Superweek (International Cycling Classic)
July 15-17
Jason Beerman
The International Cycling Classic is the official moniker for what is better known as Superweek. Since everything is bigger in the Midwest, Superweek actually encompasses 17 days or, in the parlance of corn country, a superlongweek. To cyclists, Superweek connotes a criterium festival of immense suffering for days on end with a smattering of the nation's finest crit specialists showing up from time to time to inflict pain and humiliation by lapping the field multiple times.
Having always wanted to try my hand at this masochistic exercise, I got my chance this year as it happily coincided with a planned trip to Chicago. I raced for 3 days - 1 criterium and 2 road races - before packing the bike up and transforming into tourist. The Ray Basso Bensenville Criterium took place on July 15 in Bensenville, IL, a suburb of Chicago located near O'Hare International Airport. The main event, as it were, was the Pro/1/2 criterium, slated to begin at 6pm which, thankfully, meant that the heat and humidity of the day were a tad forgiving. The lap cards at the start/finish area of the ~0.9 mile 6-corner course displayed 75 at the beginning of the race which made me laugh. I still have a hard time fathoming the idea of riding 75 laps around a suburban street grid. At 28 miles per hour. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The callups were long and drawn out, which meant that the field was a high quality one. When the callups were finished, I managed to win the race before the race and found myself on the front line parked next to the Belarusian Concussion, Viktor Rapinski of the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team. The gun went off and we were off amidst the cheers of what amounted to a pretty good sized crowd. The sun was low in the sky when we began, but the evening air was thick and beads of sweat were quick to gather and fall to the asphalt. The race was strung out immediately, but the pace lacked a sense of urgency since we were slated to do 100km. I've done plenty of road races shorter than that. Regardless, the race was prime-ridden, causing the field to surge and swell with each bell. I wanted to conserve as much as possible since I wasn't sure how I would handle a crit of this distance. After trying my hand in a couple moves that didn't work, I unfortunately missed the winning move. However, with around 10 laps to go, I followed Christian Lademann of the German Team Sparkasse and a few others joined us in what amounted to a motivated chase group. The first 3 pulls that I swapped with Lademann incited pure pain in my legs as he is a former world champion on the track and a 4-time Olympian. When our group was establishing itself and extending the gap on the field, I watched in disbelief as Lademann rolled up the side of the line and pushed the guy at the front of the paceline, yelling motivation in his ear while pedaling at 800 watts with one hand on the bars. We also had Jonathan Cantwell - the omnium leader at the time - in the group with a couple teammates so the pace was ferocious as we tried to reel in the 7 leaders. With 2 to go, we had them in sight on the long backstretch, but the gap was a bit too large and they eventually stayed away. Our group of about 12 exploded on the last lap on a chicane section and it was every man for himself to the line. I managed 15th place, which was satisfying.
The next day was the Point Beer Tour of Alpine Valley Road Race in Wisconsin which is a rare Superweek road race. I had thought Wisconsin was flat, but the area around Alpine Valley (which is home to a molehill-like 500 foot ski slope) proved me wrong; the climbs are small, but steep. The day promised rain, as the clouds hung low, and we set off at noon to tackle 10 laps of the 9.7 mile course. The field was rolling along pretty leisurely - so much so that the cat 3 break caught our field on the 4th lap. Brian Jensen took this opportunity to attack amidst the confusion and he dragged Karl Menzies up the road with him, which was bad news for everyone since they're both huge motors. The race exploded after this and the field split up into many small chase groups; a new split formed every time we ascended the steep section of the course and every time we veered onto the headwind section. When all was said and done, Menzies powered away from the front group and the rest of us straggled in sections. I managed to hang in there and came in 25th. Amazingly, the prize money went 35 deep, but only 29 finished. That pretty much sums up the day.
My final race was the Saturn Whitnall Park Road Race which took place in Hales Corners, WI. It started in the beautiful Boerner Botanical Gardens, which provided a peaceful setting for what promised to be a fast race. The course was a mostly flat, 2.3 mile park loop which we did 25 times. The field numbered around 120 and choked the narrow park road around the start area as we prepared to begin at 6pm. Once again, the day was humid, but the late afternoon sun was not too harsh. The course was not selective at all, save for a windy section. I immediately tried my luck in an early 7 man move with Brian Jensen, Viktor Rapinski, and a couple Rock Racing guys, but they sat on since they had Rahsaan Bahati back in the field. I figured it was going to be hard to get the right combination since Rock Racing had about 10 guys in the race so, once our move had been caught, I reacted to a prime bell and went away solo for some cash. I attacked through a chicane section and the field started soft pedaling so I just time-trialed for a lap to pocket some painful dollars. I sat up and was caught by the field a lap later and sat in for a while. A small break went away with about 10 to go and the pace relented a bit before ramping up again. With 2 to go, I tried my hand at getting into good position for the massive sprint, but lacked the impetus and rolled in safely, making for a solid 3 days of Superweeking.
Jason Beerman
The International Cycling Classic is the official moniker for what is better known as Superweek. Since everything is bigger in the Midwest, Superweek actually encompasses 17 days or, in the parlance of corn country, a superlongweek. To cyclists, Superweek connotes a criterium festival of immense suffering for days on end with a smattering of the nation's finest crit specialists showing up from time to time to inflict pain and humiliation by lapping the field multiple times.
Having always wanted to try my hand at this masochistic exercise, I got my chance this year as it happily coincided with a planned trip to Chicago. I raced for 3 days - 1 criterium and 2 road races - before packing the bike up and transforming into tourist. The Ray Basso Bensenville Criterium took place on July 15 in Bensenville, IL, a suburb of Chicago located near O'Hare International Airport. The main event, as it were, was the Pro/1/2 criterium, slated to begin at 6pm which, thankfully, meant that the heat and humidity of the day were a tad forgiving. The lap cards at the start/finish area of the ~0.9 mile 6-corner course displayed 75 at the beginning of the race which made me laugh. I still have a hard time fathoming the idea of riding 75 laps around a suburban street grid. At 28 miles per hour. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The callups were long and drawn out, which meant that the field was a high quality one. When the callups were finished, I managed to win the race before the race and found myself on the front line parked next to the Belarusian Concussion, Viktor Rapinski of the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team. The gun went off and we were off amidst the cheers of what amounted to a pretty good sized crowd. The sun was low in the sky when we began, but the evening air was thick and beads of sweat were quick to gather and fall to the asphalt. The race was strung out immediately, but the pace lacked a sense of urgency since we were slated to do 100km. I've done plenty of road races shorter than that. Regardless, the race was prime-ridden, causing the field to surge and swell with each bell. I wanted to conserve as much as possible since I wasn't sure how I would handle a crit of this distance. After trying my hand in a couple moves that didn't work, I unfortunately missed the winning move. However, with around 10 laps to go, I followed Christian Lademann of the German Team Sparkasse and a few others joined us in what amounted to a motivated chase group. The first 3 pulls that I swapped with Lademann incited pure pain in my legs as he is a former world champion on the track and a 4-time Olympian. When our group was establishing itself and extending the gap on the field, I watched in disbelief as Lademann rolled up the side of the line and pushed the guy at the front of the paceline, yelling motivation in his ear while pedaling at 800 watts with one hand on the bars. We also had Jonathan Cantwell - the omnium leader at the time - in the group with a couple teammates so the pace was ferocious as we tried to reel in the 7 leaders. With 2 to go, we had them in sight on the long backstretch, but the gap was a bit too large and they eventually stayed away. Our group of about 12 exploded on the last lap on a chicane section and it was every man for himself to the line. I managed 15th place, which was satisfying.
The next day was the Point Beer Tour of Alpine Valley Road Race in Wisconsin which is a rare Superweek road race. I had thought Wisconsin was flat, but the area around Alpine Valley (which is home to a molehill-like 500 foot ski slope) proved me wrong; the climbs are small, but steep. The day promised rain, as the clouds hung low, and we set off at noon to tackle 10 laps of the 9.7 mile course. The field was rolling along pretty leisurely - so much so that the cat 3 break caught our field on the 4th lap. Brian Jensen took this opportunity to attack amidst the confusion and he dragged Karl Menzies up the road with him, which was bad news for everyone since they're both huge motors. The race exploded after this and the field split up into many small chase groups; a new split formed every time we ascended the steep section of the course and every time we veered onto the headwind section. When all was said and done, Menzies powered away from the front group and the rest of us straggled in sections. I managed to hang in there and came in 25th. Amazingly, the prize money went 35 deep, but only 29 finished. That pretty much sums up the day.
