tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47984442997571883202024-03-12T20:47:40.679-04:001km2go1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-36319864561713673472013-02-04T22:24:00.000-05:002013-02-04T22:24:54.108-05:00Season Start<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I don' think that since I got my racing license (way back in 1995), have I raced this early in the season. The reason why?, weather!!. You might know me as a warm/hot weather type of rider. Nothing like heat to keep the legs and lungs burning. But when the mercury decides to drop, so does any thought of riding. That was until work had me spend some time in the mid atlantic region (Washington DC) and later on, and just for a nasty winter, up in the frozen tundra of Connecticut.
To ride when the temperature outside is 17 degrees took a bit of an adjustment, but it was better than spending weeks upon weeks inside the house, just watching the weather channel and feeling sorry for myself. So now when the temperature is in the mid 40s, and even high 30s, I don't think too much about it, just add that extra layer and out the door I go. But here in Texas we are very lucky that the winters are not as harsh as in other parts of the country and for the most part, we can ride year round without ever having to worry about frostbite.
After a solid November and December on the bike, just making sure the mileage was getting done without sucumbing to the tricks of the pack (ride hard all the time), I started to test the legs about three weeks ago and found a good level, thus I deemed myself fit to race early. Looking at the race schedule, I thought Walburg would be my first race, but then the Tour of New Braunfels (at least the Sunday race) was a good possiblity. And I'm glad I chose this race. Without a doubt, one of the best courses I have ever raced (in all the states I have lived). The wide section on the highway, with its hills and the wind took care of setting the pecking order in the Cat4 group. With 62 starters, and the first section on somewhat narrow roads, the pack soon found itself flying along and shedding those who hybernated for too long.
For me, it was an eye opener of a race. I spent quality time at the sharp end of the spear, not pulling, but in a good position, something I rather tend to do. I felt a little nervous on the windy flat sections, but again, that's normal for my first race. And I felt like I could easily move around the pack, as long as we were racing in the big, opened road. Once we hit River Road, the story was different. Half way through the first lap, a solo rider put an attack and spent a good bit of time all along, fighting the hills and wind. The pack gave chase, but kept him at a reasonable distance until we hit River Road, where the pace slowed down andtrying to move to the front was almost impossible. Still, towards the end of the first lap, I made my way to the back to grab a bite (Nutella and honey sandwich) and while enjoying my mid race snack, I hear shouts coming from behind.
Thinking I was the tail end of the bunch, I looked and to my surprise, six dropped riders were making their way back to the pack. They were high fiving and congratulating each other for their long hard effort to catch back on, only to be greeted by the hill at the finish area. Not soon had they rejoined the pack, that they were waving goodbye to it, for one last time. I don't mean to sound mean, this has happened to each of us at one point or another, but it was quite comical. The pace picked up and we ended up chasing down the lone rider, who made a few more attempts but was quickly coming to the realization that his early efforts were going to cost him dearly. As the pace continued to increase, another rider (dressed as if the temperature was about 30 degrees colder than it actually was) took a flyer and was dangling off the front, about 15 seconds ahead. Again, the pack sensibly kept the pace high and brought him back as we entered River Road for the second and last time. Again, here the pace came down and no rider, or team wanted to set the pace for the last 8 miles. So it came to the last hill, where basically the road opened up and the sprint took place. A slow one at that, but I was nowhere near the front and even with rockets attached to my bike, I don't think I could have made a move. But just for the heck of it, I gave the bike some stick and finished with the front group (22nd) and felt like I had done a decent race.
Now I have my eye on the weather. If things continued to look as good as they have (weather wise), my next event will be Walburg. Lots of winds, echelons and gutter.
1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-64329125584096338322012-08-17T12:24:00.001-04:002012-08-17T12:27:54.955-04:00Modus Operandi and New Signings
Over the years of riding, I have come up with a theory. Since first getting somewhat "serious" about riding back in 1994, and every year from then, each season I put my theory to the test and it has proved correct. During each season, I have 5 and only 5 days, where I feel on top of my form. They are not 5 consecutive days, but instead, these 5 days are peppered through my season, which usually run from November through late August.
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I have no way to tell when one of the 5 days will happen. A week (or two) of feeling like crap while riding, usually leads to one day of feeling great. If for some reason I get sick, the second day after I ride is usually another great day. Early May has also one day thrown in there. Maybe that's why I have had a good run at Coldspring (2nd, 3rd and 4th). But the pattern doesn't manifest on a consistent basis from year to year (except the one in May). So I wonder how pro riders peak for grand tours or manage to put together a string of good days on the bike for three weeks. That's why three week tour are appealing to me to follow. Not just the chess game that is played on the roads daily, but how a rider and his team maintain a mental focus for an extended period of time.
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And maybe that's the key: a mental focus. One thing that the older I get is getting easier to understand is that I'm stronger mentally, although I still get into this mental fog at times when I race (case in point the fourth stage of the Vuelta Masters this year). With all things cycling, the more you work at it, the better it gets.
Oh, and taking a month off the bike is a requisite of mine. It's getting time to find the running shoes and begin to log the miles, but on a different sport. The bike now becomes a cross training tool. Until February.
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<b>Pro Team Astana</b>
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On the pro side of things, Pro Team Astana is waving the check book left, right and center. Nibali, Fulsang, and Guardini are three strong signatures to have for the next two to three years. I have always like Nibali. Doesn't talk much and rides with what the italians call "grinta", something that is becoming lost in the world of pro cycling these days. It would be great to be on a motorcycle or driving the Vittoria neutral support car and follow the "shark of the strait" on a Dolomite descend. The guy is just art.
Fulsang has played second fiddle at Saxo Bank and Leopard for the last few seasons. Although talented, he hasn't had the chance to showcase his true talents (albeit on smaller races) and with the move to the Kazakhastani team(with a large italian influence), he should have the freedom he seeks. Probably the Vuelta next year will have the entire team at his disposal. Tough to see him lead the squad at the Giro (Nibali), and the Tour (eithe Nibali or Brackovijc).
Guardini is fast, period. But like me, he seems to have the 5 day theory in his repertoire. IMHO, Pro Team Astana can't afford to build a leadout train for the italian youngster who is taking a step into the big leagues. Sure winning in Langkawi (lots!!) is fun, but now he'll face the tough guys of the sprints.
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<b>Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank</b>
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Bjarne Riss went through some stressful times early in the year (and that's to put it mildly), but the return to Contador, the signing of Tinkoff Bank as a sponsor and some gutsy rides here and there (see Chris Anker Sorensen at the Tour), the team has kept its name on the headlines, for the right reasons. Riss has signed a few riders for next year but the canny Dane has kept the releasing of the names a close guarded secret. Perhaps a return of Spartacus to his former squad? You shall speculate amongst yourselves.
1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-31253304172043189062012-08-03T15:41:00.000-04:002012-08-03T16:46:47.725-04:00Reflecting on the VueltaMade it back to the US and unpacked the bike to find that the front brake caliper got a nice looking scratch, but other than that the bike (and the rest of the group) arrived safely and most importantly, on time.
