Posted by Dan on 22. June 2010 18:42
I spent the better portion of last week sitting around watching the sun kill my lawn. Saturday came at long last and Wick and I set out for fragrant Richmond and points beyond. 20 miles beyond to be precise. Team Nature's Path gathered some cones and officials and threw a killer circuit race at the Meadows near the Kings Dominion Center for People Who Can't Race Bikes Good Or Maybe Didn't Know They Were Doing It Right Down The Road. This course was advertised as having 9 90-degree corners and a hill. What it really had was 9 90-degree turns, a pair of constant-radius loops, a chicane ending with a 100+ degree turn leading to a short hill with a few more curves, corners, descents and swirling winds for days. The 200 meter mark was immediately after a left hand turn and 100 meters before the final right hander leaving little room for a proper sprint. Throw in the heat and you got yourself all the ingredients for a event folks will talk about for months and years to come.
Frank and Steve M. would also be joining us in our race, but before we got that far, we someone convinced fellow Monday night attendee to fork out the cash for an annual license and gear up for the 5 race. Kirk is a strong rider who's chased down our group from miles away without breaking a sweat, so we were sure he'd do well in his first race ever. Unfortunately, I missed the end, but word is Kirk rode a great race, staying near (but off) the front and covered all the moves. His race ended in a bunch sprint where he got 6th. Fantastic results for his first race. We all learned from his race that you didn't want to be too far from the front coming around the second to last corner on the bell lap.
We warmed up while the 3s did their thing and lined up an hour later. Our race would be 21 laps around the 1.4 mile circuit. Wick, Frank and I took the line with Steve right behind us. 42 other riders joined us and we got our last minute instructions. The ref blew the whistle and we were off. Once again, my left pedal betrayed me and the entire field passed by me as I sat there shaking my head. I eventually clipped in and took off, getting to the front after an entire lap or so as Wick led the pack on a high-speed run to weed out the non-cornering types among us. After 5 laps, I charged up the hill and found myself with a small gap. For whatever reason, they let me go so the gap opened to 15 seconds or so. I maintained that for another 8 laps while my teammates did their best to relax the pace in the chasing peloton.
I passed a few lapped riders on the descent when John Hessian of Carytown rolls up on my right, accompanied by Tim Pope of Fat Frogs and Hugh Brown of team Rostello/Cycor. The calvary had finally arrived. Our gap opened up to a week and a half as we worked our way through the remaining 6 or 7 laps. The heat, pace, hill and more heat took its toll. Only 23 of the initial 46 finished. The rest melted into a pile of carbony human goo. Of those that made it, only 10 were on the lead lap. My group charged the line and I fought to hang on, finishing 4th. Frank came in with the pack in 7th, Wick in 10th and Steve hung on for 18th. I'd say we were pretty happy with three riders in the top 10.
A giant "merci beaucoup" to Kevin Horvath of VB Wheelmen and his Photo Posse for the pictures. Thanks to Team Nature's Path for finding yet another great venue. Maybe next year's course could run through a waterfall or ride-through freezer? Just a thought...
Posted by Dan on 15. June 2010 18:19
Things were fairly quiet for Celerity Cycling this weekend. Team Vanderkitten - Virginia Beach hosted the only race of the weekend on the Snowball Crit course from earlier this year. It's a nice course, but it seems to have gotten really hot. Donning the kit in anger this weekend would be Dan R., Frank, Mike Shipp and me. Steve M. would be prancing about in his sky blue polo, waving his clipboard at the naughtier cyclists among us and enjoying the delicious lunch that Team Vanderkitten provided the officials. Evidently they didn't like the leftover hot dogs WE gave them last weekend. Whatever.
Yeah, that's Steve and his clipboard (left). Taking a little break from prancing I guess.
