Congrats Robert. That’s a helluva first race

Thanks @Jules

TL/DR: 28.5mph average speed.  57th place.  72 finishers.  108 starters

My bike computer tells me it was 95 out when I started, though the power numbers seem low and we were standing in the sun for 20 minutes before the start.

I had an average HR of 170 and normalized power of 206.  As a contrast, for Saturday’s race, an average heart rate of 151 and np of 258.  

I knew being in the first half of the field was safer and probably no more difficult than being at the back. And the first half is much closer to the race.

I wanted to settle in to a safe place before I started moving up, just to see how my legs were doing. They were doing ok, but moving up and fighting for position was something I didn’t want to do all race.  I could tell I had found a rhythm and relative comfort where I was.  Probably should have tried.  There was a crash at I think about 15 to go which gapped me off, but I easily got back on.  And most of the crashed riders, and I'm sure some cheaters, took a free lap and it was back to normal.

 Then, at about 10 to go, I could tell my body didn’t have too much more to give.  A crash on the backside between three and two to go ended it.  I got around the crash without issue.  I tried to close the gap on my own but had nothing left. Just pedaled in as best I could.

I was certainly overheating at the end.  I was careful not to finish everything early.  but having the fluids at the end wasn’t a big help, either.  There was supposed to be a feed on the inside by the pit for some laps.  Maybe I should have tried to take one.

Tis a pity more don't come out and do this race.  The course is straightforward.  It does call for smart riding.  And the crowds are great.  

In terms of the pro/am, there was some weirdness when you look at who lined up of the locals.   The Foundation team on Sunday was, save for Guzman, entirely different than the guys who showed up Saturday.  And the Saturday guys show more horsepower.  the E2 Value guys, who also had a big presence Saturday didn’t show Sunday. Nor did Veselka’s strongman Constantin Schreiber. Only one from the Rockstar team toed the line on Sunday and they had a big presence Saturday.  All in all, very few of the guys who raced Saturday were there in the big race Sunday—The Burroweses weren’t at the race Saturday, either.    Nor was Scott Savory.  No Weather Channel guys on Sunday and few Saturday.  Me, Alejandro Guzman, Glenroy Griffiths, Dominic Calazzo, Stalin Quitero, Jason Guzman, Stefan Hoffman (pro, Clif Bar), were probably the only guys from Saturday in Sunday's race.  

mugwump said:

 

In terms of the pro/am, there was some weirdness when you look at who lined up of the locals.   The Foundation team on Sunday was, save for Guzman, entirely different than the guys who showed up Saturday.  And the Saturday guys show more horsepower.  the E2 Value guys, who also had a big presence Saturday didn’t show Sunday. Nor did Veselka’s strongman Constantin Schreiber. Only one from the Rockstar team toed the line on Sunday and they had a big presence Saturday.  All in all, very few of the guys who raced Saturday were there in the big race Sunday—The Burroweses weren’t at the race Saturday, either.    Nor was Scott Savory.  No Weather Channel guys on Sunday and few Saturday.  Me, Alejandro Guzman, Glenroy Griffiths, Dominic Calazzo, Stalin Quitero, Jason Guzman, Stefan Hoffman (pro, Clif Bar), were probably the only guys from Saturday in Sunday's race.  

Maybe threats of testing?

The missing teams probably did the CRCA race that morning.

Jules said:

mugwump said:

 

Maybe threats of testing?

well,
      Cesar Marte raced, so I guess not all are scared by testing.

      Phil might be onto something, but it's weird that the guys with legs bothered with a club race when this is a rare opportunity at national-level competition.  Only the top three were posted thus far and none of them  Weirder that CRCA insists on holding a club race in conflict with an open race.  (I've complained about it before; I still think it's a definite wrong by CRCA)

It could also be that these guys, top guys locally, are just afraid to race against real competition. 

Phil Maronilla said:

It could also be that these guys, top guys locally, are just afraid to race against real competition. 

Or the $10,000 prize list vs. waking up for a 5:45am local race you've done a zillion times.

CRCA: The park permits are use-it or lose-it. If they don’t run a race the lose the date forever.

Charlie has the same problem.

Jules said:

CRCA: The park permits are use-it or lose-it. If they don’t run a race the lose the date forever.

Charlie has the same problem.

There are plenty of ways to get around that.
They could have run a clinic.
They could have put on a race for juniors (no junior racing at Harlem)
Maybe do a 50 or 55 plus race.

Jules said:

CRCA: The park permits are use-it or lose-it. If they don’t run a race the lose the date forever.

Charlie has the same problem.

The club loses the date if they don’t run the race, but that doesn’t mean the racers have to show up.

Back when Battenkill was a race (maybe you remember those days) Charlie ran a PP race and it was always half full and just the folks who couldn’t travel because of other commitments. 

mugwump said:

Jules said:

CRCA: The park permits are use-it or lose-it. If they don’t run a race the lose the date forever.

Charlie has the same problem.

There are plenty of ways to get around that.
They could have run a clinic.
They could have put on a race for juniors (no junior racing at Harlem)
Maybe do a 50 or 55 plus race.

It's a fair point JP bu the infrastructure required (Marshalls, registration, etc) are the same for a clinic or reduced fields.

