Glencoe Grand Prix (IL State Criterium Championship) - 6/25

This year was my first doing the regular course at the Glencoe Grand Prix in Glencoe, IL and being the Illinois State Criterium Championship and on the NRC (National Racing Calender) this race was sure to bring the best of the best in talent for all categories of racing.  I always love these big events because it exponentially increases the level of excitement as a rider.  The timing is through electronic chips attached to the front forks of the bike, there were two stage platforms with announcers giving real time details of the race and the entire course was closed with barriers barring the names of all the sponsors.   

The course features 10 corners with a big decent and climb on the backside about 1k from the finish.  Points and prizes are given at various points along the way for "King of the Mountains" and "Best Sprinter" as well as the state championship jersey for the overall winner.  With all that hardware at stake all the best riders were present and motivated to put in a stellar performance.

After arriving, signing in and getting my timing chip I did a brief warm up on the trainer before heading over to the course to do a few practice laps.  The race was right after lunch so the course was open much to my surprise.  After a few laps I knew the next hour was going to be quite a challenge.

From the gun the pace was intense.  Normally, at the start I can sit in the pack fairly easily and get into a groove.  However, by the first corner I had dropped back in the pack and feeling the accordion effect at every turn.  On the flats the pace picked up to about 26 mph but then dropped to 19 or 20 around the corner.  As the race progressed more and more riders were spit out the back due to this constant acceleration and deceleration.

Halfway through the race the sprints were announced.  I was sitting the middle of the pack which was strung out in a long line with no chance of contesting the sprint points.  As the race progressed I began to move steadily up in the pack until I was sitting somewhere in the top 10.  I could tell most riders were reaching their limit and with three to go I was at the red line but feeling good.  With two to go we hit the long backstretch and I hit the gas and accelerated into the top 5 spots.  This allowed me to take the corners at much higher speed and maintain it into the next straight.  At the bell lap I hit the gas again and  could feel the lactic acid burning my legs but at the same time a burst of adrenaline fueled me on.  We took the final corners at full speed and hit the last hill climbing out of the saddle.  I could see the other riders fading.  At the top of the hill I maintained speed while trying to gather what little energy I had left for the sprint.  Going into the third to final turn my whole body felt like Jello.  For a second I lost my concentration and my front wheel hit the back wheel of the rider in front of me.  With no panic at all, I held my line and so did the other rider.  I was able to pull back with no further incident.  I shouted an apology which was my punishment considering I could barely breath.

With one straight to go before the final turn I accelerated and took the lead going into the final turn.  I took the final turn in 1st place as fast as I could go.  With the finish line in sight I gave it everything I had.  As one then two riders went around me I pushed as hard as I could.  With literally meters to go two other riders came around me and I went from 3rd to 5th in half a second.

 

Cat 4 Finish

Its funny how great you feel after finishing but the pain doesn't go away quickly.  I had to take a cool down lap but even that didn't clear the lactic acid from my muscles.  Feeling better after about 15 minutes I went to the podium to congratulate the winner and apologize again to the guy who I almost crashed out.  He's a great rider who I've raced with before and held no hard feelings.  It certainly was a hard effort and I paid for every moment of it.  Finishing 5th overall was a great accomplishment and I was very happy overall.  I hope to build off that result in the next couple weeks as Superweek begins.  Here is the final race data from the race.

Rose Festival Road Race - 6/18

With legs still spongy from yesterdays effort I lined up for the encore to the Rose Festival Criterium on Saturday morning.  The Rose Festival Road Race was not in State Center but a place called Bangor, Iowa.  You couldn't call it a town, just a park with a sign indicating you were in Bangor.  The other racers were equally as confused as I was at the start.  There was no start line and no map of the course.  Everyone gathered on the road where we saw an official and began chatting about what the next couple hours would bring.  When the whistle blew the only information I had was that it was a 40 mile road race and when we saw a person with a flag turn left. 

Off we went with no direction at all.  The mood was light and riders were chatting with each other for the first few miles.  Before the first turn a rider came out of no cutting me off and driving me off the road into the gravel shoulder.  Barely avoiding a crash I managed to get back on the road and rejoin the group.  I caught up to him and politely asked what the hell he was doing?  His response was "quit your crying" I knew immediately that was someone to stay well away from for the next two hours.

The course turned out to be a large 20 mile square.  The wind buffeted the peloton from all directions and we formed a tight pack for most of the race.  Mr. Etiquette made his way through the group nearly causing numerous crashes and I chuckled as each rider cursed under their breath at each narrowly avoided crash.  At one point I overheard someone say "watch for his shoulder to dip before he veers off so you can see what direction he's going"  It was truly the worst riding I have ever seen in a race.

