Race Report Thread

[twizzle]

As requested
My new companion:

LOL - look at all those "aero" spokes!


Sent from my iThingy...

[Ozkaban]

Second year of the NSW Police Games, and my second race ever... 8 laps of the Penrith Regatta Centre for 40km. Last year I was dropped pretty early on (lap 2 out of 8, ending up 2km behind the leaders), so my goal this year was to finish with the main bunch. There were about 40 riders in 2 bunches, I was in the first lot.

The pace was pretty steady in the high 30s or low 40s. There was the occasional burst up to 50kmh or so but given how flat the course is and the lack of any meaningful wind for the majority of it there were very few breakaways and none successful. So much so that leading up to the last km everyone slowed down to about 35kmh in anticipation of a certain bunch sprint. I managed to stay in the front half of the peleton for pretty much the whole race which I was happy with. For some reason we were running clockwise so the last km is through the narrow twisties, up and over the bridge at the western end and through the double chicane to a final 500m sprint. As we hit the sprint, I was second in my age group but I ran out of legs about 50m before the line and so I got pipped by half a wheel, relegating me to 3rd. I should have dug deeper!!! Ahh well, regrets are saved for next year. I came 10th overall out of about 40 riders, which compared to last year was awesome! Very happy with the days racing and feeling much more positive about it all. I may just have to have a crack at the Beauie worlds after all.

Stats
Distance: 41.1km
Time: 1:04:16
Avg Speed: 38.4km/h (last year was 37.5)

[jules21]

HCC C grade crit - 30 mins + 3 laps. got jack of D grade which is too slow, so i voluntarily moved up to C. it's 1-2 km/h faster, which is great. things stayed orderly until the 3 laps to go sign. i was on 3rd wheel coming into the lasp lap, but got swamped down the back straight and finished mid-bunch. i left my run a bit late. but felt strong.. the harder the better for me.

[Metor]

With some delay.
B-grade SKCC
Last Sunday the hotdog crit at Port Melbourne. With just one race and no interval training I knew that a DNF would be inevitable on such a course. It makes a great interval training which is hard to simulate on your own so I decided to start.
Started in the middle of the bunch which was around 40 guys. After 10 minutes of racing I looked back for a second and was surprised that no one was in my wheel. My hart beat was sky high and my lungs screaming for air. Full gas from the start and my body not ready.
Not long after that there started to be gaps in front of me and at that point I knew the DNF would follow soon. After closing a few gaps, "the one" came. Couldn't close it any more and got dropped. Around just 15 guys were left so it was a tough race.
Although I knew it from the start that I wouldn't finish the feeling isn't nice. Although quite happy with the training and hoping that coming sunday in a regular crit the training will pay off.

Nice atmosphere at the festival though and I like the change of a different style of racing. Still I mostly prefer big laps (5-10 km) or a city to city race. Any tips?
Untill then I will focus on the crits here.

[ft_critical]

After closing a few gaps, "the one" came. Couldn't close it any more and got dropped.

So palpable. I can close my eyes and remember such times. You know you are too far back, but not strong enough to get forward. Doomed. Then you fight, fight again and finally give up. It is a unique experience to cycling I think. That wheel you want drifts away slowly, it is not a sudden defeat, but as you fall back into no mans land, alone, it is absolute and very public.

[toppity]

I hate it. The public thing is so true. I feel like everyone is watching the "dropped" rider. It knocked the wind out of me last time it happened, I've only done one race since and it was very safe race for me. I need to HTFU and start some serious training again.

[jules21]

SKCC D grade crit - this was a fun race with breaks going straight from the get-go. i was pretty fatigued after a lot of riding this week and yesterday's race, so i stayed in the bunch, bar a bit of work on the front. i'm really building up to the Buller Road Race next week, so i've been burying myself a bit before i taper next week. anyway, good signs as i felt tired, but still had the legs to move up at the end and contest the sprint, but only for 10-15th - despite a 48.5 km/h final lap(!). new PR for me, by a fair margin too. if i'd pushed harder to move up more, i might have contested a placing.

[nickobec]

I still owe you a race report from last Sunday, it is coming, it is half written. However today's is complete:

PDCC D Grade Criterium Motorplex 10 March 2013 report

Due to a number of reasons, there was only 12 riders in D grade today. None of the usual breakaway suspects, but more than few who could outsprint me. So I went out with a simple tactics, go to the front early, ride hard for a couple of laps, hope a couple of others join in, it becomes a race of attrition and only a small group gets to the end.

