to top it all off, I'm going to a Tuesday night race tonight at the Autobahn Country Club race track tonight.  As long as the weather holds out.  And then  hopefully 2 races at Glenco this Saturday.

2013-06-02 11:41 AM
in reply to: #4757500

User image

Champion
15211
500050005000100100
Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Big time crash in Tuesday night race. Last lap, just before last turn and got pinched. Front 1/3 of the 12 man group. Kid to my left moves right, I overlap wheels with the guy on my right just as he goes heavy on the brakes. Head over heels and I'm on the ground.

All the spokes blown on the right side of the front wheel but no other significant bike damage that I can see. Still have to take it in for inspection.

For me, broken clavicle, 3 broken ribs and a punctured lung. Trip in the ambulance and 4 nights in a hospital. I'll upload X-rays later. Still holding out hope to make it to AG Nationals in Milwaukee in August and Gateway in St. Louis at the end of the season.

Most painful thing I've ever done.
2013-06-02 8:10 PM
in reply to: MonkeyClaw

User image

Veteran
287
100100252525
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
My first USAC sanctioned races: Tour of Mount Joy Cat 4/5
TL;DR Version
Mount Joy Road Race: 3rd in first my first USAC race ever!
Little Chiques Time Trial: 9th
Little Chiques Road Race: 12th
GC (Omnium): 5th place

Equipment: Giant TCR Advanced, Ultegra 6700, Giant P-SL0 wheels, Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX III clinchers with latex tubes. One bottle cage, One bottle of diluted gatorade, Giro Saros helmet.

Mount Joy Road Race: My first USAC sanctioned road race. 4 laps of an 11k course with one decent sized climb (for a circuit race) at about the 4 km mark. The first lap got off to a slow start I started in the front with my teammate. We both spent a little time in the wind but the race wasn't moving to fast to start out. After the climb on the first lap the eventual winner of the race attacked and another guy went with him, at first they weren't getting away and the gap was staying pretty constant. I was content to sit about 8 wheels back and let the others do the work for the time being, but then the guy on the front got tired and slowed trying to pull off, and the others behind him wouldn't pull through so gap started growing. This laziness continued too long and I had enough so I jumped up from 8th or so to the front and reeled the breakaway back in. This left me hurting on the second lap. I almost got dropped on the hill the second time around but managed to hang in and recover in the back 2/3rds of the pack for the rest of the second lap. the third lap I moved up a little more but stayed off the front, still trying to recover from reeling in the breakaway on the first lap. My teammate was doing a lot of work on the front and racing pretty aggressively. Overall it was a pretty lazy field and it would be a trend throughout the stage race no one seemed to want to work, much less work together. On the bell lap, I moved up further still and put some short time in on the front in the, staying up there until the bunch sprint finish. I got good wheels and barely edged out the fourth place rider taking third. A podium on my first USAC race, I was pretty excited.

Little Chiques Time Trial (8.3 km): I raced this with my road bike, same set up as for the road races. there were two pretty techy turns on course, one a sharp > 90 degree in the beginning and an off camber 90 degree at the top of a small climb before a false flat. not a huge amount of elevation but two decent kickers and two pretty rough false flats. In the future I'm at least going to invest in a set of clip on aero bars, maybe an aero-helmet. I paced ok, and I came in at just under 13:00. Managed to do the whole thing in the drops at least. It's possible I could have went a little harder as I had enough energy for a half decent sprint to the line, nothing earth shattering, but still felt like I had too much gas in the tank. Ended up 9th of 20. I was so close to the others above me except my teammate who took second and the winner, who also was the winner of the road race the previous day, that even 10 seconds would have put me up in 4th or so. So the importance of fancy aero gear was kind of drilled home today.

Little Chiques Road Race: The final stage was a 5 lap circuit race on the same course we had just done the TT on. I had a good result racing somewhat conservatively the other day so I wanted to try to race aggressively (read: stupidly) today. I was late getting to the line and started at the back but quickly and easily worked my way to the front. Once again the field seemed very sluggish. This time I was determined to wake everyone up. I pulled a little on the first lap and on the second technical off camber corner on that lap I attacked coming out of it and got away. built up about a 20 to 30 second gap and my teammate literally towed the field back up to me. I wasn't too upset about it because I was positive my attack would not stick but I thought that he probably should have let someone else do the work to catch me...seemed a little silly for him to waste the energy. Some other attacks happened through out the race but all were caught and I spent a majority of the race at the front driving the race. I felt a little too good today and it made me cocky. there was a flurry of attacks in the more hilly sections of the course on the last lap and I barely managed to hang on until everyone jumped to get into gear for the sprint finish and I had no gas left. I was promptly crapped out of the back of the pack but managed to stay close enough to get a "same time" finish with the pack. It was a good learning experience because I found out what some of my limits were without getting dropped super horribly early. My teammate also benefited from my aggressive racing as he played it more conservative today and wound up getting 4th.

So overall I ended up 5th in the GC and my teammate took 3rd. Strong results I feel for what was my head first entry into USAC sanctioned road racing.
2013-06-03 10:25 AM
in reply to: MikeK_PA

User image

over a barrier
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Decided to jump into a mountain bike race this weekend, WORS race

Cat 2 - 173 starters, finished 120th.

Had a nice time, wasn't really 'racing' just wanted to get the feel and experience of racing single track in groups. I would pull over for groups moving quickly, so lost mins and mins each lap.

I'll flip the switch to racing once I get a little more experience with group dynamics in the woods.
2013-06-04 11:57 AM
in reply to: dalessit

Pro
4054
200020002525
yep,
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Originally posted by dalessit

No one else is racing?

Just bad timing for me with races, nothing happening on days I have free, and all the good races are when I have 50 family things going on over the weekend.




I need to update a little bit When I have time this week.


2013-06-04 1:41 PM
in reply to: running2far

User image

Champion
9060
5000200020002525
Charlottesville, Virginia
Subject: RE: 2013 cycling race report thread
Originally posted by running2far

Decided to jump into a mountain bike race this weekend, WORS race

Cat 2 - 173 starters, finished 120th.

Had a nice time, wasn't really 'racing' just wanted to get the feel and experience of racing single track in groups. I would pull over for groups moving quickly, so lost mins and mins each lap.

I'll flip the switch to racing once I get a little more experience with group dynamics in the woods.


Did the same last weekend, had a friendly race with another team. I was riding on a borrowed Specialized Epic full suspension 29'er much nicer than my 1999 stump jumper. I was about mid-pack for 20 miles then about 1/4 mile after the water stop the front tire felt squishy. Hopped off and it was flat. I did pick up a tube but I couldn't get the valve stem off, it was screwed on tight..

Walked back to the pit-stop, guys there tried putting air back in, I guess that's what you do with tubeless, never used them before. Wouldn't hold air so they had pliers and took the valve stem off and put my spare tube in. Lost at least 15 minutes and most of my spots. Ended up catching up to 2 guys so didn't finish DFL. It was super hard 30 miles worth of racing but a lot of fun.

It was very funny to be around bike guys but have no idea what they were talking about when talking about tire width and mtn bike components.
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 2013 cycling race report thread Rss Feed  
 
 
of 4