I can't believe that it went by so fast. We had started to plan the trip almost a year ago, and then at least I, trained for about 4 months with nothing but the Vuelta in mind. A few surprises along the way:
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1. I did three trips with my bike in one month and didn't have to pay the bike fee on either American Airlines or Delta. Everytime I was asked "what's in the bag, a bike?", I would follow with a polite smile and "nope, just sporting equipment", although the usual, "camera equipment" routine also paid dividends. The Aerus bag (you can get it a www.rideblue.com) has served me well and thus far, have kept the bike and my wallet in a good state.
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2. Climbing. Most of my training was focus on climbing and up to about two weeks before traveling, I knew things were right on track. Even the recce ride we did, although short, felt awesome despite the fact it was raining. But when it was time to tackle the hilly stage and the mountain one, something was not clicking. My energy (power) would slowly drain out of my body, leaving me with nothing but mental strenght to get me through and that was also reaching the low levels of the tank.
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3. And if the climbing was a little below par, then the opposite can be said of my time trialing. Not known for pocessing a big engine, I was quite surprised (and so was 99% of the world) when I clocked the third fastest time on the prologue. But the individual one, everything felt just right. My stomach, which I am presuming was the cause of some of my problems, finally got in line and decided to cooperate with the rest of my body. The warm up, something I usually don't do well, was more or less perfect. And as soon as I left the starting tent, finding a rhythm became easy. The thing that caught my attention was the concentration level I kept. Most experts in the art of time trialing say that dealing with the suffering and uncomfortable position are the main keys. Well, I guess with age I can handle it better because never before have I ridden like that against the clock, mostly in part because my attitude was a positive one and despite the pain, all I could think of was to give it everything.
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4. My teammates were great. Having them visit Panama was just a fun experience. Dave had gone once before and Glenn wanted to eat anything and everything, which was fine with me and my dad. Kerry was a trooper giving everything a try, at least. I hope they all had as much fun as I had over the trip.
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5. Finally, my parents!!!!. I can't say enough about how much they took care of us. Mom not only drove the car and kept us hydrated, but made sure the kits were cleaned every day and that we were getting enough food. Kerry said that I was leading the "eating classification" and he was right, because I couldn't have eaten more, yet, I ended up dropping another 3 lbs. during the ten days we were at my parents' house. Dad ensured the bikes were working in proper order, loaded and unloaded them everyday both at the house and at the race start/finish and also drove the van behind each of us making sure we were properly taken care of. A big thanks!!!! to them and Jilma for helping us out.
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As I crossed the finish line at the conclusion of the mountain stage, I told the girls keeping time, "I will never come back, it's just too hard", but 24 hours later my head was spinning with the logistics of next year's race. Despite the pain, suffering, the race is a well organized event, improving every year and it gives me the chance to ride with friends, make new ones and see my family. Why not give it another (several more I hope) go? So, the planning for the 2013 edition is already in the works, but first, there's a break to take from the bike, some running to do and then things will pick up again some time around December.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-81674955973848042632012-07-29T21:55:00.000-04:002012-07-29T21:55:47.701-04:00Fighting 'til the end<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today was the last stage of the Vuelta, and for us, a short one, with only 4 laps of the 6 mile circuit to do. Again, the day in Boquete (our home base) started under cloudy skies, but after the 30 mile drive down to David, although cloudy, the rain was staying north of the city.
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First thing was to take care of the award ceremony from yesterday's stage, since it was cancelled due to a thunderstorm. As you, dear reader, already know, FRESH went "uno, dos, tres" on the day and Glenn was wearing pink as the leader of the intermediate sprints competition and I looked superb in the white jersey of stage winner.
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Dave was the first to take to the roads, and just like yesterday, he was feeling like a million bucks and although the first break in his category went off without him, he fought his way and joined the lead group to finish 6th on the day.
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For the rest of us, the race took a unexpected turn when Glenn hit a pothole half way through the first lap and had dual flats. The chief referee and organizers were not allowing follow vehicles on the course, so it was going to be a war of attrition, and a matter of pure luck just to get through without a flat. Unfortunately for Glenn, his race was over and with that, his second place on GC. As we finished the first circuit, I was patrolling the back of the pack when I noticed that Glenn was MIA. When I told Kerry about Glenn, we decided that he was going to stay with the yellow jersey and I would try for the stage. But the locals and the Bosques Lodge team from Costa Rica were having none of it. The three attacks I tried were shot down. So Kerry saved himself and when came time for the sprint, he flew the colors of the team one last time, crossing the line in first place.
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So we are leaving Panama with a yellow jersey, two pinks and five whites, second overall, second on intermediate sprints and third on the KOM. A total of 4 out of 6 stages and at least two of us were on the podium everyday. We had a great time racing and hanging out together and my parents were having a blast giving us a hand and taking care of bikes, food, drinks, laundry, driving the cars, etc. A true team effort.
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This morning, while eating breakfast, the mood was a somber one. We were looking pretty tired and the weather outside was not encouraging, with rain. Thankfully the time trial was about 30 miles away and that gave us the hope that at least, the weather would improve.
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The time trial course was part of stage 2, so we had an idea of what to expect, and we drove it on the way to the start/finish. A quick check at the start times and we all, slowly, got underway with getting ready for the 10kms time trial.
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For the most part, we have raced on really smooth roads, although during stage 2 we were avoiding huge craters!!, and the police presence has kept us safe during each of the stages. So much that today's 10kms course was closed to traffic (more on that later). From the FRESH riders, I was the first to leave, at 9:06 sharp. The two radio stations that have broadcasted each stage of the Vuelta, in its entirity, were introducing each rider as we entered the start tent and the commentators would give the listeners a quick description of each athlete.
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10, 9, 8...3..2..1 and off I went, settling into a nice rhythm. Most of you know I'm allergic to time trials, but something today was different. Dave, who's a stronger rider than I, was also on a good day, despite the fact that he didn't use any aero equipment at all. Our stomachs have acted up a bit since we got here, but today, the stars aligned and we were rolling, and fast. Kerry and Glenn started 3 and 4 minutes behind me, and Dave's category had him starting 46 minutes past 9a.
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Each kilometer was marked on the road and as the Cervelo reach cruising speed, I spotted my 1 minute man ahead, and not long after that, the Costa Rican KOM was looking at my number (223) dissappear into the distance. At the turn around point, a few people had gathered to see the race. A tight turn, where all the speed was lost, careful around the flagger, out of the saddle and back to full gas. "Breath, relax, it hurts, did I miss the kilometer 6 sign?", the voices in my head started to argue.
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Kerry and Glenn were heading towards the turn around point and both looked like were keeping a fast rhythm. When Glenn reached the turn around point, he had the fastest split time and we were told that the last 5kms were "easier".
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The voices in my head agreed that it wasn't easier at all, but the pace was kept high and then I rolled over the 1km to go sign, just a little more suffering. I was breathing so hard, people at the finish could hear me coming. Over the line and it was over, no more suffering (at least until tomorrow). Rode by the van and handed my helmet to mom and kept riding to cool down, when I heard the radio announcer, "rider #223, fastest time (so far!)". Made a U turn back to the van and Kerry and Glenn were finishing their efforts. As we were going over each other's ride, it came over the radio: "Executive Bs, FRESH Racing goes 1-2-3" (Manny, Glenn, Kerry). High Fives!!!!!. The podium ceremony was suspended because a storm was approaching as the Masters As were still out on the road.
