The 2012 Santos Urban Downhill Race Video
The descent of the Holy Stairs in the Brazilian port town of Santos. These guys are NUTS! via
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Motivation
The following excerpt came from the Peaks Coaching Group eNewsletter. If you ever need motivation to do that extra interval or head out in the rain for a training ride, just come back and read this from time to time. It really hit the nail on the head for me.
>>>
I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse.
Florence Nightingale and JENS VOIGHT
This is a short rant... by Sam Krieg
This past weekend was my 4th weekend of racing so far this season. Race after race I constantly overhear the same bull shit excuses from riders. No one wants to take any accountability for sucking. They lay their groundwork before they even turn their pedals 360 degrees. In the past I was annoyed ... now it just pisses me off. All winter we knew bike racing season was coming. Most of these racers are riding $5000 bikes and worry more about bike weight and how cool they look than how hard they should train. If they spent just 10% of that energy and money on moving forward as an athlete they might just find some personal success instead of catastrophic failure. Most of us are completely lost and don't search out the people who have the answers. We will spend thousands on bikes that make us only seconds faster when a good training plan, coach, or just some good old fashion hard work is the answer. Most racers can rationalize why they suck and don't mind swimming in the vomit pool around them. They have become so used to their own excuses and others' excuses around them that you never hear anyone speak positively before a race.
Before the time trial this past weekend the father of one of my old team-mate asked me how I felt. I said "I am ready to bleed to win this thing"; I meant it. I respected the crap out of the other 60 cat 1-2's who were there and my ego wasn't about to give an inch. I knew I had a fight on my hands and I wasn't certain about the outcome at all. I was scared as crap, but I was 100% committed to throwing down. I was prepared to suffer mentally and physically the entire effort.... I was going to earn a good or a bad result.... The entire time trial I pictured myself as a rat in a trap trying to eat the damn cheese that was just out of reach of my broken neck. I kept trying to nibble and lick the piece of cheese. I was going to win or lose this damn TT with the best possible effort I could manage. I even shoved my time trial bike at the finish line to get an extra .01 seconds. I had gone as fast as I could. That is all you can ever do.
After the Time Trial a rider asked me what my power was. I told him I averaged 305 watts... he was shocked... he said he had ridden close to 400 watts for sure!.............. I had finished over 1 minute in front of him. After a few sentences he implied that he was stronger than I was but just happened to weigh 40 more pounds. According to him I guess I didn't win the TT or have the fastest fucking time of the entire day. So I guess finishing ½ a mile behind me makes him the next Fabian Cancellara? I should have told him to go look at the damn results again. They post them in black and white and from first to last. This is the way it is, and always will be. I almost suggested that he should calibrate his damn power meter or go on a diet. He was insulting me and didn't even know it. Three days later and I am still a bit tweaked when I think about it. He has the same disorder that almost every racer has. Why can't athletes realize that every race is an opportunity to gain knowledge and increase your skill. Instead of pointing out he was obviously much stronger than I was, he should have been critical of his effort, his training, equipment choice, anything instead of telling me how fast he was for a big guy with an over eating disorder. Don't hate on me for being skinny... Hate yourself for not being what you want to be. Bad results are an opportunity to trim the fat and get lean and mean.
A real failure does not need an excuse. It is an end in itself.
Gertrude Stein
Last season at the GILA I woke up in the morning dreading the coming stage; I had traveled down with a good friend who quickly pointed out that I should be stoked.... "You get to race your bike today." We train so we can race. Then on race day we forget that racing is why we ride. Racing is the gift. Racing is what you should be stoked about......... not a new set of carbon wheels... or a cool new cycling kit.... We ride so we can race. We train so we can crush people...... then in the race when we get crushed... we should figure out how to train better, harder, smarter. etc....... instead we make up all sorts of crap.....ignore the gift of racing and never improve upon our past performances because we are blind to what is holding us back.
It isn't flat tires and heavy bikes that slow us down.... It is our FLAT SQUARE MIND..... Leaking air and spewing crap all over the place. When you show up for a race and people ask you how you are doing tell them you are ready to rumble... ready to hurt... and hopefully you can end up on top today. Don't tell them about how hard your work week was, that you have been sick, that this isn't an "A" race, that you haven't started your V02 block of training yet.... Blah.... Blah..... Blah.... If you are going to spew excuses then I suggest you take up a different sport. My good friend Jason has more legitimate excuses not to train than anyone I know. But he rarely ever uses any of them. At 4 a.m. almost every day that dude is on the trainer or out on the roads 350 days a year crushing it. It doesn't matter if he is sick, didn't sleep, or if the damn sky is falling. He has missed very few days of training in 7 years. His hard work is what motivates me. I can't quite live up to his standards but I try. He was the first rider I knew who had a CTL of 100, 110, 120. It didn't kill him; it made him stronger. I gave it a try and I can't describe in words what it did for my riding; I let it speak for itself on the bike.
