2013 Little City Stage Race - Pro 1/2

Little City Stage Race (actually an Omnium)

Pro1/2 field of 25 rolling solo for SquadraSF. While many teammates were up North at an Epic stage race in Oregon, I chose to do a pretty low key event Stage Race and visit my Aunt/Uncle who live about 10min from all 3 stages. Despite the weather forecast it was an awesome 2-day event just a few hours from the Bay Area.

Stage 1: 10mile TT

Out and back course at an elevation of 5,500ft with a gradual decent on the way out and slight headwind and false flat on way back. I went off at 11:30am and it was already in the 90s. I did my best not to overdue it on the way out and try to pick it up a bit on the way back. I ended up gaining on the two ahead of me which was promising, and feel I paced it pretty well considering the altitude and heat. Clocked a 20:52 good enough for 15th and 3 omnium points.

Stage 2: 60min Crit

Pretty fun 6 corner crit. Our start was at 3pm and it was well over 100degrees for this race. They started the race off with 3 hot laps for $100, $75, then $50. Unfortunately, due to the dry heat my contacts completely dried out waiting at the start line so I had to sit off the back due to lack of vision and blink repeatedly for these "hot laps." The omnium scoring makes for interesting tactics. I played it pretty conservative and just sat in the bunch waiting for dangerous moves to form. About half way through the race two Chris & Nate (Marc-Pro), Pete (Cliff Bar), and Vincent Owens are up the road. The pack was clearly unsure if they should chase. All those guys are motors and Chuck was happy to let them go since Chris was 2nd on GC and Carling had missed the move. I was pretty confident this move would stick.

The gap stayed at 10-15 seconds for a few laps then Brite-Sport puts a few guys on the front, I get on the wheel of their last rider. I knew as soon as he was done the pack would loose it's organization and motivation once again, so as soon as pulls off I jump hard from the front and go all in to bridge across. It took almost a full lap, but I just barely made it. WOW the heat makes it hard to recover, I was on the limit for a few laps, but slowly began to come around and helped my break-mates. The 5 of us stay away until the finish, Chris H-D attacks after I take a pull with 1.5laps to go. I could not immediately respond, Nate waits, I try to jump across, but fear of getting swarmed by my companions limits my commitment and I swing off about half way across to Chris. Pete takes over and does one hell of a leadout almost shutting down the gap. Chris just holds off our group, I open up the sprint out of the last corner but Nate beats me by a wheel. Considering the heat and bridge effort I am pretty happy with 3rd Place, netting a bunch of omnium points and moving up to 8th on GC. Of course now it is so easy to look back and ask "what if I fully committed to jump across to Chris" but should-a, could-a, would-a.

Stage 3: 66mile Road Race

11mile loop with two short power climbs and long false flat drag w/ crosswinds towards finish. Again heat was the biggest challenge. The course is hard, but I was more worried about the heat. I started with ice in my jersey pockets and grabbed partially frozen bottles each lap which were a life saver. Again omnium tactics would dictate the race. At the end of Lap 2 attacks were coming hard and fast. I marked several dangerous ones but everything was coming back. Then when I decide to mark a few less to save some matches sure enough one goes that includes, Chuck (Marc-Pro), Trafton (TMB), and Pete (Cliff). I still remember being near the front when the gap was still bridgable (much smaller gap than in yesterday's crit), but for some reason I didn't commit. This was probably my biggest mistake of the entire weekend. Since Brite-Sport and a few other teams missed the move I thought it would be coming back, but I was wrong after our slow decent they already had 3minutes, it was clear the break with motors like that was gone.

For some reason I was marked extremely close and any attempts over the final laps to get away with a few others were shut down. On the last lap, the field was now racing for 5th since Dave Mesa was allowed to slip away on the previous lap. The last time up the climbs my legs started to lock up, the pace was nothing crazy, but the heat had finally gotten to me. Instead of pushing them until they completely locked up (that could have been the smartest or 2nd worst decision of the day) I backed off the gas and had to finish the last 5miles solo crossing the line in 16th just behind the "field" which had really slowed down and seemed to be doing match sprints and track stands near the finish.

Results:

Overall I ended up 11th in Omnium, not exactly what I had hoped but glad I grabbed 3rd in the Crit. The road race built some character for sure and gives me a upper limit of what kind of temperatures I can handle. The omnium scoring does suit me much better than a normal stage race and the courses were great so if the weather is in the 80s next year I will be there for sure.

2013 Foothill College Circuit Race - pro 1/2

Race: Foothill College Circuit Race P12

Course: 60min and description per promoters webpage, "Course is a clock-wise 1.09 mi. loop around Foothill College campus, on good, clean pavement. 60 feet of climbing per lap. Start/Finish on top of hill at the pedestrian bridge."this will be relevant later ;)

Teammates: Tim L., Sean S., Carmi, Matt A., Lee P, Jesse C., Pablo E. and myself. Awesome crew!

Results: http://instagram.com/p/bxbFOxlRAp/#

2nd - James, 7th - Lee,  top 15 for Matt (forgot to get a photo of the results)

How it went down: Over 40 riders showed up at the start line, Lots of solo heavy hitters, and several squads such as Leopard-Sapporo & Lombardi having a handful of riders. Our plan was to be active, we better be we had a lot of guys in this race! Pretty open ended plan of marking moves and making sure we have someone in every move, with Matt & myself (if my legs had any snap in them today) being our sprinters if it came down to a field sprint.

Early: Riders took a lap or two to get the lay of the land and then it was pretty much attack after attack. SquadraSF was simply in every move that mattered. If we somehow missed it which was race someone would either bridge to it or tighten the screws at the front and let the pack real them in. This was a great display of our strength, Natalie (my wife) was on the sidelines watching and said the announcer was always mentioning SquadraSF and that we ALWAYS had someone in the move! Having so many teammates being active was great, I could follow an attack that made sense based on my location in the pack relative to my teammates and how gassed I was at the time. I honestly can say every single rider on our crew was up the road at some point. Made my racing less nervous and tactics much easier.

All the early moves were brought back quickly since the race was pretty much full gas, but after the mid-point you could tell that people were getting tired the pace would let up more often, This couldn't have happened at a better time because all of my early moves were brought back pretty quick and I would be immediately sent to the back of the pack to lick my wounds. A little demoralized I decided to continue simply marking moves and told Matt he is our guy for the Sprint.