So I rolled out, went to the front on the back straight and starting riding hard and by the 180 degree turn towards the end of the first lap, I had a gap on the field. Kept riding hard, had a decent gap by the end of the next lap. I decided to measure my effort and not push hard into the wind on back straight. Which was a mistake, the bunch pulled a little time back and then a lap later one rider bridged across to me on the back straight. With two riders off the front the bunch reacted and the chase was on in earnest.

We worked together for the next few laps, breaking up the chasing group, before we were caught with 15 minutes or so to the bell. The only problem was nobody wanted to ride on the front. A couple of times, the two riders who did the bulk of the chasing, took short turns into the wind and a couple of times I ran wide on the 180 degree turn, so I could drop back a couple of places. But most of the time, I was feeling good, so I rode on the front, every couple of laps I rode hard up the main straight, breaking the group up, but generally slowed on the back straight, which allowed people back one. I did not know it, but there was still 8 riders behind me, when I came out the 180 degree turn for the second last time and pushed hard. 4 riders never made it back, even though the last time into the wind was slow. I ran wide out of the final corner on purpose again, but just missed grabbing the wheel of my breakaway companion, who was behind the two riders who did the bulk of the chasing. I started the long sprint, got close just before the kink, but then they skipped away and another rider who was sitting on my wheel pounced and I finished 5th.

Overall I was happy with my performance, maybe not the result, after spending at least 30 minutes and probably closer to 35 minutes of a 40 minute race on the front. I made a couple of tactical errors, if I hammered it on the 3rd and 4th laps, I probably would of got a big gap before the bunch got organised and ridden to a solo win. But after my last race at Parklands I am not willing to put myself into the red so early in a race. Also if I pushed hard into the wind the last time I might of kept a couple more riders from getting back on. My cornering still needs work, the last corner I choose to run wide, I did not need to run that wide and that slow, which meant I missed that wheel. Still I do know how hard I can ride and how much damaged I can do to a race.

[Metor]

SKCC D grade crit - this was a fun race with breaks going straight from the get-go. i was pretty fatigued after a lot of riding this week and yesterday's race, so i stayed in the bunch, bar a bit of work on the front. i'm really building up to the Buller Road Race next week, so i've been burying myself a bit before i taper next week. anyway, good signs as i felt tired, but still had the legs to move up at the end and contest the sprint, but only for 10-15th - despite a 48.5 km/h final lap(!). new PR for me, by a fair margin too. if i'd pushed harder to move up more, i might have contested a placing.

We were at the same time racing there. I was racing in B. Easy to recognise on the only steel bike out there

My race went good. Compared to two weeks ago I could follow even easier and showed up a few times at the front. Tried to join some breakaways, although happy we didn't stay away because I simply did not have the legs for such an effort. But he, step by step to become the old me again.
Never got in any trouble and noticed that I easily could get to the front when I wanted to. Next step is enough power in the legs to make the race hard instead of mostly following. My only concern is that every race ends in a bunch sprint. I am a decent sprinter but with just a 6 speed and a 13 as the smallest cog it is going to be impossible to compete in a sprint. A breakaway is going to be the only option...
Next week hopefully more progression

[jules21]

I am a decent sprinter but with just a 6 speed and a 13 as the smallest cog it is going to be impossible to compete in a sprint. A breakaway is going to be the only option...
Next week hopefully more progression

cripes.. most of us would kill for that kind of excuse to upgrade

good luck next week! i won't be there but i will look out for you next time..

[jamescbdunn]

A few mentions of racing at SKCC, I thought this video might be popular. Skip to the last 5mins if you want to see the race end action...
SKCC Crits - A Grade, Dual Cam with Telemetry

[jules21]

A few mentions of racing at SKCC, I thought this video might be popular. Skip to the last 5mins if you want to see the race end action...
SKCC Crits - A Grade, Dual Cam with Telemetry

awesome vision james. what sport is that though?

[jamescbdunn]

A few mentions of racing at SKCC, I thought this video might be popular. Skip to the last 5mins if you want to see the race end action...
SKCC Crits - A Grade, Dual Cam with Telemetry

awesome vision james. what sport is that though?

Trick Question? Criterium racing, 1km closed circuit. 60mins + 3 laps!

JD

[jules21]

Trick Question? Criterium racing, 1km closed circuit. 60mins + 3 laps!

joke - it looks like a different sport to what us D graders are engaged in.. can i ask why you pulled up at the end?

[jamescbdunn]

Yep, there was a big crash on the 2nd last lap and the race (specifically the last corner) was red-flagged. Those that sprinted were all DQ'd.

Either way, I was pretty much cooked due to the crash causing a big gap that I had to bridge across at 55+kmh.

