Go Alissa !

Nice race report from friend, training partner and honorary Aussie, Alissa Maglaty. It describes her experiences racing in the company of Anna Meares et al in Colorado Springs at the US Grand Prix of Sprinting last week. She is also raising funds to race the 2011 Elite Track Nationals in LA next month. Help her if you can.

Masters National Track Championships - part two: Match sprints and Team pursuit

Day 4 of the Championships was match sprint day for me. The format was for everyone to ride a flying 200m to provide a time for seeding riders for the match sprint pairings. The top 16 riders then pair up with 1v16, 2v15, 3v14, etc. in a knockout format leaving two riders to fight it out for gold.

Of course, we debated endlessly about gearing (duh). At Alpenrose, my bestest flying 200 was 13.34s in a 92 inch gear which translates into an average cadence of 128 rpm. Looking at past results, it appeared that a time in the mid 12 secs would be needed to get through to the last 16. This meant that I either had to SPIN significantly faster in the 92 inch gear, or UP the gear to a quad-busting 96 inches and maintain a cadence of 125-128 rpm.

Seeing as I had nothing to lose, I installed the monster 96.4 incher (50/14). Monster for me, anyway.

This daring act shrieked "Go Big or Go Home".

The next crucial decisions were; which line to take and where to jump. Since every track has different banking, size and geometry of corners, length of straight, the line one takes from the 200m line to the finish line is not necessarily the shortest. This was to be determined by watching the other riders. Pushing such a big gear also required an earlier jump because it would take longer to get up to the maximum speed. Scorchio speed had to be reached just prior to the 200m line because once timing starts you want to maintain that speed as long as humanly (or inhumanly) possible.

We worked out the 'line-age' and 'jump-age' by carefully watching the racers ahead of us.

OK, got it. Locked in.

(modesty is set aside for the time being)

So how did it go..?..........following the wind-up, I got out of the saddle and mashed furiously exactly where I wanted to - about 100m before the start. By 200m out I could not spin any faster (perfect) and sat down and buried it, taking care to carve a good, efficient line.

Even managed to 'throw' the bike at the line.

Those 200m were bashed out in 12.41 secs at an average speed of 58 kph.

Holy handle-bar-tape - I had smashed my PR by an ENTIRE SECOND.

I love, love, love this track.

When the dust had settled my time was the 14th fastest time catapaulting me like a demented gymnast into the last 16. Does this mean that I am the 14th fastest 45-49 yo male over 200m in the 50 states of the Union?

Hells yeah!


(back to normal modesty levels now)

My 14th became 13th when the top sprinter pulled-out. As 13th seed I was to ride against the 4th seed. His name..........Brian Abers, who happens to be my track coach, National track champion (twice) and first reserve for the 92 Barcelona Olympic US track team.

Umm.....ok.

I drew pole position, which meant that the first position was mine - commonly regarded as a disadvantage. We were to complete two laps of the track with first across the line the winner. I had geared down to 94 inches for quicker acceleration.

Whether positioned first or second, match sprints are all about 'controlling' the other rider, so that one can jump at the most advantageous time.

I lead out and angled up the bank at about 10 kph keeping him pinned against the rail....watching....watching......watching. This lazy pace continued until mid-way between turns 3 and 4 on the first lap.

At this point, sensing that he was a little boxed-in..................I JUMPED !

Immediately, 3 bike lengths opened up between us. My arse was out of the saddle going balls-out trying to keep him far enough back so as not to ride in my considerable slipsteam. By turn 3 he had pulled along my outside and we were neck and neck. By the time we had been expelled from turn 4, like Barbara Streisand, he had nosed ahead.

I rode as hard as I could to the line but he bested me by about a wheel, according to my oxygen-deprived brain.

While being disappointed at losing, I was pleased about how the race unfolded with the well-timed jump and the anaerobic push to the line.

Couldn't have done it any better.

There is some consolation in that.

BA continued to ride strongly to finish 3rd in the competition. CD also rode very well to collect 4th place and a spot on the podium on the 40-44 age category.