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Dave finished his ride with a time only 3 seconds slower than mine (15:23), but the highlight is that Dave is racing with a Colombian rider who rode the Tour de France three times, the Vuelta a Espana 5 times and the Giro once. You better believe the level is high.
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As the event was taking place, a local passenger bus was trying to get through despite the fact that the road was closed. The driver got out and started to argue with the flaggers and that's when a police officer arrived on the scene. He didn't waste anytime asking the driver questions, he just pulled out the handcuffs and made sure the rogue driver knew who was in charge. Justice, Panama style.
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1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-72915468200632880822012-07-27T22:16:00.001-04:002012-07-27T22:16:21.784-04:00Massacre on the Queen Stage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since we are staying in Boquete, 32kms north of David, where each stage starts and ends (except today's finish and the time trial tomorrow, we have driven half of the route of the "Queen Stage" everyday on our way to and from the race, and everytime we went by the town of Dolega, my dad would say, "once you hit this bridge, make sure you are at the front, because things will get ugly, right here". Was he right.
The temperature today was somewhat bareable, and that was good since we are all starting to feel the effects of the race and the heat. Once again the 5 different packs rolled out on a neutral start until we got to the hospital in David where the official start was for each of the categories, spread 5 minutes apart.
Executives A & Bs rolled out around 9:30am, and just like yesterday, headed west for a few kilometers on the Panamerican Highway, before making a right turn and the beginning of the climbing. 36 miles with almost 4,000 feet of climbing were on the menu and the pack was pretty controlled, although going a little faster than yesterday's start. The Friends (Mayhem, as we call them) went to the front after a Costa Rican rider set off trying to set the first intermediate sprint for their leader. After that, the pace was consistent but riders were already feeling tired and a group of As rolled off the front. As we approached the bridge that dad had warned us about, we made sure to be towards the front and it paid off, because the at the top, there was the second intermediate sprint and the pack exploded. Glenn took the sprint and we just kept rolling, in a group of ten riders. Since the yellow jersey was left without teammates, we had a chat and decided to help him and in return we would get the stage win. The pace was reasonable for a while but soon enough the three Costa Rican riders (KOM and Sprint leaders) got dropped. This was great for us and the pace went up just a bit to make sure we would not see them again.
But, as the KOM (King of the Mountain) sprint was approaching, the Costa Rican rider wearing the polka dot jersey appeared from what seem, thin air. He accelerated and went for the points, with Glenn right behind. By then, Kerry and I were in a spot of bother and had to let the lead group go and kept a steady pace, picking riders dropped from each of the groups ahead of us.
Dave was having a much better day today and was riding strongly, going steady all the way up. We went through three different towns and the school kids and their teachers were out screaming their hearts out for each rider that was slowly making his way to the finish.
Glenn ended up second place, with Kerry in 4th and I was brining the rear in 6th. Dave finished 7th in the Cs.
Once again, we had the support of dad and mom, driving both cars behind us and making sure that we had everything we needed and cheering us even though I think we each wished our bikes had an engine. When we gather back at the van at the finish line, we decided that this was probably one of the toughest days we each have had on the bike. Riders were coming in ones and twos and as we headed back to the house, we saw three guys still coming in, a good hour after we had finish. A complete massacre of a stage.
Eating and hydration has taken most of the afternoon. We went out for dinner and there were some cheesburgers consumed.
Tomorrow is a short 6 mile individual time trial. Hopefully another good day for us.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-69457740954152736882012-07-26T20:57:00.001-04:002012-07-26T20:57:51.300-04:00Wardrobe and Crashes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning was the jersey presentation for stage 2, and since the winner of the stage was wearing yellow (leader), the second place was wearing pink (sprints), Kerry was awarded the white jersey. The team's closet was growing since Glenn got the ball rolling by getting the yellow one yesterday. Kerry had such a good time, that he decided to give stage 3 a try.
Under a potent sun and climbing temperatures, the 5 pelotons of the 9th Vuelta Masters a Chiriqui, pointed west, towards the border with Costa Rica to cover a rolling 50 mile course, with two intermediate sprints and a KOM.
Our group took it a little easier at the start and we were pretty much noodling for about 10 miles when the pace went from nice to nuts in preparation for the first intermediate sprint. The Friends Team, from this point on referred to as, Mayhem, went to the front to do the leadout for their sprinter who's leading the competition, but their organization was, shall I say, questionable at best, and what followed was one of the nastiest crashes I have had to avoid in all the time I have attempted to race my bike. The yellow jersey went down hard to my right, and while FRESH Racing riders were involved in some evassive maneuvers, two riders went straight to the guardrail, at speed, with one of them catapulting over it after his bike collided with it, while the other went face first. Neither could claim victory against the metal barrier.
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Unlike yesterday, the minute the word got around that the yellow jersey was down, the entire pack slowed down and waited for word about the down riders. The leader was making his way back through the caravan with a bloody right elbow, from other than that, he didn't look to have much visible damage, although I bet he was a little shaken after that.
The heat was starting to reach alarming levels and making sure that we were taking on water was the job of my mom who today drove one of the two team cars. We would put our hand up in the air and she would pull out of the caravan and ride next to us to hand fresh bottles. We kept talking about the turn around point where things were going to get interesting and it didn't dissapoint. We started the Gariche Climb, which is about 10kms long at a steady 5% and the first attack took care of the weaker riders. The second attack took care of me. Kerry and Glenn latched to the back of the now, distant front group and put the hammer down.
Meanwhile, in the Masters C category, Dave was having quite the time with the heat and the hill. I'm guessing the Cadel Evans ghost decided to make a stop at the race today.
Riders from all categories were spread on the Panamerican Highway on the way back to David, some in worse shape than others, after the KOM sprint
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I was in the hurt locker for about 10 miles, and I think my mom was suffering just as much just driving behind me. Dad had taken the second team car to cover Kerry and Glenn who by now were setting the road on fire.
Finally I crossed the line and found the guys, to find out that Kerry had taken the stage and did the Forrest Gump salute made famous by Peter Sagan at the Tour, while Glenn was toping the podium with third place. Kerry picked a second medal and white jersey and both moved to 3rd and 4th overall on the GC.
