TBC 2015
Team,
First off words cannot express the amount of fun and enjoyment I had and shared with you all this weekend! Thank you all for such an incredible weekend of support and awesome racing! Now on to some details. But before I do I wanted to make sure everyone is aware of what Gus had planned for me in the 4’s. In a nut shell, the Team was going to work for me to get me on the podium. Needless to say I didn’t sleep much this past week due to fact I was concerned to not let the Team down and I was needing to put everything I had into this weekend to make sure my teammates efforts were not wasted. “No extra pressure here” lol. I felt like Ray Finkle the kicker on Ace Ventura Pet Detective. So Brandon if you didn’t know there was a movie back in the day and the kicker Ray Finkle…..just kidding I am sure you saw it!!!! That said this race was ALL ABOUT THE TT to help my chances for an aggressive weekend in hopes to stay within reach of placing. My other concern was my lack of hard riding the 2 weeks leading up to TBC. I crashed 3 weeks prior and was still licking some wounds and swelling in my right knee was still there. I was not fully 100% recovered
DAY 1 TT
My race start time was 3:17 and thanks to Gus we scored the Aggress spot. (Thanks mang) I did arrive pretty early and thank goodness I did, because race day jitters got the best of me and I was now back in my car driving in search of a Port O-my gosh!!!lol.. Just know it was a happy ending (not for the visitor center though) Anyways now I am on my trainer with Brandon to my right, Gus to his, and Petey and Horn to our rear. Jonathan was rocking some super jazzy yoga poses in front of us. He put on quite the show!!! Kathy a great friend of Gus was there and she snapped some great pics!! The Sun was out wind was blowing and it was raining too!! What a combo!! Warm up was so-so and I was pretty much just spinning, heart rate went up and broke a nice sweat too. The conditions were similar to our pre-ride and I was praying that the tailwind would hold on for 20 more minutes. I did have a pre-ride goal of Sub 8mins for my TT. I also had about 20 hand written 3×5 note cards that read, TT SUB 8!! posted all over my house and in my car. Everywhere I went I saw my reminder. I know, I know somewhat childish and a bit excessive but I am believer of one who writes down goals increases the chance to accomplish them. I made it to the start line and hit it. I rolled out nicely did a steady ramp up and made sure I didn’t go out too hard too fast. About 30 seconds in I found myself flying down the course. I have NEVER done this course on my TT under max load and I found myself being a tad cautious on some of the turns and before the 1st kicker. My downhill speed was perfect for me 36-39 mph. That speed would give me a little wiggle room up the climb to hit my goal. Both Climbs were grueling however the 2nd was a tad less grueling due to the fact Gus was on the side of the road roaring like a Lion for us to GO GO GO!!! What a shot of adrenaline! Thank you!!! As I passed Gus, I felt myself getting to that place. The place that I have always wanted to be. However, have not been there yet on a TT. The inside out feeling. I glanced at my Garmin and saw the time and I knew I was close to the finish and also close to my goal. I got out of the saddle and put everything I had in the last little hill. DONE! I coasted to the bottom passed the water jugs and laid across my bars trying to get my breath back! THAT HURT!!!! Time was 8:09 and 8th overall, and 18 sec off leader. I can’t lie I was disappointed that it was shy of my goal but I was more excited that I got to enter the PAIN CAVE!
