Now that the series is over I wish we had another one starting. I missed the first race in Woodinville which was wet. I know because I was on my roof cleaning the gutters and putting in some new gutter guards. Looking back now I wish I would have raced it but what can you do. Next year I will race the whole series. It consists of several criterium races around the city with the finishing criterium ending in Tacoma. A Criterium is a short course that is very spectator friendly and pretty fun for the racers too with a bunch of people watching.
Woodinville:
Didn't race.
Fremont 5/30/10
The weather this year as most of you know has really been blah. Its seems like its been raining and 50 or so since Jan. The weather man said that the Sunday of the Fremont race was supposed to be sunny and 70. It would be nice to have that job. Getting your job wrong more than 25% of the time and still have a job would be pretty cool. The weather was better in the morning when we were racing than it was for the later races so I guess I shouldn't complain to much. The field was full with 75 entries. We set up the tent and trainers and warmed up for a bit then moved to the course to do some laps in anger before the start. Jed was trying out some new tires and seemed to be having some issues with them but was using them for the dry which at the moment it was. The course was 3 corners that consisted of a very tight 140 degree corner as the corner 1 then turn 2 was more open but had a change of pavement on the outside and turn 3 was fast and wide open. The race started and this was the first race back for me since coming home from Thailand May 11th. I was able to get in 10 days of good training in after being off the bike for 16 days. I was a little concerned how I would do but I felt really good the first half of the race. I stayed at the front 7 pretty much the whole race. Just past halfway it started sprinkling and turn 1 with the 140 degree turn was getting a bit slippery. I could feel my bike slide as we railed through it. The following lap I told Jed who also stayed at the front that the course was getting slippery. The following lap you could hear people crashing right behind us as we came out of the corner. I searched for Jed and found him behind me still so that made me feel better.
Then with 8 laps to go or so another crash happened behind me and I didn't see Jed anymore. Apparently he lost the front in turn 1 and re-opened several of his wounds he sustained in Walla Walla which just healed up. I was pretty gutted for Jed because he is a good bike racer and is strong but he has just had bad luck this year. The last 3 laps were super fast as a strong highschool kid that races for Recycled Cycles, Kyle went off the front and drilled it.
I didn't have a sprint left and finished in the group for 9th. My legs felt good the whole race but the last lap they said enough. The race was so fast that only 15 or so finished on the lead lap out of 75.
9th place
Seward Park 6/03/10
This race was on Thursday night which is the normal day for all Seward park races but the race for cat 4/5's was at 4:30. I left work at 3:30 in Fremont thinking I would have plenty of time to get to Seward. Wrong. It took me 45 minutes to get there which is kinda mind boggling but what can you do. I didn't leave early enough and showed up at 4:15 and they just announced that the 4/5 field was closed and sold out. I was about to get mad when I noticed Matt from Recycled Cycles next to me also on the waitlist. I had a good feeling at that point they weren't going to keep the series points leader out of the race. They didn't and thankfully allow 7 more of us to race for a total field of 83. It was going to be interesting for sure. The course route we were doing was the route I normally don't do to well at. I am not sure why but for some reason this year I haven't had to many good rides. The finishing line is after a hill and flattens out for about 500 meters and I am just about gassed by the time I get over the hill and 250 meters from the finish. The other route, the finish line is on top of the hill so I can hammer it up the hill and hit the finish line. Who knows. It could all be mental too. Anyways the race was going fine but we started in the very back of the group. A few guys couldn't get clipped in so it was a bit of avoiding bikes and bodies flapping around. Once we got going we had a pretty good team showing with Tim2, Shawn, and Chad. I think that was everybody. I stayed as close to the front as I could and just hung on. I thought I might have something at the end but was only able to finish 19th. Chad and Tim2 finished just in front of me and Shawn finished in the main pack.
