Iowa State Cat 1,2,3 Road Race Preview

The 2009 Iowa State Road Race Championhsips will take place this Saturday, August 1st, in West Branch Iowa. The Cat 1/2's will be racing for 10 places and $1200 alongside the Cat 3's who will be vying for the top 5 positions and their share of $600. Of course, the real 'glory' is to get on the podium so as to win one of the three medals available to Iowa riders.

I previewed the course Sunday and was reminded that this route always seems to be 'rolling'. The gradient is rarely flat, either heading up or down. There isn't any one hill that stands out, rather a wide variety of gradients that will drain rider's energy over the course of 108 miles. Hmm, 108 miles... that means this race could aproach the 5 hour mark for some riders, that is a lot of saddle time. How many Iowa amateurs cyclists (especially Cat 3's) really train for that sort of distance? Hopefully no one, at least that is what many entrants will be hoping. We will all suffer together, with the Cat 3 race most likely coming down to a 'survival of the fittest'.


- 2009 State Road Race Contender Rundown -

Iowa City Cycling Club/Mercy Specialized:
I feel that Brian Eppen and Jeff Barnes will be their main contenders. Any question of Brian's form this year was put to rest as he nearly won all three events he entered in the Iowa State Criterium championships. He finished 5th last year in the Road Race Championships. Teammate Jeff Barnes finished 3rd last year, and has a very respectable racing resume. Joe Hetrick and Adam Price should be very present throughout the race, rounding out this talented Cat 1/2 squad. Not sure if Duane Dickey or Ryan Nenninger will be entering, but if they do, then Iowa City is going to have some massive talent.


Thier Cat 3 team doesn't have a very large roster this year, however Brendan Keely is always competitive and Jimmy Carrico is an excellent junior.


Atlas/Ecolips:
Jim Cochran seems to be their main man for the Cat 1/2 race. He seems to have a knack for timing late attacks/sprints. Veteran Cat 3 rider, Ryan Jacobsen will be entering this year's event as well. After not feeling he had the training necessary to be competitve at the 108 mile distance last year, he has made adjustments and will be a major player for the Cat 3 podium.


Bikes2You/World of Bikes:
Sean Walker has been having yet another successful year, and needs to be considered one of this team's strongest riders. He is leading the Cat 1/2 Iowa Cup series, and will be looking to maintain his advantage with a top placing in this event. Bryan Moritz has also been delivering impressive results. In fact he is currently 4th in the Iowa Cup series. He had a technical issue in the 2008 race and couldn't finish, so is most likely even more driven to cross the line with the field (or ahead of the field) this year.


This team has so many possible tactical options, however, due to the strength and talent within it's roster... Tim Campbell, Will Greenwood, Lee Venteicher, Finn Kolsrud, Tracy Thompson, Andrew Fagersten... all guys who will definately animate the race if not pull off a top placing. Johan Bruyneel would have a field day orchestrating this team's game plan.


All9Yards/Bike World:
Jared Osterloh and Lane Anderson have been having great seasons. Most recently, Lane won the BBQ Blues Criterium and Jared won the Master's 30+ State criterium after his team proved it could work together to set up one of their strongest riders.

Bad news for Cat 3 riders, however, is that Jerome Rewerts has been achieving success in virtually every race he enters. I would be very surprised if he isn't one of the top 5 Cat 3 finishers. Ryan French and Steven Robinson should also be ackowledged as factors in the Cat 3 race.

Rasmussen's Death Squad:
I believe Lou Waugaman is their only Cat 1/2, however, he will be backed by many strong Cat 3 riders. Most notably, Rich Wince, who recently won the BBQ Blues Road Race (just ahead of Lou), seems to have some of the best fitness in the state (a key for a 108 mile race). Kris Kunze is also riding well, and Brent Mitchell and Pete Basso won't go down without a fight.



HBA Racing:
Carson Christen stands out, having recently placed 2nd in the Cat 3 BBQ road Race, and actually won the famous Snake Alley Cat 3 criterium. He hasn't been able to race quite as often as he may have liked, however he seems to be training hard and effectively, with his sights set on some State Road Race Glory.

Colorbiotics:Daniel Galles and Justin Schnee seem to be ever present on the Cat 3 results, with Daniel having posted a nice Cat 3 result at Superweek in addition to his Iowa racing.

Dice Cycling:Derek Cassaday is without a doubt a criterium racing prodigy, however hasn't quite had the overwhelming success in longer format road races. Considering his Cat 3 dominance this year, though, I would have to still suggest that he will be a noteworthy factor..