Day 2 RR
Plan was to watch Gus and follow his lead, control the group, initiate attacks and close down any that we see. Also when he pointed to the sky he was not bird watching he is saying get on my ass now!!! LOL..Gus also wanted us all up top 10 riders for safety and to show our presence. Well, we were the last 4 riders (of 52) to show up to roll out and we were in the back. Race started and Gus and Brandon started to weasel (easily done when you’re a size of a water bottle) their way through the group. Just then BAM! There is a dude crashing right in front of me 20 yards past the starting line. This slowed me up a bit and now we were 52 strong and I am back 2/3 of the group on a skinny road with double yellow line crossing fear. Actually this played nicely because the 1st 6 miles just before descending sprint hill was pretty tame. Head cross wind was bullying the group and descending Helmet was plain comical. The first time the group was tested was the right on Continental. It went from slow to 30mph plus and the HR jumped real quickly. This was also where the 1st attack and Team Tactics were used. Yep, Trisports! They kept Yellow jersey safe with a man in front of him as they let 3 of there mates hit it and few other riders followed too. I saw this unfold and moved left and burnt some matches some to bridge up. I think my gravitational pull was used nicely because when I looked back the group was back on it too. This stretch of road had a gnarly cross wind that thinned out the peloton and if you were not careful you were riding in the gutter or kissing a mailbox. Our Next right to Duval was heavenly! An uphill tailwind!!! Nothing crazy on this stretch! Except for our own “Little Beast” Brandon putting out a crazy pace up the hill!!! Way to go!!! I was sure we lose some riders with this wicked pace but ended lap 1 all in tact. Lap 2 started and “little beast” sees the feed zone and kicks it up another notch. I hear somebody in the back shout “don’t attack the feed zone” I laughed put my head down and kept going with Brandon. Side note, I had 2 bottles on my bike and in 1 in my jersey. If you can’t hold what you need then don’t expect me to wait for you to get a drink! Just saying! Off to the rollers and Brandon and I both were feeling a little Froggy. No one had attempted any real attack and I felt as this ride was going to turn into a group ride with a 1 mile sprint to the end in hopes for a victory and a 10 second bonus. Well about a 1/4 mile or so before backside of sprint hill I put the hammer down and went into Beast Mode into a full headwind. The wind was so bad I couldn’t hear anything but it blowing in my ears and honestly felt I was alone. Just as I approached the back side of sprint hill I noticed a wheel glued to my rear wheel. My first thought was “yes it was Brandon” I was able to then look up and saw a white helmet and then realized it was not, and in fact it was a Trisports rider Erik. I put my head down again and drilled it he road me like a shadow and did pretty well too! I signaled for him to pull thru (like he would really do that) but I had to ask. He didn’t and he wouldn’t. I kept going and did notice we had a sizable gap on the group. Come to find out this was due to Gus putting on some awesome counter attacks to keep the gate shut. However, with the headwind and the rider whom wasn’t going to do anything for me I felt is best to get reeled in and take Helmet descent under cover and save some fuel. Halfway down Helmet a guy went off the front and a Trisports rider (Erik same guy who sucked my wheel) followed. I did not go after them as I felt safer with group and knowing the Trisports guy will burn up chasing him. My prediction came true and we caught them back on Continental. A few more attacks were attempted but nothing that broke anything up. Now for the Drama heading up to finish line. The middle of the pack blew up and before we knew it bodies are flying everywhere and bikes and riders locking up and I see an orange helmet hitting the deck and then another rider rolling over Gus’s bike. I safely avoided the crash looked up and saw the group ahead of me starting to drill it. I began to chase them down. After the feed zone I saw both Brandon and McLaren had made it through the carnage but we were down a man. Apparently there was another crash at the feed zone that happened behind us. I knew bodies were fatiguing and minds were not as sharp so extra focus was needed. Same story on lap 3 however, nobody attacked and Helmet was a never-ending 15 mph descent. This was the calm before the storm and we all knew it was going to hurt. We made our 1st right turn and yes it ramped up and stayed up. Hast went off the front and we all followed. The wind was even more of a challenge now I found myself hugging the far right side of the road to aide no one. We approached Duval made a fast turn and it ramped up again and did not slow up. The tailwind was so helpful but the legs were heavy and the cramp zaps were tingling. We could see the trailer off in the distance and it was way too early to hit it. Just before the 1 KM mark 2 riders in front of me clip their wheels sending one sideways and he drops his chain and skids off to the left. I don’t know how he stayed upright however I am glad he did. This event was just enough to get many of us out of sync and we lost a few pedal strokes and now the pack finish was turning into a long accordion finish. I knew I was not going to be able to win this stage and the amount of WATTS needed to try were more valuable to me for day 3 which was now only about a 100 yards away. I finished 13th but I was safe. I did lose some time. Special thanks to Mrs. Steinmann, for saving my 10×10 wildcat tarp which almost blew away to Mexico!!! Thank you!!!
Day 3 CR
Alarm went off at 3, and I was tired!! Legs were dead and I was slow moving getting up. After day 2, I crept into 6th GC and was now 40 seconds off the winner, but only 28 seconds off of 5th! I came to Gus with a plan and he supported the plan. Real quick here, super F’n KUDOS to Gus for being there and riding day 3 after his crash!!! YOU ROCK!! Back to the plan. The plan was to recruit a few other riders from other Teams (IC3, TR, DNA and Rafa) to put on an attack after lap 3 and have Gus, Brandon, and McLaren stay back and keep the gate shut as we all try to stay away for the remaining 3 laps. Like all plans they sound so good and easy, however it’s a race and anything can happen.
