I’m away this weekend so I can’t race, but looking forward to hearing the race report from everyone!

Goals for this weekend are to try to stay top 15 wheels for most of the race, hide out/ surf wheels and be there for the sprint at the end. I am also down to help with early lead outs for koms/sprints. This will be the most Kissena’s I have raced with and am excited to see what we can do working together

This is my first race of the season. In training I've been feeling decent this past week or so. However racing can be a whole different level.

My goals are to help out where ever it is needed. Ideally I would like finish in the top 20 if no brake happens, but I really won't know how the legs are going to hold up in a race until Sunday morning.

Also being new to the team, I would like to apologize if I don't know all of you yet, so I hope we can have a small pow wow before the race so I can learn whom it is I need to help, etc...

Hey guys. What gives?

Only Max and I are signed up to help with registration Sunday. Please don't do that to us. We need the help

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h68kb_QnO2NSAaAd2gradwBk12Q3uw__kjm2yTAv8Zg/edit

I signed up

Just signed up too

Thanks guys

What time does reg open? I’ll try to get out there early

Hi, 

Sorry been a bit busy, but here are some notes for tomorrow.

Registration opens at 5:20 AM and race starts at 6:20 AM

Here's our 3/4 team:

• Andrew Johnson (please add Kissena Cycling Club as your team)
• John Olsson
• Patrick Grehan
• Joe Matunis
• Eloy Anzola
• Richard Freeman
• Robert Mullen
• Phillip Maronilla
• Ricky Cornetta
• Erik Pfiffner 
• Max Thorn (please add Kissena Cycling Club as your team)

Goals should remain the same:

• Rob for KOM.
• Ricky for the WIN.

Patrick wrote a good plan summary, and my notes for the last race still apply, specially around setting up Rob for the KOM, and Ricky for the WIN.

One exception to last plan is that we should cover early breaks. The larger the break the more we have to be in it.

For this I nominate Rich Freeman and John Olson to create and cover early moves. If anyone else feels they wanna play early too, go for it!

A few notes on breaks, and covering moves:

• Warm up. Rich and John, and anyone else that wants to play, get there early, and go thru your warm up routine, start the race ready to roar. 
• Take turns. Don't everyone attack at the same time. DUH.
• Once a Kissena is up the road, you are on a wheel. You can chase, you can stay in the pack, doesn't matter: whatever you do, you do it on someone's wheel.
• DO NOT CHASE TEAM MEMBERS
• Once on a break:
  • Expect the first 5 minutes to be complete chaos
  • Keep pedaling
  • On a break, the first time up the hill will be hard AF, expect it, go hard, do everything you need to survive
  • Do not get dropped from a move you start
  • Measure how hard to work based on how you feel, who else is there, and size of the group
  • Race positive (ask yourself: who can win? even if on another team, help them win)
  • Channel MVDP and Fuglsang. Obvs.
• If a Kissena is brought back we counter.
• BRAAAAAP.

Patrick's summary is here.

My notes for the last race here.

Let's go race bikes!

Eloy's advice is excellent.

I don't know if he put it totally clearly, but we should have at least one rider on the first row, ready to attack the moment the race rolls off.  And a second should be ready to counter when that first person is caught.  

Super fun race today, anyone know where to find race pics?? Saw a lot of photographers today (less Victor)

Our team mascot Rich is at it again!

That Slavic squat is next level 

THAT SAID this was a super positive race. Rich and John embraced the hard-from-the-gun role and did the damn thing.

The guys worked amazingly to help me snag a KOM point. Patrick was like a shepard out there. I was hoping for for more out of myself, but we were total contenders. I think other teams are on notice for sure. I know I learned a lot about how to attack the hill and it was a huuuge confidence boost to know that it we can do it. The hugest thanks to everyone for putting in those huge efforts to get me where I needed to be. 

The finale for me was a bit rough because my legs were toast. But we worked to move Ricky and by association, Kevin, up to the front of the field and they made it past a weird crash at the top (?) of the hill. 

There are heaps of takeaways from today and I’m excited to hear some more eloquent race reports. 

Looks like I cocked up the group photos with my black bibs. 

Anyway, the Cat 5 race was super fast. Faster than the first of the series. After about 2 laps I made a move to the front of the pack and was about 5 wheel from the front. And just my luck we caught up to the 3/4 group and had to be restarted. So everyone was brought back together. I tried to stay near the front and ended up chasing down a few guys who tried to break away. Ultimately, I don't think I needed to do that and wasted energy doing so on my own.  I tried making another move on the 5th and final lap and again was about the 5th or 6th wheel but got boxed in on the hill and passed by a number of riders and ended up crossing the line in 22nd place. I had nothing left in the final stretch.

