Iowa State Road Championships - 2010 Category One/Two Preview

On August 7th, the 2010 Iowa State Road Championships will be held in West Branch, Iowa.  Pro 1/2 and Cat 3 participants will be racing 4 laps totalling 108 miles (175km).  I nearly soiled my chamois back in 2008 when the Iowa City Cycling Club took over this event and introduced the 108 mile distance.  A lot has changed for me since then, and I am much less intimidated by this event. So, here are my thoughts regarding this year's competition.

MERCY-SPECIALIZED (Iowa City Cycling Club)

Mercy-Specialized are a crazy strong team and will have ear-marked this race as one of their goal events. They will be prepared to battle accordingly. Last year they got two guys on the podium (Jeff Barnes and Dewey Dickey), and will be dreaming of similar results. They dominated last year's race getting 4 guys into the top ten. Adam Price, Brendan Kealey, Carson Christen, Matias Perret, Joe Hetrick, Ryan Nenninger, Brian Eppen... all guys who could contribute to the team's success. They are currently leading the Iowa Cup Team competition, followed by Bikes2You, and would be happy to extend their lead.

ZEALOUS RACING

This Des Moines area team is very deep in terms of talent and strength, not to mention a good tactical sense.  With so many 'cards' to play, this is their race to lose, but I wouldn't count on that.  Their main threats seem to be Lane Anderson (finished 5th last year) and Jared Osterloh (7th last year), with strong support from the likes of Jerome Rewerts, Ryan French, Dave Lippold, Kurt Hantelmann, etc.  I predict that they will basically engage in two plans.  Plan A... get one of their strong men into an early break and see if it sticks.  The rest of their guys won't have to chase, saving their legs for later in support of their protected rider, if the break is caught (Plan B).  These guys are great at defending moves and creating favorable racing scenarios for themselves.  They executed this move to perfection at the 2010 Clear Lake Road Race, with Jared in the early move.  Eventually that move was caught, and Ryan and Jerome later took on the task of setting up Lane Anderson for the win. They should have a couple guys in the top ten, but yet to be seen if they can get on the podium to earn one of the three available state medals.

VELOSPORT RACING

This team has been consistent throughout the year with their cat 1/2 team basically consisting of Jeff Bradley, Lou Waugaman, and Paul Deninger. Jeff was the 2009 winner, and has some serious credentials that provide him with huge amounts of respect within any race he enters. Lou always finds a way to finish strong (9th last year, 4th-Clear Lake RR, 1st-Kent park, etc.).  Paul Deninger has been successfully racing for over two decades, and has been a dominant Time Trialist and all-rounder.  He will look to his expertise and physical strengths to create racing situations that allow for the highest probability for success.

BIKES2YOU/WORLD OF BIKES

This is a very different team from years past, with Sean Walker and Tracy Thompson absent for the 2010 racing season.  Things seemed to go downhill for these guys when Tracy cut off part of his finger (aka... nubbie).  Fortunately, there was a silver lining to this unfortunate loss, as Derek Cassady joined their ranks along with a couple of strong Cat 3's (Kevin Temple/Grant Headley, etc.).  Bryan Moritz is in great shape and currently leading the Iowa Cup race, followed by his teammate Derek, so they are obviously having a good season.  This could be the race where it all comes together with respect to showing off their team strength.

Lots of other riders should be factors (Bryan West, Clark Priebe, Cody McCollough, Jim Cochran, etc.), not too mention out-of-state and solo riders.  So many variables to contend in a 108 mile road race, so who knows how this race will actually shake out. 

For those who make it to the final lap, it is always a battle of wills with several groups of riders strung out throughout the course... some merely satisfied to finish, others queing up for an opportunity to be the 2010 Iowa State Road Champion... good luck to all.

Superweek - Day 3 - Pro 1,2 Lake Front Road Race

I entered the Pro 1,2 Lake front road race on Wednesday.  I was excited to be lining up in my first regional Pro 1,2 race with about 90 or so very talented riders.  I enjoyed rolling along next to some of the pros from Team BMC, Fly V Australia, etc.

I was basically having a great time throughout this event.  The field would get stretched out into a single file line at  various points throughout the course, which was an awesome sight, as this was a huge field.  I also found it thrilling during the times we were descending about 46mph along the lake front... The beach was filled with shiny happy people, and lots of energy at the feed zones.