My final race was the Saturn Whitnall Park Road Race which took place in Hales Corners, WI. It started in the beautiful Boerner Botanical Gardens, which provided a peaceful setting for what promised to be a fast race. The course was a mostly flat, 2.3 mile park loop which we did 25 times. The field numbered around 120 and choked the narrow park road around the start area as we prepared to begin at 6pm. Once again, the day was humid, but the late afternoon sun was not too harsh. The course was not selective at all, save for a windy section. I immediately tried my luck in an early 7 man move with Brian Jensen, Viktor Rapinski, and a couple Rock Racing guys, but they sat on since they had Rahsaan Bahati back in the field. I figured it was going to be hard to get the right combination since Rock Racing had about 10 guys in the race so, once our move had been caught, I reacted to a prime bell and went away solo for some cash. I attacked through a chicane section and the field started soft pedaling so I just time-trialed for a lap to pocket some painful dollars. I sat up and was caught by the field a lap later and sat in for a while. A small break went away with about 10 to go and the pace relented a bit before ramping up again. With 2 to go, I tried my hand at getting into good position for the massive sprint, but lacked the impetus and rolled in safely, making for a solid 3 days of Superweeking.
Labels: Racing
Hartford Round the Park Criterium and New Britain Criterium
July 7-8, 2007
While many team members recovered from a successful effort at Fitchburg, Kenda/Raleigh remained highly visible, scoring three top-ten placings with a small squad at the Connecticut criteriums of July 7-8.
With a hard-earned 2nd place finish, Chris Hrenko came close to victory in the classic New Britain Criterium against a strong field of 100 riders with some decent cash on the line.
With temperatures in the 90's and a host of top field sprinters in attendance, it became clear very early on that some were out to race hard while others were determined to sit in for the sprint. A three-man break went from the gun, immediately opening up a healthy gap. After several surges a chase group was established, leaving all four Kenda Raleigh riders stranded in a slow-moving, frustratingly lackadaisical peloton.
Hrenko worked his way into a second chase group, which also contained eventual-winner, Team United's Jermaine Burrowes. The first chase group absorbed the lead group, which was joined by the group of Burrowes and Hrenko after several laps of hard chasing. The resulting grupetto was too large to work together efficiently, and the main field closed in over the next few laps.
But just as the majority of the lead group sat up for what seemed to be the inevitable catch, three riders kept driving on. These were Hrenko, Burrowes, and G.S. Mengoni's Jared Bunde, who had been in one of the earliest moves of the day. The trio gritted out three laps with only a 10-15 second gap, then suddenly, with fourteen laps to go, the gap went up to forty seconds, then sixty-five.
Jason Beerman marked a dangerous-looking chase group, but the leaders had enough in the tank to hold them off.
The escapees came into the finishing straight with enough time for some cat and mouse, and it was Burrowes who jumped first from about 200 meters out, just as Bunde and Hrenko were busy negotiating for second wheel. The damage had been done, and there wasn't enough course left for Hrenko to make it around Burrowes, but he was able to hold off Bunde for second place.
On the previous day, Chris Hrenko and Mukunda Feldman finished 5th and 7th respectively at the Hartford Round the Park Criterium. Feldman heated things up after an early crash with a solo effort that lasted several laps, animating the field and setting off a series of counter-attacks that set the stage for a brief escape by Hrenko. Shortly after this move was collected by the field, and just when it seemed safe to settle in for a sprint decision, Kodak Gallery's Jesse Anthony, Tim Unkert, and CCCC's Craig Leukens left without looking back; the three went on to take the day's podium places.
After slipping away to win the halfway prime and riding several laps in an unsuccessful break with Nerac's Aidan Charles and Health Net's Shawn Milne, Hrenko placed second in the field sprint, which was won by Milne. Feldman was close behind, separated from Hrenko by only one rider.
While many team members recovered from a successful effort at Fitchburg, Kenda/Raleigh remained highly visible, scoring three top-ten placings with a small squad at the Connecticut criteriums of July 7-8.
With a hard-earned 2nd place finish, Chris Hrenko came close to victory in the classic New Britain Criterium against a strong field of 100 riders with some decent cash on the line.
With temperatures in the 90's and a host of top field sprinters in attendance, it became clear very early on that some were out to race hard while others were determined to sit in for the sprint. A three-man break went from the gun, immediately opening up a healthy gap. After several surges a chase group was established, leaving all four Kenda Raleigh riders stranded in a slow-moving, frustratingly lackadaisical peloton.
Hrenko worked his way into a second chase group, which also contained eventual-winner, Team United's Jermaine Burrowes. The first chase group absorbed the lead group, which was joined by the group of Burrowes and Hrenko after several laps of hard chasing. The resulting grupetto was too large to work together efficiently, and the main field closed in over the next few laps.
But just as the majority of the lead group sat up for what seemed to be the inevitable catch, three riders kept driving on. These were Hrenko, Burrowes, and G.S. Mengoni's Jared Bunde, who had been in one of the earliest moves of the day. The trio gritted out three laps with only a 10-15 second gap, then suddenly, with fourteen laps to go, the gap went up to forty seconds, then sixty-five.
Jason Beerman marked a dangerous-looking chase group, but the leaders had enough in the tank to hold them off.
The escapees came into the finishing straight with enough time for some cat and mouse, and it was Burrowes who jumped first from about 200 meters out, just as Bunde and Hrenko were busy negotiating for second wheel. The damage had been done, and there wasn't enough course left for Hrenko to make it around Burrowes, but he was able to hold off Bunde for second place.
On the previous day, Chris Hrenko and Mukunda Feldman finished 5th and 7th respectively at the Hartford Round the Park Criterium. Feldman heated things up after an early crash with a solo effort that lasted several laps, animating the field and setting off a series of counter-attacks that set the stage for a brief escape by Hrenko. Shortly after this move was collected by the field, and just when it seemed safe to settle in for a sprint decision, Kodak Gallery's Jesse Anthony, Tim Unkert, and CCCC's Craig Leukens left without looking back; the three went on to take the day's podium places.
After slipping away to win the halfway prime and riding several laps in an unsuccessful break with Nerac's Aidan Charles and Health Net's Shawn Milne, Hrenko placed second in the field sprint, which was won by Milne. Feldman was close behind, separated from Hrenko by only one rider.
Labels: Racing
Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic
July 1, 2007
Andrew Boone: 2nd place on GC
Sean O'Rourke = Great Success!
The Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic is the New England cycling scene's mid-summer classic with four days of racing across the varied terrain of central Massachusetts. Stage 1 of the 2007 edition consisted of a 10km time trial on a new course in Fitchburg that featured a steady stair-step climb for 8km before a 2km descent to the finish. The neon green skinsuits came out for the occasion as the times from day one often define the general classification for the weekend.
In the Category 2 race, the team had Colin Murphy, Jonathan Husk, Sean O'Rourke, Jason Beerman, and Andrew Boone lined up. In the Pro/Category 1 race, Jason Baer and Mukunda Feldman were the team's representatives. Boone hammered the course and finished with the second best time, a scant 5 seconds behind the leader and Beerman finished in 11th, putting the team in good GC position.
The circuit race almost resembles a long criterium, with a technical section, a fast back stretch, and a power climb through the finish. The Cat 2 squad was hoping to keep things together for a possible throwdown by Sean O'Rourke on the final lap. The team drilled it up the right side coming into the final turn before the finish, but were a few wheels too far back for optimal position for Sean who still managed a 5th place on the uphill sprint. The GC remained wholly unchanged after the stage as everyone finished with the same time. In the Cat 1 race, the pace was high throughout as a dangerous break dangled off the front. Baer and Feldman rolled across the line safely and were ready for the long day ahead.
The road race is always an epic event, as the 11-mile loop never relents. The Cat 2s do the loop 8 times and the Cat 1s do it 9 times before finishing with a brutal ascent up the steep down road of 2,000 foot Mount Wachusett. In the 2 race, a break went early, but none of the GC hopefuls were in it so the field displayed little concern, letting the gap get as large as 7 minutes. With about 3 laps to go, the squad calmly began to reel in the break. In an impressive display of control, O'Rourke, Husk, and Murphy each took monster pulls at the front of the pack, stringing it out and shedding riders in an attempt to bring down the gap. Boone smartly bided his time in the pack, watching and waiting for the right moment. Unfortunately, Beerman flatted at this moment and had to wait 20 minutes for a wheel, as neutral support was up the road, effectively ending his race.
With a little less than a lap to go and his lieutenants having done their job, Boone attacked out of the field to bridge up to a GC rival. He found himself in a small group of the strongest guys in the race and they quickly began working together, picking up the remnants of the early break before hitting the bottom slopes of Wachusett. Boone and his 3 companions had about 1 1/2 minutes on the peloton as they began the climb and they played a little cat and mouse up the ascent. As they crested the tree line approaching the finish, Boone sprinted, but was pipped and came in 4th on the stage. It was a solid ride, but Boone was disappointed because he remained in second place, a mere 10 seconds behind on GC. The rest of the team rolled in valiantly soon after. In the Cat 1 race, Baer withstood the barrage and came in 36th against a strong field.