After another rest day, day 6 brought the team pursuits. Besides myself, we had CD, BK and a strong all-rounder from Seattle, MH. In this event, the teams raced for 9 laps (4000m) in a time trial format. The sprint bars were swapped out for aero bars. Each rider would 'pull' for a half or full lap and then seamlessly angle uptrack and return to the rear of the paceline thus conserving energy for a couple of laps until another turn at the front was required. This rotation of riders kept the pace high - between 45 and 50 kph for the 4K. Only three riders need finish allowing a gassed rider to 'retire' if need be. There was some debate as to whom this might be, with several of the sprinters on the team 'generously' volunteering to pull out early. Smooth exchanges and good communication are essential for setting a fast time. We practiced a little for an hour or so before the event. All seemed well in the warm-up/practice.

I was the lead-out guy responsible for getting up to speed in a smooth but not beserk manner. Too fast and the riders behind would struggle to 'tuck in' expending unnecessary energy, too slow and we would pile up.

The race was alot of fun - a bit like a 5 min Tedderval session. At one point BK, who was ahead of me, ramped up the pace and dangled off the front for a lap or so until he slowed and came back. This had little impact on or final position and we finished in 5m11s, good enough for 7th in the 30+ race. No medal but not too shabby considering that we had not really practiced and two of us had never ridden a team pursuit.

So...................between the Abers training group, we had collected 4 medals including Gold to BA himself.

Personally, I had a fantastic time having smashed all my PRs and scoring a podium slot.

Who would have thought?

A fat, 40-something, academic who had not ridden a bike in anger until 3 years ago could compete at this level. Wonders will never cease.

Onwards............

2011 National Masters track Champs - Part one: it's business time!

The Trexlertown track, near Allentown PA,  is 333m 'round and gorgeously smooth as a big bag of smooth things. The straights are about the same length as my home track (Alpenrose) but the turns are wide, sweeping arcs that seem to go forever.

The day before the event started it bucketed down preventing any close inpection of the track itself. We arrived early the next morning to get some track time in and practice the lines for the turns. Unlike our home track where one has to actually 'turn' into the turns, no real turing is necessary and the tendency for Portlanders is to over-react and risk ending up on the apron. This was going to take some getting used to.

On a 80-something degree humid morning my kilo (1000m) time-trial was an early event on the program and I was the first rider off. The bikes were weighed (>6.8 kg) and checked for geometry (aero bars not too long) just prior to start. The low hum of hacksaws filled the air as the occasional rider was obliged to shorten his bars to become race legal.

With new wheels (Corsa Concept, 88mm rims) and a smooth track I upped the gearage to 49/14 (94 in). The race was over pretty quickly with nearly 2 secs taken of my PR to 1:17 to finish 12th overall. Some of my lines were a bit wobbly, which I put down to the new, deep wheels and not being so used to the track. Due to the fact that violent post-race coughing did NOT occur I probably could have gone faster - though the humidity may have reduced the lung scorching. The languid week in Florida dealing with the space mice prior to come to T-town probably did me no favors either. Still, I was delighted to carve so much time out of my Alpenrose PR.

Tuesday was the 3K pursuit and team sprint day for me. There was some anxiety about my saddle position. It was only about 2cm set back from the bottom bracket, and the rules require a 5cm set-back. The loop-hole is a 'morphological exemption' where if your knee cannot project forward of the bottom bracket. Fortunately, due to my short-arsed femurs I was given an exemption. We had a loaner saddle from a LBS in case the officials ruled against me.

My 3K was late in the day, 77 heats away. As you can imagine, this took ALL day and the 'morning' session finished at 5:30. My race was about 4:30. The race went well and I chipped 5 secs or so off my PR to finish in 4:06.8 in a 92 inch gear. Felt better about this race than the kilo and 'left' more on the track.

Ex-HVer MS has been racing fantastically well and won gold in her pursuit and a 4th in the scratch race the night before. Good on her.

The evening session when all the Team Sprints were to be contested was pushed back to 7pm. I teamed with my roomies CD and BK of Brihop in the 30+ race (since BK is 30-something). Since I had ridden a hard 3K 'bout 3 hours previously I got the lead out position and would only have to complete one 333m lap. My sole job was to get the other two up to speed as quickly as possible and then pull off gracefully at the start finish line. CD was to complete 2 laps and BK was to bring it home. Well, it all went pretty well. I stomped on my 94 inch gear, dropped them briefly but they caught back on and delivered them back round to the start at 50kph. We recorded a time of 1:11 which was good enough for 5th place and the podium. Holy crap! - we had won a medal at a National Championship!!!!! BA won gold in the 40+ team sprint.