My favorite part of the course were the uphill portions.  The energy of the field made them very managable.  The worst parts were after 90 degree corners, as the guys in the back were 30 or 40 seconds behind the front guys, and usually had to break into a full on sprint until the group came back together. 

About 45 miles into the race, the first crash occured going up Ravine Road.  We were only going about 19 mph but it still took out quite a few guys.  Someone said "we're getting tired", and I knew exactly what he meant, riders were starting to lose some of their riding faculties based on fatigue.

This race did have a somewhat technical downhill chicane.  It wasn't as bad as I anticipated because we were in a single file line, but still an area to be cautious.  It actually had a 10 foot patch of water  running across it, which didn't seem like a big deal, but I guess I was wrong...

With only 7 laps to go, I was smiling ear-to-ear, because I was feeling good, and starting to entertain notions of trying to place well overall.  The peleton had broken up into two, with a lead group of about 11 guys up head of us.  I was in the back group, but still very happy and really focusing on enjoying the moment.

Heading down the chicane, a fatigued rider crashed ahead of me... It seemed like it was far enough ahead that I could get around it.  I steered to the left and applied the brakes as other riders were going down limiting my space cushion.  I hit the wet patch and went sliding down the hill... I ended up rolling and counted 11 different areas where I had broken the skin on both sides of my body.  The only scary one was on my chin... breaking a jaw would have been less than ideal.

Whew, I was basically alright (nothing broken)...I popped right up an got on my bike... crap, it was useless (handle bar turned, break pads rubbing, etc).  This crash took out the entire Iowa field (ok, it was just me and Jeff Bradley, but still a true statement).  Jeff had actually won this event when it was the US National Championship back in 1978, so that was a fun stat... not so fun that he got caught up in this pile up.

Looking at the results, a lot of guys must not have finished.  I am almost certain that I was going to place, as I was 50 miles in with only about 34 to go, and feeling more and more confident with each lap.  I don't regret entering this race, despite the outcome, because I feel that I have gained great perspective and experience that I can use in future races.

Superweek - Day Two - Bucyrus

Great course, good field, well organized, unfortunately for me it only took a few pedal strokes to predict a field sprint... this sort of drained my enthusiasm, but still had a good time.  The course was a short one at only 28 miles (took just over an hour).

Racing against these master's is like playing chess with myself... everyone knows each other's moves and seems to have similar skills.  Having raced agressively yesterday only to have everything brought back together, I decided to try the opposite, and sit in... hmm, that seemed to be everyone else's plan too... go figure. Jeff Bradley and Lou W. of Iowa have joined in on the tour and are also listed on the results.

This race ended up being more of a casual affair, and inspired me to enter the Pro 1,2 race today in Milwaukee.  It is the Lake Front Road Race.  It is on my 'bucket list' to enter a regional pro 1,2 event, so might as well give it a go.   I am hoping for some good training for the upcoming Iowa state road race.  This is a 93 mile event with two noteworthy climbs and will have guys from all over the world (Columbia, Australia, etc.). 

I have realistic ambitions, just hoping to be listed amongst the finishers, but more imporantly, I just want to feel like I got a chance to race my ass off.  If I pull off to the side of the road deliriously exhausted, I will have a smile on my face the whole car ride home. Of course, I hope this happens just after the finish of the race not during, but I will take what I can get, as I have no idea what to expect... racing at this level is entirely new to me.

Superweek - Day One

In entered the Master's Cat 1/2/3 event in Whitnall Park (Hales Corners, WI) on Monday.  There were about 45 guys lined up to race around 30 miles (13 laps) over a course with rolling hills and soft corners.  This was called a 'road race' but really did feel more like a criterium, due to the short duration and multiple number of laps.

The usual racing situations emerged with gaps forming and people bridging up in hopes of creating a break.  I reluctantly brought one back early on, but this was sort of the norm in this race, as everyone was capable of performing well, and didn't want too large of a break to get away.

Two guys ultimately got up the road, as others took their chances each lap to get up the road.  I went on my breakaway rampage about 20 miles in.  I got into (or started) about 4 seperate breaks, but ultimately nothing stuck.

Well, that tactic was sort of an "all or nothing" approach, which didn't give me enough left for the finish, which was sort of an uphill grind.  No one really came around me, but I didn't gain any spots either, to finish 26th. 