The final stage - a downtown criterium in Fitchburg - is a 3-corner sufferfest. The Cat 2 squad wanted to ideally lead Boone out for the sprint finish, which would conceivably give him 10 bonus seconds and vault him into the GC lead. Therefore, they raced with this in mind, keeping things together as much as they could and conserving Boone. Things were going well with 5 laps to go: O'Rourke had smartly gotten himself into a 4-man move off the front and Boone was prepared in case the race came back together. Murphy and Beerman were getting ready to shepard Boone to the front, but then disaster struck as Boone got entangled in a late crash and went down. In the chaos of the late race atmosphere, neither Murphy nor Beerman immediately noticed that Boone had gone down and he was gapped off the back, putting his GC position in jeopardy. Meanwhile, O'Rourke sensed that the break would succeed and began to ascertain his options. With the field bearing down, he had no time for cat and mouse games, and he jumped out of the last corner, gapping his break companions and leaving nothing to chance as he rolled across the line with the decisive victory.
Meanwhile, the field rolled in sans Boone, and panic quickly appeared on the faces of the team, as precious seconds were ticking. A tattered Boone came into sight about a minute later and rolled across the line, clearly distraught at the sudden turn of events. The team gathered and hoped that the officials would make a fair decision. Fortunately, in 2006, USA Cycling enacted several rule changes, one of which states that:
"4E3(b) A rider who suffers a mishap in the last three kilometers of a road race stage or after free laps have ended in a criterium stage shall be given the same finish time as the riders he was with at the time of the mishap, provided that the mishap was observed by a race official. The rider shall be given his actual place across the finish line, or last in the stage if he is unable to cross the line."
Boone had gone down in this 3km "safety zone" at the hands of another rider and the officials adhered to the rule change and awarded him the same time, thereby cementing his 2nd place on GC. The team is thankful for the professionalism displayed by the race officials and by other teams vying for GC placings in their respect for the rule of law.
So, at the end of the day, the team had managed the stage win, courtesy of Sean O'Rourke, and a podium spot on general classification, courtesy of Andrew Boone. The mid-summer classic had indeed lived up to expectations. All results can be viewed off the "Schedule & Results" link above and photos from the weekend can be viewed at the "Photos" link.
Andrew Boone: 2nd place on GC
Sean O'Rourke = Great Success!
The Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic is the New England cycling scene's mid-summer classic with four days of racing across the varied terrain of central Massachusetts. Stage 1 of the 2007 edition consisted of a 10km time trial on a new course in Fitchburg that featured a steady stair-step climb for 8km before a 2km descent to the finish. The neon green skinsuits came out for the occasion as the times from day one often define the general classification for the weekend.
In the Category 2 race, the team had Colin Murphy, Jonathan Husk, Sean O'Rourke, Jason Beerman, and Andrew Boone lined up. In the Pro/Category 1 race, Jason Baer and Mukunda Feldman were the team's representatives. Boone hammered the course and finished with the second best time, a scant 5 seconds behind the leader and Beerman finished in 11th, putting the team in good GC position.
The circuit race almost resembles a long criterium, with a technical section, a fast back stretch, and a power climb through the finish. The Cat 2 squad was hoping to keep things together for a possible throwdown by Sean O'Rourke on the final lap. The team drilled it up the right side coming into the final turn before the finish, but were a few wheels too far back for optimal position for Sean who still managed a 5th place on the uphill sprint. The GC remained wholly unchanged after the stage as everyone finished with the same time. In the Cat 1 race, the pace was high throughout as a dangerous break dangled off the front. Baer and Feldman rolled across the line safely and were ready for the long day ahead.
The road race is always an epic event, as the 11-mile loop never relents. The Cat 2s do the loop 8 times and the Cat 1s do it 9 times before finishing with a brutal ascent up the steep down road of 2,000 foot Mount Wachusett. In the 2 race, a break went early, but none of the GC hopefuls were in it so the field displayed little concern, letting the gap get as large as 7 minutes. With about 3 laps to go, the squad calmly began to reel in the break. In an impressive display of control, O'Rourke, Husk, and Murphy each took monster pulls at the front of the pack, stringing it out and shedding riders in an attempt to bring down the gap. Boone smartly bided his time in the pack, watching and waiting for the right moment. Unfortunately, Beerman flatted at this moment and had to wait 20 minutes for a wheel, as neutral support was up the road, effectively ending his race.
With a little less than a lap to go and his lieutenants having done their job, Boone attacked out of the field to bridge up to a GC rival. He found himself in a small group of the strongest guys in the race and they quickly began working together, picking up the remnants of the early break before hitting the bottom slopes of Wachusett. Boone and his 3 companions had about 1 1/2 minutes on the peloton as they began the climb and they played a little cat and mouse up the ascent. As they crested the tree line approaching the finish, Boone sprinted, but was pipped and came in 4th on the stage. It was a solid ride, but Boone was disappointed because he remained in second place, a mere 10 seconds behind on GC. The rest of the team rolled in valiantly soon after. In the Cat 1 race, Baer withstood the barrage and came in 36th against a strong field.
The final stage - a downtown criterium in Fitchburg - is a 3-corner sufferfest. The Cat 2 squad wanted to ideally lead Boone out for the sprint finish, which would conceivably give him 10 bonus seconds and vault him into the GC lead. Therefore, they raced with this in mind, keeping things together as much as they could and conserving Boone. Things were going well with 5 laps to go: O'Rourke had smartly gotten himself into a 4-man move off the front and Boone was prepared in case the race came back together. Murphy and Beerman were getting ready to shepard Boone to the front, but then disaster struck as Boone got entangled in a late crash and went down. In the chaos of the late race atmosphere, neither Murphy nor Beerman immediately noticed that Boone had gone down and he was gapped off the back, putting his GC position in jeopardy. Meanwhile, O'Rourke sensed that the break would succeed and began to ascertain his options. With the field bearing down, he had no time for cat and mouse games, and he jumped out of the last corner, gapping his break companions and leaving nothing to chance as he rolled across the line with the decisive victory.
Meanwhile, the field rolled in sans Boone, and panic quickly appeared on the faces of the team, as precious seconds were ticking. A tattered Boone came into sight about a minute later and rolled across the line, clearly distraught at the sudden turn of events. The team gathered and hoped that the officials would make a fair decision. Fortunately, in 2006, USA Cycling enacted several rule changes, one of which states that:
"4E3(b) A rider who suffers a mishap in the last three kilometers of a road race stage or after free laps have ended in a criterium stage shall be given the same finish time as the riders he was with at the time of the mishap, provided that the mishap was observed by a race official. The rider shall be given his actual place across the finish line, or last in the stage if he is unable to cross the line."
Boone had gone down in this 3km "safety zone" at the hands of another rider and the officials adhered to the rule change and awarded him the same time, thereby cementing his 2nd place on GC. The team is thankful for the professionalism displayed by the race officials and by other teams vying for GC placings in their respect for the rule of law.
So, at the end of the day, the team had managed the stage win, courtesy of Sean O'Rourke, and a podium spot on general classification, courtesy of Andrew Boone. The mid-summer classic had indeed lived up to expectations. All results can be viewed off the "Schedule & Results" link above and photos from the weekend can be viewed at the "Photos" link.
Labels: Racing
Racing in the shadow of the solstice
June, 2007
To cyclists, June represents the beginning of summer, when knee warmers are shed and arm warmers are rolled down into puffs of lycra on the wrists. The bite of early morning chill is gone from the air, replaced by the coming haze and the smell of cut grass and warped heat mirages rising off the asphalt. It also means that the truly untethered racing begins.
June has been a busy month for the Kenda/Raleigh team. It theoretically began on Memorial Day when Mukunda Feldman scored a podium spot with a 3rd place at the Cyclonauts Racers Criterium. The team raced the following Saturday in Auburn, Maine at the Lake Auburn Road Race. Mukunda and Chris Hrenko, after a series of attacks, both made the decisive break and stayed away for 7th and 8th place, respectively. On Sunday, Chris Hrenko and Sean O'Rourke tested their legs in the field sprint at the Great Falls Criterium in Lewiston, Maine and came in 10th and 11th, respectively.
Jason Baer represented the upper New England crew at the Cambridge Ballon Festival Road Race on June 9 and made the decisive break, scoring a 6th place result. The following Sunday, after a brutally hot and difficult 81 miles at the Housatonic Hills Road Race in Southbury, CT, Jason Baer showed his form again with a solid 10th place.
Mukunda traveled down to the Ninigret Criterium in Charlestown, RI on June 23 and just missed the podium with his 4th place finish. The next day in Providence, RI at the Cox Charities Cycling Classic, there was $15,000 of prize money on the line and the lime green squad dipped into the pot, courtesy of Sean O'Rourke and his strong sprint for 15th.
The team is getting ready to tackle the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, a 4-day stage race this weekend in Fitchburg, MA and its environs. It begins with a time trial on Thursday, June 28 and wraps up on Sunday, July 1 with a criterium in downtown Fitchburg. A full report will be posted when the dust settles.