For the most part bike racing sucks, hurts a ton, and training sucks even worse. If you are lucky you will have a handful of great races over several years. So for every 1000 times you ride your bike you might just have 2 or 3 incredible days. Most riders never actually win a race. So you have to endure the bad. I went 100 races without a win.....but during that time I learned a ton. I learned how to lose...I learned how to train... I learned how to want to win.... I thought I wanted to win... but winning is almost impossible. Go look through anyone's race results and see how rarely even the best local riders win. It takes time and tons of attempts to make a race go your way. I had to learn how to "shut up" and pay attention to the details. I had to learn to stop throwing out excuses and start looking for answers. I know the answer-get on my bike more. I have found that if you can't compliment yourself... compliment someone else. Seek out the racers who win..... pay attention to them.... do what they do.... give credit where it is due...when you fail go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan on how to improve, and try not to make the same mistakes again. It takes an honest rider to realize that every time you race you probably gave it your best shot and your best just wasn't good enough. Don't use this as an excuse but as an opportunity to learn and make changes. You can't improve if you are not critical. If you think you are doing everything right you need to probably look in the mirror a bit closer. Bike racing is definitely a journey with a very abstract destination.
"I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success."
- Thomas Edison
I respect my limitations, but I don't use them as an excuse.
Stephen R. Donaldson
>>>
I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse.
Florence Nightingale and JENS VOIGHT
This is a short rant... by Sam Krieg
This past weekend was my 4th weekend of racing so far this season. Race after race I constantly overhear the same bull shit excuses from riders. No one wants to take any accountability for sucking. They lay their groundwork before they even turn their pedals 360 degrees. In the past I was annoyed ... now it just pisses me off. All winter we knew bike racing season was coming. Most of these racers are riding $5000 bikes and worry more about bike weight and how cool they look than how hard they should train. If they spent just 10% of that energy and money on moving forward as an athlete they might just find some personal success instead of catastrophic failure. Most of us are completely lost and don't search out the people who have the answers. We will spend thousands on bikes that make us only seconds faster when a good training plan, coach, or just some good old fashion hard work is the answer. Most racers can rationalize why they suck and don't mind swimming in the vomit pool around them. They have become so used to their own excuses and others' excuses around them that you never hear anyone speak positively before a race.
Before the time trial this past weekend the father of one of my old team-mate asked me how I felt. I said "I am ready to bleed to win this thing"; I meant it. I respected the crap out of the other 60 cat 1-2's who were there and my ego wasn't about to give an inch. I knew I had a fight on my hands and I wasn't certain about the outcome at all. I was scared as crap, but I was 100% committed to throwing down. I was prepared to suffer mentally and physically the entire effort.... I was going to earn a good or a bad result.... The entire time trial I pictured myself as a rat in a trap trying to eat the damn cheese that was just out of reach of my broken neck. I kept trying to nibble and lick the piece of cheese. I was going to win or lose this damn TT with the best possible effort I could manage. I even shoved my time trial bike at the finish line to get an extra .01 seconds. I had gone as fast as I could. That is all you can ever do.
After the Time Trial a rider asked me what my power was. I told him I averaged 305 watts... he was shocked... he said he had ridden close to 400 watts for sure!.............. I had finished over 1 minute in front of him. After a few sentences he implied that he was stronger than I was but just happened to weigh 40 more pounds. According to him I guess I didn't win the TT or have the fastest fucking time of the entire day. So I guess finishing ½ a mile behind me makes him the next Fabian Cancellara? I should have told him to go look at the damn results again. They post them in black and white and from first to last. This is the way it is, and always will be. I almost suggested that he should calibrate his damn power meter or go on a diet. He was insulting me and didn't even know it. Three days later and I am still a bit tweaked when I think about it. He has the same disorder that almost every racer has. Why can't athletes realize that every race is an opportunity to gain knowledge and increase your skill. Instead of pointing out he was obviously much stronger than I was, he should have been critical of his effort, his training, equipment choice, anything instead of telling me how fast he was for a big guy with an over eating disorder. Don't hate on me for being skinny... Hate yourself for not being what you want to be. Bad results are an opportunity to trim the fat and get lean and mean.