19th place
Ballard Crit 6/05/10
Last year this race was somewhat of a crash fest. I was right behind two major crashes and the last one with about 4 laps to go shot me into a hay bale but I was able to stay on the bike. I told myself last year I wasn't going to race Ballard again. One year later here I am lining up again for Ballard. Its a good race with a good amount of spectators plus the Cascadia Crit Series has been awesome so far. They announced the top 10 and then we all moved up and the officials gave us the run down and then we were off. The course is the same as last year. The finish line is halfway up a false flat then there is a tight left had turn with a sinkhole right in the middle of the corner. Turn 1 drops down a block and then turn 2 puts you on Shilshole Ave. The back straight is fast and takes you down to turn 3 that has a man hole cover that has broken concrete around it and has a slight rise to it. Then half way to turn 4 it turns into brick all the way to the exit of turn 4 that puts you back on the start finish line.
Once again we had a full field of 75 racers. The race started out just fine and we had a good team with Shawn, myself, Greg and Tim2. Criteriums are pretty hard to have any team tactics but you always try to help your teammates out and we would see a team at the end of the race prove me wrong. About 5 laps into the race I was mid pack making my way towards the front when a guy dove to the inside to try and get the best line for turn 3. He lost the front and crashed collecting atleast 2 others. One guy snaked through the carnage only to get his handle bar caught in the caution tape around the outside of the course. He was stuck to the tape all the way to the fold up barricade that he smacked into and then shot the barricade into the middle of the course. I had someone leaning on me and it felt like grabbing at my side but I held my position and was able to swerve around the flying barricade. There was a bit of a gap to the front group of 30. I was able to close the gap in turn 3 and 4. I was following Tim2 through those corners a bit later in the race and one lap as we came out of turn 4 when you really start to peddle hard you could see his back wheel come completely off the pavement and move to the right. Watching Tim2 he didn't even miss a peddle stroke and just kept going. It was pretty cool. We were at the halfway point when we came around and a guy was laying in the middle of the straightaway. Which is pretty odd thing to see. We went around 2 more times before they completely stopped the race. A group of 30 were in the lead group then there was a chase group of 15 that they held behind us. After several stories about what happened it seems the crasher touched wheels with someone in front of him and just went down really hard on his head. I haven't heard how he is doing but they carted him away on a stretcher and he did give a wave to the crowd. They sent us off for the last 13 min of the race and it went fairly well. We all stayed together and shed some extra riders. With 2 or 3 laps to go Kyle from Recycled Cycles went on a flyer. We ended up bringing him back but the damage to the group was done. We were down to a group of 12.
I stayed in my position in the front group and when we brought Kyle back in the fold he decided he would hammer it again. This time he had his teammate and series leader directly on his wheel and we stayed with them around for the final lap but nobody was able to come around them and they finished 1-2. It was perfectly executed by Kyle and Matt of Recycled Cycles. I took 6th place. The rest of the team finished the crit or were pulled but considering the lead group was down to 12 that was some serious attrition.
