May 10, 2014 at 02:10 AM
Start/finish at the triangle off Lincoln.
L&C Cup
May 10, 2014 at 02:52 AM
reminder not to ride backwards through the park...but y'all knew that. See you tomorrow AM folks!
May 10, 2014 at 03:18 AM
I'm out. Hot date running late. Being fat rules.
May 10, 2014 at 12:41 PM
Pics or it didn't happen Owens.
May 10, 2014 at 01:38 PM
Lifetime best from 20-30 seconds good enough for a distant 3rd place in the sprint. Fucking genetics. The 10 minutes is a solo 1 lap attack after the 1st KOM that led to a winning breakaway being established.
We were almost caught on the line after building up a 1 minute lead. Fun racing. Went home with $7 each. Make it drizzle!
May 10, 2014 at 02:00 PM
Congrats Mike, you looked strong in the break when you passed us after the 4race had finished.
Quick results;
Rigby (who was supposed to be tail gunning) won the 2nd green jersey sprint.
I took second in both KOM sprints
Wes, Vladi, and I took 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the finish after a nasty crash on the last lap near the temple took out David and Brendan. Nothing broken, but David was pretty bruised up.
Great work by the team, especially during the first half of the race. Great to see some new faces working well together.
I'll post a discussion of what we did well and where we fell short later today.
Quick results;
Rigby (who was supposed to be tail gunning) won the 2nd green jersey sprint.
I took second in both KOM sprints
Wes, Vladi, and I took 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the finish after a nasty crash on the last lap near the temple took out David and Brendan. Nothing broken, but David was pretty bruised up.
Great work by the team, especially during the first half of the race. Great to see some new faces working well together.
I'll post a discussion of what we did well and where we fell short later today.
May 10, 2014 at 02:04 PM
Whoah, swarming the results, 4s! Great job!
May 10, 2014 at 02:07 PM
Seriously!!!! Great job duders.Jeffrey White said:Whoah, swarming the results, 4s! Great job!
David and Brendan - hope you dudes feel better.
May 10, 2014 at 02:22 PM
Awesome results fellas! Hope David and Brendan are OK, bikes too.
Crash cam slo-mo please Brendan (with on-screen comments and a Kenny G soundtrack).
P.S. 20 sec 1010W Perlberg!? How much do you weigh?
Crash cam slo-mo please Brendan (with on-screen comments and a Kenny G soundtrack).
P.S. 20 sec 1010W Perlberg!? How much do you weigh?
May 10, 2014 at 02:34 PM
I'm packing 170lbs these days. Putting a little extra torque on those cranks.
May 10, 2014 at 02:39 PM
Very impressive riding by all; a stout effort for sure in the P123's although this guy (below) doesn't seem to care 
Yang activated his helmet policy and Brendan somehow made his jersey furry (no lie) hope both are feeling better after some ibuprophon and scotch.
Great to see so many smiling faces after the race at Kondatori.
Yang activated his helmet policy and Brendan somehow made his jersey furry (no lie) hope both are feeling better after some ibuprophon and scotch.
Great to see so many smiling faces after the race at Kondatori.
May 10, 2014 at 02:46 PM
Solid racing by Kissena today. Nice that Jersey Mike was able to finish it off with third. Pity we couldn't put a second rider in the top ten.
We had: Andy DS, Dan S, Jersey Mike, JP, Jules, Ragot, Stokes, Vlad, Yacks. Garrigan got into the race as well.
The race started fast. I don't think there was an attack, but we flew out of the blocks. I was still putting on my gloves at the start, so I dropped about 50 riders back and to my surprise gaps were opening up on the hill. Gotta upload my data, but it seemed that the first few laps were pretty quick.
We were in the mix from the start. As predicted, Champ-Sys was aggressive. But not really riding to blow apart the field. They were either attacking or getting into moves, and then not countering hard when the move got caught. We got in just about everything and did a good job of either countering or just keeping the speed up and getting gaps this way.
Our newer IIIs seem to be adapting well to the speed and tactics of the Pro/I/II/III racing.
I think it was with seven to go, after the hill that Perlberg rolled off. It was strange in that no one followed him and there was no quick counter up to him. The pack started to pull him back slowly, than a bit faster, and just when it seemed that we'd reabsorb him, I think two guys jumped across.
They got a gap. We were interested in following wheels and gettting into a chase group to improve our numbers. We got in a few moves, but the one that worked lit out just after a group with Eric was pulled back. Garrigan was in there, we weren't. But then,neither was Champ-Sys. Nor Mengoni I believe.