Lap 1 right out of the gate Trisports drill it and it went from zero to mach speed. This woke everybody up and just to make sure you were “Little Beast” hit the climbs and before we knew it he was off the front with 3 other riders. One is Yellow Jersey. The gap grew and grew as we let them all go. Lap 1 was easy peasy, which was perfect for me to help get the blood flowing. Lap 2 started and was very similar to Lap 1 very uneventful. However, Brandon and the break were nowhere in sight. You could feel the anxiety of Trisports as they ALL were losing sight of there podiums. Lap 3 began and you could feel something about to happen. BAM!! Trisports x 3 began to drill it and a few others followed. Kyle currently 2nd in GC was one of them. I was pinned in and I told the guy to my left I NEED OUT!! He backed off and let me out and I put on BEAST MODE to catch the break. I finally caught on to them just before the real climbs started and knew I was going to surf these wheels the best I could and survive the hills. I don’t have a HR monitor but I felt my heart coming out of my nostrils and the yummy taste of blood was on my tongue. They continued to ride strong and actually did an awesome rotation which I strategically watched with zero participation. I made sure my energy was going to be saved. Karma came full circle as the guy who rode my wheel day 2 (Erik) was now in front of me pulling me up the hill! Sweet payback!! We made it to Anklam and I did take 1 pull so I wasn’t labeled “that guy” and was faced with a brutal headwind. I looked up and saw Brandon and Yellow jersey down the road and we soon caught them. So now both the leader and 2nd place riders were back together and we were now approaching the Prime bonus. I knew the 3 second wasn’t going to make or break me so I let the others fight for it and I let them pull me up the hill. We still had 3 laps to go. And this was the lap that our pre-ride plan was supposed to take place However; I was surrounded by all of the riders who I was supposed to attack. So Lap 4 was now try and stay away from the pack and maybe turn this smaller group of 6 or 7 into a final sprint for the finish. We all worked well together and we did stay away until the Feed zone. The pack had caught us. Again we were one big group. Kyle came to me and said a few guys are going to drill after the turn on Anklam and asked if I wanted in. My answer was you know I will work, he said that’s why I am asking you. Kyle would keep the gate shut and keep his eye on yellow and as long as we didn’t gain more than 30 second lead he would be safe. So I quickly found Hast and few others and let them know it was on. I actually was first across the finish line and we turned it on. BAM!! I was now engaged in Break # 2 after about a 1/4 mile I looked back and one other rider was on my wheel. It was Hast. We did a few rotations and looked back and saw a handful of others coming too. Some nice teamwork was done by all to rotate thru the feed zone up and over the climbs and we all bombed the decent. However, the headwind continued to get stronger and a few of the riders could not pull through so I found myself out-front pulling the group. We made it to Speedway and started our climb we could see the group a ways back but they looked as they were coming quick. Bandon, McLaren, and even Kyle were doing their best to keep the gate shut but others in that group were fighting to get through. Our break made it to Anklam and we began to hammer even harder. Looking down doing 30mph uphill was quite exciting. But fatigue was now a factor and we were now in the climbs. Our group slowed as the chase sped up. Before we knew it just past the Feed zone we were all one big group again. Another failed break and many matches burnt. Again we make our way to the descent greeted with more brutal headwinds and all are jockeying for a spot as this race will now come down to the final ½ mile uphill sprint. We make the turn and head up the first climb and find myself in the lead position. I move as far right possible to force drafters into the gutter. We are heading to second climb and get out of my saddle and start mashing my pedals. However, I am realizing that 3 days of race pace have taking a major toll on me and the incline was too much and the gear I was in was too big! I settled back into my saddle and grinded as fast as I could. Seeing riders pass me on both sides was quite deflating as I crossed the finish line. It was a pack finish so times were all the same and I was 23rd.
So my saving grace this weekend was my TT. Thank goodness I was able to put up a decent time which helped me with my overall GC which was 5th and yes a very exciting podium!! J Thanks again to all who played a key role in helping me!!!
Can’t wait for the next one!!