To cyclists, June represents the beginning of summer, when knee warmers are shed and arm warmers are rolled down into puffs of lycra on the wrists. The bite of early morning chill is gone from the air, replaced by the coming haze and the smell of cut grass and warped heat mirages rising off the asphalt. It also means that the truly untethered racing begins.
June has been a busy month for the Kenda/Raleigh team. It theoretically began on Memorial Day when Mukunda Feldman scored a podium spot with a 3rd place at the Cyclonauts Racers Criterium. The team raced the following Saturday in Auburn, Maine at the Lake Auburn Road Race. Mukunda and Chris Hrenko, after a series of attacks, both made the decisive break and stayed away for 7th and 8th place, respectively. On Sunday, Chris Hrenko and Sean O'Rourke tested their legs in the field sprint at the Great Falls Criterium in Lewiston, Maine and came in 10th and 11th, respectively.
Jason Baer represented the upper New England crew at the Cambridge Ballon Festival Road Race on June 9 and made the decisive break, scoring a 6th place result. The following Sunday, after a brutally hot and difficult 81 miles at the Housatonic Hills Road Race in Southbury, CT, Jason Baer showed his form again with a solid 10th place.
Mukunda traveled down to the Ninigret Criterium in Charlestown, RI on June 23 and just missed the podium with his 4th place finish. The next day in Providence, RI at the Cox Charities Cycling Classic, there was $15,000 of prize money on the line and the lime green squad dipped into the pot, courtesy of Sean O'Rourke and his strong sprint for 15th.
The team is getting ready to tackle the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, a 4-day stage race this weekend in Fitchburg, MA and its environs. It begins with a time trial on Thursday, June 28 and wraps up on Sunday, July 1 with a criterium in downtown Fitchburg. A full report will be posted when the dust settles.
Labels: Racing
Lake Auburn Road Race and Great Falls Criterium
June 2-3, 2007
Mukunda Feldman
On the first weekend of June, the team converged on Auburn and Lewiston, Maine for a great weekend of classic New England racing. Maine is a bit of a trek for most of us, but Lake Auburn is a beautiful area and both races are challenging, well promoted events.
Saturday's Lake Auburn Road Race was raced on a new course this year, somewhat less brutal than in years past, but still a hilly and selective course. With the team well represented, the goal was to race aggressively and put guys up the road. Attacks started from the gun and it wasn't long before the race was strung-out along the bumpy back stretch of the course. The team stayed well represented in all the early moves but with lots of fresh legs in the bunch nothing was getting very far up the road. That all changed after a couple of laps, the short steep climbs started taking their toll, and break managed to slip away. Mukunda Feldman and Chris Hrenko made the group and with a good mix of teams represented the smooth rolling break quickly gained time on the field. The break worked well together and stretched its lead to almost 2 minutes until the final lap when all bets were off and the attacks started flying. When the dust settled Aliaksandr Bialiauski of CCB took out the win with Mukunda and Chris ending up 7th and 8th place, respectively while Jonathan Husk and Sean O’Rourke duked it out in the charging field just behind.
No trip to Auburn is complete without breakfast at Governor's so on Sunday morning the pre-race meeting was held there. After copious amounts of fried French toast sticks, oatmeal with fresh fruit, home-fries, and biscuits with gravy, we all resisted the temptation to go back to the hotel and sleep. Instead we headed for downtown Lewiston and the tough Great Falls Criterium. The race is a short loop, but has a uphill drag to the finish followed by a sharp left into a punishing little climb. The hill isn't the hardest part; it's the flat bit at the top where the selection is always made and if you make it, then it's all downhill until the next lap. The whole team was aggressive from the start but the team's most promising chance came midway through the race when Jason Baer put in a blistering attack and split a small group off the front. Promising as it was, it wouldn't last and the field came back together and seemed to be in for a bunch sprint. That is until Mike Barton of Boston Scientific surprised everyone and jumped away solo. With the lap cards dwindling and the pace heating up, odds were against him to hold it, but he did and took an impressive win. Chris Hrenko and Sean O'Rourke contested the field sprint and came in 10th and 11th, respectively.
Mukunda Feldman
On the first weekend of June, the team converged on Auburn and Lewiston, Maine for a great weekend of classic New England racing. Maine is a bit of a trek for most of us, but Lake Auburn is a beautiful area and both races are challenging, well promoted events.
Saturday's Lake Auburn Road Race was raced on a new course this year, somewhat less brutal than in years past, but still a hilly and selective course. With the team well represented, the goal was to race aggressively and put guys up the road. Attacks started from the gun and it wasn't long before the race was strung-out along the bumpy back stretch of the course. The team stayed well represented in all the early moves but with lots of fresh legs in the bunch nothing was getting very far up the road. That all changed after a couple of laps, the short steep climbs started taking their toll, and break managed to slip away. Mukunda Feldman and Chris Hrenko made the group and with a good mix of teams represented the smooth rolling break quickly gained time on the field. The break worked well together and stretched its lead to almost 2 minutes until the final lap when all bets were off and the attacks started flying. When the dust settled Aliaksandr Bialiauski of CCB took out the win with Mukunda and Chris ending up 7th and 8th place, respectively while Jonathan Husk and Sean O’Rourke duked it out in the charging field just behind.
No trip to Auburn is complete without breakfast at Governor's so on Sunday morning the pre-race meeting was held there. After copious amounts of fried French toast sticks, oatmeal with fresh fruit, home-fries, and biscuits with gravy, we all resisted the temptation to go back to the hotel and sleep. Instead we headed for downtown Lewiston and the tough Great Falls Criterium. The race is a short loop, but has a uphill drag to the finish followed by a sharp left into a punishing little climb. The hill isn't the hardest part; it's the flat bit at the top where the selection is always made and if you make it, then it's all downhill until the next lap. The whole team was aggressive from the start but the team's most promising chance came midway through the race when Jason Baer put in a blistering attack and split a small group off the front. Promising as it was, it wouldn't last and the field came back together and seemed to be in for a bunch sprint. That is until Mike Barton of Boston Scientific surprised everyone and jumped away solo. With the lap cards dwindling and the pace heating up, odds were against him to hold it, but he did and took an impressive win. Chris Hrenko and Sean O'Rourke contested the field sprint and came in 10th and 11th, respectively.
Labels: Racing
Lake Sunapee Road Race
May 19, 2007
Andrew Boone
For a moment I thought that maybe we'd be getting through May without a wet and cold bike race. However, Mother Nature had other plans and Saturday morning was a cold, soggy mess. A medium sized Kenda/Raleigh team of Baer, Tremble, Peters, Murphy and Boone headed over to the Lake Sunapee Road Race for a nice early morning start. You could tell that no one was too keen on racing because there was no rush to the line in staging. Everyone was lined up almost single file, as if they were trying to hide from the steady downpour.
As the race began, spirits lifted and attacks began flying off the front. Kenda/Raleigh was racing well, with Tremble, Baer and Murphy doing the lion's share to make it into the early move. Some groups would get a few seconds, but nothing seemed to be getting away. Meanwhile I (Boone) was at the back of the field trying to figure out why I felt so bad. At one point, I looked up and there was a major split in the field and I was about to get dropped. Knowing that it was now or never I put in a hard effort and bridged up to the field by myself. Once I made contact I was able to sit up and when I looked back, my former group was no where to be seen! At this point I started to worry that this race may be a very ugly one! However, the hard effort seemed to wake the legs up and I started feeling a lot better.
As we came around the loop for the first time the group was still together and Teddy King put in an acceleration which a few guys followed. This group of about 8 looked pretty good and unfortunately Kenda/Raleigh had missed it. At this point I was watching very closely to find a wheel to take me across to the break. A couple of guys shot off the front and I was able to take a free ride up to the move. The break worked together for a while and we established a nice gap, but then things started to fall apart. No one wanted to take pulls and it started to look like we'd be caught. Sensing this, Teddy King attacked on a steep hill section and I was quick to follow. Mike Barton of Boston Scientific joined us as well. The 3 of us worked pretty well together for about 8-10 miles. The remaining break could sense that this was a serious threat and they managed to work together to bring us back. That effort though was probably the reason we were able to stay away from the chasing field behind.
About 12 miles from the finish, Ted King and Mike Barton went again and I missed that move, which ended up staying away. Knowing that I couldn't bring them back on my own, I decided to try and sit in for a shot at the podium. Sunapee has an uphill finish that is steep at the bottom with a false flat for a while and then it gets steep again right before the finish. I forgot how long the climb actually was and I attacked at the bottom section. I got a small gap, but the guys were able to get on my wheel on the false flat and I ended up leading out the sprint finish. Exhausted from a long cold day I was swarmed at the finish and ended up in 8th place. Shortly after the break finished, the remnants of the field rolled in with Colin Murphy and Eric Tremble looking strong. The conditions were brutal and it took a toll on many riders, and less than half the field made it to the finish. Let's hope that was it for the May rain and may we ride in sunshine for the rest of the season!
