2016 CX Nationals Course Preview - Asheville, NC

CYCLOCROSS Nationals will start in two weeks, Asheville, NC this year. This course preview was released this week and it looks like a mix of power and technical skills will be needed. The preview proposes several long open straight sections that will ask for sustained VO2 power to the pedals, and being in a small group will help. These dump into short steep run-ups and a very cool feature that takes us through what looks like a horse barn, I bet it will be loud in there. It appears the proposed course has some elevation to it as well with a gravel road climb that takes you to Heckle Hill climb/run-up. Couple of "fly-overs" will make it feel pro. I am betting that NECX racers will perform well on this course.    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkDTmgVvaH8

It's about the Journey

New Chapter: The New England Journey

This fall seemed to steam roll into focus quickly this year. Not that I was initially focused at all on racing CX or expected anything out my rebirth into skinny knobby tires on a race steed as light as my road bike but more nimble than my mountain bike. Actually, I hadn't really been thinking to hard about CX since I last raced the discipline with any integrity back in 2009. That was prior to studying for a Master Degree, moving across the country to Maine and our kids were just babies back then. 

I had been dabbling in long 100 mile mountain bike races and really at a cross roads (pun yes, not intended) over the past few seasons meanwhile searching for the balance in our family and business lives. Flash forward a few years and and through a lot of chaos we end up setting up shop and stabilizing in Maine. Here I find myself dreaming of my passion for the Tetons and missing friends made over what was my entire adult life up until now. 

However, the Portland area has led us to prosper for our family in ways that we really were searching for. Our kids are in great hands at a great school, our business is seeing proper growth and no matter how much pressure being a business owner is, it is very rewarding. Oh yeah the story about cycling. I found myself being wound thread by thread into a small community cycling scene here and ultimately on a road focused team with a bunch of hedonists with the same passion for two wheels as I have burning inside of me. This team, Downeast Racing and its exploits can be followed here:  www.facebook.com/downeastracing. I found a home with some like-minded souls looking to simply work hard and produce. I guess I find the focus and physical demands that training provides,  whether on a bike, on skis in the backcountry, scrambling scree up a peak or backwoods trail running with my kids is what provides the opportunity to disconnect from everything chaotic to simply be in the moment. Essentially it really doesn't matter where, what matters is who you’re with and what you choose to do with your time that provides the sustenance of life. 

Getting side tracked again with the philosophy, or is it really all intertwined and part of the journey as much as the journey of the sport of cycling. I have realized that what it really is about is the journey and not the destination. Much like the holidays that are upon us. As children we cannot wait until Christmas morning right, but really what makes Christmas the bees knees is the buildup of getting to Christmas. You know the stuff like picking out and fetching the tree in the woods, hauling  it home, standing it up and all together sighing "aaw" its perfect. Putting the lights up and creating a festive atmosphere in your home. Sharing with friends, neighbors and family. Going to the Christmas party and playing the dreaded white elephant gift game, only to realize that was fun. 

You see it's really all about the Journey, not the destination.

So here's to wishing all of you a very happy Journey through 2016. Cheers!

Ice Weasels Cometh, RI

It's not fall, its not winter. It's the season of CX! Well for my mind CX just kept creeping into my dreams, my desires, my focus in training. My first races in September didn't go so well. I would have a decent start and then something would fall apart, being me or my gear. I rolled tires in the first three races, I found my fitness not quite up to par with the gents that had been training specifically for CX since June or those coming off of a strong road season. I figured this was alright though. I really wanted to be "driving" the bike come November and December anyway.

Through Woods - Ice Weasels

When I last raced CX in 2009 I was still living out at the gateway to the Pacific Northwest in Idaho. I would find myself heading over to Boise, down to Salt Lake City or Ogden, over to Bend, OR or to Portland, OR. All long road trips, all really good scenes for CX. With all the CX hoopla going on around the U.S. over the past decade, New England still has the history and the depth that other regions will always be chasing to catch. I've really been fortunate to find myself in New 

Driving the bike through the Kitty Litter

 England CX scene this fall. Heck I am fortunate that my road season took a break in August/September due to some back issues and I found myself rested and hungry to race in October and November. Original intentions focused on fall road racing suddenly became mired wandering down to Massachusetts or Rhode Island to race CX. However, after one race and I wasn't mired at all. I simply had lost focus on how much I enjoyed CX. How much I enjoyed the scene and the people that race CX, the difficulty and skillset required for CX. These folks are true Hedonist of the sport. I have a dear friend that resides in Belgium and races CX. Don't be misled, I don't have direct experience with Belgium CX racing or culture, but listening to his experiences I see similar CX fanatics  here in New England. It is truly amazing to see so many different folks having fun and making a party out of chasing one another around in the woods, the mud, over barriers, through sand and up steep hills in tights.

