Yowsers, Memorial Day is early this year, and that means some of the better, real deal crit racing of the year is about to kick off over three days of the holiday weekend.

Some pretty solid crit racing in nearby New Jersey over the holiday weekend. There are all courses on city streets that will challenge BOTH your fitness and handling skills.

Raritan is a tough little, tight course with good pavement, but a couple of quick turns that will test you for sure.

https://www.bikereg.com/john-basilone-raritan-cycling-classic

Bound Brook, in addition to quick, right-left chicane, has a few long straight stretches that will have you digging deep to hang onto the wheels in front of you. Voted the course most likely to "beat the crap out of you." Quiet course, a few treats and eats, but plenty of grass and shade and good for family spectating.

https://www.bikereg.com/bound-brook-cycling-classic

Somerville is a 4-corner rectangle with good pavement all around. It's an easy race to finish, hard to place because of the relative shortness of the race compared to the difficulty level of the course. This day has lots going on for the families. Petting zoos, pony rides, kettle corn, blazing sun, and of course the racing is pretty good for watching too.

https://www.bikereg.com/tour-of-somerville


This year, FWIW, I'm doing all three races in the P 1/2 category. Who else is in?

Suuuhweet, I get to try and hold Laura Van Gilder's wheel again in a race!

1. Noah Granigan	Hagens Berman U23	248.46
2. Dave Warner	GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipcar	256.63
3. A.J. Moran	GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipcar	262.85
4. Dominic Caiazzo	GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipcar	269.45
5. Josh Rovner		292.38
6. Michael Shinall	GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipcar	300.00
7. John Balmer	Century Road Clubof America	307.85
8. Laura Van Gilder	Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers	314.04
9. Marc Bertucco	Kissena Cycling Club	339.19
10. Craig Merritts	CAT Racing/Big Bang Bicycles	352.64

Might actually want to sit on Rovner's.

Checking in and trying to generate some enthusiasm for racing this holiday weekend. So far KCC pre-registration in Jersey and up at Killington is pretty light. The weather looks grand, the courses are set and ready for you too.

I'm simultaneously stoked and anxious about Killington, based mostly on the fact that I should smash. They ended up adding another 4/5 field for masters 34+, and due to uneven fields, ended up lowering the masters age to 33+, allowing me to move over. This means no 17-year-olds, and no excuse not to come home without solid results. Outside of racing, I'm staying in a house that has a pool table, ping pong table, deck, and grill, so it's all set for a great holiday weekend.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I won't be around the next two weekends so no racing at all for me. Vacation plans got in the way.

I would love to have some teammates at Raritan on Saturday. I can even give a ride!

Jeffrey White said:

I would love to have some teammates at Raritan on Saturday. I can even give a ride!

Raritan is about 1 mile from the Somerville train station.  Should be easy to take the train there.  

that should also make it easier for others to go.

And Bound Brook is also easily accessible via NJ Transit.  The somerville race is not, as there at least used to be a rule prohibiting bikes on trains on holidays.

Phillip Maronilla said:

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I won't be around the next two weekends so no racing at all for me. Vacation plans got in the way.

I'm on vacation this weekend too. I'm on vacation from NOT kicking everyone else's ass. Including that KCC trash talking weak-ass crit racer Rovner. #nomercy #sweeptheleg

Worth mentioning that at Saturday's Rariton race the field is III/IV.
Bound Brook on Sunday is either III/IV or IV/V. Both days have master's 35+.
Somerville on Monday there is a Cat III only race. Plus a Master's 45+, Plus a Cat II only.

So far here's what who we've got:

Saturday: Wang, White, Vlad, Marc
Sunday: JP, Strika, White, Marc
Monday: JP, Strika, Marc

This weekend begins a period of some really interesting racing options heading into June. Fair warning, July is looking especially weak in terms of the racing calendar; which is great for the team's crossers who will likely need a forced break by then, but kind of sad for everyone else.

Don't miss out!

Want to wish everyone racing this weekend good luck! Adam up at Killington, and the rest of you at the crits.