Andrew Boone
For a moment I thought that maybe we'd be getting through May without a wet and cold bike race. However, Mother Nature had other plans and Saturday morning was a cold, soggy mess. A medium sized Kenda/Raleigh team of Baer, Tremble, Peters, Murphy and Boone headed over to the Lake Sunapee Road Race for a nice early morning start. You could tell that no one was too keen on racing because there was no rush to the line in staging. Everyone was lined up almost single file, as if they were trying to hide from the steady downpour.
As the race began, spirits lifted and attacks began flying off the front. Kenda/Raleigh was racing well, with Tremble, Baer and Murphy doing the lion's share to make it into the early move. Some groups would get a few seconds, but nothing seemed to be getting away. Meanwhile I (Boone) was at the back of the field trying to figure out why I felt so bad. At one point, I looked up and there was a major split in the field and I was about to get dropped. Knowing that it was now or never I put in a hard effort and bridged up to the field by myself. Once I made contact I was able to sit up and when I looked back, my former group was no where to be seen! At this point I started to worry that this race may be a very ugly one! However, the hard effort seemed to wake the legs up and I started feeling a lot better.
As we came around the loop for the first time the group was still together and Teddy King put in an acceleration which a few guys followed. This group of about 8 looked pretty good and unfortunately Kenda/Raleigh had missed it. At this point I was watching very closely to find a wheel to take me across to the break. A couple of guys shot off the front and I was able to take a free ride up to the move. The break worked together for a while and we established a nice gap, but then things started to fall apart. No one wanted to take pulls and it started to look like we'd be caught. Sensing this, Teddy King attacked on a steep hill section and I was quick to follow. Mike Barton of Boston Scientific joined us as well. The 3 of us worked pretty well together for about 8-10 miles. The remaining break could sense that this was a serious threat and they managed to work together to bring us back. That effort though was probably the reason we were able to stay away from the chasing field behind.
About 12 miles from the finish, Ted King and Mike Barton went again and I missed that move, which ended up staying away. Knowing that I couldn't bring them back on my own, I decided to try and sit in for a shot at the podium. Sunapee has an uphill finish that is steep at the bottom with a false flat for a while and then it gets steep again right before the finish. I forgot how long the climb actually was and I attacked at the bottom section. I got a small gap, but the guys were able to get on my wheel on the false flat and I ended up leading out the sprint finish. Exhausted from a long cold day I was swarmed at the finish and ended up in 8th place. Shortly after the break finished, the remnants of the field rolled in with Colin Murphy and Eric Tremble looking strong. The conditions were brutal and it took a toll on many riders, and less than half the field made it to the finish. Let's hope that was it for the May rain and may we ride in sunshine for the rest of the season!
Labels: Racing
Jiminy Peak Road Race
May 5, 2007
134 starters lined up for the category 1/2 Jiminy Peak Road Race, another New England spring "monument" that draws - due to its equidistant location from New York City, Boston, and Montreal - a diverse collection of teams and cyclists. Starting from the Jiminy Peak ski area in Hancock, MA, the course is a straightforward ~18 mile loop with a climb through the finish area that serves to slow the sprint down and make it a hard-man's slog. The 1/2 field tackled the course 5 times for a total of about 90 miles and, with temperatures in the 50s, it was a nice day for some bike riding.
The pace out of the parking lot was moderate for a while, as Kenda/Raleigh's trio of Mukunda Feldman, Colin Murphy, and Sean O'Rourke tried several times to make the race happen early. With a strong headwind on the back section and generally negative racing, breaks were simply getting a few meters before being nullified by the strung-out field which would then promptly sit up. Rinse, repeat until 2 guys got away and out of sight.
On lap 3, Fiordifrutta sent their guys to the front and split the race with some pacemaking that also happened to bring the race together again. It stayed this way until lap 4, when a CCB rider got away solo over the finish climb and was thought to be left for dead, dangling off the front. Another break of about 8 subtly rolled off on the headwind section, with several teams missing the move entirely. Disappointingly, Kenda/Raleigh was among those who missed it. The CCB rider impressively stayed out for the solo win and most of the breakaway stayed out of the grasp of the remains of the peloton, which ultimately sprinted for 8th place.
134 starters lined up for the category 1/2 Jiminy Peak Road Race, another New England spring "monument" that draws - due to its equidistant location from New York City, Boston, and Montreal - a diverse collection of teams and cyclists. Starting from the Jiminy Peak ski area in Hancock, MA, the course is a straightforward ~18 mile loop with a climb through the finish area that serves to slow the sprint down and make it a hard-man's slog. The 1/2 field tackled the course 5 times for a total of about 90 miles and, with temperatures in the 50s, it was a nice day for some bike riding.
The pace out of the parking lot was moderate for a while, as Kenda/Raleigh's trio of Mukunda Feldman, Colin Murphy, and Sean O'Rourke tried several times to make the race happen early. With a strong headwind on the back section and generally negative racing, breaks were simply getting a few meters before being nullified by the strung-out field which would then promptly sit up. Rinse, repeat until 2 guys got away and out of sight.
On lap 3, Fiordifrutta sent their guys to the front and split the race with some pacemaking that also happened to bring the race together again. It stayed this way until lap 4, when a CCB rider got away solo over the finish climb and was thought to be left for dead, dangling off the front. Another break of about 8 subtly rolled off on the headwind section, with several teams missing the move entirely. Disappointingly, Kenda/Raleigh was among those who missed it. The CCB rider impressively stayed out for the solo win and most of the breakaway stayed out of the grasp of the remains of the peloton, which ultimately sprinted for 8th place.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 7: Charlottesville-Albermarle Road Race (95 miles)
April 29, 2007
Stage 7 of the Tour of Virginia finally arrived after 6 hard days of racing and the fatigue showed on everyone's face at the start line. The field at the beginning of the race had numbered almost 180 riders, but it was now down to just under 100. The course profile today looked relatively easy on paper, as it was devoid of any uncategorized climbs. However, with seconds separating the top of the leaderboard, it was bound to be a slugfest and the non-stop small risers and a gusty wind promised to take their toll.
The stage began with a beautiful 4-mile parade loop around the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville and the peloton looped through town slowly, with heads turning this way and that, taking in the numerous southern belles lining the sidewalks around campus. As soon as the commissaire signaled for the race to begin however, the mood became serious and attacks flew off the front of the race in a staccatoed haze of grimaces and grunts. The peloton was single file for the first 20 miles of the race and it snaked violently through the tree-shaded roads around Charlottesville, dipping and turning like the long tail of a kite in a violent storm.
When the dust finally settled, it was evident that the strongest 10 guys had separated themselves from the pack, and it was no surprise that it included many of the top riders on general classification. A couple teams with riders in the top 10 had missed out on the move and they began chasing soonafter. The pace was ramped up for the remainder of the race as Rite Aid tried to reduce the gap.
Andrew Boone entered the day in 17th place and he, Jason Baer, and Jason Beerman were intent on being conservative and getting Boone to the finish safely. Late in the race, at around mile 70, the field was strung out in the gutter pounding the pedals into a fierce headwind. Boone hit a pothole and flatted his rear wheel and he drifted back through the pack. Baer - easily the man of the day for the team today - saw Boone's mechanical and quickly dropped back through the pack to aid Boone after he got a wheel change from neutral support. As the long 20 car caravan went by them, Boone got a new rear wheel and quickly got on Baer's wheel. With adrenaline pumping and his GC placing in jeopardy, Boone was dragged back up through the caravan in Baer's slipstream until the two of them latched back onto the rear of the peloton.
The race ended with 3 circuits of a 3-mile course in downtown Charlottesville. The break was still around 2 minutes ahead of the field, but it was important for Boone to stay in the lead pack to protect his cumulative time. Unfortunately, the break was led the wrong way on the circuit and had to double back, so the finishing circuits became a source of confusion for the officials, the racers, and even the announcer. The field ended up having to do an extra lap of the circuit, but it was neutralized by everyone in the peloton since the confusion had caused a field sprint already.
When the line was finally crossed, everyone in the peloton was awarded the same time and the team was able to successfully protect Boone's GC lead. In fact, he moved up one spot and finished 16th due to an unfortunate incident immediately after the stage which led to the disqualification of several riders. The boys quickly changed, packed up the van, and headed north for the long drive (10 hours for the Boston crew and 12 hours for the Vermonters) home, since each of the riders needed to be at work on Monday morning.
Ben Peters, Andrew Adams, Sean O'Rourke, Jason Beerman, Andrew Boone, and Jason Baer were all thankful for the opportunity to race at the Tour of Virginia this week. To get the chance to race our bikes at such a high level is something for which we are grateful and it would not have been possible without the support of all the team's sponsors or without the hard work of Team Director Ben Peters and Team Treasurer Jason Baer. Additionally, we would not have been able to pull it off without the help of Jason Baer's father, Steve Baer, and Steve's friend Rich, who both handled the chaos of driving in the caravan like seasoned directors sportif. Finally, a big thank you to team mechanic Lane Herrick for all his hard work this week, keeping our awesome Raleigh bicycles running in tiptop shape and helping in the feed zones.
