This was an opportunity race, my chance to finally hold the coveted leaders jersey. Been 4 years that I have been racing in the high school mountain bike league and I have yet to don that jersey...time is running out. It was the perfect opportunity. A race that suited me, more of a road race then a mountain bike. I had gotten 2nd at the race last year in a sprint, and if I beat Nate Byrom, the current leader, by 2 spots then I would hold the jersey.
It was not exactly the perfect run up of a week into the race. I had a sore, inflamed hip that had been messed up in a time trial on the 15th of march and further damaged during a hard copperopolis road race. A massage on the monday led to easy rides and rest days. Saturday was the first day that I got to open up the legs a little and it felt good. I was optimistic. This would be my race.
It was an early start to the day. Luckily I had an awesome father willing to chaffeur me to the race while I slept lounge chair style sitting on two pillows and resting my head against another. I got to the race and went for a pre-ride of the course. The grass was still wet and the chill in the air was not to my liking, as the early devoured food burned my throat. Not exactly a comfortable pre-ride, but I continued with optimism. We were at the race site at around 8 and my race was not until 1, so I had a lot of time. I returned to the car for a nice nap, followed by some bread and nutella, a banana and some clif bloks- the perfect pre race food. A good warm up and some sprints with teammates led to the starting line.
We began and finished on a stretch of bumpy grass. It was not an enjoyable ride on this section and this year it was even more than last year. Last year the finishing stretch had a chicane, but this year it was a dead straight sprint. I had utilized the chicane last year to make my move, but this year I had to make it earlier.
With all of these thoughts on my mind, we were off. I got the hole shot so to say. We went into the climb, with Nate and I riding the front. He seemed content to ride slow and I didnt have many other ideas for the first lap. So we rode, it was like no mountain bike race that I had ridden before. Slow on the climb and then even slower on the flats. Finally, a rider from Marin Academy, by the name of Daniel Boyes, took charge and drilled it for the remainder of the flat section. We hit the hill and I went to the front and drilled it. At the top of the climb I was with 1 other rider with 3 at about 15 seconds back. I asked the rider if he wanted to work together. He declined with a defiant NO! So I sat up and sat back at the edge of the pack as I wondered if my legs would begin to feel better. Now, as I sit here, I wish that I had just gone for it then and tried to solo it. At least it would have been more of a race. This race was just getting boring.
Once again we rolled along the flats and then we hit the hill and I went to the front. This time I didnt drill it as hard, but mixed in some harder jumps, its not very easy to jump on a mountain bike, at least its not the same as a road bike jump, but nonetheless it was fun and I got the group down to about 5 again, as many other riders had caught back on along the flats.
Then we hit the hill for the last time. I hit it hard at the beginning of the hill and then a rider from San Rafael, Will Curtis, continued to drill it. My legs began to die at that point, but as I looked behind me I could see the leader fading. We were dropping him. This was my shot. I gave it my all and surged at the front. I paid for it at the steep rollers that were still left, but I made it over them all. I sat in the back of the pack,trying to regroup for the sprint. Then Nate caught back on and it became apparent that I would need to win the sprint. My attacks on the climb were what I had planned, but with no one else willing to play they did not break up the pack as much as I had hoped.
Along the flats a los gatos rider drilled it and I was suffering near the back, chilling in the draft. Then I realized that we were getting close to the end and I needed to get up to 2nd wheel at least. So I went for it on the left of Nate. He was having none of it and decided to shove me into a gate and I fearing the gate, gave him a shove right back. Then we were riding in a ditch. He was out first and then I, trying to regain speed in a my big ring. Then it was over. The closest rider behind me was about a minute. So I rolled across the line devastated. The Jersey would not be mine today. After a quick spin I felt content. I raced hard, I gave it my all and then at the end it was just bike race. TBR. There were a few choices that I made that could have been different and maybe going solo was a choice I could have gone for. I doubt that I would have made it, but at least it would have made for a more exciting race. The way that my legs were feeling though, I think that I made the right choices. Another day, another dream. Wards Ferry road race and then Madera Stage Race followed by Sea Otter. A world of races to come and then, a category 2 upgrade. Things are looking up.
tb
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Copperopolis
Elite 3 ~ 5th Place
The Copperopolis Road Race is one of my favorites on the calendar. It is in the absolute middle of no where and I love it. It is always pretty early in the season and near the end of the season I tend to look back and think, wow it has been a long time since copper, a long season. At this point I get to sit up and enjoy the ride to come and the season that is just beginning.
