So who here races?

[eljimberino]

Entered second race yesturday. Woke up with a spliting headache and sightly nauseous stomach after drinking too much red wine the night before. Also woke up early with pre-race nerves and had to force myself back to sleep a few times.

Stripped my bike down, degreased, cleaned and re-lubed before driving to pick up a friend. He gave me the wrong directions and combined with headache was not happy. Arrived just in time to sign up for one day pass into C grade. Mars bar, banana and pain killers and ready to go: 10, 4.5km laps.

Two middle aged men drove the pace all the way. I decided to sit in about 5th the entire race and go for the sprint at the end. No break, no showing off. Halfway through with headache returning almost convinced myself of being content with merely finishing in the bunch.

Last lap: a younger guy who won the sprint a fortnight previous was the one to watch. The older guys were surely tiring. We bunched up as we always did on a small sharp rise about 3/4 through the lap when the sprint kid took off. Could have gone with him, but had the belief that he wouldnt have the guts to go all the way by himself and the older dudes would reel him in. He shot down the other side with about 100 metres on us as the older dudes took chase. No one else moving forward.

Strangely he sat up with about 500 metres to go and still a 50 metre lead. When he grabbed forth wheel I took off going as hard as I could all the way to the line. Tunnel vision and blur. In the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of his green jersey and him looking over at me. Knew then had won. Rolled out of breath down the road to hear one of the old guys yelling at the green kid. Never found out what that was about.

 

[craig1985]

130km of racing this weekend, I feel fine ATM, but tomorrow at work, I'm going to be ****ed. And I don't work in an office either, I'll be on the factory floor having to work like how I race, at 100%.

70km road race on Saturday out in the sticks, and then a 60km road race again, but it is 6 laps @ 10km, but it's a glorified crit. I tried to go with the attack on the final hill (as there always is, with the finish line 600m at the bottom, it seldom doesn't end in a bunch sprint), but my legs were gone, and I felt the effects of a hunger knock.

It was considered cold this morning at the start, 12.9 degrees Celsius.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Entered second race yesturday. Woke up with a spliting headache and sightly nauseous stomach after drinking too much red wine the night before. Also woke up early with pre-race nerves and had to force myself back to sleep a few times.

Stripped my bike down, degreased, cleaned and re-lubed before driving to pick up a friend. He gave me the wrong directions and combined with headache was not happy. Arrived just in time to sign up for one day pass into C grade. Mars bar, banana and pain killers and ready to go: 10, 4.5km laps.

Two middle aged men drove the pace all the way. I decided to sit in about 5th the entire race and go for the sprint at the end. No break, no showing off. Halfway through with headache returning almost convinced myself of being content with merely finishing in the bunch.

Last lap: a younger guy who won the sprint a fortnight previous was the one to watch. The older guys were surely tiring. We bunched up as we always did on a small sharp rise about 3/4 through the lap when the sprint kid took off. Could have gone with him, but had the belief that he wouldnt have the guts to go all the way by himself and the older dudes would reel him in. He shot down the other side with about 100 metres on us as the older dudes took chase. No one else moving forward.

Strangely he sat up with about 500 metres to go and still a 50 metre lead. When he grabbed forth wheel I took off going as hard as I could all the way to the line. Tunnel vision and blur. In the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of his green jersey and him looking over at me. Knew then had won. Rolled out of breath down the road to hear one of the old guys yelling at the green kid. Never found out what that was about.

so wait, you tell us you won a race with a hangover? right...

 

[Michielveedeebee]

today 125.5 km of racing

 

[craig1985]

What program is eljimberino on? The wine drinking program. No wonder I don't win...

 

[eljimberino]

It was only a 6.5/10 hangover.

 

[eljimberino]

Another long criterium like road race today. Too long to be a criterium, not point to point, so not a road race. Before the race I bit the bullet and forked out for some lighter carbon wheels. Had to pick them from the shop on the way. Wanted to get there early and warm up. Was raining all day. I like rain. Didn't have a hangover this morning either. Was meant to ride in C grade with two other dudes. One guy from the shop, another friend I ride with often. Here was an email detailing the plan:

Anyways, here's what I reckon we should do. Warmed up, I will set the pace early. That is, right from the start, start hammering away at the front. The smarter, faster guys will be watching me because I won last time. You guys could sit on about 5-6th wheel, watching the other riders following me
and try to see gauge if any of them are tiring. If they let me go I'll just keep going, but I don't think that will happen. I'll have a few turns with a few of the dudes, but you guys do not get involved with the pace setting.
After the first lap I will really go for it. You guys just need to watch and conserve energy.