Check the team schedule - linked above - for a list of upcoming races in the month of May.
Stage 7 of the Tour of Virginia finally arrived after 6 hard days of racing and the fatigue showed on everyone's face at the start line. The field at the beginning of the race had numbered almost 180 riders, but it was now down to just under 100. The course profile today looked relatively easy on paper, as it was devoid of any uncategorized climbs. However, with seconds separating the top of the leaderboard, it was bound to be a slugfest and the non-stop small risers and a gusty wind promised to take their toll.
The stage began with a beautiful 4-mile parade loop around the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville and the peloton looped through town slowly, with heads turning this way and that, taking in the numerous southern belles lining the sidewalks around campus. As soon as the commissaire signaled for the race to begin however, the mood became serious and attacks flew off the front of the race in a staccatoed haze of grimaces and grunts. The peloton was single file for the first 20 miles of the race and it snaked violently through the tree-shaded roads around Charlottesville, dipping and turning like the long tail of a kite in a violent storm.
When the dust finally settled, it was evident that the strongest 10 guys had separated themselves from the pack, and it was no surprise that it included many of the top riders on general classification. A couple teams with riders in the top 10 had missed out on the move and they began chasing soonafter. The pace was ramped up for the remainder of the race as Rite Aid tried to reduce the gap.
Andrew Boone entered the day in 17th place and he, Jason Baer, and Jason Beerman were intent on being conservative and getting Boone to the finish safely. Late in the race, at around mile 70, the field was strung out in the gutter pounding the pedals into a fierce headwind. Boone hit a pothole and flatted his rear wheel and he drifted back through the pack. Baer - easily the man of the day for the team today - saw Boone's mechanical and quickly dropped back through the pack to aid Boone after he got a wheel change from neutral support. As the long 20 car caravan went by them, Boone got a new rear wheel and quickly got on Baer's wheel. With adrenaline pumping and his GC placing in jeopardy, Boone was dragged back up through the caravan in Baer's slipstream until the two of them latched back onto the rear of the peloton.
The race ended with 3 circuits of a 3-mile course in downtown Charlottesville. The break was still around 2 minutes ahead of the field, but it was important for Boone to stay in the lead pack to protect his cumulative time. Unfortunately, the break was led the wrong way on the circuit and had to double back, so the finishing circuits became a source of confusion for the officials, the racers, and even the announcer. The field ended up having to do an extra lap of the circuit, but it was neutralized by everyone in the peloton since the confusion had caused a field sprint already.
When the line was finally crossed, everyone in the peloton was awarded the same time and the team was able to successfully protect Boone's GC lead. In fact, he moved up one spot and finished 16th due to an unfortunate incident immediately after the stage which led to the disqualification of several riders. The boys quickly changed, packed up the van, and headed north for the long drive (10 hours for the Boston crew and 12 hours for the Vermonters) home, since each of the riders needed to be at work on Monday morning.
Ben Peters, Andrew Adams, Sean O'Rourke, Jason Beerman, Andrew Boone, and Jason Baer were all thankful for the opportunity to race at the Tour of Virginia this week. To get the chance to race our bikes at such a high level is something for which we are grateful and it would not have been possible without the support of all the team's sponsors or without the hard work of Team Director Ben Peters and Team Treasurer Jason Baer. Additionally, we would not have been able to pull it off without the help of Jason Baer's father, Steve Baer, and Steve's friend Rich, who both handled the chaos of driving in the caravan like seasoned directors sportif. Finally, a big thank you to team mechanic Lane Herrick for all his hard work this week, keeping our awesome Raleigh bicycles running in tiptop shape and helping in the feed zones.
Check the team schedule - linked above - for a list of upcoming races in the month of May.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 6: Harrisonburg Criterium (35 miles)
April 28, 2007
After back to back to back 100+ mile days, the 35-mile Stage 6 evening criterium in the town of Harrisonburg almost seemed like a rest day. The team relaxed all day after spending Friday night at the go-kart track next to our temporary home at the luxurious Super 8 in Waynesboro. Sean O'Rourke took the victory in the 20-lap heat around the figure 8 go-kart track, but his erratic driving almost caused his relegation and a fine.
The criterium in Harrisonburg this evening began at 4:45pm and a big crowd thronged around the start/finish to cheer on the 102 riders still in the race. The course featured three corners and wide open roads and the mood at the start was much less nervous than the Stage 2 criterium. With only a few seconds separating many of the top spots on GC and with time bonuses on offer, this stage was no parade and the field was strung out for much of the race; the average speed for the 35 miles was about 29MPH on a day when there was no tailwind section.
The Kenda/Raleigh boys maintained good position throughout the crit and tried to conserve and rest as much as possible. Andrew Boone was in a good position on the last lap and tried launching up the gutter to possibly place in the sprint, but he was boxed in. At the end of the day, the field rolled in all together and Boone's 17th place is intact going into the final 95 mile stage in Charlottesville.
After back to back to back 100+ mile days, the 35-mile Stage 6 evening criterium in the town of Harrisonburg almost seemed like a rest day. The team relaxed all day after spending Friday night at the go-kart track next to our temporary home at the luxurious Super 8 in Waynesboro. Sean O'Rourke took the victory in the 20-lap heat around the figure 8 go-kart track, but his erratic driving almost caused his relegation and a fine.
The criterium in Harrisonburg this evening began at 4:45pm and a big crowd thronged around the start/finish to cheer on the 102 riders still in the race. The course featured three corners and wide open roads and the mood at the start was much less nervous than the Stage 2 criterium. With only a few seconds separating many of the top spots on GC and with time bonuses on offer, this stage was no parade and the field was strung out for much of the race; the average speed for the 35 miles was about 29MPH on a day when there was no tailwind section.
The Kenda/Raleigh boys maintained good position throughout the crit and tried to conserve and rest as much as possible. Andrew Boone was in a good position on the last lap and tried launching up the gutter to possibly place in the sprint, but he was boxed in. At the end of the day, the field rolled in all together and Boone's 17th place is intact going into the final 95 mile stage in Charlottesville.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 5: Waynesboro-Staunton Road Race (105 miles)
April 27, 2007
With clouds looming over the reduced peloton of 102 riders this morning, this looked to have the makings of a wet stage. After 2 days of long, steep climbs, the climbs of Stage 5 looked relatively tame in comparison, with only one categorized category 3 on the menu for the day.
After the 2-mile neutral start, the racing was hot for the first hour, as riders kept launching off the front looking for the early break. When it finally went before a narrow gravel section, it was a welcome relief for the peloton to sit up and relax for a few miles. The skies had opened up and riders were soaked and chilled for the first time all week.
The peloton rolled easy for a while until the end of the gravel section at about mile 45 when the hammer dropped and it was single file at 30MPH for 20 minutes. The small break was brought back as we rode through the verdant valley at Goshen and Caico set the pace until the base of the only categorized climb of the day at mile 65. After cresting this climb, the peloton, still fully intact, relaxed a bit. A small break worked its way up the road as the field wound through the beautiful countryside.
The pace was steady until mile 85 when the sprinters began to smell blood and the pace slowly ramped up to reel in the break. With a slight tailwind, the pace became ferocious and adrenalized for the last 10 miles into Staunton. The break of 4 was dangling, but driving hard. Baer and Beerman were concerned with keeping Boone in good position in case of a split as we hammered into town, since a sprint finish was inevitable.
The break was swallowed with 300m to the line and the peloton all finished with the same time so Boone's 17th position on GC was intact.
With clouds looming over the reduced peloton of 102 riders this morning, this looked to have the makings of a wet stage. After 2 days of long, steep climbs, the climbs of Stage 5 looked relatively tame in comparison, with only one categorized category 3 on the menu for the day.
After the 2-mile neutral start, the racing was hot for the first hour, as riders kept launching off the front looking for the early break. When it finally went before a narrow gravel section, it was a welcome relief for the peloton to sit up and relax for a few miles. The skies had opened up and riders were soaked and chilled for the first time all week.
The peloton rolled easy for a while until the end of the gravel section at about mile 45 when the hammer dropped and it was single file at 30MPH for 20 minutes. The small break was brought back as we rode through the verdant valley at Goshen and Caico set the pace until the base of the only categorized climb of the day at mile 65. After cresting this climb, the peloton, still fully intact, relaxed a bit. A small break worked its way up the road as the field wound through the beautiful countryside.
The pace was steady until mile 85 when the sprinters began to smell blood and the pace slowly ramped up to reel in the break. With a slight tailwind, the pace became ferocious and adrenalized for the last 10 miles into Staunton. The break of 4 was dangling, but driving hard. Baer and Beerman were concerned with keeping Boone in good position in case of a split as we hammered into town, since a sprint finish was inevitable.
