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Sea Otter MTB Race
2nd Place
Olympic U18
Field 45
Teammates: Josh
I was having issues with my drivetrain before the race and surprise, during the race too. Every time I came to a hill, I couldn’t shift so I had to run up the hill. Oh well, maybe one of these days my 29lb bike will work. Toy’s R’ Us has got to have a sale soon, maybe I’ll get an upgrade.
Sea Otter Circuit Race
6th Place
Jrs
Field 50+
Teammates: Josh, Max
Today was another fast race like the day before but a much different course. Somewhere near the middle of the race, Max and I found ourselves off the front and went with it, trying to shell some riders who had to chase. We were caught, and on the last lap, Lombardi cheated, and got away with it again. I won the field sprint but that was for 6th place.
Sea Otter RR
1st Place
Jrs
Field 80+
Teammates: Josh, Max
I have been preparing for this race all year long, knowing it is the biggest race in California and one of the biggest races in the country, bringing in the best riders from all over the nation. The race started out fast, especially on the hills. It seemed like we went up the hills faster than the flats. I tried to save my energy for the long hill before entering the Laguna Seca race track (as if anyone else wasn’t). We were going up the hill Switters started dropping people from the pace he was setting. Max was right on his wheel and I was on Max’s wheel. Near the top I was hurting but caught up to the group halfway down the short descent before the track. When I got into the group I shouted to max, “GO”. He lead out the group into the track and started setting a hard pace to lead me out for the sprint. I realized he was setting a really hard pace all the sudden while I was sitting on his wheel, so I moved to the other side of the track. He realized I did that so he attacked and got a good size gap. People chased him and I sat on their wheels. With about 200 to go, it was apparent max was going to get caught and that it was going to end in a sprint. People pulled off, not wanting to lead the sprint so I was stuck in the front. People started their sprint with 200 to go so I stood up and maintained the same speed as the people that were aside me for about 5 seconds so no one would sit on my wheel and come around in the final meters. I started my sprint, finished my sprint, and realized we did it.
Pilarcitos Stage Race
1st Place
Cat 3
Field 42
Teammates: Solo
After being skeptical of my TT abilities I ended up getting 4th in both time trials, both which I had problems in. In the hilly TT, I was pushing a huge gear and hurt my back before the final climb which cost me a bit of time and then my bottom bracket started to fall out which scared me for the final 10min, thinking it was the rear wheel. Later that day, or night (being ~6:30pm), I went off for the Flat (flattish) time trial and was feeling great, but I didn’t know how fast I was going or how much time was left because I didn’t have any computers. I finished before I realized it and ended up within seconds of first which could have been closed in the final 3min had I known the finish was that close. The next day I went to the crit to find out I was leading the GC, wearing the yellow jersey. I knew I would have to do really well in the crit and figured I mine as well go for the sprint bonus pts. Everyone in the crit were time trialist who didn’t want to finish with a field sprint, interpretation: Fast, very fast. I ended up getting a good amount of sprint bonuses. With 2 laps to go, the rider in 2nd place in GC had his teammate start a leadout so I sat in comfortably in 3rd. With about 600m to go coming out of a hairpin, the rider I was supposed to be watching attacked and I hesitated, surprised he attacked. I thought it was going to end in a sprint. I chased him and couldn’t close the gap in time but got 2nd, far in front of the field (or what remained of it). The results came out, I won the GC SWEET. Thanks Jason for letting me borrow the cool wheels, taking me there and offering support. Finally my luck has turned around for the better
McLane Pacific RR
DNF
Cat 3
Field 113
Teammates: Josh, Max
I was feeling sooo good, my HR stayed between 125-160bpm the whole race so I was fresh the whole race. Max and Josh helped keep the race together for me. Going into the last couple miles, the pace really picked up and I sat in the top ten with ease. A Solano rider went down directly in front of me with 800m to go, you can guess what happened to me. I got up and realized what was wrong; I was fresh and ready to win the field sprint but I was on the ground and my bike was in a ditch. I could have tried to run the last 800m but the field was already done by the time I figured out I wasn’t dead. So far March has been my favorite month HAH.
