 |
| Chris Pilette, Photo by Steve Woo |
Surf City Cyclo-x
CCCX #5
Sunday rounded out the weekend of mud slinging with a wet and dirty race in Prunedale. This was the 5th in the CCCX series leaving three more chances to get some dirty on. Pictures can be seen on the NCNCA blog at : http://wordpress.ncncaracing.com/
Godspeed rider Jim Riley placed 9th in the open A's while Chris Stevens finished 12th in the B's.
Godspeed rider Jim Riley placed 9th in the open A's while Chris Stevens finished 12th in the B's.
Monkey Cross #1
In the true spirit of cross Saturday was wet, cold and muddy.The Doyle Park course was a short and fairly flat loop with lots of tight turns to navigate. The rain may have helped keep the mud from caking on the gears of our bikes, but it sure did make for a soupy mess. It was in my humble opinion, fantastic. The long line in the cold rain to wash ourselves and our bikes off was probably harder to bear than the race itself, but a necessity none-the-less. Mike Gil finished 4th in the A's while Chops, Fred of Chica Sexy and myself were in the mix somewhere. I didn't bother to find out our placings since I was preoccupied with getting a hosing after the race. Here are a couple of shots before the clean up.
Copperopolis
 |
| Photo by Ken Conley |
The roads of the Nor-Cal Paris Roubaix are known for taking their toll on riders and equipment. I would argue that Leesville Gap Road Race rivals Copperopolis in poor road quality because of a gravel section leading into the main climb. However, the descent from the second climb at Copperopolis can only be described as similar to holding onto the chrome bar in front of your seat on a 30-year-old wooden rollercoaster as you drop some 4 stories into the coasters twisting and turning track.
Topsport Stage Race
(Photo courtesy of Steve Woo)
Bariani Zamora Crash Sequence
I had the misfortune of being right in the center of the Cat 4 crash in the final meters of the Zamora Road Race Saturday. If you look close you can see a Godspeed kit rolling on the ground center right of the pack a few frames in. Not so fun to be in as we were going full tilt when the incident occurred but the photographer did a good job of capturing the wreck. Apparently the masters 4 race ended similarly a few minutes earlier. Click on the link below to view the frame-by-frame action.
Crashfest
Enjoy.
Crashfest
Enjoy.
Three top ten finishes at Madera
The possibility of rain did not stop some of the Cat 4 squad from going out to the Madera Stage Race this weekend. The weather turned out to be fantastic although gusty winds proved challenging Saturday during the individual time trial. Godspeed riders managed to come up with three combined top ten finishes in the crit and road races and a top ten in the GC. Godspeed also place 12th and 15th in the time trial for an impressive overall showing.
Jim Riley moves up to Cat 2
After a string of wins and top placings in the 3's Jim has moved up to join fellow 2’s Brandon Correia and Mike Gil. The trio represented Godspeed at the Merco Credit Union race weekend held March 6th and 7th.
The Merco Crit was by no means an easy race to serve as the introduction to the rigors of Pro, 1, 2 racing but all three Godspeed riders held their own and placed 9th(Brandon), 13th(Jim) and 14th(Mike) among the Cat 2 riders in the field.
The Merco Crit was by no means an easy race to serve as the introduction to the rigors of Pro, 1, 2 racing but all three Godspeed riders held their own and placed 9th(Brandon), 13th(Jim) and 14th(Mike) among the Cat 2 riders in the field.
Snelling Pro, 1, 2
Originally posted by Brandon:
These were the first real P,1,2 field of the season for me, since the
Valley of the Sun Stage Race had a separate cat 2 field.
Mike joined in on the fun at the Snelling RR on Saturday,
which started with 115 riders. Or shall I say the neutral roll out started
with that many. The actual race started with a 30 man pile up! 15 seconds
after the official droped the flag.
These were the first real P,1,2 field of the season for me, since the
Valley of the Sun Stage Race had a separate cat 2 field.
Mike joined in on the fun at the Snelling RR on Saturday,
which started with 115 riders. Or shall I say the neutral roll out started
with that many. The actual race started with a 30 man pile up! 15 seconds
after the official droped the flag.
Mojo Bicycle Café
Godspeed Courier is pleased to announce its new 2010 shop sponsor Mojo Bicycle Café.
Located at 639-A Divisadero in San Francisco, Mojo brings together a quality bike shop and a great café atmosphere with a wide selection of food and drinks.
