Absolutely inspiring to read about your race — congratulations!

Great result, Stephane... what a nice ride!

Dear teammates...looking at the Capital Region RR results, I'm overwhelmed by one thought that I would like to share with you:

Don't be a pussy...

...and finish your god-damned race.

Over the years, I notice a disturbing trend in the harder, hillier, out-of-town races. Namely, when the going gets tough, the pussies quit. Case in point, at this weekend's Captital Region RR, the 1/2/3 field started with 61 riders and we finished with 37. Do the math folks, that's big puss-factor. Yeah, there were a handful of us that got listed as "P&P" (whatever that means) for finishing up our third lap more than 10 minutes behind the group and being asked to withdraw, but at least we went until Alan yanked us and got listed in the results. (And I was the only one who actually did my fourth lap, after I removed my number, followed traffic regs, etc, because I didn't drive all the way to Albany to only do 60-something miles. Parenthetical P.S. I'm not accusing the folks who didn't finish the last lap with me of great pussyeria) And it get's better, of 33 Cat 2 starters 17 of us finished.

Normally, I don't care what you do in these races, but it's starting to screw up my race experience. And I'm sick of you pussies ruining it for me. Think, if the HALF of the field that pussed out, actually continued the race, maybe we would have had an opportunity to actually finish the race, instead of getting eliminated because a handful of semi-pro full-time bicycle racers decided to kill it on the first lap. I was riding with one of those guys from Bike Reg and he said they were absolutely shredding it on the first lap. (My good position kept me in contention over the early hard climbs, but when the super-steepy bit after the 170 degree turn hit, I was done for.)

So the next time you saddle up for a hard race, why don't you man-the-fuck-up, and finish what you started. It might be the only pro thing you do all season.

Epilogue: In next week's rage filled post, I will address the "I'manasskickingcat3butinsistonracingwithcat4s" conundrum. Because nothing fills my heart with pride more than seeing some of the strongest climbers around sitting in the middle of a 3/4 field soft pedaling at 15mph forcing me to actually stop pedaling so I don't get yelled at for mixing with fields as they toodle past.

Comme on dit en français, Marc, si tu n'existais pas, il faudrait t'inventer!

@ Marc: Hear-Hear! NY Riders need more nads when it comes to finishing races! Perhaps we can have some flown in from Belgium.

P.P.S. I was reminded that sometimes people DNF for good reasons like being a hardworking bad-ass, or mechanicals. True that.

Raise your virtual hand if you've DNFd in a race this year after having your ass handed to you...

(I did it. Twice!)

My DNFs are due to failed attacks (in Prospect) that are caught on the last lap, and after blowing myself up doing team work at Catskills.

I feel ambivalent about my bailage at the feed zone at Catskills. I could have continued, but I was sooo cooked and it would have been a crampfest for the last 20 miles. Props to Malcolmson who kept going and finished.

I think it's interesting that I never once DNF'd as an unattached rider.

I have DNFed several races this season. Mostly because of cooking myself for teammates, or flatting out in Watermelon Crit. All of my DNF were in the purpose of a greater good (or at least that is what I tell myself).

@Jeff, I don't think it is interesting, I think it is telling that you didn't DNF before. As an unattached rider you only had one purpose in the race, and that is preserve your energy, and finish the race as best you can. No need for suicide attacks 2km out from the finish, or riding tempo for 2 laps to reel in a break or all the other things you did this season to fulfill team goals. I think that all points to racing harder and better.

Since I DNF'd just last night I think I'll weight in on the positive side:

DNF's are just fine, provided you did the work you wanted to for the team. I always prefer to work hard, animate the race for the advantage of the team; if that means blowing sky high then so be it. Saving myself for a 27th place finish when I could have worked harder for our main guys seems silly to me.

I'm not racing to finish, I'm racing to win.

nice work, stephane - that a beauty result

congrats Stephane!

I graduate to your age group next season and hope to see you do your thing.

