Tech guide just posted. Read it.

http://www.gmsr.info/pdfs/Tech guide/8-25-2014_FINAL_Technical_Guide.pdf

Adam said:

On the third stage, route description:

mile 47.75 Left turn Top of Notch Road to Lower Notch Road, Road turns to gravel

Mile 48: Road surface back to pavement

WTF??  Gravel

Oh, they haven't had the gravel roads in the last few editions? Oh, yes. And if memory serves, there is one stretch that can have volleyball sized depressions in the road. Give yourself plenty of room to ride. Things usually come back together after the return to tarmac. Usually. Channel your inner classics rider and get to the front, this way you get to pick your line.

I am shit hot off road.  No problem.  But my SWorks Tarmac and Dura Ace wheels with skinny racing tyres is less so!

@Adam with the form you have you could probably shoulder your bike and run that gravel mile in your socks, without losing more than 3 of 4 places.

Hey Cat 3 car-poolers, all of this goes without saying, but you know...I can't help myself so here are suggested topics of conversation to start/continue/argue.

1. Team goals--GC podium? Leader jersey?
   
2. Individual goals--KOM or Sprinter's jerseys?
   
3. How to combine all goals for both team and individual success.
4. Stage-by-stage strategy.
5. Plan B and C.

I don't think this is going to happen, but if you approach this race without some discussion, then you run the risk of landing a couple of KCC dudes into respectable top 20 final GC. But I'm confident with some good, heads-up team racing getting one guy into a top 5 is possible.

Related, my coach and I are thinking a lot about how I'm going to survive the climbs and still make time cut. And while us fatties tend to think about Sag-climbing the most, I think it's worth reminding our Cat 3s (all of whom are strong climbers), that you too will benefit from placing yourself well before and as the climbs start to kick in. The major benefit for you, is that you will save a tremendous amount of energy that will no doubt become important to you at a later stage in the day and/or weekend.

My plan right now:

Smash the TT as best as possible. Wait until Sunday, stay with the front, at the finish be the front. Jump across any gaps that open during the crit til it's over.

Then drink a milkshake.

We will discuss all, and throughly.

TT start times are up:

Cat 3s:
http://www.gmsr.info/pdfs/ITT Start times/2014 ITT Start Times/men3.pdf

Cat 4/5:
http://www.gmsr.info/pdfs/ITT Start times/2014 ITT Start Times/men45open.pdf

Looking forward to reports of major Hulk Smashiness.  I can't remember when Kissena sent a stronger group to a stage race than you guys.

Jules said:

Looking forward to reports of major Hulk Smashiness.  I can't remember when Kissena sent a stronger group to a stage race than you guys.

Awhhh, shucks Jules, thanks. hahahaaaaaa. (I'm looking forward to reading their race reports too)

Is it me or is that guy remarkably not dead after receiving that hulk smash? So unrealistic!

Just saw this post on the GMSR FB page:

Have a good thought for the Cat 3s...their up first. All should be warming up, ready to rock, right about now.

Joaquin 9:34

Ryan 9:42

Konrad 9:44:30

Adam 9:54

PS JEFF? It just occurred to me, no GMSR this year? You love this race! Wait are you in Croatia or something?

Get your Jeffs straight:
Jeff White is in 4/5 Masters
Jeff Apruzzese is in 4/5 Open
Jeff Owens is AWOL

dstokes said:

Get your Jeffs straight:
Jeff White is in 4/5 Masters
Jeff Apruzzese is in 4/5 Open
Jeff Owens is AWOL

Woa...Sorry Whitey...you spend so much time kicking my ass on the bike, I forgot that you are a cat 4. How is that possible that you are not a cat 3? Now excuse me while I internet-stalk the "Jeffs" start times...

Next year!

Results?

....bros?

konrad said:

My plan right now: Smash the TT as best as possible. Wait until Sunday, stay with the front, at the finish be the front. Jump across any gaps that open during the crit til it's over.

How many people do you think have this plan?  I'm guessing about 2/3 of the field.  And that's probably a conservative estimate.  