A real failure does not need an excuse. It is an end in itself.
Gertrude Stein
Last season at the GILA I woke up in the morning dreading the coming stage; I had traveled down with a good friend who quickly pointed out that I should be stoked.... "You get to race your bike today." We train so we can race. Then on race day we forget that racing is why we ride. Racing is the gift. Racing is what you should be stoked about......... not a new set of carbon wheels... or a cool new cycling kit.... We ride so we can race. We train so we can crush people...... then in the race when we get crushed... we should figure out how to train better, harder, smarter. etc....... instead we make up all sorts of crap.....ignore the gift of racing and never improve upon our past performances because we are blind to what is holding us back.
It isn't flat tires and heavy bikes that slow us down.... It is our FLAT SQUARE MIND..... Leaking air and spewing crap all over the place. When you show up for a race and people ask you how you are doing tell them you are ready to rumble... ready to hurt... and hopefully you can end up on top today. Don't tell them about how hard your work week was, that you have been sick, that this isn't an "A" race, that you haven't started your V02 block of training yet.... Blah.... Blah..... Blah.... If you are going to spew excuses then I suggest you take up a different sport. My good friend Jason has more legitimate excuses not to train than anyone I know. But he rarely ever uses any of them. At 4 a.m. almost every day that dude is on the trainer or out on the roads 350 days a year crushing it. It doesn't matter if he is sick, didn't sleep, or if the damn sky is falling. He has missed very few days of training in 7 years. His hard work is what motivates me. I can't quite live up to his standards but I try. He was the first rider I knew who had a CTL of 100, 110, 120. It didn't kill him; it made him stronger. I gave it a try and I can't describe in words what it did for my riding; I let it speak for itself on the bike.
For the most part bike racing sucks, hurts a ton, and training sucks even worse. If you are lucky you will have a handful of great races over several years. So for every 1000 times you ride your bike you might just have 2 or 3 incredible days. Most riders never actually win a race. So you have to endure the bad. I went 100 races without a win.....but during that time I learned a ton. I learned how to lose...I learned how to train... I learned how to want to win.... I thought I wanted to win... but winning is almost impossible. Go look through anyone's race results and see how rarely even the best local riders win. It takes time and tons of attempts to make a race go your way. I had to learn how to "shut up" and pay attention to the details. I had to learn to stop throwing out excuses and start looking for answers. I know the answer-get on my bike more. I have found that if you can't compliment yourself... compliment someone else. Seek out the racers who win..... pay attention to them.... do what they do.... give credit where it is due...when you fail go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan on how to improve, and try not to make the same mistakes again. It takes an honest rider to realize that every time you race you probably gave it your best shot and your best just wasn't good enough. Don't use this as an excuse but as an opportunity to learn and make changes. You can't improve if you are not critical. If you think you are doing everything right you need to probably look in the mirror a bit closer. Bike racing is definitely a journey with a very abstract destination.
"I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success."
- Thomas Edison
I respect my limitations, but I don't use them as an excuse.
Stephen R. Donaldson
Monday, April 19, 2010
Recovery Monday
 |
| Sunrise on the way to the Sea Otter. |
Random moans - Beyond my ability to count.
And another metric I just came up with.
Bedtime - 9:30. Could not maintain verticality and crashed very, very hard for a good night's rest.
My legs are, as you might guess, a bit fried this morning. Not as bad as I was fearing but the worst may yet be to come as sometimes my legs take 36 hours or so to "bloom" to full pain levels.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Post Race Quick Thoughts
A quick rundown of my first mountain bike race, this morning's Sea Otter Classic Cross Country Category 3 40-44 year old men (the largest group riding the cross country this year).
It is lots more fun to think about doing a race than it is to do the race. It is also more fun to talk about the race you just completed than it is to race. That goes double or triple or even more if the last quarter of the race is spent battling systemic leg cramps.
It is lots more fun to think about doing a race than it is to do the race. It is also more fun to talk about the race you just completed than it is to race. That goes double or triple or even more if the last quarter of the race is spent battling systemic leg cramps.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Questions about Racing at the Sea Otter Classic
It is now T-Minus 2 days until my first mountain bike race at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey (which kicked off yesterday!) and I'm finding that I have some questions that aren't being answered by Sea Otter FAQ's and whatever other resources I've been able to uncover.
