Sonoita Time Trial
WooHoo! Results are in; 1st place in Cat-3 and I get the 30+ MPH Tee! Don’t know why they show me as Unattached.
Just missing the mark with very respectable times:
Douglas Perry 24:30
Gustavo Amado 24:47
Well, according to my cycle computer I win a 30 MPH club Tee! 23:15 was my recorded time. It felt like I had a bit of a tail wind early on so don’t think I did that great in the overall standings, went to hard at the start (thinking I could keep Vic in my sights) and blew up after 5 miles.
Can’t compete with Rich, but, according to my computer and the Strava download, I finished in 24:27, 28.8mph. 23:36 is needed to join the 30+mph club … 51 seconds off for me …
Seemed like there was a head wind the whole time to me, but that might be because I’m 65!! – Doug
State Hill Climb
Team Aggress had some nice representation at the Mount Graham Arizona State Hill Climb Championship!
Liz Perry: 1st place
Doug Perry: 2nd place (missed 1st by 6 seconds)
Rick Ellwanger: 3rd place (2nd in State)
Richard Horn: 4th place (3rd in State)
Gus Amado: 5th place
Congrats to all who raced!
2012 State Champion ITT
Gus and yours truly hit the podium again this weekend. We both finished third in our categories (35+ and 40+). I was passed by Luis Chacon who put almost 3 minutes into me! Damn! The winds were changing and it truly seemed like a head wind the whole time. I had to reach deep to break an hour.
20K – 25mph average
30K – 25mph average
40K – 25mph average time was 59:26 or something like that
I guess I’m at least consistent. This was my first 40k and I’ve only been on the TT bike for three weeks or so, so I’m super happy! Now the focus will shift to enduro: Cochise and El Tour. Thinking of Madera next weekend.
Kurt
2012 AZ State TTT Champions!
| Aggress is the 2012 AZ State TTT champions! Leo, Rich H, Gus and yours truly finished 2nd in the 140+ category, but P&S (winners) are not eligible. They should have been riding in the Open Category anyway. We had a great ride. |
Mormon Lake Road Race Victory!
I (Mr. Horn) had been very ill the previous couple days and was feeling sicker then a dog when the race started. The first lap almost did me in, as the pack would go slow and then someone would attack on the hills. Each time I was falling off the back and about to throw in the towel, however the attacks were not sustained and I was able to catch back on just before I ran out of steam.
Shortly into the second lap it became apparent the field did not seem that organized and I started to realize they would keep attacking on the hills. If I just sat in the group I would stand the risk of being dropped on the attacks and have to limp in for a solo last place. The plan was to attack before the hills and build up enough of a gap that when the hills hit, I would be able to get over them by the time the pack passes. The first two breakaways fizzled rather quick, however they were just what I needed to get over the hills with the group.
A few miles before the end of the second lap, the Master 40+ chase group pass us and then immediately slowed down. Some confusion ensued and I used the opportunity to get away and make it over the next hill ahead of the Cat-3 attacks. Though it was not planned as an “all or nothing break-away”, the third breakaway just before the end of the second lap, I was able to open a sizable gap on the main field. I was only hoping to get to the top of the next hill, but when I looked back the field was out of sight. I decided I would go for the next hill … and the next hill … and the next … Where did they go? By the end of the race, it was apparent the third attack turned into an unexpected success and I held them off for 35 miles. Though they were closing in on me the last few miles of the race, the field waited too long to act, especially with my team mates in the mix to control the field.
1st place baby!!! Could not have done it with out my team mates in the pack to slow things down every time they felt lazy! Thank you Mike and Leo!!!
-Rich
VOS
Race report by: Leo Masursky
TT: We got there in plenty of time (Kurt drove, Leo and Jim rode), and happened to park right next to Jeremy.
Good warmup, normal conditions. Kurt rode very well to 23rd, Jim blew it out Merks to 45th, and I did fine to 46th (my current age; ouch). I came close but did not hit my goal of avs 25mph.
RR, we decided to cover attacks and try to get into any real break, allowing Kurt to sit for the finish. As it played out there was a crash on the first lap, so we stopped for an hour, and they cut the race by two climbs.
This was a major factor as by the fifth climb the field would have been cut by 2/3’s, as we would have been there for sure to cause rr problems for the posers in the crowd..
I was feeling fine, and after the break/change, it took me awhile to get back into competing, but by the last corner on the last lap, I realized it was still a competition, and went to the front. Jim had been working all day, with Kurt riding smart and conservative (the pack was very tight and jittery). Jim took a pull, then I think Kurt did, and then I took one. I then followed I think Brian Marcucci who used to ride HLAP most of the way up the first steep part. He faded and I thought I would smooth it into the surge but he took me too far back, and I had to start really pumping to get on at the very back. We then hit the 3k spread to the whole road marker, and guys were yelling at each other and skittering around.