First race for us would be Dan R. in the Cat 5 field. Dan is less than a week off a tour of half the US by bike. He came back to Hampton Roads and ran some ungodly distance a few days before the race. This guy is a monster. After his race started, it appeared he wasn't happy with the pace being set so he set out to ride his own race - off the front. Unfortunately, in a Cat 4-like move, the pack followed his every move. The cat and mouse games wouldn't deter him, though. Eventually, his efforts left him needing rest and the pack rode off without him while he took it. He took on the role of Mama Duck as he chased the main field with several other riders clinging to his wheel for dear life. He eventually shelled them, but never caught the field. Considering I can't run half a mile - ever - and he just ran 9 miles after doing 150 miles/day on the bike for several weeks, we'll give him a pass on this one.
Dan R. in one of his many off-the-front moments.
The masters race was run immediately before the 4 race so I took a pass and lined up with the latter group. Twenty-four riders turned out to brave heat which had to be closing in on 200 degrees. There were two rules for this race: Always Be Hydrating and never slow down - that wind keeps you from melting.
Mike checking to see if he's melting.
I'm always eager to try one of those "took off from the start and was never seen from again" moves, so I jumped at the whistle. Turns out it's a lot more work than it looks like. With the entire pack in one convenient package, we meandered around the course a couple three times before Frank slipped away off the front with Jerry Hadley (TriPower) and an unidentified Fat Frogs rider. You've probably read enough of these to know they didn't last too long. When they came in, I took a stab at it. I was soon joined by what would be the members of the winning group composed of the entire bloody main field. No one was getting away today. We tried, oh how we tried. The power file shows numerous attempts at getting away all followed by that tell-tale flat period where I coasted while waiting for a wheel for me to grab as they passed by me. Mike even took a short lived shot at a break.
Frank surrounded by the TriPower Secret Service. They'd eventually let him crash.
And so it went until the bell lap. The pace ramped up as we approached the dreaded 2nd 90 degree turn. This is the same corner Wick crashed in back in March. Everyone wants to go fast and wide through that turn so if you're unfortunate enough to find yourself on the outside, there's a high probability that you're going down. Frank found this out the hard way, though not quite as hard as Wick. Frank landed in the grass, on his back, staring up at the clouds having been put in the curb by the charging hoard. I chose a nicer, happier line closer to the inside, much in the same way Frank chose an inside line in Fayetteville, and found myself in a prime position to contest the sprint, still around fifth wheel. I finished third and Mike came in close behind in 9th. Frank picked up his bike, now with Authentic Battle Damage! and limped across the line in 21st. This guy can crash, daydream about cloud puppies and STILL not finish last! He's unstoppable!
Frank is fine though still firmly convinced he was feeling good enough to win that race had he not been forced out. I'm pretty sure he's right. We all thank Team Vanderkitten for hosting the race. Next weekend is the Team Nature's Path Crit in Richmond and the Peter Teeuwen Memorial Omnium 23 Mile Time Trial #1.
All pictures in this post courtesy of BJ Samuel of Team Vanderkitten.
Posted by Dan on 26. May 2010 05:50
Teammate Wick's dad got some great pictures in Sanford, NC a few weekends ago.
(R to L) Dan, Frank, Justin & Wick
Justin and Frank. Justin's the strong one.
See the many others in his Picasa gallery.
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Posted by Dan on 24. May 2010 23:00
On March 28, 2010 on a quiet little road in the rolling hills outside of Charlottesville, VA, I lost my Trek Madone when I crashed in the Cat 4 sprint at Jeff Cup. Several days later, I ordered a replacement from the good folks in Waterloo, WI and was told that due to higher than expected demand, I'd see my new frameset in around 24 days. A later update said May 31. In the mean time, I'd train and compete on Wick's old Trek 2100.