Final Break: With about 7 to go, Rob S. (Fremont Bank) and another rider are given a bit of a leash on the first hill, I move up knowing they have some firepower and bridge across over the finish hill. Next time up the hill the other rider gets popped and I give some encouraging words to Rob saying we got a pretty big gap lets go for it. After a lap or two the gap is about the same but Rob Evans (BearDev) bridged solo. The three of us work together pretty well, we can hear time checks over the loudspeaker, ranging from 10-20seconds, about one turn ahead of the pack. My teammates did a amazing job patrolling the front, Natalie recalls seeing Lee & Carmi on the front clearly holding thier ground up there but riding a false tempo. Word on the street is Pat Briggs brought it back almost within reach on the final lap then handed it over to anyone else and everyone just looked at each-other for that split second.

Finale: About that same time, I had just done a final hard pull up the main climb and try to get Rob or Rob to take the final decent. They hesitate, I give some more encouragement that they are right on our tail and gonna catch us if we mess around. So Rob takes the decent and I jump on his wheel, Evans on mine. I jump hard at the bottom of the decent and start the long sprint to the "start/finish on top of hill at the pedestrian bridge", I have the inside line and legs have some pop left in them and am able to spin it up pretty good... fly under the pedestrian bridge where the finish was in 2011 & 2012 with Evans still behind me, I stop pedaling after passing the pedestrian bridge thinking the race is over, sit straight up, and throw an arm up. Announcer even calls it that I won, then I realize Evans is still going full gas and his front wheel just passes mine at the 2nd tent which happened to be the one with the finish line and camera 50m past the initial tent and pedestrian bridge. OHH NO I DID NOT JUST DO THAT.....YES I DID, luckily it wasn't much farther than the old finish line so my momentum carried me fast enough to still only miss the win by less than one wheel, but SHIT that is one hard lesson. Happy with 2nd Place for sure but it definitely not a WIN that was almost in my pocket. Don't assume anything and pay attention to important details such as where the finish line tape it.

Anyways the pack was literally on our heels, Tim was leading out Matt and got boxed in. Lee freelanced his way to 4th in the field good enough for 7th Place with Matt just a little farther back somewhere in the top 10 or so in the field sprint. Again SquadraSF was by far the most active team and was mentioned more than any other team during the race. Despite my finish line location F-up I think it was a victory for the team as a whole. Natalie watched the whole thing and was really impressed by the entire SquadraSF crew!

Amateur Tip: Primes are a great way to open up the legs, test the final sprint, and practice your line for the final sprint. Going for a prime earlier would have been a perfect place to make my mistake.

Data Geek Info: Strava File - http://app.strava.com/activities/67179655
Time: ~60min
Distance: ~26mi
Elevation Gain: 1840ft
Power: 285w NP w/ 235w Ave.

Final Break was ~15min w/ 308w NP & 296w Ave

2013 Watsonville Crit - Pro 1/2

Race: Watsonville Crit P12

Course: 58 lap = 35miles on Technical course! Almost always setting up for a turn, the one long straight was into a headwind. Discription per VeloPromo, "0.75 mile loop of smooth pavement, with many turns, dips at the corners and a small hill to the finish line."

Teammates: Tim & Sean.

Results: http://instagram.com/p/bwjY2zFROZ/

2nd - James, 8th - Sean, 10th - Tim

NOTE these guys sacrificed their result to ensure I was guaranteed 2nd and I could focus on going for the W.

How it went down: About 20 riders showed up at the start line, Cal Giant had Tobin & Eamon, Brandon Trafton was solo for TMB, Zipz had three but were on the 2nd race of the day. So it was clear Cal Giant and SquadraSF would be dictating the race.

Early: Sean and Tim were active early marking moves as I got the hang of the course. I had heard how technical it was so kinda eased my way into the course to dial it in. Brandon, Tobin, and Jan (Zipz) and a few other riders were anxious to get things started off fast so the first few laps were pretty damn hard and actually dropped a few riders. After things settled down a bit I moved my way up and it was clear that Brandon was either going to be in a break or he would be the first to bring it back. After many different combinations, finally I the pack letting Jan, Tobin, Brandon, Chris (Don Chapin), & myself get a gap. So with Cal Giant, Zipz, & Squadra represented I was pretty confident we could stay away if we wanted. Everyone worked hard to establish a gap, but we never got into a really good rhythm, one guy would attack, someone skip a pull due to the attack, or then someone would be upset about how much work others we doing.

Break: After dealing with the dysfunctional break for sometime, Chris was gone, Tobin hits it hard, I jump hard out of one of the corners to close it and Jan and Brandon look at each other. Jan was riding like a machine and just won the 35+ race a few hours earlier, and Brandon, I guess wanted to take Jan out of the break and jump back across. So I give Tobin and I just ride our limit and soon the two behind disappear. With about 10 to go we catch the pack, Tobin had attacked me when the pack was in a bridgeable distance. I was not about to let the race get away from me so I dug as hard as I could to get the the field. Eamon went to the front to try to make that junction a little tougher and Sean and Tim drop back a bit motivation and make sure I make contact and get out of that wind!

I anticipated this race being about 70min, but we were 70min in and still had 10 laps to go! I had been on the verge of cramping in my left calf. Tim & Sean keep me protected and let me recover a bit as Tobin and Eamon go off the front again! Tim and Sean rotate hitting the front to keep the Cal Giants in check and make sure Brandon & Jan don't catch onto the field.

Finale: Eamon takes it from 3 laps to go, Tobin 2nd me 3rd wheel. Unfortunately my legs were on their limit and anytime we really punched it my legs would start to seize. Tim and Sean on my wheel keeping others from swarming making the finale of the race the least stressful part of the whole event. The sprint opens up exiting the final corner and up the hill, all I could do was sit in Tobin's slipstream and cross 3rd or 4th in the field good enough for 2nd Place. Sean gets 3rd or 4th in the field after taking care of me all day which is good enough for 8th, Tim just behind in 10th.

