Better conditions, better legs = better day.
89degs and moderate SW winds made for some fast times last night at TNT. Toftoy ripped a new course record in 22:36, for an average speed of 29.2mph. Casper and Mulrooney both rode fixies to fast times of 23:12 and 23:43, respectively. I had a great ride, in 24:24, improving by 2mins25secs, over 2 weeks ago. Jordan improved as well with a 24:41 (1min18sec improvement). Dad wins the father/son battle this week by 17 secs. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. All of these times match the self-timed results for each rider.
We dodged a weather bullet, as a thunderstorm rolled in after everyone had finished.
Times for the later starters look off to me. I got self-timed results from several of the later starters that were slower by as much a 1min30sec from the ones listed in the results (all in increments of 30 seconds). May have been some mistakes in start order?
Results Posted
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Square Lake Road Race - Grav Racin' in the rain.
Square Lake Road Race was advertised at 30% gravel, 70% pavement. Anyone who raced will attest this seemed a bit of an embellishment. It was also not as hard packed as advertised. Lots of pinch flats. I will say that Birchwood did an excellent job of marshaling the corners, and controlling traffic. Just to make it interesting, an unpredicted thunderstorm rolled in for the last half of the morning wave of racing.
I raced Cat 1/2's. It was short lived. I flatted on the first lap, buried myself to chase back on, almost made it, then called it a day. When the rain started coming down, most of my guilt from quiting washed away.
After I quit, I got in my truck, grabbed some wheels, and drove support behind the Cat 3's. Only 11 starters, with 8 left when I started following. Jordan was pushing the pace on the gravel sections, and in the feedzone hill. On lap 4, an attack in the feedzone gapped Shaw and Krueger. At 2 laps to go, only 6 riders were left: Jordan, Kermisch, Byrnes, Ribbens, Olson, and Weisgram. Kermish and Jordan made a bid to get away on the paved section, but were chased down. Due to lightning, the officials notified the group they would be finishing on this lap.
Unfortunately, Byrnes got a flat on the last gravel section. I gave him a fresh wheel, allowing him to at least finish 6th. The remaining 5 came onto the pavement with about 600m up a gradual rise to the finish. Jordan jumped first, but Kermisch was ready, and was able to get around him for the win. Jordan didn't give up, and held on for second. Weisgram 3rd, Olson 4th, and Ribbens 5th.
Carla was officiating, so we also stuck around for the afternoon wave. It was pouring rain, and officials were considering cancelling the afternoon races, but it cleared up, allowing a delayed start, albeit, with many racers opting out.
As it cleared up, it up came the temps and the wind. This decimated virtually every field. Riders were coming through the finish 1 or 2 at a time all afternoon. This made updating the lap counter and scoring a difficult task. Carla did a great job given the circumstances. We capped the day off with dinner out at the Freighthouse in Stillwater.
Results Posted
I raced Cat 1/2's. It was short lived. I flatted on the first lap, buried myself to chase back on, almost made it, then called it a day. When the rain started coming down, most of my guilt from quiting washed away.
After I quit, I got in my truck, grabbed some wheels, and drove support behind the Cat 3's. Only 11 starters, with 8 left when I started following. Jordan was pushing the pace on the gravel sections, and in the feedzone hill. On lap 4, an attack in the feedzone gapped Shaw and Krueger. At 2 laps to go, only 6 riders were left: Jordan, Kermisch, Byrnes, Ribbens, Olson, and Weisgram. Kermish and Jordan made a bid to get away on the paved section, but were chased down. Due to lightning, the officials notified the group they would be finishing on this lap.
Unfortunately, Byrnes got a flat on the last gravel section. I gave him a fresh wheel, allowing him to at least finish 6th. The remaining 5 came onto the pavement with about 600m up a gradual rise to the finish. Jordan jumped first, but Kermisch was ready, and was able to get around him for the win. Jordan didn't give up, and held on for second. Weisgram 3rd, Olson 4th, and Ribbens 5th.
Carla was officiating, so we also stuck around for the afternoon wave. It was pouring rain, and officials were considering cancelling the afternoon races, but it cleared up, allowing a delayed start, albeit, with many racers opting out.