Last week, a jolly fat man driving a UPS truck delivered to East Coast Bicycles one 58 cm Trek Madone 5.9 in matte black - two weeks early. The crew at my LBS, being a clever lot, opted not to tell me until it was built. Apparently they thought I'd hang around the shop and pester them until it was finished, lending my unwanted and unnecessary "expert advice" as they attempted to build my bike. They finished it Thursday and swapped out pedals, saddle, etc. on Friday. Shakedown ride was the Saturday morning shop ride and it was glorious. Riding the aluminum 2100 for 6 weeks made me appreciate the Madone's stiffness and responsiveness all over again. I may have wept; I'm not sure.
Sunday was Virginia Beach Wheelmen's second race of the season at Sleepy Hole Park and would be the perfect testing ground for the new bike & wheelset (the HED Stinger 6s came in shortly after the first Madone exploded). Steve Monk, Wick, Frank and I would all be in the Cat 4 race and I'd pre-registered for the Masters 30+/40+ race without checking the forecast first. I'd later learn there was a pretty good chance of rain throughout the day, increasing in the afternoon.
The conditions for the first race were perfect. The sun had been out long enough to dry up most of the course. The back stretch was shady and still moist but more than tolerable. Temps were near 80. 30 or so Cat 4s lined up and prepared to have at it. Despite the technical course, our average speed was still 26.1 mph. Celerity Cycling p/b Fitness Together made several failed attempts to form a break. My first one was shut down in the time it took to turn my head. Frank and Wick both gave it a go and were quickly reeled in. This race, like so many others, would culminate in a bunch sprint. Mickey Turner, the lone Carytown rider, personally saw to it. He had an uncanny way of getting other teams to chase down breaks by initiating a short move.
Unfortunately, both Frank and I were under the erroneous impression we had three or so laps to go despite hearing the ringing bell as we passed the start/finish line. I guess all of my attention was spent navigating through the technical last turns and trying to move up. At any rate, the lap board reading "1" went by unnoticed. I continued to move up, getting into position for the sprint that would go down a lot sooner than I thought.
On the bell lap (or with 3 to go, depending on who you ask), Jerry Hadley and Chris Dinsmore both left the course and came to an abrupt halt. Remarkably, both remained upright and unscathed, though Jerry's rear wheel activated its Wonder Twins power and took the form of a taco. The pack moved on at an unusually high speed. I remember thinking it was cool that they'd keep the pace up so high with a few laps to go. That'd make moving up in the next lap or so relatively easy. When we came around the fourth corner, I caught a glimpse of the lap board which said, "0". Now it all made sense. Once more, I started my sprint from the back. It's entirely possible the winner (Mickey Turner) had already crossed the line before I stood up. Anyway, Wick, who was paying attention, finished 8th. I came in in 18th and Frank was behind me and Steve Monk finished just behind him. Frank and I were pretty disappointed but took solace in the fact that we were both confused by the ringing of the bell.
The Masters 30+/40+ race started around 4 and would be the last one of the day. The temperature had dropped to 70, the winds picked up and it was pretty clear rain would be coming soon. Against my better judgment, I donned my kit and reluctantly put the carbon wheels back on the brand new Madone - the same one with less than 60 miles on it. Oddly enough, this race was quite a bit smaller than the first with maybe 20 riders. The first lap or so was pretty slow, then shot up as the first attacks came. After about 15 minutes, I tried my hand at joining a break of two. Tim Pope of Fat Frogs had the exact same idea (again?) and launched right in front of me so I grabbed his wheel and off we went. Once we bridged, the break seemed to disintegrate immediately and I found myself alone off the front with a gap of maybe 5 seconds. So I'm hanging out there, waiting for someone to bridge up. No one did but it did start raining. I did about five laps alone when the bell rang. As I went by with a 10 second lead, the lap board read 16 laps to go so it had to be a prime. I'd get $10. Cool. Turns out they hadn't time to adjust the lap board to indicate 1 to go and that we were in fact on the bell lap now due to lightning in the area. I maintained my tempo pace. Maybe 10 feet from the finish line, I heard the whoosh of carbon wheels and was passed by Nathan Hakkan of GS GamJams.
