The winning time for the 2/3 was 1:29:28

Castelli races this year
5/06--1:33:48
4/30--1:34:42
4/15--1:32:34

Four minutes faster than the last one is quite a bump.  I'm sure the warmer weather helped.

I'd like to blame my lackluster performance on the speed.  But It's really my legs.

yack-26th
JP--44th

I thought it was my mushy tires...but it was the speed and the subsequent increased power requirements to maintain that speed....

upon further review....
http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling-Races/2017-Race-Season/Castelli-Race-Series-61017/i-4jXHDmv/A
if you look at the guy in the green sprinters jersey...back and to the right...back and to the right...you see a sliver of high viz POC orange & a chunk of Yacks right bicep...I was closer than 26 me thinks and certainly up there contesting it...this makes me happy cuz I'm old and plump.

Here's a selection from Victor Chan:
http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Clients/Kissena-Race-Season-2017/Castelli-Race-Series-61017-1800/n-m9zZhq/

Vlad got 20th in the Masters.....the Vladiator is back !

Vladi looked amaze. So did Greg and Jim.

Honestly, they looked like the fire.

And Bruce, he totally looks the part, tall, skinny, black and white euro bike. #SOMUCHSHARP

I felt like I was swimming in mud. 

To complete the race report:

At 42 Km/h it was the fastest race my strava has recorded. There were times when we were going 50 Km/h single file, full block. Those were the best times. #hotness

Anyone up for some bike racing this weekend? Planning to do the 2/3 but can be flexible. 

I'm in the masters

Jeff Condon said:

Anyone up for some bike racing this weekend? Planning to do the 2/3 but can be flexible. 

want to do the 2/3.

It's always a tough call.  We've got great people in the masters race, but I find the masters racing negative.

I'll be in the 2/3...those guys don't yell at me

Another Castelli race this Saturday in PP. Charlie needs registration volunteers. Please email him to let him know you can help with reg. Reg opens at 5. As always you get a credit to race for free. 

charlesissendorf@gmail.com

Thanks! 

I'll be doing reg. $40 is three six packs of 



Four if it's on sale.

in the 2/3s: Jeff, Yack, JP in a field of 64 pre-reg
in the masters: Eloy, Thierry in a field of 89 pre-reg
in the 5s: John Olsson in a field of 32 pre-reg.

Hoped this low turnout meant we'd have deep representation at capital region RR, but we have only two registered there.

Better turnouts when the weather was worse.  

go figure.

Guys. I've been fooling myself that I wasn't getting sick these last couple of days and woke up not feeling great. I'm going to skip unfortunately and get some sleep. Good luck. 

quick report:

2/3 report:

Greg D, Yacks, myself.

The race was, as usual, aggressive from the start.  Greg seemed to go to the front straightaway and looked like he was ready to attack.  all the same, he told me he was going to be following wheels.  Did a good job of it.

We expected a big team battle, with Foundation holding the lead in the sprint and overall competitions, though the overall leader wasn't there.  they also were interested in the KoM jersey, but 5th floor had a big team to defend that.

After the first KoM, with the first sprint the next lap, I rolled off the front, with one guy ahead 5s up the road.  I figured the race had been fast, and people might try to ride conservatively.  Only one guy came with.  Unfortunately, he didn't want to share the work and I did about 80% of the effort to chase the leader down. He did the final 20, and the moment we caught, he pulled over and expected me to pull.  (Word has it Greg was blocking, which was a fine thing)

I waited a few moments, but then I did it.  Neither of my companions was committed to pulling, even though neither had teammates behind. They were coming through softly, then semi-hard, and couldn't decide how long to pull.  on the flats, we were joined by a King Kog rider,  He was happy to pull, but our companions quit.  He and I rode till the hill started and then were caught.