Remember, important advice for Rariton and Bound Brook:

WARM UP, start on the front row, and fall no further back than the top 1/3 of the field. And really, my rule of thumb is "If you can't count the number of people in front of you, you are too far back." Staying up front is a tall order, but there are some wicked fun/challenging turns that will be pure torture for mid-pack and back markers. If you are up front, you will work so so so much less and have so so so much more fun.

I'm going to try and follow my own advice, ESPECIALLY since I'm road-result predicted to finish 2nd to last place tomorrow. And honestly, if I don't follow my advice, that's where I will finish.

Lets race smart, and slay it out there!

Stage 1 of KSR is in the books. My main goal was to finish today in one piece and cross the line with the same time as the group. The winner would get a time bonus, but odds are that whoever that was won't be a factor tomorrow. 

The race was pretty tame, and I momentarily considered going for the sprint finish until we completed the first lap. It's effing scary. Anyway, approaching the KOM on the first lap, I found myself at the front. I basically just rode tempo, followed wheels, and was with one other guy at the top. I thought he pipped me, but results say I was first. 

After that, I ended up rolling away, gaining about 15 seconds on the field. Here, I considered trying to hold it and see if I could solo away. Then I laughed, cruised down the descent at my own pace, and caught back into the peloton. 

Approaching the second KOM, I now thought I may as well give it a go and see if I can snag the jersey and a little cash. Again, I ride tempo -- I averaged 250 watts on each climb -- except this time someone is attacking. I let him go, knowing that he wasn't in the first KOM, and that I really want to save legs for tomorrow. I cross the line with three other guys, finishing second according to the results.

The finishe was f#@*ing scary, and included a car in the middle of the road with 200 m left (after the yellow line rule was lifted). Anyway, I cruised through in 29th, with the same time, and apparently the KOM jersey. 

I won't lie -- the jersey is a pretty great consolation prize. I felt like garbage yesterday, and had some pretty severe back pain last night and this morning. That faded once I got on the bike, and I feel like I have some momentum heading into tomorrow. Even without the jersey, the fact that I was able to get some distance on the climbs without working too hard makes me feel good about tomorrow.

Results:
http://velocityresults.com/results/570/killington-stage-kom-killington-vt
http://velocityresults.com/results/568/killington-stage-race-day-1-killington-vt

Anyway, that's what's happening up here in the mountains. Let's hear about those crits!

Adam, great job on the KOM jersey. Being the owner of one from a legit SR is especially special.

Results bro:

http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2015-1615&bypass=1

Quick report from Rariton. First of all, this is an amazingly fun course. I agree with Laura Van Gilder who said to me before our race, "I wish this were the Monday course." LVG easily won the women's race before jumping in with the P1/2 field where I had the opportunity to ask her if she wanted help moving up. She didn't of course, she doesn't need my help. But I'm a superfan and a dork and I couldn't resist the offer--I was going there anyway...

Spoke with Jeff White who raced the 4/5 and after being aggressive all day, making some serious moves, including soloing off the front a few times, he ultimately rolled in with the bunch.

Saw Vlad in the Master's 35+ race. He looked solid, bridging up to a dangerous looking move, riding at the front, etc. But in the end, he too rolled in with the bunch.

Somerville Sports dudes were all over the 3/4 race but ultimately got bogged down and rolled in with the bunch.

Just me in the P 1/2 race. Nervous as all hell at the start. Tried to bum rush the start line, but I got elbowed out to the third row. No matter, after a few nervous laps I was on cornering on rails and feeling pretty good. You know you are in the zone, when you literally can take a quick series of combo right left right turns without looking, just knowing/feeling when it's time to stop pedaling and lean that bike. Never in danger of getting dropped. I can't remember in an out of town race I can say that I have had that feeling. Lots of crashy-crashy in the last 5 laps. That was the only time I had to really work. I avoided, but was held up by a big crash in the final chicane that ended my hopes of a top 20. 49th for me. More important than my placing is that I'm feeling like the racer I once was many many years ago.

Time to reload for Bound Brook tomorrow, where the course is potentially harder, and the field a bit deeper as a few more pros show up to tune up their legs for the big money race on Monday.

