Kissena Club Championships

Sep 21, 2012 at 07:03 PM

^ Mike wants people to look good while he's dropping them.

Well that and... victor will be out shooting us, so it would be great to do a team photo with lots of new kits.

Sep 21, 2012 at 11:28 PM

Charlie needs volunteers still for registration tomorrow. Reg starts at 5:30am. As always, if you work registration, you race for free.

Any takers ?

alyoshas

Sep 22, 2012 at 12:07 AM

I'm there.

Jeffrey White

Sep 22, 2012 at 01:27 AM

One last bit of inspiration before the race. Godspeed, gentlemen.

http://hypebeast.com/2012/09/watch-a-slow-motion-phantom-video-of-a-deranged-man-smashing-stuff/

Jeff Owens

Sep 22, 2012 at 02:00 AM

Ah, Gallagher, my favorite racist-homophobic-right wing dumbass.

mugwump

Sep 22, 2012 at 02:06 AM

Gallagher. Not often a comedian becomes a punchline himself.

WilliamDC

Sep 22, 2012 at 01:14 PM

Well . . .?

How'd Jan do?

mperlberg

Sep 22, 2012 at 02:02 PM

Jan lapped us.

As I saw it:

Early break: Dave V, Joaquin, Joe M. and Jeff White.

Jeff White popped out, Lenny and Perlberg go across.

Ragot and Johnston come across.

Break established.

Kissena field keeps it very close almost catching at points but not quite.

with about 4 to go Ryan Joe and Dave V and Joaquin are attacking and trying to whittle the break down. No such luck.

Perlberg attacks and rides Joe into a pothole. Joe flats. Break down to 6.

1 lap to go almost getting caught and Ragot takes a big pull up hill.

Seems like we have enough room, but it is closing fast.

Ragot jumps near the temple.

Dave V. on him. Perlberg following.

Ragot fades. Dave V. fades. Perlberg charges hard with RJ on his wheel.

Lenny and Joaquin fast closing the gap. Catch Perlberg at the bathrooms. 3 wide sprint finish:

1. Lenny
2. Joaquin
3. Perlberg
4. Ryan J

I think Dave V came across next,

fast charging chase group catches Ragot and something like this for them:

Todd
Jeff Condon

really fun times.

Let's do it again!

Ryan J

Sep 22, 2012 at 02:03 PM

Jan lost!

Lenny wins!

Great fun

The move of the day assembled gradually on the first few laps. By 6 to go a break of 6 was fairly well established with Perlberg, Ragot, Joe, Joaquin, Lenny, Dave V, and me.

An attack or two was launched here and there but we stayed together. We started slowing a lot as we played some egregious cat and mouse on the last lap. With about a K to go a chase group was nearing that I think had Todd, Vlad, Condon, and Jim (?). Seeing this Ragot took his chances and launched, was caught. Dave V countered, was caught. Then Perlberg went, by the bathrooms. I got on that and we had a bit of a gap. I started having delusions of glory about Perlberg's beastliness carrying me to an upset victory. But as I was imagining podium kisses from Charlie's marshalls, Joaquin and Lenny were closing the small gap and came around right at the line. Lenny first (kudos to him, he really played it perfectly) Mike second, Joaquin 3rd, me 4th (I think - I may have switched Mike and Joaquin).

Good racing. The club championship is no joke. You really have to be on your toes because once the right group assembles, its lights out.

Tasty, tasty, caramel pear turnover and Kondotori after. OMG that was good. I wanna eat one in a bubble bath.

Jeffrey White

Sep 22, 2012 at 02:13 PM

That was a really frustrating race for me.

Goddamn motorcycle slowed down right in front of me as I was taking a pull with Joaquin, Dave, and Handsome Joe on my wheel (and Jules riding beside us). I sat up and started yelling at the driver to pick it up, when Joaquin came around me so fast I couldn't get back to the wheel. I immediately sat up and waited for either the pack or a bridging group. I caught onto Vlad's bridging attempt, but we never made it. We were caught at the bottom of the downhill, right after which Ragot made his bridging move. I was too gassed to follow anything at that moment, so I cast my lot with the pack, which didn't quite have the firepower to match the break. Props to Yacks for marshaling a credible chase, though. Very frustrating, but even so, very fun!