The winning break went on the flats the lap before the second KoM.  There had been a series of hard efforts and the field was strung out.  A group of 11, with all the major teams represented, was just a few seconds ahead of the field.  Someone, maybe me, could have been able to bridge.  The second half of the hill would have been the place.  But it looked like it was going to come back together, so we waited.

Mistake.

On the final four laps, Greg, Yack, and myself were attacking, trying to, if nothing else, finish strongly.  We're not going to win the field sprints on our own, so taking digs made sense.  Though nothing succeeded, Yack offered to set me up for the sprint.  We went up the left side of the road, and as the hill started, Yack was at the front and attacked with me on his wheel.  I made a mistake in riding by him too soon, (sorry Yack, great effort on your part), and I was passed by the top of the hill.  After 10 people got past me, I decided, probably wrongly, the smart course of action was to sit up--though it wasn't hard to make that decision when everything was burning.

Boguslaw of Foundation won out of the 11-man break, which was whittled down to 9 when two of the riders bumped into each other and crashed starting up the hill.  Constantin Schreiber of Veselka was second.  Winning time, 1:29:48

33. Greg
38. JP
48. Yack

I think our collective form and communication is going in the right direction.  With another race or two, and a few more riders (Condon and Rigby, come out to play) I think we can position ourselves as one of the team players.

Great report, JP. Shoulda/coulda/woulda on that break for me. It was bridgeable for me at one point, but I did not recognize that, oh, let's see, every multi-member team had someone in the break (duh). Not real sure about my fitness, so I tried prayer instead. Next time I'll remember how mind-numbing the remaining laps were today and either bridge that gap or blow up spectacularly trying.

Vic has the pics
http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Clients/Kissena-Race-Season-2017/Castelli-Race-Series-71517/

It rained...people flatted...lot's of people

it was hard to see...glasses fogged...

next time...Rain-X


good day for the Gentleman's Blend


there were some moves-I saw JP
in one, attacked the 1st KOM just to see what it would feel like

it hurt...if I knew that Foundation guy was going to win...I would have sat on his wheel
The winning move went after this...

A minute forty seconds at 34.5 mph...and it felt faster.  Field pretty strung...Yack's happy to still be on a wheel...saw the move go on the hill, thought it was just one of those little gaps that would close by the start finish = was not.  After that mad effort..the prospect bump felt like this

break gone...Yack's attacked over top of climb...cuz it's where I've always felt weakest & why not attack your weakness?

In the finale...I tried to stick my wheel up against the joggers lane and not let anyone get past heading into hill...JP on my wheel...tried to hit the hill as hard as I could hoping to make it near the top in first position...more like half way...time to start working on the lead outs
Good safe race...heard two guys in the break took each other out last time up the climb

Yacks has been suffering massive allergy attacks for 2 weeks now...I'm on so many allergy meds all of Team SKY blushed when they saw it


I've been exercising...not training this summer..so I'm feeling fresher and more relaxed..less intervals more mtb, track bike, road bike and gym work...and spinach...lot's o' spinach



fun race...Greg Donovan looks very sharp for a guy who has been away from racing for awhile.  
JP, Brendan, Jeff, Yack, Donovan Vlad....we are starting to have a nice looking cat III squad...maybe some IV's will cat up soon????
https://www.strava.com/activities/1084372241
see you at the next one...

twoyacks said:

Vic has the pics
http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Clients/Kissena-Race-Season-2017/Castelli-Race-Series-71517/

What's the password again??

Here there are, without password:
http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Clients/Kissena-Race-Season-2017/Castelli-Race-Series-71517-1800/n-wvCC9R/

I'll be there Saturday doing the 2/3 race.

Anyone joining me?

I'll race masters.

Have not ridden the road bike since last Castelli race...sooo...I'll likely go but it's gonna feel like my first race of the year.  How could I possibly ride my road bike this summer when I've had stuff like this to tackle a mile from my front door?
so much awesome...

I will be your faithful KOM officer.

I can't make the race tomorrow. Hoping someone can take my spot working registration. It was just Will and me last week.