Race Ave Update. Next the Cheyney Road Race

Since I bailed on the Tour De Tykes I decided to double up the day before at the Race Ave. Crit. It's a simple 4 corner 1 km loop with a false flat for the final 250 meters (roughly).

The 4/5 race started with a bang and by that I mean a crash on the start line. This is why I try to stay away from 4/5 races. Two laps into the 20 lap race there were two more crashes. I decided to leave the "safety" of the peleton and go on my own. It was really a false attack. I just wanted to pick up the pace and drop the squirrels. It worked for the most part (only one more crash the rest of the race). With 12 to go I was back in the pack and another rider took off. We let him go. The next lap another rider shot out of the group. We let him go too figuring the group would catch them. When the bell lap came it was pretty obvious we were not going to catch the lead riders. On the back stretch of the final lap a Spinners rider took off. Being only 500-600 meters from the finish I hopped on his wheel. Around turn 3 he peeled off leaving me in front. Not a great place to be about 400 meters from the finish. I told myself that if I gained a gap going into turn 4, I was going for it on the previously mentioned false flat. I stayed seated and put a few good pedal strokes down. I was trying to hide my attack as best I could. I felt a gap open up behind me and I went for it. Out of turn 4 I stood up and got a 10 meter or so lead. About 20 meters from the finish my legs were burning but I was so close I pushed through it. I took 3rd! Beating the peleton to the line. Average speed was 25mph.

Chris, Shawn, and I then did the 30 lap 3/4 race. I knew I was going to be hurting but tried to help out Chris as much as I could. It wasn't much as I just barely held onto the peleton. I finished in 31st. Shawn 24th. Chris was just out of the points in 12th (his worst finish this year). Average speed for this one was about 27.5mph.

Sunday Shawn and I will be at the Cheyney road race. We are taking it a little easier this weekend and only doing the 4 instead of the 3/4. It's roughly 15 miles shorter.

Iron Hill Report/Race Ave Crit

Iron Hill was very polarized in how the Milkmen finished/DNF'd. Joel, Seth and Shawn both took DNFs due to feeling sick and throwing up. Yum. Now for the good news. James took 4th in the Sport Vet I field. Tom, me, and Steve took 11th, 5th, and 4th in the Expert Senior I field. This brings us to Chris. The day before he rode the Fulton Road race and won in a bunch sprint in the 3/4. The race was something like 60 miles so we didn't expect too much from him. From the gun he was on my wheel. I had a good start but I could feel my legs were not where I needed them to be to actually win this race with power alone. It always helps to have a bobble or two just to ensure that you are working harder than you need to as well. Anyway, my second bobble and Chris, Gunnar (Cyclesport), and Jamie (Cycle Works) were gone. Hal (D&Q) and another rider came up on me on the second lap and I had nothing to hold them off with. At some point I bent my big ring and was forced to run in my 34 for the rest of the race. This killed my closing speed but kept me fresher on the 4th lap. I picked off two riders as Steve went flying past me on his way to 4th.


All in all it was a great weekend for the Milkmen. Two podiums (thank you Chris) and our teams first road win ever (again thank you Chris).


Saturday is the Race Ave. Crit in Lancaster. I signed up for double duty in the 4/5 and the 3/4. Chris and Shawn should also be there. It's an awesome spectator course and I think it takes 2:30 to 3 minutes to go around. Lots of action.

Iron Hill

This Sunday is the race at Iron Hill in Delaware. This race features the "Mega-Dip". As Fatmarc puts it "...it's like nature's half pipe." Check out his blog for a video of the thing.

Last year I was taken out by an edurance rider. To her defense she was trying to get out of my way. But busted spokes are busted spokes regardless of intentions. This year I will attempt to finish.

Can't wait until the SRAM XX group is available.

