Sunday, February 23, 2014

What Would Jens Voigt Do? W&M Men's B Road Race Recap

Keeping with my dirty background I warmed up by riding some single-track around, the venue, York River State Park, pretty sweet and just technical enough to be super fun on a road bike. Obtaining the correct amount of mud on my bike it was time to head over to the staging area.

"Shut up legs! Do what I tell you to do" -JV

I can't tell you what happened in the peloton after the neutral roll out, because I wasn't there!

Now this could mean one of two things, getting dropped immediately or dropping the entire field from the gun and never looking back. If one asks WWJVD the latter is obviously what happened.

"If you go (with a break), you can either win or not win. If you don't go for it, you definitely won't win" -JV

After sufficiently screwing around, watching one of the most solid mountain bikers I know attempt to take out the field and joking with friends new and old during the roll out, it was on! After we rounded the corner onto course, a grand total of 50 meters in Bryan Lewis (UVa) puts in a massive acceleration pulling away. Flowing my general race plan of hanging out with Bryan the whole race I quickly counter attacked and made his wheel. We were joined by a rider from UNC and made off like three bandits! With Bryan acting as the strong man giving massive pulls (probably too massive) we thought we might be able to do this.

Workload B-Lewis 45% Me 35% and UNC (Scott Krause?) 20%  

Three amigos digging deep

We were going for it and held off the pack for 1.5 laps about 25 km. Once we were sticking it out the moto ref thankfully kept us updated on the time checks 1:45, then 1 flat then 45 seconds, all three knew we couldn't hold off the train of Navy riders hunting us down. After a brief discussion the group decision was to make it up the KOA "Climb" (really it was a kicker to crush in the big ring for under a minute) we would sit up and be absorbed back into the bunch.

With only Navy using the feed zone the rest of the break stayed far left


As the peloton approached Bryce Lowery (UVa) had other plans for us. With a epic surge from the powerhouse from Charlottesville we all jumped into a quickly forming larger break. A hard hitting double paceline instantly formed with about 8 in the rotation we cranked the pace up to something ridiculous. Some one shouted "We've got a gap GO! GO! GO!" and what did we do? We went for it! Two Navy riders, Sean Gardner (VT) and Dylan Lawson (NCSU) bridged up. Once I saw Sean in the rotation I knew what I had to do, we had to make this stick and boom 2 out of the top 10 for Tech! The break sorted itself out shortly, cutting the dead weight and establishing a good lead, leaving about 9-11 guys off the front. 2 VT (Me and Sean) 2 UVa (Bryan and Bryce), 2 Navy, 1 App State (Gene Taylor), 1 UNC (Scott for the original break), 1 NCSU (Dylan) and maybe 2 other guys who got dropped in a bit. For almost two full 16 km laps we held a super solid pace all working together almost everyone keeping a smooth superb rotation down. Everyone knew that with 3/4 of the teams represented and Navy having learned some tactics in not chasing their own teammates down we had a chance to just stay away. Somewhere in there Bryan got tired/ sick of us and sat up to wait for the pack. I missed you up there dude! Next week we'll have to try again!

Only having one time check (at 2:30) I wasn't sure if we would hold or get swept up in the finial lap. Taking the reigns I attempted to lead the break and keep everyone working together and a high pace driving onwards. Leading by example I kept giving strong pulls all day and served suffering with a smile!

"If it hurts me, it must hurt the other ones twice as much" -JV

About half way through the 4th lap the moto ref informed us that the race was getting cut a lap short and this was it less than 10 km to go! No time check though. Sticking to my recently formulated plan of keeping the break together and well ahead of the field so that Sean could stay safe from any attacks, every time someone started screwing around I went to the front and held as close to 50 km/h as I could muster till someone relived me of my duty. The best way to prevent an attack is to go so hard that nobody even thinks to get into the wind. This had the added benefit of keeping the break together and going fast so we wouldn't get caught (no one told me the gap kept opening up to almost 5 minutes)

"Everybody has to suffer, suffer, suffer until they've all had enough" -JV

Then Sean had an idea, for an endgame, I would attack in the finial corner onto the finishing straight at ~1500m to go then he would counter attack bridging up and we would TT to the finish me leading Sean out as far as I could. Half way into the turn I kicked it with all I had and went areo putting it all out there 400m later I check back and see 7 hungry riders in my draft, that didn't work. I sat up, someone attacked, had to give it everything to hang on. with 500m we crested a small hill before the finial pitch in the last 300m. With everyone hard to the left I attacked on the downhill hard to the right in hopes to mess up everyone's sprint plans and open up the road for Sean. With everyone thinking I was a strongman or something they countered. I was caught with 200m to go. Totally gassed I easy pedaled to the line and gave my best wheelie for the crowd and 8th place! Teammates watching the finish quickly informed me that Sean made it happen in the sprint taking the coveted W! This caused an over flow of stoke and prompt celebrations! Having/helping a teammate winning feels just as good as winning itself.

"I'll burn, I'm ready to die for you on the bike" -JV

I guess I might be a breakaway specialist? Time will tell. Many more races to come!

