Condon and I were in the 1/2/3.  110-rider field.  

With our numbers, it's hard to do anything else other than try to stay near the front, conserve, be smart, and go when it seems right.  We both did the best we could on that front.

For me, the best opportunity seemed to occur at five or six to go.  I got into a move with Perlberg (Habitat), Stevens (Weather Channel), An E2 Value, and Dioslaki (Metra).  The first three had a combined 12 or more back in the field, though E2 had the race leader.  he worked.  

I figured we'd get at least a lap of leash.  We didn't.  Hope it was hard behind because I was at my limit.  

on the next lap, a break went.  It looked good.  It quickly got a gap too big to cross solo, so I helped chase.  Got it down to four seconds, but I wasn't going to finish the job with several teams behind me who hadn't done anything.  So I pulled over.  And the field sat up.

I figured that was it. As we spent a lap letting the gap grow.  Then guys bridged without us. D'Oh!  Now it was up to like 20 guys.  But that totally killed the break, and no one tried to attack, so we brought it back.

Last lap, the field wasn't super-fast, lots of bunching, so I rode in the wind, and it seemed pretty windy, to keep good position.  Condon was stuck behind.  Halfway up the hill, the wind caught up with me.  Condon, on the other hand, found some openings, and followed the leaders home, as I got distanced.

1:42:46 for 44miles
25.7mph average
219w ap, 272w np
two fastest laps for me were lap 2, 7:41 and lap 12, 7:40.

plenty of Marco Quezada photos from the race... including the breakaway...

http://lucarelliandcastaldi.com/2016/04/another-car-free-day-at-prospect-park-2/
http://lucarelliandcastaldi.com/2016/04/another-car-free-day-at-prospect-park/

That dude should get a mandatory upgrade based exclusively on that picture of his legs

We're looking into it

twoyacks said:

That dude should get a mandatory upgrade based exclusively on that picture of his legs

Don't upgrade him too soon. Guys, we know how this movie ends. When he goes - FOLLOW HIM AND SIT ON HIS GODDAMN WHEEL.

You can follow your way to an upgrade that way. Better men have done the same.

#justsayin

yes follow the big whale...

You mean these legs??

http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling-Races/2016-Race-Season/Lucarelli-Castaldi-Cup-Race424/i-npC8Hzs/A

yeah...those are going to be a problem for me real soon
I'm glad that huckleberry wasn't around when I was going for the polka dots

I love that only Adam "Crush your enemies and see them driven before you" N disagrees.

What is best in life

Sorry @Jules  
I disagree somewhat with all the sentiments of your prior post, except the part about leaving the guy alone in the Cat4 field.

1)"Following" to an upgrade is ludicrous.  If you happen to fluke it onto this guy's wheel then get dragged around in an hypoxic trance, staring at his rear Conti GP 4000, barely able to take a pull, if ever, then squeak some upgrade points and use that as your ticket up...you're an idiot.

2)No.  Better riders have not upgraded like that.  Weaker ones have.

But, you are right, he should be left alone and not forced to upgrade.  For the stronger riders who actually have a chance of winning, they'll love racing with this guy.  He's actually able to contribute.  For those who never have a chance in hell of ever seeing the front of the race, they somehow equate their inability with his success and reason that if he leaves, they'll somehow be able to win.  An obvious fallacy to even the least nuanced observer.  If he is forced up, those guys coming in 39th will come in 38th next time, that's all. 

Not true.

some my best results have come from simply knowing who the stronger riders are and helping them win.

you want to be there with those that matter, when it matters. if you do this well, then you matter too. obvious.

you can qualify it however you want, but there is nothing really weak about it. -- it is basic racing.

Its Hyde following Powers, Talanski climbing with Froome, Reiners and O'Neill, Armitstead and Johansson at Flanders, it is Stevens following van der Breggen up the mur de huy.

awesome and: Basic. Racing.

