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Sunday, July 12, 2009

The team at Stampede. UPDATED with Slayer Dan's recount of the Action !

Well, we had a great turnout for the Stampede Road Race today. The Crankmasters run this unique event every year where it is split up into age categories instead of ability categories. However, racers have the option to enter the 'Elite' race if you are Cat1/2 or 3 regardless of age. For the Elite race, our team consisted of Dallas, Alex, Frank, Thomas, Keith, Trev. For the Master's A race the team was Simon, Harley, Slayer Dan, Ale, Darcy, and Chris Hooper. For Master B we had Darryl and Rick. For Masters C we had Mike G and Mike H. For women we had Amanda and Kailee.

I can talk about the Elite race, and hopefully someone will pipe up with accounts of the others.

Elite Race Report: The Short: Team Awesomeness

The Long: We went in with a plan. The plan was to get Dallas into a break in the latter half of the race, and since Brian Robinson was the next strongest guy, it would be good if he was in it too. The rest of us would be super aggressive and wear people down until that time. Then we'd cover for Dallas. The plan was laid to perfection, which almost never happens, so it was ultra cool to be part of it! Frank started things off at about kilometer 2 with an attack on the uphill section about 10min after the neutral flag was dropped. As soon as he came back our team just attacked and attacked and attacked. How fun is that?? !! Frank was absolutely amazing!! It was his massive break on lap 3 that created the decisive move. As soon as Frank came back, Dallas got away with Brian and with the help of Bow Cycle (Brian's team) we shut things down. We let two riders go once we knew Dallas and Brian had the win locked up thinking they would come back, however they put in a monster effort and caught up to the guys and contributed to the breakaway's success. So we just locked everything down knowing that Dallas can handle himself in a sprint !! Alex and I had done our jobs and were smiling when we dropped off the shredded chase group. We stopped at the finish line to watch the sprint and screamed like crazy when Dallas took the sprint !!

Good work to Brian for almost defending his Stampede title. That guy is getting stronger and stronger and I am looking forward to watching him progress.

The Lantern Rouge Post from the Masters A Group

Everyone,

Wow, what a tough race yesterday! At the start, Simon and I were discussing some of the points of the course and the types of climbs they were and positioning within the peloton. Our goal was to be in the leading positions at the first sharp corner leaving Dog Pound and then get at the climbs.

The first lap was uneventful, checking out the road conditions and observing the group. The winds were testy and it was good to see the best lines on the road.

Lap 2, Simon, Alejandro and Harley broke away with a group of riders and I could not join them. They all looked super strong and climbed away from me. I was able to bridge up to a single rider that got dropped and we worked together to pick up another 2 riders. Within half a lap, we had an excellent echelon going that had 8 riders and we could see the leaders. We were working fairly well together and making some time back. I have mentioned in the past in race reports regarding the lack of riding skills and basic techniques of wind riding and positioning. Once again I find myself as the "Paceline Coach" telling riders where they should go, how long they should pull for, and why it doesn't make sense tactically to ride solo, when a group of 8 could make serious time gains.

Well on Lap 3 my hard effort of organizing the 8 riders went bust. Team Bicisport attacked on the north section, splitting the chase group apart. I was at my limits trying to match the surges and at the hard east corner, I started suffering. As I made the climb, the group surged ahead again, by Bicisport and I was done. When the elastic snaps, it really snaps. I was laying in the ditch like I had just been hit in the face by a bungy chord!

I was able to ride back to the golf course with Thomas. I was hoping that my well mannered jokes and witty remarks would motivate him to continue riding with me. He went straight (chicken!) and I turned for the start of my completely solo, no water, no nutrition final two laps.

I suffered, boy did I suffer. It was fun to continue though and focus on spinning and building some endurance. On my last two laps I saw only two riders moving forward. One of the guys from the High River club and Harley's girlfriend. Can't remember her name (sorry). My family came out on the course and saw me on some the sections. It is always cool to hear the encouragement from your kids. I'm not sure if they could tell how much the daddy was suffering though. "Mommy mommy, is daddy's face supposed to be purple like that?"

In all, very tough race, and those short steep climbs really took in out of me. I'm not sure if riding the course 1 full lap as a warm up was a good idea. Sometimes I don't deal with peer pressure well. Thanks Mr. Healy!

Also, next year, I'm not going to drive Dallas to the race. The last 2 laps I kept thinking to myself, "How can I drop out of this race with a healthy DNF and drive the guy that just won Ride Across the West home, he's going to think I'm a tool!"

Good job to all that raced. Everyone looked really strong and fit. Simon and Dallas, you guys are freakin awesome!

Slayer Dan

13 comments:

Dallas said...

Ya 'awesomeness' is right. Props to Brian R for puttin me in the hurt box today!.
And yes, Man did Frank throw down!! He must have been swearing up a storm up there ?.

Also the guy who won 3rd in our Category (ERTC), he was DQ'.. I don't know why but they let him race anyway ?. instead of telling him from the car ?. Then at the finish he was DQ and everybody was bumped up one notch.

I think they're cracking down on Centerline Violations...

But wicked Cat A Simon too!.. I saw his group of 4 finishing as I rolled back to the car. Taking his Sprint too.

Thanks for ride Slayer Dan !

Darryl said...

Not much to say for Masters B. Flatted on the last downhill on the backside of lap one, neutral wheel rubbed stealing megawatts of power from my kilowatts of output. Bailed. Rick was in Masters C.

Darcy G said...

Congrats Dallas and Simon! I'll leave a writing a Masters A report to someone who was actually in the thick of the race. I had a great solo training ride in the country wearing a number on my back. I can't claim any credit at all for helping Simon to victory!

Dennis said...

Damn! That sounded like an awesome race. Great job guys!

Darcy G said...

Dan,

Ryan Barr and I were trying to catch, but the B's got in between us, and things went downhill from there. I figured I would quit when I was pushing hard to go 12 kph in the sludge, into the headwind, between turns 3 and 4.

Anonymous said...

I was not a fan of that attack by the bici dudes at the start of the third lap - the full lap time trial was not cool!

Nice work Dan trying to get people to work together in the chase, I really don't understand what some of those guys were doing...

Jared Green said...

Dan, you are a master of the quote...

"The last 2 laps I kept thinking to myself, "How can I drop out of this race with a healthy DNF and drive the guy that just won Ride Across the West home, he's going to think I'm a tool!"

I love it.

Anonymous said...

I also questioned the wisdom of the warm up lap while riding solo off the back for a lap and a half. For some reason I felt a little bit knackered.

alejandro H said...

nice work everyone! harlee and I had an encounter with some guys who refused to paceline, or hold a line period, anyways hammered them in the sprint...that one was for you harlee! Cheers

Dallas said...

ha ha, i'll take that as a compliment... next time I'm driving alone?

Slayer Dan said...

Dallas,

No way man. Your the only guy on the team that has ever heard of Testament, knows what Garage Days means, and even knows who Rob Halford is.

True metal, we got to stay together, at least in the car, maybe not on the bikes.

Dan

Dallas said...

Dan, you could be an asset for RAAM 010, Support Chief Metal Detail.
Although Testament can send you over the edge.

Harley Borlee said...

Thanks Alejandro, you earned the cudo's thou. It does feel good to know you dropped the hammer on those guys though!!

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