6th Place
Boat Street Crit 6/06/10
I probably hung around the Ballard Crit to long after my race. We got dinner and had a few drinks with friends and then met more friends. I am sure you know where it goes from here. I set my alarm to get up and do this race just in case. I really wasn't planning on doing it earlier in the week but when I finished 6th at Ballard I figured I might as well. The alarm went off and I wasn't doing to well when I made it to the kitchen. I was really dehydrated and pissed off that I drank the night before but I had a good time so I got over it. I drank atleast 3 full water bottles before I even left the house. The race started at 8:40 Sunday morning so it was early. I grabbed the canapy since it was raining (surprise) and headed out. Shawn, Tim2, Brandon (First race) and Dale. We warmed up under the tent for a bit then decided we should just go and warm up in the rain on the course. The only course we have raced on that was truly flat was Fremont. This had a slight rise on the back straight on NE Pacific Ave and a down hill right turn that was pretty slick in the wet. Then flat to the finish on NE Boat St with a slight right then a short incline into another right. It actually was a fun little course except for the fast downhill right hand turn in the rain. We only had probably 30 racers show up that morning so it was real quite. Not much really went on in the race. I had a big moment in the downhill right hand turn on the 3rd lap which ruined me for the rest of the race. The rear tire slid out and I almost unclipped my right foot because I was pretty sure I was going down but the bike and I stayed upright. The bad part was that was the corner going on to the finish straight so every lap I was typically closing down little gaps in front of me that would open up because I was taking it easy in that corner. A couple laps after I had my slide a guy behind me crashed. That split the group up and we had again 10 or so guys in the front and then a chase group that was caught out by the crash. Most of the team was behind the crash so they were in the chase group. I stayed near the front and Matt the series leader from Recycled Cycles seemed to be doing alot of work at the front which I didn't mind at all. I didn't want to go for any prime laps for extra series points as I figured the end result would net me more points so I opted to save myself. Adam from Arrivee Endurance Sports and myself had a bit of a gap on the back straight and tried to make a bit of a go with it but by the time we came around to the finish straight they had closed the gap. On the last lap I positioned myself well in the top 8 or so. Adam took off just coming out of the last corner and I was a bit slower to react along with the few guys that were in front of me. I came around and began my sprint on the left of the group and was able to bike throw right at the line for 4th place. This ties my best result from last year. My results were getting better and I was confident for the finale in Tacoma.
4th Place
Tacoma Twilight Criterium 6/12/10
To say I was excited for this race would be a understatement. I think alot of racers were excited for this. They were having a brand new Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-SV be the pace car for the PRO 1-2 race later that night. I have been a Lambo fan since I was a kid with several posters on the wall in my room. Of course what kid didn't love the Lamborghini? I guess you loved it or the Ferarri.
This was the first time Tacoma would be hosting a bicycle race of this size. I beleive we had 400+ racers and the final number was over 3,000 spectators. Which is pretty good for a first time race. The course was your standard 4 corner crit. The finish line was on a slight downhill that got steeper the farther down Pacific Ave you went. Which made for a real fun and fast left hand turn onto 12th st. Then you take another left onto A St that gets you onto the back straight which is slightly uphill. I found some info that showed it at about 2-3% gradient. Not terribly bad but enough to keep you on the rivit. Then at the top the road makes a lazy left and then another left which was a wide open corner. As you come back onto the finish straight on the left they had a beer garden set up that already had several people in. See the map below.
I had attached the trailer and Chad and I drove down around noon. We got a great parking spot on the back straight. We set up the area and began warming up with Shawn, myself, Chad, Tim2(Farrel), Mark and Tim1. We headed out to the course after a few minutes on the trainer. It was pretty fast and man you could really take turn 1 wide open with no hands on the breaks.
They called out the top 10 in the series and with my latest finish's and the amount of guys that didn't show up at Boat St in the rain I moved up to 8th place in the series with Tim2 in 9th place.
With me being the highest placed on the series General Classification the goal was to have Chad (Chadicus) lead me or Tim2 out at the finish line. Whoever was there at the end Chadicus was the lead out man. We call him Chadicus because he reminds us of Sparticus better know as Fabian Cancellera. He has the same body type with big legs and a big strong engine with a good sprint. Perfect. The race got under way and Matt from Recycled took off with a Junior from Rad Racing for 2 laps. We brought them back and through out the race I stayed close to Chad near the front.
