Ok, this sounds like too much fun to miss. Should be good for a couple attacks and/or some lead-out horsepower ... IF I don't get shelled out. My first crit ever, and first race of the season. By the way, I'll need to borrow a jersey (size large).

FYI, Siggi's/NYVelo is rolling deep, so you can bet they'll have lead-out train aspirations of their own should it come down to the sprint (which, as we all know, is likely). What do we do about that?

Just peeping in to wish you guys big success this weekend... sorry I won't be here to race with you!

Best of luck, gentlemen. Unfortunately I'll miss Grant's this weekend, but will be out racing with you guys in the sunday spring series @ CP.

<blockquote><cite>Posted By: rene herrera</cite>I took a pretty bad fall today on my way home I'm hoping my arm and legs heals in time.</blockquote>

Hey Rene --sorry about the fall... hope you are feeling better.

Rene:

How are you feeling at this point?

update please!

Posted By: Gideon SorkinI'm registered.
Mattie, how is your sprint feeling? Maybe we should go for a late attack or I can lead you out...

i can't say i've done much sprint work yet, mainly form sprints, i can't imagine many other people would be doing sprint intervals this early though. i'd prefer to go for a late attack/break, and then if i get reeled recover quick enough to do damage in leadout/disrupt trains. i don't know if anyone else is feeling like the protected sprinter.

Seems like we all have different plans for this race, which is great since we have many options. Here's mine: I'm going to attack very early. I figure the differences in early season fitness will mean that the race will split up if the pressure is on and hopefully I am fit enough to contribute to that (we shall see ....). My plan is to keep attacking or countering until a move sticks or I blow up in the process of trying and get shelled.

I took a day off of work to heal and now im feeling much better i will be racing. What time are you guys gonna be there?

rocking

Ian I plan on staying very close to the front, as the the size of the field and the U-turn could lead to early gaps that are not closed. I don't have any interest in sitting in for this one as there are too many riders and it will likely be dangerous.

Fellas, we have 7 guys in this race, and I'd say there's a 75 percent chance it will finish in a sprint. (Please, senior guys in the club, correct me if I'm wrong.)

We absolutely have some cards to play during the course of the race, but I think we need to make sure in any case that we have a lead-out crew and a sprinter for the finale. Which means EVERYONE needs to be near or at the front for the whole race. And when some of us find ourselves toward the back, which we inevitably will, sack up, put your nose in the wind, and tow teammates up with you. Don't expend the effort without at least one Kissena on your wheel.

Keep in mind, NYVelocity is at least 10 deep. They have more cards. They win plenty of races. We need to be a better team with fewer guys.

Also, I need to borrow a L jersey. Preferably clean!

Not to be a nudge, but it sounds like a lot of guys have ideas about how this race should play out. Who's captain of this ship? I personally would nominate Dan Reiners. I think that everyone's personal ideas can be incorporated into a team plan here, but you need to go in with a solid game plan. Who's covering early moves, who's going on the attack to get into the middle of the race long breakaway that seems like it's going to stay away, until it gets caught with 5 laps to go? Who's sprinting, where is the leadout train going to start? Who is going for the sprint?

Please get there early, to give yourselves plenty of time to talk about the game plan.

If you are bent on splitting up the field, realize that a) you may not be able to do it, b) you may be able to do it and kill your own teammates in the process.

"First real crit" folks? If you can't count the number of guys in front of you, you are too far back. If you are not moving forward in the field, you are moving backwards. If you need to advance your position dramatically, the home stretch is plenty wide, and if it's not strung out, suck it up, suck some wind and get your ass to the front. Strong guys, unless you have a teammate in the break, don't waste your legs riding medium hard tempo at the front, giving everyone else a free ride. That's some group ride BS that has no place in a proper bike race.

Wondering how to handle corners and ride a crit like a pro? Park yourself on the wheel of someone silky smooth (don't worry, you'll see them clear as day), and follow their wheels.

Also, and this is borderline obnoxious on my part, but consider staying around to watch the Pro 1/2 race. Walk the course backwards, hang-out in the corners for a few laps. Cheer us on a bit. When I was a cat 3 and 4, I loved watching the pros race. Back when Chris horner had super long and thin hair, Roberto Gaggioli had a neon green bike, Trent Klasna was ripping his cleats out of pedals, Fast Freddie Rodriguez hadn't been to Europe yet, but was well on his way to earning his nickname. I watched all those guys go unbelievably fast around the streets of Milwaukee. It was a thrill. And a few years later, I had to race them. Yikes.

Anyway, Team AXA is an incredibly strong and well-drilled team. Their weakest guy would be one of our strongest. And they LOVE this race. They usually dominated it and they will be fun to watch. Also, it will be fun to see how JP and I are going to try and weasel ourselves into some good results despite being severely undermanned and in my case anyway, underpowered.

So Marc, will it be a sprint?

Hey Cat 3s. Please choose a captain for this week. I would pick either William DC or Ragot. Remember, captain calls the pre-race meeting. Focuses the discussion, reiterates the game plan, and knows what's what during the race in order to properly direct people who's brains are in glycogen debt (like William did for me once last week!). Sprint finish plan should be laid out ahead. A few people with good motors to protect your guy up the long windy-wide homestretch. Someone with good snap and balls of steel to go for the sprint.

