Anyone doing the 4/5 race(s) this saturday?

Good luck tomorrow men and remember ""We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level
of our training"  .....you trained...now go get some!

Race reports????

Jake Jolly 3rd in 123 race. JP and me finished st front end of 2nd group. Mid 20s probably. It was a big split at about 20 mins. With the wind it stayed that way. Congrats to Jake on the podium!

So awesome!!! That guy is a greyhound

Diggity....that race blow up all over the road
https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2015-452

Craig London said:

Jake Jolly 3rd in 123 race. JP and me finished st front end of 2nd group. Mid 20s probably. It was a big split at about 20 mins. With the wind it stayed that way. Congrats to Jake on the podium!

It was a great ride by Jake when we nearly all screwed up.  His story seems to be that the end was a brutal affair.  

But before then,  a group of five or so (including dioslaki and perlberg) rolled off  at the end of  the headwind section.  It didn't seem too serious, as a number of heavy hitters (like Bill Elliston) were back in the group and the gap was 5-10s.  Problem is, we were too far behind.  Bill countered across.  A few follow him.  Now it was serious, and we still had the headwind section to ride.  We moved up, got to the front by the finish, and were attacking.

I saw both Jake and Craig ahead of me.  I was hoping to scoop them up, but went by too fast.  I had a gap.  then Ryan Johnston and Craig came up to me.  Wasn't sure what Ryan was up to, wasn't drilling it, so I couldn't tell if he was blocking or riding.  Turns out, he was riding.  After the tailwind section, he fell back, Vollbach came up as did Jake.  Now there are three of  us, and we drop Vollbach I think.  We continue on, Vollbach comes up with someone else, and Craig is dropped.  Another lap and Jake and the other guy make it across.  I don't.  But I keep going.  Two guys sitting on (juan pineda and Jim eichvalds, at least eichvalds had three teammates up the road already)  jump me. 15 guys up the road.  D'oh!  Vollbach is back, and we pic up a guy dropped from the break.  we get pretty close again.  And the third guy blows.  Vollbach and I go for another three laps possibly.  I think I spent 25-30 minutes in no-mans land.  Once I'm caught, it's time to relax until the break is caught or it's time to play for the finish.

The break was gone, so the finish could still be something.  I wanted one of us to win from the group.  A move got away with two to guy and was just hanging in front.  three guys.  Then, before the bell, a Sommerville crossed.  Then Sommerville set the pace, keeping it close.  Vollbach attacked, and the remaining sommerville kept him close.  Going into the final mile, they were catchable.  I was thinking sprint, but Craig was better positioned.  So when the guy in front of me accelerated, I followed.  A third guy was there, and we had a small gap.  I figured we'd rotate, but both guys blew up.  D'Oh.  Only thing left was to plow on.  I got caught with 300 to go.  Craig was sixth int he group for 21st.  I rolled in 35th.

Prizes included a six pack and coffee as well as $50 and a podium pic. Good times.

Anybody heading out to Newark Saturday? If I can share a ride w somebody, I'd be down for either one or both of the early race start times 7 and 7:50 either 45+ or cat 4/5s followed by cat 4/5s, or one or the other

Rick Perner said:

Anybody heading out to Newark Saturday? If I can share a ride w somebody, I'd be down for either one or both of the early race start times 7 and 7:50 either 45+ or cat 4/5s followed by cat 4/5s, or one or the other

FWIW, a reminder that the L&C Cup in PP starts on Saturday as well.

Marc. 
I'm aware. I like Branchbrook, both the course and the vibe.   And they have beer....specifically porter.....my favorite

Craig and I will be racing in the 1/2/3. Planning to take the NJ transit over to Newark Penn station and ride over. 

I'll probably see you guys there. I'm signed up for both of the 4/5 races. Taking the L Train to the PATH to Newark Penn then riding to the park. Getting up super early

Rick, I can get you a ride over for both races.