@mugwump I know, but that's fine with me. I think those last two climbs will be the real deciders and though competition is strong out here, I think I'm up there in terms of climbing ability and that may be my best place to go. We've got an overall team plan in the works and right now that's my role in it.

Nice results guys

We've got four strong guys. I think we can cover our bases by cutting the leash for a couple of us and the other two playing it cool. 

Stage 1 40+ Race Report.

So with my fancy new tires (25mm Michelin Pro4 Service Course) and double fancy inner tubes (Challenge Latex) locked and loaded on trickest of trick Bontrager Race Lite wheels from like 15 years ago (I know Vlad, don't be jealous), I started to roll down the mountain to get to the start of the ITT in nearby Warren, VT. The road is "grated" but rolling fine, and seemed better than screaming down the dirt/gravel road that was my other option.

After a mile or so I get to a road crew and they are laying asphalt. Okay, that will be good. I think foolishly. I start to roll and hear and feel a terrible sticking. After about 10 meters I stop to see that my fancy new "7% less rolling resistance" tires bought at full retail, now have a thick and even layer of asphalt coating them. AWESOME. And it's not wiping off.

So I turn around and ride full speed back to the condo, get a butter knife and start scraping. Dear lord, I hope I don't miss my start. I hope I get all this asphalt off my tires. Front and back the gooey stuff mostly gone, I roll down the mountain, "the other way." Except I get to a fork in the road and have to choose. Historically speaking, if I ever have to chose between right or left, I usually take the wrong turn. In this case it only took me a half a mile of climbing up one of the area's other impressive mountain gap climbs (Lincoln) to suspect that I was going the wrong direction. And so I stopped at a friendly looking farm house, knocked on the door and praying that some scary dude didn't come after me with a shotgun and got confirmation that of course I was going the wrong way.

Get to the course, get a quick bike adjustment cutting in front of the Jeffs who were also hanging out at SRAM neutral support, line up and hit the course. Whitey tells me his time which I use as a mental marker. He and I tend to be pretty evenly matched. He tells me times are slow this year. I hear similar sentiments from other dudes in the 40+ category. Last year, they recall, there was a nice tailwind. This year, not so much.

The guy starting 30 seconds in front of me, race announcer Alan Cote is kitted up riding for Bikereg.com, turns and asks, "Are you going to pass me?" And I respond, "I don't think so. I'm the guy who would normally finish in last place except there's always someone out there who mechanicals or flats."

Out on the course the racer 30 seconds behind me, catches me early. Near the end of the opening climb. I'm prepared to try to use him to help me keep my pace up. Except in the last few meters of the climb, I start to pull back. then we're side by side. I'm riding the yellow line. And as it flattens I know I need to go faster. Solid and comfortable in the drops (love the fit of my 54 CAAD10, so much better, if I'm honest than my 56cm Trek 5500) and I continue to crank as hard as I think I should be going.

No computer, no power meter, just my wife's running watch to glance at as the "K to go" markers fly on by. I put about 8 bike lengths on the guy who had just passed me. I keep my head down, "old school" aero helmet notching into the arc of my back. Keep pressure on the pedals. No coasting, no taking it easy. I expect to get passed sometime again soon, but the kilometers clip on by and the dude is still locked behind me. Is he drafting? What's he doing back there? Whatever, race your race and forget about "he who is behind!"

With 700 meters to go, a fast descent, followed by a stiff, short climb, I finally wooooosh past Cote, and a few seconds later, I'm finally passed by the guys who started 30 seconds and 1 minute behind. In the end, the time, for me is good. As I peruse the results, I'm still at the back of the pack, but relative to how I usually do in these sorts of races, I have to be pleased with 16:52:59. (Hey, looky, I beat Karl Rahn...it's been a few years since I've done that.)

Since we're staying at ski condos this year, I had to ride back up the mountain after my race. Less than ideal, but with beautiful weather and a 34 x 28, it ended up being a rather pleasant climb. Next up, the circuit race.

Cat 3s are starting in the morning, I get to sleep in with a 1pm-ish start. Good luck fellas. Stay out of trouble.

" I blame it on first stage race with a baby."

I blame him too.

Babies are innocent!

Dinner

babies are good for dinner.