Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Mud, its just like a trip to the spa

So this is a few months late but no matter...

The welcome relief from engineering school known as spring break has come and gone, and as a college student this week is always go big or go home. Why not go home then go big?

VA XC State Championships
It seems silly to have a state championships as on of the very first events of the season doesn't it. It is but why not, time to find some early season strength and see if I can snag a nationals qualification.

Soup

Leaving Blacksburg early Saturday morning for my excursion to scenic Danville VA, I noticed something strange. The further east and further south I drove this very peculiar white stuff was consistently coating the ground more fully. With a forecasted high in the 60s it was going to be a mess and mess it was! I'll skip the play by play because frankly its boring, just had to go fast and go big!

I met up with Bryan, Steven and the rest of the UVa crew before the start and immediately commenced warming up aka riding out the backside of the course to give Bryce a hand-up and help power him to a 2nd place singlespeed finish! These cats know how to do mountain right!

On to my race, summed up in 5 words: it was really freaking muddy!

Keeping it dirty

Frankly we put well over a years worth of damage on that trail in one day, the only saving grace was the flavor of mud present. Rather than all peanut butter packing up everything to a 80lb bike sort of mud it was the very soupy standing water coat everything and I mean everything in a thin even layer kind of mud, with enough water to wash off chains when needed.

With an Ikon on the back I slid into a 10th place finish making the top 15 for my nationals run! When I say slid I mean it, sideways all over the place but it was fun! Certainly it was a race of survival, many quit to save their bikes others due to shredded rear mechs and demolished miscellaneous parts.

Before heading back to Blacksburg Tyler Edwards convinced me to bust out a sweet century ride showcasing the thunder ridge climb and a little bit of gravel. For those not in the know Thunder Ridge is a really freaking big climb, 12.5miles at 5% with over 3000 feet of gain. Was a sweet ride for sure!


Goals and Progress


There comes a point when one sets goals and another much better point when those goals become within reach. With the close of my first collegiate seasons I've reached and exceeded many goals set from a year ago, Cat 3 in cross and road now. As of recently a collegiate A in all seasons (mtb, cx and road), won a few races and took the top step in the Men's B Omnium in the ACCC in road, 3rd in CX D1, rode well at mountain bike nationals back in October and even took the front row call up for the first lap during the team relay.

 
Now this was pretty darn cool, oh so pro #3 Nats plate too! 


Its very rewarding to see progress, in strength physically and mentally both on and off the bike. Progress in race results and attitude. Feeling fitter than I ever have, massively faster than this time even a year ago, looking forward to the rest of 2014, and into '15, with big goals set. Many national championship events in my sights, a SM 100 PR, three collegiate seasons, maybe some upgrades, and organizing a mountain bike race of my own for VT. Representing two teams in events all over the country while trying to be an ambassador for the sport by spreading stoke and good vibes.


In the lead on the dirt
Good feels in the legs recently

The support of teammates, friends, and family, on and off the bike while racing and training throughout the seasons has made all of this possible. Shout outs to everyone that helped out, Luke for the best leadouts, those who worked with me in the breaks, everyone that attempted to teach me how to race smarter, the co-drivers for interesting conversation and DJing during all of the Van rides, everybody that drove to and from, the team parents graciously letting a bunch of crazy college kids sleep and eat for free, all of those who spectated and cheered, East Coasters for fixing the machines and supplying sound advice, Jacob for loaning me race wheels during a majority of road the season, everyone else who loaned me bikes parts wheels or clothes throughout the year, those really fast and super nice guys for inspiring greatness, the cool kids that got me in way over my head during training rides, all of the great new and old friends from throughout the racing community that made chasing guys clad in spandex around in circles so much fun every weekend, everyone that shares this grateful and friendly attitude towards racing bikes, and everyone that has been following me along this crazy journey.


Lots of friends were certainly made this year.


Just keep on rolling


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Words and some pictures from the VT home race

Although we didn’t have to travel much or sleep somewhere outside of our beds this weekend it was still game on starting from 2pm on Friday without much time for anything else until Sunday night. There is something incredibly fun and rewarding about helping set up and run a large event, huge thanks to Luke for getting all the details and most of the work done!