I gotta say having strong, savvy teammates, really makes tactics and racing less stressful. When I needed a breather early, they would be marking the moves, when I was up the road, they were on the front patrolling, then in the finale the shepherded me to Tobin's wheel, hoping I would have the legs to jump him in the corner and take the Win, kinda bummed I couldn't finish it off for them, but really happy with the result. When I crossed the line and got off the bike my back seized up. So I think it is safe to say I left it all out there.

Sorry for the long report, but wanted to share how great it was having a small yet organized team out there kicking ass.

Data Geek Info: Strava File - http://app.strava.com/activities/66914779
Time: ~90min
Distance: ~38mi
Elevation Gain: 750ft
Power: 273w NP w/ 247w Ave.....OUCH which set a new power PR for 60-90min

County Center Crit #2 - Pro/1/2

At just over 30 starters, it wasn't the largest field ever, but Mike's Bikes, Metromint, and SquadraSF were well represented. 

About 30min into the 90 minute crit, the field was effectively cut in half. One minute the pace was all cool with the occasional attack and then all of a sudden it seemed like the attacks were coming non stop. When the pace finally slowed, the pack was cut in half. Soon after my teammate Kurt goes up the road. Pablo and I try to recover and just sit in since Kurt was in a promising break. 

After 20min, Pablo sees Kurt is coming back and we look at each other like what the **** are we going to do. Pablo takes initiative goes straight to the front and drills it, I jump on his wheel as Pablo pegs it at about 30mph. Pablo pulls off and I hit the front, giving it some more gas, I look behind shortly after to see what kind of help we will get in the chase effort. Answer...none, the group lets me ride off the front. I look up the road and can see the two leaders 200-300m up the road and the remaining pack back to their coffee ride pace. 

I decide it is now or never and somehow bridge the ~16second gap. It took a little less than 2 laps at 29mph vs. the break's speed of about ~26mph. Probably the hardest 3min effort I can remember on the bike, if the gap was 5m further I probably would not have made it. After getting a full lap of recovery it was pretty standard break effort. Dana from Mike's Bikes owes us some good karma since we let him jump ahead and swap bikes with 5 laps to go after realizing he had a soft rear wheel. Dana jumped first with about 1/3 of a lap left, I remain on Ethan's (Metromint) wheel as he attempts to close the gap, he doesn't quite make it as we hit the last turn, at the exit of the turn I give it all I got sealing 2nd, but still a ways off the win. Kurt proceeds to ride off the front of the chase group with several laps to go grabbing a impressive 4th.

Placings:
2nd - James
4th - Kurt

Santa Rosa County Center Crit #2 - Cat 2

Red Peleton was the only other team with significant numbers. SquadraSF had several riders representing the team, Jesse, Neil, Brian , Daniel, JR, Kurt, Angelo, Emory, and myself. So yes I admit we were a force to be dealt with making up 1/3 of the field. After about 10min of attacks, the pack starts giving some moves a longer leash. Emory gets up the road with a Red Peloton guy and another rider. They get a small gap, but it holds for some time. The pack continues to soft pedal not worried about the early break so I decide to jump across. I jump hard to ensure I don't bring anyone with me. After a few rotations Emory is feeling the effects of initiating the break and falls off the pace.


Break of 3: So now 3 of us have a small gap that is holding. I decide to hit it for a few laps then reevaluate the situation. The gap grows to ~20seconds so I start taking shorter/easier pulls to see what happens to the gap. It stays constant so obviously my teammates are doing a great job covering any bridge attempts and making an organized chase almost impossible. So I decide the odds are likely in our favor, break companions are still pulling hard, and my teammates will have an armchair ride while all other riders get worn out chasing or trying to bridge. Since we had a very strong E2 team in this race, the pressure on since two in the top 5 is not the same as two in the top 5, one being the WIN. So I am careful to monitor my effort.

Bell Lap: Everyone is anxious, the finish looks deceivingly long because there is a slight bend which blocks the officials tent and finish line from sight when you exit turn 4, but I looked at my Power Data from the Team Swift Crit (same course) and it only takes 20sec to hit the line from the last corner. I move up into pole position in turn three and jump first after exiting the corner, take the shortest possible line to the finish and take the win comfortably.

Field Finish: The team took control the front last few laps. In the end Kurt drilled it to the last corner, Neil jumping off his wheel winning the field sprint with room to spare.

Placings:
1st - James
4th - Neil

ATOC Team Swift Crit - E2/3

In the E2/3 race there were about 55 starters and a few guys to watch. Jan (Gnar Lube) and Rainier (Mikes Bikes) were the guys I was really watching. SquadraSF had several riders representing the team, Jesse C., Neil B., Brian J., Daniel dM, JR, and myself.


We're Off: As planned we were active everyone moving around the bunch and taking turns going with moves that all seemed to be chased down by the entire field immediately. At this point I was getting sick of jumping of everything and wanted to pick my moves a little more carefully. I noticed Jan was with two other followed by 4 more that just a few bike lengths back. Still waiting attentively I notice the guys at the front of the field are letting the gap open and at the same time Jan appears to be drilling it at the front of his group, that is all I needed to see and jumped hard to bridge up to the lead group of three and pile on the pressure. After a few Hard rotations it ended up being 5 guys committed/making the move with a small gap.


Break: Composition was perfect 1 from each team that had several riders only problem was the race was not over for 40 MIN! Not much to say about the break except everyone worked evenly. My SquadraSF teammates assumed position near the front and helped the break stick by riding false tempo and quickly marking every move attempting to bridge. With 8-to-go we could see the pack about 1/4 of a lap in front of us. With 2-to-go the Cliff Bar guy attacked but was quickly marked, and riders began to shuffle around a bit.

Bell Lap: Halfway down the back straight I was 2nd wheel and shuffled back to 4th. I jumped hard on the inside just before corner (sweeper) #3 making sure I could take the inside line and then line up the best angle on turn 4. After exiting the the final turn I gave it a second kick and took the shortest line to the finish, Jan was able to get on my wheel before the final turn he took my early sprint as a perfect leadout, but I was able to gap everyone else so I crossed the line in a comfortable 2nd place for SquadraSF.


