German Race #2 report

Race 2

Offenbach Race Report. 40 km circuit 5 laps of 8k.
Today I was hoping to do better in the race with the seniors I didn’t want to have another race like the last one. The course started off with a small climb more like a rolling hill that I didn’t think would be a problem. The road was nice with a wind coming from left to right. Just after the top we made a left onto a small single lane farmers road with patch of cobbles another small roller. Through the fields with a 90 degree left down and the up a roller then another group of turns to bring us back into town. Total about 10 turns with the last one being about 300-400 meters from the finish. I didn’t know how my legs would be after 5 hour with Eric on the MTB The day before 100 km total.

At the Start of the race I was again beside Armin and he said there will be attacks on the first lap and then on the 2nd lap. Well he was right we started at the attacks went immediately we responded and the just keep going. I was surprised how well I felt. So I went when Armin went on but the peloton did not want to let anybody go. After the first lap a small group of 4 final got away by about 15 seconds. After the climb to start the second lap A few want to try and bridge so I went with them but they did not work out well. I stayed near the front then Armin went and I should have but wanted to make sure I could finish so I stayed towards the front. They got about a minute so the peloton keep trying to bring them back I worked upfront with about 5 other guys to bring this back but we could not get a good effort going. A couple of teammate that had a guy in the break would get to the front and slow us down.
Final the last lap and we drop the hammer and I was sitting up front like I should have been After the final climb we had a couple of big guys come up and really drove the pass and I was able to help out. About 3k from the finish we caught all but one guy. Then the speed went up again. The road were narrow until we hit the town with 4 turns left and I am sitting in the top 10. Then My legs started to give out when we got to the last turn I was sitting mid pack way to far back but I was able to sprint a little and manage to minimize the damage. I end up mid pack and could see the sprint for the win. Armin won the sprint but he was 2nd on the day as they let one guy get away from the original break.

Overall I was happy because I worked to bring the break back and was there at the finish. Just need to work on having the legs so that I can fight to stay in the top 10 until the sprint. I am getting better every race and My Goal is to have a top 10 by the end of the year.
I will post the GPS for the speed later. I think the average was over 25 MPH
Thanks for reading
Next Race Quiedersbach 5 June 9 AM.
Come out and watch.

So are you working for Armin? If he is winning the field sprint, you should be killing yourself to bring back that one last guy and not worry about the field sprint. It sounds like you guys are trying to work as a team, if so you should definately coordinate the work a little better. If you are not working for Armin, you are killing your legs for no reason trying to bring the break back. Not many people can work the whole race to bring a break back, then still have the legs for a sprint. Guys who are doing this are either sandbagging or soft pedaling when they are working. If your goal is to place top ten, let some of the others do the work in a large field and sit in more. You obviously have the strength to finish high, but wasting energy for the benefit of others (unless they are team mates) is wasted energy.

Thanks for the report, Jim. Glad to hear that you finished in the group for this one. I fully expect that you will post a "V" by the end of the season.

Chad

Thats good stuff Jim. Keep it up.

That sounds so freakin exciting! I'll see you at the QBach Race. We'll have to talk about strategy. I'm not planning on finishing so maybe I can be of some help in the begining.

Kendall,

Is it an open race? Or do you have a license to ride?

Awesome job, I need to get out and see one of these races...

Yeah Kendall...When is the Q'bach race?

Sorry Jim... I accidentally hit the send button.

Great job! Looks like the form is coming along. I agree with the previous post, if you are looking for a strong finish and high placing, then chasing down breaks is taking the extra power you will need at the end of the race (not to mention, 100km MB rides the day before). I think you said in the previous race report that you were chasing breaks then too.

If you don't mind a little sports psychology and if you are not doing this already, identify your primary goal for the race and any secondary goals on paper. Then you will be able to visualize your plan more specifically, go into the race with more mental preparation, and stick to it. I know once the adrenaline gets pumping and the excitement of the race is going through your veins, you feel like a quarterhorse waiting for the gate to open, but you have to hold back some. Good luck!