So I thought I'd write up a quick post to see if I could capitalize on all of the collected knowledge of my cycling friends who've many years of experience at the two wheeled delight that is the Sea Otter Classic.
So here we go:
In the Sea Otter Athlete FAQ they say I need long pants, a long sleeve shirt, a helmet with a mouth guard. This seems excessive and incredibly hot and I've got photos of numerous racers in shorts, short sleeved shirts and no apparent mouth guard. What's the real deal?
If I drive down to the race on Sunday morning, how much time am I going to need from arrival to registration to getting to the line for the start?
Is there any place to stash extra gear (like warm clothes) during the race so I don't have to leave every possible thing in my car?
I'm guessing hydropacks are permitted but I haven't seen anything specific saying so. Yes on hydropacks?
Are kids 12 and under really free? I saw it on one of the SOC pages but haven't seen it anywhere else.
I'm sure I'll develop more questions as we move forward and will try to get back here and add them but these questions should get the ball rolling. Any insights would be most welcome!
So I thought I'd write up a quick post to see if I could capitalize on all of the collected knowledge of my cycling friends who've many years of experience at the two wheeled delight that is the Sea Otter Classic.
So here we go:
In the Sea Otter Athlete FAQ they say I need long pants, a long sleeve shirt, a helmet with a mouth guard. This seems excessive and incredibly hot and I've got photos of numerous racers in shorts, short sleeved shirts and no apparent mouth guard. What's the real deal?
If I drive down to the race on Sunday morning, how much time am I going to need from arrival to registration to getting to the line for the start?
Is there any place to stash extra gear (like warm clothes) during the race so I don't have to leave every possible thing in my car?
I'm guessing hydropacks are permitted but I haven't seen anything specific saying so. Yes on hydropacks?
Are kids 12 and under really free? I saw it on one of the SOC pages but haven't seen it anywhere else.
I'm sure I'll develop more questions as we move forward and will try to get back here and add them but these questions should get the ball rolling. Any insights would be most welcome!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
2010 Madera Stage Race
This was my first ever multi-day event. I wasn't sure how my body would react to multiple days of racing, well 2 days if you want to be exact. I drove down to Madera early on Saturday morning and quickly noticed that the north wind was ramping up. As I drove further south into the central valley of California the winds only seemed to get stronger. Any flags I saw were blown straight out and were whipping violently in the wind. I knew some major suffering on the bike was to be had today.
My first event, the criterium, my least favorite, was scheduled for just after 11AM. I arrived with plenty of time, found my team mates, and set up my trainer to get warmed up. After a nice warm up I was very nervous, but ready to get the racing under way. Of course, as typically happens, the races were running about 20-30 minutes behind. So we just continued our warm ups by cruising around the north end of the course, trying to stay loose and warm. Finally the race was under way. This was a basic 4 corner crit, and the speeds started out pretty quickly in the 24-27 mph range. On the north and east sections of the course we experienced nice tail winds on wide open streets with good pavement. As we hit the south end of the course you turn into a nice cross head wind, and positioning was key. I decided to stay on the outside for the first few laps. Good protection from the wind, but bad position in that people kept swinging wide and pushing me out into the edge of the course where there was a line of orange cones. Some people hit the cones, and one went flying right into my path. Luckily it was laying sideways and I was able to roll right over it without incident. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hit the bottom (base) of the cone... Any ways, back to the action. I was feeling good and able to hang with the pace without any problems at all. This was a first for me. As I'm usually gasping for air at the back of the pack struggling to maintain contact. I even managed to find myself riding at the front of the pack, which is where you want to be anyways. Well not right on the front, but in the top 10. The finishing stretch of the course was a dead on into a 15-20mph headwind. As you made the last corner, position was key on the right side of the course. After a few laps I found myself feeling strong and took a wide line on the outside of one corner and just kept the gas on. Soon I found myself out in front of the pack. Nobody chased me, so I just kept going. I probably had a 5-10 second gap, and knew I would just get got so I started soft pedaling and was absorbed back into the pack. I sat in for a while and recovered, then did it again on the 2nd to last lap. This was my big mistake. I should have just continued to sit in but work my way up to the front. I rode the lap out front but when I hit the wind my solo attack was over. I managed to hang onto it across the start / finish line going into the final lap. As the pack swarmed me I couldn't quite hang on as they were ramping up the speed on the final lap. I did my best to catch back on, but ended up about 30 seconds behind coming into the finish. My team was all over the race, multiple attacks off the front and covered any breaks that tried to get away. We ended up with a 3rd and 7th and everyone else finished in the pack. Ok, first goal accomplished. Finished the crit, didn't crash and felt pretty good. After the race we rode the trainers for about 15 minutest to cool down and slammed the mandatory recovery drink.