Thanks Jeff!  I'll give you a holler after 5

That was fun! A nice opener for my 2015 campaign. I raced the 4/5 and the 35+ races back to back. Rolled up right on time with Rick and we took our time registering and pinning up. Rick let me in on a super pro move for when you're racing back to back. He brought a little pair of scissors in a baggie labeled "KISSENA" and stashed it at the start/finish for cutting off the top number between races. Slick. Will add that to the race bag.

4/5 race:

I had zero warm up, so I took the hole shot and rode the front for half a lap at a high cadence to get warm. Once I pulled off, everybody stopped pedaling and it spread out across the road. I spent a couple laps near the front, but it was painfully slow, nobody was taking their turn at the front, and there was nothing to counter. And I sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to do the first move while everyone still had perfectly fresh chasing legs. To make things worse, due to the slow pace there were a few sketchy fellows around me all the time, so I moseyed to the back of the pack to tailgun for a couple laps and wait for the racing to heat up.

Finally, about halfway through the race, some attacks started to go. And then some counters. I figured it was a good time to move on up to the pointy end and just as I was starting to make my way there, I saw Rick pop off the front to bridge up to a big feller motoring solo up the road. The pack stretched out to chase the two-man break and I sat in. When we made the catch, Rick drifted back quickly and didn't get back into the field. I thought he'd just blown it and miscalculated his re-entry into the peloton, but his tire was actually in the process of going flat .

The counter to this move was really a series of counters as a few pairs of guys slipped the bonds of the pack and glommed into what became a fairly large break up the road. It was starting to look more like a field split and I was trapped in the right gutter (nicely sheltered from the nasty crosswind) coming up to the start/finish. Finally, as the course started bending left, the right side opened up ahead of me and I bridged the 30 meters or so up to the front group, which was not working together at all. I didn't even bother getting into it. I got some draft off the back of it as I approached then shot past full-gas. About 15 seconds later I heard a man shout something or other at me in a ridiculously thick Irish accent. He pulled through, and sadly it was just the two of us against a strung out field a ways behind. We worked together really smoothly and got ourselves a decent bit of space, but we only lasted a lap before getting caught at the start/finish just as the 1-to-go bell was being rung. I finished in the pack near the front-ish.

35+ race:

My legs were rather unhappy with their return to racing. I sat in. A big break won. I was not in it. I got a decent workout and some good racing time.

Jacob, Craig, how'd it go?

Cherry Blossom is happening on Saturday. Phil and I are doing the 4/5s. Craig L is reg'd for the 3/4 race and Jake Jolly is in for the 1-2-3 race pitted against the Deathstar Sommmerville Crew eg Perlberg, Ragot and Konrad
https://www.bikereg.com/2015-cherry-blossom-challenge

I'll bring my lightsaber (in my saddle bag). 

I'm working on the hall pass...that one starts late

JacobJolly said:

I'll bring my lightsaber (in my saddle bag). 

Hey, and this week, if you don't write about it, it didn't happen. 'Kay? Jeesh...new guys...gotta teach them everything?

Seriously though, Good luck!

Alright, alright. Race report will be delivered promptly upon completion of racing action. And last week definitely DID happen ... my legs still kinda hurt. One hour (not exaggerating) chasing the break with Edwin Bull (Mr. Van Dessel) and one other amigo (no habla ingles?!). We caught the break with about 1.5 laps to go and I was thoroughly cooked for the sprint. Still think I beat one or two guys from the break, so made the effort, 1hr at FTP, feel worthwhile. 7th place.    

A three-up bridge with Edwin? As Yacks would say, "Ouch, babe."

I will be saying that a lot tomorrow at around noon

https://www.bikereg.com/Registration/Cart/Confirmation.aspx

I think you meant this
https://www.bikereg.com/Confirmed/27212

Yes, I quickly learned that Edwin is what we call in the industry a "wattage cottage."

Can u pit wheels???

Folks leave wheels propped up against the tree by the start finish line….I don't know if they'll give you a free lap. 

No free lap = no extra wheels

Edwin doesn't know how to not go full gas. And his bikes are awesome. So why isn't HE on a Wheaties box?