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Tomorrow is the dreaded Queen Stage, which is only 36 miles, but, it will go from sea level to almost 4,000 feet. Pray for us!!!!!1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-2780395686107845682012-07-25T21:40:00.001-04:002012-07-25T21:45:47.489-04:00FRESH 1-3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We have joked since we got to Panama that we would go better than Team SKY...they went 1-2 in the Tour and we came up with the phrase, "FRESH 1,2,3". But if you are around cyclists long enough, you know we are a very pessimistic bunch. Something is always hurting us, we haven't trained enough, slept well, ate right, etc. So when Glenn took off, during today's prologue, none of us were expecting fireworks. Things started a bit wrong for me when we discovered my front wheel had a wire in it and a subsequent flat, all before the state, thankfully. Dad made a change of wheels from the spares we carried and a short warm up followed, when I found the shifting on my bike a bit iffy and not up to standards. Again, dad kept his cool (and mine) and before long the bike was tip-top. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BPgWUXh2RbU/UBCaVHlXfBI/AAAAAAAAANg/S2s6Xshu3cc/s1600/photo%2B%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BPgWUXh2RbU/UBCaVHlXfBI/AAAAAAAAANg/S2s6Xshu3cc/s320/photo%2B%252812%2529.JPG" /></a>
After Glenn, Kerry was next and if Glenn was looking mean, Kerry was downright scary. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxwomVScI3Q/UBCazzpUEEI/AAAAAAAAANs/22otYKugrrE/s1600/photo%2B%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxwomVScI3Q/UBCazzpUEEI/AAAAAAAAANs/22otYKugrrE/s320/photo%2B%25287%2529.JPG" /></a>
I was up next, and was treating this as any other time trial, a short, violent effort that I rather not do, but it's part of the race, so be it, get it over with.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--55vgmagi8Y/UBCbW0gcxWI/AAAAAAAAAN4/CERZmJ3IId0/s1600/photo%2B%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--55vgmagi8Y/UBCbW0gcxWI/AAAAAAAAAN4/CERZmJ3IId0/s320/photo%2B%252813%2529.JPG" /></a>
And closing the FRESH Racing Team lineup was Dave, who without any special wheels or time trial bars, posted a very respectable time.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YCD7kM1n7g/UBCbzZr3hjI/AAAAAAAAAOE/rsLC0dvG4z4/s1600/photo%2B%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YCD7kM1n7g/UBCbzZr3hjI/AAAAAAAAAOE/rsLC0dvG4z4/s320/photo%2B%252811%2529.JPG" /></a>
As we came in after the short 3km effort, we started to exchange stories. It went something like, "I sucked", "I was going backwards", "the hill kicked my ass", etc. As we were gathering around the team van, dad comes running and announced that Glenn had posted the fastest time in our category. Nothing was official, and since we were so negative about our rides, we wanted the official word, so we made our way back to the start area and waited. And waited and then waited some more until the chief ref said, "Winner of the Executive B category, Glenn Terrel, USA"...the high fives were flying when he said, "in third place, Manny Samaniego, USA"...we all went, "WTF was that?". We went 1-3, two podium places and the yellow jersey. Not a bad morning for a bunch of complainers.
After about three hours, the award ceremony took place (in front of McDs) and Glenn was presented the yellow jersey, along with a medal. Since he won the stage, he was also supposed to get a white jersey, but that was handed to the second place rider, from Costa Rica. I got my medal for third and spirits were high for the afternoon stage.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AqSzq2RRSFc/UBCdUH3xXvI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/xzwbSrTSe5U/s1600/photo%2B%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AqSzq2RRSFc/UBCdUH3xXvI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/xzwbSrTSe5U/s320/photo%2B%25289%2529.JPG" /></a>
The second road stage was in the afternoon and the mercury had risen to 100+ or "hot as shit". After a neutral roll out, we were sent off to a 54 mile jaunt around the country side. At first, the local teams were showing off with some wacky attacking tactics and Kerry, Glenn and I were just keeping a close eye on the rider in second place. Dave was in the C category doing his solo thing. Attacks came and went and nothing was sticking, so we settled into a easy pace and rolled for most of the stage. At about mile 48, on a patch of road that had craters, not potholes, the first crash happened. Two colombian riders went into the ditch. Soon after, another collision took place and someone yelled, "Yellow is down". Most of the riders started to call for a truce, but two knuckleheads decided it was a good time for an attack. Not knowing how Glenn was, the rider in second place rode up to Kerry and told him to get on his wheel because at that point all hell was breaking loose. I finally caught back to the group and went straight to the front, where the two attackers were getting an earful from everyone, so I joined the party and told them in very colorful spanish, that I was none to happy with their shannanigans. Finally, coolers heads prevailed and the pace went down, which allowed me to make my way to the back to find Glenn in good spirits and riding, although a little bloody from the road rash. As soon as the word got around that the yellow jersey was back in the pack, the hostilities resumed and the pack lined up for the finish, which was not well marked at all, and at the time of this post, we presume the rider in second place on the GC took the stage and both intermediate sprints, which technically should put him in yellow tomorrow.
Dave had a close encounter with a "crater" and had a dual punctures, which caused him to have to change both wheels and then set off in hot pursuit of his peloton, which he managed to join again, but the effort took most of his energy.
Tomorrow we are facing another 56 mile road stage, but the climbs will start to show their ugly face during the course. Although Glenn is feeling a little stiff at the moment, we are in good position on the GC and will keep an eye on the action and save as much of our powder for Friday's fireworks, which will take the pack high into the Panamanian mountains. By the way, Kerry's spanish is on the up!!!
Ciao!!!1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-89157675060891290002012-07-24T22:22:00.001-04:002012-07-24T22:22:35.868-04:00Opening Ceremony<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The plan for today was an hour ride around Boquete, then a little walk around town to kill some time, lunch and then drive to David City for the opening ceremony, technical meeting and team presentation. One thing you have to have in trips like this is flexibility, because whatever plan or schedule you have or want to keep usually has to be rearrange more than once. So with a 7:30am departure time for our ride, the alarms were set for 6:45a...at 6:46a, the sky made it known that if we wanted to ride, it was going to be a wet ride. Change of plan #1...stay in bed a little later and wait to see if the rain stops. It did, for a little bit and then it came down hard. Change of plan#2...the little walk that was planned, became a longer walk, with rain, of course. Did some shopping with the guys and then picked two pizzas that dad had ordered for lunch.
We headed down to David City for the opening ceremony, but not before making a little stop for a little more shopping. If you can not ride, you might as well eat, or shop...and we can do both pretty good.
The schedule of events is approximate, to say the least. Everything was supposed to start at 5p, local time, but it was 6:30p and people were still making their way into the Hotel Ciudad David, the headquarters of the race.
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Finally things got underway with a presentation of the organizing team, sponsors and the referee in charge. Followed by a prayer, riders swearing (promised to race clean!!!), and then the technical meeting, where all the aspects of the race were discussed by the chief referee. Once all the formalities were out of the way, each team was then called to the stage where the announcer introduced each team, its members and country. Seems like they haven't updated my information from two years ago, because the "American Team, came all the way from the captial of the United States, Washington DC"...I'm not making this up, but as each of us got on the stage, we got the largest ovation of any team. we were blinded by cameras and at one point I felt we might be in need of a bodyguard, since it felt a little rock starish.
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Teams and riders from Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA (FRESH Racing), Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina and the locals from Panama will take to the roads tomorrow, beginning with a 3km prologue in the morning followed by a 80km stage in the afternoon. With the threat of rain always present, we will not be surprised if our best laid plans, will need a little adjusting.
Off to bed!!!1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-59576303190147184202012-07-23T20:57:00.002-04:002012-07-23T20:57:43.459-04:00Vuelta Masters a Chiriqui 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last year Dave asked me if I was coming to Panama to race the Vuelta Masters a Chiriqui. "If you want to go, we'll go" I said, and the ball got rolling from there. Kerry asked Dave and later Glenn showed interest and next thing I knew, the four of us were planning a trip to the race. Since we knew almost 8 months out that we were coming, we began getting all the logistics taken care (flights, hotels, transportation) and of course, getting my dad onboard only took about a nano second. Time flew by and before we knew it, three of us landed in Panama City from Atlanta while one made the trip direct from Dallas.