Copper was my first road race of the season and I went into the race feeling content and ready. I have been feeling good on the bike and excited about my overall fitness. However, after my time trial last week in Visalia, which I was quite successful in, my hip got tight and messed up. I rode through it for the next week. Then on Friday, the day before copper, doing my pre-race ride I could tell that there was something wrong. I felt good, but then the last 10 miles of the ride my hamstring got tight and I just couldn’t push. That was not a great way to get the psychological/mental confidence in the right place.
I ignored it though and felt confident that it would work itself out by the morning. With a lot of stretching and a hot tub run it would all be back to normal I hoped. We awoke in the dark and I fixed myself two eggs and some toast. Not exactly having a huge appetite at 4 in the morning, but still needing to stuff some protein and carbs down. Luckily my awesome father drove me to the race so I got to sleep most of the way to the race, only waking up once as my dad stopped to take a picture of the still present, almost full moon.
We got to the race and after standing in line after line, I was able to get my number and use the restroom. Ryan and I went for a short spin and then we were off. We planned to take it easy on the first lap and so that’s what we did. I sat in the top 5 on the climb, just taking it easy and not pushing the pace. I talked to some friends during the climb while I some other people were suffering. I like to talk with people when I am feeling good, it’s good to mess with the others psychologically as they start thinking, “he is not even working and I am suffering, he is just sitting there talking!” So Ryan and I rode to the top of the first big climb in the front and then when we got the flats at the top I told Ryan to drift back into the field. He had sort of a confused look on his face like; “why would you ever do that!” but he came back with me. So we sat in the pack and just relaxed. We moved up at the end of the lap for the sketchy descent and then stayed near the front as we hit the climb again.
I started the climb and I noticed that my computer had been broken during the descent and it was dangling rather close to my wheel. So I went to the front and drilled it while trying to pull off my computer. When we got to the smooth section of the pavement Ryan attacked and then when he got a decent gap I made a hard jump that nobody followed and I bridged up to him. We rode together at a tempo pace hoping that some more guys would come up to us, but no one came so we let them catch us before the flats, because we were sure that we would not make it alone with another 2.5 laps to go.
Once again we took it easy on the flats and I was beginning to feel my hip problem. For the most part it was not too hard along the flats except for a few hard bursts. I tried to stay safe without having to do any work because I was not feeling too good. I knew that the race wouldn’t be won on the flats, but it could be lost there.
The third time up the climb I was suffering more, but I still sat in the top 5. Near the top of the climb two Z-team guys attacked and I tried to follow with a Webcor rider, but I was never able to get on their wheel. When I got to the flats the group was only about 10 seconds behind me and I thought that I would have a better chance of catching the Z-team riders if I was in the group. I tried to get a pace line going, but no one would work. The first half of the lap there were some attacks and one good one that I was in that got a little pace line going, but nothing worked. I went back mid-pack and searched for Ryan and could not see him anywhere. I figured that he had not gotten dropped on the climb, but it had looked like he was suffering, turns out that he stayed with the front group to the top of the climb with a flat wheel…impressive.
Then there was the last time up the climb and I was feeling as if I needed to just hang in there. I was able to sit top 10, but I was not feeling great. One rider attacked, but no one followed, and he was gone. I thought that we would catch him on the long flats to the finish, but that would not be the case.
Most of the last lap I just sat and watched. The pace was pretty vicious along the flats, but we did not bring anyone back. We got to the descent before the finish and it was pure mayhem. I sat about 5th wheel, so that I was out of the wind, but also out of danger.
The last few miles were fast, as would be expected, and I just tried to stay protected in the front. We hit the 1k sign and one rider attacked, but that did not last long. I knew that it was a long sprint and that a lot of people would go too early. So as we began the sprint I just followed wheels until I felt that everyone was beginning to die and then I punched it and made my move with about 200 meters. It was awesome to be able to handle those big guys this time as I did not have the gearing disadvantage with the uphill sprint. I won the field sprint, which was good enough for 5th place. I felt good, definitely was one of the best sprints that I have ever had. I even got an awesome Velo-Promo T-shirt!
Some cool pictures of the sprint to come...
Thanks for reading,
-tb
The Copperopolis Road Race is one of my favorites on the calendar. It is in the absolute middle of no where and I love it. It is always pretty early in the season and near the end of the season I tend to look back and think, wow it has been a long time since copper, a long season. At this point I get to sit up and enjoy the ride to come and the season that is just beginning.