Next up in the afternoon was the individual time trial. 10 miles on dead flat roads, as fast as you can go. But first it was off to get a sandwich and then to the hotel to relax for a bit. We had about 3 hours in between events which was just enough time for some stretching, bike maintenance and relaxing. Since I don't have a TT bike (yet..:-) I was on my standard road bike. I didn't even bother to get clip on aero bars. I'd tried them a couple years before and just found them too uncomfortable. You really need to dial in a position (adjust seat, handlebars, etc.) in order to be comfortable in aero bars or a TT bike for that matter. For this race though, I'd just decided to ride in the drops and do my best to keep a steady pace and not to explode. Did I mention the wind? Most of our start times for the TT were after 3PM, so we got the full on maximum effect. First 5 miles were mostly tail wind with a slight cross push. I was easily rolling along at 27-30 mph. These were farm roads, so while mostly smooth, there were some serious potholes that had to be avoided. It required intense concentration to look for the potholes, and pick a smooth line. As I made the 2nd to last turn into the wind it was a head cross wind from the right. Then the pain really set in. I went from 27-30 mph, down to barely able to maintain 17mph. The final right turn on to the finishing stretch was a dead on block headwind and my speed dropped even lower. At times I noticed it in the sub-16 range. Oh and thanks to some excellent information from team mates who rode the course earlier, the actual distance was 10.44 miles instead of 10.0 miles. So knowing that there was that extra .44 miles really helped pace out the effort in the end. I finished below 30 minutes for the 10.44 miles, and knew I'd lose considerable time here to everyone and their tricked out TT bikes, aero helmets and skin suits. Just as a reference the fastest pro rider clocked in a 20:39 - smokin!
After the TT we rushed back to the hotel for a quick shower then headed down to a nice Italian restaurant for a team dinner. Loaded up on pasta, lasagna and salad, and even had a couple of beers too! Great time but we were all pretty darn tired. Sleep was not an issue that night. It was a pretty funny sight though. 4 guys in one hotel room along with 7, yes 7 bikes!
For the 51 mile road race we had the plan to try and protect Matt's 2nd place overall GC position. We rode at the front to cover and breaks and basically just hovered around Matt for the first two laps. A couple of riders attempted to get away but they never got more than about 40-50 seconds and were swallowed up on the hills of the 2nd lap. There was a 2.5 mile section of road that was some of the roughest pavement I had ever seen. It was so rough water bottles were getting ejected left and right. Even heard stories of Powertap head units and Garmin 705s being popped off on the rough roads. On the final lap Team Bicycles Plus went to the front and drilled it through the rough section. Then we hit the hills and the attacks started. We were able to cover everything and Matt got the win and also secured the overall GC for the weekend. Mike scored a nice 3rd place in the road race as well.
For my first time at the Madera Stage Race I think I did pretty well. But most importantly I had a blast racing with my team mates. One thing is clear, the TT is a very critical stage of the race. This is where you win it or lose it.
Photo Links
Final GC Results
USA Cycling Results
I'm in this video in a few places, you'll have to watch to find out where! I think around 19:50 or something like that. Nothing too exciting, maybe just the last few minutes of the race. It's a good perspective of what it's like to be in a road race though!
