Wente Road Race

This past Saturday was the Wente Road Race. Considering my recent road racing disappointments my goals were modest; make the selection !

This course is not really suited for pure climbers but there is a generous amount of power climbing on each lap. The race started out hard with a sprint up the first climb to the start/finish as there were prices for the top 3 on the first go around. It really hurt to stay up near the leaders. Going into the next climb there was 10 of us away but as it was straight into a moderate headwind, there was no attempt to stay away and the race came back together. This scenario replayed on every climb for the next two laps, where 10-15 riders would go hard and get away only to stall in the headwinds and be brought back. Boring but predictable. I made sure to stay tucked in always and got in the lead group on the climbs.

I thought on the last lap (3rd) things might get interesting on the climbs but it was more of the same. The Cat 3s caught and passed us near the top and as the group came back together on the flats I figured it was going to be a group sprint up the last hill. Than something actually happened, going up the short riser on the way back to the start/finish we caught back up and started to pass the 3s ? In the confusion a group of 4 riders got away, damn ! At least 3 of the riders I had been marking during the race were in that group, damn ! damn ! I got up near the front and riders were looking at each other so I hit the gas to bridge. Nobody got on my wheel, good !, but it took a long time and a lot of effort to make it, but make it I did, great ! Well as soon as I got there my presence seemed to cause the group to shutdown, huh !

I think looking back on it if I had gone right to the front of the lead group and started pulling, maybe they would have continued to work together. No such luck so back together we go, than another attack goes with a Z-team rider and some really big Oakland ? rider. This stays away for a bit, and at this point I'm near the front taking some turns looking for another bridging opportunity, yeah I didn't like my chances in the uphill sprint :-) Nothing comes of this I'm burning some matches.

Just before the final climb the group catches the two leaders and we all go hard. I blow up about 1/2 up and roll in somewhere in the top 20. Overall a good race and one where I felt stronger as the race progressed.

Racing on the Bay

Yesterday I traded my road racing cleats for the old sailing boots in the closet. The wind was unusually light but the course was picturesque as we started near the north tower of the Golden Gate bridge. The first mark was directly across the channel, we never made it as the breeze failed to fill in and we were forced to abandon the race. Not the most exciting afternoon on the water but good to get out nonetheless.

The weather was too good to pass up so later in the early evening I got out for a stunning training ride in the headlands.

Big Wheel Races on Easter

On Easter Sunday Mira and I went to check out the annual "Big Wheel Race" down San Francisco's Vermont Street, the official and little know windiest street in the city.

Pictures tell more than I can described. Although it was tough for us to see, Mira thought it was pretty cool.

Copperopolis

Lots of riders seem to live in fear of this race. I love it although I'm perennially disappointed in my result. This year would be no different.

Either as result of the "Lance" factor or a slow economy, maybe both, but the masters fields were twice as big as last year and most of the riders look super fit and ready to rumble. The race started much faster this year and I got gapped near the top of the first climb. I was able to chase back with a small group to rejoin the lead group or what I thought was the lead group. No one seemed to know how many riders were up the road or at least weren't saying ? It was hard to see as we were catching a large
group of 3s who were on their last lap.

Again on the 2nd lap I got gapped on the climb, this time there was no catching back on. I rode alone for a while until a group of 3 came up from behind. We worked
together around the last lap, i was able to get away from this group on the descent and rolled across for a mid-pack finish. I felt good at times but didn't have the top end to stay in it when it counted.

I need to put in more work to get competitive with the top guys but I feel like I'm making progress.

Here's a picture of Levi who raced in the pro field.

Napa Valley Dirt Classic

Yesterday was my first mountain bike race in the expert class at the always fun Napa Valley Dirt Classic course. I had won this race in my sport class last year so I was looking forward to a good showing. I figured this time the pace would start out hotter, so my goal was to try to hang with the lead group and just survive.

The pace was fierce from the start and I was seventh wheel into the short single track section that comes 200 meters from the uphill start. The rider in front let a gap go and that was it for the lead group. After the short but brutal run-up we came into the long flat dirt sections into a fairly strong head wind. Luckily at this point I was in a group of 3 so I was able to keep out of the wind and get some drafting in. Staying with this group (first chase group) kept me close to my limit, at after the whoop de dos this group split. Fortunately the rider with kept a good pace up through the entire Manzanita single track section.

I kept up a good pace, remembering to eat and drink, all was good until we started the brutal back-end climbs. At this point the race came back together some as I was now in a group of 4 in my class. Unfortunately I didn't have the climbing legs at this point and I wasn't able to keep pace. I throw it all in after the climbs for a 5 minute time trial which really hurt !, to roll across 10th. I'm happy with my finish, but I feel like I'm a little behind in my training from last year.

It was a fun day as I was joined by teammates Anthony (who won his class !) and Antonio, along with fellow powder hound Todd. Thanks for an awesome days guys !

This should help with next weeks Nor Cal Classics Road race. Copperopolis !