This really needs no explanation
Overall VT did excellent the first day of racing in the ACCC, 1st in Men's A and B, top 10 positions in almost every other field. 

Shout out to Dylan for taking 3rd and Richard O'Briant for winning the field sprint! 

Thanks to everybody and congrats again to Sean and Taylor for your victories!

Photos by Tim Gardner and Wyatt Lowdermilk

Just remember what would Jens Voigt Do? Breakaway the entire day. 
What would Peter Sagan do? Wheelie the finish just because.

"You have got to be as insane as the insanity around you" -JV

Thursday, February 20, 2014

#stoke #sostoked

Why hashtag, why not hashtag? #stoked #sostoked #stokedinstokesville
#stokedinstokesville #wheelie

Regardless in most circumstances its completely unnecessary unless of course one is talking about #bikesandstuff #stoke #enduro #endurolifestyle etc you get the point... Otherwise go at it on Instagram with all those hashtags



On to what you really want to read, not sure completely what that is myself but hey there is the fun of it!

ROAD SEASON IS HERE! Time to still get dirty and rip some freakin' legs off! Just slick tire style, includes: getting muddy, mad air, crushing souls, dumb tricks, wheelies wheelies wheelies and then getting out of the parking lot to go race.
Peter has the right idea

If you are still reading this and haven't noticed yet, I am freakin' stoked for the first race this Saturday at Willam&Mary, and all of the season in general! Why is some stanky mountain biker that happens to be pretty okay at cross so excited for road season you ask?

1: Its fun as hell!
2: Speed speed speed speed fast fast fast POWPOWPOWAAA
3: Rainy crits, no joke more fun than anything else paved 
4: Railing corners
5: Collegiate bike racing people are awesome!
6: #getinthevan
7: Its some darn good training for getting fast at the dirtier disciplines of the sport
9: Sick facebook profile pictures
10: Droppin fools and getting on yougotdropped possibly

Much Facebook, So Fast, Wow

11: Trash talk and making fun of the roadie attitude by being that silly obvious mountain biker that still crushes it! 
12: The act of sarcastic road racing, really this is 11.1


More on 11

"Significant" should only be used in appropriate circumstances, describing hills on a course that gains less than 30 feet per mile does not warrant the use of significant.


Yeah thats not much... no climbs on route according to mapmyride.com...

 I would call this significant Chris Scott knows how to find some monster climbs

Bring on your worst Williamsburg! I'm running the 11-25 in the rear solely due to the fact I don't own an 11-23, gotta get those fast gears! If it isn't Brokenback it isn't sh*t

Less than 24hours before #getinthevans, time to get at it in the ACCC

See everybody soon, looking forward to it, guess we will find out what Bryan Lewis will do to a B field, and if my legs can back up my mouth! 


*all trash talk is in the spirit of fun and good stoke 

Wheelie err Road Season! Lets do this! 


Monday, February 17, 2014

There can only be one 'Il Pirata' Pantani X

It has been a full week after Pantani and the stoke is still burning on. It takes a truly special event to produce over a weeks worth of smoldering stoke, closer to a year's worth of stoke just building until 2015!

For those not in the know, you should be. With the scary thought of me of all people, imparting knowledge onto impressionable cyclists (the implications of this controversy will be explored in much more depth in another post), here is what you need to know about the Pantani ride. Its not just a group ride, its definitely not just another fast ride, but the only ride that matters the entire season set in the sweet mank of early February. It will be one of the harder 50mile "road" events you will ever do. One of those, what bike should I bring, a cross bike, rigid mtb, comfort tandem, I don't care about my knees or life I'm riding a road bike or a 7in trail rig, all of which would come into their own at some point but be wrong 90% of the time. (mtbs and cx rigs were a common choice) All in honor of 'Il Pirata', Marco Pantani, whatever you think of the drugs, performance enhancing or recreational, he could ride a bike!

Training? Race is base right?

The shear amount of stoke during leading up to, after the event and then all year till next time around, is almost comprehensible, mostly due to no real way to quantify stoke. Someone should figure that out for the rest of us.

Why are we not funding this?!

Anyways onto what happened when where and the such! During the week leading into Pantani I encountered a bit of forced tapering and unintentional drop to race weight, the death flu diet really works! Don't recommend it though, it was a suck-fest, so not stoked. So during all the smack-talk, bike choice discussion and misinformation I was mostly getting nursed back to health by Becca's late night bike borne gatorade&soup delivery service, thanks Becca!

Come Saturday it was time to leave, got a short rainy road ride in, with the delay of Owen Cup and hit the road feeling much like this....stoked but you get the idea....
  From my boating days, stoked but beat to hell. Green River Narrows ain't no waterpark!

After a little sleep and some awesome dinner at Becca's house in Crozet it was game time! Luke taking rule #5  to heart decided the 20 or so miles to the start would be a nice little warm up and took off a little early, also having put in a US customary century the day before, like a hoss! Therefore entrusting me with the hokie van, (who knew mini vans we so much fun to drive?!) we were off getting into way more excitement and mountain top handoffs than we expected.

