Big Apple Bicycle Classic - June 9th - PP

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normanzo

Jun 09, 2012 at 11:18 PM

Congrats Eric and Christian!

mperlberg

Jun 10, 2012 at 11:17 AM

Great work guys!

Craig Zolan

Jun 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM

Great job guys.

eragot

Jun 10, 2012 at 11:47 AM

Race report for Jules...

I mean, I got beat, does that really require a report?

http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895833383&k=mWfrp5h&lb=1&s=A

I wanted to win and tried to set myself up for that, but blew it. It wasn't like I was even close. I even made sure to hit my lap counter. [url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895833675&k=78jDXKC&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-78jDXKC/0/M/8O2T9509-copy-M.jpg[/img][/url]

My legs never really felt good, though they did work just fine. [url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895829424&k=nBMDfwC&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-nBMDfwC/0/M/8O2T9416-copy-M.jpg[/img][/url]

I like to hide: [url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895821642&k=g9CWxnt&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-g9CWxnt/0/S/8O2T9370-copy-S.jpg[/img][/url]

When I had to help establish the break, I worked hard. [url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895503586&k=946k6d8&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-946k6d8/0/M/8O2T9281-copy-M.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895494330&k=rBxXDDm&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-rBxXDDm/0/M/8O2T9150-copy-M.jpg[/img][/url]

But otherwise, given my crappy legs - I raced what I could race. in other words, I only did what I could. I didn't attempt any heroics as that would have been silly. I wanted the break to come down to a sprint because that would favor me the most as I thought I was among the fastest in the break. Just not the strongest.

So the first break of the day: [url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895484437&k=SnM6mXC&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-SnM6mXC/0/S/8O2T9061-copy-S.jpg[/img][/url] saw me utterly fail to bridge across to it on the second lap. I was frustrated to say the least. But after I recovered, I made my way back to the front and followed a Targettraining guy across to the large break that had formed and it was well-represented, so I figured we were golden.

Finally, in my reverse chronology report, the beginning. Large masters field. Lots of team representation as usual. Thus, reading the race and being in the right break is critical. So, with the assembled KCC crew, I sized up the competition - fierce. As Haig Marino (WonderWheel) pointed out - the races are fast, but also more controlled. Off we go... Doug O'Neil takes off solo for WonderWheel. He stays out there and some people bridge to form that early break mentioned above. It comes back and an Axis and Wonderwheel are in the counter that grows in size pretty quickly. An Axis and WW are blocking at the front, but the break isn't gaining time very quickly, so I sit on them.

Then a target training guy jumped. I accelerated seated hard to get on his wheel and took the ride across. We got across cleanly. I sized up the group - 3 WWheels, 2 Axis and a motley crew of guys, but no Brauer. Then one showed up. Sweet - all the major teams. I figure its the responsibility of Axis and WW to commit more guys to establish the break. And they do. After a lap of taking a pull or two, the group splits up the hill and I bridge across to the front group after the hill. I make it cleanly and race over as our group of 9 starts flying...

The only part to the end game to mention is that on the bell lap, the guy in red and white jersey with the black-rimmed glasses [url=http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/23462991_zRZNQH#!i=1895821642&k=g9CWxnt&lb=1&s=A][img]http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-United-Big/AXIS-Mangoseed-Team-UnitedBigM/i-g9CWxnt/0/M/8O2T9370-copy-M.jpg[/img][/url] attacked. The problem is that he's supposedly a great time trialist and it showed as we weren't catching him. Jan made it clear that he wasn't helping on the last lap by swinging wide and letting others through. By the top of the downhill it was becoming obvious that this guy might be able to hold it, so I took a couple of hard pulls to help bring him back. I was then able to slot back into 9th for the run into the finish. Jan jumped first. He held his gap. I held mine to 3rd.

Marc Bertucco

Jun 10, 2012 at 01:11 PM

That first picture...is that you looking behind you waiting for the guy to pass you for 2nd? Haha.

Seriously though, good race gentlemen. Like I said to Harry after his second place at Battenkill, once you are podiuming, it's not so much a matter of "blowing it" or making big mistakes. You are making critical decisions on the fly and like a Choose-your-own-adventure mystery book, there's so many ways a race can play out.

So for example, maybe you would have had more pop and been able to hold on for 2nd, or even win, if you didn't work to pull back red and white jersey dude, but maybe he would have stayed away and you would have been sprinting for 2nd place anyway? You know. You should be proud that you did the right things to give yourself an honest shot at victory. The fact that the top step of the podium eluded you is much less important.

Jules

Jun 10, 2012 at 06:54 PM

Eric,

I appreciate the report. Pretty much every race report I read has something I didn't think of or didn't know. Looks like you smoked the break and Jan smoked everyone.

Pretty daunting (for me) to think that there are guys out there like that. Shudder to think what kind of watts that must take.

I looked into why those links aren't rendering as embedded images. It has to do with Victor's settings.

Basically if you can right click and "copy image URL" than you can use that link.

Just lick the "insert image" button on the upper right and you should be good to go.

If you can't right-click something to get the link, you need to download it first.

JohnMalcolmson

Jun 12, 2012 at 12:47 PM

Here's my patchy photos from the Race. Ragot and Kaiser are in there — about 30m from the finish.

http://jmalcolmson.viewbook.com/john-albums

k.jpg

Christian Refakis

Jun 12, 2012 at 09:46 PM

nice pics John !

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