Warm Weekend Racing

Summer weather has made its first big appearance of the year this last weekend with temps in the 80’s and fairly high humidity.  Finally!  Racing in the heat is much better than racing in cold and rainy weather we become accustomed to during spring racing here in Wisco.

The Hartland and Sussex criteriums were on tap this last weekend as part of the WCA series.  Hartland’s course was flat as a board but the wind played a factor as it swirled around all day.  The Sussex course had some climbing involved with a good uphill section leading to the start/finish.  Both races this weekend were fairly boring.  The Hartland race ended in a field sprint.  The Sussex race ended with a field sprint for 3^rd because two got away with about 5 to go.  Both races were fun though and taught me a little bit about positioning going into the final corner of the race.  Position is critical in criterium racing; if you’re not 3^rd or 4^th wheel, you’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to win.  Again, position is everything.  I didn’t position well in either race (or for most of the season) and finished in my normal range.  9^th at Hartland and 7^th at Sussex…  WCA “points-monkey” is happy though!

After the Sussex – Cat 3 race, I gave the 1/2/3 race a go.  It was awesome for the first 30 minutes and then I ran out of water.  Trying to keep up with those guys on a hot day after already racing put me in the hole but not having extra water on hand killed me.  I dropped out of the race just over the mid-point.  It was a good time and I was happy to know that about half the field dropped out prior to my exit!  It’s a win!

Team Extreme Results: 

Hartland:  M3/4 = Rick Amen 3^rd; Jeff Gantz 17^th; John Timm 26^th; Brian Petted 36^th; Jeff Parker 37^th; Terence Beilfuss 41^st; Jim Giese 47^th.  M4/5 = Terence Beilfuss 4^th; William Koehler 7^th; John Timm 8^th; Bradley Wells 9^th; Andrew Rossa 19^th; Jorge Reyes 21^st; Jim Giese 24^th; Jeff Parker 27^th.  Cat 3 = Jeramey Werbelow 4^th; Travis Heller 9^th. 

Sussex:  M3/4 = Jeff Melcher 1^st; Rick Amen 2^nd; Terence Beilfuss 11^th; Jeff Gantz 15^th; Brian Petted 22^nd.  M4/5 = Terence Beilfuss 1^st; Will Hollrith 9^th; John Timm 14^th; William Koehler 15^th; Jeff Parker 19^th; Jorge Reyes 27^th; Brad Babcock 33^rd; Scott Ertl 36^th.  Cat 3 = Travis Heller 7^th; Jeramey Werbelow 13^th.

LaRue-Denzer-LaRue

Pain and suffering is what was handed down on Saturday, May 15^th for the LaRue-Denzer-LaRue road race which turned out to be a true race of attrition.  Mother Nature handed out one of the nicest days for cycling in spring with temps ranging in the low 70’s.  The course though was anything but nice to those who don’t care for roads that pitch to the sky.  Two long, grueling climbs per lap led to many burning legs and seared lungs as riders churned out the climbs.

Cat 3’s started out fairly mild with the first few accelerations waiting until the mid-section of the first climb on the half-lap.  Half of the field was shattered off the back after the first climb.  The front group continued to get smaller each time up the massive climbs.  The real action started on the last lap of the race when an attack went off the front on the first climb.  The attack was quite impressive to say the least.  Jordan Cullen, a junior and Cat 3 racer bolted off the front like there was no incline at all.  I would say it was like Contador attacking on the first opportunity he could in last year’s TdF.  The attack was so impressive it took 8 of us in a rotating pace line over 5 miles to pull back the break.  Cullen threw off another great attack on the Denzer climb and got away from the field again but was swallowed up with about 4 miles to go.  He gave us all a good tutorial on how to climb.

The last miles were all downhill and the tactics started to play out.  On the last descent, a rider from the XXX Racing team sprinted and I grabbed his wheel.  Once he tired I threw off my own attack hoping to create a gap on the field.  It didn’t work.  I sprinted hard to catch the back of the pack and without warning, my right hamstring turned into concrete and cramped severely.  I sat up and rolled in for 8^th place.  Ouch, that hurt.  Legs are still feeling the beating almost a week later.

It was a painful but fun day.  Descending the hills after the climbs was a welcome relief but took some serious concentration because we flew down the hills at 50+ mph.  Top speed on the day for me was 51.4 mph.  The Madone 6.9 floats on descents.  Without having any weight advantage I was able to easily coast by others on the descent.  The bike’s frame and the wheels ceramic bearings all most likely played a factor in the superior descending.  Fun stuff, look forward to doing it again next year.

Congrats to all who braved the hills on Freedom and Denzer roads!

Team Extreme results on the day:  Cat M4/5 – Terence Beilfuss; Cat 3 – Travis Heller 8^th; Cat M3/4 – Jeff Melcher 1^st; Rick Amen 8^th; and Brian Petted 18^th.