Registered for the 4/5 in Bound Brook tomorrow and will probably try and snag a day for the Master 35+. Anyone want to share a car/train out? My train plan is 11:14am at NYP

Thinking about this weekend's racing, I posted some racing advice over in the mentoring thread. It might/should sound familiar, but worth re-emphasizing I think as I saw a lot of people in my "Pro" 1/2 field, just getting it all kinds of wrong yesterday at Rariton.

http://kissenacycling.vanillaforums.com/discussion/741/mentoring#latest

"Yo dudes, it's time to get on the bus, because I'm taking y'all to school." Bertucco points at his new socks that have school buses on them. They don't really match the kit, but they're kind of adorable and were literally bargain bin cheap. But I digress, that's not why you are here.

Results bro:

https://www.usacycling.org/results/?year=2015&id=1616&info_id=87025

Because of an unplanned nap, faster than expected morning races, I ended up messing up my timing, arrived too late to the race course for my usual pre-race routine, and missed watching too much of anyone but a few laps of the Master's Race before I had to line up myself.

Niall and Dan Strika both looked solid. Ragot from Sommerville Sports was like 5th wheel for all the laps that mattered. Niall was not too far behind, but I'm not sure what happened in the last lap. Looks like Ragot took 2nd. Niall 27th, Dan 40th.

Dan likes the number 40, apparently. He doubled up and also raced the 3/4 race and placed, you guessed it 40th. Jeff White finished in 36th. Didn't get a chance to talk to either of them. Hopefully we'll get some race reporting from someone other than me.

JP and I representing KCC in the P 1/2 field. And the field was pretty good. I chit-chatted a bit with Adam Myerson as he exited the porta-johns (because we're cool like that), and I hustled over to the "holding pens" in hopes that I could get a decent start line position. With no warm-up to speak of, I knew my only hope was a good start and spend the first 15 or so minutes of the race warming up. Start too far back though and this technique can backfire in a hurry.

Nerves again before the start. Felt kind of like a final exam, in that this would likely be the hardest crit I would do before heading home-ish to race Tour of America's Dairyland in Mid-June. Was yesterday a fluke? Would I again be comfortable tearing around the course. Could I handle 40 miles of crit racing against this crew?

Turns out I could. In fact, sometime in the last 15-ish or so laps, I pushed passed the peloton into the headwind and got myself to the front of the field where a couple of Greenline Velo dudes were blocking a bit. HOLY SHIT, HOW DID I GET TO THE FRONT OF A LEGIT PRO 1/2 CRIT? And then JP attacks off the front. He had been sitting around 20-30th wheel all day long. (I was mostly about 20 wheels back from him.) He later told me when he saw me at the front he figured, "why not?"

Why not indeed JP, why not indeed?

It was a short-lived move. Perlberg (Sommerville Sports) was out there in the wind too, but they all came back. And then shit got real. I was sitting pretty up the homestretch, looking forward to take some nice fast lines through the chicane while everyone else hammered to keep up, but the Greenline dudes weren't going fast enough to properly block, and by the time I started to pull around to pick up the pace a bit, a freight train that included Adam Myerson shot up the inside and then I got swarmed and annoyed and pushed way too far back.

So I was like, "oh no you didn't" and ate wind again to get close to the front, but hitting the turns on a line I wasn't used to taking with just a handful of laps to go in the race, as guys were steamrolling all around me, was an instant "ball shrinker" and I got pushed too far back again.

With two laps to go, I was going to do it again though. I was going to get my ass to the front and race for some cash-money! And then Ex 7up Pro Juan Pineda flatted just in front of me, as he was carving through the turn onto the back-sided straight-away. The field was strung out, I was committed to the line and all I could do was hit my breaks and sneak past him holding my breath that he didn't slide out taking riders down like bowling pins. I did, and he didn't. Except now I had to chase. I got back on in fairly short order, but now it was one lap to go and there was no way I was going to get closer to the front. Not enough time. The field too fast and furious at this point. Damn.

Had to ride it in. Ahead, I saw that JP was 15th or 20th wheel going into the final series of turns. Damn, that's pretty good position this late in the race! So jealous I was.

In the end, I motored through 68th place (24th Cat 2) which both does and does not tell the story of my race. Hrumpf. JP was the 15th Cat 2 and 49th overall. Perlberg was 62nd. He gave me half-a-tow part way up the field one lap. That was nice.