We should definitely see if we can get Charlie to do both a Catch Kissena and a club championship race next year!

Jules

Sep 22, 2012 at 02:14 PM

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.375557859179248.80269.283393421729026&type=1

WilliamDC

Sep 22, 2012 at 03:19 PM

Lennyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!

Lennykatz

Sep 22, 2012 at 03:45 PM

Great race guys, and not just because I won. Always tough deciding whether to go with the early break, but with a small field I knew the chase would be hard. I saw Joaquin and Dave (?) off the front and Stokes was in nowhere man's land trying to get across. I started to bridge, when I got to Stokes he was too tired to join me, then Michael P came flying by me and I had to dig deep to grab his wheel. We got across, then Ragot and the others joined shortly after. Everyone worked really hard in the break and I think we were all hurting at times. I know I was, especially from a few attacks on the hill in the latter laps. Last lap was very cat and mouse and we almost blew it, but Ragot's jump after the downhill got us going again. I was 4th wheel when the sprint was really winding up and it was just the right spot to be in. It was very close on the line but I was lucky to get the win. Great work by everyone, and lots of fun.

tito

Sep 22, 2012 at 04:09 PM

Awesome! Sorry to have missed it.

Joaquin

Sep 23, 2012 at 07:37 PM

Jules, that finish line shot you showed at the race was pretty actiontastic. You have a copy?

Jules

Sep 23, 2012 at 08:58 PM

@ Joaquin it is on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/KissenaCyclingClub

vlad

Sep 24, 2012 at 02:57 AM

Jeffrey White said:

Props to Yacks for marshaling a credible chase, though.

Indeed!

... and for blowing it up on the last hill allowing our final chase group to get so effing close to the action.

Very fun race guys.

Congrats Lenny.

twoyacks

Sep 24, 2012 at 03:17 AM

that chase rocked! I think everyone gave every watt they had. Some popped but nobody quit. Yes the catch almost happened and any of us bridging would likely have been rewarded with a drubbing in the final sprint...still it would have been something to just make it up to the swanky part of the race. Lenny, Mike and Jaquin going 3 up across the line was really cool to see. I didn't race that much this year, but that was the most exciting race I was in. Yacks

dstokes

Sep 24, 2012 at 11:35 AM

The chase was not always very beautiful, but we certainly did not quit. Even though Yacks kept yelling at us that we were going to catch the bastards, I found it a little surreal that it might possibly come true. I suspect I speak for many of us in saying that I can't remember ever having worked that hard in a race before - not even in the episodes of Catch Kissena, which at least let up in the end.

alyoshas

Sep 24, 2012 at 01:57 PM

Definitely felt pro! Yacks definitely had the heart and the group organized itself pretty well. kinda bummed we didn't catch the break but nice to see we almost did and knowing Eric sacrificed himself on the last hill for its' success. My legs were really tired on sunday after giving my all during that race! Lets do another one!

Lennykatz

Sep 24, 2012 at 04:03 PM

I'm glad to hear you guys were working as hard chasing as we were in the break trying to stay away (until the last lap anyway). Also glad you didn't catch us, (heh heh). It was fun.

ericmehlenbeck

Sep 24, 2012 at 08:46 PM

This one is a little funny for me in hindsight: Discovering that I'm very good at hiding Rene. I had no idea he couldn't be seen at the time.

I didn't like the 4s mixing in, too bad they didn't get neutralized for us. I also didn't realize it was their last lap so that explains the typical cat 4 brainless riding.

Ryan J

Sep 24, 2012 at 10:23 PM

My one and only complaint about this race:

I'd love to see us get the parade lap right!

This year was similar to last. We basically spent half of the first lap chasing down and neutralizing riders who flew off the front immediately. Then we rode together in neutral for about 90 seconds before someone launched an attack through the chute, after which it was like everyone who was trying to get the bunch to chill for the parade lap just threw in the towel and just started racing.