Running through the Pawty! - Ice Weasels

So, as with so many other New Englander's the right direction to go this time of year is CX racing. Now, I am perpetually driving to RI and MA as we head into its final month CX here in New England. As folks turn their final build focus to CX Nationals the first week of January in Asheville.
Myself, well I hadn't really put Nationals as a real expectation this year. While it was always in the back of my mind it seemed just out of reach with the other life balances I look to keep in check every day. As I write, I have found myself in a final build and headed to Asheville. A dress rehearsal for Nationals in CT? Yes but definitively No. The details are coming together, I am going through my gear with a fine tooth comb, my training is on tract and fitness is still rising. And most importantly my hunger is at an all time high. I am looking forward to what Asheville has to throw at us in January. I am looking forward to a road trip with our "director sportif". The stories and dialogue that only a road trip produces when couped up with a friend for hours. After all, its the journey that actually carries the most value. The destination? Well, I've done the homework and I just have to go do what I do, drive the bike. Let the moment take its course.

 

Sand Cornering - Ice Weasels

Punching it through Kitty Litter - Ice Weasels

Podium - Ice Weasels


 http://dirtwire.tv/2015/12/ice-weasels-cometh-highlights-2/

Day 1 & 2 @ NBX Verge Series at Goddard Park, RI

The Verge Series is a six race series comprised of three double race weekends, and it is brings out some of the deepest fields in New England. The Verge NECXS's three weekends of racing are heralded across the US as the best from among New England's unparalleled events. Top pros from around the country - and even from across the globe - come to New England soil to battle for the coveted overall Series win. In addition to UCI points on the line for the Elite and U23 there is fierce competition for Series points in ten categories.

 While I had hoped to make it to all three weekends, I was busy working to recover and get back up to speed from some back issues that put me down in August. This put the brakes on me making it to Gloucester in September and Northampton in November. However, the December races in Warwick, RI were on my target list. The Goddard Park course is the essence of cyclo-cross in New England: twists and turns, rooty descents, challenging dismounts and the trademark beach run.

Day 1 Bottomless Sand Beach Run

 The beach run at Goddard is not only the longest section of sand I have raced through but it is what I consider live sand. The beach is on the Greenwich Bay so the sand is endlessly deep. When running the sand there is no bottom and riding the full length is impossible. Not a single racer entered and left the beach in there saddle. This really separates the hardmen and women of the sport. I would see my heart rate spike in the mid 180's every lap through the sand.

Running through traffic during the first lap

During our race I picked my head up entering the beach and amazingly to my sight there were several equestrians atop their horses on the beach watching. How they must have been watching in amazement to the hundreds of crazy people running with bikes on their shoulders down the beach.The course continued to come at the rider with what must have been 30 or more corners per lap. The taped chicane part of the course was set in some beautiful older growth trees with sand substrate. The course here was 30 seconds of acceleration followed by braking and 30 seconds out of the saddle accelerating again. The anchoring roots of these behemoth trees were always forcing your line within the tape. Hit the roots too hard and you would bottom out to your rim, split the rooted line with precision and you would find yourself traveling the fast line.

In the Tape - a maze of chicanes riddled with roots

The constant out of the saddle accelerating again would benefit those with the system trained at short Threshold work. I found my trouble in the chicanes during the first couple of laps was traffic or getting through traffic. Starting the season a little late resulting in a lack of opportunity of gathering points from good finishes in the beginning of the season. So getting back to the front of the race from the fifth or sixth row can prove difficult. Especially when lining up against the high rider caliber that is on the start line of the Verge Series races. I would push my way around the chicanes and through the roughest rootiest lines, run like "I stole it" down the never ending beach section in pursuit. I really have an infectious desire to be at the front, maybe this is my most valuable weapon.Basically,  I don't mind chasing. I did find it impeccably difficult to get back on terms with the race for the podium, try as I might. Day 1 would result in the final place on the podium, 5th. Man these guys are fast!

Day 2 NBX Trademark Beach Run into 4th

  Day two would prove to be nearly a repeat of Day 1 minus the fact that the course was reversed and laps were shortened about 45 seconds. I would benefit from the 5th place finish the day before and move up a row or two on the start grid. This would result in me getting to the front of the race in the first lap and one half. I would catch the 4th placed rider and see glimpses of the front three that flew the coupe on lap one.