Placing: 2nd

Also pretty cool to see Team Rabobank riders Luis-Leon Sanchez and Laurens ten Dam cruising around the back of the E3/4 race. After getting yelled at by the announcer for joining in on the race they proceeded to do some motorpaced sprints and parade laps off the officials motorcycle. Pretty sweet.

Chico Stage Race - Pro/1/2

I was hesitant at first to register because a totally flat SR does not really suit me, but the chance to race a relatively low key stage race with Cat 2's picked separately was all the convincing I needed. I was the solo SquadraSF rider in a field of about 46.

Stage 1 - Paskenta Road Race: 90mi basically pancake flat, 2 x 45mile laps w/ 5mi gravel section and rollers towards the finish. Trying to learn from my experience missing the move at TopSport, I did my best to stay near the front. The field was a weird mix of riders. A few Elite teams with lots of riders then a few PRO riders, Kenda/5hr Energy, Jelly Belly, Wonderful Postaccios, Full Circle racing..... But ended up being a tea party until the gravel section each time around, with a few all out efforts as riders attacked and weer chased down in the cross wind. Oh yea and (2-3) full field nature breaks! So all the action was in the gravel section and the last few miles before the finish. 

Lap 1: Everyone was getting really anxious for the gravel section so the pace just kept increasing as we got closer and closer. I played it safe and fought my way to the very front just before we hit the gravel. Being able to pick my line and stay on the hard-pack sections really helped. I stayed top five through the entire gravel section, trying to sit on the biggest and best wheels of Roman (Kenda/5hr Energy) or Menso (Jelly Belly). The pace through the gravel was pretty aggressive, I recall towards the end of gravel section Roman, then Menso, then myself (why now right) attacking (or simply picking up the pace) in the final rollers. We entered the gravel with 40+ riders and by the end of the first lap we had about 15 riders.
Lap 2: Unfortunately the laps were LONG and all the represented teams had several riders that were dropped in the gravel section so no one rode. The single pro riders could have towed everyone around if they wanted but didn't out of principle. By the time we hit the gravel section for the final time the group had more than doubled in size. We exited the gravel in a group of about 30. Several attempts by riders to sneak off in the final few rolling miles were shut down. I followed one promising move which may have been my last match. As we hit the final stair step section before the finish, riders were popping all over the place and I was on the limit as well, getting gapped at one point and used all of whatever pathetic sprint was left in my legs to get back onto the group. The uphill sprint began and I was basically sprinting for the back wheels of the group to make sure no time gaps formed. Small success, I finished 18th of a shattered lead group of 22. 
http://app.strava.com/rides/6743453
Placing: 18th  


Stage 2 - TT (9.9 miles FLAT point to point TT): So not much to say except the course was totally flat without too much wind. Not my specialty here, was flying for the first 5min then faded in for the middle portion and tried to pick it back up as much as I could for the final 5min. Crossed the line in a time of 22:35 respectable, but was hoping for a little better. 
http://app.strava.com/rides/6836126
Placing: 29th  


Stage 3 - Downtown Chico Crit (70min): 
Started at the front followed a few moves, and grabbed the first prime through short 6 corner crit course. After my 10-15min of glory riding near the front. I setteled back in the group and was just focusing on recovering for our 70min race. It was strung out 40 riders long for the first 30min. Finally the pace started to ease every now and again. Breaks were given more leway at this point and two riders snuck off and had a solid gap. A few laps later another group of two snuck off. As we hit the wide open start finish the back bollooned again I used the momentum to attack/bridge to the group of two. Everyone in our group of three was committed, and the odds were in our favor, Mikes Bikes and Freemont Bank were up the road and I was with a Red Peleton and Stage 17 rider. Within a few minutes we are already one corner ahead of the pack (thank you short technical course). After 15min we could see the peleton about a 2/3 a lap down and we were closing on the two leaders. After some motivational conversation, and 5 more minutes of drilling it we made it to the front two with 9 laps to go. At this point we were withing lapping range of the field, but took a little breather instead of lapping the field. Everyone was most concerned about moving up on GC so we shared the work equally keeping the same high pace.
Bell Lap: Coming into the final few corners I fought for good position and hit the final 150m second wheel (perfect), I began my sprint in the draft, but it was clear that I had no snap left after bridging then doing a 30min team TTT. With my unfortunate sprint I crossed the line in 4th of 5 (1st of the Cat 2's) 1min ahead of the chasing bunch. By far the most enjoyable day of racing in the P/1/2s yet. Moving me from around 23rd on GC to 8th overall! Being able to taste my first bit of success in the P/1/2 is motivating. 
http://app.strava.com/rides/6836128
Placing: 4th (1st of Cat 2's)

Overall GC: 8th  (3rd of Cat2's) 

1st Top Ten in Pro 1/2 Race

Grabbed ‎8th place at the SOMO Pro 1/2 Criteriem after bridging to the second break of the day. Messed up the sprint for 5th but feels good to get my first top ten in a Pro 1/2 race. Really happy I was able to bridge... if the gap was 5 meters more I wouldn't have made it. I thought my results would end when I upgraded to Cat 2, but looks like the Cat 1 upgrade is a possibility if I really work for it. We will see, if I can balance school and racing next year I may try to make it happen.

2011 San Dimas Stage Race - E2

Stage 1 TT: This year I finally had a good day at the SDSR TT. With a time of 15:26 beat my PR by over one minute and came in 39th of 110 person Cat 2 field. Pretty happy. One min off leaders jersey.

Stage 2 - RR: 

Stage 3 - Crit:

Tuscon Bicycle Classic - E2

In the 2s it was just Chris Burnham and myself racing in the great AZ weather.

Stage 1 - TT: 
3.2 mile rolling TT with a few gradual sustained climbs and a 6-7% kicker towards the end. About 300 feet of climbing. Chris had never raced the course before but put in a great effort and got an 8:01 good enough for 8th. Last year I raced the course as a 3 and got 12th with an 8:44, I went out a little too hard on the rollers and blew up on the kicker. I beat my time from last year so that was a small victory, but still a little bummed on my GC placing.