As it cleared up, it up came the temps and the wind. This decimated virtually every field. Riders were coming through the finish 1 or 2 at a time all afternoon. This made updating the lap counter and scoring a difficult task. Carla did a great job given the circumstances. We capped the day off with dinner out at the Freighthouse in Stillwater.
Results Posted
Friday, May 21, 2010
Fast, But Not Fast Enough
Finally found my legs last night at the County Cycles Time Trial. To say I've been struggling this year with my form is an understatement. Last night was the first time this year I felt like my old self. However, I was still humbled by an unbelievable performance by Jon Toftoy.
Perfect conditions last night. 80 degrees, light wind, and dry. Turn out was very light compared to the Ride and Glide TT's. Not sure why, publicity?
Start order (30 sec between riders):
Andy Tetmeyer
Eric Oftedahl
Jimmer
Missing Rider
Jordan
Timmer
Toftoy
I figured Andy and Eric would be perfect carrots for me, and I was right. I also figured Jordan would catch me for a minute. Thought I had a chance of holding off Timmer and Toftoy.
Part of my struggle this year has been getting my HR up. Not a problem last night. I was running 10bpm higher than previous efforts. I knew I was on a good ride, and caught Eric at the halfway point, and Andy at the turn onto Manning.
I struggled a bit in the stair step rises on Manning, and someone comes blazing by me. I expected it to be Jordan, but no, it's Toftoy! He's already caught me for 2 minutes?
I check over my shoulder, and can see Timmer closing too. By now, I'm on the faster section of Manning, and dig deeper. My mind and legs were working together, and I pulled back a little time on Timmer all the way to the finish.
I rolled back to the parking lot with the guys, and start wondering what happened to Jordan. Turns out he had a bad night, having some cramping issues in his right leg and glute. Despite this, he still averaged over 26mph. Jon and Timmer helped Jordan out post race showing him some stretching exercises to loosen the affected areas. Thanks guys!
Toftoy smoked a new course record, averaging over 29mph! Dave and Holly Ludwigson rode a great time on their Tandem.
Toftoy: 27:48
Timmer: 29:10
Jimmer: 29:54
Ludwigsons: 30:54
Jordan: 31:10
Oftedahl: 31:27
Tetmeyer: 31:42
Results Posted
Perfect conditions last night. 80 degrees, light wind, and dry. Turn out was very light compared to the Ride and Glide TT's. Not sure why, publicity?
Start order (30 sec between riders):
Andy Tetmeyer
Eric Oftedahl
Jimmer
Missing Rider
Jordan
Timmer
Toftoy
I figured Andy and Eric would be perfect carrots for me, and I was right. I also figured Jordan would catch me for a minute. Thought I had a chance of holding off Timmer and Toftoy.
Part of my struggle this year has been getting my HR up. Not a problem last night. I was running 10bpm higher than previous efforts. I knew I was on a good ride, and caught Eric at the halfway point, and Andy at the turn onto Manning.
I struggled a bit in the stair step rises on Manning, and someone comes blazing by me. I expected it to be Jordan, but no, it's Toftoy! He's already caught me for 2 minutes?
I check over my shoulder, and can see Timmer closing too. By now, I'm on the faster section of Manning, and dig deeper. My mind and legs were working together, and I pulled back a little time on Timmer all the way to the finish.
I rolled back to the parking lot with the guys, and start wondering what happened to Jordan. Turns out he had a bad night, having some cramping issues in his right leg and glute. Despite this, he still averaged over 26mph. Jon and Timmer helped Jordan out post race showing him some stretching exercises to loosen the affected areas. Thanks guys!
Toftoy smoked a new course record, averaging over 29mph! Dave and Holly Ludwigson rode a great time on their Tandem.
Toftoy: 27:48
Timmer: 29:10
Jimmer: 29:54
Ludwigsons: 30:54
Jordan: 31:10
Oftedahl: 31:27
Tetmeyer: 31:42
Results Posted
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Picture Says it All
Jordan wins the field sprint against a stacked juniors field at Wheels on Willy.
Photo courtesy of Dan Barrett
Photo courtesy of Dan Barrett
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
River Falls TT #2
What a difference 2 weeks make. Tonight was perfect bike racing weather. 80 degrees and light winds. Nothing like the chilly blustery conditions last time. We did our 2nd practice TT in River Falls, on a course designed to match the Junior Nationals TT course.