Big Mike
Summary
Last year TBC (2nd in GC) was probably the highlight of all the racing I did … this year (3rd in GC) not so much, but not all bad either. Details below …
TT
TT’s have recently become my area of concentration as I’m no longer doing crits …. too many broken bones! I have a new bike and have had some great results at the State TT champs, VOS, etc. … both of these were PR’s for me. I was ready for a great result. I know the course pretty well by now. However, I was still up in the air over wheel selection until the last minute. Significant weight savings versus being a little more aero … I continued to hear the voice of Schlegal … “Go full aero!!” The morning of the TT, Gus was also voting for the aero. I followed their advice and went with the disc and my Enve 6 in the front. I’m sure this was the right choice for me. Standard TT warmup, rolled up to the start ramp and got going … felt good. Downhill section was fast … averaged 32.2mph,36.2mph max, 2:43 … very good time with an average power of 259W. All going according to my plan. Hit the uphill and felt good …. kept my speed up and was able to stay on top of my gears all the way up the first climb section. This was going to be my best time ever on this course on race day! As I got to the top of this section, I was shifting to my 54 ring and was ready to go … when … it … happened … I DROPPED THE CHAIN! I’m screwed!! Rotor cranks are great, but can be a bit tricky when paired with DI2! Tried to get it back on, but couldn’t. Stopped, got off my bike and realized the chain was jammed. Tugged at it several times (cutting my finger) and finally got it to release. Jumped back on my bike and ground my way back up to speed. Don’t really remember much about the rest of the way to the finish line as I was still screaming at myself. However, even with the chain incident costing me 35-45 seconds, I was amazingly only five seconds out of first! Finished in 9:34, 272W versus my goal of 280W …. With the woulda, coulda, shoulda counting I would have been below 9 or the first time … next year! BTW, thanks to Rick and Judy Ellwanger for the first aid when I got back to our tent site!
RR
First lap was slow as usual with nothing of interest except the headwind encountered on Helmet Peak.On the second lap coming down Helmet Peak as we approached LaCanada, Roy Quade (from Canada) and Curtis Ingle (from Nevada) took off … they got a gap of about 20-30 seconds on us. With Franz Hammer, John Conahay and I taking turns of the front, it took until we just started up Duvall Mine for us to catch Ingle … we never caught Quade who won by 21 seconds. Franz, John, Ingle and I were alone trying to catch Quade. It became apparent that we weren’t going to, so I began to concentrate on Conahay who was 2nd in GC and five seconds ahead of me. I knew that Conahay was a great sprinter and I didn’t want it to come down to a 200 meter all out race. I took off about 500 meters to go and got a quick gap on him and drove hard to get second for the day and put four seconds on Conahay and an additional two seconds on him with the bonus time. Moved into 2nd in GC by one slim second!
Circuit
For me this day was all about beating Conahay. Beat him and I get 2nd in GC, he beats me and I get third. Several times I tried to drop him and Quade, but it never worked. Rick was also trying to drop his primary competitor, Jack Dillon, and that didn’t work either. So, it came down to the last lap. Going up Anklam for the last time, Rick and Quade took off and gapped the field by a little. I was confident I could catch back on and I did. As I looked behind me, there was Conahay dropping further back … Great! Coming down Speedway I tried to drill it some to put more distance on Conahay and I was beginning to feel good. As we were getting ready to make the final turn to the finish, I looked behind and who was right there … Conahay. This guy will work HARD! I decided to make Conahay move to the front and draft him until I was ready to jump. He jumped first and I was caught in the wrong gear (dumb!), I pulled even for awhile, but John had too much for me and pulled ahead to beat me. I got 3rd in GC (compared to 2nd in GC last year). I got John in the sprint on the RR, but he got me in the more important day this year the Circuit Race.
Learnings:
1. Get the shifting down on the rotor cranks before next year, or get a different setup for this race!
2. Practice on the circuit course and be totally ready for the sprint!!
3. I still love TBC, VOS and races like these … wish there more of them. I just don’t like all the logistics of getting up early, loading and unloading the car, etc. etc.
Doug (the Wheelman) Perry
Southern Arizona Omnium
Sunday morning felt much better. Slight breeze out of the southeast. Same as last year, the race was fast right off the line, PR’d the Strava segment from the start all the way to the OST turn at nearly 29mph average. The race was pretty tame, and on the last lap I felt my legs so go just past the feed zone. I attacked and started to pull away but was met with a face full of wind. I dropped back into the group and managed to pull off 10th of 25. Getting a top 10 sounded much better than 7th of 10 so I felt good about that. One thing about this race was that even though I didn’t feel like I was able to put out my max efforts, I felt that my confidence in the peloton was much better than what it has been. Up next, TBC (hopefully as a 4) then South Mountain TT (which I’m really looking forward to).