The break was swallowed with 300m to the line and the peloton all finished with the same time so Boone's 17th position on GC was intact.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 4: Douthat State Park-Waynesboro Road Race (110 miles)
April 26, 2007
With 2 category 1 climbs, a category 3 climb, and numerous uncategorized climbs, Stage 4 of the Tour of Virginia was deserving of its status as the queen stage this week. Temperatures were more manageable for the stage, which was a welcome relief for the tens of riders who had severe cramps the previous day.
Andrew Boone entered the stage in great GC position and was intent on trying to move up as much as possible.
A quick note about Boone: he is a newcomer to the sport of cycling and his performance here in Virginia this week has been astounding. He has a running and triathlon background and - in cycling parlance - he has a huge engine. He has been climbing with some of the best climbers in the country this whole week and it has been exciting for both him and the team to see tangible evidence of his ultimate potential.
Stage 4 was to be decided on the category 1 climbs. The first ascent caused a selection which Boone made. The 2nd category 1 climb at Reed's Gap featured gradients nearing 20% at the top and occurred at mile 92 in the 110-mile race. Boone was in the front group over the top but was gapped on the descent and was left to battle the headwind into Waynesboro in a small group. He still managed 23rd on the stage and moved up 1 spot to 17th on GC.
The Jasons (Baer and Beerman) finished well within the time cut in a big group and will continue to protect Boone through the final 3 stages.
With 2 category 1 climbs, a category 3 climb, and numerous uncategorized climbs, Stage 4 of the Tour of Virginia was deserving of its status as the queen stage this week. Temperatures were more manageable for the stage, which was a welcome relief for the tens of riders who had severe cramps the previous day.
Andrew Boone entered the stage in great GC position and was intent on trying to move up as much as possible.
A quick note about Boone: he is a newcomer to the sport of cycling and his performance here in Virginia this week has been astounding. He has a running and triathlon background and - in cycling parlance - he has a huge engine. He has been climbing with some of the best climbers in the country this whole week and it has been exciting for both him and the team to see tangible evidence of his ultimate potential.
Stage 4 was to be decided on the category 1 climbs. The first ascent caused a selection which Boone made. The 2nd category 1 climb at Reed's Gap featured gradients nearing 20% at the top and occurred at mile 92 in the 110-mile race. Boone was in the front group over the top but was gapped on the descent and was left to battle the headwind into Waynesboro in a small group. He still managed 23rd on the stage and moved up 1 spot to 17th on GC.
The Jasons (Baer and Beerman) finished well within the time cut in a big group and will continue to protect Boone through the final 3 stages.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 3: Bedford-Covington Road Race (110 miles)
April 24, 2007
Andrew Boone
After an extremely fast evening Criterium, Kenda/Raleigh woke up to warm temperatures and fatigued muscles. The late race start allowed us to take our time in the morning and we made sure to get a solid meal in our bellies for the long day in the saddle. Stage 3 was a 110 mile point to point race from Bedford to Covington and with 3 categorized climbs, it was the first serious road test in the Tour of Virginia. After a surprising 9th place result in the Prologue and a pack finish in the Crit, Andrew Boone found himself in 10th place on GC going into the stage. The team goal was to try and protect Andrew as much as possible and make sure to make it over the Cat 1 climb in decent position in order to make the strict time cut (12% of winners time). After a neutral parade lap around the D-Day memorial, the racing started early. The group stayed together over the first Cat 3 climb at around mile 30, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. Shortly after the descent, a serious tempo was laid down at the front over a series of rolling climbs. As a result, there was a break in the strung out peleton and 20+ riders were able to sneak away. Unfortunately Kenda/Raleigh was not represented in the break.
Most of the key teams had riders in the break, so for the next hour the pace in the pack was pretty mellow. This was pretty frustrating as a team with no one up the road, but with 4 tough stages left to ride Kenda/Raleigh decided to sit in and let some other teams do the chasing. About 10 miles before the Cat 1 climb, Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada sent a few riders to the front to drill it leading up to the climb. The pace was fierce and many people arrived at the base of the 5 mile climb already in the red zone. Boone and Adams were able to position themselves amongst the leaders of the chase pack and as the climbing began, the field shattered. This was a very tough climb and it seemed to last forever. At one point I was sure we were getting to the top, and was disheartened to hear a spectator state 1 mile to go!!! At this point Boone had found himself in a small group of 6 men, with 3 strong riders and the remnants of the break up the road. Andrew Adams was not far behind gutting it out with the finest climbers in the race. Once over the top it was time to work together to limit the damage on GC. Boone worked hard with the 6 riders and they soon caught the 3 riders that had gapped them by a bit. Now 9 strong, the group was able to work together on the 10 mile run into Covington to finish a few minutes back. Boone ended up taking 18th place which bumped him back to 17th on GC. Andrew Adams' efforts brought him in with a very elite group in 48th place. Sean, Jason Baer and Jason Beerman all rode strong and came in within the time cut and will be able to line up for the Queen Stage on Thursday alongside the whittled-down field of 117 riders. The team really worked well together today and it was pretty great to see all the teamwork with everyone, except lazy Boone, going back to the car for feeds all race. Special thanks to our great support with Steve Baer and Rich in the race caravan and our key mechanic and driver Lane. Without these guys, we couldn’t do this at all. Stay tuned for more from the rest of this grueling race.
Andrew Boone
After an extremely fast evening Criterium, Kenda/Raleigh woke up to warm temperatures and fatigued muscles. The late race start allowed us to take our time in the morning and we made sure to get a solid meal in our bellies for the long day in the saddle. Stage 3 was a 110 mile point to point race from Bedford to Covington and with 3 categorized climbs, it was the first serious road test in the Tour of Virginia. After a surprising 9th place result in the Prologue and a pack finish in the Crit, Andrew Boone found himself in 10th place on GC going into the stage. The team goal was to try and protect Andrew as much as possible and make sure to make it over the Cat 1 climb in decent position in order to make the strict time cut (12% of winners time). After a neutral parade lap around the D-Day memorial, the racing started early. The group stayed together over the first Cat 3 climb at around mile 30, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. Shortly after the descent, a serious tempo was laid down at the front over a series of rolling climbs. As a result, there was a break in the strung out peleton and 20+ riders were able to sneak away. Unfortunately Kenda/Raleigh was not represented in the break.
Most of the key teams had riders in the break, so for the next hour the pace in the pack was pretty mellow. This was pretty frustrating as a team with no one up the road, but with 4 tough stages left to ride Kenda/Raleigh decided to sit in and let some other teams do the chasing. About 10 miles before the Cat 1 climb, Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada sent a few riders to the front to drill it leading up to the climb. The pace was fierce and many people arrived at the base of the 5 mile climb already in the red zone. Boone and Adams were able to position themselves amongst the leaders of the chase pack and as the climbing began, the field shattered. This was a very tough climb and it seemed to last forever. At one point I was sure we were getting to the top, and was disheartened to hear a spectator state 1 mile to go!!! At this point Boone had found himself in a small group of 6 men, with 3 strong riders and the remnants of the break up the road. Andrew Adams was not far behind gutting it out with the finest climbers in the race. Once over the top it was time to work together to limit the damage on GC. Boone worked hard with the 6 riders and they soon caught the 3 riders that had gapped them by a bit. Now 9 strong, the group was able to work together on the 10 mile run into Covington to finish a few minutes back. Boone ended up taking 18th place which bumped him back to 17th on GC. Andrew Adams' efforts brought him in with a very elite group in 48th place. Sean, Jason Baer and Jason Beerman all rode strong and came in within the time cut and will be able to line up for the Queen Stage on Thursday alongside the whittled-down field of 117 riders. The team really worked well together today and it was pretty great to see all the teamwork with everyone, except lazy Boone, going back to the car for feeds all race. Special thanks to our great support with Steve Baer and Rich in the race caravan and our key mechanic and driver Lane. Without these guys, we couldn’t do this at all. Stay tuned for more from the rest of this grueling race.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 2: Lynchburg Criterium (25 miles)
April 23, 2007
Stage 2 of the Tour of Virginia took place in downtown Lynchburg, VA at 6:15pm. The mile-long course was relatively technical with cobbled sections, a 100-degree turn at the bottom of a 12% hill, and a corresponding 12% climb every lap into the start finish.
All 175 riders were fresh, since the race so far had only consisted of the morning 4-mile time trial. This meant that the timed 50-minute criterium would consist of 2 races: the one to the start line at the beginning to ensure good starting position and, of course, the one to the finish line. Kenda/Raleigh's general classification man, Andrew Boone, got a call-up to the front due to his stellar 9th place ride in the morning time trial. The rest of the boys nudged their way as far forward as possible to avoid being at the back from the gun.
As soon as the national anthem had been sung, the race was on. The after-work Lynchburg crowd lined the course and provided a wall of noise through the start/finish. The pace for the first three laps was atomic and guys were off the back immediately. With such a large field screaming through the city streets single file, the line of riders was easily a kilometer long.
The pace never really slowed and attacks never got more than a few seconds before being reeled in. The Kenda/Raleigh boys wanted to hang tough and make sure Boone stayed in the main group to protect his GC placing. After 50 minutes of pain, the boys rolled across the line and began preparations for the first road stage.