It seemed like most of the places were up the road for good. The lead was over a minute. Garrigan broke a spoke and came out of the break, found a wheel, and was back in the field. The field wasn't killing it, but wasn't fully giving up. We were still in the moves, getting into the splits.
With two to go, we assumed the break was gone for good, so we were setting up for the finish, but still looking for moves. Jules set the pace up the hill the last time in an effort to make sure the bum rush from jamokes who had been hiding all day didn't occur. Despite a good turn of pace from Jules, the bums were still able to swarm.
At this point, I was looking for Wilson, the gray jersey leader, but he's tied on points with me and Eugene. Dioslaki was a point behind I think, so I was looking for him as well. On the downhill, I was with Wilson, but in the argy-bargy, I backed off a bit, and lost his wheel. Should have made a bigger effort around the temple to move up. At the finish, I didn't go as hard as I could, but I also didn't crash. Looks like I was the third grizzled veteran across the line. Not sure where this puts me. I'll report later.
Amazingly, we just about caught the break on the line. I didn't think we were killing it in the field, and the break was probably playing games, but we basically took back at least 15 seconds a lap in the final four laps.
May 10, 2014 at 03:02 PM
@Perlberg. Those numbers are good for that weight, I'm surprised you don't have a bit more peak power than that (especially given your 20 sec number). With a bit more sprint specific training you'd be right there. Engaging the glutes more, doing big-ring hill repeats punctuated by super high cadence efforts, I think you'd see immediate improvements. Garrigan would have good insight here.
Btw, Garrigan still in jersey?
Btw, Garrigan still in jersey?
May 10, 2014 at 04:10 PM
I found myself supremely frustrated because I tried so many tonnes to be in the moved going across to Perlberg but ended being the setup to the move that did. The last couple of attempts even with two to go didn't happen and as Murphy said 'I used up my sprint trying to get across'. I was trying with him as well. Repeatedly. It just didn't happen.
Great job by Mike.
Great job by Mike.
May 10, 2014 at 04:59 PM
I think I'm alright, thanks all. Lots of duoderm patches on my ass and ibuprofen. Frustrating that we had a good train going at the end and the crash took it all out at 1k to go.
May 10, 2014 at 05:02 PM
When a half dozen NRC racers just back from speedweek show up and start the race with an almost 27mph lap...
May 10, 2014 at 05:12 PM
Wait until the summer arrives. Those are actually fast.
May 10, 2014 at 05:43 PM
@Ragot has either angered his spellcheck or abandoned using a keyboard entirely.
May 10, 2014 at 06:10 PM
Don't know what you're talking about (pronounced aboot)
May 10, 2014 at 07:29 PM
JohnMalcolmson said:@Perlberg. Those numbers are good for that weight, I'm surprised you don't have a bit more peak power than that (especially given your 20 sec number). With a bit more sprint specific training you'd be right there. Engaging the glutes more, doing big-ring hill repeats punctuated by super high cadence efforts, I think you'd see immediate improvements. Garrigan would have good insight here.
Btw, Garrigan still in jersey?
John - that data is from the race only. I started my sprint 30 seconds out because, well... it's about playing the card that gives you the best chance at winning. For me today, that meant going for the long sprint given that my back was fucked and I had raced really hard all day. And that I was racing Stalin and some Champ Sys guy who won the old pueblo gran prix.
Peak power overall is more like 1400 max, 1250 for 5 seconds 1150 for 10 seconds.
So yes, still work to do but not as far as one might think given what i posted.
May 10, 2014 at 07:54 PM
thanks guys for a warm welcome.
May 11, 2014 at 12:30 AM
Today was pretty insane... left the house at 4:30 to help out with registration, 1.5 miles from home heard a pop and realized a spoke came loose on a wheelset I just had built. Walking home was out of the question so I hailed a cab, and managed to squeeze my bike in the trunk.
Got home, grabbed a new wheel I had just picked up from Phil the day prior, threw a tire on it, and left the house. Raced to the park just in time to hear them start the 1/2/3s. Threw my number on, jumped in line, and barely made the start. After that, things went a bit smoother.
Cat 5 race was relatively uneventful. A few breaks that didn't stick, but overall the field kept together and waited for the sprint, except there ended up not being one. Turns out that for some reason, an ambulance pulled onto the road in front of the field just as we were about to finish our final lap, which left around 10 of us sprinting towards a moving vehicle, and gaining on it dangerously. Lots of whistling, waving hands, and yelling later and the sprint was nullified, and race was declared to have "no results." Regardless, I had fun, felt pretty good, and really enjoyed watching the other races. Good meeting you all!