Placing: 8^th - Chris B. 8:01, 36^th - James E. 8:33

Stage 2 - RR: 
We did 4x20miles on a rolling loop with about 1000' of elevation gain per lap. The plan was simple, stay near the front and cover the moves. Chris mentioned to me that he has not seen a single Cat 2 road race finish in a field sprint. So we need to be attentive, but if it came to a field sprint he would do what he can for me. The first lap was pretty uneventful, Chris and I covered the moves and stayed up near the front. Early on the second lap, towards the end of the rollers I saw a move slowly sneak off over one of the bigger rollers, I move up on the roller and over the top I see that they are drilling it and the group of five had a sizable gap. I jumped hard, came within 50m dragging a Lagrange guy with me, he came around but slowed soon after. The pack came up to us and I kept it moving for Chris, he jumped next and similarly almost made it. So with all but one of the big AZ teams represented in the break, it seemed Bicycle Haus would be drilling it to bring it back. Chris and I decided to wait it out and see if anyone would organize the chase, but if they don't start hitting it by the gradual climb through the start/finish we need to get up there. We hit it on the false flat/climb and do a ton of work at the front to reduce the 2min+ gap. On lap 3 we let bicycle house take control on the decent and flat section. Chris chats it up with the yellow jersey holder with no teammates to organize some firepower. Lap 4, The gap came down but it seemed the pack was gonna let it go back out so Chris and I come back to the front and start rotating HARD with the yellow jersey and one Bicycle Haus guy. We do this for several miles and end up bringing back the break pretty fast. This caused a bit of confusion about if anyone was still up the road. So I told Chris to sit in a be ready for an attack while the yellow jersey and I rotated at the front to just make sure no one was still out there. It turned out to be a big bunch sprint and I decided not to mix it up in it because I assumed I was too gassed to put in a good sprint. There was a headwind so the sprint was late and short...maybe I should have given it a go. In the end I moved up 10 spots on GC because we dropped some people and we saved Chris' 8th on GC for another day.

Placing: 24^th James E., 25^th Chris B.

Stage 3 Circuit: 
The circuit race included 8 laps of a 5.6mile loop with about 400' of climbing each lap. Basically a long gradual climb fallowed by a fast decent with a flat/rolling section through the start finish at the bottom of the decent. Nothing too steep but it is climbing. Again the plan was simple stay near the front and get in the moves, and have me go for the Sprint time bonuses to keep anyone from overtaking Chris on GC. The Circuit race is actually harder than the RR in terms of the course so there could be more of a selection. As planned Chris and I covered most of the early moves. Then a big move hit about half way up the climb. Chris and I tagging along, but the group was too big and slowed, then a counter hit it hard. Chris jumped right on the back of it, while I did a false tempo to open up the gap. This was a decent size move and looked like it was gone, but as the crest go through the feed zone I see Chris and a few other tail off and not make it over the top with a select few. DAMN that was the move and we knew it.. The pack catches everyone except 4 riders on the decent. Chris and I are in an all to familiar situation, almost making the one move that looks promising and then stuck with a bunch of riders that are willing to let the race turn into a tea party. The odd thing was that all the GC contenders missed the move as well, but the big teams were represented.

As the lap cards ticked down the gap grew and I grew more and more frustrated with our current situation. With 3 laps to go I told Chris I was going to see if we can get it within range and hit the front on the climb and drilled it! They yellow jersey, Chris and a few others pull through, but I tell Chris to not do too much work because I wanted him to counter if if something goes again. 

With 2 laps to go I ease off a bit as other start to pull here and there. I chat with Chris and he says he's having an off day and I should ride for the stage and not worry about his GC because the guys up the road are likely gone. I move to the front and the yellow jersey rider is still pulling hard with no one else helping him. As we hit the rough patch of road where the road kicks a tad steeper he hits it and I follow. Through the feed zone the gap has grown and we gained another rider but the pack is now slowing to get their feed. I hammer it over the top and on the decent we rotate. Unfortunately the other rider with us has a man in the break so he is just sitting on for the ride. So it is the yellow jersey and I motoring along. At the bottom of the decent we had gained two more riders, but they were gassed from chasing us down.

We get the bell lap  and have a pretty solid gap and keep motoring hard on the climb. The yellow jersey doing a lot of work and me doing tad less with one of the other riders who was not represented in the break pulling here and there. We make the hard right onto the decent and take a check how far back the pack is and I can't see anyone, just pull through the decent to kept the momentum going. I lay off the gas, but after about 3 laps of drilling it on the climb I am starting to feel the effects. I start taking a look at who has been sitting in this entire time, (2) guys with teammates up the road an (1) guy who says he going for the stage and does not care about GC...then we catch another rider who had been dropped from the break. We hit the final 1km in a group of 6 and 3 up the road... I move to the back to see how it is going to unfold. The yellow jersey leading us out, I slide up on the outside as everyone is in gutter and keep a rider or two boxed in. We hit the final roller and headwind... I jump first (no patience) give it all I got left...it looks like I am gonna get it but I start to slow a tad from using too big a gear on the roller...I end up getting 7th (4th of my group that I towed along for 2 laps)..about 6inches from 5th and one bike length from 4th. We finished 2min down on the winning break and 1min ahead of the pack. I shot up the GC board from 36th after the TT, 26th after the RR, then 8th after the Circuit. A little bittersweet as Chris and I traded spots on GC and I couldn't deliver a better result in the Stage sprinting from my small group....that should be where I have the advantage.

Placing: 7^th James E., 25^th Chris B.

Overall GC: 8^th James E., 15^th Chris.

Up Next Chris, Matt, Pascal, and I will be racing the Cat 2s at San Dimas.

Tour De Murrieta - E2

In the 2s, Swamis had Matt Shackley raced all three days, I raced the crit and circuit race, and Pascal Bonaventure raced the circuit race on Sunday.


Stage 1 TT: 4.1 mile rolling TT with a gradual 1 mile climb on DIRT/GRAVEL. Matt decided to use a standard road bike due to the final kicker and gravel road. He kept it upright and clocked a time good enough for 11th.