Log Barriers

Accelerating out of the Chicane corners

CX summed up, most would describe most of what we experience during racing and training as distressingly uncomfortable we find appetizing. We really cannot wait until the next chance to compete, the next chance to drive the bike, the next opportunity of being immersed in that uncomfortable feeling, the sensations of going hard.

Chicane in the Trees before the Log Barriers

 I would battle my way through the field passing nearly 25 riders to catch 4th with two laps to go. The front three riders of the race were still a minute out as I pressed forward. Even though they were caught up battling one another I only managed to pick off another 26 seconds of their lead. Fourth on the day, one step up on the podium from Day 1.

 

Northwoods Gravel Grinder - Rangely, ME

Northwoods Gravel Grinder, Rangely, ME

Grinder Route

RANGELEY GRAVEL GRINDER: Old Dog, New Tricks The prospect of riding a gravel grinder has increasingly intrigued both cycling road racers and mountain bike riders for a few years now. So when the posting for the Northwoods Gravel Grinder to be held in Rangeley, Maine during the late September foliage season popped up on Bikereg.com, a bunch of us decided now is the time to give it a try.

Beautiful Rangeley, Maine

Rangeley is the last outpost of civilization in the northwest corner of Maine and features gobs of lakes, mountains and forests. It also features an extensive network of logging roads and private camp roads leading to secluded lakes and excellent fishing spots. Drew Hufnagel, who organized the event, and his crew did an amazing job of piecing together a 35 mile route and a 79 mile route that took advantage of the wilderness setting and served up a full gamut of bike riding challenges.

Spencer Nietmann, Troy Barry and I (Hank Pfeifle) of Downeast Racing joined 40 or so others who were evenly split between the two routes offered. Not a huge turnout but a new event has to start somewhere and maybe this post will entice more to give it a go next year. Now I must admit to being an old dog roadie with limited mountain bike experience, whereas Troy (former USA 2-man x 12 hour national mountain bike champ + pro CX licence) and most others on the starting line had a mountain bike heritage. Cyclocross bikes predominated the mode of transport selection with 33mm wide, mini diamond tread centers and slight knobby edge tires as the tire choice. Tire pressure ranged from 45 lbs to 80 lbs depending on one's estimate of the road surface conditions (no preview of the course was possible as the route was on normally closed private property).

Lakes & woods abound in the Rangeley region

We rolled out of town on Route 16 but soon turned onto the dirt road that goes around Dodge Pond. Upon hitting the dirt, the "go" switch went on and the pace quickened. Ah, this surface is fine - just a few potholes. Mr. Hufnagel had informed us to follow the signs, arrows on the roads and florescent green tree ribbons. A mile into the perfectly fine Dodge Pond dirt road the route markers all pointed towards a .. what? .. a stream bed? Why, whats wrong with this dirt road we're on? Off we go onto this stream bed (actually it WAS a road) and Troy really turns up the heat. Time to dwindle the herd. One thing I have learned during my limited time on a mountain bike is that, if you don't know what you are doing, follow someone who does. That fraction of a second of learning where the good line is through the mayhem of rocks, holes and tree limbs can make all the difference between sticking around or going backwards. Onto the back wheel of Matt Reynolds I went and a couple miles later six of us emerged intact onto the next road. Phew! And that's how the whole ride went - good roads, stony roads (ugh), wash boardy roads (ugh x 2), long gradual uphills (nice), long speedy downhills (nice x 2), crazy fast rutty downhills interspersed with humped culverts (yikes!!), big rocks, grassy centered roads (is this really a road??), questionable bridges over streams - everything you could think of to test your skills.

Off the front with Spencer (DER) and Steve Edwards (PVC)

Uphills, flat tires and just plain craziness eventually shattered all semblances of people riding together which means, a) being able to take care of yourself in the middle of nowhere, and b) being able to solo TT for 60 miles are good & necessary skills to have. Mountain bike descending skills are a prerequisite as you need to be comfortable on the speedy and always tricky downhills. Steve Edwards of PVC incorporated the full package of gravel grind experience, bike handling skills, climbing ability and a mechanically clean negotiation f the route to earn the well deserved win. Troy Barry used all his considerable skills (he hit 45 on one of the gravelly, rutty downhills - don't tell his wife) to overcome two flats to nab 2nd. Matt Reynolds rode an error free ride for 3rd and, after fixing a flat of my own (with tube assistance from Ron Dunn - thanks), I managed a 4th place with John Liston hot on my heels (that guy can fly downhill - fun to watch hard to overcome). Experienced gravel grinders opined that the Rangeley route was mid-level on the gravel grind extreme scale based on the many Northeast options out there. Dang. In other words, practice up and be ready for everything when you enter these events. Fast or slow you'll have a memorable time. ~ Hank Pfeifle (Team DER)

