a quick perusal of the interwebs tells me that AJ raced both days at the Ronde. Must be about time for an upgrade for that kidlet... but he's gotta wait until after Madera because he is already reg'd for the 5's...
TK's 6th place on the GC at San Dimas makes him the first ever DBCJRT kidlet to cat-up to 1. The upgrade request is taking up bandwidth and flying through the interwebs as you read this. There is only one step left, TK... who will you be riding for next year???
Check out Paul Mach dot com for a recap of San Dimas. DBC's elite team has been tearing up the west coast stage race scene... 3rd, 7th, 11th at VOS; 1st, 5th, and KOM at San Dimas... next up-- Madera, then maybe Elkhorn. Good times!
Did you see Peter Taylor of Tieni Duro's finish in the 3's at the Ronde? The boyo is riding well and earning points for his two's upgrade. Will he be the first of the next crop of kidlets to make the jump to the big leagues?
Speaking of juniors racing in the p/1/2's... used to be that there were precious few. Now, in NorCal we have DBCJRT's Davitamon, AWfoSho, and TK; Specialized's Avis; Ride for a Reason's Ferguson, and Swift's Brandt has the points but hasn't upgraded yet. If you look down south the juniors from SCNCA have their own crop of 2's... Finneran, Blanco, Cruz, Zupko... . Then you have guys like Peter Taylor, El Gigante, Ian Moir, Ryan Eastman in the 3's all knocking on the door and gathering points like crazy. aahh, the future is so bright I gotta where shades!
Next up... Martinez, but before next weekend look for some commentary about happenings with Rock over the past weekend...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Ups and Downs in LA
Check out the results from today... the course was tough enough to time cut big names, Ivan Dominguez, Adam Switters, Rahsaan Bahatti amongst others. A short punchy hill with KOM points coming fast and furious.
Tough enough that a break of eight hardmen got up the road in the 2's, including Paul Mach. TK made the bridge to make it nine with two to go... After a (well there isn't any other way to describe it) cluster f&$ck of a finish where the 2's break finished in the middle of the 3's field sprint, TK ended up 5th and PM 7th. TK jumped to fifth on the GC and is sitting in second in the U-25 race. Gotta talk to some of the pro DS guys tomorrow regarding those two boys. Toyota's Moninger is already asking...
AWfoSho finished, but was time cut along with 35 or so others... fitness wasn't the problem... his head was, couldn't hold position in the pack for fear of re-injuring the shoulder. Giving up places on a 50 mph descent is not conducive to finishing with the lead group... bummer, but he'll be back next week.
In the 3's, the KOM ripped the field apart and almost half the group was time cut, including El Gigante... Staz finished with the lead group, but a gap in the finale cost him a few seconds. At least he is racing tomorrow.
Got a couple of crits to prepare for tomorrow... would have liked to see all the kidlets racing but TBR.
-------------------------------
Enough news from LA LA Land, what happened at the Ronde today? AJ? Anybody else that raced?
Tough enough that a break of eight hardmen got up the road in the 2's, including Paul Mach. TK made the bridge to make it nine with two to go... After a (well there isn't any other way to describe it) cluster f&$ck of a finish where the 2's break finished in the middle of the 3's field sprint, TK ended up 5th and PM 7th. TK jumped to fifth on the GC and is sitting in second in the U-25 race. Gotta talk to some of the pro DS guys tomorrow regarding those two boys. Toyota's Moninger is already asking...
AWfoSho finished, but was time cut along with 35 or so others... fitness wasn't the problem... his head was, couldn't hold position in the pack for fear of re-injuring the shoulder. Giving up places on a 50 mph descent is not conducive to finishing with the lead group... bummer, but he'll be back next week.
In the 3's, the KOM ripped the field apart and almost half the group was time cut, including El Gigante... Staz finished with the lead group, but a gap in the finale cost him a few seconds. At least he is racing tomorrow.
Got a couple of crits to prepare for tomorrow... would have liked to see all the kidlets racing but TBR.
-------------------------------
Enough news from LA LA Land, what happened at the Ronde today? AJ? Anybody else that raced?
Friday, March 28, 2008
This is LA...
Probably sunburned the crap out of my face today... didn't realize it until AWfoSho mentioned that I look a little pink. Guess that is the price that one pays for standing around watching first the threes, then the twos, then the pro/one guys pedal their bikes all fast and furious like up a 3.7 mile long hill... oh, did I mention that I got to watch the p/1/2 women also. Oh, the price we pay.
for a bunch of flatlanders, the kidlets did well. Tk slotted in at 16th in the 2's. AWfoSho was mid-pack but happy because he bested Rock's Iggy and Finneran. In the 3's, Staz edged El Gigante by a few seconds, but both kidlets ended up far enough down in the pack to be footloose and fancy free over the next two days... don't have to worry about who is going up the road, etc... just pedal their bikes in search of fleeting glory and upgrade points.
TK has his sights set on a few bonus seconds tomorrow, AWfoSho may make a play for the sprinters jersey... we'll see how it shakes out... problem is that they also need to defend Paul Mach's lead. See, PM simply rode the wheels off the rest of the 2's. He was 47 seconds better than the first loser and posted the 8th best time of the day in the p/1 race. Even put some time into Rock's Tyler Hamilton...
Me, I'm headed to bed as soon as I kick the kidlets out of the room. Right now they are watching a dvd beamed up onto a bed sheet hung on the wall... Maybe I can send one of them to the snack bar for some popcorn...
for a bunch of flatlanders, the kidlets did well. Tk slotted in at 16th in the 2's. AWfoSho was mid-pack but happy because he bested Rock's Iggy and Finneran. In the 3's, Staz edged El Gigante by a few seconds, but both kidlets ended up far enough down in the pack to be footloose and fancy free over the next two days... don't have to worry about who is going up the road, etc... just pedal their bikes in search of fleeting glory and upgrade points.
TK has his sights set on a few bonus seconds tomorrow, AWfoSho may make a play for the sprinters jersey... we'll see how it shakes out... problem is that they also need to defend Paul Mach's lead. See, PM simply rode the wheels off the rest of the 2's. He was 47 seconds better than the first loser and posted the 8th best time of the day in the p/1 race. Even put some time into Rock's Tyler Hamilton...
