I signed up for Saturday will be trying to get some green jersey points.

yacks

lets get you out front for that sprint and i'll try and deliver you,
see how we're all feeling after that and if opportunity strikes do something at the end.

its a bit naive to think that a train will somehow just form at the end but lets see,
if we can all stay in touch with each other in the last lap or so and can get organized a proper train that starts before the top of the hill and charges all the way to the end is the move

if the 'lull' and slowdown starts after the hill in anticipation of the sprint it'll be the normal pitch battle where the best thing you can have is someone cutting through the field for you even then 'coming round' your man and getting ahead isnt that likely or safe unless you're clear

alex

I signed up for Saturday as well. If anyone is up for it I plan to do some miles post race.

I will ride after too.
Eric

Hey Mike,
I want to put in some post race miles so I will meet up with you after the race.

A threesome? Kinky...

/\
|

lol

Last race of the Spring Series. Let's get a nice photo of everyone, with their f-ugly jersey's trophies, caps, envelopes and whatever else we may or may not get from AVD as a symbol of our spring greatness.

Meeting 6:10 am by the restrooms ? How about we use the 'quiet' side: which is NOT the side with the chess tables.

For anyone who cannot make that we can discuss on lap 1 !

Good call, Marc. Let's make sure we immortalize our overachieving 5s before they all join Mengoni.

Sounds good Ian. Looks like it's going to be a wet one. I will still be there plan according.

@ Jeff White LOL

Malcolmson and McKay to Mengoni!

Hey now...that was a miserable experience. I started feeling the hypothermia thing just before the 2nd sprint...I jumped about 50 yards too soon and was caught at the line....in the 1st sprint I was sandwhiched between 2 guys on the same team (white jerseys) I sat behind the lead out man with his team mate off to my right thinking I would jump when the guy behind me jumped..only he never did and the line came up quicker than I estimated and couldn't come around the 1st guy fast enough... I don't know yet if I can beat the guy in 1st place in a straight up clean sprint...but I'm going to find out soon enough. Thanks for driving the field on that 1st sprint guys...whoever was out there drilling it, thanks. I really could not see anything until about the 5th lap when I shed my glasses.
Curious to hear how the rest of the race went? You may have seen me towards the end of the race at the bottom of the downhill looking for my glasses...which I found.

Yack

Short Race Report (spoiler alert)
Took the KOM jersey, got 4th in overall sprint. It rained.


Long Race Report
Today was an awesome day. Although it was a little rainy for me. I woke up at 4:45 so I could get to the race and help with the pre reg. I got in line completely cold it took me about the first lap to get back warmed up/hang on. Ouch. For the most part I tried to stay up front with the others and chase anything down and keep the race together for Yacks.

The first sprint after the down hill I tried to string things out and ended up opening a little gap on the field. I figured that would make the other teams work harder to catch me and maybe Yacks could save a little energy. Once I got caught I jumped on the back of the Peloton as it went by to catch my breath for the KOM sprint.

A lap or two later they were ringing the bell for the KOM, so I stayed up front and waited for the attack a guy from Ride Brooklyn started it followed by the two brothers (both in white). I just sucked their wheels until about halfway up the climb then jammed on the gas to take the first sprint.

I wasn't really in the mix for the next sprint so I don't really remember what happened.

The final KOM sprint came way to soon, but we had a good string of guys setting things up. Jeff was in a good position so Kevin and I got behind him. Jeff peeled right at the bottom of the hill and Kevin and I went around about a quarter of the way up I jumped too soon around Kevin and took off for the sprint. One of the brothers basically just sat on my wheel and nipped the sprint at the finish. But since he took third in the first sprint so I was able to take the KOM jersey!

When the final sprint came around I had a pretty solid lead out with Jeff and Josh. Once the pace started to pick up I launched and believe I took third. Unfortunately they didn't have any cameras today so I ended up officially getting 4th. I'm not too worried about it, there is always tomorrow.

Thanks all I felt like we really controlled the race today, and over head some others talking about how they need to get involved to break up our train. "You cant just let those Kissena boys do that"

Congrats to Mike and Eric in the 1,2,3's today. I will let them fill you in on how it went.

P.S. The brother who won the race today also won his Battenkill race as well. I still think Yacks can take him.

Way to go guys. Sounds like great team work. Looking forward to racing the next L&C with you guys.

Patrick

It is very hard to focus on the green jersey and the overall series for any rider....if that guy is winning races handily, he will be upgraded before the series ends...that being said I think I can beat him. It depneds on whether I can get a little faster...I recently got my computrainer back so that will help.
We have a polka dot jersey to defend! Way to go Joe. My daughters 1st communion is next Sat. so I likely won't make the next race, but I will be well rested. Good luck at the next one and keep on keepin on!
Yack
p.s.- If any of you can get up the road and grab sprint points away from the green jersey, I'll buy you an ice cold Michelob!

Here is how it went down. Robertson attacked up the hill from the gun with Chabanov. I sat on Ragot's wheel while he let a gap open. The chase was on. I slipped back, but wisely followed Keith's wheel up to the front. Robertson's break was caught by the band-shell 1/2 a lap in so I jumped to what was dangling out front. Somehow I ended up off the front with 2 Foundation riders - a Dominican and Alex Bremer (I read it on his top tube). I didn't like the odds too much so I just pulled through figuring a group would bridge up with some of my boys in it. Never happened. Gap got big. I worked, but not too hard, aware of the odds against me. Dominican guy appeared to be a sprinter. I recognized Bremer's name but didn't know too much about him.