[Metor]

Yep, there was a big crash on the 2nd last lap and the race (specifically the last corner) was red-flagged. Those that sprinted were all DQ'd.

Either way, I was pretty much cooked due to the crash causing a big gap that I had to bridge across at 55+kmh.

Was a nasty crash. Heard the tire explode and saw guys going every where in that corner. Was a nice crit to watch though!

[jamescbdunn]

...

Was a nasty crash. Heard the tire explode and saw guys going every where in that corner. Was a nice crit to watch though!

It was a seriously fast race! My garmin had me at 47kmh avg for the 1hr5mins. I think having 8 Search2Retain riders there changed the dynamic somewhat.

[Metor]

Trick Question? Criterium racing, 1km closed circuit. 60mins + 3 laps!

joke - it looks like a different sport to what us D graders are engaged in.. can i ask why you pulled up at the end?

In what way does it look like a different sport?

[jules21]

In what way does it look like a different sport?

the speed difference!

i raced C grade at HCC tonight. felt strong, but so did everyone else and i can't sprint, so i finished mid-field. i had good position into the last corner, but a rider in front of me wobbled and i had to lift off. game over. i need to grow some cajones and start animating the race. hiding in the bunch is too easy.

[nickobec]

PDCC 16km Individual Time Trial Hopeland 13 March 2013

My time trials races this year so far:
1 crashed on a straight road.
2 too cautious/nervous after previous week, still 30 seconds behind my best time set on a road bike at my first attempt at the end of last year.
3 finally having a TT bike pays off new personal best by 14 seconds.
4 still improving beat last week's time by 16 seconds
5 another 8 seconds off, now 27:28
6 had a bike fitting and improved by over a minute
7 DNF after flat
8 proved that race 6 was not a fluke and beat that time by 2 seconds
9 another great ride, hard into a strong headwind and then "flew" back with a tailwind, another 14 seconds off my personal best which is now 26:02

So coming into the final race I had a lead the solo rider competition and had a simple aim, beat 26:00. As well as beating a milestone, it should be enough for me to win the solo rider competition, provided my main competition, did not beat their best time by a significant amount.

That was until I picked up a head cold, by the time Wednesday afternoon arrived I felt bad and went to the race with a simple aim, finish the race, score 2 points for completing the race, maybe post a 26:30 and hope that neither of my two main competitors had good rides and times.

The weather was not doing me any favours, the days I did best compared to my competitors was the hot 35C+ days with a strong southerly. Today it was only 27C and the wind was a mild south easterly.

I set off, aiming to keep an average of 250w for as long as possible, see how my body and lungs coped and work out a strategy from there. I managed an average of 245w for the first 8km (down from 255w the previous week), was a little unsure of my average speed, it looked like 35kph and did not worry about my time. I got caught by a rider who started 2 minutes behind be just after I turned for home. But seeing he is a solid 22 minute rider, I was thinking my time was not that bad. Though felt I needed an average of over 40kph on the way back to get a good time, but I struggled to keep it above 39kph and when the rider in front is travelling in excess of 44kph, you do get a little dispirited. However I did feel good and my power output was around 240w, I sprinted over the finish and checked my time 25:44 whoot!

The figures
16km
time 25:42 (official)
average speed 37.4kph (out 36.2kph, back 39.2kph)
average power 241W (out 244w, back 239w)
15th of 21 on elapsed time
7th of 18 club members on best time compare to previous PB (yes 6 beat their PBs by more than 20 seconds tonight, apparently good TT riding conditions)
enough points to win solo rider competition (based on time compared to previous personal best, with bonus points for fastest 3 riders)

[cant_stop]

Well done Nick, very impressive! I'll be down at Parklands tomorrow, should be a good race

[jules21]

Mansfield D grade criterium, 35 mins. i didn't warm up properly for this short race and paid the price on the tight T-shaped circuit as a couple of guys put the hurt on us from the gun. i made the mistake of starting at the back, meaning i burned candles bridging back up to the small bunch of 15 or so as riders dropped away. some bloke took off and i wasn't about to chase, electing to save my energy for the next day's road race. then someone else did the same. i went to the front and put in a few turns, but it was futile - the nature of the circuit didn't lend much advantage to the bunch. in the end i just sat in and waited to sprint for 3rd, but since i can't sprint i came last in the bunch - or what was left of it - about 7 or 8th.