When I slow up I won't pull off to the right. Hopefully everyone will slow behind me leaving the outside lane for you guys to pounce from the outside and dropping any of the slowies hanging on. If I did pull off to the right it will probably leave you guys exposed at the front, making the break obvious.
Nathan, I'll leave you to decide when to jump. If you think it is still too early, don't jump, I'll recuperate and make a few false attacks. Mike all you have to do it is sit behind Nathan, waiting in the big ring to go with him. When you get clear, work together.

On the map, it looks like the best place to attack is the southern end of casuarina road. Few bends there.

Once you're clear I'll just sandbag the chase group thwarting their momentum.

This was the plan. Two things screwed it up. Firstly, due to the rain, Nathan wussed out. Secondly, when I arrived and paid my fees the organisers decided to put me in B grade. Why not, I thought, see what's like. I'll just try to finish with the pack.

7 Laps, around 60km.

The first few laps went predictably. Everyone checking everyone else out. A few surges including one (probably stupid) one by myself after a downhill section. Perhaps pushed a little too hard and too early because when I sat up to pull back in the group, they left me out to dry. Also showed that I had some pace, which I didn't want to do because I only wanted to finish.

Half a lap later two riders dropped off. We were down to 8.

Fast forward a lap. I've sat at the back trying to hang on. A few shakes of the head when I dont take a turn. They start chatting to one another. These must be the regulars. The clique. Coming up to the end of the lap, I create a gap. As we are riding in the middle of the road, pull off to the left to let the riders behind me through. An old fella starts yelling at me "DONT CREATE A GAP. LET THE RIDER IN FRONT KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT. IT'S STUPID." I suck it in and say nothing.

Fast forward a lap and a half. We ascend a small climb. I take the wheel of possibly the most efficient rider in the group. He's smooth, he says nothing, he wears glasses. We roll down the other side. I'm still on his wheel, when an attack comes on the outside by the eventual winner. As he overtakes us, the old man bellows at me again: "DON'T SIT ON SECOND WHEEL! TAKE YOUR TURN. SIT ON THE BACK IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PULL ON THE FRONT." I am his hatred. I love it. I say nothing. He is wasting his energy yelling at me. This isnt the time to tell him my entire racing career story: 2 races in C grade; third once, first once.

We approach the next climb before finishing line. 3 laps to go. Up head it's the old mans turn to take a pull. He sits up and hesitates resting on second wheel for a while. Another guy in a Discovery outfit drops back: "Your ears bleeding from the old man? He doesnt even practise what he preaches." An ally? I tell him I'm hoping to get yelled at at least once a lap. He either doesnt get it or returns to focus on the race.

I take a long turn leading up to the finishing line. They've sucked me in. When I pull off the clique attack in unison. A gap is created at the back. Two riders drop back including the Discovery dude. Not part of the clique. I sprint to catch back on. This has sent me into the red zone. We take a corner and the pace drops off. We've dropped one. They are satisfied. The surges will keep happening again and again until until only the clique are left. Half way through that lap I'm panting like hell. The old man pulls beside me, "This is a blood race you have to take your turn." He's got me. My concentration is gone and he sucks me into responding: I'm f'd. That utterance does more to my brain than justify my position to him. At the top of the next climb, my body believes my response. They surge again, I sprint, there's no energy.


They sit 100m ahead, chatting.

They do the same thing to the Disovery guy half a lap later.

 

[slowoldman]

last week.

Here is the latest in my crit adventures.....this one hurt. Second race of the day, had already had the joyful job of marking Thurlow and Rich Meeker in the first race, this is Thurlow, DeMarchi and me (hurting).....our sprinter placed second and took over the series lead from Thurlow....

 

[Oldman]

Here is the latest in my crit adventures.....this one hurt. Second race of the day, had already had the joyful job of marking Thurlow and Rich Meeker in the first race, this is Thurlow, DeMarchi and me (hurting).....our sprinter placed second and took over the series lead from Thurlow....

I'll be in your neighborhood next month. I don't really enjoy fighting for space with guys as big as that but it wouldn't be the first time. Had a great two weeks of racing that led to a horrible night last night. Gotta get the rhythm down...

 

[slowoldman]

Two more races down today. First race was in an 8 man break that lapped the field. My teammate won the race. Second raced missed the move (heck, who am I kidding, I didn't see the break) as I was at the back dawdling along trying to find my legs. Off to a bbq now to celebrate a friends Masters degree!