Like last time, I started 1 minute in front of Jordan. Once again, he made up most of his deficit by the top of the first climb. I held him off to the turnaround, where a farm tractor and a couple cars made for an interesting turnaround. No traffic on the entire course until that point. Go figure.
Up the return climb, Jordan made the inevitable pass. However, I was able to hold him in sight all the way to the final descent. Near the bottom, I was able to re-pass him. This motivated him, and he re-passed me. This happened a couple more times until he passed me for good. Great ride.
Both of us improved our times over from 2 weeks ago.
Last week:
Jordan 31:40
Jimmer: 31:55
This week:
Jordan: 30:36 (1 min, 4 sec improvement)
Jimmer: 31:39 (16 second improvement)
Like last time, I started 1 minute in front of Jordan. Once again, he made up most of his deficit by the top of the first climb. I held him off to the turnaround, where a farm tractor and a couple cars made for an interesting turnaround. No traffic on the entire course until that point. Go figure.
Up the return climb, Jordan made the inevitable pass. However, I was able to hold him in sight all the way to the final descent. Near the bottom, I was able to re-pass him. This motivated him, and he re-passed me. This happened a couple more times until he passed me for good. Great ride.
Both of us improved our times over from 2 weeks ago.
Last week:
Jordan 31:40
Jimmer: 31:55
This week:
Jordan: 30:36 (1 min, 4 sec improvement)
Jimmer: 31:39 (16 second improvement)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wheels on Willy 2010 Recap
Jordan amongst the over 100 starters in the Pro/1/2/3 Men Race
Jordan and Dan Casper on the last lap of the Pro/1/2/3 Race
Jordan on the attack in the Junior 15-18 RaceFinally made it down to the legendary Wheels on Willy Criterium in Madison, WI. We've been intending to make the trek the past few years, but always opted for racing in MN. Another beautiful day in Madison. Partly sunny with light winds. The 4-corner rectangular course is in a cool residential neighborhood, with a couple bike shops and small cafes. The finish stretch is a light uphill grade, and the course is relatively narrow, with some tough to avoid potholes.
Junior 15-18 Recap:
A nice big and strong group of 20+ older juniors towed the line for Jordan's first race. He played it cool in the beginning of the race, and got more aggressive as the race wore on. Lots of attacks, but nothing stuck, until Spenser Oswald (Baraboo Sharks) made a strong move with no reaction from the field. IScorp and Geargrinder had the biggest numbers in the race, but didn't seem intent on chasing. This gave Spencer the gap he needed for the easy win. Jordan rode a smart race, and won the field sprint, taking a strong 2nd place, in front of Thompson Remo and Darrell Kohli. Well done Jordan! Average speed 25.5mph.
Masters 1/2/3 Recap:
I started in the back, and was stuck in the back for the entire race. My legs were flat, and every time I moved up, I drifted to the back again. I resigned my self to tail gunner, and watched to make sure I didn't get gapped off the back by tired riders. I finished at the back of the field, which came down to a field sprint of over 60 riders. Average speed 27mph.
Pro/1/2/3 Recap:
Jordan was excited to race with the big boys, so he opted for the this race instead of the Cat 3's. He started near the front of the 100+ rider field, with the intention of staying out of trouble. He did just that. He came up with a strategy of marking a couple riders, and making sure he never went too far forward or back in the field. His plan worked to perfection, and he made it all the way to the end, which was a field sprint of over 60 riders. He finished a respectable 39th. Adam Bergman and Texas Roadhouse gave Colton Barrett the perfect lead out for the win. Average speed 28.5mph.
During the race, Pat Lemieux (Texas Roadhouse, Nick Vetter (SPBRC), and an IScorp rider got in a break which looked pretty good. The IScorp rider flatted, resulting in Pat and Nick almost being caught, but he returned after a free lap, and the gap grew again. Unfortunately, the IScorp rider rolled his front tubular and crashed out of the break. This resulted in the ultimate capture of the break and resulting field sprint.
