Nathan Brauer of Foundation came up to me after the race and said we did an excellent job of controlling the race yesterday. Putting guys in the break and taking points away from Sergey in the KOM and keeping Alfonso Torress out of the sprint points this week. We controlled the race from the start to the finish, and that is something that I think we've failed at for the most part. Historically we're good at controlling the race until the temple and then everybody else takes over for the final sprint. This time we ran the whole race. This is something we should continue to strive to do. Kill it for the team goals and finish the race strong with a blistering leadout and sprint. We didn't have the horsepower to finish 1st but we did have the organization.

Unless Charlie does a double points in the last week (which he has done in the past), then I practically have the green jersey in the bag. Somebody has to win virtually all the sprints in the next three races and I have to be locked out of the points for somebody to take over my spot (except for Yacks, who I do have to keep an eye out for).

Yacks I've got my nutritionist giving me recommendations now that you've suggested a scurvy as a risk...Who doesn't trust a sea captain to know the risk of scurvy?

1/2/3's yesterday 6/24/12.

Lots of absentees.  Johnston wrote in late.  Vollbach was MIA.  Meat(s), we'll get you yet.  Stokes bailed (gallantly) to be marshal captain. Didn't see Dan Strika at all.

Taht left myself, Joaquin, and Lenny.  

Different race than last week.  Dioslaki put in his first hill attack, but it drew a crowd, including myself.  Failed.  Lenny and I stayed near the front most of the day, watching, getting to the front, following some moves, but few were willing to commit to attacking.

Still, it was bizarro world.  Brian Breach, who should have been free to fly, wasn't making the most of his opportunities, and he developed a chain problem a little after half-distance which killed his chances for the day (guess Di2 doesn't matter if your chain as a stiff link). On the lap leading to the first KoM, both Axis and Major Taylor screwed up their leadouts and didn't bring back the break that was dangling--the Major Taylor guys couldn't figure out how to ride the front and either didn't go fast enough or pulled away.  Metra, who should have been all-in to help Dioslaki with the sprints now that Mengoni was weak, didn't help him at all.  Finally, the second KoM was the proper leadout thanks to those two teams, but the Somerville guys absolutely crushed going uphill.

I saw this as my big opportunity.  I kept the gas on, rode past the sprinters at the top of the hill, and kept driving.  Got a small group with Lenny, but the field was chasing us down.  Everyone had the same fear I guess.  Shortly after we were absorbed, three guys attacked.   Durso, last years series winner, with zero teammates in the race, Raffi Urzdowski, who had two teammates, and Korff of Axis.  

The other teams did nothing about this.  Weird.

Coming into the final hot spot, there were some efforts from the field to chase, but not coordinated and guys were giving up in frustration.  I rode off the front, passed Korff, and snagged a sprint point. Kept it going and got a small group that couldn't really ride hard enough.  I couldn't quite either.  over the hill and a little more and it failed.  

Last lap and Lenny finds me on the downhill.  I try to stay close to the front without overcommitting.  We were on the left, so it meant holding still through the chute, then moving up by the temple, holding back as the road curved left and then going again on the next right curve.  The front was surge-y as teams, here, were late to commit.  It finally started winding up and I emptied myself working to get Lenny up on the left.  I think I came to just about the top 10, not as far as I wanted, and could feel my legs starting to cramp.  Pulled over, Lenny slotted in, and went for it.

A guy went left in front of him and swept out his front wheel.  Boom.  Amazingly, no one hit him.

In the realm of humor, as I slowed down seeing Lenny on the ground, a guy behind me--and I'm already 50+ back, yells at me for slowing down.

Mine just didn't happen. I was there, sorta.

A brief, belated Cat 5 race report.

Cat 5s had a good Kissena crew: Ashley, Ben, Derek, Joshua and Craig

The typical pro-tour teams were rep'd as well: BMC, Farnese, AG2R & Radio Shack / Nissan (who made the cut this time around)

As Ashley wrote earlier, breakaway formed a few laps into the race though I wasn't aware it was away for as long as Ashley noted. I could see it up the road and noted it had a Kissena in it and informed Ben of that so that he wouldn't chase. Derek, Ben, Ashley and I all patrolled the front most of the race. On the last lap Derek got to the front near the band shell and I slotted in 5th wheel. Derek took us down the hill to about the temple and he began to run out of gas. Ashley wanted us to pick up the pace again, and I jumped up to the front and as soon as I was there began to drill it. I got us close to the boards, though not quite when I ran out of gas, tried to move way over to the right to get out of the way and saw the long single file line snake around to continue to follow me, elbow flicks and hand gestures ensued indicating that I was done and someone else had to pick up the pace.

Pack passes with Derek passing close behind and I trickle in shortly after him.

Quick observations from the 5s - with 4 guys at the end it is very possible to do a lead out and get a sprinter to the line. We'd need to communicate better and designate a guy to be the sprinter and everyone else play the lead out roll. There is no other team represented that could match the organization. It would be wise to rotate who will be sprinting and who is doing the lead out so everyone gets experience at the different roles - its not like there's a pot of gold at the finish line. All that said, this weekend was my 10th race in the 5s and I'm getting ready to cut and paste my cv into the upgrade request and join all the fun of the 4s.