I did not like this and stayed to the middle and they promptly crashed on a dead straightaway. I was singed by it but not caught. A gap opened and I was off. I worked hard with few guys to limit the damage and rolled through -16 sec.
Jim got more caught by the disruption, and I think Jeremy had his work cut out for him on the hill.
For the crit I was feeling my normal day three surge. My wheels seemed good, and I got my spares in the pit with Arrellana’s (ph) help; thanks very much to our race support, awesome positive attitudes all weekend. Whether or not I ever win a beer, I owe you guys a cold one (and a bag of chips)!
I wanted to attack immediately on the crit, but so did 30 other people, so the start came down to who got through the pre-race barriers first and to the start line. For the start I was third row, middle with an immediate hard right from the start (and I had literally sprinted to the start line to get that dubious position).
We blew out of the start, and I realized I would not be attacking at the 3rd turn as planned. I rode with the main pack and it seemed like Kurt was always right there. I didn’t see Jim or Jeremy until I flatted about half way through, having worked myself into the top 1/3rd. I felt fluid in the group with plenty of confidence and energy. Oh well.
I ran over and got my wheel, only to be thrust directly into the dead back of the pack.
After some leg bruising work I was back at mid pack for the finish, with Kurt putting on a nice surge at the end.
Great crit, moved up some spots on the rr and crit to 36th or so.
Great race overall with a solid showing by Aggress. For my part, I am going to continue working on finding that top end zone on tt’s, believing in myself for the rr’s and crits.
TBC next!
Flapjack Time Trial
| # | Last Name | First Name | Team | Age | Category | Time | Speed | Place |
| 31 | GARBE | Kurt | Aggress | 43 | Men Cat.3 | 44:41 | 25:03 | 9 |
| 332 | MASURSKEY | Leo | Aggress | Men Cat.3 | 49:44 | 22:49 | 16 | |
| 323 | ELLWANGER | Richard | Aggress | 68 | Men Master 65+ | 50:14 | 22:27 | 4 |
| 328 | HORN | Richard | Aggress | 43 | Men Merckxs Open | 48:54 | 22.87 | 1 |
| 291 | PERRY | Liz | Aggress | 57 | Women Master 55+ | 57:21 | 19:50 | 2 |
Bicycle Haus Crit
Rode the Bicycle Haus crit cat 3 race today at Firebird Raceway. The course was flat and the wind was blowing. Our race stayed together the entire time, however the field whittled down by half during the race. With 1 lap to go, Leo made a move on the right side as the big attacks were happening. I got on his wheel, and got into the final turns in about 10th place. Ended up getting eighth.
-Mike M.
U of A Crit
Good times today. My goal was survive and not get dropped. 40+ and Cat 3 – check. No glory for Aggress, but solid riding from Leo (flatted with under two to go in the 40+), Jim who got caught out behind a crash in 40+ and Mike. We all stuck together in the Cat 3, but no one really had a go in the end. Good training miles.
MBAA Race #5 in the State championship series
The race this last weekend was in Globe, and I have to say that we were hearing nothing good about the race course. I Really had no desire to go, but being in the lead for the state championship, combined with the fact that I also represent AGGRESS meant that I needed to go anyhow. After getting up there on Friday, I could tell the course was nothing for than some dry-loose forest service roads (That werent in the forest). On top of that everybody said that there was a half mile of the course that ran in the bottom of a creek bed that had 8 – 10 inches of dry loose sand in it…..OUCH! Well, Saturday was hot and dry, and by the time we started at 11 oclock, it was 90 degrees and blowing wind. I went into this race, fully expecting to win it, but I knew I had my work cut out for me with Mike Haas (Exhale bikes). Nonetheless, I have beaten him twice, and felt I would beat him again, as long as there was enough climbing……….there wasn’t. Mike and I jumped off the front, and were content to ride together for a while. I told Mike we would have a gap after the first two short, steep climbs, and we did. The problem was that after that we were exposed on the top of a ridge for about 4 miles straight into a headwind. I could tell that I was running the wrong gear (20t), and Mike was running the right one (18t). We rode together, and I tried to hide it, but once we hit a long section of semi-downhill on the back side of the course, he could tell that I was spun out, and away he went! I tried like heck to close the gap before we started our second lap, but it was so hot, I was burning up! I could tell part way into the second lap that I just wasn’t going to catch him because of the long flat, so I was content with the gap we had created, and decided to ride for second. Even this wasnt easy, because I just couldn’t ever get recovered, and I ran out of water right after rolling through the venue the second time! Bummer! I knew I was drinking a lot….Welp that meant the last nine miles were DRY. Can you say leg cramps! Nevertheless, I was able to finish in second place, and maintain my lead in the series, but I have to say, I was very dissapointed in my performance. Of course, I had the 4 hour drive home to analyze every aspect of my riding, and what I can do better…….Then I realized that this is my first race season, and I might want to back myself off the intensity scale just a wee bit, and remember that riding and racing bikes is FUN!!!!! – Aaron