Me, I'm headed to bed as soon as I kick the kidlets out of the room. Right now they are watching a dvd beamed up onto a bed sheet hung on the wall... Maybe I can send one of them to the snack bar for some popcorn...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Heading South...
Tomorrow I get the pleasure of that long drive south on I-5... so long that I-5 becomes The 5, where we will take a left turn on The 10 followed by a right on The 57...
Reports from San Dimas to follow...
Reports from San Dimas to follow...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Because...
... it was really windy tonight and the boys played rough with the gutter. The second sprint of the race ride was at 35 mph before we even went under 505, and it never really let up. Too wasted to post anything comprehensible, but Robby did send me this from Ohio...
The kidlet's fame must be spreading
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Copperopolis Road Race Recap
What can one say...
DBCJRT took some lumps, especially in the 13/14 and 15/16 races. El Gigante, Mechanical, Zach S, and Torey succumbed to the hill, and we missed the podium in the 15/16 sprint. The 13/14 boyz got blasted on the climb, but April made the second step on the podium for the girlz. Perhaps Kelbster said it best, "That was the hardest thing I've ever done."
The 10-12 race had a little-bit-o-drama... Karcherific went over the top of the final climb with the eventual winner, but got gapped on the descent. He chased in vain, but couldn't make up the ground. Rumor has it that the winner mixed in with some old dudes going downhill and that was just enough to allow him to stay away from Karch... if it tis true, naughty, naughty. Still, second place ain't bad for the littlest kidlet.
Had a front row seat in the follow vehicle for the 17/18's, and it was some of the best racing I've seen in awhile... 3 laps of guts, machismo, and bids for glory. The long and short of it is some great racing by all involved.
First lap... Shenanigans on the hill whittled the lead group to nine, but half-hearted attacks allowed for a small regrouping and there were 14 together at the feed zone on trip number two up the hill... Staz and AWfoSho from DBCJRT, Avis and Levaton from Specialized, Ferguson and Bolster from Ride for a Reason, Rocket Sports Racing's Christensen, and a smattering of others from Tieni Duro, Giant, and Colavita.
Second lap... The dreaded hill did its work, leaving just seven together as they reached the steepest ramps at the top of the climb. Avis and Ferguson snuck away and went over the top with about 20 seconds in hand. The chase consisted of Christensen, AWfoSho, Staz, Levaton, and Bolster. The latter two had teammates up the road so the chase was left to AWfoSho, Staz and Christensen. It took the better part of the top half of the course, but the catch eventually happened. The chase was interesting in its own right...
AWfoSho and Staz guttered it against the centerline to make life uncomfortable for Levaton and Bolster, who were rightfully sitting on.
Now, sitting on is one thing, blocking another... At one point, Levaton refused to relinquish the third wheel in the group to AWfoSho as he drifted back from taking his pull... Blocking is a sound tactic, but if one is going to mess with the rotation of the chase, one better be ready for some aggressive riding... Given that the chase was going full gas and barely making headway into the two leaders, AWfoSho could not afford to let Levaton mess with the rotation. To show his displeasure, AWfoSho used a rather firm elbow to move Edan off the wheel... all is fair in love and war, especially if one is actively blocking. Needless to say, the elbow did the job and next time AWfoSho rotated back, Levaton was more than gracious in giving up the coveted third wheel.
Somewhere during the chase, Staz and Christensen lost contact with the group, leaving AWfoSho to close the gap alone with Bolster and Levaton in tow... Once the gap was closed, Specialized and Ride for a Reason made a tactical error. Levaton and/or Bolster should have immediately counter attacked, putting AWfoSho on the defensive again. Instead, the lead group sat up and allowed Staz to return... he did just that, but didn't pause to chat. He went straight thru them forcing Specialized to chase and giving AWfoSho a much needed break. Staz was caught shortly thereafter, leaving six together to start the final lap...
The make-up of the lead group was interesting... two from Ride for a Reason, two from Specialized, and two from DBCJRT... with DBCJRT having the weakest climbers.
Final lap... AWfoSho didn't wait for the hill to play DBCJRT's cards. He sent Staz up the road shortly before the feed zone. This move served three purposes. First, it would force the other two teams to chase and allow AWfoSho to sit on; second, it would give a nearly cooked Staz a chance to make it over the climb ahead of or with the group; and third, it would force Avis to ride a steady pace up the climb instead of continually attacking... something that most likely would have cracked AWfoSho.
Text book tactics that nearly worked... until the final steep pitches at the top of the climb. Staz was reeled in and spit out the back as Avis and Levaton counter attacked. AWfoSho, Bolster, and Ferguson went over the top about twenty seconds in arrears in a near mirror image of lap number two, except that this time AWfoSho had allies in Bolster and Ferguson...
Ferguson cracked during the ensuing ten mile chase, but AWfoSho and Bolster made contact with the leading Duo a couple of k's before the final climb. Again Specialized made a tactical mistake. They should have sent Levaton up the road again, thus putting Bolster and AWfoSho on the defensive and giving Avis a free ride. Instead the group sat up and rolled to the base of the final climb together.
Levaton cracked as soon as the road pitched up. Avis upped the pace and at one point all three of the leaders were massaging their hamstrings in attempts to ward off cramping. Bolster looked the freshest on the hill and, just as I was thinking that he should take a dig, he attacked. Avis was able to follow, but AWfoSho was forced to remain seated as standing induced cramping.
The lead duo went over the top with about 20 seconds and were in full flight. AWfoSho gritted his teeth and set about chasing for a third time. This time downhill. Bolster absolutely pinned it on the front with Avis in tow. AWfoSho was laid out on the top tube, butt under the saddle and chin on the stem. He was making up time, but not fast enough. Some ballsy riding by all three down that hill. I was pretty sure that I'd be picking at least one of them up off the pavement.
At the bottom of the hill the gap was about 10 seconds, and Avis took the lead in front. AWfoSho was hoping for some cat-n-mouse by the leaders that would allow him to regroup, but Avis put his head down and drilled it. At the 200 meter sign, AWfoSho had nailed the gap back to 10 meters when he finally imploded. There would be no catch. Avis was in a tough spot. He new that if he sat up a faster finisher would have caught them. He also new if he stayed on the front, Bolster would most likely come around him at the line... what to do? In the end, Bolster did come around him, but sprinted over the centerline and received a DQ for his efforts. AWfoSho rolled in third, but was bumped to second because of the centerline violation.
