Cyclocross! - Forum Archive

Nov 15, 2013 at 03:38 AM

The Hotlist: Episode 8

The shrieking, the horror, the disbelief! Didn’t they know that we spend hours, days, nay weeks pre-riding their courses in our minds? How could they change said courses and throw our already delicate mental balance all out of whack? Barbarians. With big-time MAC series racing just a stone’s throw away from NYC this past weekend in Jamesburg, NJ, most of Kissena’s regular crossers were out in full force taking on a new and improved HPCX. Still some Kissenas faired better than others, with multiple, major shuffles among the hotlisters…so let’s get going, shall we?

1. Eric Ragot. Take away his two Nittany UCI Elite results from the beginning of the season and his solid performances both at day 1 of Northampton and HPCX would be among his better days on the bike. He certainly hasn’t done anything to lose the top spot. On the hotlist, he’s like Jeremy Powers…last year’s Jeremy Powers that is.

2. Todd McLoughlin. Racing twice this weekend, McLoughlin turns in on Sunday, what was undoubtedly his best race performance of the season by taking 14^th place in a stacked field of 2/3/4 racers.

3. Konrad Ratzmann. Leading the pack of last week’s “bottom hotlisters who are now on top,” Konrad confirmed earlier season’s strong results in smaller New Jersey races, by owning third place in field of 88 racers.

4. Michael Perlberg. For the guy who’s stood on the podium once this season already, 27^th place in the 2/3/4 field at HPCX is not what we know is possible for him. Still 388 crossresults.com points is not too shabby.

5. JP Partland. Starting at the back of a 50-rider 45+ Master’s field, and despite several off-course excursions that had teammate Jim Feehan shaking his head in disbelief, Partland manages to put together a race to finish in 21^st place. It’s official, Hotlist has now added Partland to the club’s “What we could do if we raced cross more than 3 times a year?” elite team. (Led by Myles R.)

6. Patrick Grehan. After a solid Northampton weekend, and now finishing in 11^th in the big Cat 4 field at HPCX, Grehan has established himself as one of Kissena’s most consistent crossers, and continues to show that he knows how to race at the front of a field, big or small.

7. Jim Feehan. Racing twice this weekend, at Fair Hill and HPCX, Feehan put together two days of racing that earned him two of his best crossresults.com points of the season. At HPCX he finished in 23^rd place with just one rider between him and Partland.

8. David Stokes. With his third top ten of the season, Stokes’ 9^th place at HPCX earned him membership in this week’s overflowing 400-ish crossresults.com points club.

9. Joaquin De Baca. A back-row start, two mechanicals and the newly upgraded cat 3 got a rough introduction to “Afternoon Race Club” as he was forced into a game of passing rider after rider until he ran out of race and finished in 35^th.

10. Nelson Martins. 19th in the big Cat 4 field, Martins racks up his second best race performance of the season, earning 429 crossresults.com points and the number 10 spot on the Hotlist for his efforts.

The upcoming weekend is looking to be a quiet one for most of the usual suspects. Within a 2-hour drive there ARE races both Pennsylvania and Connecticut and there will be a few race reports written to be sure. But really, most will be training, recharging the batteries for SuperCross where Sunday morning the hearty will rise early and do battle in the race of all races…the Kissena Club Championships.

mperlberg

Nov 15, 2013 at 11:25 AM

I can give one person and their bike a ride to Kutztown on Sunday. I'm going to leave pretty early and get in some pre-riding before doing the 2/3/4 race.

https://www.bikereg.com/Net/kutztown-mac-cx

Registration closes today. Contact me off board if you're interested.

mperlberg@gmail.com

Nelson Martins

Nov 15, 2013 at 02:52 PM

I won't be racing this weekend. Who wants to ride to Peirmont for some delicious maple bacon donuts?