The first day in country was spent making the required trip to the Panama Canal and then, making the long drive from Panama City to Boquete, a good 8 hour car (van) trip. Upon arrival at my parents, the bikes were put together and we were ready to tackle part of the mountain stage to see what the roads and hills looked like.
This year, in its 9th edition, the Vuelta Masters a Chiriqui will do 6 stages, with a prologue, two flat stages, a mountain stage, a ITT and a circuit race. Categories are age based. 30-39 years old will race in the A category, 40-49 in the Bs, 50-59 Cs and the youngesters, 60 & up will form the Ds. There's also an "Excutive" class, which is where three of us will race. Dave will show the team colors in the C category.
Early Monday morning, we were up and greeted to a dark sky. The rain and wind had picked up overnight and the mood was a bit somber. We drove down and unloaded the bikes to cover the last 1/3 of Friday's mountain stage. In 15 miles, we climbed 1,800 feet, under a pesky rain, some strong cross wind and unusual to this part of the world, dropping temperatures. The guys all thought the climb (s) were hard enough and the downhills, even with the rain, managable.
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After the ride, of course, the sky became blue and the temperature rose nicely. The rest of the day we spent exploring the town of Boquete and eating, which, so far, we have done plenty of thanks to my mom's care.
A short ride is planned for tomorrow (weather permitting), and then we'll go down to David City to the event's presentation, where we'll get our numbers, race bible and more importantly, to scope out the competition.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-754g2jaU4Bg/UA3yD_5M4CI/AAAAAAAAAM0/qZZSz_viCBA/s1600/image%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-754g2jaU4Bg/UA3yD_5M4CI/AAAAAAAAAM0/qZZSz_viCBA/s320/image%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a>1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-50892396796510185462012-05-23T19:03:00.001-04:002012-05-23T19:03:59.742-04:00Observations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After watching the final stage of the Tour of California, a few observations:
#1. If you podium on a race, don't bring your kid (s) with you to the presentation, period.
#2. NBC Sports needs to stop dumb-ifying the sport for the none cycling fan. It doesn't matter how much you water it down ("Pro Continental is like a 2A team".), it just sounds stupid to a bicycle racing aficionado.
#3. Peter Sagan. Enough said!
#4. The future of american cycling is secure with a fresh crop of new, young talent. (i.e. Van Garderen, Talinsky, Dombrowski, to name a few)
And the first of the Grand Tours is shaping out to be quite the battle. After today's first "big" day in the mountains, everyone is pointing the finger at Ryder Hesdejal to take the final pink jersey home. Joaquim Rodriguez is riding with inspiration and bravado, but unlike everyone else, he hasn't had the usual "bad day" most riders have in 3 weeks tour and the pending ITT could be the breaking point for the Katusha leader. After all, 32 seconds lead ahead of Hesdejal is not a comforting distance, and the Canadian is well within striking distance. Yet, he (Ryder) plays it cool, avoiding any pressure saying that he's taking it "day by day". Basso and Scarponi together with Pozzovivo will probably go nuts on the next two mountain stages, trying to drop each other and everyone else, especially Hesdejal, hoping to build a lead that will help them during the time trial. But only the road will tell.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-16295802250883417642012-05-16T13:27:00.002-04:002012-05-16T13:28:04.753-04:00Giro & Cali and some tidbits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have to name the Giro d'Italia as my favorite race of the entire year. The race is deep in history but the atmosphere that takes over the entire country in May for three weeks is just contagious, in a very positive way. Heck, my italian has grown over the last few years by just following the race via the Gazzetta dello Sport website. It helps that I'm also taking italian on Rossetta Stone, so May is a fun month to watch racing in Italy. And so far, the race has taken a very international flavor, not only with its depart in Denmark, but with the diversity of winners and pink jersey wearers. Good to see Ryder Hesdejal in pink for 3 days. The world champ is also in the mix by getting a stage win or two to add to his tally, and the italians are making sure the fun never stops, by adding some aggressive attacking in each of the stages thus far. "Purito" Rodriguez grabbed the jersey in stunning fashion and believes that he can take it all the way to the end. His team director is not that convinced, since the spaniard is known for dropping the anchor on the big climbs and has a known allergy to individual time trials. We shall see.
On this side of the Atlantic, the Tour of California is also taken place. "The Sagan Show" as it should be named, has had hills from day one, something better for the fan if you ask me. Those short prologue during starting a stage race is rather boring. The organizers have gotten it right I think, and the weather has helped too. But the young Liquigas-Cannondale phenom has shown his class in each of the first three days, by riding his bike with such panache. Nevermind he's a bit dry during his post win interviews, the show he (and his teamamtes) puts while on the road makes up for his lack of charisma, if you may.
And on the "WTF" column, this little <a href="http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11885/Turgot-blasted-over-whereabouts-violations-awaiting-possible-suspension.aspx">gem</a>. First the director sportif calls him "an idiot", only to turn around later and offer the full team support to the <a href="http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11888/Europcar-backs-Turgot-who-contests-claims-of-three-whereabouts-violations.aspx">rider</a>. What can I say?. The shoot now and ask questions later attitude that has clouded the sport, continues with poor reporting on the french leading sport's newspaper, a quick pull of the trigger on the part of team management and a rider's career hangs on the line. Just another day in the circus.
ciao!1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-12378310850346993562012-05-07T16:23:00.000-04:002012-05-07T20:02:16.429-04:00Coldspring RR and Giro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This has to be my favorite finish for a road race. Coldsprings offers a nice, rolling, 16 mile loop, with a tough uphill finish, so once the move back to Texas was completed last September, I quickly marked it on the calendar of races as a MUST!!.
Up until last Saturday, the training has gone according to plan. In Fayeteville, the effects of a week in Cancun showed that drinking and eating, then traveling straight to the race after 4 days of laying by the beach is not good preparation. Then at Beauty and The Beast, I could sense that things were starting to turn. But once I started to do the Gruppo VOP ride in Austin on Saturdays, my form just took off. So not wanting to push things as in previous years, I devised this plan to include two hard rides during the week, but plenty, and I mean, plenty of easy riding in between. Never was I a fan of one hour long rides, I couldn't be bothered, but now, after getting some good feelings and getting to the weekend rested as opposed as trashed from too much riding during the week, the chances at Coldpsring looked promising.
The only other time I did the race was in 2006, when I finished 3rd...with that in mind and knowing that the form was there, I told myself 3er or better this time, and to hug the yellow line as much as possible, especially on the approach to the finish. At a few minutes after 8am, the Masters 35+ 4/5 took off and my teammates Glenn and Danny were joining in the festivities. Totally against my style of racing (tail gunner), I spent the first lap of the race no farther than 5 positions from the front. The pace wasn't hot and it wasn't until someone went down somewhere in the middle of the second lap, that things started to pick up. As is customary with me, I went straight to the back of the group, but was finding it easy to move back to the front, thanks to wide roads and the undulations allowed me to carry momentum at will.