Shot a few photos of you guys up on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.859961284017718.1073741833.304907619523090
May 11, 2014 at 12:46 AM
Jesse, thanks for the photos. I know my mom will want to see that one that you took of me. I can't tag it? I am bad at Facebook. Please advise.
May 11, 2014 at 12:53 AM
Like his photography page, then you can tag.Brendan Rigby said:Jesse, thanks for the photos. I know my mom will want to see that one that you took of me. I can't tag it? I am bad at Facebook. Please advise.
Edit: I did it for you. I wouldn't want your mom to miss out on such a cute photo of you.
May 11, 2014 at 01:03 AM
P123 Race:
"Two Mikes, one busted spoke and a punch in the face."
A stressful week and rain before race day had me worried about the upcoming race - that and the idea of a full field of guys ready to rip my legs off.
When I rolled up to the pre-dawn registration I was greeted by the dispiriting sight of a half dozen or more professional NRC racers - guys half my age and with twice my aerobic capacity. "What am I even DOING here?!?" I wondered.
I had a nice chatty warmup with fellow "old man" Patrick G before lining up (on the front row - no sense making extra work for myself over the next forty miles) and awaiting the whistle. With less than sixty seconds to go JP arrived, half shimmied into his skinsuit asking me - the guy with one not-so good thumb - to safety pin his number on. I struggled, but we got four pins in before the "thirty second" warning, so I figured we were good.
The whistle blew and...
Allow me to digress. A forty mile race is almost two hours - so there isn't really any rush to start6 the festivities - sometimes a "lone gunman" or two will take off like a rabbit; as often to get their own nerves calmed as not... today was not such a day.
The full crew of young crushers took off (from a standing start, mind you) like the road behind them was on fire. To say it was rude doesn't capture it. To say it was cruel doesn't describe it... it was the cycling equivalent of waking up from a deep sleep on an airplane to the dulcet tones of a stewardess asking if you'd like some coffee, lifting your seventy-three cent eye-pillow and getting punched in the face by a shirtless skinhead with a bone through his nose.
This is a good illustration of the experience.
I think I did like 355 watts for the first five minutes - by the bandshell I was breathing like my lungs were torn paper bags. Stokes, who has probably raced here more than the rest of us combined, described it afterwards in his ever taciturn way as "totally unprecedented. I couldn't feel my arms."
After this not-so brief jolt of scalding hot espresso to the lungs, we settled into what I call the "Everyone follow or attack Mike" race. Mike Garrigan is in his off season as a Pro Crosser and took the yellow jersey in fine style by riding away from all but one local (former) pro in the last race, and the word was definitely "out" that he was a marked man - just about everyone's strategies involved him as a carrot, adversary or locomotive to be ridden to glory.
The Champsys riders took turns attacking, and he readily followed - I am pleased to say he had a Kissena try to join him just about every time.
After that, again - it gets foggy. I chased breaks - I think I actually tried to follow a move (?) on the first lap at JP's command (I'd seen it go and asked him) I followed some moves, I stayed at the front; I bridged (foiled by some knucklehead who would not work with the other four bridgers) followed a bridge attempt by Danny Iona and generally pedaled hard.
With Jersey Mike, Canadian Mike, JP and Ragot in various breaks & bridge attempts I spent a good deal of time on the front setting false tempo, which at those speeds is not a restful way to pass the time - especially as they attack the hill.
After one such effort I found myself quickly moving to the business end (rear) of the peloton's digestive system and recovered just enough to realize, "Hey, it's a whole different bunch of faces back here!"
With about four to go Keith was on the sideline telling us the break (which by then had both Mikes in it - Canadian Mike and Jersey Mike) had fifty five seconds on us. "Thank goodness, the pain is coming to an end," I thought - but just then a guy from ARC on a titanium MOOTS decided he'd attack in the joggers lane, chop a bunch of wheels and singlehandedly take on the gap.
He got quite a talking to from the guys around him.
Somewhere in there I found Vlad - who incidentally is one of the more calm and observant people to talk to in a race - I said I was glad the fireworks were over and he said prophetically, "They're saving it for two laps to go..."
Well it was three to go, but I won't hold it against him - we put in our fastest lap yet - I think we were going like 32+ mph for several minutes... also the first time I was completely spun out on the downhill.
With two to go I found JP and asked him what I could do - he said smash it into the final hill so I did, found myself off the front, then found Yaks on my wheel, then in front of me; he lead me to the bottom of the hill and did a phenomenal saddle - sling to give me a shove and I was out there alone... until about the top of the hill. No matter, there was less than one to go. I'd made it without getting dropped!