Results Posted
Junior 15-18 Recap:
A nice big and strong group of 20+ older juniors towed the line for Jordan's first race. He played it cool in the beginning of the race, and got more aggressive as the race wore on. Lots of attacks, but nothing stuck, until Spenser Oswald (Baraboo Sharks) made a strong move with no reaction from the field. IScorp and Geargrinder had the biggest numbers in the race, but didn't seem intent on chasing. This gave Spencer the gap he needed for the easy win. Jordan rode a smart race, and won the field sprint, taking a strong 2nd place, in front of Thompson Remo and Darrell Kohli. Well done Jordan! Average speed 25.5mph.
Masters 1/2/3 Recap:
I started in the back, and was stuck in the back for the entire race. My legs were flat, and every time I moved up, I drifted to the back again. I resigned my self to tail gunner, and watched to make sure I didn't get gapped off the back by tired riders. I finished at the back of the field, which came down to a field sprint of over 60 riders. Average speed 27mph.
Pro/1/2/3 Recap:
Jordan was excited to race with the big boys, so he opted for the this race instead of the Cat 3's. He started near the front of the 100+ rider field, with the intention of staying out of trouble. He did just that. He came up with a strategy of marking a couple riders, and making sure he never went too far forward or back in the field. His plan worked to perfection, and he made it all the way to the end, which was a field sprint of over 60 riders. He finished a respectable 39th. Adam Bergman and Texas Roadhouse gave Colton Barrett the perfect lead out for the win. Average speed 28.5mph.
During the race, Pat Lemieux (Texas Roadhouse, Nick Vetter (SPBRC), and an IScorp rider got in a break which looked pretty good. The IScorp rider flatted, resulting in Pat and Nick almost being caught, but he returned after a free lap, and the gap grew again. Unfortunately, the IScorp rider rolled his front tubular and crashed out of the break. This resulted in the ultimate capture of the break and resulting field sprint.
Results Posted
LaRue Denzer LaRue Road Race
Back to Baraboo, WI for another hilly road race. The LaRue Denzer LaRue course is one of the toughest, if not the toughest road race course I've ever done. 2 long climbs per lap = 3800ft of climbing over 50 miles. However, since the finish is at the bottom of a long downhill, it's not necessarily a "climbers" race. It is a race of attrition, but there is generally a survivor regrouping on the downhills after each climb.
The weather was a welcome relief. A beautiful sunny, calm day.
Masters 1/2/3 Recap:
I raced the Masters 1/2/3, with very low expectations. I had some gear skipping issues just after the start of the race, and ended up pulling over on the first climb to make a barrel adjustment. I was dropped already anyway.
I regrouped after the steeper sections, and got rolling pretty good. To my surprise, I caught back up to the group in the flats on the top. I knew the downhill was coming, and wanted to be on the front, so I held my pace, and went around the entire field. I drilled the downhill and didn't even look back. By the time I got to the finish of the 1st (half) lap, I found myself alone, just ahead of the group.
Gordy Paulson bridged across and we worked together all the way to the climb. The field sat up, and we had the intention of making it to the top of the next climb before we were caught. Gordy made it, I didn't. I hooked up with Dave Eckel at the top, and we worked together to almost catch the field before the next long climb.
My legs, lower back, and mind gave out on the climb. I struggled to keep going in my 39-27. As I labored, the Cat 3 lead group of 15 riders, Jordan included, passed me. I made my way over the top, down the hill to the finish line, and called it a day. Another DNF, but no regrets. It was a beautiful day.
Cat 3 Recap:
Jordan raced the Cat 3's. He found the climbs to his liking, but held back from attacking until the last lap. He attacked the first climb of the last lap, and got a good gap with fellow junior racer, Darrell Kohli. However, they were caught by a small group of chasers on the long downhill. Jordan attacked near the top of the last climb, and got a solo gap, but was caught again on the downhill. This left it to a high speed sprint finish at the bottom of the downhill, not one favorable to riders with junior gears. Jordan finished 6th in the sprint. Well done, considering he was dropped 2 weeks ago at Circuit of Sauk.
Cat 1/2 Recap:
I volunteered to drive behind the Cat 1/2's as wheel support. Its a great way to watch the race, plus help the riders out with any problems. Kyle Jacobson got a flat on the 1st lap, grabbed a wheel, and made it back. That was the only issue on the day.
