The boys are back in town! Very into the attack/counter attack tactics. Since Lennart is an absolute monster on hills, if everything is all together in the end, coming past temple I'll lead out into the climb, let Lennart come around me 1/3 of the way up, watch him go off into the sunset for glory and promptly drop anchor and let a big ole gap open up

Matt Budofsky said:

The boys are back in town! Very into the attack/counter attack tactics. Since Lennart is an absolute monster on hills, if everything is all together in the end, coming past temple I'll lead out into the climb, let Lennart come around me 1/3 of the way up, watch him go off into the sunset for glory and promptly drop anchor and let a big ole gap open up

I'd suggest Lennart going more like 2/3 of the way up.

mugwump said:

Matt Budofsky said:

The boys are back in town! Very into the attack/counter attack tactics. Since Lennart is an absolute monster on hills, if everything is all together in the end, coming past temple I'll lead out into the climb, let Lennart come around me 1/3 of the way up, watch him go off into the sunset for glory and promptly drop anchor and let a big ole gap open up

I'd suggest Lennart going more like 2/3 of the way up.

Talking of anchors , I'm signed up for the masters ,

@GregHoge  

Sorry I can't do both races.  I guess it would take some Harry Potter magic to make that  happen.  Alas.

for the olds, it's looking like the race will be Veselka trying to help Constantin defend and I expect NYCC and Jordan (for Stalin, though he's not registered yet), try to get ahead of him.  

Constantin is a decent sprinter, but I don't see him winning in a bunch gallop in this race.  He'll want to get away, but he'll be satisfied to be in a break that includes his rivals.  To me, the smaller the field, the better chance a long move has of staying away.  

mugwump said:

Matt Budofsky said:

The boys are back in town! Very into the attack/counter attack tactics. Since Lennart is an absolute monster on hills, if everything is all together in the end, coming past temple I'll lead out into the climb, let Lennart come around me 1/3 of the way up, watch him go off into the sunset for glory and promptly drop anchor and let a big ole gap open up

I'd suggest Lennart going more like 2/3 of the way up.

Also please, if I'm still in the field, let me act as the lead out or rabbit depending on situation. I would rather have both of you in podium contention. Communicate with each other and depending on positioning, one of you goes first. The other latches onto wheels that follow and slingshots around for the sprint if the first looks like they're going to get caught.

When you kick you KICK and you keep going no matter what until you cross the line. 

Keep your heads and eyes up and elbows sharp.

@David Yang don't have to convince me to sit on your wheel!

I am HYPED for tomorrow. Good luck getting tj bed… 

Good luck tomorrow all. 

Unless we can get the parks department to make pp hill at least three times as long I totally agree

some quick butt shots from the gopro 

4/5 summary!

Attack goes on lap 1 just past the temple and Dave immediately covers it like a shot out of a cannon. The field closes it down pretty fast and by the hill it’s all back together.

Lap 2 I send an attack into the downhill. I figure it’ll get brought back but wanted to see if there was anyone motivated to go. I have an okay gap but can see the rear of the masters field and the moto turns and gives me a head shake so I sit up. We get neutralized and everything comes back together. 

All of the above, and a shoutout to Max finishing solid top 10 just a few wheels behind Matt!

photo by Marco 

So much going on in that photo!

Lennart is hiding in the back
Mark is scowling
Eloy is smiling?

PatrickGrehan said:

So much going on in that photo!

Lennart is hiding in the back
Mark is scowling
Eloy is smiling?

It's basically a renaissance painting, complete with coded meanings:

- Blue stands for the divine, which of course KCC epitomizes
- Orange stands for wealth and abundance symbolizing the many of us who came out to race
- Yellow represents happiness and joy, which is Mark's inner self manifested in his bike of choice betraying his gruff tough guy expression

Here are some pics from the Masters race

Love the butt and face shots.

The masters 40+ started with a small field.  48 pre-reg, though I think there were 44 starters.  Smaller fields make for harder racing; the strong or well-represented attack to cull as many as they can, and take advantage of the fact that the odds aren't as stacked against them as they are when the field is larger.

Veselka had a large presence to defend Constantin Schreiber's series lead.  

We had Adam, Eloy, Mark, Patrick, and me.  I think it was the season debut for Adam and Mark.  I don't think we had raced as a group yet this year, either.  Still, with five, we were the second-largest team there.

Veselka had seven, Burrowes had four, Bicycle Habitat three, Talent two.  There were a couple of other two-man teams--Denos, Bicycle Lawyers, Ride Ya Bike.

Sure enough, the attacks did come early.  A group of four got away and Veselka had two in there.

On the good side, I was feeling fine on the hill.  However, there were a few times when a hard attack went on the hill, and Patrick was showing good form and going after it faster than me.  I thought he should be our guy if we came into the hill together.  I told Eloy.  hten I told Patrick--who wasn't so sure of the idea.  

The break came back.  Suddenly, it was looking like we might have a field sprint for the win after all.  But some attackers were trying to avoid that outcome.  Patrick and I both featured in some short-lived moves off the front.

then, maybe with a bit more than two to go, a Veselka and Bike Habitat guy rolled off the front.  A requisite Burrowes rider, this time Rorech, told the field that the guys could roll.  Of course, non Burrowes rider bothered to chase.  

Penultimate time up the rise, and the field wasn't going so hard.  Seemed like it would come down to whether or not we could drag them back on the final lap.  It seemed doubtful, as there weren't enough teams committed to the chase.  I got into good position;  I didn't see Patrick, but if he came up, I was ready to help him.  Then, on the flats, eloy rolled to the front.  Hotness.  I wanted to yell out 'go until your legs fall off' but I wasn't sure how much he had left.  He got in a solid pull, then swung off.

Bump!

The next race is Saturday, June 15.

https://www.bikereg.com/verge6-15-24

Who is in?  with a presence and some planning, we can do well here.  

I’m in for 4/5s

I'm iffy depending on family plans, but pencil me in. I'll probably be most useful in the 4/5s.

I’m probable , but will be little use to anyone 

I should be in for the 4/5s but need to check

I plan to race Verge Saturday. Was thinking Masters again, but could be convinced to race the 4/5 field. Essentially I want to race with teammates and as of Wednesday afternoon I don’t see anyone registered for either field. 

I'm leaning towards 4/5 because it's a short race and my fitness is severely lacking. If there is enough firepower to support Lennart or Max or Matty for a 4/5 win I'll hang on in the masters.

I’m not sure whether I’m in town this weekend yet 

I am racing masters

I have been sick since Sunday , no race for me 

I'm racing Masters.  

I'm in for the 4/5s

I'm in for the Masters.