My first event, the criterium, my least favorite, was scheduled for just after 11AM. I arrived with plenty of time, found my team mates, and set up my trainer to get warmed up. After a nice warm up I was very nervous, but ready to get the racing under way. Of course, as typically happens, the races were running about 20-30 minutes behind. So we just continued our warm ups by cruising around the north end of the course, trying to stay loose and warm. Finally the race was under way. This was a basic 4 corner crit, and the speeds started out pretty quickly in the 24-27 mph range. On the north and east sections of the course we experienced nice tail winds on wide open streets with good pavement. As we hit the south end of the course you turn into a nice cross head wind, and positioning was key. I decided to stay on the outside for the first few laps. Good protection from the wind, but bad position in that people kept swinging wide and pushing me out into the edge of the course where there was a line of orange cones. Some people hit the cones, and one went flying right into my path. Luckily it was laying sideways and I was able to roll right over it without incident. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hit the bottom (base) of the cone... Any ways, back to the action. I was feeling good and able to hang with the pace without any problems at all. This was a first for me. As I'm usually gasping for air at the back of the pack struggling to maintain contact. I even managed to find myself riding at the front of the pack, which is where you want to be anyways. Well not right on the front, but in the top 10. The finishing stretch of the course was a dead on into a 15-20mph headwind. As you made the last corner, position was key on the right side of the course. After a few laps I found myself feeling strong and took a wide line on the outside of one corner and just kept the gas on. Soon I found myself out in front of the pack. Nobody chased me, so I just kept going. I probably had a 5-10 second gap, and knew I would just get got so I started soft pedaling and was absorbed back into the pack. I sat in for a while and recovered, then did it again on the 2nd to last lap. This was my big mistake. I should have just continued to sit in but work my way up to the front. I rode the lap out front but when I hit the wind my solo attack was over. I managed to hang onto it across the start / finish line going into the final lap. As the pack swarmed me I couldn't quite hang on as they were ramping up the speed on the final lap. I did my best to catch back on, but ended up about 30 seconds behind coming into the finish. My team was all over the race, multiple attacks off the front and covered any breaks that tried to get away. We ended up with a 3rd and 7th and everyone else finished in the pack. Ok, first goal accomplished. Finished the crit, didn't crash and felt pretty good. After the race we rode the trainers for about 15 minutest to cool down and slammed the mandatory recovery drink.
Next up in the afternoon was the individual time trial. 10 miles on dead flat roads, as fast as you can go. But first it was off to get a sandwich and then to the hotel to relax for a bit. We had about 3 hours in between events which was just enough time for some stretching, bike maintenance and relaxing. Since I don't have a TT bike (yet..:-) I was on my standard road bike. I didn't even bother to get clip on aero bars. I'd tried them a couple years before and just found them too uncomfortable. You really need to dial in a position (adjust seat, handlebars, etc.) in order to be comfortable in aero bars or a TT bike for that matter. For this race though, I'd just decided to ride in the drops and do my best to keep a steady pace and not to explode. Did I mention the wind? Most of our start times for the TT were after 3PM, so we got the full on maximum effect. First 5 miles were mostly tail wind with a slight cross push. I was easily rolling along at 27-30 mph. These were farm roads, so while mostly smooth, there were some serious potholes that had to be avoided. It required intense concentration to look for the potholes, and pick a smooth line. As I made the 2nd to last turn into the wind it was a head cross wind from the right. Then the pain really set in. I went from 27-30 mph, down to barely able to maintain 17mph. The final right turn on to the finishing stretch was a dead on block headwind and my speed dropped even lower. At times I noticed it in the sub-16 range. Oh and thanks to some excellent information from team mates who rode the course earlier, the actual distance was 10.44 miles instead of 10.0 miles. So knowing that there was that extra .44 miles really helped pace out the effort in the end. I finished below 30 minutes for the 10.44 miles, and knew I'd lose considerable time here to everyone and their tricked out TT bikes, aero helmets and skin suits. Just as a reference the fastest pro rider clocked in a 20:39 - smokin!
After the TT we rushed back to the hotel for a quick shower then headed down to a nice Italian restaurant for a team dinner. Loaded up on pasta, lasagna and salad, and even had a couple of beers too! Great time but we were all pretty darn tired. Sleep was not an issue that night. It was a pretty funny sight though. 4 guys in one hotel room along with 7, yes 7 bikes!
For the 51 mile road race we had the plan to try and protect Matt's 2nd place overall GC position. We rode at the front to cover and breaks and basically just hovered around Matt for the first two laps. A couple of riders attempted to get away but they never got more than about 40-50 seconds and were swallowed up on the hills of the 2nd lap. There was a 2.5 mile section of road that was some of the roughest pavement I had ever seen. It was so rough water bottles were getting ejected left and right. Even heard stories of Powertap head units and Garmin 705s being popped off on the rough roads. On the final lap Team Bicycles Plus went to the front and drilled it through the rough section. Then we hit the hills and the attacks started. We were able to cover everything and Matt got the win and also secured the overall GC for the weekend. Mike scored a nice 3rd place in the road race as well.
For my first time at the Madera Stage Race I think I did pretty well. But most importantly I had a blast racing with my team mates. One thing is clear, the TT is a very critical stage of the race. This is where you win it or lose it.