So there you go. 2nd place in a rainy masters race and a decent ride (albeit poor finish due to inattentiveness) in the Cat 4 race. The new bike worked perfectly. I'll blame the lack of alertness on the cold I woke up with. As my wife put it, "You looked kinda dopey."
Big thanks to Joshua Goyet, VB Wheelmen, their families, the volunteers and the city of Suffolk for the race. Bigger thanks to Trek and East Coast Bicycles. Whatever thanks left lying around goes to Frank for the pictures he snapped of the masters race. If the new pictures aren't up yet, they will be soon. In the mean time, enjoy the pictures from teammates Justin, Adam and Dan as they embark on an epic adventure.
Posted by Dan on 18. May 2010 06:50
This was my third trip to Fort Lee for the End of Summer/Sprint into Spring Crit. This year we were treated to a new course replacing the aging one on the opposite side of the post whose corners were getting a bit long in the tooth (and downright scary). This new one had a little something for everyone including a single 90 degree turn and a right-hand bend on an otherwise left-hand course. Frank and I arrived just shortly after a few riders in the Cat 5 field crashed on the back stretch and the women were just starting to tear it up. The sun was set to "hot" and the forecast 74 degrees turned into 87+.
We'd both registered for the 3/4 and 4 races, the thought being to use the former as a warm-up for the latter. We began our warm-up by riding around post for awhile as the women's Cat 3 field finished up. We lined up with 60 or so 3/4 riders somewhere in the middle - MUCH better than our usual "dead last" position. The pace ramped up leading into the first corner and never slacked off. While the field was a bit elastic, the frequent attacks from Carytown did a good job keeping us lean. For anything going off the front to stick, a decent sized group was critical and there wasn't enough organization (or ambition?) to get such a group so each attempt was promptly shut down. I think I may have tried to bridge up to a group of two at one point. As I accelerated from 10 wheels back, someone jumped right in front of me so I grabbed his wheel and held on. He made it, but our newly formed group of four was already doomed. After a few laps, it was becoming increasingly clear that I wanted to be on the inside come turn 3 of the bell lap, as far up as possible. The move up began with two to go and by the time we hit turn 3, I was about 20 back. The left side of the course opened up as everyone migrated right to catch the faster wheels. I had a clean shot to the line. Had I started out further up, I'd have finished better than 9th but it's one of my better crit finishes so I'm as pleased as punch. Frank did a great job protecting his position near the front the entire race. He appeared to be favoring the right side of the course so I think he was boxed in when we came barreling around that final turn. He finished up 26th. PowerTap says the average speed was 27.1 mph. Very quick.
After an hour and a half wait, we did a quick ride around post to warm-up for the Cat 4 race. It was pretty clear we rode too hard in the first race and/or didn't wear enough compression socks while we sat around in the AC between races. Being more familiar with the Cat 4 riders, we knew who to watch out for and that Carytown would again be the team wrecking havoc. For this start, I got my spot on the line and amazed myself by clipping in on the first try (a worn left cleat makes that an impressive feat these days). My joy manifested itself by sprinting off for the first corner and starting Race #2 alone. I was caught between turns 2 and 3. A few laps later, I passed by Frank and got on the front, then slowed the pace a few hundred mph. Frank took off like a rabbit while everyone watched him go. A couple riders went after Frank but were brought slowly brought back. Once they'd been assimilated, Frank was left to dangle off the front as the pace settled again. I sat around 5th wheel and wondered if I should go help him or wait for a chance to counter. We eventually brought him back and the attacks started to dwindle. Carytown made a few spirited attacks, but they were marked men and no one let them go as was Tim Pope of Fat Frogs who made a run for it. They grabbed him before he could get back in the saddle. After Frank's 2+ laps off the front, he was sure to be cooked and would be hanging on, securing a good position for the bunch sprint. I tried employing the same technique from the previous race - move to the inside and hammer up the left side. Once again, it worked very well but I started way too far back and could only come past a few. I would finish 21st while Frank took home a single BAR point as an award for 15th. This race a little slower (26.2) but didn't possess the same gravitas as the 3/4 race. Still counts as a pack finish of 30 or more.