Overall, a great race; sucks that Canadian Mike broke a spoke and had to drop out of the lead group - but that left a spot on the podium for Jersey Mike, who graciously shared his winnings.
Observations - there are plenty:
1) Breaks in this field (including the best one that I've initiated yet) have much more to do with capitalizing on a difference in momentum than just a pure explosion of speed - you know sometimes how on the highway you just realize suddenly that your lane is going way slower? That happens on bikes too, and if you find (or manoeuver) yourself into the faster lane you can add a bit of speed and find yourself flung off the front.
2) Breaks are good - mostly everyone has the jump so people seem eager to let good breaks go in the hope they'll be able to bridge later. A stark contrast to racing in the 4's.
3) The fast guys are REALLY fast. Goes without saying but you really have to see it.
4) Having other old guys (Hey Yaks!) who are also new in the 3's is a great motivation - I think for both of us. It's very easy to rationalize why I can't ride like NRC pros, but much harder to say the same for guys who had to sneak into the same movies I did.
5) Positioning is improving; for the first time ever I won one of those nameless "whose wheel is this" duels that I've been losing consistently - and with the exception of the jerk from ARC people are pretty civil; I got a nameless push up the hill when I was struggling, Murray let me in when I was in a bad spot, and I generally didn't have nearly as hard a time staying at or near the front as I'd expected as I lay awake worrying the night before.
6) Fitness is coming around. I did an hour at 295, which means I'm getting closer to my "race fitness" and I'm not nearly as shelled as I was two weeks ago.
That's it; I was bummed to hear of the pileup in the 4's field - delighted as always to share some coffee & muffins with the crew afterwards.
Let's do it again soon, yeah?
May 11, 2014 at 01:10 AM
Oh, and in case I forget, for the ARC racer who chopped us out of the jogger's lane...
May 11, 2014 at 02:21 AM
He's big, but he's smooooooothmperlberg said:I'm packing 170lbs these days. Putting a little extra torque on those cranks.
May 11, 2014 at 11:07 PM
That 1st lap was a HOT MESS ! Filthy, nasty business. I eventually made my way towards the business end after the break left. It wasn't hard for me to fake the block as there was no faking happening. I went after a few moves (Mengoni) just to let them know Kissena was not letting anyone try to bridge without company. With Canadian Mike and The Black Perl up the road...the race was on lock down....or was it ? What is this??? Canadian Mike riding through the field and storming off the front?? For that split 2nd my brain told me we had been lapped....lapped with an avg speed over 26. Then I got to terms with my gray matter and realized Mike had some kind of mechanical, fixed it and rejoined the pack. With dingy reports of the split and no sightings of the break for what seemed forever, I assumed it was looong gone. Went to the front when I saw Skinny J up the road and figured my last move (and only move) would be to pace him to the climb and try to get some separation. As the pack caught me and I had all but given up hope of finishing, Stokes delivered a micro dose of EPO shame on his way past by saying..."Come on..." Perhaps it was the dead pan delivery or the tone that seemed to convey an "I'm not angry at you...just dissappointed" message.....either way I zig zagged my fat ass up that hill one more time to the derision of many a United rider who shockingly, were at the ass end of the field. It was interesting to see the speed coming into the sprint was around 32 mph. Less interesting was hearing from Vlad that we almost caught the break in the finale. That would have been bad...but as it stands the pic of The Black Perl finishing just ahead of the stampede is priceless.
Oh and I've noticed a stark difference between breaks going off in the IV's vs I/II/II....in the IV's a break would leave if you found yourself at the back and didn't see it...or if you saw it and decided you didn't think it would survive and passed on bridging. In the I/II/II's you can be very near the front, see clearly the winning break form, with the correct people in it and watch it walk away from you and there ain't a god damned thing you can do about it but watch it go. Unless I lose about 10 lbs... I got no shot at being competitive in these.
Great race though....a fine job by J.P. and Eric trying to infiltrate the chase groups that formed. Fun going up the road with Skinny J for some camera face time. Inspiring having Stokes shaming me into squeezing a few more watts from my dead-as-wood legs. Horrifying thinking I'de be dropped on the climb the 1st lap....yacks
May 11, 2014 at 11:28 PM
Great report Yacks! Imagine the terror other teams must feel when our least experienced, least fit riders (least fit = me) see that they can't get away from the field without some Ros K-designed kit all over their funky funksters?
Or maybe they haven't noticed yet...
Regardless, sounds like another good team race. Great job gents!
May 12, 2014 at 12:09 AM
^I also confess to being completely confused at knowing Mike G was a minute up the road on us and then somehow back in the pack. Does.Not.Compute. Spoke story after the fact made sense though.