Marc Bertucco

Nov 15, 2013 at 03:16 PM

Mike, I won't be needing a ride, but wanted to let you know I'll be down there racing the Master's 35+ 1/2/3/4 category at 12. Not my usual category, but looking at how well Robertson did with his points at HPCX, combined with the fact that getting up early enough for the Cat 4 race in the early a.m. AND having to start at the back of that field, AND the 2/3/4 race is too late for my babysitter situation (not to mention, I can race my balls off in that category and unless I finish mid-pack or better, my pointage will suck) well, it seems to make sense for me to race the ass-kickers category. My goal will be to finish without being lapped by Aspholm/Magur and company.

Jules

Nov 15, 2013 at 03:42 PM

Myles said:

Kissenacycling's YouTube post from xc worlds gets mentioned in Cosmo Catalono's latest HTRWW Now you're famous http://www.behindthebarriers.tv/how-the-race-was-won/htrww-the-mudfund-derby-city-cup/ http://www.behindthebarriers.tv/how-the-race-was-won/htrww-the-mudfund-derby-city-cup/

Life's ambition complete.

Unknown

Nov 16, 2013 at 10:12 PM

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Marc Bertucco

Nov 17, 2013 at 05:32 AM

Rick Perner and I lined up for the cat 4/5 race this afternoon in Cheshire, CT. "Interesting" course that reminded me of Bubble Cross in some ways (course on the right side of the road, sand, single track, grassy off camber twisty-turnies), that has some potential but there were some issues. Gwynna noted, I think, in an earlier post, that this is a course that suits her. Which means, apparently, she likes to take a cross bike down double legit dusty, dirty, rocky rooty scary fast single track that will make grown men pee themselves in fear. This single track was AT LEAST 1/3, possibly 1/2 of each LAP (I never thought I'd be so happy to see some off camber grassy stretches as I was in that first warm-up lap!)!

As is typical for myself, Mr. Grumpy Pants, during those warm-up laps I was cursing the course, questioning aloud why I didn't bring my MTB! But fresh off a weekend of traveling with super pro Todd McLoughlin, I managed to get myself and family to the race course 2.25 hours early which meant lots of time to practice aforementioned dirt-drop-descents of horror.

I was buoyed by the fact that my bib number, 113, surely meant a second row call-up for a race that would eventually register 100 riders. But as "Connecticut Cup" points scorers were called up by name first, the rows were fast filling. And it wasn't until the 5th row that I got to stick my business where it began. 5th row! And lest you think that there was a nice long and wide paved uphill sprint before the first turn like HPCX or Providence or Gloucester, I'm here to tell you that this was one of the worst hole shot, opening meters I've raced since Marty Day 1. We're talking 20 meters to full on 180 degree right turn, then about 60 meters straight, left hook around a tree, big rocky gravely road to a left right combination leading to a lose dirt run-up.

And so despite using all my tricks (taking the wide outside lines to avoid apex hungry dolts with no appreciation for the square-peg/round-hole conundrum), I found myself in serious stop and go traffic and barely running the run-up. By the time I remounted and hit the 15-miles of descending single-track complete with Northeast rocky shark-fins of despair, the front of the race was long gone.

My challenge was to both stay safe (as the primary caretaker and toddler flipper-upside-downer of Peter Bertucco, my two very close encounters with large trees in the woods was sort of terrifying), but not quit, not give in to my fears and weakness (for this leads to the dark side). And so I rode and rode and rode. I passed and passed and passed.

And when I came to a seriously tricky, steep and long (for a cross race) climb, where the self-described "Hill People" live and cheer and jeer and create great amounts joyful noise, I felt not only competent, but good and fast and strong. I would reel in riders here lap after lap after lap. One lap I came upon a rider who skwidged his line and that sent me into an impossibly rooty, steeper "unrideable" line. Whereupon, I managed to keep it rolling and passed him with great aplomb. Another time I caught up to a tiny junior girl who was lapped, and rather than a) run her over or b) put my foot down, I went off the path into a forest of little twiggy trees and deep leafy cover and kept it moving without disrupting her race.