Killington Stage Race, VT

Killington Stage Race

I unexpectedly had the opportunity of joining some of my Downeast Racing teamates on a trip Killington, VT in pursuit of filling my cup with the long running Killington Stage Race. The race in its current format consists of three stages: 

                                Stage 1 - Lookout & First Stop Circuit Race;

                                Stage 2 - Champion System Road Race;

                                Stage 3 - Long Trail Brewery ITT;

The first stage is a circuit consisting of 19 miles and around 800 feet of climbing per lap with a fast finish to the line. When I say fast we were doing close to 50mph on a slight downhill grade with a full on sprint to the line. This requires nerves of steal and really good attention to the riders in your periphery that are bleeding out their eyeballs to nip you at the line. 

The second stage is the Queen stage that is a 65 mile loop with several climbs throughout the journey including a dirt road climbing section. The second climb of the day is where the first fire works really go off and a split in the peleton is almost certain to happen. This climb comes at the 25 mile mark and hits you right away with a 10% wall for 3/4's of a mile and then drags on for another 2 miles at about 4% grade. Making it over this climb with the lead group is imperative as a couple more climbs and a certain 9 mile headwind remains in front of you. The stage is called the Queen stage because at mile 55 the course heads up Bear Creek with sustained grades of 10 to 19% taking you to the finish some 7 miles later to the base of the Killington ski resort. If your legs were not loading at this point they certainly will be 1/2 way up this finishing drag. 

The race has a setup like a standard stage race of battles within each race for the various jerseys awarded to the climbers, the sprinters and the stage winner. 

Downeast Racing put seven of their strong men out on the road on day one spread through a couple of categories ranging from P12, to Cat 3 & 4 to the Masters 40+ field. The cool thing about stage racing is you come back to the home base at night and talk the day over and really see the differences between each category's racing during that stage. The team walked away with a clear desire to do more stage racing this summer. Some due to the elated high from good results and some from the elated high of getting up to racing your bike everyday, feeling stronger and hungrier for another chance to rip the legs off your competition. The personal agony each of us endure and the team victories within a stage to the overall general classification goals one has set.  As an athlete you live for this feeling of emotion in your sport. 

We Downeast Racers all had plenty of great moments and can say that Zev's victory haul of stage wins and the overall as well as both the climbers & sprint jersey in the Cat 4's is symbolic of how we felt inside. Until Green Mountain Stage Race you will see the DER team working at the front of one day races of summer in New England.  RIDE ON!

Framed Minnestota Fat Bike - Wife's New Clothes

FRAMED MINNESOTA 3.0

I recently turned my "B" cyclocross bike into a snomo trail slayer with this Framed Minnesota. Although I have been out riding a bit with it, the bike is officially the wife's bike and I cannot wait to see her spend some time on it and enjoy some of the hundreds of miles of trails that we have right out our door. 

Framed Minnesota 3.0 XWT atop the powerline

Fatty 4.7 tires


The spec's:

• Gears: 1x10 - 30T
• Frame: 6061 Alloy 
• Fork:Framed 6061 Rigid Alloy Fork 
• Seat Clamp: Promax Bolt on 
• Crankset: Truvativ 32T Chain Ring 
• Bottom Bracket: 100mm Sealed 
• Front Derailleur: None 
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM X7 
• Freewheel: SRAM 10 Speed 11-32T 
• Chain: X10 10 Speed 
• Headset: Neco 
• Brakes: F and R Avid BB7 with 160mm Rotors 
• Brake Levers: F and R Avid FR-5 
• Shifters: SRAM X7, 10 Speed Rear 
• Front Hub: 150mm Quando Sealed Alloy Hub w/ 15mm Alloy Thru Axle 
• Rear Hub: 190mm Quando Sealed Alloy Hub with QR 
• Rims: 26" Framed Alloy Single Wall Rim, 80mm wide, 32h, with Weight Reducing Cut Outs 
• Spokes: 14g Stainless Steel 
• Tires: Vee Hillbilly 26" x 3.8" 120 tpi

Trek Farley Fat Bike

Fat Tire Adventures

Spring is showing itself here in a big way. In fact most of the snomo trail riding has turned off and is way beyond its peak of just a few weeks ago. However, the inland mountain area are still holding some good snow and the temperatures at night have been much more conducive to holding the snow. 