Stage 2 Crit: The Crit was a (6) corner flat and technical course with a two quick left hand turns before a 500m+ finishing straight. As planned Matt got in a few moves, but nothing was sticking for more than a lap or so. I tried to stay near the front and out of trouble. With 15min to go there was a prime for a full Nalani kit, one rider jumped near me so I jumped to follow and saw that no one else was. I easily grabbed the prime and waited to get eaten up by the pack. With 2 to go I was little too far back and moved up into the top 5 into the double left hand turn. I was on the outside and in good position for the finish, the sprint basically started 400m out of the last turn and I stayed tucked in, I saw a few riders coming up the left side with 200m to go, I had daylight to my right and went for it on the outside, little did I know but we were already charging at about 43mph and unfortunately I didn't have any more gas to give it and cruised in for 11th. Pretty happy with the finish for my 1st Cat 2 race, just need to work on that top end a bit.


Stage 3 Circuit: We raced 16 laps of a 3.5 mile circuit with a few rollers and one gradual climb, but basically flat. We had Pascal, Matt and myself racing. The plan was simple, get Pascal and Matt to get in every move over the first 2/3rds of the race and if it were a bunch sprint they would get to the front and try to lead me around the technical last few corners to the final corner. Pascal attacked from the gun then Matt and Pascal continued to trade off initiating moves or following moves. The three of us got to the front and drilled it to bring back a dangerous looking move that we missed. Then Pascal attacked with a Lagrange rider, they got a good gap just before the Pro 1 break and then peloton pass neutralized us. The gap hung around 2 minutes for 5 laps and then after a heated lap off attacks in the bunch the gap dropped to 1min. So with 1/3 of the race left they were brought back. Matt then attacked with a few other riders. Matt drove it hard to establish a good gap and the small group of five continued to drill it. After a lap or two Matt and another rider popped, and they fell back into the field.


The last lap or two were pretty slow as the peloton was content to let the group of 3 stay away. I moved up into good position then on the last lap everyone was really riding slow and I just set a tempo near the front to be ready to jump when the pace eventually started flying again. Coming into the last few corners I was in the top five or so, some LaGrange guys started drove the pace with 1km to go, they drilled it into the 3rd to last corner and I was 3rd wheel focusing on staying in the draft and followed their line..big mistake they took it wide and went off into the gravel, I kept it upright and jumped back up, this caused a small gap to form and now I was second wheel, but soon after the LaGrange guy pulled off and I was at the front, I have it a little bit of gas to get through the hard left safely and then I planned on tucking in top five out of that turn and hitting it just before the final turn. As I was setting up to take the turn (2) riders jumped late on the inside (I won't name names or teams) and one on the outside. The guys on the inside were coming in way to hot into this corner that riders had hit the dirt on previously laps. They basically took out the guy who had the race line on the outside and I was right behind all this mess with a bike going over my left shoulder. I tried to slow and do some more offroading by taking the it wide in desperation to slow down. Ended up slamming my front wheel into one guy on the ground and endoing onto his bike or knee with all the force hitting my thigh. Luckily myself, my bike, my kit, and newish race wheels are all good. Walking with a limp, but went for an easy spin today and everything feels "ok".  Matt and Pascal were behind all this carnage and made it safely across the line with the bunch after a fun and active day of racing. I ended up 20th overall in the Omnium.


Up Next Chris B. and I will be out at Tucson then we will have a full Cat 2 squad racing at San Dimas.

Calville Bay Classic - E3

Stage 1: TT

Course: 3.5 mile uphill TT with a huge tail wind.

Report: I rode a standard road bike as many others did. Although a lot of pros had road bikes with disks to try to get a extra push up the hill from the wind. My time of 9:27 was good enough for 24th of about 70 riders, but only about 10 seconds off the top ten on GC. I paced it about right I didn’t blow up on the last kicker, but then you always wonder could have I pushed it harder earlier? I was happy with my time and knew I was more of a stage hunter anyways.

Placing: 24th

Stage 2: Road Race

Course: 70 miles of endless rollers and (2) turnarounds that ended up climbing over 5,000 ft.

Report: Well the weather was not nice to me today. Just about the time we start warming up the temperature drops and the rain starts coming down. Not to mention that the wind is howling. I bundle up and hope for the best. On our way to the first turnaround everyone notices that there will be a string cross wind all day. I end up chatting with some friends near the back after jumping with a Ritta guy off the front to realize that my oversized rain cape is pretty much a sail in these conditions. As we climb up the turnaround I am still in calm collected state chatting with some Catalyst Racing riders. Then all hell breaks loose, I notice that riders at the front are sprinting down the hill as I am about to reach the turnaround that is a tight 180 that most everyone is taking at a snail’s pace. I jump hard out of the 180 and find a wheel…he’s getting gapped so I try to jump across on the decent and my wind cape is not helping at this moment. I literally did an all out sprint down the hill just to barely get back on just as we start a climb that the leaders are hammering up. I am yo-yo-ing at this point and over the top in the cross wind I totally pop, to find Jason Holden in the same situation, we work together to catch on again just to get popped in the cross wind for a second time. After blowing all my matches at mile 20 of a 70 mile race I luckily find a nice groupetto to ride with. Jason Holden (Wolf Pack), Hubert (UCC), and Richard (Catalyst) from SD and a few others complete the remaining 50mile training ride telling jokes and trying to warm out freezing limbs as the hail pounds down on us. As we rode on we say many riders pull out and riders just popping all over the course due to the insane weather and cross winds.

Placing: 48th

Stage 3: Crit. 35min (all races were shortened)

Course: Technical, narrow, and with a nice rise in it. The final turn was a sweeping 180 turn slightly off camber.

Report: On a normal day I would have bailed on the miserable road race, but I was looking forward to the possibility of a dry technical crit with a small climb in it. My kind of course. The pace from the gun was pretty quick which was nice because it kept it strung out and safe (for the most part). For the first 15min or so I just stayed up near the front making sure I could watch the moves and take the corners at full speed. One Specialized junior and a strong Helens rider jumped and I was in a good position to follow. One other rider came with as the pack sat and watched.