Photo Links
Final GC Results
USA Cycling Results
I'm in this video in a few places, you'll have to watch to find out where! I think around 19:50 or something like that. Nothing too exciting, maybe just the last few minutes of the race. It's a good perspective of what it's like to be in a road race though!
2010 Madera Stage Race - Daulton Road Race - 35+ 4/5 last lap from Steven Woo on Vimeo.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Surf City Cyclo-X Tomorrow
Anywhere near Santa Cruz and like bicycles? Come on down to Aptos High School off Freedom Blvd. tomorrow to see some crazy cyclocross action. Its the finale of the Surf City Cyclo-X season and should be a day of great races and fun.
I'm planning on getting out there with my kids and my cameras to see what kind of cool action shots I might be able to get.
Here's the course, my only question is where is everyone going to park?
View Aptos High School in a larger map
Friday, September 04, 2009
New Mountain Bike Race at Henry Coe in Gilroy
New Mountain Bike Race at Henry Coe – by Karen KefauverRace Director Gary Richards announced that the South Valley Bike and Run Club is presenting the Henry Coe Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday, Sept 19, 2009. It is now USA Cycling-sanctioned. “This is the first race held in Henry Coe in many, many years. Enjoy it,” wrote Richards in a press release. Keep read for more information! — Karen Kefauver
RACE DETAILS:
*** Pre-riding will be guided on the 12th and 13th. More information is on the website.
Beginners (Cat3) doing a roughly 15 mile loop with tons of climbing.
Sport (Cat2) and Experts (Cat1) will do a 24 mile loop.
LIMIT: 150 riders and is selling quickly. We fully expect this one to sell out.
PARKING: please carpool, space is limited
COST: Registration is $40.00 for non members, members are $35.00. Registration goes up $5.00 on September 10, 2009. Please register as soon as possible so we can setup your awards, swag bags, and food.
I'm seriously considering giving this race a shot. I've been wanting to start racing and this is close enough (and short enough) for me to give it a shot. Anyone else up for a little bike racing action?
Sunday, May 03, 2009
24 Hours of Cool Mountain Bike Race
Just wanted to share this one photo of one of my team mates who raced the 24 Hours of Cool Mountain Bike Race this weekend. Since it's been raining non-stop since Friday around noon, the conditions were pretty bad. I've heard many people including pros abandoned the race. Tinker Juarez was seen walking his bike. This photo pretty much sums it all up.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Cat 4 Cherry Pie Criterium Video
I didn't race this race, but a few of my teammates did. Pretty cool video shot from a front tire perspective. If you want to sorta experience what crit racing is like, check this out. The video is about 40 minutes, the entire race. There are supposedly a couple of crashes in there one at 14:55 one one later.
2009 Cherry Pie Criterium Cat 4 from Steven Woo on Vimeo.
2009 Cherry Pie Criterium Cat 4 from Steven Woo on Vimeo.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Granite Bay Cyclocross 12/21/2008
Here are some photos from the cyclycross race out at Granite Bay today. I'm not in any of these photos as the guy who took them raced in my group. Hopefully I'll be able to dig up a few photos of myself later as others post them. It was a fun race. We got soaking wet, muddy and sandy! The course was great. A huge thanks to Riche Maile and http://sacramentocx.com/ for putting together another great course. Also thanks to the Sacramento Golden Wheelmen for hosting the race. It was indeed a true cyclocross experience today.
I started off in the front row, managed to hang onto 3rd place for about the first half of the first lap, then had to slow down a bit. Didn't want to blow up too soon. There were two good straight away sections, and the rest of the course was tight, twisty, muddy, and sandy singletrack! There was one huge sand pit which I managed to power through on 2 laps. Dabbed on one lap, and on the final lap I just knew I didn't have enough gas left to power through. So I shouldered the bike and ran. At the end of the race I quickly changed out of my muddy, sandy wet clothes. That was a huge struggle in and of itself. Glad I brought some hot tea for an after race warmup! I had a blast and am really starting to dig cyclocross!
This photo right here, pretty much sums up how we all looked after racing today.