Day 3 of the meet was a rest day for me with the match sprints ahead on day 4 and the 4K team pursuit on day 6. It had been a very good Championship for me so far.....what was to come ?

Vanport Kermesse - road and gravel combo Belgian style

The Vanport Kermesse was a crapton o'fun. Kevin and I represented. We lined up on a gorgeous spring morning with temps approaching 70. With the heroic events of the Hammer Velo crit yesterday foremost in our minds, we were determined to keep the good run of results for the team going. The 3 miles course was half PIR racetrack and half gravel. Perfect for me - one who is a less than stellar road-racer and an ordinary CCX racer. But when elements of these races are combined I tend to do better. Fitted 28C tyres to my roadbike and inflated to 100 psi - high enough to ward off pinch-flats but a little softenss for the gravel.

The field looked to be about 35 strong. As is customary, Kev shot off the front right from the start. Some brutal track racing in the week and a solid PIR TT outing the previous monday (combined with not racing The Hammer Velo Crit yesterday) had me primed to inflict maximum pain. By the time we have reached the racetrack I had made it to the pointy end and had turned into the arsehole who sets the fierce pace. The pack was strung out behind. 

By the end of the paved racetrack section a breakway of about seven had formed and I was one of them. Goodness! We kept the pace high through the gravel-tastic portion, the short slightly uphill rutted grass section, the technical gravel turn just before the start-finish line. On the second lap five riders got away, leaving me and a skinny roadie. We tried to get back on for a lap and a half but were caught by a chase group of about eight. Just as we had set up an organized pace line to chase the lead group, no more than 200 yeards ahead and catchable, a Showers Pass rider attacked.

Bollocks.

Our group exploded.

One of the cyclisme juniors went after him as did I. It was clear that the chase group behind could not bridge up to us so we pressed on. We continued for another lap until the SP rider gave up and drifted back to the pack chasing Cyclisme junior and I.

Kev was on the sidelines - which did not make sense to me in my tiny world of confusion - why was he not racing?. Something has ended his day.

We passed one of the lead group riders dealing with a flat.

Bonza ! - now only 4 up the road/gravel.

Cyclisme and I worked well together to make sure that we stayed away. Then the bell lap. To my surprise, we maintained the gap to our chase group until another junior bridged across. The three of us worked together for the final mile or so. We passed another lead group rider with a flat.

Bonza squared! - now only three up the road and gravel from me.

We powered through to the finish. Looks like I came home in 4th on the 4/5s. Skinny roadie came in about 40 seconds later. While delighted with that, I was most pleased with how it unfolded - riding and staying away from a group of six or so roadies.

Riding the road bike was definitely the best strategy - it was a roadies course, and those that rode 'cross bikes were at a disadvantage on the smooth fast racetrack which comprised about 40% of the route.

It was a really fun race - with more mini dramas than an episode of 'Real Elvis Wedding Planners of Las Vegas'. It seems that a road and gravel mix is a reasonable combination for this Wombat.

Memorial Day time trial at the local raceway

While we are waiting to hear all about CM's epic 24 hr TT over the weekend I thought I would report on todays Bike Tires Direct TT out at Portland International Raceway (PIR). Having race road, CCX and short-track MTB at PIR at various times in the past, I decided late yesterday to make it a quadrella of bike disciplines and add the TT.

Six laps and 12 miles was on the menu. Having got there early to register I had the luxury of 90 mins before kick-off to fiddle with the bike and warm-up. The wind was a bit squally but happily there was NO sign of rain, let alone hail or snow unlike the EPIC 'Bend Don't Freeze' race of '11.

For a change I was able to tinker with the TT set-up on my bike. Nothing special, just my Cannondale with aero bars bolted on. Skinsuit and booties completed my aero-transformation. Raised the saddle a bit, leveled the bars a bit followed by a solid warm-up had me ready to mix it up with the masters (A 'master-mix', perhaps - sorry, an appauling science joke).

The race itself was uneventful. Got passed a couple of times, and in turn passed a few blokes. Finished in 28m15s to take 8th place out of 14 Masters riders - solidly mid-pack. A couple of things to be pleased about. My average speed of 24.5 mph (40 kph) was faster I had ever done a TT in, but of course, there were no hills and no significant wind to slow this clydesdale down. After lap one, I did not even change from the 50/15 I had settled into, so I was able to hold a very steady pace throughout.