When we hit the last lap, a two man break formed and those two guys worked very well together...Glenn came by and asked if they would stay away. Shaken my head to indicate, no!!, I was sure that their short lead was going to be closed down by the main bunch as we got near the finish. But they kept a relentless and steady pace, while at the back the bunch became unorganized, or the chase was properly disrupted. Danny put on a ton of effort, together with a couple of other guys, to close the gap, but there was a team from Houston always getting in and slowing things down. At the front, the two escapees just kept their heads down while at the back we were already thinking about racing for third. Over the bridge we went and I was towards the back of the then diminished pack, safely inside but close to the yellow line, as my plan was. Confusion sat in with where the 200m mark was, but I knew that once the front sped up, the middle of the road would open up, and it did...I began to accelerate about 300 meters out, sticking to the yellow line, and passing riders...I glanced up and the two breakways were taking the two top spots, but two other guys were fighting for the last podium spot...I was now in full afterburner mode and closing fast on the next two riders, but one of them looked back and kicked again. So 4th it was...not the goal I had set, but not a bad result either. Glenn and Danny were not that far behind, coming in 6th and 7th.
Meanwhile, over in Denmark, the Giro is now on its way to the motherland. Good for Phinney to take the lead on Saturday and for battling two crashes on the next two stages. Ferrari's attitude and mouth didn't win him any friends today, but in pro cycling, people like him find the hard way not to mess or risk other riders chances, especially, when you are marked as the guy who took down the current World Champ. His manager, the cagey, Giani Savio went into damage control as soon as his rider had crossed the line. A great tactician but even better politician, Savio's PR move would hopefully sooth any hard feelings, and the up coming day off should help his cause.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-53219518819186973352012-04-23T16:23:00.002-04:002012-04-23T16:42:21.176-04:00Liege-Bastogne-LiegeWho could have predicted that one?. I sure as heck didn't have Astana's Maxim Iglisnkiy on my list of favorites, although the Kazakh rider is known for putting on some strong rides. Instead, it was left to the usual suspects to battle it out for the top podium spots. And my guess here is that the weather wrecked havoc amongst the peloton, because most of the riders looked pretty shattered with 30kms to go. <br /> Nibali grabbed the bull by the horns, and used one of his biggest weapons, a descend, to put some daylight between himself and the rest of what was left of the peloton. And at some point, he built a gap, that according to the television broadcaster, was something along the 42 second mark. Meanwhile, at the back of the pack, the Schelck brothers were showing no signs of improving form, despite the fact that the english voice of cycling commentary, kept giving both guys accolades left, right and center. <br /> Back to racing, BMC looked for a minute to have things under control, until Astana showed up to spoiled the party. With strength in numbers, Iglinskiy sat off in pursuit of Nibali, discarding in the process, Fleche Wallone's hero, Joaquim Rodriguez. Nibali looked strong and in control of his destiny, but when the camera mounted on the helicopter above zoomed out, it revealed doom for the italian. Iglinskiy was a mere 8 seconds behind and closing fast. The Liquigas Cannondale man, swung his bike to the right, and locked eyes with Iglinskiy, who then shifted and accelerated up the last drag to the finish. <br /> What I learned from watching the race:<br /><br />1. The Schleck brothers will never, ever, win the Tour de France.<br />2. Nibali is a madman when it comes to going downhill.<br />3. Iglisnkiy has what it takes to win the big races.<br />4. Riding in the cold and rain sucks, even for the pros.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-19477218594038858352012-04-18T20:39:00.002-04:002012-04-18T20:44:50.147-04:00La Fleche WalloneEvery cycling "expert" had mentioned it since Sunday...that "Purito" Rodriguez would win La Fleche Wallone on Sunday. Not that there weren't any other worthy possibilities, but since Phillipe Gilbert's form has taken its sweet time to appear, "Purito" was a good choice. And he didn't dissapoint. Launching a devastating attack on the steepest part of the Mur de Huy, the spaniard stamped his authority and clenched his well sought victory.<br /> Ryder Hesdejal showed that his form is coming along just fine ahead of his big target, the Giro d'Italia, and who knows, the tall canadian may surprise us all this coming Sunday in Liege. But, he will have to deal with an on form and very motivated Rodriguez and with a Gilbert, who's form, may have finally arrived, just in time.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-26188487656971611292012-04-17T23:19:00.002-04:002012-04-17T23:21:18.611-04:00Back at ItBack in business after going into the non writing wilderness...but hopefully now I can write a little more every now and then about some pro races that I get to watch, and some of my thoughts while riding, or should I say, trying not to get dropped on rides.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-83603213784038996272010-08-22T13:16:00.003-04:002010-08-22T13:30:20.765-04:00Good DeedsFriday morning I'm riding with Daniel at Hains Point and I noticed this guy on the Marina Side changing a flat tire, NBD (No Big Deal). We continue and finish our first lap, when I see the same guy, still on the Marina side, working on his tire, but it looked like he had walked down a bit further down. Interesting. Daniel and I chat away as our third lap is completed and the guy, who is still working on his wheel, is now about two hundred feet down from where he started. WTF?. I make a mental note of that and when our fourth lap comes to an end, the guy finally decided to cross over to the Golf course side, in the hope that someone would stop. As we ride by I asked him if he needed help and with a smile he replied, "YES!!!, actually I do". For some reason he couldn't get his rear wheel back on and straight. I took care of that while Daniel tigthen the breaks and made sure nothing was rubbing. He borrow my phone to call work to let them know he was going to be late and we were off. Feeling good about helping a fellow cyclist.<br /> On the trail, after coming down the 14th Street bridge, a rider yells at us something that I couldn't understand...all I got was, "turtle!!". Daniel stop to see a small turtle crossing the path, in a tricky spot. He picked it up and put it on the side it was heading. Two good deeds in less than 20 minutes. A good day.<br /> Yesterday on my way home from the 7AM ride, my friend Chance and I were beggining to feel the effects of an early morning wake up call, and 70 miles in the legs. Feeling the inevitable bonk approaching, we throttled back down and were talking about eating bacon, a sign that the bonking was now taking full effect. Before approaching the overpass by the airport, Chance announces to a walker and slower rider infront of us our intentions to pass them on their left. The walker heard us, but the weekend warrior, with his Ipod in full blast didn't hear the two calls Chance made and started to veer into our direction. Chance extends his arm to keep the rider at bay and to avoid a collision and rides off, but as soon as I went by the guy, he just yelled, "don't put your hand on me, you fucking a$$holes". Feeling loopy already from the bonk, and not wanting an escalation of things, I slowed down and told the guy all Chance did was to avoid a crash, no harm done. "F..k Off", he tells me. Classy. The thought of putting a water bottle accross his head briefly entered my mind, but again, the bonk had me thinking about peperonni pizza and cokes and not of an altercation with this guy. I guess for once, bonking had a positive effect.