I started off in the front row, managed to hang onto 3rd place for about the first half of the first lap, then had to slow down a bit. Didn't want to blow up too soon. There were two good straight away sections, and the rest of the course was tight, twisty, muddy, and sandy singletrack! There was one huge sand pit which I managed to power through on 2 laps. Dabbed on one lap, and on the final lap I just knew I didn't have enough gas left to power through. So I shouldered the bike and ran. At the end of the race I quickly changed out of my muddy, sandy wet clothes. That was a huge struggle in and of itself. Glad I brought some hot tea for an after race warmup! I had a blast and am really starting to dig cyclocross!
This photo right here, pretty much sums up how we all looked after racing today.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Dunnigan Hills Road Race 2008
There were 6 of us in the Masters 35+ 4/5 C group. We tried to ask the officials to let us tag onto the back of the B group or get into the Cat 5A group, but both groups were too full. So they sent us off as 6. We all agreed to work together for a while. Once in the headwinds and cross winds it was sort of a cluster-F. I just did my pulls and tried to stay as protected as possible. Once in a while we would get a decent pace line going, but then it would fall apart. After a while it was clear that one rider was doing very little work. Either he didn't have any gas in the tank or he was purposely not doing any work. Finally as we approached I-5 heading east one guy put in a nice attack, I quickly jumped on his wheel and so did another rider. So 3 of us had a small gap. It came back together, then I put in a nice attack over the overpass before the right turn. That did a little more damage but it came back together again. As we turned downwind the original attack guy put in another hard dig, two of us followed. Another small gap opened but it came back together again. Then finally I put in one last hard effort and we finally dropped Mr. No Pull guy. So 4 of us were left blazing downwind to the finish line. Then one unattached rider said to me "you guys can have the sprint, I'm just trying to keep my bike upright." As we got near the right turn to head over the overpass I made sure to be 2nd wheel. They put in a decent effort up the overpass, and I just stayed on their wheels. One guy started to fade early with about 300 to go, then I notice the other guy who said he wasn't interested in the sprint go shooting by on my left, yeah nice try buddy. I was 3 back at this point, so I shifted into my hardest gear and then with 200 to go came around him and sprinted to the line for my first win! It was a great experience and I'm super stoked, even if there was only 6 of us in our field! I got my first Velo Promo t-shirt and $20!
Here's a photo of me blasting across the line!
Here's a photo of me blasting across the line!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Pescadero Road Race On Saturday
Wish me luck. I'll be doing 2 laps for a total of ~47 miles. Here is a map of the course. Should be beautiful scenery if nothing else.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Land Park Criterium 2008
On Saturday I raced in the Land Park Criterium in Sacramento. I entered in the Elite 5 category, same as last year. Criteriums are not really my thing, but this course it one of the safer ones around and I wanted to redeem myself from last year. It's a big wide 1 mile loop around the Land Park Golf Course on closed roads. There is a tricky S-type chicane turn section and a couple of other higher speed corners. My goal was to just stay up near the front, top 15 or so though most of the course, then move up to the top 5 through the corners. This race was 35 minutes. It started out with a neutral lap just to we could see what it was like to ride the course with 50 other riders. Elite 5 is the beginner category so there's obviusly some nervous and squirrely riding going on. As the first real lap kicked in the speed was fairly mellow in the low 20s. Into the frist set of turns some yo yo clipped his pedal into one of the corners. Not sure if it was the same guy, but I heard the pedal clipping again, and again and again. You think he would have learned maybe the first or second tome to not pedal thought that sharp corner? There was some bumping and sudden braking, someone skidded up on my rear wheel, and I had to do a couple of quick evasive maneuvers throughout the race. The group would always seem to come back together on the straight sections, then get broken up in the corners. The key was to stay as close to the front as possible so after the corners you didn't have to do too much work to get back to the front. I was hanging in there pretty comfortably and in the final lap somehow drifted back to about mid pack going into the corners. Someone went down on my left (perhaps the guy who kept clipping his pedals), then someone plowed into him and went over the bars. I saw it out the corner of my eye so it freaked my out a bit. When I looked ahead I had lost about 10 bike lengths to the main pack. So I cranked it up and gave it everything I had. I finally caught on to the tail end of the main group passing a few on the run into the line and finished 22nd out of 50. I think I would have finished a bit higher were it not for that crash. I'm just stoked to have finished the race this year as last year I got dropped and pulled off the course with about 2 laps to go.
This was the best photo I could find of myself in the race. Thanks to rodneycox68 on Flickr! That's me in the blue, orange and white Rio Strada kit.
This was the best photo I could find of myself in the race. Thanks to rodneycox68 on Flickr! That's me in the blue, orange and white Rio Strada kit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)