we have Yack, Condon, Keith, Dan Strika, and myself.

Figure a full field.  97 thusfar.

Weather Channel are the folks to watch.  They've got Margarite and Goldstein for the long attacks, and Molloy and Rahn for the sprint.  Mengoni also has Sanchez, Boronow, Polanco.  Dioslaki from Metra also present.

Generally, at this time of year, the only way a break will make it is to go at around 5-3 remaining.  But with Margarite in the house, it could be a long one.

Twss

A record power file for Yacks....going back to sleep...wake me when it's August
https://app.strava.com/activities/348606256

Results bros
https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2015-1515

Pics...more to come on Monday
http://lucarelliandcastaldi.com/2015/07/lucarelli-and-castaldi-cup-part-1-of-2/

Full house this morning.  110 or more riders.

We had Condon, Keith, Yack, Dan Strika, me (shout out to Phil and Sean for pinning my number on (skinsuit=marginal gains).  I learned on the line that Foundation's goal was to prevent Mengoni's Sanchez from winning, as that would displace their rider from the top of the series lead.  one extra bit of info.

Sure enough, the attacks came from the start.  And we're turning fast laps.  Maybe with nine or eight to go (thirteen lap race).  The big dig comes from Margarite.  While I had seen all of us, particularly Condon and Keith at the pointy side, this one we weren't ready for.  But not that many guys are up there yet, and the field is still going pretty hard over the hill.  We get the bell for the first KoM, and there are now three groups on the road, with Keith, I think, at the back of the second.  

I see Perlberg in the KoM jersey desperately signaling for the Sommerville Sports guys to come up.  I didn't think he cared about the KoM, but either way, this is go time.  They don't show.  I attack the field at the top of the descent, and am grinding out the final bit to the second group when the field catches me, and we almost catch the break.  Almost.

Next lap, we have the intermediate sprint.  Jordan's Stalin Quiterio is in the green, but he gets no help from his team at all.  The nine-man move is looking good.

I hear some guys on Rockstar talking about the break.  one guy, "you know there's a break off the front" second guy, "no." first guy, "It's got Margarite and Baldwin and Bezdek and we don't have anyone up there. We should do something."  Second guy. "ok."  They do nothing.  And Bezdek was in the field.

And while the field didn't really slow down, it didn't do what it took to bring back the break. There were splits, and attacks, and we almost always had at least one guy there helping increase the pace.  And failing that, we'd go to the front to make sure people didn't sit up (Keith, btw, is excellent at reading when guys are about to quit, and his form is coming around).  But we were pretty rare in that. I think I heard the gap was over a minute with four to go.  

While I didn't hear split times coming down, we finally see the break on the flats between two and one to go.  Finally!  Now we get some real help from Mangoseed and Foundation and some others, like Brand's.

Only, when we catch, on the hill. Margarite wasn't there.  He and Sanchez (bad on Foundation) had attacked the group and got away.

the last lap was pretty fast, and pretty sketchy.  Keith and I talked about doing something, but it was too hard to coordinate--not fast enough to keep people in line.  I somehow got caught behind the Coco's rider who can't hold his bars straight, and Health Warrior's Donovan Clarke, who always seemed on the verge of washing his front wheel into someone's rear.  Somewhere in there, I did a Degenkolb on Scott Savory, though I don't remember why: I think it was because of Clarke.  

Up the hill, and I'm a bit behind where I need to be to sprint.  But as the road starts to curve left at the top, I see an opening on the right and move up to the front, even have a few seconds to coast onto Anthony Taylor's wheel.  And he looks ready to sprint. 

Taylor starts the sprint first.  I couldn't hold his wheel.  But I'm ok on the right.  Still within range of tenth.  Then Jose Guzman tangles with a Liberty Cycle rider.  Don't know whose fault it is, but the Liberty guy loses several front spokes and his wheel is lumpy and out of true.  I pause as I don't want him flopping in front of me.  He falls to his left, sending his bike right. I ride over  his front wheel.  And roll in for 25th.

Margarite won from Sanchez with three seconds on the field.  Savory won the field sprint.