Miscellaneous Soloists:Paul Deninger of Zoom Performance, Clark Priebe, myself, etc. I couldn't mention everyone, but can say that there are definately quite a few more 'contenders' not listed here. I also predict that there will be some out of state riders interested in taking some of the cash and glory. Matt Bushe (Nova Cycle Sports, WI), for example, won this race in 2008.


We had 45 starters for the 2008 Cat 1,2,3 event, however, only 25 finished. The mileage was intense, but the extreme heat and feed zone issues were also a factor. As a successful second year event with milder weather predicted, I feel the 2009 event will have an even larger and stronger field.

Anybody else have any thoughts about this Sunday's race? I have opened up the comments to all readers, however please keep any postings positive and respectful.

Superweek Sports Bra Sightings

I accomplished another thing on my cycling 'to-do' list by competing in two races at the Superweek Pro Tour.

Whitnall Park Criterium-
This was a 1.1 mile loop in a city park. The course felt alot like the Melon City Criterium, with a steep uphill and a 'sling-shot' decent. The finish was fairly straight with a downard slope. About 37 guys lined up, with Mark Howe (who has been winning many of the Cat 3 races) being heavily marked.

This course wasn't really technical, and the hill wasn't big enough to break things up, so picking the right moves was going to be crucial. I say this in hindsight, as I missed the 'right move' as a group of about 8 formed early in the race. Many of the guys in the field were keying on Mark, who wasn't in it, and it seemed a bit early.

I decided to go to the front and see about pulling the group back. After a lap of pulling, a couple riders attacked instead of pulling through. I was redlining the next lap trying to hang on after my effort and decided that I would just sit-in, as it felt like riders who pulled were being punished and/or taken advantage of.

I was primed and ready to sprint for 8th with the field of about 24. I realized I had a massive amount of energy left in my legs and nailed it up the hill on the final lap. I had a huge gap, but decided the group's momentum around the 'shake and bake' section would close it, so I slowed down. I still was firing well, and charged out after the first wheel made the move. I was able to finish 4th out of this group for 12th overall (Results).

I went to Cedarburg to watch the Pro 1/2 race. The town really got into things, with all the neighbors outside having cookouts, drinking wine/beer, etc. Riders from many different countries attend this event. Garmin/Slipstream, Rock Racing, Team Typ 1, Fly V Australia and Bissel were some of the noteworthy Pro Teams.

Milwaukee -
I then headed down to Milwaukee to scope out the historic Lake Front Road Race course. Bradford beach was alive with volleyball/bikini action which distracted my recon mission a bit, but I was having fun exploring the city. The hills weren't as long as I imagined, but the course featured great views of the lake as it traversed through the heart of Milwaukee.

40 Cat 3's from all over the midwest lined up to take on this 75 mile course. We made 18 loops, so 36 sharp hills and 36 descents. A break of about 7 formed early on, but the field was controlling the gap, letting them dangle. It got out pretty far, and I believe everyone was getting a bit nervous.

Eventually it was pulled back in, and I started getting ready for my move as it seemed like a perfect time with those seven guys now hurting a bit. A guy from burnam racing went on a solo flyer. He sat out there for quite a few miles, as I was literally licking my lips, riding at the front. Just at the base of the second hill I hit it hard, flying up the hill. I was joined by another rider as we bridged up to the solo move. A burnam teammate took over for the guy who made the solo move, and the three of us started working together.

We were very pleased to be joined by a guy from Team Leadout, who had guys to block. The four of us worked it well for the next six or seven laps. I felt that this move was going to work, and began to smile just a bit.

Unfortunately, some guys from the pack were trying to bridge up. This was lifting the tempo of the chase group. They caught us after about 25 miles. Ok, things aren't looking too good, as I used a lot of strength trying to make that work.

Two guys snuck up ahead a lap or two later and everything slowed down (why couldn't they have ridden like this when we were up there?). I still felt strong, but definately at a disadvantage because of my earlier efforts.

The pro 1/2 field passed by us at one point. It was fun to be sort of riding with guys from Ouch/Maxxis, Fly V Australia, Garmin/Slipstream, Jelly Belly, Rock Racing, etc. This famous race course brought out some of the best pro/ams. Superweek, in general, seems to attract people from all over the world.

The highlight of the race was when all of the sudden I hear all of the guys in the field start hooting and hollering. I looked over to see a very fit girl in a white sports bra jogging along the beach. We had turned into construction workers, for some reason, but this was a beautiful creature, and I think we were all sort of light headed from the accumulating mileage. Luckily, Bradford beach was closed down due to this race, because if we would have had too many more 'sports bra sightings', I am sure there would have been some accidents.

