2009 Cochise County Classic
157 mile race report:
Jame Carney (former Olympic cyclist and National Collegiate champion), who has won just about everything, shows up unexpectedly….Damn!
Will and Beto’s friend Mark did amazing support! You guys rock! I could never have done it without all of you! Tough day in the saddle.
South Mountain TT
Victor Riquelme and top prospect turned new recruit Jim Averill honed their climbing skills this Saturday at the South Mountain Time Trial in Phoenix.
Jim made his Cat.5 debut, landing on the podium and finishing 2nd/31 finishers with a time of 21:23, +:09 to the leader. Riquelme showed that he is making a strong comeback after being injured in a crash at the State Championship Criterium, finishing 2nd/15 Cat.4’s with a time of 20:22, +:19 to the leader.
Please join us in welcoming Jim to the roster. He is a strong addition to the team and we are all proud to have him on board.
La Vuelta de Bisbee
Brent Barber, Rick Ellwanger, Bryan Schlegel and Kurt Garbe represented the team this year at the Vuelta’s “B” race (Masters 35+).
Mule Pass TT- Aggress had the first 4 starts for this year’s edition. The gusting headwinds during the prologue were certainly a considerable factor in the speed we could maintain. By the time the last of the “B” field was being sent off, the wind was calm.
GC After the Prologue:
Bryan Schlegel – 26th +1:54
Brent Barber – 33rd +1:59
Kurt Garbe – 51st +2:49
Rick Ellwanger – 76th +4:16
Sulphur Springs RR- Stage 1 started in Bisbee with a neutral rollout up Mule Pass (the fastest neutral start you’ve ever seen, by the way!). GST and Bicycle Haus, who are locked in a statewide masters competition, must have brought out their entire teams this weekend. They each clogged up the front on the descent and launched a rider into a two-man breakaway to eat up all the sprint and KOM points on the road. After the KOM there was a split in the peloton, with 20 riders off the front working hard to stay away. Kurt violated the center line rule to get past the GST/BH clog, and helped get things organized on the front. Within 3 minutes the break was back.
Schlegel and Brent both made multiple attempts to escape, but were shut down by the strong Bicycle Haus presence. Schlegel and Kurt had the strongest results, finishing 15th and 17th in the stage.
GC After the RR:
Bryan Schlegel – 23rd +2:09
Brent Barber – 34th +2:26
Kurt Garbe – 53rd +3:24
Rick Ellwanger – 78th +53:33
Warren TT-
This afternoon time trial followed the road race. We had a right hand crosswind on the way out with, no joke, 40mph gusts. In Schlegel’s words – “I got hit so hard by the wind gusts on multiple occasions that I had to quit pedaling. At one point I was moved 6′ to the left over the yellow line into the oncoming lane. I spent the second half on the way out on the bull horns as I couldn’t control the bike from the aero bars.”
Despite this, Bryan was able to pass both his :30 and 1:00 riders before the turn around, and put 1:04 into the guy chasing him. Brent rode the fastest TT, finishing 13th on the stage with Schlegel 2 seconds back in 14th.
GC After the TT:
Bryan Schlegel – 16th +3:03
Brent Barber – 18th +3:18
Kurt Garbe – 39th +4:31
Rick Ellwanger – 77th +59:56
Tombstone RR-
This one started with another neutral climb up Mule Pass (this time, due to numerous complaints, it was truly neutral!). At the top, Bryan attacked and got away solo, but after 14.5 miles alone the Bicycle Haus train on the front of the peloton pulled him back.
Kurt flatted near the feed zone, got a quick wheel change but could not reconnect with the peloton and was forced to ride solo.
Brent and Schlegel were positioned well at the front leading into the decisive climb back up Mule Pass. Four super strong climbers attacked and easily got away early as we chased in the peloton. The attrition didn’t take long to set in and people were being shed left & right as the peloton fragmented. Brent and Bryan found themselves in the peloton #2, chasing peleton #1 and the leaders. Bryan found the highest placing out of the team again, finishing the stage in 23rd. Kurt lost 15 minutes due to his flat.
Final GC Results:
15th – Bryan Schlegel +4:37
24th – Brent Barber +5:58
61st – Kurt Garbe +20:57
73rd – Rick Ellwanger +1:30:00
New bottle design!
Drink This!
AZ State Championship Criterium
This years state championship course was quite technical, with a sharp 180 degree (“hot dog”) corner directly following the Start/Finish, eight 90 degree corners in the challenging back section, and a long finishing straight. The location was rather entertaining as well, right in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Most certainly an interesting and difficult course.
Rick Ellwanger raced in the 65+’s, and handled the course well. He brought home a silver medal, finishing 2nd right behind Southwest Hand’s Ralph Duckett.