After the race, which is run on a residential course, JP and I rolled around and collected our "winnings." Lots of families cheering us on and were handing out beer and colas. Kids in the streets with "freeze pop" hand-ups. We stop to chat a bit, thank the fans for cheering and the post race refreshments and spun out the legs some more before we zipped on home.

2 nice days of racing...tomorrow will be somewhat anti-climatic to be sure. Short race + easy course = Cluster Fuck Sprint finish. Also, it should be noted that our race finished around 6pm, and we're racing tomorrow at 12:30. That's not, not a thing. It's something. Not a big thing, but a thing.

I'm pretty desperately wanting JP or I to get in the money. That will be a nice way to finish out the weekend. We've got the legs, of that there is no question. But it's a big sloppy lazy field traditionally and with only two of us racing there's only so much we can do. We're going to need a little good luck and/or I'm going to need to grow a set. (Please let me grow a set, heaven above, I'm not effing getting any younger here.)

Haven't seen the results posted. Didn't get a chance to talk to folks today. So no real report from me but...

Worth noting that JP snagged a $100 prime in the Cat 2 race. Reward for keeping his nose up front and going after some moves. Congrats!

PS Pony ride/petting zoo folks stepped up their game this year, with either a small horse or a really big pony added to the "stable."

Great to see you back as a legit crit racer Marc! I've been watching from the sidelines here in the forum for a number of years so I know it's been a campaign. You should be pleased to be back in the mix. Now go earn some #cashmoney in the Midwest!

Thanks Jules!

Results bro:

https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2015-1685&bypass=1

I had some unfinished business with Bound Brook.  Last year, I worked until 1, caught the first train to BB, barely made the start of the race.  It was hot and I got dropped a little past halfway.

I took the earlier train.  Plenty of time to warm up.  In a dry pro/am crit, I'm never too worried about start position.  If I can't be on the front row, I'm happy starting behind the back.  Easier to get into pedals.

The start was easy enough.  I remembered the corners from last year, though I did roll over the sidewalk on the inside of turn four.  That was a little surprising.  Moving up and holding position was easier than I expected.  What hurt more was accelerating out of the last turn.  Been a while since I've had to stand on the pedals so hard after a corner.  Took about five laps, but the rhythm came back.  

Marc came up just as the winning move went.  It was four or five guys at about 12 to go. I was out of position, but I moved up through the last two turns, and attacked into the headwind finish.  Perlberg had attacked about half a lap earlier, so I rode up to him, yelled my arrival and hoped he'd get on my wheel.  He didn't.  

The headwind was pretty hard.  I was losing steam through the crosswind section and got caught on the back straight.

I rested, moved up again, and was set to move up in the final two laps.  Got close enough to the front, but a momentary lapse dropped me back a bit, and then when I realized I couldn't finish in the money, I backed off.  Probably lost ten places or so as a result.  But happy with the legs.

BTW, 28.2mph average speed.  About the same as last year--by the time I got pulled, my speed was 28.1mph.

So JP, you totally listened to my advice about getting there early, but clearly didn't read my last mentoring note where I spent, literally half of my post talking about the very turn that "...hurt more was accelerating out of the last turn.  Been a while since I've had to stand on the pedals so hard after a corner." And not to "pick nits" but do you not see a correlation between starting at the back and your extra hard efforts early on in the race in that corner?

http://kissenacycling.vanillaforums.com/discussion/741/mentoring#latest

Yeesh, JP.

Teasing aside, despite me managing that corner in a way that kept me from hurting too bad at Bound Brook, there is no denying that JP rode an overall better race than I.

Next year, you might consider adding Rariton to the calendar. It's a kind of warm-up for the weekend in a way. The quick turns and fun course get the legs/head/body in the right frame of mind for this kind of racing. The kind we just don't get to do enough of around here.

no. It had nothing to do with starting at the back.  It had to do with my relative unfamiliarity with the effort.  

Somerville.  Two races, back to back.  Cat II followed by 45+

I don't hold back in the first, which is the "harder" field, and then go full-bore in the second.  Easy.