Gotta feel bad for Bolster. the kidlet raced his guts out, but rules is rules...
To all y'all out there reading this here blog... that is how bicycles should be raced. The kidlets raced on savvy and tactics and bravado. And when that was gone, they raced on guts. And when that was gone they raced on whatever they could find. All three were completely blown at the end. All three can be proud of what they left out on the course...
DBCJRT took some lumps, especially in the 13/14 and 15/16 races. El Gigante, Mechanical, Zach S, and Torey succumbed to the hill, and we missed the podium in the 15/16 sprint. The 13/14 boyz got blasted on the climb, but April made the second step on the podium for the girlz. Perhaps Kelbster said it best, "That was the hardest thing I've ever done."
The 10-12 race had a little-bit-o-drama... Karcherific went over the top of the final climb with the eventual winner, but got gapped on the descent. He chased in vain, but couldn't make up the ground. Rumor has it that the winner mixed in with some old dudes going downhill and that was just enough to allow him to stay away from Karch... if it tis true, naughty, naughty. Still, second place ain't bad for the littlest kidlet.
Had a front row seat in the follow vehicle for the 17/18's, and it was some of the best racing I've seen in awhile... 3 laps of guts, machismo, and bids for glory. The long and short of it is some great racing by all involved.
First lap... Shenanigans on the hill whittled the lead group to nine, but half-hearted attacks allowed for a small regrouping and there were 14 together at the feed zone on trip number two up the hill... Staz and AWfoSho from DBCJRT, Avis and Levaton from Specialized, Ferguson and Bolster from Ride for a Reason, Rocket Sports Racing's Christensen, and a smattering of others from Tieni Duro, Giant, and Colavita.
Second lap... The dreaded hill did its work, leaving just seven together as they reached the steepest ramps at the top of the climb. Avis and Ferguson snuck away and went over the top with about 20 seconds in hand. The chase consisted of Christensen, AWfoSho, Staz, Levaton, and Bolster. The latter two had teammates up the road so the chase was left to AWfoSho, Staz and Christensen. It took the better part of the top half of the course, but the catch eventually happened. The chase was interesting in its own right...
AWfoSho and Staz guttered it against the centerline to make life uncomfortable for Levaton and Bolster, who were rightfully sitting on.
Now, sitting on is one thing, blocking another... At one point, Levaton refused to relinquish the third wheel in the group to AWfoSho as he drifted back from taking his pull... Blocking is a sound tactic, but if one is going to mess with the rotation of the chase, one better be ready for some aggressive riding... Given that the chase was going full gas and barely making headway into the two leaders, AWfoSho could not afford to let Levaton mess with the rotation. To show his displeasure, AWfoSho used a rather firm elbow to move Edan off the wheel... all is fair in love and war, especially if one is actively blocking. Needless to say, the elbow did the job and next time AWfoSho rotated back, Levaton was more than gracious in giving up the coveted third wheel.
Somewhere during the chase, Staz and Christensen lost contact with the group, leaving AWfoSho to close the gap alone with Bolster and Levaton in tow... Once the gap was closed, Specialized and Ride for a Reason made a tactical error. Levaton and/or Bolster should have immediately counter attacked, putting AWfoSho on the defensive again. Instead, the lead group sat up and allowed Staz to return... he did just that, but didn't pause to chat. He went straight thru them forcing Specialized to chase and giving AWfoSho a much needed break. Staz was caught shortly thereafter, leaving six together to start the final lap...
The make-up of the lead group was interesting... two from Ride for a Reason, two from Specialized, and two from DBCJRT... with DBCJRT having the weakest climbers.
Final lap... AWfoSho didn't wait for the hill to play DBCJRT's cards. He sent Staz up the road shortly before the feed zone. This move served three purposes. First, it would force the other two teams to chase and allow AWfoSho to sit on; second, it would give a nearly cooked Staz a chance to make it over the climb ahead of or with the group; and third, it would force Avis to ride a steady pace up the climb instead of continually attacking... something that most likely would have cracked AWfoSho.
Text book tactics that nearly worked... until the final steep pitches at the top of the climb. Staz was reeled in and spit out the back as Avis and Levaton counter attacked. AWfoSho, Bolster, and Ferguson went over the top about twenty seconds in arrears in a near mirror image of lap number two, except that this time AWfoSho had allies in Bolster and Ferguson...
Ferguson cracked during the ensuing ten mile chase, but AWfoSho and Bolster made contact with the leading Duo a couple of k's before the final climb. Again Specialized made a tactical mistake. They should have sent Levaton up the road again, thus putting Bolster and AWfoSho on the defensive and giving Avis a free ride. Instead the group sat up and rolled to the base of the final climb together.
Levaton cracked as soon as the road pitched up. Avis upped the pace and at one point all three of the leaders were massaging their hamstrings in attempts to ward off cramping. Bolster looked the freshest on the hill and, just as I was thinking that he should take a dig, he attacked. Avis was able to follow, but AWfoSho was forced to remain seated as standing induced cramping.
The lead duo went over the top with about 20 seconds and were in full flight. AWfoSho gritted his teeth and set about chasing for a third time. This time downhill. Bolster absolutely pinned it on the front with Avis in tow. AWfoSho was laid out on the top tube, butt under the saddle and chin on the stem. He was making up time, but not fast enough. Some ballsy riding by all three down that hill. I was pretty sure that I'd be picking at least one of them up off the pavement.
At the bottom of the hill the gap was about 10 seconds, and Avis took the lead in front. AWfoSho was hoping for some cat-n-mouse by the leaders that would allow him to regroup, but Avis put his head down and drilled it. At the 200 meter sign, AWfoSho had nailed the gap back to 10 meters when he finally imploded. There would be no catch. Avis was in a tough spot. He new that if he sat up a faster finisher would have caught them. He also new if he stayed on the front, Bolster would most likely come around him at the line... what to do? In the end, Bolster did come around him, but sprinted over the centerline and received a DQ for his efforts. AWfoSho rolled in third, but was bumped to second because of the centerline violation.