This weekend is the first Fat Tire Festival at Sugarloaf which includes a race on Saturday. I am looking forward to waking up early and blowing the lungs out as we race furiously up Boardwalk to the top of DR over to the bottom of Comp Hill where we will enter the Banked Slalom course and pin it back to the base. Should be over pretty quickly actually. I will be aboard one of my favorite steeds a Trek Farley.

I really like the way this bikes rides. Pretty aggressive geometry makes it feel closer to the likes of my mountain bike. It is setup with SRAM X9 Groupo with a 2x10 (36x22) in combination with a 11x34 cassette. This makes it really versatile for differing snow conditions. Brakes are the Avid DB3 hydraulic; wheels are Bontrager Jackalope with tubeless Hodags. This wheel set up nice and handling is predictable and feels light. The bike is flickable which makes it really feel like a 29'r adding to the fun factor.

The Festival link is here: http://www.sugarloaf.com/activities-and-nightlife/events/sugarloaf-fat-tire-festival. It also is a fundraiser for the Carrabassett Chapter of NEMBA so what's there not to like.

Fat Tire Racing - Sugarloaf, ME

Sugarloaf Fat Bike Race

This year Sugarloaf resort, Carrabassett Region NEMBA and Maine Huts and Trails teamed up to host the First Annual Fat Tire Festival to support the ever growing popularity of biking in the region and the excitement of the on-snow fat tire riding movement. The highlight the Fat Tire Festival was the on-snow race featuring a timed climb up mountain to the top of  the banked slalom course. The descent was seperately timed in the high banked slalom course Awards were given in several divisions to the fastest climber and descender as well as to the racer with the fastest combined time.

Start of the Fat Bike Race

The conditions were pretty difficult with the temperatures in the mid to high thirties all night and rain for several hours before the 7AM start. On top of this the groomers attempted to lay down some fresh corduroy an hour before the race leaving the trail slushy and un-ridable. The uphill TT became a running festival. I took to getting of the starting grid quickly in an attempt to avoid getting run through by pedals and tires up the back of the calf. The tactic pushed my HR into the low 190's quickly but spread the field out quickly as well. 

Stretching out the field

I had been Nordic skiing all winter so the lungs and remainder of my body remained calm. However, the pain in my calves (from running with a bike) started when we hit the steepening headwall below the top of the DR East lift where we would ultimately turn and traverse to the top of the bank slalom course for the descent.

The banked slalom was silly, fun and a bit treacherous all at once. With the snow so very soft and freshly groomed even the fat 4-inch tires were sinking beyond the rims as your front end was being put in directions that the driver had not intended. Ultimately, finding a little purchase on the harder un-groomed snow was the key to gaining enough speed to rip through the soft slushy groomer. At the end of the event (which was a sprint) laughing and stories of crashing riddled the finish line air. Having done this with my wonderful wife on the line as well made it all the better of a sharing experience for me. We had the opportunity to meet some new folks in the mountain biking community  and celebrate the newer success's that NEMBA and Carrabassett Valley are enjoying. Oh, and I did celebrate the fastest climbing and overall times. RIDE ON!

Road Season Begins

Road Season Begins

This weekend marks the first weekend for many of us Downeast Racing speedsters to head as a large moving force to race together as a team. The destination is Myles Standish State Forest Road Race located south of Boston in Plymouth, MA. 

The course is a 5-mile flat circuit, well it has 224 vf/lap, on newly paved closed park roads. 

This is a video from the Cat3 Men's race in 2014.

https://vimeo.com/40462320

With a full bus load of the Blue Train racing in various Elite and Masters categories it should result in some fun and some stories. 

Purgatory RR - Sutton, MA

Purgatory Road Race Sutton, MA

The 14 mile Purgatory Road Race circuit is an unrelenting course in New England bike racing and maybe the crown jewel of the road calendar. It has all the elements of a classic - stiff climbs, technical descents, crosswinds and places to get out of sight. DER sent four of its strong men to the race early this past Sunday.