Anyway, a couple more guys slipped off the front over the last two laps. I tried to follow, but my mind was telling me it would be too much. We were sprinting for about 9th place. The finish was wide and on a 1 mile straightaway, so you could really set yourself up how you wanted. I should have tried my luck punching it early, but I just went with the standard 200 meter sprint, which resulted in a mid-pack finish.

Great experience, I plan on doing part of Superweek and the tour of America's dairyland in Wisconsin again, as I enjoyed the fields, challenges, courses and scenery. I will be more determined, as a 'veteran' to bring back better results. But, ultimately, bike racing is more about the journey than the destination, so I try to enjoy the ride.

Stay tuned for my State Road Race pre-game reports. I may even turn back on the anonymous posts for this topic.

American Bike Racing Weekend Review

Mississippi Bluffs RR - Sometimes I mention that my race was over before it ever started... well, this race was over because I NEVER started. For reasons beyond my control, I couldn't make it to the start in time. My bike was loaded and I was pre-registered so this was a sort of a traumatizing situation.

Man, another blow to my season and mentallity. I will admit to being depressed this weekend.

Cordvova (Dr. Craig Schulz) 40k TT - I haven't been riding my TT bike much this year, but still figured all the road racing/group training would keep me competitive in this discipline. On the other hand, I was very depressed and the negative thoughts were suggesting that I was headed for upset. Sure enough, my TT form has taken a backward slide. My time of 54:45 wasn't horrible, but it indicated that I was losing ground on my fitness. I finished 4th overall, and didn't get one of the top 3 trophies. This is a race against the clock, and the clock won, so I basically finished 2nd out of 2 competitors... aka Dead Last! Ouch, I was almost down for the count.

Ok, the whole season has really been anticlimatic. This is the time when some competitive cyclists may opt to sell all of their equipment, and 'spend more time with the family'. This constant barrage of dissapointment has become a bit overwhelming.

Alas, though, this is also a good time to remind myself of the benefits I recieve from this sport, aside from competitive success. Things like excellent fitness, good muscle tone, low body fat, good friends, increased vitality, mood enhancement (usually), more fulfilling lifestyle, something to blog about, group affiliation, an inspiring hobby, limitless goal realization opportunities, etc.

It was also helpful to remind myself of Levi Leipenheimer's misfortune in the Tour De France... we all go through ups and downs in this sport, and in life. For a rider to really be 'strong', they must be able to mentally persevere through periods of doubt. Physical fitness is only one aspect of what allows some competitors to rise above.

Not really so sure about my TT form for the upcoming Iowa TT champs, however I do plan on adjusting my training focus in hopes of improving my result.

Now off to Wisconsin for two Superweek races. Tuesday is a 1.1 mile Cat 3 crit in Whitnall park. There are 'rolling hills' but no real sharp corners, as it is in a park, not city streets. Then Wednesday is the Lake Front Road Race, in Milwaukee. Right on Lake Michigan, this race is 70 miles long. The loop is about 4 miles with two steep hills per lap. The national Road Champs have been on this course 7 times in the past, so it must be a well-received race.

Bicycling BLUES (the race report)

Well, I got to BICYCLE , I ate some BBQ and definately got some BLUES at the Clear Lake Bicycle, Blues and BBQ Weekend. I still have a foot print on my butt from getting my ass kicked, unfortunately, it wasn't from the other racers, rather my own.

Saturday was an enjoyable day exploring Clear Lake's state parks and enjoying their City Beach. The ratio of attractive people per capita is higher than in Muscatine, so it was a nice change of scenery. One can't help but to consider purchasing a summer home along the lake, because it truly is a great vacation town.

I lined up for the Cat 3/4 criterium around 5pm. The course was being described as very technical and fast. 8 corners within a fairly short course that took just under 2 minutes per lap. The straight finishing stretch had a slight incline to it that usually inspired accelerations.

My race was over from the start as I chose to line up in the back with the mentality to ease into the race until I got a feel for the corners. Nope, not gonna happen. The guy in front of me started sketching trying to get clipped in, which caused me to start to stall out trying to get clipped in as well. I hit turn one of lap one in dead last place, which was a deal breaker.

Former Cat 2 Brandon Krawczyk of Speedfix was setting a blistering 1st lap pace that never let up. Combining that with the nervous Cat 4's at the back and my tentative cornering ultimately put me out of the pack. I got sort of depressed and unmotivated during the middle of the race, but then Tracy Thompson started heckling me about not pedalling, which oddly inspired me to go into turbo mode. I recovered 6 or 7 places to finish 12th out of 28. This was basically a horrible result, as I had to use so much energy pedalling around by myself.