Gotta feel bad for Bolster. the kidlet raced his guts out, but rules is rules...
To all y'all out there reading this here blog... that is how bicycles should be raced. The kidlets raced on savvy and tactics and bravado. And when that was gone, they raced on guts. And when that was gone they raced on whatever they could find. All three were completely blown at the end. All three can be proud of what they left out on the course...
oops...
just wasted the last several minutes of my life, 45 or so if you really want to know, putting together a blog entry re copperopolis. Pushed publish and it vanished into cyberspace...
I know y'all are itching for verbage because the site hits are way up today, but I'm gonna watch a movie with Caren right now... maybe later tonight I'll get around to all the details. sorry! In the meantime, check out the pics on ncncaracing.com
I know y'all are itching for verbage because the site hits are way up today, but I'm gonna watch a movie with Caren right now... maybe later tonight I'll get around to all the details. sorry! In the meantime, check out the pics on ncncaracing.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Comeback?
Dropped by the local Blackburn dealer, Ken's Bike and Ski, today to replace the head on my four year old floor pump. A quick warranty replacement that didn't cost a dime...
Blackburn offers a lifetime warranty on their products, which is kinda cool, but I'm guessing they don't bank on customers like me. With nine bikes currently taking up space in what used to be my dining room, it is a sure bet that the Blackburn floor pump is being used on a near daily basis around these parts. That means that over four years the pump has been attached to a valve around 1400 times. Needless to say it was a bit worn out, and pumping up a tire had become a two man job--one to pump and one to hold the head on the valve stem in such a way that it didn't let out more air than it was letting in.
Anyways, I digress...
While in the shop I ran into an old friend. Those of you that have been around long enough might recall one of DBCJRT's former athletes that lovingly nicknamed himself Brown Lance... If I remember correctly, it was four or five years ago this weekend that Brown Lance made his racing debut at Copperopolis. The result wasn't anything to write home about, but it made a cyclist out of our boy. He's currently a student at UC Davis, and working at Ken's to help pay the bills... a cyclist for life.
Brown Lance was pleased to show me his latest purchase... a Specialized frame carefully outfitted in full Ultegra looking all fast and cool. As I oohed and awed over his machine, he went on to tell me about the twists and turns his life has taken since we last spoke. I'm happy to report that the former kidlet is doing well.
As we parted, Brown Lance firmly shook my hand and bid me adieu, but not before asking me to tell AWfoSho and El Gigante hello for him and that he was planning on making his comeback!!! If you know Brown Lance like I do, it will be a pleasure to see him out on the road again, hear his tips about buying low and selling high, and feel that strong belly laugh that the kidlet was always good for...
A handful of PowerBars to the first person who correctly identifies Brown Lance by his birth name... first and last.
Blackburn offers a lifetime warranty on their products, which is kinda cool, but I'm guessing they don't bank on customers like me. With nine bikes currently taking up space in what used to be my dining room, it is a sure bet that the Blackburn floor pump is being used on a near daily basis around these parts. That means that over four years the pump has been attached to a valve around 1400 times. Needless to say it was a bit worn out, and pumping up a tire had become a two man job--one to pump and one to hold the head on the valve stem in such a way that it didn't let out more air than it was letting in.
Anyways, I digress...
While in the shop I ran into an old friend. Those of you that have been around long enough might recall one of DBCJRT's former athletes that lovingly nicknamed himself Brown Lance... If I remember correctly, it was four or five years ago this weekend that Brown Lance made his racing debut at Copperopolis. The result wasn't anything to write home about, but it made a cyclist out of our boy. He's currently a student at UC Davis, and working at Ken's to help pay the bills... a cyclist for life.
Brown Lance was pleased to show me his latest purchase... a Specialized frame carefully outfitted in full Ultegra looking all fast and cool. As I oohed and awed over his machine, he went on to tell me about the twists and turns his life has taken since we last spoke. I'm happy to report that the former kidlet is doing well.
As we parted, Brown Lance firmly shook my hand and bid me adieu, but not before asking me to tell AWfoSho and El Gigante hello for him and that he was planning on making his comeback!!! If you know Brown Lance like I do, it will be a pleasure to see him out on the road again, hear his tips about buying low and selling high, and feel that strong belly laugh that the kidlet was always good for...
A handful of PowerBars to the first person who correctly identifies Brown Lance by his birth name... first and last.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Pain Cave
Several of the Kidlets saw Coach Jesse this evening for a trip to the Pain Cave.
TK got to learn the ins and outs of a lactate test, Staz and El Gigante completed this season's second round of Conconi's, and AWfoSho simply succumbed to the calipers for a skinfold measurement in an attempt to avoid injury follow the clavicle escapade.
But, before we can discuss the blood, sweat, and tears, an explanation of exactly what the Pain Cave is...
E.O.B. may have encapsulated this best in a recent email:
This "pain cave" is a Midwestern Collegiate Cycling Conference euphemism with which Phil Mooney has infected both the the Aggie and Elite teams. Degrees of hurt are as follows:
"I'm in the pain cave;"
"I'm in the pain cave and I'm bobbling my flashlight;"
"I'm in the pain cave and I dropped my flashlight;"
The inverse is also true--if you're feeling especially strong, you proclaim that you brought extra batteries to the pain cave.
Two bits of humor this vernacular has engendered in the last 7 days:
While attempting ANT2 repeats on Cardiac last week with Phil, Nils, and Paul Mach, I was going as hard as I could up the damn hill when Paul passed me like I was standing still. He offered some quick words of encouragement, but all I could say was "I... uh, dropped... my batteries...down the hole... in the cave."
At the start line of the Men's A Stanford Crit last week, Paul announced, "I brought extra batteries!" Of course none of the Stanford, Cal, SLO, or USC guys had any idea what the hell he was talking about, but Mooney bellowed, "'Cause we're going to the PAIN CAVE!" Current Under-23 national Champion Max Jenkins looked at Mooney in shocked fear, clearly concerned for his safety and Phil's sanity.
Phil also deploys another system of nomenclature built around a mythical town called "Sufferville," but aside from its utter lack of bathrooms, I know nothing of the place.