The course. We rolled out with a neutral from the Sutton Middle School. No attacking here; that’s not cool. The neutral roll ended with a turn onto the feed zone climb and the starting of the first loop of the race. Not really much of a hill but a kilometer of 3-4% grade in the big ring begs for respect as it grinds you down lap after lap. A few step-like hills ultimately released the tension to a flatter rural roads after the right hand turn onto Uxbridge Road, a 2.5 mile descent. This is a tight 1-1/2 lane road through the luscious green canopy of New England. I was forewarned to open up my mountain bike skills here and be attentive. As riders get dropped here because they were asleep for the speed and handling required. At the bottom a long fast rolling right hander onto Barnett Road that was followed by another right onto Whitins Road for mostly flat to rolling terrain about 5 miles in length. This section was really the only place on the course that I could get some fuel into my pie hole and actually chew and swallow it. Following the Manchaug Road reprieve a sharp right hand turn and a sudden up turned gradient near 10% started the demanding 3/4 mile climb up Lackey Road. This climb is tight and enclosed with treed canopy. The climb itself really can be dissected into three climbs with very short 3% grade respites for about 100 meters in between steeper grades close to 16%. But letting the pressure off the pedals here is not a good idea if you plan to stay in the group, this is a full on blood bath from the bottom to the top. In fact our race split on every lap with the weaker going straight out the back. At the top of the climb a straight false-flat exposed 500 meters of the finish.

The result. On the Uxbridge descent two riders pulled away and loitered off the front of the peleton for a couple of miles and then about two-thirds into the first DER rider Eliot Pitney dug a deep hole and launched a 900+ Watt attack to bridge across solo to the breakaway riders. Ten minutes at 400W would solidify him into the move only to have one of the two up front fall off the pace leaving Eliot with a charging two man break. These two would remain in front of the chase until we hit Lackey Road. The pressure would increase to 450W at base of climb. I worked my way to the front of pack by the final 16% pitch and would put the power up even higher drawing out about 7 riders from the pack. This would dig me a hole and as we rolled over the top into the exposed finish straight I would find myself at the back of the group as it kicked again to secure its separation from the field. This effort would break me and I just struggled to keep contact. As this happened I found about 8 or 9 more riders on my wheel bleeding out their eyeballs but up for the task of chasing. Coming around to feed zone hill I found myself on the front driving the train with the breakaway 25 seconds or so in front of us, going fast but not appearing to work together. Staying seated I put the watts at 400 and drive the chase group up the hill, we loose a few more off the group but I'm convinced we can go across. The break would stay more or less 20-25 seconds for what seemed forever. On one of the 3% grinders three jump off the back of the group in an effort to jump across to the break, I'm on the front and just cannot convince my legs to respond. Successfully the three make it across. I head to the middle of the chase with the goal of taking a breath and flushing out my legs while wishing the gap to come down. Our chase group is really not working well though and the break seems to be gaining a second here and there. At this point Hank feels the same way and comes to the front to give me a spell and keep the speed up and the gap steady. He looks over to me and says "jump across the gap when you can". My spirits still excited I figure the second time up Lackey Hill might be the last opportunity. The problem is I've been on the front for much of the chase lap and the chase group is still not really working together. As we hit Lackey Hill my brain tells me to up the watts and see if I can close in on the break which is only about 20 seconds in front of us, I mean we can still see them in these tight twisty lush canopied roads. The reality starts to set in half way up the climb that I am not loosing but I am not closing in on the lead group. I try to put the watts up higher but the legs are just not making up the difference I need. I simply have been on the front too long trying to limit the gap going into the climb (a hole I will need to plug in my next training block).

We go over the top mostly in tact with a first chase group of four with our heart rates near 180 bpm and enter the exposed top straight looking for an answer. I take up the front and keep the pressure on as we go into another lap on the relentless circuit. Ultimately, we continue to drive the pace catching a dropped rider from the break here and there but never get back on terms with the break. On the final climb I am looking to stay at the front of the group putting out 450 watts but short of blowing up. Realizing that the 300 m flat exposed finish will actually be harder than the climb itself since everyone in this group can still taste a top ten result if they have a good sprint to the line. I end up second wheel over the top and my head is on a swivel looking for the explosion to occur as we crest the summit of the hill. Everyone is just blown and bleeding out their eyeballs, which is good. Then one, and two riders try to wind up the sprint from 250 meters, I jump on the wheels. As we hit 150 m to go one rider swings from behind me and I match the jump as we accelerate with our legs burning toward the line, 100 m to go. I am holding with the rider but cannot gain the 1/2 bike length I need to go past him. We end up going 10th and 11th across the line. My teamate Eliot would make it to the finish with the break and finish 8th. All in a days suffering fun on the bike.

Stay tuned...more racing to come...until then RIDE ON!