Thanks to Sharon Leary, Fort Lee, Fort Lee MWR, Team Rostello p/b Fiorucci and all of the sponsors that made this event possible. It was clear a lot of effort went into making it a great race and we appreciate it.
Posted by Dan on 4. April 2010 21:20
For the second time this season, I've been afforded the opportunity to race a Cat 4-only race. The joy I felt about racing the Smithfield HAMmer Fest Criterium knew no bounds as I'd be among only 4s - no uber-experienced 3s setting unsustainable paces and belittling us in the end with their superior sprinting skills and no inexperienced 5s gumming up the works. Great weather and what was sure to be a well organized race in a town that goes out of its way to support bicycle racing would make me forget all about the unfortunate incident in the final meters of last week's Jeff Cup and allow me to put my winter training to good use.
For Celerity Cycling p/b Fitness Together, we had Dan Ranschaert and Adam Leopold in the Cat 5 race, me, Mike, Frank and Justin in the 4s and Taryn in the Women's 4 race. Wick was somehow lured out of state by the call of the sea and the loose women that prey on sailing spectators.
Dan and Adam had an interesting race. They both did a great job staying near the front, sometimes too near. In the end, Adam was the first around turn 4, headed for the line when his pedal struck and he unclipped. He was able to pull off a one-legged drill to the line, still finishing top 10.
The 4 race was a bit more entertaining/terrifying. On "go", Jake King sprinted off the front taking a few confused riders with him. The gap that opened didn't last so we settled in for the long haul. The main field stayed together for the duration of the race with the exception of those shelled riders that were eventually lapped on the course's only climb. Unfortunately, they were taking up the entire width of the course as we came through and seemed to take offense when shouted at. Sorry, but... Two or three laps later, with one and a half to go, we once again hit the descent after turn 3 and speeds quickly picked up. A Tri-Power rider abruptly crossed the course from right to left, hitting the wheel of Chad Holm (also of Tri-Power), sending him reeling. Unable to recover, Chad went down right in front of me. Deja vu. This time, I was able to slow enough to just pass him on the right. The celebration going on in my brain for pulling off such a miraculous save was short lived as I was hit from behind by someone that either didn't try to stop or thought that I was committed to going over Chad and chose the line to the right for themselves. Either way, I ate it again. With me this time was Justin and Mike and maybe four others. My wounds were much worse than those sustained during last week's crash, but I was by no means the worst of this group. Justin got minor road rash and would have been alright were it not for the five riders behind him running him over. Mike was forced into the curb and went over his bars, fracturing his right wrist (again) and bending his big ring.
The refs stopped the race while we got bikes and various accessories off the course. While incident reports were filled out, those still standing lined-up for a restart of the final two laps. Justin's chainstay had broke so he grabbed Adam's bike and dragged his bloodied self to the line with Mike and Frank. After a break just long enough for everyone's legs to stiffen up, they were off. Two more crashes (one in turn 1 and another in turn 4) and the field finished. Frank got 8th and Justin 10th. Mike hung off the back, having ridden in his little ring. Good times in the Ham Capital of the World.
Taryn's race would be the last one for Celerity Cycling p/b Fitness Together. Though I haven't seen the results yet, I know she rode a strong race and did a lot of pace-setting. The main field that rolled across the line was more than 50% of what it started as and Taryn did a lot of the work whittling it down.