"I'm in the pain cave;"
"I'm in the pain cave and I'm bobbling my flashlight;"
"I'm in the pain cave and I dropped my flashlight;"
The inverse is also true--if you're feeling especially strong, you proclaim that you brought extra batteries to the pain cave.
Two bits of humor this vernacular has engendered in the last 7 days:
While attempting ANT2 repeats on Cardiac last week with Phil, Nils, and Paul Mach, I was going as hard as I could up the damn hill when Paul passed me like I was standing still. He offered some quick words of encouragement, but all I could say was "I... uh, dropped... my batteries...down the hole... in the cave."
At the start line of the Men's A Stanford Crit last week, Paul announced, "I brought extra batteries!" Of course none of the Stanford, Cal, SLO, or USC guys had any idea what the hell he was talking about, but Mooney bellowed, "'Cause we're going to the PAIN CAVE!" Current Under-23 national Champion Max Jenkins looked at Mooney in shocked fear, clearly concerned for his safety and Phil's sanity.
Phil also deploys another system of nomenclature built around a mythical town called "Sufferville," but aside from its utter lack of bathrooms, I know nothing of the place.
The kidlets definitely visited the Pain Cave this evening... there was sweat, lots of it, all over Jesse's hard wood floors. There was blood pumping through teenage veins and dripping out of TK's ear each time he was pricked. And, AWfoSho will never admit to this, there were tears as Jesse pinched him with the skinfoldometerthingamabob... those things leave marks.
Gotta wait for Jesse's analysis of all the data, but the initial numbers look good... up from the last trip to Jesse's Cave of Pain. for those of you that are old enough to remember... the Cave of Pain is definitely an E-ticket ride!!!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
And Max Said, "Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!"
On the start list for Copperopolis... California's own Hell of the North...
10-12's
Karcherific... With his pure spin, Karch has got to be the odds on favorite for this one!
13-14's
Alex F, Kelbster, and April... I think you know who the sure money is on!
15-16's
Andreas F, Mechanical, Torey, and El Gigante... depending on how aggressive the boys are we have a few options in this one!
17-18's
Brian, PtotheArker, AWfoSho, and Staz... with some help from his teammates and some luck, AWfoSho has a chance at back to back wins... if he can stick with the pure climbers.
P/1/2
TK... looking for a top 10 finish here... it really will be the first big test for TK against the top climbers, but a little guts and determination can go a long way. It'll be fun to see how it all shakes out.
DBCJRT has a realistic shot at taking home top honors across the board in the junior categories... Rock my world boyz and girl!!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Bariani and Land Park Results are Up
Check them out here and here. Record time from SGW... most years it has taken them weeks. Kudos to the boys and girls across the causeway.
The final tallies listed on USA Cycling's website show just where everybody finished, which is interesting in its own right, but they don't tell the real stories...
This much I know:
April's dad writes:
April had a good overall race. She raced with the Woman's 4's She hung with them until there was a prem lap. She was toward the back and the group she was with was dropped, but she hung with that group through the end. She felt that she could have hung with the main group, but she couldn't close the gap by herself once she was behind and she said the others didn't want to push to catch the main group. It's a learning experience and hopefully she will improve with each race.
That's what first races are all about... learning. April is all set to show us how much she learned at Copperopolis!
AJ writes concerning Barini's elite 5 race:
The race starts out nice and mellow but slowly starts to get faster, I look around to try and find at least one teammate but there is no success. We start to go head on in the wind which was brutal, and that is where a bunch of guys started to drop back. By now the pace has quickened as we start to climb the "sissy hill". There was a breakaway of about 5 guys and no one was going so I speed past a bunch of guys and catch up with the breakaway. I am now sitting in the back of the group of 5 guys we make a right hand turn and accelerate to about 29 mph as I am having a hard time hanging on I look up and see a pretty good climb and think to myself sh!t. As we start to climb I see that there was the main group right behind me so I let them swallow me up along with the rest of the breakaway. I make the mistake by getting behind "squirly" so I drop behind one more spot. It is now the 3rd lap and we are on the windy long sraitaway and I see a guy from DBC that was in my race that I didnt see in the beggining but he wasnt a junior. He starts to drop back from the main field so I get up next to him, told him to stay on my wheel and I pull him back up to the group. He says thanks man and we keep going. We are now about 3km from the finish and going up that climd again, right then I WAS IN THE PAIN CAVE with no extra battaries and I had dropped my flashlight. All of a sudden I hear F%$king iddiot look up and see about 4 guys crash I swerve around them and keep going. I now see the 1km sign. So I start to sprint I pass about 3-5 guys and 6 woeman. I look down at my computer and I am going 38mph then a bycicle chief guy passes me. We go down a hill then back up another small one and cross the finish line.
AJ finished ninth!
Concerning the Elite 3's...
At Land Park it was El Gigante's turn to pay back Staz for all his hard work at Merco and Menlo Park. With three to go he did just that, riding hard on the front to bring back a break. Once done, he drifted to the back, picked up Staz, and according to E.O.B., made a move up the gutter that was a thing of beauty--bodies and bikes going thru gaps that were virtually non-existent. El Gigante dropped Staz off near the front and Staz delivered... 4th place in a tailwind sprint with junior gears.
Bariani was a sufferfest... Staz and El Gigante fought thru 4 laps with the lead group that had dwindled to 35 or so before succumbing to the wind. They battled on to finish the last lap on their own.
Of life in the 4's...
PtotheArker and Tapinator turned the pedals in anger at Land Park, fighting the good fight only to get caught behind a last lap crash. Keep fighting boys. The results will come.
And the boyz playing with the big dawgs...
TK was very active in the pro/1/2 event at Land Park... covering moves, attacking, recovering. AWfoSho spent most of the race at the back of the bus getting his head together after 6 weeks out of competition. He did move to the front with three to go, serving as the set-up man for Judd Van Sickle. Once there he launched two attacks of the front that eventually sprung TK who made a bid for late race glory... off the front for two laps, caught only with half a lap to go. Once AWfoSho's job was finished at the front he quickly returned to the back seat to protect his still healing collarbone. Both kidlets finished safely in the group, but their DBC Elite teammates finished 4, 5, 6... job well done boyz.