The pace was steady most of the race with a few minor attacks of the front but nothing that would stick.  Clearly this was going to be a sprint finish.  Going around the final turn we had about 4 miles to the finish.  I was feeling good and as the pack slowed I decided to push the pace at the front.  Bad Decision.  As my speed hit 30 mph I could not longer hear wheels behind me.  I drove the pace faster and faster thinking I had a chance at a solo finish.  My legs screaming I drove on... finally hitting the 1k sign I thought that maybe I had a chance at it.  With about 200m to go the road took an uphill approach to the finish and the first rider went around me.  I had nothing left in the legs to respond.  At the finish another group went around and I had to settle for a disappointing 9th.

My cheering section was there at the line and it felt great to be congratulated even though the race didn't turn out like I wanted.  All around it was a great week of racing and I can't wait to do it again next year.  Race data for the road race are posted here.

Rose Festival Twilight Criterium - 6/17

This weekends racing brought me to State Center, Iowa for the Rose Festival Twilight Criterium and Road Race.  After a long drive Friday I arrived just in time to get signed in and warmed up before the 7pm start. My whole family was there to watch and it was great to have a cheering section on every lap.  Temperatures were in the upper 80's and I don't know what the humidity was but I'll just say it was HOT!  Warm up took about 5 minutes to get my heart rate up but the legs weren't feeling so good.  I thought maybe I pushed it a little to hard training this week... Regardless the race wasn't waiting for me.



Waiting for race to start

Lining up was a very small group of riders, but each looked ready to race.  For the first time in a long while I had problems clipping in, and found myself at the back of the pack chasing right from the start.  The pace was fast initially but everyone in the group was cornering well and riding smart which made things much more enjoyable.  After 5 or 6 laps the pace slowed a touch and I was able to move up in the field into a comfortable spot.  Halfway through he race I was really starting to feel the heat.  I went through an entire 20 oz. bottle which is strange for a 40 min. criterium. With about 8 laps to go things started heating up.  Two guys went off the front but only held a 15 second advantage.  We could see them going around each turn and I wrongly assumed the pack would quickly bring them back.  Its hard racing with people you don't recognize because you don't know what their skill level is.  Back home I would have had a better idea of weather or not to chase the breakaway.


Sitting in early in the race

The course was a simple box with an extra left and right corner right after the first turn making a nice 6 turn layout.  The last two turns are on a steady incline and I knew that at race speed it would very hard if not impossible to make up much ground.  In my mind I decided the race would be won or lost on the slight downhill straight between turns 4 and 5 which was the only real area to make up much ground. 

Coming up the home stretch with about 4 to go (The two riders were not the two off the front)

The pace was increasing to the bell lap and as I watched the laps count down I wondered if I could keep the pace.  At the bell I knew we weren't catching the two off the front.  With my family cheering me on and the heart rate increasing to 190 I was firing on all cylinders.  I pushed past the one rider in front of me (seen below) and was out front driving the pace. 

Sitting in 2nd going into the bell lap

Taking good lines on turns 2 and 3 I hit the short straight away before the last final uphill.  I could hear the wheels closing in around me and I drove harder to stay out front.  I took a great line going into the uphill and maintained every bit of speed going into the homestretch.  I buried my head and drove as hard as I could for the last 150m.  I was able to stay off and win the bunch sprint of the small group.  Those two riders stayed off the front the whole time and I thought I had taken third.  After the race I realized another rider had escaped which I missed and gotten lost in the shuffle of lapped riders so I ultimately took 4th overall, just missing my first podium again.  It took the entire cool down lap to bring the heart rate and legs back under control but with the whole family there to watch it was a great effort and a great result.  Race data can be found here.

The Alpaca Fly's at Midway 5/14

Last Saturday was the annual Monsters of the Midway Criterium in Hyde Park, Chicago.  I have done this race once before and have been looking forward to it all year because of its fairly easy course and competitive field of riders.  The course is shaped like a giant oval with a .5 mile straightaway section on each side.  Its just like the chariot race track from the Movie Ben Hur... Which you will know right away if you're a Charlton Heston fan like I am.

Anyway, on the the day of the race the wind was blowing 20+ mph, with a light drizzle, and temps hovering around 40 degrees.  Great day for a bike race...  The plan for the day was to do two races.  The Cat 4 and then immediately after the Cat 4/5.  After doing a brief warm up I took the line for the Cat 4 start.  Off the gun the pace was fast and the wind was viscous.  Moving even slightly out of the echelon was like moving into a wind tunnel instantly forcing you back.  Having been off the bike the entire week prior my legs were feeling lethargic and I was riding without much energy.  After a few laps I could feel myself fading.