The winning break formed on the first climb, when 7 riders got away. Alex Wiesler and Kip Spaude from IScorp, Colton Barret and Bryce Mead from Texas Roadhouse, Robert White of Kenda Gear Grinder, Ben Anderson of Team Wisconsin, and Dave Hackworthy from Bianchi/Grand Performance. They worked together well, and quickly established a 4 minute gap. Gone for the day.
Bryce was the first casualty of the lead group, shortly followed by Barrett. They lost touch on the first climb of the last lap. Robert White lost touch on the final climb, leaving it to a 4-up sprint. Wiesler got the win ahead of Hackworthy, Spaude, and Anderson. White 5th, Mead 6th, Barrett 7th. Jordan Roessingh of IScorp won the sprint for 8th.
Results Posted
The weather was a welcome relief. A beautiful sunny, calm day.
Masters 1/2/3 Recap:
I raced the Masters 1/2/3, with very low expectations. I had some gear skipping issues just after the start of the race, and ended up pulling over on the first climb to make a barrel adjustment. I was dropped already anyway.
I regrouped after the steeper sections, and got rolling pretty good. To my surprise, I caught back up to the group in the flats on the top. I knew the downhill was coming, and wanted to be on the front, so I held my pace, and went around the entire field. I drilled the downhill and didn't even look back. By the time I got to the finish of the 1st (half) lap, I found myself alone, just ahead of the group.
Gordy Paulson bridged across and we worked together all the way to the climb. The field sat up, and we had the intention of making it to the top of the next climb before we were caught. Gordy made it, I didn't. I hooked up with Dave Eckel at the top, and we worked together to almost catch the field before the next long climb.
My legs, lower back, and mind gave out on the climb. I struggled to keep going in my 39-27. As I labored, the Cat 3 lead group of 15 riders, Jordan included, passed me. I made my way over the top, down the hill to the finish line, and called it a day. Another DNF, but no regrets. It was a beautiful day.
Cat 3 Recap:
Jordan raced the Cat 3's. He found the climbs to his liking, but held back from attacking until the last lap. He attacked the first climb of the last lap, and got a good gap with fellow junior racer, Darrell Kohli. However, they were caught by a small group of chasers on the long downhill. Jordan attacked near the top of the last climb, and got a solo gap, but was caught again on the downhill. This left it to a high speed sprint finish at the bottom of the downhill, not one favorable to riders with junior gears. Jordan finished 6th in the sprint. Well done, considering he was dropped 2 weeks ago at Circuit of Sauk.
Cat 1/2 Recap:
I volunteered to drive behind the Cat 1/2's as wheel support. Its a great way to watch the race, plus help the riders out with any problems. Kyle Jacobson got a flat on the 1st lap, grabbed a wheel, and made it back. That was the only issue on the day.
The winning break formed on the first climb, when 7 riders got away. Alex Wiesler and Kip Spaude from IScorp, Colton Barret and Bryce Mead from Texas Roadhouse, Robert White of Kenda Gear Grinder, Ben Anderson of Team Wisconsin, and Dave Hackworthy from Bianchi/Grand Performance. They worked together well, and quickly established a 4 minute gap. Gone for the day.
Bryce was the first casualty of the lead group, shortly followed by Barrett. They lost touch on the first climb of the last lap. Robert White lost touch on the final climb, leaving it to a 4-up sprint. Wiesler got the win ahead of Hackworthy, Spaude, and Anderson. White 5th, Mead 6th, Barrett 7th. Jordan Roessingh of IScorp won the sprint for 8th.
Results Posted
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
TNT - A Chilly Evening in Medina
40 degrees and rain are never a good combination for bike racing. Add in a moderate ENE wind, and longer than normal course, and you get some slower than expected times.
Jordan and I got there early and setup our tent for warm-up. Casper and Timmer joined us. Participants were noticeably down as expected. I started 30 seconds in front of Jordan, to provide him a rabbit. I also told him to hold back a bit for the first minute or so, to let his perceived exertion match his actual exertion.
I could tell right after my start, it was going to be a tough night. I struggled to get my HR above 160bpm, where in years past, that hasn't been a problem. About half way to the turn around, I expected Jordan to come blazing by me. The turnaround was placed further out than normal, and by the time I got there, Jordan was still 15-20secs behind me.
The tailwind on the way back was a relief, and I spun away at 90+ rpm. All of a sudden, Jordan rockets past me! I couldn't even come close to matching his pace. By the finish, he put another 20 secs into me. Nice effort!