Massanutten DH Yee-Ha 5-8/9

Thursday evening after work I set out for Mcgaheysville, VA. The
forecast for this weekend was supposed to be rain all weekend. It was nice
that it had rained everyday that week too. Might as well keep the riders
on the toes while skipping accross horrendous root infested off-camber corners,
and slippery rocks at the tops of all chutes. The Honda Element was loaded
with gear, tools, replacement parts, a backup bike, and my "support/fan club",
my wife Rachael. At Massanutten Resort we met up with Todd Nicolas of
Gretna Bikes, his girl friend, Krisha, and Chris Scotten. Saturday we
awoke to a beautiful morning. After breakfast we geared up and made our
way to the "worlds slowest" chairlift! I made the comment that they should
install cycle trainers on the lifts so we could spin for the long commute to the
top. Other racers agreed. I have never been to a DH event in which I
witnessed so many flats! There are always flats at a DH event, but this
course is head and shoulders more technical overall than most. Last
practice run of friday I went out of control in a chute, that resulted in me and
bike somersaulting, flipping, tallywhacking through the air. I believe I
cracked a rib. Later that evening, Todd, Chris, and I walked the
course and discussed line possibilities. Saturday, race day!
Hardtail riders went first, there were 2, so all podiumed! They looked
thoroughly spent when crossing the finishing line. Finally, 1:37pm and I
am off! That chute I careened out of control on the day before had a
suprise for me. I made the tight left corner with great speed and
confidence to nail this section, and then,...there was a turtle on the
trail! Exactley where I needed to be. Well, he was there first, so I
bunny-hopped him and I planned to "dance" through chunder. Turns out the
guy after me hit him, found out later after the race. I finished in
4:41secs, placed 8th in Sport Class, Masters category. The overall best
time down the course was 3:23secs! Great weekend and a wicked fun
trail!

--Mr. Ben "Dream" Weaver

Click here for the pictures.

Conestoga Report

Three of us, Shawn, Chris, and I, made the journey to Conestoga for what I believe to be the hardest road race I have ever raced. Of the 40 starts only 15 finished. I knew going into it that it would be hard but I really wasn't ready for the hard pace on the first lap of the 50 mile race. I was dropped on the second climb (second climb that hit grades of 20% that is). I found some guys and we clawed our way back to the peleton. I tried to get a hold of my heart rate and settle into a groove. On the second lap, the same thing happened. Only this time I had just one other person to work with the try and climb back on. We failed.


I am happy to report that all Milkmen finished. Shawn, 14th in his first 3/4 race. Me, 12th. Chris, out sprinted a Squarda Coppi rider for 5th.


I raced today with my PowerTap and after downloading my numbers I can see why I was dropped. In the first 1 hour and 10 minutes of the race I had spent 76% of the time at or above my HR threshold. Yikes! Once I was dropped and fending for myself I settled into a rhythm (all-be-it a slower one but hey, whatever) and kept my numbers under control. 25 miles with the peleton, 1:10. 25 miles of solo, 1:20. Like I said, it was a tough course. I think climbing Mt. Penn 9 times is easier.


Next weekend, I get married. 5-31 is Iron Hill. I hope to be recovered by then. Haha!

Smoketown and Conestoga

Sheesh. What a slacker I have been. It's been too long in between entries. In that time French Creek was postponed, Shawn took 6th in his final road race as a 5 (congrats on the upgrade my man), Chris and I tried to make some things happen with the Rock Star Jeff Bahnson in the 3/4 race, working too much (ok so it's only 40 hours but still the French have a 32 hour work week), and trying to tie up loose ends for the wedding. Oh and don't forget about training.

Last weekend was a bit of cluster. French Creek was cancelled so Shawn and I decided to race the Unionville Road Race. When we got there we saw that Chris and Steve McQueen...errr...McCann also decided to race. The course was at the lower end of being tough. Most of the climbs were right after a nice fast section and none of them were terribly steep. Long story short...Grouppo Compacto for most of the race. About 40 miles (10 miles to go) in a group of 4 got away. I sat back to see who would react. 43 miles in, still no reaction. I decided it was time to move up and pull them in. I contacted Chris and we were off. I was hoping we could connect with the breakaway and give them a little more firepower. When we caught up to them, they quit. This left me in a bad spot. I was redlined and when Chris hammered up the last big climb I couldn't hang with him. Chris and Jeff went for the glory but came up about 400 meters short.


Shawn and Steve faired much better in the 4/5 race. Shawn took 6th in the sprint finish. Then later in the week his steerer tube spit in half while doing a track stand.


This weekend the Milkmen will be aiming for some podiums at the Smoketown Crit on Saturday and the Conestoga Road Race on Sunday. Smoketown is on part of a runway from what I understand so I think it is safe to assume that this will be a flat one. Conestoga is a different animal. Other than the first 3 miles of the 12.5 mile lap I don't think there is one flat section of road at all. A lot of climbing, some (two) hitting grades of 20%. The finish will be fast (if there is even a group finish) with a super fast downhill screaming to a pancake flat finish line. Speeds will probably be hitting 40+mph.

Granogue Sunday

Here we are, once again, at one of my most feared races, Granogue. If you have been reading this blog since last year then you may remember me describing this as grueling and that's because it is. Fair Hill is super fast. French Creek is rocks on top of rocks. I can't put my finger on why Granogue is so hard. Maybe it's the grass fields that kill your momentum. Maybe it's the climb to the finish line. I don't know. What I do know is that every time I race this race I question why I race. Why I don't retire?