Big thing is to get in a good warmup.  Which I got.  

Somerville, since I can't get the front row, I start behind the back by ten meters or so.  That way I can get in and go while others are slowly starting up and trying to clip in while not crashing.

It's a short race, 19mi this go round, the race usually averages 27.5mph, and the field is generally ready to fly from the start.  There are lots of primes as well.  The primes are good for the crowd, but bad for those of us who want to break away, as the field ramps up in the tailwind for the primes,and then there's the long headwind back stretch where you just hang out there in front of the field for motivation.  But breaks have happened at least twice since I've been doing the II race.

To get away, I wanted collaborators.  I spoke with Zeb Nelessen before the race and got the lowdown on Van Dessel.  We were going to try something around 7 to go.

I made a half-hearted early effort at a prime, but was looking for Zeb around corner three before seven to go.  He was at the front, and was stringing things out a bit--the field was sheltering more than he was killing it.  I got to third wheel, right behind Andrew Bernstein, before the corner.  Went through, and than I accelerated hard in the saddle, taking Bernstein with me.  

Only he won't pull through.  I pull him much of the way down the home straight, and then he jumps me, as do three others.  Keep going or not?  I decide with four up there, not.  

It was a mistake.  The field had given us a gap.  Exactly when I predicted, too.  It took more than half a lap for the field to catch those guys.  It was the moment.  

I try a few more times.  Get announced as the winner of a $100 prime.  couldn't tell if I had it or not, but if they announced it, I'm good.  

On the last lap, I look for Marc.  He's decently positioned midway through the back straight.  But he's in the middle of the field and I'm on the right. I try moving up on the right, but I'm blocked, and in turn three, neither of us are in a good spot.  Now I'm thinking of just riding safe, as I've seen idiots out of contention crash with 400 to go at Somerville.  So I'm backing off, looking for the opening.  Now the field typically hugs the left side until about 400 to go and then things get crazy.

But here's the crazy part, the entire field goes right early!  When I realized this, it was too late to take advantage of it.  If I had merely held position out o turn three, we would have had an open shot at the left side, like a 10' wide lane with which for me to accelerate and let Marc sprint.  only I was too far back to make a difference.  That I really regret.  Sorry Marc!

After the race, they didn't have me listed as the prime winner (441 was my number, but 447 was the number listed for the prime that the announcer said I had).  And Bernstein told me if I could have pulled another 50m, he could have won the prime.  Right. you're welcome.  I told him if he had worked with me, we could have started the winning move.

The 45+ was too much like too many masters races.  Attack, catch the attack, regroup, rest, one person attacks, then the others chase him down.

Got second place in another two or three primes.  couldn't get a move going at all.  And any chance for a decent finish was blown because I got slowed by a crash coming out of turn two with two to go.  Slid a bit, slowed a lot, and had to sprint hard to catch up.

BTW, the II race was at 27.5mph.  The masters 26.0.  

Totally overheated at the end.  Should have probably drunk a bottle between the two races and poured another over my head.  

On the one hand, it is sad how far Memorial Day weekend racing has fallen. On the other hand ...

WE STILL HAVE BOUND BROOK.

Which is only the best crit course and competition in the region. It is this Sunday. You (yes you) should sign up.

I will race the 4/5 field to participate in the glorious teamwork that is inevitable as our Cat 5 crew of KCC killers gels into an indestructible unit of racing fury.

Then I will race the 3/4s, as I have acquired a taste for the salty toothsomeness of chewing bartape whilst trying not to swallow my tongue.

Despite saying that I'd already go on two rides this Sunday. Racing is so much fun that I'm going to have to take you up on this Jeff. Any lifts available?

Just registered for Bound Brook in the pro/am and Somerville in the 2/3.

Speed demon time.

I'm registered for Bound Brook.

I've got a question for those who've raced Bound Brook Criterium before. The event website says the race begins at 1:30 p.m. with the Juniors field, but doesn't give any start times for the other fields. Do the organizers send off the fields in waves, beginning at 1:30, with multiple fields riding the course at the same time? Or does any given race not begin until after the prior race has finished? I'm trying to get a sense of when the 4/5 race will start.