Turns out Jordan misinterpreted my advice, and held back all the way to the turn around, rather than just the first half mile or so. Nonetheless, he set a good benchmark for himself.
Toftoy, back from his huge win at the Tour or Gila, smoked everyone. Casper was the bridesmaid, and Tyler Olson rode to an impressive 3rd. Timmer had a less than spectacular night thanks to his bike skipping gears for most of his ride. Shishilla was sporting his brand new Cervelo P4, and Merrill Lutsky put up a fast time, besting me by 10 secs. Kostik got a flat during warm-up, resulting in a DNS.
Toftoy: 24:02
Casper: 24:44
Olson: 25:33
Jordan: 25:59
Mulrooney: 26:07
Shishilla: 26:17
Lutsky: 26:40
Jimmer: 26:49
Results Posted
Looking forward to better weather...
Jordan and I got there early and setup our tent for warm-up. Casper and Timmer joined us. Participants were noticeably down as expected. I started 30 seconds in front of Jordan, to provide him a rabbit. I also told him to hold back a bit for the first minute or so, to let his perceived exertion match his actual exertion.
I could tell right after my start, it was going to be a tough night. I struggled to get my HR above 160bpm, where in years past, that hasn't been a problem. About half way to the turn around, I expected Jordan to come blazing by me. The turnaround was placed further out than normal, and by the time I got there, Jordan was still 15-20secs behind me.
The tailwind on the way back was a relief, and I spun away at 90+ rpm. All of a sudden, Jordan rockets past me! I couldn't even come close to matching his pace. By the finish, he put another 20 secs into me. Nice effort!
Turns out Jordan misinterpreted my advice, and held back all the way to the turn around, rather than just the first half mile or so. Nonetheless, he set a good benchmark for himself.
Toftoy, back from his huge win at the Tour or Gila, smoked everyone. Casper was the bridesmaid, and Tyler Olson rode to an impressive 3rd. Timmer had a less than spectacular night thanks to his bike skipping gears for most of his ride. Shishilla was sporting his brand new Cervelo P4, and Merrill Lutsky put up a fast time, besting me by 10 secs. Kostik got a flat during warm-up, resulting in a DNS.
Toftoy: 24:02
Casper: 24:44
Olson: 25:33
Jordan: 25:59
Mulrooney: 26:07
Shishilla: 26:17
Lutsky: 26:40
Jimmer: 26:49
Results Posted
Looking forward to better weather...
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Jordan's First Win of 2010
Jordan wins the Cat 3's
Casper wins the Cat 1/2's
The Cat 1/2/3 LadiesResults Posted
Jordan rode smart today, in a relatively tame Cat 3 race, where most had a shot at the win. After 72 miles, and 5 times up the gradual climb to the finish, it was still group compacto, with 13 racers remaining. Jordan was patient, and outsprinted the rest for his first win of the 2010 season. Well done Jordan. Smart riding!
In the Cat 1/2 race, lots of action, with Dan Casper, Doug Swanson, and Adam Hansen establishing the winning break. Dan and Doug dispatched Adam on the last lap, and Casper took his first ever Cat 1 Road Race win, with Doug following him in, smiling with congratulations. Nice teamwork, and a well deserved win for Casper!
I raced the Master 35+. I raced aggressive, and got in a couple breaks. I ended up tailing off the back of the group at the end of the 2nd lap on the hill, and decided to call it a day. My legs will get there, and my mind will soon follow. It came down to a field sprint, with Koeneman edging out Hanna for the win. Nice work guys!
Team Flanders came up spades in the Masters 50+ with Pletcher taking his first win, and Skarpohl and Scott Flanders taking 2nd and 3rd for a podium sweep.
It was a day for the youngsters in the Cat 4's with junior Merrill Lutsky taking the win in front of runner-up 19 year old Jack Hinkens. Keep it up guys!
Carla was working as on official, so we joined her in the follow car for the Women's 1/2/3 race. The field shrunk to 5 racers after the first lap, but late in the last lap, Anne Grabowski and Jackie Carlson caught back up! Well Done. Melissa Dahlman won the sprint with Teresa and Leah Prudhome a close 2nd and 3rd.