All


Thanks for the words of advice. No I am not working for any teammates or Armin. I wanted o work on these races to get stronger for the races later in the year. I am not the type of person to just sit in and wait. I would have went with the break had I been in the right position. You don’t get any respect by just sitting in the back waiting. I am using these races to get my form and experience level back. I sure would like some teammates so we can work together but at the monument I have none. Anybody want to join me? You don’t win by letting the break sit out front. You have to work to bring them back or go when they go, then set yourself up at the end. We just caught them too late in the race. I did what I wanted in this race. Even after doing the 100km MTB ride which will help me next month. I went to the front helped bring the break back then I sent myself up for the finish. I just lack a little nerve right now and allowed myself to get cutoff and blocked in a little. This will all change as I do more races. Thanks for the advice.

I hope to see some of you guys at the Tuesday night rides which are the race pace training rides.
Jim

Jim.... If I wasn't going to PCS in 4 weeks, I would have jumped in back when we started riding in April. I know I won't win any races, but I would work for you. I wish you the best of luck!

Here is the GPS stats.

25.2 MPH for 58 minutes. That was not to bad.

See you at Q-bach

Sharpbike wrote:Here is the GPS stats.

25.2 MPH for 58 minutes. That was not to bad.

See you at Q-bach

What are the details on the Q-bach race??? I'd like to try out my new Cow Bell...

Zenkem wrote:

Sharpbike wrote:Here is the GPS stats.

25.2 MPH for 58 minutes. That was not to bad.

See you at Q-bach

What are the details on the Q-bach race??? I'd like to try out my new Cow Bell...

What, you guys don't want any fan in the stands???

Sorry I was camping with the scouts and did not have internet.
Race report coming tomorrow.

Race number 3 Queidersbach,
Yesterday race was a 40 km crit of 1kms. We had a sprint every 5th lap for points 5,3,2 and 1. The course started into the wind with a 90 degree right hand turn up a small hill to a 90 degree tail wind , then to a 30 right downhill to a 65 degree right hander to a 90 degree of camber right hand turn downhill with a slight left hand into t he wind uphill to the finish.
Start off fast for the first few laps until the 5th lap with a sprint. I was at the front but I don’t have sprint legs yet. This is my first crit of the year. Every few lap we had people jumping out trying to break away but nobody would let them go. I was always up front but my leg just didn’t fill well today so I was just hanging on for a few laps. Towards the end I wanted to get at least one point so with 11 laps to go and a bell lap for the point I took off on a flyer at the start finish. They let me go and I was giving it all up the hill made the turn and looked over my shoulder I had 50 meter on the field. I went flying down the hill through the last 90 going up the hill towards the finish line. I thought I might have a chance to get 1 point. 50 meter from the line 4 racers flew by me. So then I was spent. I got left behind with 10 laps to go. Here I am trying to hand on get back on the back with 5 to go and the sprint left me off the back again. I thought I would get pulled with only a few laps left. So I dug deep and got back to the group. Then they slowed way down so coming through the start finish on the bell lap I take off giving everything I have left in the tank. Up the hill I go and down the back straight I go only to get passed just before the downhill and then away they go so I just tag on to the other guys who get dropped to finish somewhere in the top 25. This race was small only 40 or 50 racers to include the U19 age group.
Next race will be in Homburg 35 minutes down A6. Race time starts at 10:00 This is another crit.

Hope you enjoyed the reading GPS will come up tonight. I am not sure of the speed for this one but I do know it was painful.

Armin wins again.

Thanks for the report, Jim. Not sure I like the points race format...but it is what it is. It does keep someone from sitting-in the entire race, then just blowing past everyone for the win. Any crashes? See you tomorrow evening, if the weather holds up.

Chad

I think the points system is sort of cool too. Like Chad said, it would prevent a team from laying low till the end and only working for the sprint, and also rewarding someone who takes a flyer and gets caught right at the end of the race. Imagine if they did that at the Tour de France. Have 1 minute rewards at intermediate sprints along the course. Pick up a few of those on a long break and you get some reward for the work you put in prior to being caught with 2km to go. Early in the race would cause changes in yellow if the team didn't work to defend.

