I’m 50/50 right now but leaning towards it

I'll race the 4/5 if that's where we are at. Any newer 5s want to join? It will be a great way to dip your toe into racing at the park with the team.

I am in for 4/5. reg'ing now

I'll be in the masters, do we have a volunteer link?

Come early, volunteer for registration, race for free:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScs1MmxiSBkFyCXQMLlSVzPuIGetBP7fZLyczM-KD6T6VUZYQ/viewform?usp=header

Pay to play:

https://www.bikereg.com/verge7-19-25?orc=1#Register

Looks like we have a Blake, Kev and me for 4/5 and I'm assuming Pat and Eloy will do M40+. 

New racers, the 4/5 field is a great way to race with teammates. Let me know if you have any questions.

Let's get it.

I'm in for the old man race.

Ditto

I'm in for 2/3.  I haven't ridden in 2 weeks so I may bail.

Race Report

• First time I'd done one of the Verge Series in a while, Cat 4/5 is only 5 laps
• Dave, Blake & I representing
• A lot of strong riders who had podiumed at Harlem & Grant's Tomb in the field including a few with 20+ upgrade points
• Felt fast from the outset
• A few small breaks but nothing stayed out there
• Slowed on the last lap towards the hill then full gas
• Managed to stay with the front group up the hill (though at the back)
• I don't quite have the kick of the young 'uns so this is typically a paced effort
• Rolled in with the bunch, 18th out of ~72
• Av Speed 26.3mph, Av Power = 239W, NP 290W

Easily prefer the 3/4's @ 9 laps format in the L&C. Might try the Masters in the next Verge although looking at the line up it seems pretty stacked....

Unlike last week where I felt like I struggled in the L&C race, I found I was enjoying the frequent hard surges in the Verge race. There were several lulls during which riders complained that they were going to have to ride after the race to get a good workout. This was especially the case because the Cat 4/5 field that only did 17 miles passed us on lap two or three and we were neutralized for a bit including leading up to our KOM competition. 

Midway through the race the pace picked up and we had a couple of hard laps. I didn't immediately recognize that with 3 to go I was a little further back in the field and momentarily lost contact and got passed by the motor cycle that was tailing the field. I charged back up into the field but by the time we went up the hill with two to go I got spat out the back and there was no catching back up. 

I chased with another rider that had gotten dropped and we essentially did a TTT until I came upon Eloy who had been part of a crash on the final ascent up the hill. He was okay, and as far as I could tell there were no significant injuries. 

Here are some photos for you all, including you know who hamming it up for the GoPro



(clearly not during a surge)







And battle scars

My race report from the 4/5s is not unlike Kevin’s. Notable things from my end: 

- practiced picking up free wheels on the downhill and around the pinch point bend. I would get chewed a bit on the hill, end up in the back half, and then make up 20-30 wheels on the downhill. Was pretty fun 
- lap one was crazy fast, I was 3rd or 4th wheel for the first half, then found myself on the front all of a sudden. It was not chill! Did an all time peak 1m power record of 503 watts within the first 4 mins of the race. Knew that was not sustainable and started skipping turns like Tim Wellens 
- last lap got super sketchy, in the false flat into the hill everyone was accordioning like crazy. Someone pinched me pretty hard and I nearly took out Dave avoiding a wheel chop. On the hill everyone started dropping anchor and bunching up, and there were several near pile ups that would have been gnarly. Decided to let off the gas and just roll through the rest (I also didn’t have legs anymore). 

Verge Series #5

Volunteer for registration desk and race for free:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpGZLGmqLwUL1wl58oJpRYOH7XcLn5nB5qwST0hP1r7zd9bQ/viewform?usp=header

Pay to play:
https://www.bikereg.com/70832

I'm defaulting to masters field, but I am happy to race the 4/5 if that's where we're at.

Not sure what I'm doing this weekend.  I'll be around, but without my wife and son around, not sure how my daughter will feel about me going racing, even if I'll be back before she gets up.

I am tentative for Saturday, if racing I'll be in Masters field. 

I’m not racing this weekend 

I am probably in for 4/5

Think I heard MAx is considering the 2/3 field.  Part of me really wants to join him on that maiden voyage.