Really have no insight into either race, other than the truculent park behavior.

Results, bros?

I got a good pic 😁 
couldn’t stay for the finish- hope you had fun! 

Great shot Hameda, looking forward to some race reports. Hopefully injury free!

@JasonFugett and I made a decent showing in the Cat 5 field. We were at the front of the pack most of the race and were there for the final sprint. A bunch of guys from Ride Yah Bike worked together and finished strong in front of everyone.

I haven't looked at the data yet, but it was both easy to sit in and hard to attack.  I came to the front with about 25 to go and tried an attack.  I did the better part of a lap leading, but I wasn't strong enough to get more than a few second gap at any moment.  Licking my wounded psyche, I decided to give another shot at around 10 to go.

No such luck.  At 14 or 13 remaining, a few guys crashed coming out of turn four (aka the easiest turn on the course) and then the guy in front of me rode over one of the crashed bikes when I thought he had room to go around and came tumbling down.  I came to a standstill in too big a gear.  Think I even put my foot down.  By the time I got going, the field was exiting turn one.  I think I closed about half the gap, but I didn't have the legs to do it.  And I was pulled with nine remaining.  

Looked like national champ Justin Williams took it easily after his team controlled the final laps.  

Jules said:

Great shot Hameda, looking forward to some race reports. Hopefully injury free!

I had fun on my first race. No crashes 😁 
just signed up for the Randall’s island CRIT and a few more races. I’ll let you guys know. 

mugwump said:

 it was both easy to sit in and hard to attack

I feel like I've read this exact line before in your Harlem reports

Jules said:

mugwump said:

 it was both easy to sit in and hard to attack

I feel like I've read this exact line before in your Harlem reports

Good point.

I think this was slower than last year's race.  The field was smaller for sure.  

I was talking to an official after the Maltese race today.  I was asking if USADA had come to test anyone.  

He reported they hadn't.  But, they were at Harlem and tested at least one of the podium finishers.

Here's the podium

1		Justin	Williams	Legion Of Los Angeles	1:13:59	1
2		Sean	Mcelroy		s.t.	2
3		Cesar	Marte		s.t.	3

probably takes several weeks to find out.

bump!

https://www.bikereg.com/harlem-skyscraper-cycling-classic-2021

limited field choices.  

Harlem Skyscrapers was freaking awesome!

I wish there's more 4 corner crit... (Fast corners, not like Randall island) 

2 crash that I know of, lots of splits and DNF.

Plan was stay top 10 for the first 3 laps to get the slow people out and noob crashes happen. ✅

Hop back to top 20 for most of the race ✅

Crawl back to top 10ish around 3 laps to go.... Not so well. Some guy burnt out and left a gap that I had to close, that burned a big match for me. 

By 1 lap to go I was around top 10 ish behind Michael 2 corner before the finish, there was a second or two before the last corner where I could make 5 places up and I didn't have the legs. I burnt out after the last corner. Around 3 people past me for the line 😭

End up in 16th 
Michael got 11th

Will be back next year... With a vengeance! 

great!!

@Kevin Man

So glad you enjoyed it.  I really like this race as well.

I think there's a sizable local contingent which is afraid of cornering and don't think it's an important skill to learn, which them leads to crashes and a negative reputation. 

As I've written in this thread before, the only real 'tricky' corner is the first, and so long as people realize that 120th is crowned and that once you cross over the crown on the transition from 5th, the road suddenly is and feels off-camber.  I think this causes freak-outs with people who aren't familiar with cornering fast.   Turn four, so long as you stay to the inside, is effectively banked and you should be able to pedal all teh way through even at a pretty high speed.

I did it as well.  DNF.  Just didn't have it.  

I was surprised by the small turnout, probably around 60, if that.  Knew I'd have to ride conservatively for the first half and then see what my body was telling me. I won't write the race was hard, but at a little over half-distance, I started to get a bit light-headed.  I drank some, considered if I wanted to keep racing light-headed, and I decided I didn't.  Maybe it was the heat. Maybe not enough salt.  Maybe it was something else.  I forgot my HRM strap, so I can't tell if what my heart was doing.  In terms of power, I was doing a good job conserving energy, but I felt sluggish.  Thinking that adding fast group rides to my training diet would be a good thing.  

While there was a crash shortly thereafter which stopped the race for a half-hour, I think it was only one guy who went down.  don't know how it happened.  

That race is great but let's be honest it also has a history of some seriously bad crashes. I think it was 2011 that was particularly bloody and for some reason the intimidation from carnage grows with time.

Today was my first Harlem.  It was a good experience and a cool vibe with the community and such.  The race was fast and sketchy.  I ended up crashing in the second corner with ~11 laps left.  I found this to be a great cheat code for going from the back to the front using the least amount of energy.  Got back in at about 10th wheel.  Felt strong with my bloodied hand.  Ended up getting caught behind a big crash on the last lap and DNF'd.

Overall, the race itself was kinda boring and just a powerfest.  There doesn't seem to be much strategy to a four corner crit...  (not that I was expecting much)

Ouch Greg, heal fast, hope that if you were able to jump back that it wasn’t too bad

Yea just bruised knee and scraped hand.  Not too bad.