Everyone in the move was committed and was working well so we got a gap of 10 to 15 seconds pretty quick. People on the sidelines was thinking the break could stick, but it was still early in the race and being a stage race I knew the chances were numbered. The gap was holding but not increasing. Another rider jumped across to us and added some horsepower. This caused a chain reaction in the pack that ended up killing the break. OK so now sit in for another 15min for the sprint. I drifted back to mid-pack as the pace slowed and was supersized on how sketchy it was sitting back here. So I get the hell out of there and move up just as I get back to the top 5 or 6 riders I hear a crash behind us. The kid was OK, but glad I moved up when I did. In the last few laps my friends from Catalyst Racing were all massed at the front planning a lead out for their sprinter Matt, I fight for Matt’s wheel as the laps tick down. It shuffled a bit before the last lap and I was now second wheel as their last lead out man hits the front he ramps it up and pulls off with about a half lap to go (halfway up the climb), I am now leading it out, Matt is on my wheel and we go over the top and then down into the final turn. On the back straight a few riders hit it hard on the outside, I jump but had to slot in 3rd into the last corner. I hear a crash as I am exiting the fast off camber turn and unfortunately Matt who was on my wheel rolled a tire (but walked away without much damage to him or his bike). I give it all I had but the finish was too short and we finish in the order we entered the last turn. So I get a spot on the podium and had fun getting in a good break and staying up near all the action….but damn so close to the Win in my final Cat 3 race.

Placing: 3rd

Overall GC Placing: 33rd 36:57 back…ouch

Out of 70 starters only 37 finished the Stage Race

Valley of the Sun Stage Race - E3

In the 3s we had (3) Swamis. Myself, Mario C., and Jason H.

Stage 1: TT 14.4mi basically flat

Report: What had always deterred me from VOS was the flat TT, flat RR, flat Crit. But this year I had a full TT rig and have been training a bit on it. Jason and I had TT setups and Mario was going Merckx style. The wind was pretty calm in the AM and started to pick up on as it got closer to when the 3s went off. Mario rode hard but did not want to leave it all out there because without a TT bike and all the gear he knew he would not be a GC contender. Jason left it all out there and had a solid time of 33:36 good enough for 19^th of the 80 or so riders that started. I did not know what to expect a flat TT is something I am not typically fond of, but what the hell I warmed up well and was setting a good pace on the way out. About 4km from the turnaround I felt the sign of a side crank coming on…damn…I dialed it back a bit to see if it would go away, nope, so I held it at that lovely line where my side stitch was not getting worse but still pushing hard. In the end I came across in 21^st with a time of 33:42.  For reference the fastest time in the 3s was 31:32 and 29:29 for the Pros.

Stage 2: Road Race  

Course: 74miles, 4.5 laps of a 16miles loop with one 6km +/- gradual climb each lap.

Report: Well not being in a great spot in GC we were hunting for the stage. They moved the finish closer to the top of the climb this year so this suited me better. We made up a game plan but none of us had ever ridden the course so it was subject to change. It was 80degrees and pretty windy at high noon when we went off. We assumed that a break would not stick because of everyone riding for GC. The first lap and every lap for that matter was pretty slow until the climb which we hit extremely hard the first and third laps. Well maybe it just felt crazy fast because I was carrying 3 full water bottles up the climb. No neutral feed so we were all hauling our own water. The second lat a group of three broke away and got a good gap. The pace remained pretty slow on the flat sections and as we planned were content to sit in and save energy and eat. The third time up the climb they hit it again, I stayed near the front on the climb and as we crested the top we realized that ½ the group was off the back including the leader, but the guys close on GC did not have the teammates or the strength to drive the group away on the flats so almost everyone cough back on. This continued and the race was pretty boring until the final lap. In the last two laps we were neutralized a few times and this gave the break and even bigger gap. Leading up to the final climb Mario got me to the front and hit it leading up the climb. Mario’s legs were done so he gave me one last effort and set me at the front. There were a few attacks/surges after Mario’s and but everyone was chasing everything down at this point. I found myself a little farther back than I wanted to be while Jason was near the front. We caught one of the Pro breaks going up the climb so they were neutralized and we were allowed to go over the yellow line..my chance to move up 20 spots. Perfect I was right up near the front with Jason when we hit the 3km to go sign. Just a short while after Jason hit it. He jumped clear of everyone and I stayed near the shoulder just watching everyone look at each other. Riders started to ramp up the pace and we caught him and one of the guys in the break just before the 1km sign. Then a rider I recognized from Chula Vista jumped and I followed. He is a breakaway artist and climber and that is his best shot so I knew was going for the line as it was his only shot. I looked back to see who was following as I tried to stay as close to his rear wheel as possible and only one Helen’s guy was with us. Everyone from SoCal J. I yelled at Josh and said we have a gap so that he would not give up and leave me to take the front with 500m. So he took it all the way to 200m before I jumped for the line. I looked under my arm and saw the Helens rider sprinting but not gaining, raised one arm and took the field sprint for 3^rd! Team rode smart and our plan to save energy and let the GC riders do all the peacemaking worked.

Discussing the finish.

Stage 3: Crit. 35min (all races were shortened)  

Course: ~1mile Technical and bumpy 7 or 8 corner flat course.

Report: When warming up for the Crit Swamis got a big complement from Tribe a local team. One of the riders came up to me and said that they were happy to have us in AZ and that we were the smoothest riders in the peloton and we should be sure to come out next year. 

Again the plan was to sit in and stay in good position because the GC guys were not going to let anything go. From the gun Jason gave one solid attack. He drilled it trying to get a small group to go, but instead it just set the pace for most of the race it was pretty fast and strung out. It got pretty sketchy at times so I grabbed a $50 prime early stayed either in the top 10 riders or at the back chatting. Being only 35min, 3 to go came really quick and I was too far back. I waited for the time to move up and not waste too much energy and with 1.5 laps to go finally moved all the way up to the front. Just when I got their one rider hit it hard and I tucked in 3^rd wheel. He took it that full ½ lap but realized that the entire pack was on his wheel so he pulled off. The rider now at the front took a short pull and then I was at the front just past the start finish on the bell lap. Realizing there are like 5 quick corners ahead of me I said what the heck I would rather make it through them cleanly and not have to hit the brakes. I rode high tempo to the back straight and then eased a tad and waited and waited. Started to feel like a Miss-N-Out at the track do just enough so they don’t come around and then be ready for the big move. So one of the local squads was on my right and had a train of 3 guys ready to go the first rider jumped and I jumped to follow he was on the inside so when he swung wide to take the corner at full speed I held my ground and he basically just move in front of me leaving his teammates in the wind….oooooppppss. He drilled it for the double right turn that spits you out onto the front straight with about 350m to the line. As he eased exiting the corner I knew it would be strung out single file for at least the top 10 so this was my chance to get the gap. I jumped hard and went for the smooth outside lane, got the gap then sat back in the saddle and spun up through the gears. I knew that I was moving, had a gap, and just had to keep it going. As the line got closer I looked over my shoulder to see no one was there just in time to raise one arm to win the field sprint again but this time for the WIN. I heard Mario yelling and put his arm up when I turned to look at the pack coming across the line behind. What a perfect last lap! Couldn’t have asked for a cleaner and more fun sprint.