2010 Team Extreme Racing Clinic A Success!

Team Extreme held its 2^nd annual Racing Clinic which was directed by two ex-professionals who provided the ground work for a phenomenal event.  Tom Schuler and Robbie Ventura led various drills to increase the participant’s bike handling skills, ability to take wheels safely, covering gaps to break attempts and more.  The two also spoke in a number of sessions about how to take advantage of the X-factors like aerodynamics and reviewing drills conducted on the road.

The camp was well participated with attendance ranging near 40 riders from various teams.  Overall the camp was again a great success!  For those who have not participated in the clinic in the past, look to join us for the 2011 TE Racing Clinic next May.

2010 Capitol Reef Classic

Sick of the delays at the start of Superweek races?  Looking to compete in a stage race outside of the midwest?  Check out the Capitol Reef Classic - 3rd Annual High Desert Stage Race in Utah on July 16th - 17th.  This is a 2-day, 3-stage race including a time trial, circuit race and road race.  Are you up for the challenge?

http://www.capitolreefclassic.com/

Muskego Park Criterium

Clouds and light rain, then some sun, and then more clouds and light rain.  That’s essentially the weather for the entire Cat 3 race for the Muskego Park criterium.   Highlight of this race was my teammates awesome “threading-the-needle” move through the pack to launch a sprint that won the race by a half a wheel.  To sum up the race quickly, there really was no action all day.  Strong headwinds on the uphill section with great tailwind on the downhill discouraged any attempts for a break.  Going into a field sprint, Team Extreme was lined up nicely for a lead out.  Jeff Melcher, then myself, and then Jeramey.  After the final corner, Jeff pulled hard with the pack but eventually those in front slowed down due to the wind… field mushroomed.  Jeff went right, I went left and Jeramey shot the gap.  That was the move that launched Jeramey to the front for the sprint.  No real lead out of sorts but with the hole opened, the win was imminent. 

Results on the day for Cat 3’s: Jeramey Werbelow – 1^st; Travis Heller – 8^th; Rick Amen – 13^th; Jeff Melcher – 15^th; and Brian Petted – 18^th.

Weekend Wrap-up

A little overdue but here's the scoop on last weekend's racing:

     The first weekend of May brought the Wisconsin Cycling Associates races to two locations that are known for intense racing and hard fought battles.  The 2010 versions of the Circuit of Sauk and LaCrosse Criterium brought out the best in each category and provided for great racing.

     Saturday, 5/1 brought everyone to the hills just south of Reedsburg, WI in which all who have raced there previously know about a hill that resembles a “wall”.  The hill is about a half-mile and has a decent gradient to it, enough to deter many from trying to charge away on their own.  Conditions were okay for spring racing but Mother Nature threw in a twist with some strong winds which proved to be a challenge for everyone’s handling skills.

     The Cat 3 race rolled out last in the day at 1:10 and finished just under the time of 2 hours for the 45 mile, 3 lap race.  3 laps equaled 6 decisive climbs.  On lap one going up the “wall” a good portion of the field was already decimated.  With a strong headwind going south, those without a wheel to find shelter were out of luck and unable to gain any lost ground of the lead group.  Our lead group started with about 15 and whittled down to 12 going into the last climb.  The last two laps of the race didn’t have any spectacular events take place until the last climb on Shortcut Road.  I fell off the group of 8 and was chasing two in front of me.  Time trialing I caught the two racers about 150 meters before the finish and launched a quick, surprising sprint that was unmatched by the two who had no idea I was coming.  Sprinting hard after a long race I finished 8^th on the day.  Happy with the results we packed up the car and drove up to LaCrosse for Sunday’s criterium.

     Sunday, 5/2 was the LaCrosse criterium which is one of the best venues of the year with the course having its front straight along Riverside Park and the Mississippi River.  One tight turn and a few bumpy turns to finish out a lap.  The Cat 3 race started off as usual, immediate attacks and high pace to catch all attempts.  Break attempts were made but none succeeded.  Everyone was able to keep their bikes upright even in close corners.  Race came down to the final lap in which after turn 3 the race was pretty well decided.  My recount of the last lap includes me holding 5^th wheel and being boxed in tightly down the back stretch.  Just before turn 3, the riders in front of me shifted to the left while 2 riders made a large acceleration from the right.  I jumped to catch the wheel of the acceleration and was able to go through turn 3 in third wheel.  Coming out of turn 4 the position was the same and the sprint was on.  Headwind sprint didn’t help but was gaining on the two in front of me.  With a wheel throw at the line, I just squeaked out 2^nd place.  Photo finish at the end showed me out of 1^st by about half a wheel length.  A few more meters would have been nice but I have no problem with 2^nd.  Highest placing of the year!

     Team Extreme had another great showing over the weekend with Jeff Melcher winning back-to-back in the M3/4’s.  In Cat 3’s we also had Jeramey Werbelow finishing 6^th at LaCrosse.

Next up: Muskego Park Criterium in Muskego, WI on Saturday, 5/8.