Rather than the typical traveling to faraway lands on Friday, several team members and friends went out to the Maggie Valley Road course in order to sweep corners and mark road hazards. Followed by a quick ride along the beautiful valley roads.

It seems that home races require an earlier wake-up call than most away weekends we returned to the race course slightly before dawn. Driving the lead car for the Men’s C race was almost more enjoyable than racing the course itself, it is an excellent experience watching a race unfold in the rear view mirror. If the opportunity to help with supporting a race presents its self I highly recommend anyone interested in bikes or racing to seize it, more than fun!

The road race was really fun in the B’s, everyone was motivated to go along at a good clip without too many hard attacks. The climb each lap proved to be challenging putting even the strongest riders in the field into difficulty. On the third lap the damage was done, attempting to rest near the back of the lead group a gap opened up leaving Luke and I both on the wrong side. The chase wasn’t showing much motivation to close it so I went for a solo bridge, but the headwind and distance to cover proved to be too much. Having spent too many efforts without enough food in my system the two riders I was left with after losing the solo bridge attempt dropped me. The 4th lap was pretty lonely until I was caught by the women’s A race and sprinted a group of three other guys that joined me shortly before the finish to 16th place.

Finishing out the road race 


Sunday on the other hand was an excellent day!

Criteriums are definitely my favorite, especially this weekend’s at the CRC. A fast course with a few hard corners and a punchy power climb played directly into my strengths. One of those strengths is not racing smart. My plan was to sit in, making sure I was with the two other strong men in the field ,Carter Harris (UNCW) and Gene Taylor (App State), while blasting some music out of my jersey pocket to keep things fun. When the official announced a first lap prime, I immediately abandoned the sit in portion of this plan, asked for room in the first row.  From whistle, I hit it, laying out power all the way to the line and decisively winning the prime with a solid gap on the field. Rejoining the pack, Gene, Carter and I wound up on the front for the rest of the race, with a few other riders mixing it up. I took the second prime in the same manner as the first, and the third in the last two without really knowing they were prime laps.

Corner One


To the front on the climb

Riding perhaps the strongest I have all season, in direct correlation with the amount of cheering I got from friends, teammates, and my parents- who had driven down to watch. That energy from the sidelines kept me rolling fast and on the front. With three laps to go, Craig and a JMU rider attacked, establishing a sizable gap on the field. Only Carter, Gene and myself were working to bring back any break attempts the whole day, with Gene’s teammate up the road and Cater hiding for the field sprint I was my own. Now feeling extra bold and strong at 2000meters to go, I laid out a vicious attack, with no one able to keep on my wheel. I caught the two leaders on the power climb, just before the start of the bell lap and neither could catch my wheel. Still holding a gap on the field I put my head down and engaged beast mode. I held my lead until just before the line when three riders sprinted past. A bike throw against a Duke rider left me with fourth by less than an inch, a true photo finish.

THE SQUAD Cater, myself and Gene, killing it in the Killer Bs


The SQUAD

Bike throws make a difference!


Frankly I’m happy with how everything turned out, for as dumb as I rode and as well as I finished and those who beat me deserved it. This was Gene’s last race in the 2014 collegiate road season, glad he ended on a high note and I’m defiantly going to miss racing with him at the West Virginia and Navy weekends. That’s what cycling and racing are really about, not winning or anything else, but making friends.

All about having fun and making friends

Chasing Dreams, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia Weekend!

For all this talk of winning, it is nice to have run that elusive W down last weekend. 
First time on the top step after a paved event for me.
Victory at last

Whats better than winning? Crushing it, killing it, all time conditions! All with good friends, teammates or not its fun to ride and go hard with some good people. Not to mention I had 3 new VT B team guys to race with! Quinn Giroux, Wyatt Lowdermilk, and Kyle Johnson all stepped it up and upgraded for this weekend.

Also better than winning, victory lap wheelie brigade after breaking away all day!

Double Wheelie Bros!