Victor Riquelme and Kurt Garbe came out with high hopes for the day after recent high placings for our Cat.4 team. Kurt worked to control the pace on the front while Riquelme sat in the draft. Late in the race Vic crashed when his rear tire exploded inside of turn 7. He ran his bike back to the Start/Finish, got a new wheel, and was given a free lap and allowed back into the race. Unfortunately, he sustained multiple injuries in the wreck, was dropped by the peloton, and finished almost a lap back. Kurt was forced to change strategies and try to win for himself. He finished with the peloton.
Riquelme will spend some time on the disabled list, rehabilitating a wrist injury.
Copper Valley Road Race
Only the toughest men from the AZ peloton came out on Saturday to compete in this grueling edition of the Copper Valley Road Race. With temperatures in the low 40’s and an 80% chance of rain, everyone knew what they were getting into. The course was a 60 mile out and back, with a 7 mile sustained climb at around 6% grade 20 miles from the finish on the way back.
Bryan Schlegel was the lone Cat.3 from the team, and got himself off on a solo break on the way out. He had about a minute and a half gap when another racer bridged up to him from the main field. They started working together, but sadly Schlegel flatted. The wheel truck was behind the peloton, and his break was over. He made his way back into the group, they caught the soloist that had bridged to Schlegel earlier, and a break of 4 got away on the climb. On the cold and wet descent towards the finish Schlegel made use of some superb aerodynamics, riding away from the peloton to a solo 5th place finish.
The Cat.4 Aggressor strongmen were Kurt Garbe, Elliot Anderson, and Victor Riquelme.The peloton was shattered on the first climb, only 15 miles from the start. Riquelme made the selection, and sat in while the Bicycle Haus team kept the pace very high. At the base of the climb on the way back the chase groups all reconnected with peloton, and Kurt and Elliot were back in the stir. The group did not stay together for long, as the attacks began to pour on while the climb progressed. 8 men made the split.
The group stayed together on the descent, and it came down to a drag race to the line. Riquelme finished 3rd, in what was a very closely contested sprint.
Kurt and Elliot finished 10th and 14th, respectively. It was a long, cold, wet day for all of us. The effort put Aggress on the Cat.4 podium for the 3rd weekend in a row.
Colossal Cave Stage Race
Team Aggress co-sponsored this weekends events here in Tucson with Presteza and Summit Velo. Even with a large chunk of the team comitted to staffing the event, Aggress had a strong presence in the competition.
Mary-Ann Cleveland TT
There is no better way to start off a weekend of racing than heading downhill with a tailwind. And that is exactly what everyone got on Saturday morning, this was a very fast TT.
Fast Bryan lining up for his TT
Bryan Schlegel, Mike Puchowicz, Kurt Garbe, Elliot Anderson, and Rick Ellwanger were the Aggressors in the action this weekend. Stage 1 was highlighted with Kurt coming in 1 second out of 1st place for Cat.4, a very strong performance indeed.
Musselman Honda Criterium
This crit is not for the faint of heart, with 13 corners in 1.264 kilometers it requires some serious bike handling ability.
Mike and Bryan made the split into the lead group, and both fought hard for 6th and 7th place finishes. The last lap was amazingly fast, at 1 minute, 38 seconds. Don’t believe me? Watch for yourself.
Rick E. fought the good fight and finished 2nd in his class in the fast paced 55+/65+ crit. His MTB background seems to have helped him, as he had great confidence in the tight corners, and we can expect an even better result from him in the future.
The Cat. 4’s had an action packed race. Within the first lap the 30+ racers were strung out single file across the track. Kurt got tangled in a crash early on, but fought hard and got himself into the second group on the road. He finished in 12th place.
Kurt in the chase
Elliot hung in with the leaders and had a great shot at the sprint for the line. Everything got a little confusing after a crash in turn 13 took out two of the leaders with two laps to go, but Elliot stuck it out for 6th place.
Colossal Cave Road Race
This great course was home to the third and final stage this weekend. The race featured multiple laps on a 9 mile circuit. A downhill section starts the ride off right after the start/finish, followed by rollers, a few small climbs, then topped off by a sustained climb up Pistol Hill to the start/finish again.
“Feed Zone” on Pistol Hill
Rick missed a major split in the peloton in the 55+/65+ race, and ended up chasing with 6-7 others for the whole race. They were never able to regain the ground that was lost, but Rick finished third in his class all the same.
Elliot and Kurt put in a lot of work to keep the Cat.4 peloton together, and Kurt pulled off a great sprint move up Pistol Hill to take the field for 2nd place (Summit Velo’s Justin Orkney got away in the last few kilometers and took the stage win). Elliot finished with the pack in 11th.
Mike and Bryan missed the split with the lead group in the 3’s race, but Mike bridged solo and Bryan followed a short time later, setting themselves up well being the only team with 2 members represented in the break. The pace was brutally fast, but a Southwest Hand(?) rider managed to squeak off the front and take the victory. Our Cat.3 Aggressors finished 7th and 8th on the stage.