If I would have sat in the whole time, I most likely would have been able to get in the money, basically saving my 'attack' for the finish line. I only say that because it reminds me that the field's up here are tough, but not so bad to be discouraging... there is a certain combination of tactics, strength and luck that will work... hopefully I can find this combination at one of the next two races.

Winning the Illinois State Champs... ABR style

If American Bicycle Racing were a beer... it probably would be a PBR (aka... Pabst Blue Ribbon)...  a little funky tasting but gets the job done.... If USA Cycling were a beer, it would probably be a Sam Adams... a bit more expensive, with a richer taste... but in the end beer is beer... if I were a beer I would probably be an Icehouse... sort of cheesy, but with more booze and a wicked aftertaste that makes you want to drink something else. (really not sure what I meant by any of that... apologies).

Anyway, I traveled just on the other side of  the river to Illinois to enter the Mississippi Bluffs Road Race, which was this years ABR Illinois State Road Championships.  Yes, the subtitle of the this blog is "Racing Bikes in Iowa"... you guessed it I am from Iowa, so wasn't eligible to win the State Champs jerseys or actual title of ABR Illinois State Champ, but was eligible to poach some cash, assuming things went well for me.

I entered the Open Category event, which was 4 laps over 100k, with a few noteworthy hills to use as launching pads.  It was hot, so the group was timid... The first lap everyone was feeling each other out.  It is strange entering these ABR events in Illinois, because I had no idea who anyone was, so wasn't sure which wheels to mark.

As we headed up the steepest hill to end the second lap, someone attacked and I followed the move.  I pushed it over the top as a group of three of us began to rotate through... that was the last I saw of the field.

I tried to feel out my breakaway partners... at some point I had an inadvertant gap on them... I looked back and it seemed like they were conspiring against me, as they seemed to know each other... not the best situation... perhaps a bit of interstate rivalry? (probably not, but more fun that way)
About midway through the last lap, one of the guys got a flat... hmm, that was sort of lucky for me, because the other guy was the softer of the two, mentioning that he had just gotten back into cycling after a horible accident he suffered last year.

Eventually, he indicated that he was happy to get second, (which would still be a cash payout and the jersey/title since he was an Illinois resident and ABR member)... ok, so we just had to make sure not to get caught.  I eventually dropped him on the last climb and rode it out to win the race.  Thanks to Donnie Miller and the gang at ABR for hosting this event...

Now I am heading to Milwaukee to do three of the Superweek races starting Monday... cheers.

Clear Lake Race Weekend

Well, I entered three races and got paid three times, which is a noteworthy accomplishment, considering the many challenges of this race series.  Thanks to North Iowa Spin for this bike friendly weekend of activities.
(Link to my results)

MASTER'S 30/40+ CRITERIUM

I couldn't resist the opportunity to try and get comfortable on this very technical 8-corner crit course, so I entered the Master's event, hoping that it wouldn't end up being too hard, so that I could save some energy for the Cat 1/2/3 event later that day... nope, I was wasted after this one.

While the race started casually enough, the guys in blue from Team Zealous raced to perfection.  Jerome Rewerts got off the front and stayed about 25 seconds ahead of us the whole race.  His teammates managed the field as Duane Dickey, Paul Deninger and myself ended up being their main threats.  Unfortunately, we aren't on the same team, though we sort of aligned forces as the race situation progressed, noticing that the Zealous guys had a serious advantage.  I was chasing down every move I could, hoping to finish within the top 6 paying positions. 

At some point Lane Anderson of Team Zealous bridged up to a solo attack, then dropped that guy and joined Jerome in the break... this was very impressive.   They acknowledged this accomplishment as they crossed the finish line.

Eventually the field seemed to implode as I found myself in a group with Jared Oserloh of Team Zealous and Paul Deninger of Velosport Racing... Ok, things were looking good, as the worst I could finish is 5th, assuming our break stuck.

Jared, perhaps just a bit fresher since he had been racing defensively, but mostly just because he is a gifted racer, managed to get a 5 second gap on me and Paul and then hold it for several laps to finish 3rd.  The Team Zealous guys finished 1,2,3 with Paul, Me, and Dewey finishing 4, 5, 6 respectively (yeah, that stings a bit)...