Sitting in on the home stretch during the 4's

Suddenly on the backstretch a rider went down right in front of me!!  I locked up my brakes and felt sure I was going over the handlebars.  My back wheel came off the ground and I winced waiting for the impact.  Somehow I took a line straight through the carnage and came out the other side unscathed.  However, after collecting my thoughts and taking a mechanical inventory I was off the back chasing the pack.  Chasing a 30-40 second break into a 20 mph headwind is darn tough.  I chased on my own for two laps never really getting close to catching back on.  After sensing the chase was fruitless I abandoned and decided it best to wait for the 4/5's rather than kill myself solo for the next half hour.

A little shaken up but feeling better I kicked off the 4/5s race with a new energy.  Right away I was feeling a little better and rode with the pack for most of the race.  The backstretch was slightly more of a crosswind than a headwind so it was a good place to make up positions near the end of the stretch when the leaders were tiring.  I used this technique to move up a few places each lap.



The peloton on the back stretch

 Halfway through the race the pace was fast and a light rain began to fall.  I noticed our lead group thinning rapidly.  With about 3 to go a rider took a corner and accelerated fast as he was leaning into the corner.  The acceleration spun out his back wheel and he lost traction crashing wide on the turn and taking out at least two other riders.  The pace quickened as the few of us left realized we were racing for top 10 places.  Of course there were only about 10 of us left in the lead group.  With one to go I was sitting back in about 6 position with two riders off the front.  I sat in the slipstream down the back straight waiting to make the final move.  Taking the final turn wide I had a great line on the outside.  As riders started to sprint to soon, I hesitated for just a moment as they lead me out.  With 200m to go I launched my sprint and passed the leaders of the peloton.  One rider had gone before me and I heard over the loud speaker that the two riders off the front had finished... I was sprinting for third.  I closed rapidly on the rider in front of me but crossed the line in 4th.  Another few meters and I would have got him. 

I was basking in my best finish of the year and in the free t-shirt I won as a top 5 finisher.  I also scored my first upgrade points to Cat 3 which has been a major goal for me this year.  In looking at the final stats the pace was slower than past races but given the conditions I can see why.  Hopefully I can parlay this good finish into a few more this year and get that upgrade I've been after.  Next race will be the state championship in O'Fallon, IL 6/5-6/5.

Ronald Reagan Criterium - 5/7/2011

This would be the first time for me doing the Ronald Reagan Criterium in Dixon, IL.  Hitting the door at the crack of dawn I headed out to go pick up Nick and make it to Dixon by 730am.  Blurry eyed but full of excitement we made the 2 hour trek and arrived in plenty of time to warm up and survey the course.  The first few races of the day proved exciting and Nick’s impressive result in the 5s filled me with anticipation for what was surely going to be an awesome course. 

Nick letting it all hang out to catch the group (which he did!)

The course was shaped like a figure eight with sections going uphill and others downhill with the focal point being a long steady climb on the front side with a sharp 90 degree right turn at the top.  The course design made for a challenging yet exciting ride which kept me on my toes throughout the 45 minutes race.

From the start of the race I found myself drifting further back in the pack, which is not where I wanted to be.  The peloton was very strung out with riders only 2 or 3 wide.  Clearly the pace and the corners were taking their toll at the back of the pack.  The challenging course made me nervous initially, and taking the multiple corners at full speed caused me to lose some places.  After a few laps I settled down and at the top of the climb when there was a slight lull in the pace I accelerated on the outside before the next corner and made up about 15 places.  Now I was in the top 10 and in perfect position for the next few laps.

Good position right behind the orange Tati rider

There were some aggressive attacks off the front but nothing stuck.  Some nice primes also caused the pace to pick up for a few laps.  Right after a prime lap with about 5 to go a guy just to the left of me took the right hand corner hot and hit the curb with his pedal throwing him into the air.  On my outside I could see him fly through the air like superman and heard the carnage behind me.  I accelerated and pushed the pace even harder. 

With three to go I began planning my final move.  I moved up to the front of the group and planned to attack on the final climb.  With one to go I was further back than I wanted to be but not too worried.  I had a lot of gas left for the final climb and run in to the finish.  On the final climb I attacked on the outside but at the top of the climb there was again a lull in the pace and I found myself completely boxed in on all sides.  I had nowhere to go and had no choice but to slow down.  From there the front group could not be caught.  I tried fruitlessly to catch the front group but couldn’t close the gap.  On the last turn I took an inside line and got a good sprint to make up a few more places at the line. 

Attacking on the final climb.  I'm the guy who's head is a foot above the others

Good inside line for the sprint finish

Looking back on the race my opinion is that the top 10 were decided through tactics not necessarily fitness.  The course did not allow many opportunities to make up places and if you missed those few opportunities there was no chance without taking huge risks in the corners.  The hill really was not as much as factor as I thought it would be.  It could be climbed in the big ring without getting out of the saddle.  It really just added to the exciting and fun course.  This race left me wanting to do it all over again and I can’t wait for next year!