Copper was my first road race of the season and I went into the race feeling content and ready. I have been feeling good on the bike and excited about my overall fitness. However, after my time trial last week in Visalia, which I was quite successful in, my hip got tight and messed up. I rode through it for the next week. Then on Friday, the day before copper, doing my pre-race ride I could tell that there was something wrong. I felt good, but then the last 10 miles of the ride my hamstring got tight and I just couldn’t push. That was not a great way to get the psychological/mental confidence in the right place.
I ignored it though and felt confident that it would work itself out by the morning. With a lot of stretching and a hot tub run it would all be back to normal I hoped. We awoke in the dark and I fixed myself two eggs and some toast. Not exactly having a huge appetite at 4 in the morning, but still needing to stuff some protein and carbs down. Luckily my awesome father drove me to the race so I got to sleep most of the way to the race, only waking up once as my dad stopped to take a picture of the still present, almost full moon.
We got to the race and after standing in line after line, I was able to get my number and use the restroom. Ryan and I went for a short spin and then we were off. We planned to take it easy on the first lap and so that’s what we did. I sat in the top 5 on the climb, just taking it easy and not pushing the pace. I talked to some friends during the climb while I some other people were suffering. I like to talk with people when I am feeling good, it’s good to mess with the others psychologically as they start thinking, “he is not even working and I am suffering, he is just sitting there talking!” So Ryan and I rode to the top of the first big climb in the front and then when we got the flats at the top I told Ryan to drift back into the field. He had sort of a confused look on his face like; “why would you ever do that!” but he came back with me. So we sat in the pack and just relaxed. We moved up at the end of the lap for the sketchy descent and then stayed near the front as we hit the climb again.
I started the climb and I noticed that my computer had been broken during the descent and it was dangling rather close to my wheel. So I went to the front and drilled it while trying to pull off my computer. When we got to the smooth section of the pavement Ryan attacked and then when he got a decent gap I made a hard jump that nobody followed and I bridged up to him. We rode together at a tempo pace hoping that some more guys would come up to us, but no one came so we let them catch us before the flats, because we were sure that we would not make it alone with another 2.5 laps to go.
Once again we took it easy on the flats and I was beginning to feel my hip problem. For the most part it was not too hard along the flats except for a few hard bursts. I tried to stay safe without having to do any work because I was not feeling too good. I knew that the race wouldn’t be won on the flats, but it could be lost there.
The third time up the climb I was suffering more, but I still sat in the top 5. Near the top of the climb two Z-team guys attacked and I tried to follow with a Webcor rider, but I was never able to get on their wheel. When I got to the flats the group was only about 10 seconds behind me and I thought that I would have a better chance of catching the Z-team riders if I was in the group. I tried to get a pace line going, but no one would work. The first half of the lap there were some attacks and one good one that I was in that got a little pace line going, but nothing worked. I went back mid-pack and searched for Ryan and could not see him anywhere. I figured that he had not gotten dropped on the climb, but it had looked like he was suffering, turns out that he stayed with the front group to the top of the climb with a flat wheel…impressive.
Then there was the last time up the climb and I was feeling as if I needed to just hang in there. I was able to sit top 10, but I was not feeling great. One rider attacked, but no one followed, and he was gone. I thought that we would catch him on the long flats to the finish, but that would not be the case.
Most of the last lap I just sat and watched. The pace was pretty vicious along the flats, but we did not bring anyone back. We got to the descent before the finish and it was pure mayhem. I sat about 5th wheel, so that I was out of the wind, but also out of danger.
The last few miles were fast, as would be expected, and I just tried to stay protected in the front. We hit the 1k sign and one rider attacked, but that did not last long. I knew that it was a long sprint and that a lot of people would go too early. So as we began the sprint I just followed wheels until I felt that everyone was beginning to die and then I punched it and made my move with about 200 meters. It was awesome to be able to handle those big guys this time as I did not have the gearing disadvantage with the uphill sprint. I won the field sprint, which was good enough for 5th place. I felt good, definitely was one of the best sprints that I have ever had. I even got an awesome Velo-Promo T-shirt!
Some cool pictures of the sprint to come...
Thanks for reading,
-tb
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Visalia
At the turnaround
shimano pose
TT podium (too bad the winner was too cool to wait)
Glynis yoga during the crit
The new Shimano car
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