Reports by:

• Keith J
• Garry
• Richard
• Oscar
• Tim

Category: 5
Result: Mid-pack

Pulled into the race parking lot with little time to prepare and no time to warm up. Was not impressed with registration, they seemed fairly disorganized and had no pins for the numbers, when I inquired what the alternative to pinning the number would be the female helping me stormed off with a huff about not wanting to deal with me. LoL good morning sunshine!

Ok - borrowed some pins from a Juniors mom who was very nice. Thanks! Headed to the line and found Oscar yay!

Short trip through town and we were off. Ill keep the first 3 laps brief because they were slow and uneventful. Myself, Oscar and Rob (a buddy of mine, trying to talk him into joining the team heh) moved about the Peloton with ease. Speeds ranged from 19-25mph but were usually in the low 20’s.

Ok last lap, I was feeling great because of the slow pace, lots in the tank. There were 3 or more people off the front at different lengths. I was chit chatting with Rob about the guys off the front when there was an attack. Rob yelled "Go Go Go!" which I later found out to be "No No No!" too late I was on the attackers wheel rocketing down the straight away.

The guys who initiated the attack didn’t last long and I found myself out front in the wind. We had surged about half way to the guys that were off the front so I put my head down and finished the job of bridging to the guys off the front.

Gotta say being out front was awesome going into the turns, no slowing and bunching up just nice smooth transitions around the corners. I was sucking wind at this point so I tucked back into the small group that had followed me off the front.

As soon as I recovered for a bit I launched another attack and bridged up to the 2nd guy off the front, as soon as I caught and passed him I just kept going for the 3rd guy down the road a bit. After a bit of work I caught the guy up front and checked my wheel. There was one guy that followed me out. I asked the two guys if they wanted to work together as we had a nice gap up ahead of the peloton. They both agreed and we started a revolving pace line. Things were going GREAT until my two new buddies started to bonk from the effort. They both dropped, I was all alone out front with a quarter lap to go and no help - legs were on fire. No bueno.

The Peloton caught up and I was barely able to hang on the back where I began recovering from all the work as we were nearing the last turn. I had terrible positioning and was able to pass a handful of cyclists before I got boxed in on the right - finished in the pack. Bleh! Made a lot of mistakes in the last lap, was a bit silly to single handedly reel in all three guys off the front, the effort took its toll at the end of the race. Found out later that Oscar and Rob were attempting to control the tempo of the pack to give me a better shot at staying away!!!! Thanks guys that was awesome! Sorry I couldn’t finish. There was a point during the break I thought I had it! I'm going to drag my butt to Barnes and Nobles to pick up a cycling bike about tactics heh. Sorry I couldn’t hang around - I was on borrowed time with the wife! But the bug has bitten and Im ready for the next RR. Back to top

Category: 3
Result: Back of pack

Snelling 2007, racing with Carl and Richard in the Cat 3 race, 6 laps and about 62 miles.

Funny how something totally unrelated to cycling helps.....

I had to change my morning routine last year, I have to arise earlier, so waking at 05:00 was somehow not a struggle, which meant I was in better shape to race, which meant I stomped all over the field and won, and all because my daughter changed schools.........

Okay, that was a stretch, but the morning routine part is legit. RB arrived first, soon followed by Carl. We load Carl's super impressive mobile race headquarters building on wheels and being slightly late (we waited for Kilo-Joule), Carl impresses us with his blatant disregard for higher gasoline prices and floors it.

We arrive with 50 minutes to spare, enough time for a brief warm up and dressing for the occasion. And then the usual happens and we wait 15 minutes at the start past the scheduled go time of 08:00. Finally we roll out, with RB and his velodrome cronies dictating a pace that was 1/2 mph above falling off speed. As we arrive at the circuit proper the speed picks up and its fun, fun fun, with a nice tail to cross wind sending us down Keyes Road at a steady 29 MPH. Through the feed zone rollers and zig zag on the right left combo, then a steady uphill with sandy dust blowing up in the packs wake, we turn right onto Olsen road, taking care on the sand that has washed onto the road. Continuing on for another 3 miles or so we turn on to Los Cerritos, again taking care of the corner debris. The road becomes more agricultural descending to the bridge and then gun it up the little hills beyond, pass through the farm and then turn left onto Figmond, which is the really rough road. Three mile of this and then a right onto Fields to climb to the finish line, not too steep and not too fast, which is good.