Located at 639-A Divisadero in San Francisco, Mojo brings together a quality bike shop and a great café atmosphere with a wide selection of food and drinks.
Stop by for a tune-up, some bike gear, or just to take in the scenery with a cup of coffee. If you're looking to relax after work, check out their daily happy hour.
Click on the link below to take you to their website:
http://www.mojobicyclecafe.com/index.html
Click on the link below to take you to their website:
http://www.mojobicyclecafe.com/index.html
Cherry Pie
Fergus and I went up to Napa on Sunday for this race. I like technical crits for the fact that they keep you on your toes. We arrrived early enough to take care of all the essentials and get to the staging area with enough time to ensure we didn’t wind up on the back end of the 100-man field.
Grasshopper Adventure Series
Originally posted by Justin:
So firstly, HOLY STINKING CRAP! This ride/race was amazing! Levi Leipheimer was there and finished 2nd (everyone said he let the other guy win). 50 miles of mixed terrain with a waist high stream crossing!
Early Bird Crit (Pro-1-2-3)
Originally posted by Brandon:
Saturday was more of a recovery day for me anyways, after doing hill repeats in my 39x14 on Friday. So I just did an easy spin.
Sunday I rode down to Fremont and did the last EB crit. Had to get my feet wet before Valley of the Sun. It was fast and fun. I felt pretty good. Got in several breakaway attempts and had no problems
Early Bird Crit (Cat4)
I wasn’t exactly thrilled with a 3:30 start time at first but came to realize what the pro riders must already know. The late start time can be a blessing in disguise. I was able to socialize the night before and sleep in with enough time to make it to the race and get in a decent warm up. I initially wanted to arrive super early and do a pre-race ride but some technical difficulties
Early Bird Road Race
For the last couple of years the Early Bird Road Race has marked the start of my road season. Although I cannot entirely blame the misfortune of breaking my collarbone six weeks ago for my absence this year, it did give me a feasible excuse
2010
After a hiatus from regular postings I would like to congratulate everyone for a fantastic 2009 season. Godspeed Courier was a presence to be reckoned with in 2009.
The road season saw two of our members, Brandon Correia and Michael Gil move to the ranks of Cat 2 while Jim Riley and Shawn Yackle secured their places in the Cat 3 field after several top finishes in the 4’s.
Some of us are still going strong in cross while others are looking to the 2010 road season to demonstrate our skills. New members to the team will test their mettle in the coming weeks while veteran riders attempt to add to the extensive resume of wins and top placings.
I have no doubt 2010 will be the best season yet.
"Riders to the line."
Cat 4 Squad says....Class Dismissed!
Dispatch from the Sonora road race.
This past Sunday, Kevin, Maestro, Billy and myself made it out to
Sonora for their first annual road race. Aside from a slightly
smaller than ideal field (roughly 30), it was a great time and we
represented pretty well.
The course was a 13 mile loop that featured a few short climbs,
generally rolling terrain and no significant flats. The roads
were wet but the rain held off (at least at before we rolled out).
And we started off with a bang: some dude from another team
led the field the wrong way during the promenade and
succeeded to tack about a mile extra onto our neutral section.
Thanks, man.
Once we got going, it was climb, descend and repeat. About two
miles into the first of our four laps, a few people went down on
some wet railroad tracks (45 degrees to the road).
No messengers surveyed considered them a problem. The only
other technical sections were two almost identical bridge crossings
that featured a quick, shortish descents followed by a two sharp 90
degree turns and power climbs. Most people were being pretty
timid given the wet conditions, and Billy bore the brunt of it on the
first lap. Crossing over the first bridge, another rider lost control on
one of the sharp turns and ran into him, causing him to slide out.
No major reprocussions, but Billy pulled out after soloing for two
laps on a gimpy wheel hoping to catch on to the group. Damn.
A few other incidents reduced the field to a core group of about 15
and it stayed that way with Maestro feeling strong and pushing the
pace through a at-times steady rain. A couple others shared the
workload, but he consistently opened up small gaps on each descent
and found himself on or near the front when things inevitably came
back together. Not that we didn't try to keep him away. More than
once, Kevin and I attempted to block when the few chasing Maestro
would form up with him into a group of three or four. We were
quickly sniffed out each time. I took a few turns pulling, but mainly
Kevin and I hovered mid-to-front pack during the middle of the race.