The course is technical enough that a small group of 4-6 guys can easily go as fast, if not faster than the field and stay away. But that part of town can be really windy, and time gained on the more technical backside of the course can easily be lost on the home stretch.

If the weather stays dry, that increases the chance that it will stay together for a group sprint. When the weather turns foul, races this technical break up like crazy.

Jeffrey, your question might be "tongue in cheek," but in case it's not...if I could answer your question with any kind accuracy, I would be a pro DS for Garmin Cervello this year (Vaughters would dig my facial hair). It's impossible for me or anyone to know. It's way early in the season, and I just don't know the cat 4s well enough. Dan Reiners though, he might have some predictions up his sleeve, having raced this category before, and seeing some of the guys in action last week.

What I can say, is that a solid team plan will account for multiple race outcomes. You need guys ready to race in breakaways and guys ready to sprint.

Dan Reiners is out of town and skipping the race.

Yes, have a sprint strategy.

Yes, have an attack strategy.

Use the technical section to launch attacks and foil chasers. Try countering after our guys are caught.

Marc, just fishing for some speculation from a guy who knows the race. Thanks for obliging!

where can I park my car near the race...for me, making it to the starting line has a big impact on my performance. Oh, and I'll lead anyone out who is there in the end..I'm going early as I'm highly allergic to crashing.
yack

Yacks, you know this course. If we've got the numbers, and we will at the start, we could lead all the way from 122nd and Riverside to the finish.

Yacks: Car parking idea. If you travel North up broadway, past the course which starts on 120th, to like 135 or or something, hang a left, come down South Riverside drive, you'll see that the whole "bridge above Fairway" stretch of road is blocked off and probably the best place to park.

I'll be there. Have raced it a few times. Lead the way, I will follow.

What time will people be getting to the race?

Also, is anyone planning on meeting at Brooklyn Bridge to ride up?

Mike

I'd be down to meet at the bridge. Figure on getting to the race around 6:50, I guess?

<blockquote><cite>Posted By: mugwump</cite>Dan Reiners is out of town and skipping the race.


I'm nominating Yacks as captain.
Meet by the recently restored portico at 7:00 to discuss strategy .

Hey all racing tomorrow. Good luck. A handful of us were lucky to be able to avoid offices and coffee rooms and ER stretchers this Friday and we were able to put in some practice laps on the crit course.

After I was dragged away from staring at the ladies filming for Gossip Girl up there, we got in some hot laps. And for you data nerds, I thought I'd share a key point about my leadout.

I led into the left-handed sweeper, and started to put the power down. It rises the whole way, but there's an extra lump in the middle of the homestretch that feels sort of mountainous. Anyway, I crested the mountain, and JP and William came off my wheel fought amongst themselves for glory.

All told, my leadout effort was about 25 seconds and that still left plenty of road for JP and William to cover towards the finish line. So as you are forming your leadout train, you are probably going to want your strongest non-sprinter leading the charge into the fast sweeper (easily 28-32 mph). If there's some hardworking guys in front of you, no matter, but unless you only have a hard 12 seconds in you for a leadout, I would plan on getting there with one guy capable of 30 seconds absolute balls to the wall hard. You don't want your team sprinter to get caught off guard because he's waiting for his second guy to start pulling 15 seconds in, meanwhile the rest of the fields sprinters are going early and often.

And guys will go too early. Unless you are an absolute BEAST, I expect that guys who go before the extra hump in the homestretch will die too soon. Of course if you can jump on the wheel of the guy making the hero move, then that's a great leadout for you. Most often the wind comes off the Hudson, from the right, making the left side pass "easier." Of course, it could get all jammed up with guys looking for cover, so be prepared to eat some wind tomorrow.

The last time I rode this course it was cut by the promoters and the little hill was eliminated. I see no chance of 100 plus riders being in contention at the end. It will be 45 minutes of hold onto your junk, try not to puke or get gapped madness....with some careless crashes and guys tipping over at the U-turn. Good times all around.
Waiting for the sprint may be a fools errand. Stay very close to the front and don't get gapped. I don't want to get taken out, so I plan on animating things even if I blow up and watch the finale from the sidelines. Should it come down to a sprint I will drill it into the downhill sweeper and keep the pace as long as I can up the finishing straight. If someone gets behind me, they should at least have a clear line to the finish.
Yack

Yack and all...I posted this on another thread, but bears repeating here I think.

Today, JP, William, and a few other club members did some hot laps. After the left handed descending banked sweeper, figure you've got 25-35 seconds of pure turbo-charged fun in front of you before the team sprinter has to go for it on his own. That's about how long I held it before JP and William came off my wheel.

p.s. "waiting for the sprint may be a fools errand," but not preparing to take it on is worse.

I measured the distance from the exit of the last turn to the finish line. I figure it is about 500 meters, give or take 20.

If you're the first into the last turn, don't expect to win, don't expect to place. Just drill it for your teammates behind.

If you're second, winning is going to be nearly impossible, but placing in the money is between possible and likely, depending on waht the first guy does.

If you're third, and the two guys in front of your are teammates, they've got to deliver you to the walkway next to Grant's Tomb before you can launch, and you can win.

Four would be better. I think the IIIs and IVs can do with three riders. I think the pro/am will need four because the pace needs to be strung out for longer.

In any case, if we've got a train going, try to ignore the other riders and keep the pace high. There will be surges and dips. Just keep the gas on.