And so it went for 3 laps of the six. Halfway through lap 3, a breakaway of 6 moves off the front, with Scuba Steve of Arete Racing driving it hard. I was wallowing in the back of the middle third of the pack and thoughts of making a big move to the front and bigger move off the front wafted across the mind, but I stuck my nose in the wind and decided it was not on. They were in sight, and some big teams were not represented, so I made a decision to stay put. We got a time check a lap later, they were at 40 seconds, then 55 seconds with one to go.

Onto the last lap and the field goes ballistic down Keyes road, panic was setting in that the break would not come back, gaps are appearing and I have to burn valuable calories jumping around dudes, who are pulling out of the long line of tweaked out bike nutters hammering down the right side gutter. The field splits and rejoins after a real hard session just at the feed zone hill, where the guy in front of me decides to grab a neutral bidon and then fall off. Matrix style, I see it all in slow motion and wander around his prostrate bike and body. Very weird. Through the right left zig zag and I finally succumb to the pressure. The remaining 30 guys out of 100 starters pile it on and really make me look wussy, but I push on and cross the line about 3-4 minutes after the field has finished. The break stayed clear, with Scuba Steve taking the win, good for him. (And he's a Brit, which is extra cool!)

All in all, I have to be very happy with my ride. I have done less training on the bike, concentrating on higher cadence and only one hard session per week. Considering how I got spanked on my Birthday ride last week on Mt Diablo, my result came out of nowhere. Maybe it's just as well there are no hills at Snelling.

Merco Foothills next week, my first race with the M45+ 1/2/3/4 cats. Looking forward to it now.

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Category: 3
Result: Did not finish

My Snelling report is a bit shorter than Garry's.

I used Snelling as a reality-check, and to that end I was successful. My season plan is to be fit later than usual and as a result, I wasn't up to staying the full distance with the 3s on Saturday. It was what I expected, but it doesn't stop it from sucking and making me unhappy.

Lap 3 was when it happened: I was popped after the turn onto Los Cerritos Road. I recovered and then toughed it out to get back on. Over the bridge and then onto the first roller after the bridge I was with the pack, but then at the top the lights went out and it was all over. (It is interesting how quiet it is once the bunch leaves you behind.) I rode the 4th lap with another rider and then it was time to stop to watch at the finish.

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Category: 5
Result: Back of pack

Well since everybody else is submitting their stories, I'll tell you guys mine. Well, I pull up to Garry's house with Carl and Richard already there and packing up. KJ is off riding with a friend who later turns out to be a pretty good ally during the race. I drive alone...thank goodness for Sirius satelite. Anywho, We arrive and the Cat 3's get to warm up and I don't. KJ is there with our new partner who would make a great addition to our team. They also haven't warmed up. We go off on what seems like a 5 mile neutral start that allows us to warm up.

The pace during the first two laps were real easy on the legs. We never went above 21 MPH average. So the legs would be fresh for KJ as I tried to keep an eye on him in for the final lap. Strict orders from Garry.We talked about putting some sort of effort on the last lap and have our ally with us( I think his name is Rob ). Keith goes off just after going through the third lap and Rob and myself tried to warn Keith not to go too early. He pulls for what seems like forever.

Keith goes off on his own and I came up with the idea of jumping with Rob as well to slow the group down and prevent from counter attacking Keith. Doesn't work because we both realize that everybody else thought the same thing. Needless to say, Keith finishes in the first pack and I end up in the second pack...I think.

Overall, an awesome race. Can't wait till next year

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Category: 4
Result: Did not finish - mechanical.

Unfortunately, my race was rather short. After the promenade section some guys from the "third pilar" team decided to drill it, but stopped pulling at the head-wind section. Then the rest of the first lap was manageable. On lap 2 I noticed my front tire was soft. I pulled over to find a glass shard in it. Race over.

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