B
My road race went very differently than all of yours, I showed up and I felt great I was very well rested I was hydrated I was very well fed and relaxed and ready to just hammer 6 hard laps for Shane. that didn’t happen the first lap with a typical cats four road race where it was pretty darn slow with a bunch of fake attacks and got sucked in immediately. But because the field was so aggressive and there were some fast people in there I made sure that I was always in the top 5 with Steve Pedone and Kyle van had a gram because those were the two guys to really watch out for. I wanted to make sure that whatever they did Shane and I did. The second lap was fast and it was quite aggressive the attacks went out for a longer time and I made sure I was in all of them, hoping that Shane was close by to follow. Going into the third lap I started to breathe really hard and noticing that my heart rate never went below 191 beats per minute and I started to cramp in my legs and my back. cramping is something I normally don’t do so I knew that something else was up. I fell back into the crowd I try to shake my legs off but it was just a little bit too fast for me to shake off cramps and then try to get back in there. that was the end of my race big Fat DNF for Gustavo. But I always have a good time just by going to an event and there’s always something to learn.
TBC is next and I’m looking forward to laying everything out and hopes to get Big Mike podium.
GRA
Brandon and I discussed a few strategy ideas with me taking an aggressive approach to the first lap, but as we rolled through the lap it became very apparent to me that we’d have a hard time getting a clean break for two reasons: a strong field, quite stronger than I remember from last year, and a firm headwind coming up OST. I cycled through the front and got a feel for some of the riders, but through the next couple laps I had a hard time staying focused from the lack of excitement. Yes, the pace was pretty high, but it felt like Groundhogs Day as every one of the riders I had ‘profiled’ made the same fake attack at the same time every lap. After awhile I felt like I was playing Texas Hold ’em….everyone had their idiosyncrasies to exploit despite their feigned steely-eyed expressions.
Then at about the fourth (of five) lap I realized my heart rate was in zone 1 and I felt as fresh as ever. A thought occurred to me: see how long you can keep your HR that low and wait…just wait.
Coming up OST for the last time it was unusually tame….It seemed to me that the 17 or so of us in the front pack knew that each other were all capable of pulling off at any moment. At around 500k from the hill Brandon went with me fully surrounded in the bunch, and I honestly thought he was going to get away. The wind proved a stronger adversary, and with enough time for a prayer we hit the hill. As it seems to happen the field spread thin quickly. For what seemed like an eternity I pushed on keeping pace with six or so riders ahead of me. I thought I was slipping and would be passed quickly as I was not quite grinding, but the pain in my legs was immense. Then I looked up, saw the line, and realized a couple riders in front of me were slipping back. Ahead of them was a place on the podium. I put all I could into a saddle sprint. I ended up 3rd with a box of trefoil Girl Scout cookies. My favorite.
-J
Day 1 TT: Driving up to the TT course on Saturday was a route I’d taken many times last year, so this time even with the light southerly breeze gently flowing across one of the more beautiful parts of southern Arizona ;), I was relaxed, knew what had to be done and felt as if I was in my element. I’m finding you never get completely comfortable riding TT’s, but somehow I look forward to the event, just you, the bike, and the elements. With a little warmup on the trainer, then a spin on the road I was careful to keep track of time and headed to the start line. Once off and heading into the wind I focused on keep cadence high and not grinding the pedals too much into the wind. I caught my 30 second man before the turn around, managed to not crash (always a thought that goes through my mind). Now back inbound time to turn the big gear, get to the 11 and keep it there. On the way back in I caught several more of my Cat 4 group and felt good with the effort 6th out of 12 not bad. I find it interesting to geek out in the numbers. For those that care:
| Outbound | 97 rpm | 312 watts | 20.1 mph |
| Inbound | 93 Rpm | 321 Watts | 31.2 Mph |