@ Rick. Hurry up! I'm here at GMSR, without team mates in my cat., like Harry and Marc. Two of my racing mates in my cat. from Mystic Velo in Connecticut are staying with family because of Irene's aftermath, only one former training buddy here, David Carr, who may go away with the strong half led by Funk, Moser and Sorenson... The fifty plus group is great, you'll have fun.

I met the guy who is the organizer for this race CRRR, he stays at the same Inn. He is a cat. 3 from Brooklyn, races in the 40+ I think. He would like to know what he could do to have more of you do his race. I mentioned the starting times, we need to drive there in the morning, he's willing to start at 10:30 instead of 10:00. He would like to know if Sunday is better than Saturday, we said yes because of local races.
Any other input?

Throw in some dirt roads and put Dieter Drake's name on the flyer?

Organize transport. Bus from Manhattan. Bikes in travel cases underneath. Return journey 2 hours after last race. I'd go.

Wow, what is it that earns this race so much love? it is quite literally one of the easiest races to travel too. Get on 87, drive north for two hours, get off the highway, race. I mean if it's an issue where travel to out of town races is a problem period, okay. Then maybe as a club we need to do a better job of organizing carpools. But to suggest that the only way one would do this race is if we had some kind of chartered bus ride to and from? That just sounds reedonkulous to me.

I had a nice conversation with the promoter of this race this morning,and unlike other race organizers who think it's okay to not have corner marshals and charge outrageous entry fees, his races have always been well run events for a reasonable entry fee.

And from a sporting/timing point of view this race fits nicely into a block of hard climbing road races. Whether you are targeting it after the form you've built up from hilltowns, tokenoke or you are still building for green mountain or fall bear, to me this race is a great one to put on your calendar.

Anyone going this year? I'm doing the 3/4.

Ah, going.  I was thinking about it, but I've never had a good experience at this race, and even after yesterday, I'm not sure about my climbing form--on the long climbs, I was decent, but that short steep one at the far end of the Capitol Region course has always been tough for me.

I'm currently reg'ed in the 4/5 but am thinking of switching to 3/4. 42miles of racing just doesn't cut it when going out of town.

Looks like my ride might be falling through. Anyone have a spot?

Reports?

It started to rain as Alyosha and I lined up for the 3/4 race. Even wet, the new kits looked fresh. So far the peleton approves. The whistle blows and it's on.

links:

http://tpks.ws/YqVhNVhC

https://www.usacycling.org/results/?year=2012&id=2476&info_id=52175

Pace was very high on the first lap, managed to stick it on the climbs which were not so long but quite steep and called for much tenacity as riders accelerated furiously on the crest as well. the second lap was a little slower but with all that fatigue in the legs, the morale was not at its best either. I got distanced by the lead group on the wall before the long downhill. Thankfully, I managed to get back on with the help of a few other riders.
The rain was hurting my face at one point it was coming down so hard, visibility was terrible but the torrential rains lasted about a lap and the rain relented on the final lap. I kept thinking how terrible of a day it was to be wearing my new jersey but the compliments from the rest of the field more than made up for it!
The third lap was much more comfortable on the climbs, I don't know whether it was because ppl were tired or because they were saving energy for the approach to the finish also thinking others around us would launch attacks. I think it was a combination. After the beginning of second lap, there were a few attacks, small group of riders would go up the road and were brought back as they dangled a little before they succumbed.
I have to work on positioning, I had tons of time to move up before the finish but failed to do so, I knew I had to either catch wind or be smart about wheel placement but I kept telling myself that things would workout somehow and that I didn't really stand a chance in the final anyway. However, at the 1km mark I kept my 53 gear, kept moving uphill, followed wheels and passed more ppl until the finish. I regret not being more towards the front as I think I could have gotten a more respectable result, but so I learn and am not too disappointed either.
I recommend this for anyone looking to do this in the future. well organized race, fun course, overall good times.

Nice work guys.

thanks.
vlad pic:
 http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=paiwacket&gallery_id=3120595&image_id=384&pos=178

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=paiwacket&gallery_id=3120595&image_id=384&pos=178

Climbing (hurts)

I've attached a picture of me getting dropped. Man, I was so bummed after the race. Thank god my super hot girlfriend was there to carry my bike.

et moi et moi!