Couple of phone pics from my wife.

 

[slowoldman]

I'll be in your neighborhood next month. I don't really enjoy fighting for space with guys as big as that but it wouldn't be the first time. Had a great two weeks of racing that led to a horrible night last night. Gotta get the rhythm down...

If you happen to be at a race with me, come up and say hi. Nice thing about Master's racing is we all have to work on Monday so we aren't quite as aggressive as some of the younger animals.

 

[Oldman]

If you happen to be at a race with me, come up and say hi. Nice thing about Master's racing is we all have to work on Monday so we aren't quite as aggressive as some of the younger animals.

Normally I'd attribute that to some skill, especially if you're off with Thurlow and Meeker but I was in Napa last year at an early season race and the riding was horrendous. Guys crashed in the same slow corner every other lap. Never seen so many give so much blood for so little reward. I'll say hi if I make it to Novato.

 

[rhubroma]

I have raced for years going back to the late 80's, in the US just as in Europe.

Was racing this year in Italy up till about a month and a 1/2 ago when I crashed with 1 K to go and broke my tail bone. The race just went that way, as it was the remaining bunch, not anything I did, that caused the trafic jam in a corner that brought me down.

It was already difficult at 40 years old to be as commited as I was up til my crash. The broken bone obviously did not do wonders for my motivation and, right now, I have no plans to race again this season. If only because it will be very hard to get back to the point I was before the crash, which meant being in winning or near-winning contention. At 25 this wouldn't have been an issue, at 40 with a girlfriend who would like to spend more time with me it is.

 

[craig1985]

In my experience I find it just hard to ride and not race, I feel as though I would have nothing to train or aim for.

 

[Oldman]

In my experience I find it just hard to ride and not race, I feel as though I would have nothing to train or aim for.

+1. That and if you work to a season peak you get properly skinny. Then you can start the "taper" portion. I like that part of the year very much.

 

[Notso Swift]

Me too, personal goal of not being made to look like an Idiot really helps.
So, when I came back I started Racing again within a few months, sure, it is a low grade (though I have gone up 2 already) but otherwise I would only go out once a week, or would have lots of "drunk too much last night" excusses

 

[SpartacusRox]

I have raced for years going back to the late 80's, in the US just as in Europe.

Was racing this year in Italy up till about a month and a 1/2 ago when I crashed with 1 K to go and broke my tail bone. The race just went that way, as it was the remaining bunch, not anything I did, that caused the trafic jam in a corner that brought me down.

It was already difficult at 40 years old to be as commited as I was up til my crash. The broken bone obviously did not do wonders for my motivation and, right now, I have no plans to race again this season. If only because it will be very hard to get back to the point I was before the crash, which meant being in winning or near-winning contention. At 25 this wouldn't have been an issue, at 40 with a girlfriend who would like to spend more time with me it is.

Ouch, broken tailbones are not fun. My brother in law did his in a crash, took him months to come right and he has not raced again. Once you are over 40 you don't bounce as well as when you were younger!

 

[SpartacusRox]

In my experience I find it just hard to ride and not race, I feel as though I would have nothing to train or aim for.

Yeah, same. I train to race. Just B grade these days. (we don't have Cat racing here in NZ) but with 50 only 6 months away I am happy with that. 12 hours per week is about all I can manage with work.

 

[craig1985]

As anybody here done races/crits at night? I did it last night as it is a new thing they are doing here as a way of promoting cycling where I live. I quite enjoyed it, and I was the talk of many riders with my new bike I was riding (I had only done 9km on it). There were a few sharp corners, but there was on real sharp right hand corner where you couldn't pedal through it and I couldn't get used to it, and I kept leaving gaps and having to chase like mad to get back on.

In the A grade race we had Troy Bayliss racing, which I will be racing with him a few weeks time. It's funny that I used to watch him on TV with my dad, and now I will be racing alongside him.

 

[Michele]

In summer time, starting around June, there's many night criteriums around here.
Some start early (like last monday around 7pm) or quiet late (around 10.30pm).

 

[craig1985]

So here is me. It's on every Saturday morning, and it's a training ride, so not technically a race, even though there is usually a sprint. So here is me (the guy on the front):

 

[53 x 11]

you should tell that guy on the back to go buy a new bike.

 

[craig1985]

He does triathlon, so I guess it doesn't count. Right?

 

[53 x 11]

He does triathlon, so I guess it doesn't count. Right?

then tell him to get out of the bunch. lol.

 

[Michele]

That's from yesterday criterium race, made the front group and ended 5th.