But my form hasn't been good of late, and I'm trying to figure that out.  Seems like Masters is a safer bet for me.

(I will not make the race this weekend)

@mugwump

Correct.  Just decided to go for it and registered

MaxBucksbaum said:

@mugwump

Correct.  Just decided to go for it and registered

It seems that the higher the category, the closer the riders get to each other, the more talking, the sharper and longer the attacks, the shorter the pauses after the attacks are over.  

And, for the final lap, expect that it will be harder to move up and you'll need to start positioning sooner.

Slept through this one so will take this into account for next race 

Figures I'd come into form right at the end of the season.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15398933258/overview (forgot to hit start until halfway through lap 2)

I'm not saying I'm any good, but instead of my goal being "don't get dropped" it's "finish mid-pack". 15th today, probably my best result in 2 years.

https://my.raceresult.com/354815/

It isn't a huge result, but I'll take the little wins like finishing 1st among the Cat4s in the field and hanging on with the Cat1/2/3s.

The masters race today wasn't super hard, but it was interesting as Axis had a big crew and they were publicly and actively working through their plan, attacking one after the other, creating some dynamics for the field to work around. Generally speaking, the Masters field is generally very chill and predictable. There were some words between a Hilltop guy and the KOM guy from Axis but it was after the race and not an expletive filled yelling match during. Someone wordlessly poked my butt when I drifted in front of them down hill. I never felt so pro.

Sometime during the second half of the race the points jerseys all went up the road in a break for a total of 5-7, strong enough for them to stay away if they worked hard. I found myself near the front (surprise surprise) and Angelo was berating everyone around him as nobody was pulling through and we were disorganized and the break was getting further up the road. He put in a pull, handed it over to someone else and then it was my turn at the front. I actually sat in the wind during in a race for the first time in 2 years. I flicked off after 20-30 seconds and slotted into the train again. I didn't feel we were super well organized but I guess the break got complacent and we could see them up the road as we rounded into Temple. A few people shot off the front and I followed to close a few gaps and then found myself at the pointy end of the chase and I think I sat up about 5m to the back wheel of the break and let the field wash around me and we were suddenly all together on the east side.

Recover up to zoo, a minute effort up the hill and we were somehow at 2 to go. Axis made another move or two but by then the field was motivated and legs weren't strong enough for a sustained effort so it was tame all the way to the hill. I surfed up behind wheels and we were going fast enough that it wasn't super hard in the draft - my 1 minute average to GAP was only about 390w, though my HR hit it's max around 181bpm. I coasted into the draft around the bend and before I knew it the sprinters stood up on their pedals and were off. I was just around a dozen wheels back so needless to say had no chance to catch them so I just held my position and half sprinted in for 15th, my best result this season so far.

https://youtu.be/bmp-aVxAVgM

(Highly recommend you watching this at 2 or 3x speed)

GoPro battery didn't crap out this week so I recorded the entire race, the post-race roll down and then exactly 20 seconds of teammate reactions. I haven't watched through everything, but one thing I noticed recording peoples faces and body postures: Everyone is suffering. Like actually everyone and actually suffering. Solace for when you're at the limit and don't know if you can hold on to that wheel in front of you, the riders in front all the way up to the pointy end are also completely f'ed and nanoseconds away from falling apart and sitting up. Motivation to hold on as they're going to sit up any second now...

Dave definitely looked good today.  He held position really well throughout the race and was able to contribute to chasing down a dangerous move of 10 or so, and still kept his position when the juncture was made.

Wish I could have helped him.  My own form was disappointing.  

My goal this week was hide the entire race, which I did well. Was a bit worried in some points as normally I hang on the sides of the field rather than in the middle (where I fear being boxed in if wheels cross in front of me) but it worked out ok. Pretty disorganized field, not a lot of teamwork from anyone. An early break on lap one stayed away for half a lap and was pulled back. A few other solo attacks, but none stuck until one guy around the temple. We were neutralized for a little over a half mile, field was confused and the USAC race Marshall was pissed at some guys for trying to push past. He zoomed ahead to catch the attacker. Eventually let us go at the hill, first the guy in the break who had probably 20-25 seconds on the field. He amazingly was able to hold onto it through the hill on the bell lap, despite the loose bunch trying to reel him in.