Oh, did I mention that DBCJRT took home the Perpetual Trophy from the Land Park Junior Race for the third straight year... We also have the only athlete who's name appears on the trophy two times!!!
The final tallies listed on USA Cycling's website show just where everybody finished, which is interesting in its own right, but they don't tell the real stories...
This much I know:
April's dad writes:
April had a good overall race. She raced with the Woman's 4's She hung with them until there was a prem lap. She was toward the back and the group she was with was dropped, but she hung with that group through the end. She felt that she could have hung with the main group, but she couldn't close the gap by herself once she was behind and she said the others didn't want to push to catch the main group. It's a learning experience and hopefully she will improve with each race.
That's what first races are all about... learning. April is all set to show us how much she learned at Copperopolis!
AJ writes concerning Barini's elite 5 race:
The race starts out nice and mellow but slowly starts to get faster, I look around to try and find at least one teammate but there is no success. We start to go head on in the wind which was brutal, and that is where a bunch of guys started to drop back. By now the pace has quickened as we start to climb the "sissy hill". There was a breakaway of about 5 guys and no one was going so I speed past a bunch of guys and catch up with the breakaway. I am now sitting in the back of the group of 5 guys we make a right hand turn and accelerate to about 29 mph as I am having a hard time hanging on I look up and see a pretty good climb and think to myself sh!t. As we start to climb I see that there was the main group right behind me so I let them swallow me up along with the rest of the breakaway. I make the mistake by getting behind "squirly" so I drop behind one more spot. It is now the 3rd lap and we are on the windy long sraitaway and I see a guy from DBC that was in my race that I didnt see in the beggining but he wasnt a junior. He starts to drop back from the main field so I get up next to him, told him to stay on my wheel and I pull him back up to the group. He says thanks man and we keep going. We are now about 3km from the finish and going up that climd again, right then I WAS IN THE PAIN CAVE with no extra battaries and I had dropped my flashlight. All of a sudden I hear F%$king iddiot look up and see about 4 guys crash I swerve around them and keep going. I now see the 1km sign. So I start to sprint I pass about 3-5 guys and 6 woeman. I look down at my computer and I am going 38mph then a bycicle chief guy passes me. We go down a hill then back up another small one and cross the finish line.
AJ finished ninth!
Concerning the Elite 3's...
At Land Park it was El Gigante's turn to pay back Staz for all his hard work at Merco and Menlo Park. With three to go he did just that, riding hard on the front to bring back a break. Once done, he drifted to the back, picked up Staz, and according to E.O.B., made a move up the gutter that was a thing of beauty--bodies and bikes going thru gaps that were virtually non-existent. El Gigante dropped Staz off near the front and Staz delivered... 4th place in a tailwind sprint with junior gears.
Bariani was a sufferfest... Staz and El Gigante fought thru 4 laps with the lead group that had dwindled to 35 or so before succumbing to the wind. They battled on to finish the last lap on their own.
Of life in the 4's...
PtotheArker and Tapinator turned the pedals in anger at Land Park, fighting the good fight only to get caught behind a last lap crash. Keep fighting boys. The results will come.
And the boyz playing with the big dawgs...
TK was very active in the pro/1/2 event at Land Park... covering moves, attacking, recovering. AWfoSho spent most of the race at the back of the bus getting his head together after 6 weeks out of competition. He did move to the front with three to go, serving as the set-up man for Judd Van Sickle. Once there he launched two attacks of the front that eventually sprung TK who made a bid for late race glory... off the front for two laps, caught only with half a lap to go. Once AWfoSho's job was finished at the front he quickly returned to the back seat to protect his still healing collarbone. Both kidlets finished safely in the group, but their DBC Elite teammates finished 4, 5, 6... job well done boyz.
Oh, did I mention that DBCJRT took home the Perpetual Trophy from the Land Park Junior Race for the third straight year... We also have the only athlete who's name appears on the trophy two times!!!Photo Courtesy of Rodney Cox
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Land Park Photos By Mark Adkison
Local Photog, Mark Adkison, took some rockin'... really rockin'... shots of the junior race at Land Park. Check 'em out at Hors Categorie Photos. All of the shots can be purchased... just contact Mark at HCPhoto@sbcglobal.net.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Land Park Cliff Notes... the junior race
Cast: 35 or so junior bicycle racers
Setting: Mild breeze out of the north, broken clouds and intermittent sun, cool, dry pavement
Plot: 40 minutes of riding bicycles in circles
Protagonists: AJ, Karch, PtotheArker, Tapinator, Robby (who shall forever after be known as mechanical), Brian, Staz, El Gigante, TK, and AWfoSho
Antagonists: Rio Strada's Bryan and Steven Larson, Ride for a Reason's Cody Kaiser and Brandon Mart among others, Giant's Brandon Trafton, several other bit players from Tieni Duro, Swift, and Rocket Sports Racing
Story Line: After a brief misunderstanding about a neutral lap, DBCJT is off on the offensive... repeated attacks by Staz, TK, and El Gigante finally soften up the field enough to spring AWfoSho. AWfoSho burries himself in the pain cave for five or so laps while Rio Strada mounts the chase with a helping hand from Giant and Ride for a Reason. TK makes the bridge solo to AWfoSho with five to go and the two of them work together to open up an insurmountable gap... meanwhile back in the field El Gigante, Staz, PtotheArker, and Robby throw monkey wrench after monkey wrench into the groups attempts to mount a chase. In the finale AWfoSho and TK cross the line together with TK generously allowing AWfoSho's wheel to slip ahead at the line. AWfoSho's victory salute was simply a dusting off of the collarbone.
Sub Plot Number 1: Tapinator slips out of the lead group with five to go, but rallies a few others to form a chase group that remained slightly behind the field. He crosses the line at the head of his group with a valiant sprint.
Sub Plot Number 2: AJ, Brian, and Karch marshal all of their strength to do battle in separate groups behind the leaders. Karch launches a savage last lap attack, AJ gains considerable experience while rotating with a group mate, Brian is the driving force in his group of six or seven.
Conclusion: Results through eight places... gotta wait for the rest to be posted on the interwebs... AWfoSHo first, TK second, Staz third, El Gigante sixth, PtotheArker eighth.