A few times we got seperated but I would get back behind him and yell Major. Thats our call sign letting your teammate know you are behind them. It stands for our sponsor, Major Taylor Project. Coming around the last corner and getting on the front straight about halfway through the race I reached down and got a drink from my water bottle to see a guy directly in front of me basically lean to the right and shoulder Tim2. Now I was not in the position to take any action with one hand on the bars and a bottle in my other hand. Everything went in slow motion from this point. I put my bottle in the cage some how as fast as I could while Tim2 and the other guy kept bumping each other right before they hit the pavement. Tim2's rear tire blew right before they got to the point of no return. I immediately went to the drops and grabbed a handful of brakes. I got to much front brake though and had the rear wheel in the air for a spit second. I was pretty close to eating pavement face first. I let off the brakes and got the rear tire back on the ground as the bodies slid to the right out of the way. The guy's bike that took Tim2 out wasn't moving as fast as I wanted and I had no where to go. I went light on the front end and rode right over the back of his wheel. My bike got a little loose but I was able to get it back under control and again couldn't believe what just happened on a straightaway. We were just past start finish so we were moving along pretty good around 25-28 mph. Kyle from Recycled rode up and said nice save. Another close call that shouldn't have happened. As we came back around for the next lap I was shocked to see Tim2 back out on his bike getting back in the main field. He has now earned the nickname of Tim "the beast" Farrel. He had blood all over his arms and legs with his kit ripped on his hip. What a warrior. He would later get stitches in his knee and his legs and arms had some good road rash. After that accident not much else happened. Mark went to the front and set the pace for a lap or so. Shawn, Chad and myself were together for a few laps then it was just Chad and I. The last lap comes around and we moveed up to the front 20. We had a tough time getting any further up and in turn 3 a group of 7 got a bit of a gap on the rest of us. Chadicus turned it on and we moved up to around 15th or so and kept that position until we got to the top of the hill.
By that time Chadicus was pretty well blown so I went around him and began my sprint down the hill. I was able to get a few guys before the line then again was able to throw the bike at the line to beat a guy for 9th place.
I was kinda mad that was the best I could muster after last weeks performance but Chad and I both didn't have much more we could have done. Maybe being at the front earlier but that also takes alot of effort so I was generally ok with 9th. After the race we were told the finishing camera was not working and several people were listed as DNF including me. I went to the finish line and said I finished in the top 10 only to be told, no you probably finished in 14th. Anyways long story short they placed me in 14th place and I really had no evidence that I finished higher than that. I got home that night and Tim1 who raced Masters later that day got a picture of me. Then a video also shows me clearly getting 9th. I sent both to the officials and we are waiting for the overall series points to be fixed as well as this race. Overall I am listed as 7th. Not bad for only doing 5 races. I can't wait for next year's Cascadia Crit Series.
Tacoma 9th
GC 7th
Photos from Tim1 and a couple from http://www.wheelsinfocus.com/
The goal this year was to do much better. I have been very close this year to getting on the podium but for whatever reason I miss the move or just get beat to the line. I would prefer to say I miss the move and its not my fitness that holds me back. We had another good strong team for this race and Chadicus was going to be my lead out man. Which is a great guy to have deliver you to the promise land. So far in, I must say this was the most nervous, sketchy and drama filled race I have ever been in but with no crashes which makes it that much stranger. There was a massive field of 90 Category 4/5's. We started at the front of the race and the roads over in Carnation are super small with no shoulder. You basically have the white line and dirt or blackberry bushes. I am sure you can picture 90 guys all crammed on to a very small 2 lane road with no shoulder all trying to move to the front. We had guys riding up on the outside in the dirt trying to move up. As we came around for the last lap I was probably in between 20th and 30 place. Chad came by and I got on his wheel but it was only for a moment as I got shuffled back a bit. Then coming into the last corner which is also about 800 meters from the line Chad shot right up to the top 5 on the inside of the corner. It was strange, it was like everyone went real wide for the corner and slowed up. Chad saw the opportunity and dove right in there. I almost got on his wheel but missed it again. He put the hammer down and strung the whole front group into a single file line. At this time I must have been in the top 20 so I had some work to do. Chad was still in the front of the group as I started closing the gap when 1st and 2nd place shot out of Chad's draft and started there sprint for the line. I turned it up and was able to get right behind them just as we got to the line. PODIUM. Finally!