Having been crashed out of two races in as many weeks because someone two riders up from me decided to make dramatic, pointless moves without looking, I'm of the firm belief that every racer should attend some sort of bike handling clinic. We're all guilty of the occasional mistake, but this is getting stupid and expensive. Celerity Cycling p/b Fitness Together is going to start a weekly clinic to work on various skills. These training rides will be mandatory for team members, but we'd welcome anyone wanting to participate. To those of you not doing clinics, I urge you to consider it. To those of you that are, I'd appreciate any agendas, curriculae, tips and tricks and whatever else you have. Improved racing skills benefit us all. Maybe this is just a Cat 4 thing, in which case I should go to Ohio and get some upgrade points. Or stick to time trials, like this Saturday's Conquer the Canal Time Trial.
Thanks to Joshua Goyet, the VB Wheelmen and their families/volunteers for putting on yet another stellar race. Despite all the complaining I plan on doing about the Cat 4 race, we really appreciate the effort you put into your events.
Oh, and Bravo Zulu to former teammate Kyle Knott of Atlantic Velo for taking 1st in the GamJams Cat 3 Cup, p/b Mountain Khakis! Enjoy the pants!
Posted by Dan on 1. March 2010 06:40
Celerity Cycling p/b Fitness Together got a taste of how the rich and famous NASCAR crowd lives courtesy of Team Nature's Path/3 Sports. For those brave enough to endure the cold and winds, the Richmond International Raceway Crit gave us a beautifully banked, variable radius circuit to abuse for a few hours, both with most expensive carbon goodies and in some cases, our faces.
Both Frank and Justin were able to squeak into the Cat 5 race. Employing a novel technique once described to me by the triathlon-biased Tim, a rider rumored to be a triathlete went off the front and time trialed his way to the finish. Whoda thunk it? Justin tried to bridge up and expended quite a bit of energy in his valiant attempt. He eventually drifted back into the pack and finished mid-pack. Frank raced more conservatively and clung to the front, coming in 6th in the bunch sprint, 7th overall.
I did the Cat 3/4 and Masters 35+ races. The first one was fairly fast and didn’t let anyone get away, culminating in a bunch sprint. I came in somewhere around 20th. Riding with the more experienced and upper-categories in the second race was a lot different. They all seemed more confident and relaxed. No yelling at one another, very little bumping. A group of 10 or so went off the front from "go", later splitting into 3 and a chase group of 7 that shelled a riders off every so often. Everyone else was comfortably protected from the wind in the main field. A few tried to bridge attempts were quickly caught. Not wanting to drive all the way from Norfolk only to sit-in and not work, I did a little more in this second race, spending a little too much time on the front in the headwind. With 4.5 laps to go, I got a severe hamstring cramp. I sat up made for pit row. The main field kept the momentum up and managed to catch the chase group, but the three leaders kept their lead with Chuck Hutcheson taking a solid 1st place.
I have mixed feelings about the track. It was cool to race on Richmond International Raceway, passing through a tunnel to get to the infield, surrounded by spectator seating and registering in the “drivers’ lounge”. The course was a D shaped track with a pretty serious bank that only track riders would be familiar with. You learn quickly to the unique features to your advantage, such as using excess speed to drift to the outside, then letting gravity advance you a few places when dropping back in. On the downside, the bank caused crowding near the inner edge of the course. There was an epic crash on the bell lap of the Cat 5 race which. Fortunately, neither of our guys went down. There was another crash in our 3/4 race that happened in the same place, just off to my left. All I saw was someone’s rear carbon wheel coming up over their head. I didn’t hang around long enough to see the result, but I heard the familiar crunch and for some reason, the image of Happy Gilmore pulling the sweater over a heckler's head got stuck in my mind.
The lessons learned from this race were easy ones: If you’re racing Cat 5, 4, or even 3, chances are no one is getting away. In that case, there is no reason on earth why you should be anywhere near the front. There is no accordion affect going around corners or mini-sprints to catch up. It’s just motorpacing, as Wick would say (and has). In the Masters 35+ race, where talent and experience are more plentiful, you WANT to be near the front and prepared to cover any moves. The two upcoming Langley Speedway Crits will give us ample opportunity to test these theories.
Lydia's pictures will be posted to Flickr once the camera thaws.