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-73425242496432461692010-08-11T12:36:00.002-04:002012-05-23T19:38:14.224-04:00SmackedEven though the race ended almost two weeks ago, I just didn't have much time or energy to write about the last two days. But it went something like this:<br /><br /> Saturday's time trial was another logistical nightmare, with the organizers changing start times at will and without considering any of the riders' needs. Not that I was planning on smoking anyone, but it was a bit frustrating having to change plans every five minutes because nobody seemed to know what the hell was going on. Finally it was announced that the Masters A category would depart as soon as the last Masters B rider had completed the time trial. That gave me an extra hour to sit around and wait. <br /> Time finally came to depart and since I had spotted a few others wearing their Ipods, I chose to do the same. Nothing like a little ZZ Top to get the legs going. Off I went and quickly settled into the uncomfortable time trial position and prepared myself for the next 30+ minutes of pure fun. The "pain" playlist on the Ipod was made specifically for this kinds of efforts and with the top Texas band rocking, followed by some AC/DC, Guns & Roses, Joan Jett, Ministry and a few others selections, it made the time go by quite fast. It also helped when the guy who started one minute behind blew by me. The only exciting thing was going down hill, tucked in on the aero bars and having two 18 wheelers pass me, creating a serious vortex that made for some fun few seconds.<br /><br /> Sunday's last stage had a bit more start time shannanigans from the organizers. I had noticed the team of the guy who had led the race for the first two stages, warming up quite early. That indicated one thing only, that the fight was going to go from the gun. As customary, the heat was oppressive when we started around 9:45am, but at least it meant we were going to be done before noon by all calculations and thus, avoid the serious blast from the sun and humidity. <br /> Lined up and made small talk with a fellow rider, who wanted my contact info. Not soon had I started to give him my digits, the flag dropped and before I could clip in, the pack was single filed. It was an impressive display of firepower with the leader's team taking control of things, or at least, setting the pace so high that nobody could attack. At only 500 meters from the start, riders were popping and avoiding them was becoming quite hard since they were everywhere. Finally latched myself to the back of the pack and had thoughts of settling in for nice ride. <br /> Those thoughts went quickly out the window when we hit the 180 turn at the bottom of a two step hill and the high pace never ceased. More riders were dropping and when I reached the top of the last step, there was a considerable gap between me and the pack, no man's land stuff. A glance back confirmed that the only two choices were, chase solo or wait for the second group that was forming behind. Decided to give chase, if anything, the chasers would catch me if my attempt failed. It did.<br /> So I spent the next 42 miles in a group of 8, taking longer pulls to at least get a good workout out of the deal. The cool thing was because of the longer pulls, the other 7 asked me what we should do at the end. "we'll cross the line together, spread accross the road" I said...it made for a cool picture.<br /><br /> And that was that, my second participation at the Vuelta Masters a Chiriqui was fun, despite the craziness both on and off the road. The level this year was twice as high as last year's edition and when I got the results early Monday morning, I was happy with my 33er place overall. 65 riders started the Masters A class, with 48finishing. Now I think I will skip next year's edition and wait to move up to the B class. But things can change by July of 2011 and I can find myself pinning a number at this growing event.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-38603122024038325892010-07-30T18:50:00.002-04:002012-05-23T19:34:30.975-04:007th Vuelta Masters International to ChiriquiIt started yesterday with a short (5.6km) prologue. Fitting the bike with aero wheels and aero bars didn't help much and I posted 8:14, 1:18 slower than the stage's winner. <br /> Later that afternoon, we were to face 53 miles, from the city of David to the border with Costa Rica and back. Although the race book stated that it was "flat", the race was a series of rollers throughout the entire distance. The A category (the Vuelta is based on age, 30 to 38 years young is the A, 39 to 48 is the B, C category runs from 49 to 58 and the whippersnappers of the D from 59 and up) lined up last and we had to wait under a blazzing sun for a good 30 minutes before the flag was dropped and we were on our way. Right away attacks came but soon the group of 57 riders settled into a blistering pace. Once again this year, water was the main concern and keeping the bottles full was the job of the follow cars and motorcycles. Consumption was at a high due to the hot temperatures, but I was managing good handouts from the car driven by mom.<br /> Nothing exacting happened until the turn around point when the A cat caught the B and things got really crazy with both groups attacking. The chief ref and his group was having a rough time controlling things, and racing on the Panamerican Highway made things a tad more complicated, but soon order returned and the B guys were made to slow down and a second ref car was placed in front until the A group had a reasonable distance. People were dropping and I started to cramp a little, but nursed the right leg all the way to the finish and crossed the line with the lead group.<br /><br /> Today's festivites took us up from 152 feet above sea level to 3200 in 56 miles. Again it was hot and drinking was the order of the day, with mom again making sure I always had two full bottles. As soon as the group hit the gas for the first intermediate sprint, riders were dropping right, left and center. I had done the stage's route several times, but the speed during the race didn't even come close to my speed riding solo. Still, I was feeling pretty good.<br /> Second intermediate sprint and up we went. Again, gaps were happening and the yellow jersey team was impossing a fearless pace at the front. The first serious hill appeared and I managed to get over it without suffering too badly. Rejoined the main group and waited for the second hill. This is were the damage started and I was in a bit of trouble for a few minutes, but kept a cool head and rejoined a second time. But not soon had I latched myself to the back that the leader decided to set things right and even the Costa Rican climbers were struggling. I was off on my own after that, having to face the last and harder, 7kms on a bumpy road. The only good thing was there were plenty of people cheering and the temperature went down. I crossed the line with two guys from the Momi team and one from the Sansom team, a good 6:22 back. But checking the results, I moved up from 31st overall to 26spot. <br /> <br /> A 13 mile time trial is on the agenda for tomorrow and I'm feeling a little more confident about it. We shall see.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-90708005528728639562010-07-21T13:42:00.002-04:002012-05-23T19:31:46.695-04:00Spoke too soonRight when I thought things were falling into place, I had a severe case of allergies. The humidity here is pretty high, and it rains constantly. I remember growing up having all kinds of issues with my sinuses. But over the last 24 hours it came back in style. Funny enough the only time of the day it doesn't bother me is when I'm riding.<br /><br /> Speaking of riding, today was a mediocre day. I took the bike out to test the time trial setup and went semi hard and felt pretty good. The position was comfortable enough but I was sensing that something was wrong. My heart rate was jumping up and down and not staying in one particular zone. Maybe it was the big breakfast or maybe the allergies played a roll. Whatever it was, it made the return trip not a fun one.<br /><br /> Tomorrow is my last long training ride. I have to travel on Friday and will not be back until mid day Monday, so tomorrow will be the one and final checkup to see how things are. After that, Monday will be a short stroll (weather permitting) followed by 2 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday and then the start of the <a href="http://www.vueltamasterchiriqui.es.tl/LISTADO-DE-CICLISTAS.htm">Vuelta</a>.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-6226370101926776902010-07-19T16:02:00.002-04:002012-05-23T19:30:38.976-04:00CountdownAfter 20 days in Boquete (in the mountains in western Panama), I can say that the riding and preparations for the upcoming vuelta could not have gone any better. The perfect equation, with hard miles, long climbs, plenty of rest and most importantly, good food.