Overheard in the Aftermath: a last lap crash took down Brandon Trafton and Brian Larson and forced El Gigante to a track stand... Trafton's wheel washed out through the final chicane and the resulting slide took out Bryan Larson who's body and bike forced El Gigante to the curb. Just an unfortunate part of bike racing... papa Larson had some choice words that were overheard as he rushed to BL's aide... something along the lines of, "Some f*&%king DBC racer probably took him out." Hmm... I think somebody owes us an apology!
Editor's Note: Tales from the Women's 4 race, the Elite 4 race, the Elite 3 race, and the Pro/1/2 race to come as soon as they are sorted out.
Setting: Mild breeze out of the north, broken clouds and intermittent sun, cool, dry pavement
Plot: 40 minutes of riding bicycles in circles
Protagonists: AJ, Karch, PtotheArker, Tapinator, Robby (who shall forever after be known as mechanical), Brian, Staz, El Gigante, TK, and AWfoSho
Antagonists: Rio Strada's Bryan and Steven Larson, Ride for a Reason's Cody Kaiser and Brandon Mart among others, Giant's Brandon Trafton, several other bit players from Tieni Duro, Swift, and Rocket Sports Racing
Story Line: After a brief misunderstanding about a neutral lap, DBCJT is off on the offensive... repeated attacks by Staz, TK, and El Gigante finally soften up the field enough to spring AWfoSho. AWfoSho burries himself in the pain cave for five or so laps while Rio Strada mounts the chase with a helping hand from Giant and Ride for a Reason. TK makes the bridge solo to AWfoSho with five to go and the two of them work together to open up an insurmountable gap... meanwhile back in the field El Gigante, Staz, PtotheArker, and Robby throw monkey wrench after monkey wrench into the groups attempts to mount a chase. In the finale AWfoSho and TK cross the line together with TK generously allowing AWfoSho's wheel to slip ahead at the line. AWfoSho's victory salute was simply a dusting off of the collarbone.
Sub Plot Number 1: Tapinator slips out of the lead group with five to go, but rallies a few others to form a chase group that remained slightly behind the field. He crosses the line at the head of his group with a valiant sprint.
Sub Plot Number 2: AJ, Brian, and Karch marshal all of their strength to do battle in separate groups behind the leaders. Karch launches a savage last lap attack, AJ gains considerable experience while rotating with a group mate, Brian is the driving force in his group of six or seven.
Conclusion: Results through eight places... gotta wait for the rest to be posted on the interwebs... AWfoSHo first, TK second, Staz third, El Gigante sixth, PtotheArker eighth.
Overheard in the Aftermath: a last lap crash took down Brandon Trafton and Brian Larson and forced El Gigante to a track stand... Trafton's wheel washed out through the final chicane and the resulting slide took out Bryan Larson who's body and bike forced El Gigante to the curb. Just an unfortunate part of bike racing... papa Larson had some choice words that were overheard as he rushed to BL's aide... something along the lines of, "Some f*&%king DBC racer probably took him out." Hmm... I think somebody owes us an apology!
Editor's Note: Tales from the Women's 4 race, the Elite 4 race, the Elite 3 race, and the Pro/1/2 race to come as soon as they are sorted out.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Dang'd Blasted Mechanicals
A mechanical left Robby with just two gears from which to choose, but the kidlets were still able to post a second place time... good job, boys!
Photos courtesy of D-TapSaturday, March 8, 2008
Menlo Park
Don't really quite have a handle on what my mind conjures up when I think of Menlo Park... maybe some kind of cross between Gorky Park (the movie, not the actual park) and Central Park (the actual park, not some movie). Rumor has it that u-tube was born in Menlo Park. There is also an independent record label that goes by the same name...I do know that it is a long drive for a 35 minute crit... in all fairness, the crit was supposed to be 45 minutes, but seems that things were running a little late after the women's 4 race was halted for an ambulance. Then, it was running a little more late after the 35+ 3/4 race was halted for an ambulance. After that, it was runing even later after the 5's race was halted, twice, while we all waited for a few would-be bike racers to scrape their skin up off the pavement.
So, El Gigante and Staz got to start a half hour late and race ten minutes less. I figured that, after witnessing all the carnage the morning had to offer, they'd be a little shell-shocked and kinda ride around at the back for the 35 minute duration...
Imagine my surprise when, with one to go, Staz was on the front keeping it all lined out and safe for El Gigante. He did a full 3/4 of a lap before pulling off with two corners to go... El Gigante was 2nd out of the final corner which would have been perfect positioning, but given that the finishing straight was 500 meters into a headwind, he might have been a little too far up...
Anyways, he held on until about 100 meters to go before getting swamped... ended up seventh out of ninety or so-- 2 places out of the prizes, 1 place out of the upgrade points...
Gotta say, the teamwork is starting to gel... the kidlets are working well together to deliver somebody fresh to the line... and I like it!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Greatest Racket of All Time
okay... maybe it isn't the greatest, but it is pretty darn close. I should have thought of it. Then I would be laughing all the way to the bank...
I'm about as apolitical as they come. I rarely vote, I have never protested something, mostly I just shrug and say, "That's the way of it all." I have my reasons for being as such, but that is a topic for another day and another blog... anyways, I've never been closer to protesting something as I was tonight. Maybe it is just because I'm on the back side of an 11 parent-teacher conference day (5 1/2 hours straight of talking about other peoples kids), but The Sea Otter Classic promoters and Active.com set me off.
$45.00 for a junior road race? Are you kidding? $40.00 for a junior circuit race? Say whaaa? And then, on top of that, Active hits you for a $7 service fee? Highway robbery...
$97 for two races where you have to park 3 miles from the start, fight your way thru all kinds of crowds and compete in a race on course with about 10 other groups riding at the same time. Then you get to wait hours for results to be posted...
If TK didn't have his heart set on winning this one before he grows up, I'd have not entered the kidlets this year.
When one registers on Active, who's service is sub-par when compared to Bike-Reg or Sportsbase Online, one has to check a box asking if this is your first Sea Otter or not. Each time I checked it I promised myself that it would be my last... next year I'm protesting exorbitant entry fees and absurd service charges with my feet.
