9/9 was the last Friday night of track racing in 2011, and it was a blast. Between the PG-13 commentary by Michael Hernandez and the free food and beer, Friday nights always draw out a big crowd on beautiful summer evenings in Hellyer Park. Here's how it went down:
Fact 1: When Anthony Borba tells you to not initiate a break in the scratch race, you initiate a break in the scratch race. With a few laps to go, it was just me and Mario Hernandez from Audi. On the final lap, Mario started pulling up in Turn 1 and I went for it hard down the sprinters lane and caught him off guard. Win 1.
Fact 2: Points races are hard, but with careful attention, they are winnable. Unless you're superhuman, trying to win every points lap (every five or ten laps, with points going 5-3-2-1 to the first four riders across the line) is going to result in dead legs. I was careful to keep track of my points vs. Mario's, and while Mario won the final lap, I ended the race with the most points. Win 2.
Fact 3: Whoever made the Win and Out is a sadist. It's 15 laps, followed by a bell on each successive lap for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. The nasty part is that if you commit your effort for first place and it doesn't work out, then you're unlikely to have the legs for any decent place. Our 3/4s race was very slow for the first 12 laps, with nobody wanting to take a premature risk. Mario went with 3 laps before the first bell. I had him marked and quickly made the bridge (I think the sudden surge from slow to very fast caught many legs off guard.) On the final bell lap, I came around uptrack hard and hoped to god that I would have the legs to hold everyone off. Thankfully, I did, and the (very tense) race was over. Win 3.
Fact 4: Track makes me make crazy faces.
Fact 5:Track is crack.
Showing posts with label nils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nils. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
2009 Santa Cruz Classic race report (Elite 3)
The Santa Cruz Classic is an awesome race, and if you're a local, you can't beat a travel time of 5 minutes. The hill on 3rd Street offers an easy way to move up if you've got the legs, and the notably technical course forces riders to keep their wits about them.
Dennis and I had worked out a loose strategy if things transpired as planned (but really, how often is that?). I came into the race with a few personal goals:
First prime bell goes off. I'm feeling good, and things seem to be slowing up on Front Street... so I go. Hard. I look back and wonder where everyone is. Exhilarated, I cross the line for $20 and decide to keep the pace high instead of the expected post-prime soft pedaling.
A lap later, I'm back in the pack and still feeling good. Just sitting in towards the front... another prime bell rings, and I decide that another $20 wouldn't hurt. This time, I sit in until the hill and let loose on the right side. Again, nobody latches onto my wheel, and I take my second prime. Yay $40, and the announcer mispronouncing my name (but getting "Team Bicycle Trip" right). :)
On the last lap, I was in great position and ready to compete for the win. Unfortunately, things slowed up a lot on Front St and suddenly my position was lost. In retrospect, I should've just gone around the slowness. I held on and managed 14th (almost taking 13th with a bike push) :P.
Though I didn't finish as well as hoped, I had a blast racing. Bryan can verify this, as I had a huge grin on my face after the second prime.
Photos courtesy of Bryan King.
Dennis and I had worked out a loose strategy if things transpired as planned (but really, how often is that?). I came into the race with a few personal goals:
- Establish a presence in the pack. Simply put, I did not want to sit in until the final lap.
- Represent Team Bicycle Trip especially well at a local race.
- Try and win the damn thing (seriously). I felt good and knew I could do well.
First prime bell goes off. I'm feeling good, and things seem to be slowing up on Front Street... so I go. Hard. I look back and wonder where everyone is. Exhilarated, I cross the line for $20 and decide to keep the pace high instead of the expected post-prime soft pedaling.
A lap later, I'm back in the pack and still feeling good. Just sitting in towards the front... another prime bell rings, and I decide that another $20 wouldn't hurt. This time, I sit in until the hill and let loose on the right side. Again, nobody latches onto my wheel, and I take my second prime. Yay $40, and the announcer mispronouncing my name (but getting "Team Bicycle Trip" right). :)
On the last lap, I was in great position and ready to compete for the win. Unfortunately, things slowed up a lot on Front St and suddenly my position was lost. In retrospect, I should've just gone around the slowness. I held on and managed 14th (almost taking 13th with a bike push) :P.
Though I didn't finish as well as hoped, I had a blast racing. Bryan can verify this, as I had a huge grin on my face after the second prime.
Photos courtesy of Bryan King.
Monday, March 30, 2009
2009 Ronde Van Brisbeen (Elite 3)
Criterium: I carpooled with Joe, who was doing the 45+ 3/4 race at 11:00am. My race was at 2:00pm, so I had plenty of time to doze, warm up, take pictures, and watch several rather horrid crashes (the latter not being the best motivation to do your race, by any means!) This was the first crit I've done since Timpani last year, so it took me a few laps to really fall into my element. I moved up a few places each lap, but it was clear that there'd be no way of getting to the very front. I finished somewhere in the 3Xth and was happy that our field had a safe race.
Circuit Race: I love this course (coincidentally, I won it as an Elite 4 in 2005). The dynamics would be different today, as there was a strong headwind from the left on the climb, discouraging people from pushing the pace on the climb. I know I'm strong on this kind of interval-esque course, and for better or worse, I had no intentions of sitting in until the end.
On the 2nd lap, the field expectedly slowed on the climb, but I didn't. I had no delusions of breaking away, but I also wanted to keep things lively at the start. Sure enough, I was caught at the top and happily slipped in behind a wheel. Throughout the race, I'd find myself at the front on the climb but never pushing 100%. It helped keep the pace high, even if it cost me the necessary explosive power I'd need at the end.
In the last lap, I was tactically positioned in the top 10-20 wheels -- not a problem. The final descent and series of turns went mostly without incident (one rider went down behind me; I hope he's healing quickly). I had a great wheel coming towards the top of the climb, but that's where my plans all fell apart. People slowed up, I found myself boxed in, and I couldn't make it out in time. I ended up top 20, and felt very content with this race.
Circuit Race: I love this course (coincidentally, I won it as an Elite 4 in 2005). The dynamics would be different today, as there was a strong headwind from the left on the climb, discouraging people from pushing the pace on the climb. I know I'm strong on this kind of interval-esque course, and for better or worse, I had no intentions of sitting in until the end.
On the 2nd lap, the field expectedly slowed on the climb, but I didn't. I had no delusions of breaking away, but I also wanted to keep things lively at the start. Sure enough, I was caught at the top and happily slipped in behind a wheel. Throughout the race, I'd find myself at the front on the climb but never pushing 100%. It helped keep the pace high, even if it cost me the necessary explosive power I'd need at the end.
In the last lap, I was tactically positioned in the top 10-20 wheels -- not a problem. The final descent and series of turns went mostly without incident (one rider went down behind me; I hope he's healing quickly). I had a great wheel coming towards the top of the climb, but that's where my plans all fell apart. People slowed up, I found myself boxed in, and I couldn't make it out in time. I ended up top 20, and felt very content with this race.
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