Onwards.......

First PIR outing of the year

In an effort to get more miles in my legs I decided to race both the 4/5 and 3/4 races at PIR last night. The Neighbor joined me in these adventures.

Paradoxically, the 4/5 race has always been harder than the 3/4 race for me. There are never any breaks that stick and it all omes down to firepower at the end. Also, with such a short race (6 laps and 12 miles) there is not enough road to tire out the younger riders. The Neighbor and I did some work at the front but I had nothing to give at the end and drifted across the line in 19th, saving myself for the 3/4 race. The Neighbor got 10th.

The other Jamie started in the 45-strong 3/4 field with us. We had not discussed a plan and were going to have to wing it. The pace was high from the start and, determined not to be dropped, I hung onto one wheel or another taking care not to drift too far back.

Then with about 6 laps to go, the decisive break formed. About 15 riders got away, including the other Jamie. The pace immediately lifted and I buried myself just to say in touch with the chase pack. When I had the time and energy to glance back a lap later, the rest of the field was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that I was part of a chase group numbering 12. Sweet!

Now..........for the first time since the El Luchador days I was in a position to influence the race. With the other Jamie up the road, I was disinclined to be an active participant in the chase.
 
Instead, like a demented rock-sucking lamprey climbing Willamette Falls, I sucked wheel as if my progeny depended on it. I took only a single, anaemic pull. The few that did not have representatives in the break could not broach the ever widening gap.
 
Satisfied that the chase would not be successful, I conserved energy until the end and sprinted early making them chase me down, which three of them did. I finished 19th to Jamie Blair's 6th. I was happy to have rode strongly and played a (small) role in foiling the chase thereby protecting Jamie's position.

Cherry Blossom Race Report

Wombat got dropped quicker than ..........

.....a tea bag at a Starbucks conference on National octo-americano day

.....a clydesdale with a parachute malfunction

.....a 7 year-old's broccoli parfait at the entrance to the Wonka factory

.....a bride's panties on her wedding night.

.....Brads trousers on birthday-thong night.

.....a honey badger at the petting zoo.

.....a keg of IPA washed up on a desert island

.....dad bolting when baby delivers a small sewer plant into his diaper

.....a Tea Party convention attendee who off-handedly remarks "you know.....Obama might be onto something with this health-care reform business".


Please feel free to add your own - I can take it. No, really.

'Piece of cake' - humbled by a hipster!

The 'Piece of Cake' road race was going to be very interesting with the inclusion this year of 3.5 miles of gravel road in each 17 mile loop. Were were to circle three times for a total of 54 miles. In addition to the gravel, the early season racing also meant that wind and rain were part of the mix promising an epic day of racing. Just my cup of tea. The plan was to get riders into the break and support them as appropriate.

Unfortunately, of the five Hammer Velo riders in the Men's 4 field, three of us got dropped right from the start in the gravel section thereby curtailing any possibility of influencing the race in a meaningful way. Only Ian and Mr Smith made into the breakaway. I was first wheel behind AH, who is an excellent time-trialist and, although mindful of the need to block, was hoping that he would help close the gap in the first section of gravel. He could not, and when I took over after the first RH turn in the gravel and revved up the engine, he and the others were gone and the leading group was more than 100m ahead.

Bollocks ! The race was less than 10 minutes old with two and a half hours and 50 more miles to ride, possibly alone.

At this point I was thinking 'crap', what to do now. Drift back and block to help out the two HVers up the road or try and hold my position. As it happened, AH, a kid, and two others bridged up to me on the road section after the gravel. We pacelined for a cople of miles but the two fastest ones soon dropped us and I, following a short uphill surge, dropped the last two to once again be alone.

I then started to pick off several Masters 1/2/3 riders who had begun five minutes before us. I then caught a bearded unattached hipster in my field in a white kit/rain jacket and we rode together for the remainder of the lap. I pulled too hard through the finish line area and he dropped me on the hill. However, he was caught again in the cross wind section amidst the short rollers.