A steady pressure from the front broke a few more guys off, and it
was about 12 or so heading into the last lap.
And on that final lap the pace quickened. With Maestro in control
and commanding everyone's attention, it was going to be hard to break
him off the front. No real opportunities presented themselves, and he
was on the front with about 2K left. After hanging back a bit with Kevin,
I decided to work my way up to Maestro. My plan was to give him
some rest for a bit and then lead out before the start of the final climb,
which picked up with about 1K to go. Hopefully, a few guys would
follow my early move off the front and tire out, which would set up
Maestro in command of a well-timed chase group. So a bit before the
base of the climb I got in front and started to push it pretty hard,
but without any obvious or sudden snap. I zoned out for a bit as the
climb started before I looked back - and saw no one close.
Apparently, after I started my move, Maestro quietly soft-pedaled for
a bit, allowing a rather-substantial gap to form. By the time anyone
noticed, I was too far up the road and the climb was hitting them
hard. Halfway up the hill, I looked back and didn't see anyone
gaining. So I put my head down and didn't stop. I guess the field
was paying close enough attention to the guy hurting them throughout
the race that they missed his teammate going off the front. Yeah.
Final results:
Jim - 1st
Maestro - 5th
Kevin - 8th
Billy - DNF (but self and bike are ok)
-Jim
This past Sunday, Kevin, Maestro, Billy and myself made it out to
Sonora for their first annual road race. Aside from a slightly
smaller than ideal field (roughly 30), it was a great time and we
represented pretty well.
The course was a 13 mile loop that featured a few short climbs,
generally rolling terrain and no significant flats. The roads
were wet but the rain held off (at least at before we rolled out).
And we started off with a bang: some dude from another team
led the field the wrong way during the promenade and
succeeded to tack about a mile extra onto our neutral section.
Thanks, man.
Once we got going, it was climb, descend and repeat. About two
miles into the first of our four laps, a few people went down on
some wet railroad tracks (45 degrees to the road).
No messengers surveyed considered them a problem. The only
other technical sections were two almost identical bridge crossings
that featured a quick, shortish descents followed by a two sharp 90
degree turns and power climbs. Most people were being pretty
timid given the wet conditions, and Billy bore the brunt of it on the
first lap. Crossing over the first bridge, another rider lost control on
one of the sharp turns and ran into him, causing him to slide out.
No major reprocussions, but Billy pulled out after soloing for two
laps on a gimpy wheel hoping to catch on to the group. Damn.
A few other incidents reduced the field to a core group of about 15
and it stayed that way with Maestro feeling strong and pushing the
pace through a at-times steady rain. A couple others shared the
workload, but he consistently opened up small gaps on each descent
and found himself on or near the front when things inevitably came
back together. Not that we didn't try to keep him away. More than
once, Kevin and I attempted to block when the few chasing Maestro
would form up with him into a group of three or four. We were
quickly sniffed out each time. I took a few turns pulling, but mainly
Kevin and I hovered mid-to-front pack during the middle of the race.
A steady pressure from the front broke a few more guys off, and it
was about 12 or so heading into the last lap.
And on that final lap the pace quickened. With Maestro in control
and commanding everyone's attention, it was going to be hard to break
him off the front. No real opportunities presented themselves, and he
was on the front with about 2K left. After hanging back a bit with Kevin,
I decided to work my way up to Maestro. My plan was to give him
some rest for a bit and then lead out before the start of the final climb,
which picked up with about 1K to go. Hopefully, a few guys would
follow my early move off the front and tire out, which would set up
Maestro in command of a well-timed chase group. So a bit before the
base of the climb I got in front and started to push it pretty hard,
but without any obvious or sudden snap. I zoned out for a bit as the
climb started before I looked back - and saw no one close.
Apparently, after I started my move, Maestro quietly soft-pedaled for
a bit, allowing a rather-substantial gap to form. By the time anyone
noticed, I was too far up the road and the climb was hitting them
hard. Halfway up the hill, I looked back and didn't see anyone
gaining. So I put my head down and didn't stop. I guess the field
was paying close enough attention to the guy hurting them throughout
the race that they missed his teammate going off the front. Yeah.
Final results:
Jim - 1st
Maestro - 5th
Kevin - 8th
Billy - DNF (but self and bike are ok)
-Jim
Mixing it up in the P,1,2 - Cat's Hill 2009
A report on my third P,1,2 race...