Aggress GC results
Rick Ellwanger – 2nd (65+)
Kurt Garbe – 2nd (Cat.4)
E{gg}lliot Anderson – 12th (Cat.4)
Bryan Schlegel – 7th (Cat.3)
Mike Puchowicz – 8th (Cat.3)
Superior RR
4 Aggressors were present for this Saturday’s Superior Road Race. The course was an out-and-back, with a rather large and steep mountain in the middle and rolling terrain for the rest. THE HILL created an amazingly fast descent on the way out (at speeds close to 60 mph) and an amazingly backbreaking climb on the way back.
Start/Finish locations are approximate.
Rick
Rick Ellwanger flew the flag, riding in the combined masters 50+/60+ field. An elite break containing Franz Hammer escaped on the east side of THE HILL on the way out, and the rest of the field could not react. The break was still out in front when the peloton returned to the western ascent of THE HILL. Rick got away with a Southwest Hand rider on the climb, but was reeled back in on the descent. He survived the dicey downtown sprint (the promoters needed to take more steps to ensure the safety of the finish) and was first across the line out of the peloton, finishing in 5th place.
The Cat.4’s had a strong team present, with Elliot Anderson, Victor Riquelme, Kurt Garbe, and the pledged support of Summit Velo’s Justin Orkney. The field was of good size, with over 35 racers at the start. Kurt was designated the leader for the day, and Vic and Justin were charged with protecting his interests. A 3 man break got away after the eastern descent of THE HILL. Riquelme and Orkney worked very hard at the front on the way back, and the break was within sight upon reaching the base of THE HILL. The main field was shattered by the climb. Kurt came in with a small group in 8th place, Elliot in the next group on the road finishing 12th, and Riquelme rolled in solo in 17th.
Know the bicycle laws
The Sheriff’s department has been targeting cyclists recently and issuing inappropriate tickets. Please read and understand the laws below and make sure to carry ID on your rides.
Here’s a link to a printable card to carry to hand out to aggressive motorists and uninformed police officers. I have cards printed of pages 24, 29, 30 & 33: adot STR061208
28-812. Applicability of traffic laws to bicycle riders
A person riding a bicycle on a roadway or on a shoulder adjoining a roadway is granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle…
28-815. Riding on roadway and bicycle path; bicycle path usage
A. A person riding a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except under any of the following situations:
1. If overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
2. If preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. If reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals or surface hazards.
4. If the lane in which the person is operating the bicycle is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
B. Persons riding bicycles on a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
Sun Devil Criterium
Victor Riquelme and Elliot Anderson both made appearances flying the Aggress flag at the Sun Devil Criterium this morning.
The course had a straight flat stretch with the start/finish right in the middle of it, a long sweeping bend after the first corner, followed by a sharp right back to the start/finish. The road was wide, and in good condition.
The schedule called for a combined 40 minute Cat.4/5 race, but due to a large field size (and emergency personnel all over the course after a bad crash in the prior ladies crit) the races were split into two 25 minute single category events.
Elliot did well in the 4’s, positioning himself in the front half of the pack the whole time. The race started out slowly, but quickly picked up pace as the attacks started to pour on. The field stayed together, setting up for a bunch sprint. On the last lap Elliot attacked on the back stretch, but wasn’t the only rider with the idea. He got swarmed and boxed into the last corner, was forced to brake hard to avoid hitting the curb, and had to re-accelerate for the sprint to the finish. He finished 20th/36. His mother was on hand and was expecting a better result, but is still very proud of him
Elliot Bridging a gap
Riquelme was aggressive in the 5’s, sitting on the front for most of the race. 3/4 of the way through the crit there was a crash in the middle of the pack on the back stretch. On the same lap, while coming through turn 2 at 30+ mph, some *%#$ passed on the outside, then dove in and across his front wheel. He avoided a bike/bike collision but could not escape an unfortunate bike/curb encounter.
Vic took a tumble in the dirt, but luckily machine and rider were unscathed, and he was able to get rolling again. Thanks to anger, motivation, and a supportive crowd, he caught back up within a half lap and immediately moved into first position. The rest of the field was more than happy to let him break the wind, and he stayed in first until the sprint, where he had absolutely nothing left and finished the day 8th/39.
Just moments after the crash, Eggliot the cameraman couldn’t figure out what Vic was doing so far off the back
Within two laps, Vic was leading out the field.
The Cat.5 finish
One would think that a course with only 2 corners and wide roads would create a safer race, but the inexperienced Cat.5 racers just used the relative low technicality to push speeds to dangerous levels.
At the end of the day, though a little frazzled, our boys are home and happy to be alive.