Dan if you don't know this by now, here goes....Never trust a sailor on dry land !!!

Alfonso Torress has to be in the race to get points you know....juuuuusssst sayin

Tonya Harding on that ass

There's not much to add to JP's 123 race report - it's pretty dead on, but I'll just throw in a few things from my perspective.  JP and I communicated well during the race, both got in a break or 2 but never got very far away.  It looked to me like the breaks were too big and no one wanted to work.  The most dangerous move from my perspective was Durso's attack with 4 or 5 laps to go. He's smart and strong, a good combination.  As JP pointed out, the field wasn't chasing, and I didn't feel like wasting my bullets. I was a little tired from trying to get away earlier, and I thought it was up to the leader's team to chase.  JP did a great job moving me up for the final sprint.  My position was pretty good, but the legs weren't great.  I was either over geared, or too tired from earlier in the race, or both.  Anyway, someone bumped into me from the right side and knocked me over.  Must have taken my front wheel out also as JP said.  Didn't see who hit me, but I'd like to know, so if anyone saw or knows who it was, please let me know.  Lots of road rash but no broken bones.  Bike needs a little work but nothing major.

Carl is in the yellow jersey...but he may also be on the upgrade train:  I see 19 top 10's in the last year

http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?compid=231618

make that 23...going back to last May

fear not, the fields won't be big enough. nor would he want to upgrade.

Yeah, I confirmed that today. I explicitly asked Carl today if he wanted to upgrade today at Floyd. He said, "No, I'm not ready to leave the fours."

I say let him get the Yellow...and then politely mention he should upgrade.  I like Carl.  He is a consistent top 10 finisher...so he compiles points.  He stays hidden during races and sprints at the end.  This is a formula for getting spanked in the 1-2-3's though.  Uness you have a monster sprint, if you never hit the front of a race or try to get in some breaks, you will be woefully underpowered when you get your forced upgrade.  I don't really see Carl as a sandbagger.  In fact I like having him in the IV's beacuse he is a good wheel to find in the finale.  It is the quandary of the over 40 crowd...too strong for the IV's...but not enough time to train for the 1-2-3's.  We need a Cat 3.5 field. 
I'm off to Block Island tomorrow for a "block" of training...get it?  Wooo I've got a million of em...
Yack-fu

Block Island rules!  I went there a lot as a kid.  Got really bourgeois and pricey, though...

And Carl is indeed a sneaky finisher.  I could never race the way he does, though - power gains aside, it's just too darn boring to just sit in the pack all day and move up in the second half of the final lap for the sprint.

Cat 3.5 indeed.  What do we have to do to convince Charlie to run Masters races?

I don't know who this Carl person is, but this all reminds me of what I experienced racing the New England Cat 4s in the Verge series last year where they used cross-results rankings to line us up. I was generally in the 2nd through 4th row, but if you looked at the results for the guys on the front row, every dude had at least one win, multiple podiums, and never out of the top 10.

So, there's a big group of racers out there, who just aren't really all that interested in pushing/challenging themselves. No matter what category you race, it's never going to be easy. It's always going to be just hard enough, that if you place, you still feel like you've done something.

Carl Nelson is one of the worst wheels to follow in the entire Cat 4 peleton, and that's saying something. He wrecks multiple times per year and it's not hard to see why.

Anyone in the 1/2/3 doing the L&C this Saturday 7/7?  My preference is to do Pawling on Sunday, but the way work is going, I don't think I can pull of the 12:30 start road race.  a 6:15 start in Brooklyn, on the other hand, I can manage.

Yeah, I've found the park race to warm up for out-of-town race doesn't serve me. Will forego it for Pawling.

I'm out. Marshaling this week. 

What does that mean? Are you marshal captain?

I'm in for the 4's & will await the plan - happy to try an early attack (that'd be new), try more work at the front, or get into a lead out train for the primes....

I'm in for the 123s... and prereg just hit double digits.

I'm out of comish the next week. Happy fourth all.

I will be there representing the green jersey. I think we should focus on establishing a strong breakaway and let the other teams chase us around.

For those of you foregoing L@C because of Pawling, consider this option. Racing on Saturday in PP, but sitting in, saving your energy for 1 to 3 shorter efforts only. For example, leading Dan out for intermediate sprints. Working on your final lap leadout train to win the bunch sprint. These kinds of efforts would be valuable, without killing your legs for the RR the next day.

I think the bigger thing is to adjust your training during the week.  One harder day is all you need.  For someone who raced Tuesday night, that's it for the hard efforts.

Im racing in the 5s

I'm thinking of L&C because I can't race Pawling and it might be a weaker field.

I'm out. Marshaling this week. 

What does that mean? Are you marshal captain?

Yes Marshal Captain this week.