Day 2 RR: I’m learning things don’t often go as planned. In the weeks leading up to the race it was shaping up to be Gus and Big Mike beating up on the competition to deliver me as close as possible to the front of the group. That way I could showcase my Canvendish-esque sprint (cough, cough). Well, with Mike nursing an injury it was up to Gus to try and establish the blue-train of Aggress dominance in the Cat 4 peleton. The first couple laps were tentative ones for me, after years of solo riding the TT is my comfort zone, so I was keeping myself to the edges of the group, trying to find my way. Occasionally thoughts of “Do I even belong in this group?” would pass through my head. The first couple of laps seemed tame with several guys trying to go off the front, it helped to know who to mark. If the marked guys didn’t jump then I figured the race wasn’t going anywhere. I just kept my eyes on them and sat in. At the end of the second lap we passed the Cat 3 group and once our peleton reformed I looked around to find Gus and suddenly felt a little lonely. Not sure what happened to him I figured I would keep marking the Tri-Sports guys as there was 3 or 4 of them trying to control things. As we rolled through the next lap and a half as the group started to thin out, I felt more comfortable and more confident in riding the bike into narrow spaces holding my ground when needed. Then during the middle of the 4th lap as we turned onto Old Spanish Trail I’m not sure what happened, lapse in thinking, surge in the group, probably both at the same time and I was in a place we’ve all been from time-to-time, watching the race head up the road without you. Next the wheel support truck passes you, then other riders who are hating life much more than yourself as you fight past them to try and regain the group. Well is was off on a fight-back that took all of OST and up Pistol Hill. Keeping the power up and always keeping the group in sight, about a quarter mile ahead of me. Sloooowwwly I started making ground on the climb, then over the top, then ground the biggest gear I could on the downhill portion, waved at Gus and Jonathan on my way by the cars and rejoined by the cattle gaurd as we headed into the 5th lap. Sat in for the next lap eating and drinking for what I knew would be an increase in pace during the final lap. During the last part of the final lap, it was facinating to watch the surges and reactions within the group. Jonathan used the card playing analogy and, thinking back, that’s what this was, who was gonna lay down an attack that was gonna stick, did anyone have the legs to make it up that hill by themselves. It’s a learning process, and I learned a ton just by watching those last couple miles. By nature I am not one to gamble or make a bold move, so here I was in reactionary mode, basically a spectator…. this time. As the group turned up the hill I was happy to make it with the bunch, passing some, but earlier in the day Cav used all the power I was trying to channel for my sprint to the line, I finished finished 14th out of 30 (I think), BUT never mind the placing, I learned so many things in those last 4 miles, next time I will be willing and ready to get out on that dance floor and give it a whirl, let’s dance!
-SPC
VOS 2015
Friday’s time trial was my primary focus for doing well and by most measures, exceeded my expectations. I had my PR for average speed, in any TT that I have done, finishing with a time of 34:00 and a 25.4mph average and knocking 1:35 off my time from last year. My average power was 262 watts and I kept my power tightly within the ranges that I had set prior to the race. However, I did fall to third place this year, from my second place finish last year … but, the first two slots were taken by Phil Holman and Ken Louder … both top five finishers in nationals last year in the TT for the M60+ and M65+ respectively. Very tough competition! Last year my goal was to break 30 minutes in the 20K TT and I did a 29:48 in the AZ State Champs. This year my goal is to break 29 minutes, and calculating a 25.4mph average for a 20K would give a 29:17 … I think my goal is within reach!
Saturday’s RR was a different story! I got dropped the first time up the climb and worked like a dog to catch the leaders at the base of the approach to the climb, for the second time. Of course, working so hard didn’t help my chances in holding onto the leaders up the climb and I got dropped again! This time, I could not catch back on. I could see Rick and two others just a few hundred meters ahead, after we crossed the cattle crossing guard, but could not close the gap. I struggled hard, but to no avail and fell out of podium contention … ugh! I elected to not make the four hour round trip to do the 30 minute crit on Sunday. Of course, many of you know that I had promised Liz that VOS would be my only crit from now on, and I would only do it, if I would get on the podium. She was, of course, happy with my decision. Pushing me around in a wheel chair for several months twice in the last few years hasn’t been much fun and we don’t need a repeat of that!
Oracle Road Race 2015
Race Against Time TT
Interesting day out at the TT. My plan was to set a baseline for the 20k using just clip-on bars and alloy wheels on my road bike. It was really cold and a bit windy when I first got there around 730. Hopped on the trainer for half an hour to stay warm and keep myself from getting bored waiting for my 9:18 start time. I rolled around the frontage road for a bit and chatted with Mike and Liz about the ride. Mike gave me some great advice not to go too hard on the way out, even pushing for just 1mph faster would be too much. I did a few laps on the frontage road of 5sec sprints and easy spinning to keep my legs fresh and warm. I was able to launch off the line and spin up to 29mph at 110rpm, and slowly brought that back down to 25mph and 95-105rpm. Fortunately the wind subsided by the time I started, as the return side was nearly as fast as the outgoing. I finished 6th of 22 in the Cat5, 31:15 @ 23.8mph. Next stop, Oracle Road Race.