Mt Buller road race, Masters C grade. old man's racing! i secretly wondered if i might give a bunch of vets the slip as their prosthetic hips gave out on them on the way up the mountain, and solo to victory. such thoughts were quickly dispatched as we got going at a cracking pace into a head/side wind. a couple of guys went up the road on a suicide mission and somewhere up the front riders were driving the bunch while the rest of us clung to the wheel ahead. i was already on the rivet and we hadn't even hit the mountain toll gates.

we passed women's A grade - haha what were the organisers thinking starting us after them? obviously they weren't going to outpace us men. after an hour or so we hit the base of the mountain, and the fun began. eerily, the pace came off as we approached, with everyone seeming to decide now was a good time to start saving energy! immediately a forward group of 15-20 started moving ahead and i upped my pace - now or never. i hung off near the back for a couple of minutes, but started going into the red so at that point i realised victory was not going to be mine today, and that discretion > valour.

i settled into a steady rhythm of about 150-155 bpm and traded places with a few guys around me. then the lead bunch of women's A came past me like a freight train - ahh haha. fortunately i didn't blow up and was able to maintain about 85% effort all the way up, pushing the button only when i saw the 1km sign. i finished 21/50, which i was satisfied with but hoped for a better VAM than 1007. i can improve!

my time for Masters C was fast enough to podium in Open C! (i doubt i would have, i can only assume their bunch set a more sedate pace to the foot of the mountain)

[toolonglegs]

Mt Buller road race, Masters C grade

I would just look at the profile and fake a problem with my bike

[nickobec]

PDCC D grade criterium Parklands 17 March 2013

The head cold from earlier in the week had moved down to my lungs, so I was not feeling great and definitely not excited about my chances on my favourite criterium circuit (4km long with a sharp climb and only one challenging corner for me). Still I wanted to be the only club member to race and finish ever criterium this season, so I was not going to let a little cold slow me too much.

Knowing, my limitations, I went in with a simple tactics, be patient, be cautious and put all my energy into a single do or die attack, probably attacking as we crested the climb on the second last lap and try to solo the 5km to victory. My plan suddenly had to be flexible, as I found out Travis my breakaway partner for my previous win at Parklands, was back racing after a few weeks away, with a lot more miles and a little more speed in his legs (though I did beat him by almost 30 seconds at the ITT on Wednesday). Still much prefer a head to head with Travis, than a bunch sprint with half a dozen riders who have beaten me in a sprint in the past.

A dozen D graders rolled out for a six lap race (officially 35 minutes + 1 lap, but when a lap takes 7 minutes and a few seconds it is a six lap race). The pace was fairly slow for the first lap and I was happy sitting at the back, watching what was going on. Halfway through the second lap, Travis and a couple of riders got a small gap, as nobody could or would shut the gap. I took it upon myself to drag the bunch to their wheels at the foot of the climb, as I was worried the three would attack on the climb. They didn't, they actually swung off the front, so I took the bunch up the climb without investing too much effort and shot off down the other side looking for the best lines for my future attack, before waiting for the bunch to catch up in the finishing straight and I rolled to the back feeling surprisingly good.

So good that the next lap, I rode to the front up the climb, to tease another rider about his new bike, then bombed down the descent, picked decent line through the first corner and suddenly I had 50m on the peleton. That was enough of an invitation, I put the hammer down and crossed the start finish line with 15 second gap (access to the timing computer after the race).

I eased off down the back straight hoping to make use of my time trialling skills, but my lungs were struggling, instead on pumping out a constant 240 watts which I can in a TT, I was struggling to make 200 watts, so I made do with that, trying to keep a constant effort, hoping my lungs recover and hoping that the bunch had forgotten me.

After a solitary 4th lap struggling to make 200 watts, I got it to 210 watts when Travis caught me on the back straight on the 5th lap, I tucked into his wheel, until the climb where I could not match his pace, got dropped. In hindsight I should of made more of an effort to stay on his wheel, but my lungs were burning and I was struggling badly.

On the final lap, I was caught by Cassia & Tom on the back straight of the final lap, this time I had enough in reserve to stay with them and do my turn on the front up the climb, but it was not pretty. Lead down the descent, Cassia took us through the corners and Tom started the sprint from a long way out, I took the lead from 400m out, as Tom appeared to fade, but in the shadow of the line Tom came out of my slipstream to snatch 2nd, with Cassia hot on his heels for 3rd and I managed 4th, 15 seconds behind Travis but more than a minute ahead of the bunch.

Overall happy with my performances, given my cold. If I was 100% healthy, the results would of been different, but that is racing.

[jules21]

Mt Buller road race, Masters C grade

I would just look at the profile and fake a problem with my bike

that's cos you haven't discovered sandbagging