CAT 1,2,3 CRITERIUM

Ok, time for the main event.... 39 participants lined up to race 60 minutes for 19 places and $2,000.  The headline of this report is a guy named Brandon Krawczyk of Speedfix Racing... This is the same guy that put down such a fast Cat 3 race last year, that only about 1/3 of the field could hang on...  so here he is again doing the exact same thing... crap!  Researching his background, it turns out that Speedfix Racing is a team that specializes in Track racing... ah, now it makes sense.

Ready, set, go... the race was on and was full tilt the entire time.  Before I even had a chance to think about moving up the field Brandon, Bryan Moritz (Bikes2You) and Ben Anderson(Team Wisconsin) were off the front.  They stayed that way the entire race with Jeff Barnes (ICCC) maintaining a solo move between the break and the field to finish 4th, and Brandon getting first.  Ok, so this meant everyone else was left to chase, and as far as I could tell they were chasing fast and furious.  We were probably averaging about 28mph.

CRAZY COUSIN'S CORNER
So, every family seems to have a 'crazy cousin'.. sort of the black sheep of the family...  well this crit has a crazy corner that seems almost impossible to completely master.  It is located off of the lakefront straitaway as we turn back into the neighborhood.  I will have to admit I was fighting this corner in both races and wasted valuable energy.

Despite the fact that this race was faster than the Master's race I previously entered, it wasn't as physically demanding (I was always in a draft).  It was however, very technically demanding.  You had to really fight to hold your position.

Fatigued from the first race, I wasn't up for the fight... In fact, I sat in the tailgunner position the whole race.  This gave me a good perspective of the carnage, as about 17 guys fell off the pace by the time things were all said and done.   I was never in danger of being dropped, but was also never able to find the strength or opportunity to advance.

I was happy to have finished 19th, which was still a paying result.  It is hard to resist 'doubling up' but I may consider only racing one crit event next year, as I was spread a bit thin.

ROAD RACE (82 Miles)

Ah, time for the road race.  There were 40 Cat 1/2/3's lined up racing for 16 spots.  Always a great pre-race vibe as the famous Surf Ballroom is race HQ.  This race reminds me of a pro-tour stage race in that it is point-to-point and has a 4 mile neutral start, as we 'parade' through town.  Unfortunately for me... it is basically flat, so would be considered a 'day for the sprinters', had Bob Roll or Paul Sherwyn been commentating.

No one stuck a flag out of the sun roof to signify the actual start of the race, but it was obvious as the pace quickened.  The 'early morning break' was very dangerous.  It contained Clake Priebe, Paul Deninger and Jared Osterloh.  Fortunately for the solo riders, it didn't contain a couple of major teams such as Bikes2You or Mercy Specialized.  This suggested that it would eventually get brought back as some of the teams would sacrifice riders in an effort to give their teammates a chance at the top money.

It was a very casual pace for the middle portion of the race.  The field was keeping the breakaway in mind, but letting it slip up the road.  With about 30 miles to go, it became apparent, however, that the chase was on.  I was in the back of the field, so I don't know exactly who was doing what, but they were chasing at around 32mph most of the time, and it was often a struggle just to keep in contact with the peloton.

The cross winds proved to be key variables in this race.  Towards the latter parts of the race, we were riding single file along the 'gutter' with very little draft.  The wind direction combined with the fierce chase began to drop riders.  As we began to catch the three-man break, I could see the guys who had been responsible for the 'catch' slip past me(exhausted from the chase).  And then, one-by-one... Clark, then Paul, and eventually Jared slipped through the field and off the back.  Their move would have easily stuck had it not been for the motivated field.

Not sure why, but the pace didn't really let up after we caught them, making this one of the hardest phases of the race, with the cross winds still a factor.  I was praying for the race to change directions so I could get some relief from this situation.

As we turned into the final stretches there were only 18 riders left.  Alot of things had transpired to set up this situation, but now it was time to finish things off.  The group began to attack each other in these last few miles, and I was able to get myself into several favorable situations.  Ryan French and Jerome Rewerts did a good job of setting a high tempo, as their team still had 4 guys in the race.  In fact, their teammate Lane Anderson followed the moves to perfection and won the field sprint.  I finished 13th out of this group, which felt rewarding... all things considered.

Whew, that was a great weekend.