-Brandon
Avondale CRIT
Got up Avondale today, got three races in, each one of them a completely different result. First up was masters 35 plus, got there in plenty of time, got my number pinned, got my shit together, and got on my trainer. Spent about 40 minutes on my trainer, got the shit that I got together on and on my bike, and was off. just like I wanted, only the race didn’t go like I wanted. Despite spending 40 minutes warming up, I was not prepared for the race. I ended up DNFing after I blew up in the middle of an effort . This part of the racing, warming up and getting ready, has always been the bane of my crit racing. I contemplated running over my bike as I backed up and sped South back to Tucson, but I eventually cooled off, rested up and got ready for the next race, the 2 / 3’s. It was a pretty big field and I got a good start, rode hard, and was able to get about 15th, which doesn’t sound like much, but I was pretty happy with it. last up was the 3 /4 race. Got a good start, rode hard, stayed fast, and was making my jump on the last lap, & I crashed. I’m fine, got back up, finished the race, although it had finished long before. Overall quite happy with the last two races, minus the crash. Going to keep working on my warm up. I’ve already started working Trainer workouts into my regular routine,so I’m comfortable on it warming up.
There was a big crash in front of me, by the way, I didn’t just crash by myself like a jerk or anything.
-Mike M.
AZ State TTT Results
Results have been posted for the 2014 Arizona State Team Time Trial Championship.
Mt. Evans 2014
Thunder Road TT 2014
Aggress brought home some $$$ today! Five podium spots!
This was my first normal TT on my TT bike (an old Quintana Roo Caliente), I had ridden the Sonoita-Patagonia TT. So, I was excited. Beyond that, I picked up a set of Zipps from a friend (Joe Puchi), a 303 up front, 404 in the rear, yesterday…double excitement. Just carrying those wheels around in my car doubles the value of the vehicle!
In preparation for the TT, and with a nod towards the ShowLow race, Tim and I had a good ride yesterday with a pair of short intervals and a 15 minute interval up Whipple (he punished me uphill). I slept well and felt great this morning. Warm up was wonderful and I hit the line ready to go. My plan was to hold back my effort for the first five minutes and then open it up. My limited experience told me the first ten minutes really hurt no matter what … yup, it did.
After about three minutes I was in my 11 on the rear and only going around 24 mph … I’m a little slow upstairs sometimes, I was in the small chainring. I’ve made that mistake before! I don’t think it hurt my time too much, if anything it helped me hold back for the first five minutes.
I was passing people like crazy, I hit 27 mph on the way out and was thinking that surely I’d blow up. I didn’t know how far out the turn around was, didn’t look at the distance displayed on the Garmin (it’s amazing how cognitively deficient I become in a TT. I wonder how it could be lower than under normal conditions while leaving me with the ability to process oxygen). At the sight of each cross street I hoped and prayed for the turnaround, 215 pounds doesn’t like going uphill much. When I finally saw the turnaround there was a traffic jam of about 4 or 5 riders. I backed off my effort a bit so I could slam it on the way down. The garmin said I hit 42, but I’m not sure about that accuracy.
On the way down I had a hard time maintaining my effort as I’d become satisfied by the speed I was producing. I could use a power meter. I crossed the line and my clock said exactly 36:01, was 36:05 officially. That was good enough to earn me some fancy money.
Of course all of the congratulations were nice, but I was happy with my effort. I wasn’t nervous about the results, only wondered if I had beat Tim … I hadn’t. He beat me by 15 seconds.
It was great seeing so many Aggress riders getting envelopes “full” of money today!
–Phillip Brown
Aggress Results:
41:50
| Rider | Category | Time | Place |
| Tim Scott | Men 35+ | 35:50 | 1st |
| Gus Amado | Men 35+ | 38:20 | 6th |
| Rich Horn | Men 45+ | 38:26 | 3rd |
| Mark Mandel | Men 55+ | 41:50 | 10th |
| Rick Ellwanger | Men 70+ | 40:18 | 2nd |
| Phillip Brown | Men 5 | 36:05 | 1st |
| Brandon Steinmann | Men 5 | 38:34 | 3rd |
| Shane Castle | Men 5 | 38:49 | 4th |