I won't begrudge the guy his moment in the sun in the cat 4 points/overall jersey, most likely because after he upgrades there's a good chance he won't see the podium very often if at all.

Every year there are a few riders of that caliber that rip through the lower categories.  The ones that like to race upgrade as soon as they're able to (Matt Moocarme).  The ones that like to win are forced to upgrade after they sandbag to win a state championship (Baris Aytan).

I love that you remember the names of these categories four Riders.

Myles said:

I love that you remember the names of these categories four Riders.

Baris I remember because he sandbagged until he won the NYS Crit Championship by peeling off the front on lap one and staying away with only one other guy who took 2nd.  Ragot immediately sat him down on a curb after the results were official and forced him to upgrade right in front of me.

He's a cat 1 racer now and regularly sees top 10 and podium results...
http://www.road-results.com/racer/92492


Matt Moocarme is just a nice dude who happened to podium a lot when I was racing in the same fields as him.  He was on some random CRCA subteam (Organic Athlete) with no teammates and was looking to join another team/club.  I told him to come to Kissena, but from the looks of his USAC profile hasn't raced much since 2014.

That video of Perlberg before he started shaving is perfect. Before he rode the 123 field off his wheel at Prospect to finish solo he was a savvy Cat 4 who followed the gorilla to his own upgrade.

If it's a good enough move for Gerrans, it'll do for some Cat 4's in the park.

I think there is a race tomorrow 

And it starts at 6:00 AM

Charlie needs help for the registration tomorrow starting at 5:00 AM.

I you sure he meant 5:00????  could it be 5:15???  better confirm that.....

I'll be there for reg help.

I wrote 5:00 AM to make sure that you would not miss the start sir.

perfect :)  

Today's Cat 4 L&C cup was aggressive throughout the entire race. Jordan had 7 riders and they, along with the Yellow, Polka dots and a Verazzano rider attacked over and over. Knowing that the last three mentioned stayed away for most of the race last time, the peloton chased everything down. 

Jim, Chiam and I represented Kissena. Each of us worked to cover possible moves. In the end it came down to a field sprint. Jim had good positioning before the final hill but we all got stuck on the wrong end of the split after the crest of the hill.

This is not the fitness I had back when I was defending the Polka dots in 2014, but it was a good deal of fun. What wasn't fun was a crash and a near crash. The first incident occurred near the end of the race near the GAP. A guy must have touched wheels and nearly brought everyone down. I posted video below. 

The second incident occurred on the downhill and was therefore scarier. A Wyld Stallions rider nearly took out someone's wheel and that guys pulled out of his pedal and swerved causing Umberto (Mineola) in front of me nearly to ride off the road at 35 miles an hour. Had he hit the edge he would have probably taken me (and others) down. Glad that one was only a near miss. This is why I have been doing more TTs and avoid crits.

https://youtu.be/0BZfLiKBDTM

After careful viewing of that video...the Dave Jordan rider came underneath that guy...The Jordan rider looks to be completely at fault.  You have to respect that anyone in front of you has the line when the road is curving...the road curves left and rider who went down was drifting towards the curve in the road....The Jordan rider did not grab his brakes...instead he kept going and hooked the guy.  It's one of the scariest things that can happen to you in a race...you don't see, you are not prepared for it and when someones forearm or shoulder contacts your elbow = front wheel skips & shit goes south fast.  I lose my shit when I feel someone coming underneath me...It's amateur hour, you just don't do it.

The full race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_EgoK0-ME8&feature=youtu.be

PatrickG said:

A guy must have touched wheels and nearly brought everyone down. 

I was just off camera to the left. I'm actually surprised that only one rider went down. Seemed like carnage at the time.

On the fourth lap, after the KOM leader and other's had laid down three blistering attacks on the hill I rolled up next to the KOM just after the rink and asked it they intended to try it again. He let out a little groan and told me he had thrown up in his mouth the last time. That time up the hill was noticeably slower.

Next L&C cup race is cancelled.