McLane Pacific Grand Prix
14th Place
Cat 3
Field 108
Teammates: Josh, Max
I was feeling really dehydrated and didn’t have a good start. I spent a lot of energy trying to get back up to the front but it was hard because people were going for primes every other lap. Max went for a prime with about 6 to go and stayed off the front for 1.5 laps. I thought I was in good position, sitting in on Solano’s leadout train but they died with half a lap to go. People got around me and I was in bad position for the sprint.
McLane Pacific Grand Prix
DNF (result of another rider’s misconduct)
Jrs
Teammates: Josh, Max
I felt great, my sprint was strong for the primes, ended up in a break with Max and some Lombardi riders. The break was caught with about 2 laps to go. On the last lap, closing in to the finish, a Lombardi rider attacked and I covered. One problem, the guy’s teammate hooked me. My front wheel was ripped apart and was lucky not to go down. The officials didn’t care to look into the dangerous move made by the other rider. Racing is one thing, misconduct is another. I hope the officials do more in the future to investigate these types of incidents.
Mather Field Crit
3/7/04
4th Place
Cat 3
Field 63
Teammates: Max, Josh
Cat 3 I sat in the field as a cooldown/warmup from the jr race and when I felt good, I went for a prime and won it (mmm subway sandwich). I put out too much energy trying to get a good position and only got 4th instead of 1st when I know it should have been an easy 1st (I know it sounds like excuses, but it is all just experience). Hit 39.6mph though in the jr cassette, that was pretty fun.
Mather Field Crit
3/7/04
7th Place
Jrs
Field 22
Teammates: Max, Josh, Tyler, Joe, Jason
I went for as many primes as I could for practice and was successful each time. I covered some attacks and eventually ended up working with a Lombardi rider. He sat up so I attacked him and got about a two second gap that I held for the next three laps. I realized that the main field was closing in so I sat up and waited for the group, saving my energy for the sprint. I sat in the field, covered a few more attacks and watched Max and another rider pull away from the field. I kinda got caught up in the same repetitious laps and forgot that crits are very short. I found myself watching a rider ride on the sidewalk while I was supposed to be moving up to the front for the field sprint. 7th place instead of 1st place when my legs felt damn good, oh well, experience.
Landpark Crit
3/6/04
5th Place
Jrs
Field 25
Teammates: Max
Did another one of my 20min runs as a warmup. Wasn’t ready for the fast pace from the start and couldn’t take any of the primes. People attacked, max and I covered the best we could. Some breaks got away like Clint and Pottymouth. They got about 15sec on the field, far enough that they were out of site on the large open oval course. Max got me up to speed and I bridge up to them in 1lap. Without realizing it, on the last lap, I boxed myself in and a group of 4 riders rode away. I was forced to chase the break after it was a good 5 sec up the road. 5th place when my legs felt good for a sprint, oopsies!!
Pinole TTT
2/29/04
1st Place
Jrs
Teammate: Max
Had a good 10min warmup J. Pedaled hard. What else can be said about a TT?