Well... it could have gone worse. It wasn't terrible, but I would have been nice to finish. I was close. Completed 55 minutes, which is longer than the last 2 races. I think if it were not for a couple mental errors, I would have finished in the field. There were 105 starters and I believe I out lasted at least 40 of them.
Despite the crazy staging for this race and the LGBR call up of 9 team riders, I managed to get a good spot at the line. Unfortunately I let the nerves get the best of me and didn't get clipped in the first attempt...or the second. Lost about 40 spots going into the first turn. However I was able to move up through turns 1-2 and a bit on the first climb. Without too much panic I gradually moved up further, and after several laps I was situated pretty well in the top half. I was feeling really strong on the climb, never falling off pace and actually passing guys on the hill almost every lap. I think the toughest part for me was moving up on the top of the course before the descent, which would have been ideal. Sometimes I could move forward on the descent, but mainly I would use it for recovery. The wind was a factor on the start/finish straight when it was really strung out and the front was on attack. Only one or twice did I have to fight to stay on a wheel. There were
not any big breaks or anything. A few guys here and there were off the front but not with much distance. I thought I was good once the pace finally slowed down after 35 minutes, but I failed to take all my chances to move up at that point and just fell too complacent with where I was at. Then of course, it started to speed up. It would have surely taken an attack like effort to get past more than a few guys and I guess I wasn't thinking of it. Before it would register that I should do such a thing, I realized that my position that once was the middle of the pack was now towards the back. From then on I had to deal with riders fading a bit on the hill, which left more ground to close at the top and so on. I didn't think I was going to get dropped since my legs were still good on the climb and better than the others hanging out at the back with me, but with 9 to go I climbed the hill and just ran out of gas on the top section and couldn't hold a wheel before the descent. Got gapped and stuck in the
wind by the flats. Did one more lap solo and called it. I feel not having any gel/gu shots to take after 40min. of racing was a mistake. It seemed like a quick sugar rush could have pushed me through it. Definitely learned a little more about the pace and how much more thought goes into making a good move or staying attentive. Overall I felt good and a bit stronger. I'll just have to tighten up my game next time. I'm confident my DNF streak has come to an end.
B
Well... it could have gone worse. It wasn't terrible, but I would have been nice to finish. I was close. Completed 55 minutes, which is longer than the last 2 races. I think if it were not for a couple mental errors, I would have finished in the field. There were 105 starters and I believe I out lasted at least 40 of them.
Despite the crazy staging for this race and the LGBR call up of 9 team riders, I managed to get a good spot at the line. Unfortunately I let the nerves get the best of me and didn't get clipped in the first attempt...or the second. Lost about 40 spots going into the first turn. However I was able to move up through turns 1-2 and a bit on the first climb. Without too much panic I gradually moved up further, and after several laps I was situated pretty well in the top half. I was feeling really strong on the climb, never falling off pace and actually passing guys on the hill almost every lap. I think the toughest part for me was moving up on the top of the course before the descent, which would have been ideal. Sometimes I could move forward on the descent, but mainly I would use it for recovery. The wind was a factor on the start/finish straight when it was really strung out and the front was on attack. Only one or twice did I have to fight to stay on a wheel. There were
not any big breaks or anything. A few guys here and there were off the front but not with much distance. I thought I was good once the pace finally slowed down after 35 minutes, but I failed to take all my chances to move up at that point and just fell too complacent with where I was at. Then of course, it started to speed up. It would have surely taken an attack like effort to get past more than a few guys and I guess I wasn't thinking of it. Before it would register that I should do such a thing, I realized that my position that once was the middle of the pack was now towards the back. From then on I had to deal with riders fading a bit on the hill, which left more ground to close at the top and so on. I didn't think I was going to get dropped since my legs were still good on the climb and better than the others hanging out at the back with me, but with 9 to go I climbed the hill and just ran out of gas on the top section and couldn't hold a wheel before the descent. Got gapped and stuck in the
wind by the flats. Did one more lap solo and called it. I feel not having any gel/gu shots to take after 40min. of racing was a mistake. It seemed like a quick sugar rush could have pushed me through it. Definitely learned a little more about the pace and how much more thought goes into making a good move or staying attentive. Overall I felt good and a bit stronger. I'll just have to tighten up my game next time. I'm confident my DNF streak has come to an end.
B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)