$45.00 give me a freakin' break!!!
I'm about as apolitical as they come. I rarely vote, I have never protested something, mostly I just shrug and say, "That's the way of it all." I have my reasons for being as such, but that is a topic for another day and another blog... anyways, I've never been closer to protesting something as I was tonight. Maybe it is just because I'm on the back side of an 11 parent-teacher conference day (5 1/2 hours straight of talking about other peoples kids), but The Sea Otter Classic promoters and Active.com set me off.
$45.00 for a junior road race? Are you kidding? $40.00 for a junior circuit race? Say whaaa? And then, on top of that, Active hits you for a $7 service fee? Highway robbery...
$97 for two races where you have to park 3 miles from the start, fight your way thru all kinds of crowds and compete in a race on course with about 10 other groups riding at the same time. Then you get to wait hours for results to be posted...
If TK didn't have his heart set on winning this one before he grows up, I'd have not entered the kidlets this year.
When one registers on Active, who's service is sub-par when compared to Bike-Reg or Sportsbase Online, one has to check a box asking if this is your first Sea Otter or not. Each time I checked it I promised myself that it would be my last... next year I'm protesting exorbitant entry fees and absurd service charges with my feet.
$45.00 give me a freakin' break!!!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Just One Bedtime Story...
I'm draggin' this out from underneath a pile of fifth-grade report cards and eight parent teacher conferences so you'll have to forgive me if it is slightly incoherent... But, since junior refuses to go to sleep without his night night story...
Things start out just right... El Gigante is all over the sharp end, Staz gets a prime or two, but nothing is getting up the road for more than a lap or so...
Anyways, TK led out the sprint and got his doors blown off, but he did exactly what he was supposed to do...
Dateline: Merced, CA, Saturday, pre-dawn darkness
El Gigante, Staz, and TK roll out of the hotel under the glare of streetlights to spin a little blood into their legs on the way to the battlefield...
The usual cast of characters shows for the junior shenanigans and we figure that we've gotta best Bryan Larson if we have a shot at the overall. So, game plan... Staz and El Gigante are free to roam during the first half of the race to soften up the field while TK sits all muzzled up and restin'. If we're lucky El Gigante gets up the road and nobody chases because he's just a youngen' in the 15/16 age group. If we're not lucky and the boys are all over any thing we throw down, then we cut TK loose around the halfway point in a 1-2, left, right flurry dealt in the form of TK and Staz while El Gigante sits on just in case of a field sprint. That's the plan anyway...
Things start out just right... El Gigante is all over the sharp end, Staz gets a prime or two, but nothing is getting up the road for more than a lap or so...Fast forward to the halfway point... time to change tactics... TK takes the muzzle off and away he goes. The first few attacks are just probes... can he draw BL out and make him chase? BL is having none of it, and the Swift and Lombardi kids are playing right into the sprinter's hand. Everything TK threw down was chased immediately by Swift's Tyler Brandt and Ryan Eastman, Lombardi's Evan Huffman, or Rock's Danny Finneran while BL sat all nice and protected like in the group. Guess the boys haven't been to bike racing's school of hard knocks yet. Lesson number one: Never... Never... Never... drag a sprinter to the line with you. He will beat you every time.
Two laps to go and El Gigante deviates from the plan... He counters one of TK's efforts hoping that nobody will chase, but the field can smell the sprint now and they are having none of it. El Gigante slides back into the group... only problem is he is a little too gassed to fight for BL's wheel.
Last lap and TK launches one final do-or-die dig. He gets the gap and is free, but when he looks back Finneran is in full chase mode with BL sitting on his wheel... I don't know if TK is exaggerating or not, but he swears he saw a smile on BL's face. TK would need to have at least five seconds to hold off a charging Larson, so he lets the catch happen, but stays on the front, keeping the pace high in the hopes that El Gigante has grabbed Larson's wheel and can sneak around him in the finale... (oops, see previous paragraph for add libbing w/out communication... makes teamwork harder).
Anyways, TK led out the sprint and got his doors blown off, but he did exactly what he was supposed to do...El Gigante had enough gas to squeeze between Swift's Eastman and the barriers to take the 15/16 race by a bike throw.
I love Merco/McLane weekend... it is some of the best bike racing of the year, but it irks me to no end. For the past three years I've had the best team in the junior race and have come up short of the overall. 2006: DBCJRT executes the perfect leadout... Juge, followed by Davitamon, followed, by Thor with Steel Joe as the sprinter and AWfoSho as the sweep. Gawd it was beautiful, except Joe's legs lacked the usual pop and Tyler Gough was able to come around him. 2007: TK, Staz, Davitamon, and AWfoSho give us numerous options in the 17/18 race, but I blew it tactically... used TK up too early and had to count on AWfoSho beating Rock Racing's neo-pro Justin William's in the sprint... tall order. 2008: We lacked the 1-2 of TK and AWfoSho. Imagine how things might have shook out differently if TK was able to go long knowing that AWfoSho was glued to BL's wheel should he be caught. BL is fast, but he isn't gonna beat an on-form AWfoSho in a 150 meter drag race.
Say La Vie... or however they spell it...
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Merco Results
I'm rather uninspired right now... something about a long day in the sun in the feed zone on the heels of two nights in a Motel 6 fifty feet from the freeway with less than sound proof walls (i think i need a comma somewhere in there). But, I will give you this...
Junior 15/16 crit... El Gigante, top step; The Tapinator, loads of experience
Junior 17/18 crit... TK, a job well done; Staz, 1 prime
Elite 3's crit... Staz and El Gigante, pack
Elite 2's crit... TK, another job well done
3's RR... El Gigante, 5th; Staz, excellent teamwork
2's RR... TK still another job well done
Tale's of herosim, bravado, and guts to come
Junior 15/16 crit... El Gigante, top step; The Tapinator, loads of experience
Junior 17/18 crit... TK, a job well done; Staz, 1 prime
Elite 3's crit... Staz and El Gigante, pack
Elite 2's crit... TK, another job well done
3's RR... El Gigante, 5th; Staz, excellent teamwork
2's RR... TK still another job well done
Tale's of herosim, bravado, and guts to come
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