But all was not great. The sand pit, which was configured as the exit point of a Cinnabon of Death, previously my strength at Bubble Cross, here vexed me EVERY time. Another, off camber not really that muddy, still forced doubt and excessive caution into my mind. I was crawling through there pathetically slow. And in the end, with all that in mind, the best I could do was to cross the line in 16th place.

Rick, still recovering from bronchitis, had a strong race. He started even further back than I and still managed, I think, to finish in 46th or so place!

Unknown

Nov 17, 2013 at 01:46 PM

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harry bolick

Nov 17, 2013 at 02:59 PM

YO! marcO/bertuccO/papaSmuf..,U just may be better suited as a back of psck overAchiever 16th/100 is awesome&insightful report for mid-pack start kcc may need a clinic in traffic advancing. cheers&heckled 2u&rickP. -h;-)

mperlberg

Nov 17, 2013 at 11:55 PM

Jim, Marc, Joaquin and I raced Kutztown Cross today.

Jim must have done something nice in the masters race because the old masters lady with the stars and stripes really wanted for find him and thank him for something.

Marc was hanging on tough in the fast elite masters 35+ field, but I didn't get to see where he finished.

Joaquin and I lined up for the 2/3/4 race. I got 18th and Joaquin got 24th. Not terrible, not great.

Early on, I moved up to 11th with a string of riders right on my tail, and a gap to the lead group. I was trying to get across and pushing the pace and taking some risks. I slipped in a corner and lost 7 spots as the entire group passed me. I had trouble remounting as my chain was thrown.

For the next 5 laps I chased, chased and chased. I think it partly had to do with the nature of the course but I wasn't able to catch anyone and nobody caught me, despite us remaining pretty much the exact distance apart for the next 25 minutes.

I'm a bit frustrated by I do know that on a course that let's me use my power a little more I'll do better.

My back is still totally killing me and making me feel like a weakling.

Ready for supercross cup and the KCC champs.

Marc Bertucco

Nov 18, 2013 at 01:15 AM

It was nice to see some the guys out there racing. When I travel solo, without my wife, boy and dog, racing always seems a little lonely. After my race, I chit-chatted with Roger Aspholm a bit and wanted to get his perspective on the course. He sports a knowing grin and nods his head no, no, no. He won the 35+ race, so no sour grapes there. He goes on to say, "too many turns, too narrow."

Which is sort of how I felt out there as I was racing the 35+ "Elite" field for the first time this season. It was a tactical decision. I didn't have the energy to set the alarm for 5am, to get there in time for a proper warm-up for the 4/5 race, and I had to be back in Washington Heights early enough that would have made the later 2/3/4 race a possibility. Why am I telling you this? Why do you care? Because when you are looking at your race schedule, the arc of your season, your primary goals, etc., sometimes you need to make choices about race categories that won't necessarily add to your win column, but benefit your life in some other way. And that's okay.

As far as my race was concerned, I was hoping for a more gentlemanly start, through a couple of gravel pits, but that was for naught. Lined second to last row, I got clipped in post haste, and was on track for a respectable start. Before aforementioned gravel pits that kind of sent squirrely dudes all over the place and pushed me into "cautious Marc" racing mode. A mode that actually kind of sucks for cross racing. But like a turtle who is in danger, sometimes I just can't help myself and retreat into my shell.

Once on the grass, I did my best to hang onto wheels, pass where I could and pray, pray, pray that I did not get lapped by the Roger Aspholm-led freight train. After I dispatched of a few guys who were even more out of place than I, I set my sights on a Van Dessel rider who was not any of the Van Dessel guys you have probably seen racing and tearing it up. He was a really big guy. And after a few laps, I made my pass on one of the rare and too short straightaways and kept the gas on the "upper portion" of the course where the twisty turnies were dry and grippy and the exits to the turns generous that allowed full on pedaling.