Snelling RR
2/21/04
1st Place
Cat3
Field: 87
Teammates: Josh
Josh and I had a nice ½ of a lap warmup singing and just having fun (we didn’t warmup and used the slow start to get our legs warmed up). Some early breaks formed which Josh chased down, putting in some hard pulls. We started lap 3 in bad position and payed for it really soon. I found a couple of riders moving to the front and let them tow me to the front unfortunately, Josh was unable to find his way to the front while the group started splitting apart. Before I realized what happened I was off the front of the group, hoping I was bridging a gap (instead of going off the front), because I was unsure at that point since I was sitting in up to that point. I put in a few hard pulls and bridged gap to the lead group with 6-8 people. I made a couple pulls, working with the new, 15 person breakaway group until the group got bigger, to ~35 people. I sat in, hoping Josh would be able to catch back on. With 18mi to go, two strong riders attacked which no one covered (I didn’t know about it until they were already long gone). Some people tried bridging so I sat on their wheels, figuring they’d either bring me up to the breakaway or sit up (since I didn’t want anymore people up the road). I got into a couple small chase groups just from covering and didn’t mind working with them since I knew it was just reeling back the breakaway group. On the last lap, I attacked at the feed zone hill and tried bridging the gap up to the breakaway group. I didn’t get a big enough gap on the field so I sat up (I didn’t bridge the gap but cut the breakaway group’s gap by 30sec). We could see the breakaway up the road getting closer every mile so I knew people would start attacking, so I sat 2nd wheel, not completely protected from the crosswind just so I wouldn’t get boxed in and miss a rider that is breaking away. Sooner than I realized we arrived at the turn before the finishing stretch. I found myself in 8th position and just waited a little bit for people to start moving around. I put in a small surge to get 2nd wheel with 300m to go and sat on it until the base of the finishing hill. I came around, heard everyone screaming so I just put in everything I had left after the long, race. The team has come a long way in so little time, thanks everyone for the support.
Cantua Creek RR
2/16/04
4th Place
Cat 3
Field: 15
Teammates: Max, Josh
This was one of the most tedious race courses in NorCal, a Stiff Crosswind/Headwind for 1/2 the race. Max attacked before the turnaround took Collin with him. At the turnaround, another couple riders attacked which I covered. I had a good time sitting in while they were chasing down Max up the road. Eventually one of the guys sat up which created a gap between me and the other one so I let the gap grow to about 200m then put in a nice sprint up to 45mph in the tailwind to close the gap and drop the straggler. The guy chasing eventually gave up about 400m from Max and Collin so I bridged it. We got caught a little bit later then started a rotating paceline into the headwind. Max got to the front and I sat up which opened a gap which no one wanted to close. Max pulled away while everyone looked at each other, not wanting to really do work into the headwind to close the gap. Josh and I covered and disrupted the paceline for the next 40miles. After everyone gave up on catching max, attacks came one after another which I had to reel in, not a hard task but just kind of annoying because I was starting to get impatient with Coalinga and it's headwinds. With 180m to go, a rider started his sprint so I decided to go from there instead of sitting on his wheel which I should have done since it was a sprint into a headwind going uphill. I blew up about 30m from the line which was really annoying since I knew I blew it. No big upset because we did it, Max got 1st in Cat 3. Max won a Cat 3 RR, the first Jr. to do so in many, many years.
Dinuba Crit
2/15/04
3rd Place
Juniors 16-18
Field: 9 (in age, 10 all ages)
Teammates: Charles, Tyler, Lars, Josh, Peter, Max
There were only 3 other jrs so we decided to take flyers until we had 2-3 up the road. Max and Josh got up the road and got a 1/2 lap lead in the first half of the race while I covered and rested since I had a rough time at Pine Flat. I waited for the sprint and started way too late, initiating my sprint 100m from the line from 3rd wheel. The teamwork was great, a big improvement since the last year.
Pine Flat RR
2/14/04
Result: In the field
Cat 3
Field: 43
Teammates: Max, Josh
I sat near the front sending riders off the front who didn't look too strong to start a 5 man breakaway which had no chance of succeeding. With a break up the road, people finally started picking up the pace, fearing that the breakaway might last, which I knew it wouldn't. I stayed near the front and simply made sure that no one bridged the gap since that could pose a big problem if they are strong. Josh and I covered many short lived attacks until two strong riders on the same team attacked which I had to cover. It took a good 10 seconds to catch their wheel. They bridged the gap to the initial breakaway group. I started working hard with the other two that just bridged the gap knowing that I could outclimb and outsprint everyone in the group. We got a gap of 1:30 but then got caught within 5 minutes when we hit the hills. I bonked big time but max was able to hang in and pull off a 4th place while I struggled to get back to the car.
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