Incidentally, on lap 4 there was some yelling and shoving in the pack. A rider (longer black hair braided in the back) from Ride Ya Bikes was literally shoving another rider mid pack and telling him "not to use his brakes, this is a race" etc. I tried to remember his bib number. But, by the finish I had forgotten about the incident until I heard some shouting as I was watching the 3/4 finish. The same Ride Ya Bike rider was now yelling at an official. They exchanged words but the official was clearly trying to back down and deescalate the situation. The Ride Ya Bike rider was clearly looking for a fight. He ended up at throwing a few punches at the official which led to a bit of a scuffle. I don't think anyone was hurt and I don't think any of the punches connected. They were eventually pulled apart from one another. I would think the powers that be already know about the situation. But, I thought I'd put it out there as this guy should not be out there racing bikes. I'm not sure what happened to him in the pack or after the race but he was the aggressor in both situations and is a danger to other people out there. 

edit: spelling

Woah! I hope someone got a video of this guy, he needs to get suspended or ban...
That's pretty nuts to throw punches for a race, like they said in their emails, "This is not Tour de France".

Talking of misbehavior...the lesser spotted super aero tuck was deployed on Sunday whilst descending the Col de Peyresourde:

I bet you he gain a 0.001 second advantage doing that.... And increased his chances of a crash by 1000%.

Yesterday’s race had some hard efforts and was an improvement over the last L&C Cup. It was good to see the team patrolling out front and working to bring back breaks. The yellow, kom, and to a lesser degree Green jersey riders were active and appeared to be testing each other’s legs, but none of their breaks stuck. 

Our KOM leadouts need some work. For the first one I was moving Rob up on the left side when we latched on to Two teammates (Ricky and Erik?) just as the field came upon some riders dropped from another field moving slowly on the left. Momentum was lost and Rob was now in front of teammates on the left. I couldn’t get through traffic but found my way on the right and positioned myself to box in the guy with the KOM jersey.  Rob and some others launched and he got 3rd on the first KOM. 

On on the second KOM I started the leadout early, keeping him safely behind me as we were next to a line of riders leading the field. I looked back a couple of times and noticed that Rob was on my wheel. He eventually fell back and let Erik grab my wheel before Rob launched. We needed a couple of guys behind me to keep the tempo high until Rob launches after the last turn. Next time. 

I was totally gassed on that last effort, but found a way to work myself back to the front and found myself leading up the hill. I didn’t want to be without a draft, but not did I want to be 20 places back. I had difficulty matching the acceleration over the top of the hill, let a gap open up and only managed to get 21st on the finish. I am not certain, but I am pretty sure this will get me some points to the grey jersey. 

Here is the on board video from the race. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrfpufXczE0&feature=youtu.be

RobertPeras said:

I bet you he gain a 0.001 second advantage doing that.... And increased his chances of a crash by 1000%.

The guy is also my height. We’re essentially always in a super tuck. 

Yesterday before leaving work I posted my race report to my cycling/racing blog. I've posted much of my racing over the past year there, earlier reports are "out there" somewhere. Anyway I tend to write lengthy reports detailing the whole adventure. So read at your own risk 

https://awjbikeracing.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/2019-04-07-lucarelli-castaldi-cup-report/

Let's get this @RobertMullen

@PatrickGrehan is on the board for top masters too! 

We’ve got some work to do, but with a coordinated team effort and consistency over the series there is no reason we can’t be on the podium and possibly challenging the top step

Agree with everything that has been said, my perspective is quite optimistic. Here are some notes report/stream of bullet consciousness...

• Overall we rode great as a team.
• IMPORTANT: Dude, that was fun!!
• Along with the 5th Floor, we were the team dictating the race
• Rich and John looked like awesome fire hotness the first few laps
• Rob looked like FIRAH in those KOM
• Ricky too, leadout hotness in the 2nd KOM
• We communicated extremely well during the race, specially notable was the first KOM
• There's a few things to tweak, but we were doing all the right things. Generally we simply have to get better at doing those things. Some notes on that:
  • For the KOMs and the finish, think less of a leadout and more about positioning, we want to position Rob towards the front, and stay close to him
  • Ideally we do it by riding and staying in front of him
  • On the 2nd KOM, we looked mega sharp, lined up 5 deep on the right of the pack, hotness. But Rob was at the left. Eventually it all worked out, and Ricky provided an amazing leadout -- so much braaaaap -- but ideally a teammate behind notices Rob position, and brings him earlier left to right
  • Evident even on the 2nd KOM, we were noticed: Rob and Kissena will now be marked
  • Ask, who can win the race? help them win.  
  • We totally helped both the 5th floor and the KOM leader (Laurie), now, it's about the details..., lets get nuanced and find ways to benefit from their efforts too!
  • The 2nd KOM resolves into the last race bell lap
  • Just like we had specific roles for Rich and John to cover early moves, if we have the numbers, we should have specific riders for the 2nd KOM, so Ricky and Patrick can have a better go at the finish and WIN
• Otherwise, big kudos, we were definitely competitive and race defining.
• BRING ON MOAR FIRAH

18 people already registered in the 3/4's...if you want to race this weekend I'd register early! 

Signed up for next Sundays 3/4 field, lets get it boys! @eloy you leading us again this week?

If you want to race this weekend and want to apply a credit from having volunteered at a prior race email Charlie. If you want to race this weekend and plan on volunteering Sunday, email Charlie. 

Super pumped for this weekend. I just emailed Charlie about applying my volunteer credit from one of the Castelli races. Is there anything else I need to do? 

@RobertMullen what information did you give him? I gave him my name, club, license, and category and he signed me up for the 21st. Give him about a day to do so. 

As I typed my comment, I got an email back saying I just needed my USAC Number.