Photos below of the Cat 1/2, Cat 3, and Women Cat 1/2/3
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
River Falls TT
The cancellation of the Black Dog TT series, has left a big hole in our schedule. No Charity TT and Synergy TT in May doesn't help. Jordan and I had planned on doing the Ride and Glide TT last night, but it filled, and we missed out.
No worries, I created a course to attempt to duplicate the one for Jr Nationals in Bend this year. It's just south of River Falls, WI. 12.77mi, out and back. 2 long gradual climbs, and 2 long gradual descents. The course at Nationals is 1 long climb to the turnaround, and then back down. Carla even joined us to help sweep the corner!
Last night was our first try at the course. I started 1 minute ahead of Jordan, and we both rode our full TT setups, complete with rear disc, and deep dish front. At the top of the first climb, I looked back to see Jordan had already made up around 45 seconds of his deficit. However, the winds picked up during our race to as strong as I've ever ridden in a TT. Miles 3-7 were all exposed crosswind. I stayed in my TT position, and struggled to keep my bike straight. Jordan got blown all over the place, and lost big time because of it. His front tire even skipped out from under him a couple times, forcing him to clip out! In hind sight, the deep dish front was a bad choice.
By the turnaround, Jordan had lost most of his gain on me. The climbing started again right after the turn around, but the tailwind made it much easier. The last half of the TT flew by. In the end, Jordan got me by 15 seconds. The results:
Jordan: 31:40
Jimmer: 31:55
Can't wait to do it again in 2 weeks!
Monday, May 03, 2010
Sconni Weekend
Photo by Frye Skibby, Jordan, and I hit the road this weekend for the Circuit of Sauk Road Race near Baraboo, WI on Saturday, and the LaCrosse Crit on Sunday.
Winds were brutal on Saturday, making the hilly circuit even tougher. Skibby and I raced Masters 1/2/3, while Jordan raced Cat 3. There is a steep climb right after the start, and I suffered. I chased back up to the field, as they hesitated in the crosswind. An ISCorp rider attacked solo, and no one reacted. We sat there for a while, and I decided to jump around the group in the dirt, and went for the bridge. Again, no one reacted. Eventually, Gordy Paulson bridged up to me, and the 2 of us worked together to catch Bryan from IScorp.
We drilled it down the hill with the tailwind, with the group close behind. I suffered again on the climb, as Chris Halvorson bridged across to Gordy and Bryan. The rest of the field rode by me, and I had nothing. Dang! I joined forces with a couple other stragglers on Lap2, with the Cat 3 group bearing down on us.
The Cat 3 field passed us on the tailwind climb, but to my surprise, no Jordan? Turns out he was having a bad day too. While I soft pedalled wondering what happened to Jordan, Skibby caught up, and motivated me to do a 3rd lap. I struggled, and eventually dropped back to wait for Jordan. He caught up to me on the far side of the course, and we rode in together.
I was proud of him for finishing on a day when most dropped riders, including myself, hung it up early (my race was 4 laps, and I only did 3. Jordan's race was 3 laps, which he finished).
Chris Halvorson eventually shed his breakaway partners, and soloed to victory. Skibby toughed it out, and finished all 4 laps too. Nice work!
We stayed in LaCrosse Saturday night, and woke up early for Jordan to race in the Juniors. 15 racers, 10 of them being from ISCorp. Jordan had the classic "marked man" race. He attacked multiple times, and caused splits, but no one else would help him sustain an effort. He did a good job of setting up for the sprint, and was able to get 2nd, behind 18 year old Thompson Remo, of ISCorp. Well done Jordan!
The Masters 1/2/3 race was my first crit of the year. I was able to move to the front and lead the chase 3-4 times during the race, so I was happy. It came down to a field sprint, which Chris Halvorson won. Scott Flanders scored a well earned 3rd place.
After a brief rest, I jumped in the Cat 1/2/3 race. I clung to the back of the field for 30 minutes, then called it a day. Timmer and Patty Cakes got in a split of 12 riders, then attacked them and got away. Later, and ISCorp rider joined them. Timmer jumped them before the last turn, and took the win easily, with Patty Cakes runner-up for the 2nd year in a row. Well done guys!
Speeds were high in both my races. 27.2mph ave in the masters, 28.5 in the 1/2/3's (at least for the portion I was in).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