RESULTS

TT: 21^st 33:42 (2:10 off the leader)

Road Race: 3^rd  (50 seconds behind breakaway minus 4 second time bonus for 3rd)

Crit: 1^st  (w/ 10 second time bonus)

Overall GC: 14^th, 2:29 back

BLVD and Red Trolley - E3

BLVD Race Report
In the 3s we had (5) Swamis. Myself, Mario C., Jason H., Ryan D., George Z.

Well the weather was perfect for the first time in many years, so spirits were high in the Cat 3 field of about 50-60.

Lap 1: We started on the decent and got stuck behind a semi which was a little unnerving but Jason H and a few other went to the front and slowed the group down and the truck turned off a mile or so up the road. Then about 1KM or so from the right turn onto La Posta someone attacked was way off the front, ooooops he missed the turn onto La Posta so the group was back together again. Everyone knows how hard BLVD is so the pace was not killer this first lap, but 2/3 down La Posta it bunched up at a cattle guard and I heard a ride explode and some riders go down behind me. Later Ryan made his way up to say that George caught his front tire in the gap in the cattle guard (the one at the center line) Luckily George is alright but his front wheel was trashed. Several Swamis moved up at the end of La Posta to ensure we don’t have to close any gaps on the climb. The pace on the HW 80 was pretty good on the first lap and we dropped a few riders.  

Lap 2: No Chaos this time on the decent of La Posta because Mario stuck to the plan and rode on the front to keep it steady and keep breaks from going. He pulled most of the decent and most of La Posta. (2) riders did jump clear on the decent, but Mario kept the riders at the front rotating and they never got too far away. The pace on La Posta was got pretty heated and several riders fell of the back on the La Posta rollers. Again Swamis rode smart and everyone stayed near the front so we didn’t have to burn any matches to close gaps into the headwind on La Posta. Once on HW 80 it was all together again and one rider (US Navy kit) got on the front and just drilled it. Not really an attack, but just high tempo. By the top there was about 25 riders hanging on. Ryan, Jason, and I managed to stay right near the front. Mario called it a day at the feed zone and did his job for the team knowing the last lap would not be fun up that climb after all the work he had put it.

Final Lap: On the decent about 15 riders caught back on and one or two riders when off the front and got a pretty good gap. La Posta again was brutal, riders started to attack and then were brought back shrinking the group again to about 30. When we hit HW 80 one rider was still of the front but within sight. Just after the turn a few riders attacked and the pace was pretty insane. I came into the turn 1^st wheel so that I could drop back a bit and tucked in about 5^th after the attacks started coming, I don’t really recall the play by play but from the initial attacks on HW 80 the pack got shredded to 20 or so and then the pace remained pretty high tempo. Ryan and Jason got gapped slightly at this point and now were in the wind. I managed to stay tucked in and riders began to get antsy with 3km to go, I stayed in the top five the entire way but the pace was getting to me. This pace also caught the lone rider off the front. With 1KM to go I attacks started to come again, I just followed the wheels on the first few and then it died down again, then with 300m to go a rider made a small move up the road I jumped (not too hard or so I thought) just to get on the wheel and keep in the top 5, but as we hit the final kicker up to the finish I got out of the saddle to follow the wheels and go for the line then realized there was no snap left in these legs. So I gave it a go and limped in for 16^th. Ryan and Jason, didn’t lose much time on the group and finished a few places behind me. Not what we hoped for, but I think we rode a smart race and have a few cards to play on the upcoming races.

Red Trolley Race Report
In the 3s we had (5) Swamis. Myself, Mario C., Miles, Dulie, and Troy.

Report: Red Trolley we had some sore legs sit out and some fresh legs show up. So again we had a small but good group racing Sunday with a pretty big field of 70-80 riders. My plan was to sit-in for the first 2/3 of the race (hopefully my legs would come back from the dead) and Mario and Miles were going to attack, try to get in a break, and grab some primes in the middle third. The wind was blowing on-shore as usual and we have a pretty good headwind onto the front straight. Swamis was active going off the front and trying to get something to go but nothing stuck. As planned I followed a few moves in the last third of the race and launched one or two moves on my own. 

In every move I was in there would be 2-3 guys pulling and 2-3 guys just sitting on disrupting the pace. Here is a short video clip Steve from Platinum took of one of the moves I tried to initiate, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtlIwPNCzzU 

So with 6-to-go I was fed up with the negative racing and decided to wait of the inevitable field sprint. The pace was pretty high and people were hitting it hard on the climb and it would get strung out on the front straight then dwell on the backside. With 2-to-go I was in the top 5 and two riders really hit the hill as if it was the final sprint (some on the sidelines though it was due to how these guys were going) I was on these guys wheels so I decided I want that draft so I hit it hard and stayed with them just in case they get a gap and want to tow me around….but they sat up on the back straight again and then I was gassed and the strung out group swarmed once more. I got swarmed from both sides and I assumed I would not have much of a sprint left so I didn’t fight too hard to keep position. Halfway down the back straight I decided what the f*** I will give it a go so I moved up about 10 spots before the final turn now sitting on the inside line in about 20^th position I follow the wheels up the hill and start to open up my sprint to see a wall of riders in front of me hitting the wind, I look left and see there is a open road between the front group of 15 and the second group of 15 so I give it full gas and make sure my rear wheel is clear of the second group and get a free lane with about 75m left…I passed about 8 riders that were hitting that wall of wind to come in 7^th. I was happy with my sprint, but was pretty upset that I let the pack swarm me towards the end and was sprinting from way to far back....This weekend put some confidence back in my legs so now I just need to race for the Win.