1:37:23 for 13 laps.  My fastest prospect of the season.  Looking forward to checking my power files.

Good to see Yack finish a race (looking much better than I felt he predicted after his racing siesta), and the form Keith and Condon have.  A little better early-race positioning and we coulda been contenders.

Much more enjoyable than the negative racing of the Masters race last week.  

^^^^^^  soaking in Epsom Salt bath as I read this. I had no idea what was going on.  Spent 1:37:23 staring at the wheel in front of me and trying to move up whenever I could.  That was hellafast.  Not a lot of wind and not a lot of sun contributed to the speed....that and a pretty stacked field.

Epsom salts?

@Yacks-

For your power averages, is that with or without zeros included?  329 for ~1:40 is impressive- good job.

315 straight up avg.   329 Strava weighted average....it was shambolic !!!

Weighted Average Power

When you ride with a power meter, you'll notice how your power jumps all over the place based on the terrain, grade, wind, and other factors. Weighted Average Power looks at all of this variation and provides an average power for your ride that is a better indicator of your effort than simply taking your average power. It is our best guess at your average power if you rode at the exact same wattage the entire ride.

Yacks, is 315 your FTP? I mean based on what you just did, it has to be, or higher, right? Like you can ride for over 90 minutes at 315 watts! Hot damn.

What's that work out to in watts/kg for you? #curious #jealous

I've got no good answers...New pedals = feels like I'm putting more power down.  Q rings could be causing the Stages meter to over report.  My power #'s have been creeping up since I got my Cat III upgrade.  Getting into a winning break as a Cat IV at Branchbrook = 280 watt avg.  Staying in the Cherry Blossom race at Branchbrook in the I/II/III's = 322 watt avg.  After the Cherry Blossom race, I completely fell apart and could hardly ride a bike for 3 weeks.  Yesterday was 329 watt avg and I went out and did about 40 miles today = feel good.  I think I've finally acclimated to the I/II/III field...it took a full year.  Same power meter using a computrainer and I can only do 300 watts for 20 minute intervals. Yet at the Cherry Blossom and yesterday the 1st 20 minutes were 340 & 330 watts...Using 330 my watt/kg =4.3  (I weigh 160lbs...no for real, I'm down about 15 lbs)
 https://app.strava.com/activities/261660376

At the very least, the gun show isn't the same.

Accuracy isn't so important in power meters, consistency is.  Same bike, same rings, same power meter, so unless the offset and/or calibration is not stable, you've got your past experience to compare yourself to.  It seems that by that metric you've gotten a good bit stronger and lost a big chunk of weight.  And that's impressive.

Wow, down to 160 for reals? That's impressive dude, nice work!

Fo real

Dang

Sure you aren't hitting the juice? That toe is looking pretty Hobbit-like...
#justsayin

Is that scale a subsidiary of cateye? 

Mechanically, the Stages Power meter is 100% compatible for use with Osymetric, Q-Ring, and other non-round chain rings. 

Our power measurement through a Stages Power meter is event based, where as an event is one complete pedal revolution. Due to the changes in velocity non-round chain rings produce through the course of an 'event' you will see that your power will be skewed higher than with a round ring, which has a constant velocity throughout each event. Through our own testing, and using a hub-based meter as a control, we conclude that there will be a 4-5% increase on the readings from a Stages Power meter when used with a non-round chain rings. We recommend that our customers take this into account when changing from round to non-round chain rings, as they may need to adjust their functional threshold power accordingly. 

None of your other goobledygook matters because this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UHgeNu5Gq-c

And I don't care that someone else likely posted this in the correct thread
because its awesome

I don't think his mom should watch that

This is awesome , but the Colombian dude looks way smoother , and less risky , yet nobody in thecommentary  mentions him

The dude that got blown off the back?

I'm doing the 1/2/3 race this Saturday. Anyone else going?

Craig London said:

I'm doing the 1/2/3 race this Saturday. Anyone else going?

I'm out. Will be training that day instead.

I'm likely in for the 4s. 

I'll be there in the 4s. Really looking to nab a spot in the top 5 or better.