The main event, Cat 1,2,3 race was next. Ok, sure, I was exhausted from the first race, however I now had a feel for the corners and knew to hit it hard from the start... Bingo! This race went much better for me. Sure it was probably faster, but much easier, because I stayed with the group. I bridged a gap once, maybe even led for a few seconds, but for the most part, I was just focused on finishing with this group of talented racers. I came in 13 out of 22 starters in this race. The race also featured Evil Kneivel as the pace motorcycle and some hot chic with a revealing black dress handing out the awards, not too mention a great view of the lake.

Finally, the race I have been looking forward to all year arrived, as I lined up for the 81 mile Cat 1,2,3 Road Race. It was a cool and cloudy day, and a mostly flat course. The start was at the famous Surf Ballroom, where Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens played their last concert before their tragic plane crash.

FEED ZONE BLUES

The feed zone was at the 46 mile mark. Still traumatized by the issues I had at the 108 mile state Road race feed zones, I was focused on getting my Mom to the feed zone to insure I didn't lose because the other racers had this strategic nutritional advantage.

The race was going smoothly, a little hard in the cross wind sections as we were all single file, but then let up in the head winds, as Iowa City riders were doing the work to keep the 5 man breakaway in sight.

I started trying to drink faster to make room for the the hand-up as we approached the designated feed zone. I decided to only throw out one bottle in case I missed the hand-up for some reason, in the chaos of the feed zone.

As we entered the feed zone town, I was getting nervous because I didn't see my mom nor any other team helpers. Then, as we turned the corner, I almost crapped my Livestrong chamois to see that my Mom and son Chase were the only ones in the feed zone. Wtf?

I had to make a split second decision... the group seemed to be speeding up, so I couldn't really slow down as much as I needed to get the bottles. Ok, I decided to make a grab at it, but I was going too fast the and bag was too heavy, so I dropped it rather than lauching into the ditch. I looked up the road to see the field was quickly advancing. Your kidding me, this corner/feed zone inspired an attack/chase? I am confused about feed zone etiquette... aren't riders supposed to sort of chill until the field gets through them?

I put the hammer down, first seeing 27 mph, then 31 mph, then 32mph... yeah, the field was riding faster than they had all day. I could see 5 green jersey's rotating at the front and riders at the back standing up to try and hang on to the pace. I got to within maybe 100 yards, but slowly faded away over the next several miles.

I couldn't (and still don't) believe that no one else took a hand-up. If even just one other person would have slowed, we could have most likely worked together to get back on. I really didn't even need the hand-up as it was a very comfortable day, and the course was flat, but I just assumed taking a hand-up could be a competitive advantage.

Well, great, now I get to ride about 35 solo miles at my lactate threshold. I hoped maybe the race up ahead would become hard at some point, and I could advance by overtaking dropped riders. Unfortunately, over the miles only 6 riders lost contact with the group before I finished, so I ended up 24th out of the 30 starters.

This was so annoying. You would think having support at the feed zone would have been to my advantage, but it ended up costing me a shot at winning. A bit of bad luck that no one else took the hand-up combined with the field's inadvertant accelarations at the exact moment that I was slowing down.

Oh, what fun it would have been to sprint it out with the group. Instead I had to settle for sprinting against Lee Venteicher of Bikes2 You. We were both tired (for different reasons, as he was in the early break), but he asked if I wanted to sprint it out for the workout and I obliged, blasting away at the 200meter banner.

I didn't bring home any glory from the weekend (Results) , but the races were well organized and the venue was entertaining and relaxing. I did bring home a bit more fitness and wisdom, so maybe I will get to cash it in one of these days. Either way, this is a great hobby and I am happy to be healthy enough to take part in it.

The season continues...

I thought I would post this picture from the 2009 Hummer Hammer. I think it is a great picture (by mike moritz). Especially noteworthy is the presence of Jeff Bradley (in black). Apparently he is a former pro cyclist from the 1980's Seven Eleven team (other notable teammates included Bob Roll, Chris Carmichael, Davis Phinney, George Hincapie, Lance Armstrong, etc) and on the rather short list of Americans who have competed in the Tour De France (he was one of the first ever). He has won several national championships as well, not to mention having won the Race Across America two times. Anyway, I have been seeing him around a lot this year, and aftern researching his past, now I understand why some guys have been marking his wheel.

Might as well throw in a picture of my racing set-up...

I will admit, it took me awhile to get the feel for this new bike and especially racing with deep aero wheels. The bike is smaller, stiffer, lighter, narrower, etc than my old ride. Definately faster, assuming I can keep it on the course. Aerowheels add speed in some conditions but the trade off can be bike handling. I feel comfortable now and ready to race.