With two laps to go, I was getting hunted down like a scared puppy with a rider seeing how weak I was on the lower, wet, slickery-er sections with very narrow exits to the twisty turnies. He was at times, just one turn behind me. This would not do. I had this moment where I remembered how clever I was with strategery at previous races where I let guys get past me, so I could "sit on and beat them in the sprint," only to let them pass me and never see them again.

So I decided to just keep on the gas and make him work for the catch. With one lap to go, I decided to take more risks on the slickery side of the course, and sprinted hard out of every corner I couldn't carve smoothly. The gap between us grew. From one turn back to two, three turns behind, he wasn't going to catch me at this point. And so my focus of the last 1/4 of a lap became carving the turns as smoothly and quickly as possible.

In the end, they only listed 30 finishers (Van Dessel dude was nowhere on the list...I wonder how many other starters who either DNF-ed on got pulled there were?) and I finished in 26th. I'm reasonably okay with this result. It would have been nice to be more in the mix of things...but I didn't get lapped, I didn't finish last and I'll have to be satisfied with that, for now.

PS We'll all have to wait for the results to see what's what, but Jim Feehan was tearing around the course and finished in 21st place in the 45+ category.

PPS Mike and Joaquin looked rock solid out there. But they, us, we were all kind of handcuffed by the course. It just didn't allow for much more than follow the leader. And for this reason, I'm not sure I'll come back Kutztown, or go back up to Cheshire again next year. There were some good lessons, and good things I got out of both days, but with so many better cross races out there throughout the season, these two are definitely a-okay to skip for solid at home training. Which is what my coach wanted me to do...ironically...I should listen to him more better next time.

mperlberg

Nov 18, 2013 at 01:57 AM

Marc Bertucco said:

. After my race, I chit-chatted with Roger Aspholm a bit and wanted to get his perspective on the course. He sports a knowing grin and nods his head no, no, no. He won the 35+ race, so no sour grapes there. He goes on to say, "too many turns, too narrow."

- exactly. Too many turns, too narrow. There were also exactly 0 power sections on the course, which IMHO is lame.

PatrickGrehan

Nov 18, 2013 at 02:07 AM

Having read the Kutztown report, @Mike might have liked the Hop Brook CX course in Middlebury CT (not far from the south bury school where Housatonic Hills used to run). This was totally a power course.

Having been doing a bit of traveling for cross this season I figured I would take a break this weekend and visit a college friend I haven’t seen in years on Sunday. As luck would have it, Hop Brook CX was less than 3 miles from her home in Waterbury. While the coincidence would imply that I organized the visit around the race, the reality was that I have been trying to get together with this friend for months and this was the first weekend that we were both free. There is a certain joy from having my plans would out like this. I got there early for some recon and ran into David Schwartz from Team Town Cycle who pre-rode the course with me. We’ve both ridden the 4s quite a bit and are starting to experiment with other fields.

The majority of the course was long power sections (big ring) with a lot of flow. Great for some of the big engines in my field, in other words, I could not rely on my descent handling skills to overcome by physical limitations. There were a couple of twisty sections but the only challenging parts were two steep dirt climbs that followed shape turns at speed. They turned out to be more challenging that they appeared , reinforcing the value of presiding them several times each. I didn’t want to run into the tape like I did on my first pre-ride. Also on the course was beach front section similar to bubble cross but with a huge hole at one end. The hole was easily avoidable and the sand near the water was much more firm that at Bubblecross. Unlike bubble there were several rocks to avoid including a sharp turn at the end of a descent with a boulder in the spot which would have otherwise been the fastest line. Throw in some gravel, uphill barriers and even some pavement and you have a strongman’s course with only a few short climbs and only modest technical challenges. Nice, but a little boring. The venue is really pleasant, but they need a course designer like Myles to really turn it into something exciting.