Here is the GPS info. HR 166 Average, Speed 24.7 Elevation 1439.
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I like the points still for the fact that you have to go after them usually the last lap is double points. It makes the race faster and harder than the normal crit where you wait until the finish. Yesterday there was a couple of teammates that would bring up the speed and then the second guy would sprint after he was caught.

Next week Homburg then Pirmsissas after that both crits that are 1.2km for 42 and 48 km.

Thanks for reading.

Jim

Just checked the offical results and I finished 12th better than I thought. Still want a top 10!!!!!! Maybe next week.

Sharpbike wrote:Just checked the offical results and I finished 12th better than I thought. Still want a top 10!!!!!! Maybe next week.

CONGRAT's!!! I bet everyone who finished 13th or higher were younger then you too...

June 12th Homburg Race Report,

Today race was going to be a challenge since I crashed on Tuesday night and am still a little sore. Was not sure how I would do. On the warm up I did a couple of jumps and as I expected my ribs are sore on the left upper and when I took a hard effort it let me know.

The course was a four corner 1.2km crit with a slight uphill from turn three through the start finish to turn one. This was a little more than a false flat but not too bad. From turn one until till turn two you was in a circle type road that went into a 90 left with about four pedal stroke into turn three which was greater than 90 degree into the uphill to turn four a 90 degree with about 100 meters to the start finish so you wanted to be in the top four for the sprint. 35 laps of 1.2km in length with every fifth lap a sprint for points and every seventh lap for 5 euros.

I didn’t get on the front line so I was about 4 rows back on the start. We had about50 racers today and I didn’t see Armin at the start line but I did see him after the 5th lap. I went from the back to the front and sat in the top 5 for the first four laps. On the 5th lap for the points they took off and I was about 7th through the start finish then on the start of the 6th lap and bell lap for the cash two guys took off so I went with the I got second wheel until halfway through the lap then I took off and figure since it was downhill until turn 3 that I might have a change and I went for it. I made the turn at speed then through turn for still in front the I heard the yelling and I got nipped at the line by the tire width not a wheel but the width of the tire on the rim. After that I went to the back for recovery then got back to the front. I tried a couple of times for points but I would get stormed at the final turn. This would get me about 6th or 7th. I would always end up at the back for recovery. Well with about 7 to go I stayed up front and I went for the last of sprint before the finish. With 5 to I won the sprint but not points are awarded for that lap and I didn’t know so that is why I went through first. So I moved over and let a couple of guys go. Then 4 to go and one guys takes off to try and solo the last 3 laps. Well one team had 8 guys in the race so three of them went to the front and one other guy from the team so I jump on and sat 5th wheel figuring that the 4th 3rd and 1st was all the same team so I would sit on this guy and wait until after turn 3 and give it all. On the second to last lap one of his teammates pulled off and the second guy went and we stayed with him. We caught the guy that went solo and blow by him. Then we was down to the last lap and the speed just went crazy but I hung on. Here comes turn 3 make the turn and then just give it hell. I made the turn and gave it everything. I passed one guy and then got passed by one. I finished third in the final lap sprint. It is offical I got 10th place today. Next looking for a top 5. I was really happy with the race but I need to work on my hard efforts so that I can sustain them longer than one lap. Every time I do a hard effort I usually go out the back and then have to burn so much energy to get back up to the group. But I make it so it is coming around. Nothing new Armin won again

See KMC cycling Facebook page for pictures. Thanks to my lovely wife for taking them.

Next race Pirmasens 0835 in the morning. This is another crit of 1.2 km and 42 km long.

Now I am very sore my ribs are killing me and it hurts to cough and laugh. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.

I got an email from Armin's wife. She told me that I got thrid place in the money sprint and she picked it up for me. Not sure how much but what a surprise. I am very happy now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats Jim. Nicely done.

Thats great! good stuff.

Awesome Job!!!

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