Off to the BBQ, Blues and Bikes event in Clear Lake Iowa this weekend. I am most excited about the 81 mile road race on Sunday. This is a distance sure to test the limits of the Cat 3 field's fitness and training. The organizer's recently decided to have the Cat 1/2's race with us (but scored seperate) which means it will not only be a long race, but aggressive as well.

Thanks for reading.

Iowa 2009 State Criterium Championships

The 2009 Iowa State Crit Championships (results) were well attended in Cedar Rapids, Sunday July 5th. The course was a flat 4 corner .6 mile course that featured very wide straightaways and corners. Pictured below is a good shot of me at the front of the Master's 30/40+ race... This race had over 40 entrants, and seemed to be comprised of many cat 1/2's and a handful of cat 3's. This race started fast and stayed fast. However, due to the smoothness of the course, it was a very manageable speed for most of the riders. Due to the talent, fitness and tactical experience of this field, attacks weren't sticking.

It was 25 very quick laps, that only totaled 15 miles. It was smooth and had a sort of 'fun' feel to it. I experimented with joining a gap that was slowly forming about mid race, but relented. All Nine Yards really seemed to have control of the race. Attacking, blocking, bridging... it later became apparent that they had a plan, and it turned out to be sending winner Jared Osterloh towards the end of the race. He maintained a solo gap for many of the final laps. Brian Eppen (who also later won the Cat 1/2 and single speed race) was actually able to attack the field during the last lap to almost catch him for 2nd place. I ended up in 21st out of 42.

CAT 3 State Championships-

This race stayed much slower than the Master's race, which was a relief, because I never feel quite as agressive during the second race of the day. It featured a decent showing of over 30 Category 3 riders, all aiming for a peice of the $1500 payout. The winner got about $400, very nice.

I piddled around at the back, trying to force myself not to waste energy, however I missed a very obvious breakaway. Midway through the 30 lap race, Derek Cassaday, who has been winning almost every Iowa Cat 3 race he enters, could be seen up the road. It seemed too early for a solo move to stick, but more importantly there were plenty of riders to reel it in, so I just kept focusing on even energy expenditure.

Hmm, the field wasn't bridging up... he must have been pedalling just fast enough to discourage the front riders. Eventually, Jerome Rewerts, who has also been rock solid in Cat 3 races this year executes a flawless solo bridge, and that ended up being the winning move.

Below I can be seen putting the hammer down trying to bridge up to the leaders. From the picture, it looks like I was pulling the group with me.

The field wasn't able to get organized to successfuly reel the leaders back in. Ryan Jacobsen (who later earned the bronze medal) of Atlas eventually created a chase group, which meant eventually the field was racing for 6th.

I took another stab at getting up the road, but this was all too little too late. Derek and Jerome should have been marked from the start, based on their past results, but I wasn't up front to even be a factor in the decisive moves of the race. I wonder if racing earlier in the day is spreading me out too thin, as I can't figure out why I was so passive, unless maybe it has to do with my general distaste for criterium racing.

I decided to whip up the pace the 2nd to last lap, and was fortunate that Pete Basso of Rasmussen's had the same idea. He eventually came around me, and I sat on his wheel, in near perfect position for the field sprint. I didn't get swarmed nearly as bad as usual during a sprint of a race that I had already 'used most of my bullets' and hung on for 13th, in the money. Respectable, but man there was a lot of money for the top places, so I was bummed during the drive home.

I have the fitness to race twice per day, but not focusing on a single event did alter my race day disposition. I may or may not have done any better had I focused on the Cat 3 race, but I surely would have been more agressive, which is much more rewarding for me, win or lose.

The Cat 1/2 race was a smaller field where team tactics became obvious. Bikes2You had a large team, and Tim Campbell could be seen early on dangling off the front to keep the tempo up and set things up fo the rest of his team. Like clockwork, one representative of each team ended up in a break, Brian Eppen, Sean Walker, Jared Osterloh, Jim Cochran and Clark Priebe. These guys seem to be their team captains, this selection made sense.

Dave Lippold and Paul Denninger were able to stick solo chase efforts, as the rest of the field tried much of the same, while also keeping tabs on each other. The lead group caught up with the field and they sprinted it out together, and Brain Eppen(Iowa City Cycling Club) edged out the group for the State Championship.

Great race put on by HBA racing and Cedar Rapids. Hopefully they can put that together again next year with the same great payouts to attract large fields. (photos by Moritz Cycling).