I signed up for the first race of the day: Master’s 45+ 1234, figuring it was time to get my ass handed to me. The master’s field was only 17 deep. I had a good start and was 6th taking the hole shot turn wide and kept that position going into the tricky off-camber climb/turns. This was good as I think there was a crash behind me. I stayed with the lead group through the first lap but started to lose contact through some of the gravel turns. For the next three laps I chased the lead group solo. Initially, I kept them well in sight, but they rode together and as the race progressed they would be ever so slightly further ahead. I could see a could of riders 20-30 seconds behind me and was able to hold them off take 7th with a solid gap. Eerily, 7th is exactly where cross results had predicted I would finish.

Unknown

Nov 18, 2013 at 02:57 AM

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Jim Feehan

Nov 18, 2013 at 12:43 PM

The "old lady with the stars and stripes" jersey (Julie) probably wanted to thank me for showing up so she would not finish last.

Seriously it was most likely because I passed her twice and told her both times that I was coming by and wherer. Both times she gave me a "Nice pass..Go get em Kissena" shout out.

I have heard a number of guys yell at her or make sketchy passes that scared the sh@# out of her (and me) this year. When I hear it I am always shocked and saddened. All I can ever think of is that my deceased mother, my wife, sisters and dog would (rightfully) smack me in the mouth if they EVER heard me do it.

The lady is the 70 plus national champ for several years running and travels to all the MAC races from Mass With her husband and their cat, on a leash no less. She is the only woman in a men's masters race and she's wearing THE JERSEY. Even in the 45 plus field she is old enough to be these guys' mother and she's out here week after week racing her bike. If people can't find a safe fast and respectful way around her, they should really be spending more time working on their skills.

Thankfully such bad manners is the exceptionn rather than the rule but it makes me wonder where cross is headed. Part of what keeps me coming back year after year is the sense that at the end of the day, covered in mud (notablly absent this year), first or 50th there is a bond of shared experience between us all and a place for each of us.

While our peers at work etc spend weekends watching football and/or ice dancing, trolling outlet malls, playing video games or God forbid, working, we happy few have chosen to ride bikes in circles in fields. Anyone crazy enough to join us is worthy of respect particularly a 70 year old woman wearing the National Champs jersey, because for most of us passing Julie is as close to the jersey as we are ever going to get.

Sorry for the long winded post but some things are way more important than CrossResults points.

Marc Bertucco

Nov 18, 2013 at 12:58 PM

Well said, Jim, well said.

jim_nelson

Nov 18, 2013 at 01:02 PM

Well said Jim. Julie is the best and deserves all our respect.

Jules

Nov 18, 2013 at 01:26 PM

Well said Jim!

harry bolick

Nov 18, 2013 at 02:15 PM

Jim, your insights&quiet strength/performances week-in and week-out resonate and inspire me...beautifully written. thank you. -harryB;-) ps&for wheel@IndependanceCx.

Unknown

Nov 18, 2013 at 02:40 PM

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Jules

Nov 18, 2013 at 04:36 PM

How about a virtual cheer for "Canadian Mike" who finally nabbed the top step after a season of bad-luck mechanicals and a nasty crash at Providence.

Maple syrup anyone?

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Joaquin

Nov 18, 2013 at 04:48 PM

@Jules: here, here! I briefly spoke with Mike right before his race, and he had good vibe going. The win hopefully says good things about his form for the Canadian national championship race two weeks from now.

Jules

Nov 18, 2013 at 04:52 PM

Joaquin said:

@Jules: here, here! I briefly spoke with Mike right before his race, and he had good vibe going. The win hopefully says good things about his form for the Canadian national championship race two weeks from now.

Definitely! Kabush isn't going down easily (some might say without a mechanical!) but I think we'll see Mike at worlds again; I know he's headed for some world cup races after Super Cross.

Marc Bertucco

Nov 18, 2013 at 04:55 PM

Glad to see Canadian Mike get the win. He's got a few more chances for some outstanding results in the next few weeks too.

I think one of the most interesting story lines upcoming for SuperCross is who will share the podium with pre-race favorites Ben Berden and Tim Johnson. There are a handful of guys, who can realistically expect to get there and certainly Garrigan is one of them. But also, Anthony Clark, Dan Timmerman, Craig Ritchey, Stephen Hyde...and others too.

