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What Mike Z. saw:
Category: 4/5+
Result: Did not finish - flat.
This race sucked. I flatted at the 30 minute mark. I put a new tube in and inflated it, but since I had an half inch gash in the tire, that tube extruded and blew too. So, I watched Richard, Carl, and Brad finish it up. There was a wreck right at the front on the final sprint. Nobody from FFBC got hurt, but one guy probably broke his clavicle. Richard was in good position to see it and thus get stopped by it, so I'll let him give his report on that.
Lance and Gaelen were doing the 5s race, so I went over and did 50+ minutes worth of repeats on Nike (thanks to Carl loaning me his spare wheel) and then came back and watched the end of the 5s race. I'll let Lance and Gaelen tell their own sagas there. I know there was one crash involving a woman from Stanford who had a lot of road rash on her face. She had a sweet new Kestrel bike. I wonder if it looked bad too.
Now, time to shower and get ready to watch the Super Bowl commercials.
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What Tim saw:
Category: 1/2/3
Result: Back of pack
Man I guess I'll do anything for a free lap. The last two weeks I got a flat, swapped wheels and popped back in. This time I got involved in a big pileup which included Larry Nolan and got my free lap the hard way. Really it wasn't much. Some guy crashed in front of Larry and took him down. Another guy and I almost got through, he had to stop and I ran up beside him and lightly fell over. We rode to start finish and then jumped back in the pack the next time around. Since it was 5 laps to go Larry and I couldn't contest the sprint, so I drifted off the back and sprinted on my own.
Lots of my regular buddies weren't there, (Bob, Garry, Bob P., Steve T. etc), but it was still a pretty good pack of folks. Sorry to hear about Mike Z's troubles. Did we ever get some team wheels put together as Mike, Jeff and I have proven, it's EZ to get flats there?
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What Brad saw:
Category: 4/5+
Result: Back of pack
Writing this at half-time...Raiders are struggling.
This was my third EB Cat 4/5 race this year. With each one, I've felt a bit more improvement, a bit more confidence, and that's important in my goals for 2003.
Over the years, I've developed what I think is a pretty decent pre-race warm-up plan, which in part involves getting on the rollers and doing some high-speed spins with at least three strong sprints designed to prepare the heart for the inevitable anaerobic moments that will come during a race. This works especially well for this year at the EB's -- our races are starting off MUCH faster than normal.....maybe that's because our own illustrious Richard "The Bullet" Brockie takes off from the start line like a well, bullet, and helps create an early breakaway situation.
Today's race was no exception...Richard went off the front immediately (i really need to start further-up like RB does!). So, the pace is hard right off the bat. After several laps of this, someone who looks like could be a decent wheel comes up hard at the left of the peloton, and 'ol Brad decides to catch that wheel, what the hey. We bridge the gap, breaking out ahead from the peloton, and it was only then that I find out Richard is indeed in the break-away group...oops!!!!! I didn't know that at first. Well, no real harm done in my bridging up, as I wasn't the one doing the pull except for the last 10 meters. It looked like the break-away group had had enough anyway, and everyone reformed once again. But that was pretty exciting stuff.
Early into the race, riding alongside of Mike Z., his tire blew out with a tremendous pop....he was out, but safe. So, that left Richard, Carl, and me.
At about the half-way point in the race and feeling spunky, I decided to take a flyer. No real purpose to this -- just for grins! Woo-hoo, baby! I went off the front for a minute or two and enjoyed the fact that power-cornering and NOT having to brake (like when you are stuck with the slinky crowd at the back of the peloton) is so much damn fun...I had nearly forgotten about that. I hit the apex at corner 2 like Mario Andretti at the 500 (please forgive my wild enthusiasm here!) with a nice little lead and if there were a few others with me, maybe something could have been done, but I was out on my own, and for sure out of my freaking mind, so I quickly shut down the engines to recoup for the rest of the race.
The angry peloton spanked me for my indescretion. I fell to the back, and barely kept it alive. The next 5-6 laps were truly miserable, I was so blown and now struggling. But, by staying tucked in, I came back to life. So, I started plotting my revenge. It would come at lap 3. Picking an outside line at corner 2 that would enable me to accelerate hard into open territory, I fired down the backside along the outside track when I heard the unmistakeable and terrifying sound of a quick release going inside a wheel and chewing apart spokes. That messed up the tempo of the group nearby my mid-pack position, so I had to wait for lap 2. So lap 2 comes, and at corner 3, people get stupid -- all over the corner -- and again, the momentum is lost. So, now I'm thinking...."maybe there's an omen here.....maybe today is NOT the day." So, I decide to stay put. Sure enough, last lap, about 150 meters to go to the finish line, there's a crash (4-5 riders) in front of my position. Richard was smack dab behind it, but stayed out of trouble -- barely, from my vantage point. Will let him tell that tale. But, the race was over..and another ambulance rolls carrying away the victims of yet more needless race carnage.