Arriving at Tevendaletrails we were blown away at the number of rad folks, some where upwards of 75, that  showed on this glorious day. After some milling around, getting ready, chit-chat, distribution misinformation to TJ the gathering began. I forgot to mention but this was TJ's first ride over 20miles long, ever, seriously, mad props to him for agreeing to come last minute knowing full well that there was a distinct possibility of straight up imploding somewhere near Simmons Gap, regardless of skipping the Brokenback section he killed it!

Commencing the ceremonies with a moment of silence then a moment of excitement in honor of Scud was an excellent reminder of how close and awesome the cycling community is around here.

We lined up half way in the Tevendale's drive way half still in the field and a few in the woods between the two. "GO!" rung out from somewhere behind and game on guys&gals! Rolling out onto a few miles of pavement a quick pace line formed at the front, by quick I mean 23+ on 90% mountain bikes! Then the gravel came fast and hard, feeling frisky I was on the front playing around. All of the sudden I forgot how to ride smart, go figure and went off the front with a slight provocation from a surging rider. I should have waited for a real KOM attempt on Fox Mountain but no matter I was going to be dropped sooner or later, might was well go out in a blaze of glory for nothing. Bryan had mentioned that he would give me a shout when it was time to go for the top, I didn't wait, silly me, I was caught in less than a half mile and promptly dropped due to not being able to breath... sickness caught up with me and it was time to party pace for the next 10 miles or so. In the words of the amazingly fast Mr Lewis "All of the sudden you were 50yards off the front, and I was thinking what the hell, Gavin's been sick all week and now he is off the front putting the hurt in out legs?!" Thanks for the props dude! I guess it was the stoke giving me some legs, one of these days I'll be able to hang for more than 10 miles with the fast guys.

Some good motivation to stare at!

If there were any cameras around I would have been the feature on You Got Dropped! Passed by Luke crushing it on the road bike then by Straight Stack Glowczynski with his repaired flat going strong, possibly one of the only guys that will straight drop you on a downhill while you are maxing out your largest gear, even if you are the fourth fastest documented on that section including cars... Regardless pavement and party pace at the bottom, woot party!

Many sMiles later I was reunited with a fun crew and took some cold refreshments on board, you know the anti-bonk kind of stuff. A bit further on the fun began and up up up we went, Simmions Gap is a significant climb, unlike what the folks in Williamsburg are calling "significant" for the W&M road race (oh snap is that trash talk?!?). Feeling strong again I left my current group cruising up the mountain with a fellow cross rider, apparently cx bikes are fast or something? We passed some fellow riders and got to the top without too much suffering, okay a lot but I was beyond stoked so the hurt was less. Going down was down right terrifying, +20% grades on loose loose loose gravel approaching mach 12 running can't stop won't stop cantis was a stoke producing, butt clenching experience, technical a faster than all get out!  

Sums it up in a t-shirt!

There was a little bit of elevation

What one gnar climb isn't enough?!? Time for BROKENBACK! "If it isn't Brokenback it isn't sh*t!" will be motivation for pretty much every single race this season. Grades so steep cars will flip over backwards all the way to the bottom. In all honesty, it was steep steep steep, few roads (this is a very very loose term now) can compare. All of the sudden I caught a glimpse of a welcome sight in Hoo-ville, maroon bibs over an orange bike (I couldn't help myself) but Luke was just a few hundred meters in front, at this point I was so stoked to see a friend to ride the rest out with! Motoring on up to catch him mostly so when I got off to hike-a-bike the crazy steep parts I wasn't the only one, no shame, there is a single-speeder inside me and walking was faster. After a while we made it up the last and steepest pull both suffering hard in the saddle to a welcome sight: handups fools! More refreshments, but had to down it quick, due to the mach speed descent approaching rapidly. Mach isn't much of a hyperbole I hit 40 on gravel, luckily these roads weren't run blind, the first climb was a nice recon, so it was all out to the bottom! Me being me, I had to keep it dirty and went looking for some rocks to launch off of, gotta style it! I also forgot I wasn't on a mountain bike, but the double cross likes air so it was all good. A bit of pace-lining and home free we were, rounding out the 50 miles back a Tevendaletrails! (Thanks for the draft back Luke, you monster on slicks)

Stoke was exchanged, teammates found, post ride afterglow was shining on everyone's faces, but unfortunately we couldn't stay long, had to hit the road.

     It was one of those rides back...

Massive thanks to everyone that rode, helped, handed out cans of glory at the top, and was just plain awesome in general! Big congrats, to Gordon Quadsworth with the win and Bryan Lewis with second, taking home the KOM. Stoke-givings to TJ for stepping up his game epicly, in the best way possible, jump headlong into something much bigger than one thought! Luke as always appreciate the ride in the back of the hokie van, and Becca for lending us your parents house for the night! Also thanks again to Gordon and Bryan for the props I received, means a bit coming from you guys! Hopefully sooner than later, I'll be able to hang and make the fun times roll with you guys are the front all day long!

Till next time!