I can hardly wait to watch those guys race on a Myles' designed course. That shit is going to be good.

Jules

Nov 18, 2013 at 04:57 PM

Marc Bertucco said:

Glad to see Canadian Mike get the win. He's got a few more chances for some outstanding results in the next few weeks too.

I think one of the most interesting story lines upcoming for SuperCross is who will share the podium with pre-race favorites Ben Berden and Tim Johnson. There are a handful of guys, who can realistically expect to get there and certainly Garrigan is one of them. But also, Anthony Clark, Dan Timmerman, Craig Ritchey, Stephen Hyde...and others too.

I can hardly wait to watch those guys race on a Myles' designed course. That shit is going to be good.

So totally agree. A Mad-Myles course with a large group of hammer heads who all have legitimate shots at the podium is gonna be so much fun to watch. Bring yer donuts!

Joaquin

Nov 18, 2013 at 05:13 PM

My brief Kutztown report:

I completely agree with Mike, Marc and the others who poo-pooed the narrowness and twistyness of the course. There's nothing wrong with a heavily technical course, but the bottlenecks were so instantaneous and so prolonged that they basically nuetralized huge portions of the racing.

Course gripes aside, I had a fourth row start, so would have been happy with a top 15 - 20. Had a decent start, and went into the first twisty bit out of the hole shot in about 17th. Somehow I was able to pass three more guys in the first lap (in the one or two places wide enough to actually pass), and was getting excited to keep pressing toward the top ten for the rest of the race. Mike was at the front of our group, and I was digging the Kissena bookend as we snaked through the tape.

Then my rear brake disengaged, ala Jules at Gloucester. The QR popped free somehow. My best guess is that I must have slighly tweaked the straddle cable last week. I did my best with just the front, but the overabundance of stupid-tight hairpin turns finally did me in, and I slid out near the end of the 2nd lap after basically locking up my front brake in one such turn. 4 or 5 guys passed, but I dusted off, reengaged my brake, and set off in pursuit.

Two laps later I was in the process of riding the log feature and pulled a classic (and surely hilarious) endo. I mis-timed lifting my rear weight lift right when my tire clipped the log and just dumped forward. One dude crashed into me, but I managed to catch him with my feet and hands somehow, so no one got hurt. 4 or 5 guys pass again. I managed to pass one of them in the final lap, and rolled in for 24th. Not bad, but kind of disappointing considering how good things were looking at the start. Time to reload for SuperCross!

Jules

Nov 18, 2013 at 11:06 PM

So you're saying that while on your back with your feet/hands in the air you caught and replaced a flying rider?

That's gotta be worth 50 cx results points right there...

Joaquin

Nov 18, 2013 at 11:26 PM

@Jules, you know that scene in Big Trouble in Little China where Kurt is on his back and catches a falling monster with his feet? Then he's, like, trapped there? That about sums it up, except I got the other dude back on his feet pronto. You are welcome to lobby cx results to this effect.

Jules

Nov 18, 2013 at 11:33 PM

@Joaquin if you weren't already brother-from-another-mother... Sigh, "It's all in the reflexes Yang!"

Marc Bertucco

Nov 19, 2013 at 09:21 AM

Hey, I'm "cross" posting this (oooh, I'm so punny) in the SuperCross thread, but I wanted to encourage more of you to sign up for the club championship race Sunday morning.

It's kind of a hoot, and even though I got destroyed last year, it was one of the most entertaining races all year. Starting from the beginning, when, we lined up in REVERSE ORDER OF CROSSRESULTS, making Ragot and McLoughlin start from the BACK ROW (because you know, make those guys work a little), then we irritated to the officials by starting ourselves and you know the racing stuff happened after that.

Which was good and slickery and painful and everything a cross race should be, except it was mercifully short making for what could be a perfect warm-up for your day's other races...