 Results from Saturdays Crits:
(yeah this weekend was backwards, but just like my cross mounts, opposite just works better somehow)

Mens B 2nd place to that monster from State after quickly breaking and almost lapping the field, decided not to mess with a field sprint since we had less time between us and the field than they had on us with 6 laps left.

Cat 3/4, those West Virginian's take their State Crit Championships seriously, 13th place. Attacked on the line for giggles, WVU A rider Chas McFarland bridged up and we went for it. The two of us held off the field around 20-30 seconds gap for over 30 minutes, getting caught with 10 laps to go. Sat up for the sprint after rubbing bars in corner 3 on the last lap. Contact while apexing a corner around 50 km/h takes the motivation to stay at the front right out of me.

Congrats on that victory Richard, of everyone in the ACCC B field you deserved that the most. Go big or go home right?

Red and Orange just killing it

Downhill, down wind and all power, Richard definitely got the better end of the sprint 

I missed crushing it with THE SQUAD but thanks for not showing up Cater and Gene, it was nice not to having to nearly die just to hang on your wheels.    

THE SQUAD, during the VT crit, Cater Harris, myself and Gene Taylor
Coined by Cater due to the three of us always being on the front 

Good riding with you Chas, too bad we couldn't make lightening strike twice. 
It was a damn good run at it though!

Going for it in the 3/4s

Road Racing or Something Like It

Feeling awesome after such a solid performance in the crits I was feeling pretty confident during the road race. The course was a lollipop with, 5km out the stick 5 laps with a solid climb and super fast descent each time around, a little bit of "flat" in between. After going in circles it was back on out.

The first lap and a half went very smoothly and easily with the entire mixed Men's B and Women's A field agreeing to take it easy and stay neutral. 

The B-Team

Smartly sitting towards the front of the field I saw it all unfold. Half way up the second lap's climb, about 25km in, a Navy rider went off the front, shortly followed by a teammate. Quickly recognizing that two strong guys off the front would be hell on this course I followed getting the second rider to pull me up to his teammate. A quick glance behind reviled that my teammate Quinn Giroux was on my wheel and a sizable gap had opened on the field. Cresting the top we hit it, going to the front for the descent I sent it, the rest of the break in tow. Throughout the rest of the race I was the guy for the downhills, guess it comes with the territory in racing XC and Cyclocross the rest of the year. The four of us called a truce until the base of the climb on the last lap. Working together well we established a lead of well over 2 minutes on the next chase group, ended up being the rest of the VT B team. Before the 4th time up the climb one of the Navy guys, Kevin Lee, dropped off, mixed feelings ensued, he had put out a lot of work and deserved to stay with us but now it was two on one in Quinn's and my favor.

Sunday's Course

Quinn, being the best teammate he could be, put out the entire time giving solid and long pulls even has he was tiring. Feeling very strong ans still pretty fresh I knew that a big gap was safer than a sprint finish. Seeing hints of struggling during the remaining Navy rider's (Ben Walter) pulls I thought I could make something happen the last time up the climb.

Quinn ended up as one tired teammate 

The climb, consisting of some steeper stuff and two nasty switch-backs we went 3 wide all looking at each other trying to see who would jump first. At the steepest part of the first switch-back I exploded out of the saddle instantly opening up a gap, checking back to see the damage done I knew I should just go for it solo. Cranking it up, full gas for the last few miles I opened a large gap, somewhere upwards of a minute by the line. Took the descent as faster than any sane person would, getting the KOM on the strava "Gnar Descent" segment. As a side note strava KOMs are only cool when one: they have a rad name and two: you didn't know they existed prior to riding them. Checking my six a few times going back out the stick towards the finish, no one was in sight.




Now the big questions started to pop into my head, what do I do with my hands? Wasn't sure so I made something up.

What do I do with my hands again?

You ask how do I win a road race now? Sandbagging is the easiest way to go. An upgrade will be sent before next season starts up, but going for the conference points win in Bs with just one more race weekend left.

The rest of the team did excellent this weekend, Quinn rolled into 3rd with Kyle and Wyatt taking 4th and 5th. Sean Gardner won the As with Taylor Pearman taking 3rd after winning Saturday's crit by lapping the field. TJ took 4th in his crit right after upgrading to Cs. Great work guys!