Race = 25.2mph avg speed. This was 0.2 faster than last week.
Back to the game....speaking of carnage......
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What Richard saw:
Category: 4/5+
Result: Back of pack - stopped by crash.
As Brad noted, it is a good idea to line up an the front of the grid at the
start of a crit in case someone takes a flyer off the front. At the Early
Bird yesterday, I lined up at the front, and occupied enough space so that
I could wave Carl and Mike Z. up to the front also. Brad rolled up to the
start just before the off, so was unable to join us on the front row. Our
plan at the start was to ride our own race, but with 5 to go, to try to
regroup with the thought of leading Mike Z. out for the sprint at the end.
At the off, a Stanford rider sprinted for all he was worth. I was watching,
and immediately got onto his wheel. Yippee, a first lap breakaway twice in
a row. We ended up with 7 riders in the break and stayed away for two and a
quarter laps. We worked together reasonably well whilst we were away. After
my initial efforts in establishing the break, I was a little tired so
missed a turn resting. I thought we had a reasonable chance, but it was not
to be.
I rode this race with a heart rate monitor, and was paying attention to my
HR at various times in the race. In the breakaway, I was basically riding
at my anaerobic threshold for the duration.
After the break, I sat in and drifted slowly backwards through the bunch. I
reached the back at about half-distance, saw Brad, Mike Z. and said hello
to Larry Nolan who was riding as a mentor. I then headed forwards again and
about a lap later, saw Mike Z. at the start with a flat. It was good of him
to let us know that he had flatted. Not long after, I met up with Carl, and
sat on his wheel. At 5 laps to go, we had a quick chat about what we would
do. Carl offered to lead me out, so that was the plan.
It was fun sitting on Carl's wheel and trying to defend it. I lost it a
couple of times, but I had lots of fun getting it back through various
devices such as gently moving over on people to see if they will yield -
they generally do. Other times all that was needed was a touch on the hip
resulting in the person moving the other way just enough to move off the
wheel. So, with a lap to go, I am on Carl's wheel and we are well placed.
Carl moves us up on the home straight. I think we moved forward too soon,
as going into turn 1, Carl was 2nd and I was 3rd. Carl found himself on the
front at turn 2, and put in a huge effort to stave off the back straight
rush. Two-thirds down the back straight and Carl is finished.
I sit up a bit looking for a wheel - in hindsight, I should have probably
attacked at this point and lead out the sprint. I get swamped and go round
turn 3 in about 10th place but have to check a bit through the corner. We
wind it up for the sprint and I realise that I am not moving forward so opt
to coast in. This was probably a good decision, as there was a crash
directly in front of me and I was the first person in my line who didn't go
down. I stopped and leant assistance. Eric Zimmer of the Valley Spokesmen
was the most hurt. I made sure he stayed still until he had recovered a
little from the impact of the fall and kept him company until someone with
more first aid skills then I was able to get to him. The diagnosis by the
ambulance crew was reported by Bob Leibold to be a separated shoulder.
The race was fun, despite the crash.
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What Lance saw:
Category: 4
Result: Mid-pack
I actually raced with the FBC colors flying on Sunday, so I guess I am now committed to sending in all the final paper work to Garry in order to officially join the team. I raced in the second group of the Cat 5 race at 11:00, and my last lap sounds exactly like Richard's except I opted to attack at the end of the back straight when I found myself in the number one spot. I did a great job of leading out the sprint for a whoever happened to be behind me, but was too spent and peeled off with about 400 meters to go.
With nothing left I figured it was safer to get off to the left and let the guys who had been sitting in all race contest the sprint. My plan for the race was to stay up front and be there in case any break got away and stuck. I know that is unlikely, but I thought I'd give it a try just in case. I rode up front the whole race and was in every break, if you could call them that, as the most successful one lasted less than half a lap. It was kind of an experiment on my part to see how much it differs from riding at the back.
On the plus side, it was a lot of fun flying through the corners and chasing the attacks, and making plans with whoever seemed willing to give it a go. On the down side, I was cooked by the end of the race. But man it was a lot more fun and exciting than doing the slinky at the back. The only thing I would change next time is try and get a little better position and not go all out until the sprint unless I have a teammate behind me to lead out, then Sunday's strategy may have worked fine.
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