We agreed to play it cool with the points, Bremer wanted KOM and Dominican wanted Sprint. Personally, I figured defending the sprint jersey would be hard so I would try for KOM. We agreed to split 1st and 2nd on those. Works for me, now I'm tied for first on KOM. Neat.

Toward the finish (2-3 laps to go) we started cruising a little too easy. A chase group got within 30 seconds or so. I could see the group and couldn't make out any Kissena riders in it (I think Ragot had flatted at this point, not sure) so I figured we better not get caught cause my odds would suck even worse. This proximity of the chase group made me rethink my endgame plans. With 1 lap to go I was thinking about attacking on the hill to try to drop the Dominican guy who seemed tired. The risk of getting caught by the chase group was too great if Foundation counter attacked and dropped me that far out, so I figured I should wait it out and let them make the first move.

I figured Bremer would attack, force me to chase, and allow his teammate to sit on my wheel for the sprint. Bremer did attack at the bottom of the hill and I chased back on. Dominican guy was gapped. Hmmm. He is either baiting me into thinking he is tired or he really is. Eh. I went right past Bremer and started hammering, you couldn't quite call it a counter attack but that is what I was trying to do. Looked back, Dominican guy still dangling back a bit. I keep going. All the way to the finish. Guy sprints by me on the right. I thought it was Bremer who was on my wheel the whole time. It was the Dominican. Really fast. Bremer started coming even with me on the left and we are sprinting head to head for the line. I keep it going and nab second by a hair.

After the race Bremer said he thought he messed up and dropped his teammate. He said this as he looked at my cyclo-cross bike that I out-sprinted him on. Hah. He said something about not being able to shift with the cold fingers. Whatever - I finally didn't get last in the break, I'll take it any way I can get it! Season goal #1 accomplished.

Anyway, 2nd in a 1-2-3 race is huge for me. Very excited.

Mike

I will be that break making point grubber (But I only drink Michelob ULTRA like the pros), and we should try and have a few in it. As Scottos showed, if you have enough strong riders, you can still get away. Maybe that's unrealistic in this series though. Worth a shot!

Congrats to you and Joe and everyone for controlling the race and paying attention. I can think of maybe one time we didn't have someone in the top 5 positions. Of course, we also had more riders than the other teams. I suspect Hudson and some others will increase as the weather kept people home.

I heard someone blew their wheel up on that pothole past the finish. Sorry that sucks.

Last I saw Perlberg he was still towing around two Foundation riders in the break.

You got 2nd in a PRO 1-2-3

2nd....on a cross bike...HUGE caveat. Perhaps that should be your new race bike? Yacks

Wait a minute...Keith, Eric, Eric, Mike, Rene? Five Kissena's in a 1/2/3 race? Holy snickerdoodles. Congrats on the strong rides everyone.

Cat 5, how'd it go out there? Looked like tough conditions—tail spray for breakfast.

For tomorrow Wunderground is predicting 58 degrees/40% chance of rain and light winds.

Way to go Mike!

No tail spray off the front!

Today's race went just about as well as it could have on such a terrible day.

Adam suggested waiting 1 lap and breaking off just before the climb at the beginning of the second lap. Andy and I were well placed towards the front at the end of the first lap so we went. Unfortunately, Adam fell victim to a poorly placed pothole. As we went up the climb Andy ended up getting reeled back in to the group. I decided to try to hold off at the front and hope that Andy would keep the pace in the pack down. We ended up being right on the same page. Andy kept breaks at bay and chased down the group of 3 that came after me with 2 to go. With his help I was able to stay off for the remainder of the race and bring home the win. Andy ended up 4th.

Looking forward to defending the jersey next weekend! Good luck tomorrow, John et al.

Good show mike. With 9 to go I floated up to a move on the hill and ended up in a chase group of 5. One was a foundation and he didn't pull. Larry Uhrlass didn't pull either as he was just hanging on, but he'll get payoff back later for sitting on and sprinting Dan Chabanov and John Durso who did the more work than I in the break. While I worked, I didn't have to work as hard as the other two because the break with Mike was up. We were getting time splits, but we didn't know to what. We got to about 30 sec of the break, but neither Dan or John tried to get us close enough. If that happened, the race dynamic would have changed as I would have jumped across leaving Dan and John (plus the Foundation to chase), but given that they just wanted to finish the race, I don't blame them. Coming into the bell I flatted and got a wheel from Joe. I finished alone for 8th.

I shivered after. My legs hurt.

Eric

Posted By: dvollbachNo tail spray off the front!

I like your style!

Perfect plan! Saw the guys jump and went. Apparently, the pot hole 100m after the start on the right is a killer. Boom! Saw it just in time and lifted my front wheel over it. Rear wheel took all the force and popped. On the plus side, was as very close to the start (and my spare tube and canister) so didn't have far to walk back. Wheel's OK.

Considering riding tomorrow as I didn't get much of a ride in today....

Congrats Dave. Whilst watching from the side, tube in one hand, rim in the other, you looked strong. Won by a minute!

Adam

http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?compid=326832

pretty sure this guy should have already been given a mandatory upgrade...not sayin...juuuuuussstttt saaaaayyiinn


yacks