<br /><br /> My dad has this nasty 20 mile loop that has about 200 meters of flat roads. The rest of the time you are either going up or down, but mostly, up. Since the country is in the middle of "winter" or wet season, it rains constantly, sometimes 11 hours straight. <br /><br /> Yesterday I did the route of the third stage and it proved to be an eye opener. Last year's event used the same route, but this year, and thanks to them for doing it, the organizers have taken the last 6kms up to Boquete off the route. Citing dangerous conditions on the roads (drivers tend to get too close for comfort), the stage was shorten. If you ask me, some of the locals suffered badly last year and can do without those dreaded 6kms. But, that doesn't make the stage any easier. It begins in the city of David, which according to Google Earth, sits roughly at about 150 feet from sea level. From there, the route will take the four different master categories east, towards the small town of Gualaca, where the flattish roads will end the proper climb begins. Eventually, the race will climb over the Chiriqui Dam and head north in the direction of Caldera (Furnace). That's where the race will heat up, once over the damn. And then, and hopefully I will still be around, the final 7 kms towards the finish. By then we have had gone from 150 feet above sea level, to an uncomfortable 2204 feet in the spand of about 62 kms. All fun and games.<br /><br /> If I'm not too shattered, I hope to write some and post some pics...this year's race has grown with riders from US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina and the locals taken part. Radio and TV will have coverage and the newspapers will give it plenty of column space. So 9 more days to go. The next two will be a test of the time trial setup, a final two days of climbing and then off to Panama City to pick up my fiancee and friend who's coming to race from Texas.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-15794297814054874822010-07-04T20:45:00.003-04:002012-05-23T19:28:31.172-04:00Road Race, Panama styleA brief report on the race today in Santiago...it was 47 miles, up and down...as customary, it started late...plan was to start at 9am but of course, things run in a different time frame here...and with the delay, the temperature and humidity climbed...<br /><br />The Masters A category (30-38) had about 25 starters...once the flag dropped, attacks started right, left and center...stupid if you ask me, since they were going nowhere...after about 30 minutes of non stop attacking and me avoiding a dog that almost ran in the middle of the pack, a group finally went hard up a hill on a counter attack and I latched onto it...that was the race's main break...10 of us rode away with Recogo Sanson team putting three guys at the front and drilling the pace...once we turned around at the half way point, the temperature read 35Celsius and the humidity had to be about 300...drink, drink, drink...<br />On the approach to the Santa Rita climb, the attacks went thick and fast...not wanting to burn my matches, I set a pace that I could carry up the 2km hill and settled in, letting 8 guys go...two of them were later dropped and I caught them and worked together with them to catch back to the front group...<br />Nothing much happened until the Avejones hill, but by then everyone was pretty cooked and the pace was more reasonable, although I used the 39 while the locals were engaged in the 53....those fools...towards the top the pace was increased but I hung in there and then did little work, recovered and was hoping for a sprint...<br />With 15kms to go, there were only 6 of us left, with two Recogo Sanson guys pulling...they were happy to do the work and I was happy to let them do it...we were passing riders from other categories who did a shorter distance...with 2kms to go, I set myself in 5th position and waited for the pace to increase...with about 300m to go, and catching the slight downhill before the last flat 200 meters, I opened the sprint...got a gap really quick...shifted to the 13 and accelerated more...looked under my arm and the gap was there, but the guy who won the Vuelta last year was chasing...went for the 12 and the damn thing hung...sat down, put my head down and saw the guy come by me...even with the 12 I don't think I would have taken it all the way to the line...he was strong...so I got second...really happy with it since last year I didn't even finish the race...<br /> <br />So here's the cool thing about the race...$5 registration...numbers??, who needs them...good thing I wear red shoes...I got $25 for my efforts and then the organizers had a meal for all the riders and their families...rice, chicken, pasta salad, sodas, beers...and all for $5!!!!!!....awesome...<br /> <br />Now the Vuelta Masters is in three weeks...4 days and 5 stages...1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-82948889666314371312010-06-29T18:26:00.002-04:002010-06-29T18:29:52.144-04:00Packed and readyTime has flown by. It was just 12 months ago that I was flying back home to visit my family and take part in the 6th Vuelta Masters a Chiriqui. Fast forward to today and the bags are packed and ready. Heading home tomorrow morning with the girls for six weeks of fun, and great home cooking. Some bike racing will be thrown in for good measure. Things kick off on Sunday with a road race, which should give me a chance to test my legs against the locals and see if all the wheel sucking I have done here will pay off.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-44256233021145671362010-05-31T22:07:00.002-04:002012-05-23T19:18:51.811-04:00Dead animals on the grillToday concluded the 4 day Memorial Day weekend with the ride in Upper Marlboro put on by the "Hains Point Crew". This was my fourth time going out with the crew and as usual, we were up to some funny shanningans. Although the pace on this year's edition was the fastest courtesy of some of Artemis' big engines. <br /><br /> After the ride, V Day's captain and my good friend, Daniel, invited us over to his house for some "dead animals on the grill and some refreshing beverages". I'm not the one to pass on such an invitation and despite the fact that I was feeling tired, we headed over and had the usual good times in company of good friends and great food. <br /><br /> Since I'm on the food theme here, I can't seem to get rid of the 4 extra pounds I want to shed before heading home in a month. Not that I'm helping myself by consuming large amounts of food, but man, it's like I reached a plateau. There's no real diet going on, only smaller portions of all my favourites, but with the odd visit to a friend's house for some grub and refreshments, things are just getting to be silly.<br /><br /> Form is coming along just fine, but I have concluded, after riding with some young NCVC dudes that the youngsters have about 15 accelerations in them, while, and since I'm getting old, have about four at best. Fun times nonetheless.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798444299757188320.post-2544258528679582762010-05-15T21:33:00.005-04:002012-05-23T19:16:50.402-04:00PoolsvilleNot much to write about. My third time taking part in the event and IMHO, it was pretty tamed. Two crashes (looked minor) and one order to stop by the refs were the main attractions. <br /><br /> Personally, my usual McD's pancake and sausage, a meal that I have consumed prior to many a race, failed me for the first time in my cycling history. Dumfounded as to why I was feeling so crappy, I could only pin point my diet as the main perpetrator for the lack of power I was experiencing. During the first lap, right out of the dirt and on the short steep hill, I almost lost the plot (and my breakfast). Thinking positive and hoping things would turn around as the race went on kept me from looking down at my gears and wondering, why I couldn't turn the pedals with ease.<br /><br /> On the S turn hill/false flat part, during the last lap, the elastic finally broke. My brain made a frantic call to my legs to go for maximum power, but nobody in the leg's department actually answered the phone. Knowing that the line was just a few minutes away, I was trying, in vain, to close gaps. Riders in twos and threes were trying to fight the side wind and just end the suffering. I finally found <a href="http://nickversusgravity.blogspot.com/2010/05/clusterthing-to-finish-line-poolesville.html">Nick's</a> wheel and drafted him for a bit before jumping across to a lone Coppi guy. He quickly got on my wheel and drafted me until about 200m before the finish where he jumped away. A sprint was non existent for me since I didn't have one and I was not going to do it for 20 whatever place. Shifted to the 39, crossed the line, Nick came by and I thanked him for the pull, made a right by the school and saw a DC Velo guy collapsed on the grass with what looked like two huge cramps. OUCH!!.<br /><br /> That's it for me, no more racing until July 29th in Panama.1km2gohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16395253207343997562noreply@blogger.com1