At this point, I decided to reward myself with some fuel and reached back for a perpetuum solid. As I pulled out the tube my drivers license FELL OUT of my back pocket. Wha' the effin' eff. I debated leaving it for recovery later but decided it was perhaps better to go back now. So I circled around and retrieved it. Hipster was now 200m ahead and I began the chase again. It took me half a lap, but I caught him for the THIRD time in the brutal headwind section near the railway tracks. I must have seemed like a small yappy dog to him - persistant, annoying and not going away. We rode together with another rider who decided that two laps were enough for him and turned left back to the parking lot rather than battle on for a third lap.

In the gravel section on this third lap, we caught Ian who was very tired and suffering badly with a dodgy back. We worked together for a while but it was clear that Ian was not going to be able to stay with us. I wanted to keep that pace reasonably high to minimize the chances of getting caught ourselves and Ian dropped off near the start of the headwind about six miles before the finish line.

Like a delusional chess grandmaster, by now I was thinking of the end-game. Hipster looked to be riding fluidly and efficiently and we had established that this was his first Cat 4 race, having rode a Banana Belt race as a Cat 5. I should have asked him how he did in that race! I didn't because I was supremely confident about crushing him in the sprint :). I positioned myself in his draft with about 300m to go.

Like all good sprinters, he was watching and, at the 200m mark, jumped first. I came out from behind and quickly made up half a bike length. We punished ourselves for another 100m with him holding me off in the final drive to the line by half a wheel length to take 9th place to my 10th. Whilst recovering, I glanced around nervously hoping that no one had witnessed me, an aspiring track rider, being beaten in a sprint by a skinny bearded hipster-type. Thinking back, a better strategy would have been to stay in his draft for longer and look to surge past at about the 50m mark.

As I was to learn later, the hipster was in fact a very strong SS 'cross  racer and track rider with a better kilo time than me (and 10 years younger). He had also won the Cat 5 race at Banana Belt.

I feel better now (sniffle....).

This was the only negative about a fantastic, if adversarial, day of racing. I felt pretty good about my race having battled hard to make up ground after the initial droppage while often riding solo or with one other. Pleased too about squeezing into the top 10.

By staying at the pointy end the entire race, Mr Smith proved that he was the strongest and toughest of the HV riders and worthy of our support.

Notably, 40% of the field failed to finish - victims of the gravel-tastic element.

Banana Belt 'training ride'

My first road race of the season was an adventure. After an incident-free preparation and warm-up on the rollers I was feeling good going into the 40+ cat 4/5 race. The plan was for me to deliver KO and maybe HG to the base of the finish-line hill at speed. However, before then I needed to knock down 44 miles and climb the post-dam hill four times. First time round was no problem and actually made it up the hill towards the front of the pack. OH YEAH!

It was going to be a good day.

Then as things were going well, about 3/4 around lap 1 on a slight downhill, I hit a small rock to the right of the fog line and flatted the rear wheel.

Crap!

I waited for the wheel car and we got it changed over quite slowly - prolly lost about 90 secs to the pack. A combination of being very pissed off, my natural stubborness and reluctance to waste the entry fee spurred me to chase - so I time-trialed my arse off. As I reached the dam about 5 miles later, the pack was just exiting the dam. I had made up some ground but was still gapped by about 60 secs. At the base of the hill they were at the top of the hill. I chased for another lap.

However, by the time the dam came 'round again they were already off the dam and up the hill. I was losing ground. My race was probably over.

Then the 50+ field came up behind me, which had started a minute or two behind my 40+ group. They caught me near the top of the hill and I soft pedalled on the extreme right of the road and let them pass. I held a position about 2 bike lengths back from the last rider but in front of the OBRA official's car.

The official pulled up beside me and indicated that he was OK with me being there (off the back with no riders behind) but if I got significantly gapped he expected me to drop off. I agreed and stayed there being careful not to interfere with their race in any way. By now, I had ridden behind the old buggers for 12 miles or so. On the last lap at the hill, the 50+ group gapped me and I slowed. I rode the last half lap with JT who had cramped up and also dropped on the hill. 

Looking at the positive, although I had failed to influence the race in any way, it was a very good workout. By riding alone for 2.5 laps exposed to the wind, likely did more work than anyone in the 4/5s.

So, what can I take away from the race?

First, don't flat.

Second, practice wheel changes. A 45 sec gap that early in the race might have given me a chance, but 90 secs was too much.

Oh, and OBRA officials totally rock.