To read more about the Tour of Virginia, check out coverage on cyclingnews.
Stage 2 of the Tour of Virginia took place in downtown Lynchburg, VA at 6:15pm. The mile-long course was relatively technical with cobbled sections, a 100-degree turn at the bottom of a 12% hill, and a corresponding 12% climb every lap into the start finish.
All 175 riders were fresh, since the race so far had only consisted of the morning 4-mile time trial. This meant that the timed 50-minute criterium would consist of 2 races: the one to the start line at the beginning to ensure good starting position and, of course, the one to the finish line. Kenda/Raleigh's general classification man, Andrew Boone, got a call-up to the front due to his stellar 9th place ride in the morning time trial. The rest of the boys nudged their way as far forward as possible to avoid being at the back from the gun.
As soon as the national anthem had been sung, the race was on. The after-work Lynchburg crowd lined the course and provided a wall of noise through the start/finish. The pace for the first three laps was atomic and guys were off the back immediately. With such a large field screaming through the city streets single file, the line of riders was easily a kilometer long.
The pace never really slowed and attacks never got more than a few seconds before being reeled in. The Kenda/Raleigh boys wanted to hang tough and make sure Boone stayed in the main group to protect his GC placing. After 50 minutes of pain, the boys rolled across the line and began preparations for the first road stage.
To read more about the Tour of Virginia, check out coverage on cyclingnews.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia - Stage 1: Natural Bridge Time Trial (4 miles)
April 24, 2007
The Tour of Virginia began this morning in Natural Bridge, VA as 175 riders from 29 teams lined up for a short, intense 4-mile prologue. The course went out - up and down a short, gradual climb - and then back, up and down the same climb.
The Kenda/Raleigh man of the day was Andrew Boone who rode a blistering time trial and was only 6 seconds off the winning time, good for 9th place going into the twilight criterium tonight at 6pm in Lynchburg, VA.
Check the Tour of Virginia results website for full results all week long.
The Tour of Virginia began this morning in Natural Bridge, VA as 175 riders from 29 teams lined up for a short, intense 4-mile prologue. The course went out - up and down a short, gradual climb - and then back, up and down the same climb.
The Kenda/Raleigh man of the day was Andrew Boone who rode a blistering time trial and was only 6 seconds off the winning time, good for 9th place going into the twilight criterium tonight at 6pm in Lynchburg, VA.
Check the Tour of Virginia results website for full results all week long.
Labels: Racing
Tour of Virginia
April 23, 2007
Kenda/Raleigh Racing is currently in Virginia, awaiting the start of the Tour of Virginia on Tuesday, April 24. The roster for the 6-day, 7 stage race is: Andrew Adams, Jason Baer, Jason Beerman, Andrew Boone, Sean O'Rourke, and Ben Peters. Updates will be posted daily on tenetracing.com and official results will be available on the race website.
Kenda/Raleigh Racing is currently in Virginia, awaiting the start of the Tour of Virginia on Tuesday, April 24. The roster for the 6-day, 7 stage race is: Andrew Adams, Jason Baer, Jason Beerman, Andrew Boone, Sean O'Rourke, and Ben Peters. Updates will be posted daily on tenetracing.com and official results will be available on the race website.
Labels: Racing
Battenkill-Roubaix
April 14, 2007
Jason Beerman
Battenkill-Roubaix bills itself as being the Hell of the North. Consisting of miles of backcountry hilly dirt roads and held the same weekend as its namesake that ends in a roaring velodrome in Belgium, Battenkill does feel like our own private l'enfer du nord. Race promoter Dieter Drake and his team of volunteers have seen the race grow from a small affair a few years ago to one of the largest races around. The course is a hard man's course and serves as the first early season test. As such, the 125 spots in the Pro-1-2 field were snapped up eagerly. Kenda/Raleigh brought its entire squad, and wanted to use this as an opportunity for the whole team to race together for the first time in the new season.
The course was elongated this year to 75 miles - 25% of which consisted of dirt roads - and included almost 6,000 feet of climbing. The weather in the northeast had been crazy in the week leading up to the race, with snow and heavy rains affecting the area around Salem, NY. The course conditions, updated regularly on the race website, went from reading "Good" in the week prior to "Interesting" on the day of. Fortunately, on race day, the wet weather took a pause and intermittent sun poked through as temperatures reached the mid-40s. While the pavement in town near the start/finish area looked dry, the dirt sections were a big question mark in every racer's mind. When the gun went off just before noon and the 125-man field rolled slowly through town in search of open roads, there was a palpable sense of collective anxiety.
The first dirt section occurred only a few miles into the race and served as a sign of things to come for the whole field. The speed ramped up into the turn that led to the dirt road and immediately, bottles rattled noisily out of their cages and there was mass chaos. Imagine 125 guys jockeying for the best line at 30MPH over a pockmarked, soft dirt road. Smells of brake pads burning, sounds of exploding bottles and nervous yells. As the peloton descended quickly and exited the dirt section, there was a sigh of relief from everyone and the field took a breather for the next 20 miles or so. The roads undulated, but everyone seemed content to wait out the course, as it tends to make a natural selection later in the race.
So, for a while, old friends caught up in the peloton as the field meandered through the beautiful scenery of the Battenkill Valley. A couple suicide solo breaks went, but no one paid much heed. At one point, the entire pack took a wrong turn and soon after, a yellow Labrador retriever ran into the middle of the oncoming pack, causing a moment of fear/amusement as the pack skirted around the cute road furniture.
Once racing began again in earnest, the field started shrinking. The hardest dirt sections were about to come and the field was strung out much of the time into what seemed like a constant headwind on the long drags of small highway. People at the back started becoming unglued and as we hit the penultimate dirt section, there was no hiding. The dirt road dipped and climbed, dipped and climbed, and over the top of each rise, small groups crested and then reassembled on the descent. When we hit paved road again, the front group was down to about 20, but there was a lull and a large chase group reattached itself and the front group numbered about 40. Andrew Boone, Andrew Adams, Jason Beerman, and Eric Tremble were in the front group for Kenda/Raleigh. With one dirt section to go and a short paved section into the finish, the front group was surprisingly large at this point in the race.
Sensing this lack of selection, Fiordifrutta drilled it through the last dirt section and created carnage, as popped riders were offering handslings to those behind them as they drifted out of the paceline. When the right turn onto the final 5-mile slog back into town finally came, the front group was down to a more manageable, but still relatively large, 20 guys. Boone and Beerman had made the final split although both were cramping. Attacks were relentless and gaps kept opening as everyone wanted to whittle the group down and get away from the handful of fast finishers who had made the split. In the end, the group came together for a 20-man sprint into town which suited neither Boone nor Beerman who finished 16th and 10th, respectively.
Jason Beerman
Battenkill-Roubaix bills itself as being the Hell of the North. Consisting of miles of backcountry hilly dirt roads and held the same weekend as its namesake that ends in a roaring velodrome in Belgium, Battenkill does feel like our own private l'enfer du nord. Race promoter Dieter Drake and his team of volunteers have seen the race grow from a small affair a few years ago to one of the largest races around. The course is a hard man's course and serves as the first early season test. As such, the 125 spots in the Pro-1-2 field were snapped up eagerly. Kenda/Raleigh brought its entire squad, and wanted to use this as an opportunity for the whole team to race together for the first time in the new season.
The course was elongated this year to 75 miles - 25% of which consisted of dirt roads - and included almost 6,000 feet of climbing. The weather in the northeast had been crazy in the week leading up to the race, with snow and heavy rains affecting the area around Salem, NY. The course conditions, updated regularly on the race website, went from reading "Good" in the week prior to "Interesting" on the day of. Fortunately, on race day, the wet weather took a pause and intermittent sun poked through as temperatures reached the mid-40s. While the pavement in town near the start/finish area looked dry, the dirt sections were a big question mark in every racer's mind. When the gun went off just before noon and the 125-man field rolled slowly through town in search of open roads, there was a palpable sense of collective anxiety.
The first dirt section occurred only a few miles into the race and served as a sign of things to come for the whole field. The speed ramped up into the turn that led to the dirt road and immediately, bottles rattled noisily out of their cages and there was mass chaos. Imagine 125 guys jockeying for the best line at 30MPH over a pockmarked, soft dirt road. Smells of brake pads burning, sounds of exploding bottles and nervous yells. As the peloton descended quickly and exited the dirt section, there was a sigh of relief from everyone and the field took a breather for the next 20 miles or so. The roads undulated, but everyone seemed content to wait out the course, as it tends to make a natural selection later in the race.
So, for a while, old friends caught up in the peloton as the field meandered through the beautiful scenery of the Battenkill Valley. A couple suicide solo breaks went, but no one paid much heed. At one point, the entire pack took a wrong turn and soon after, a yellow Labrador retriever ran into the middle of the oncoming pack, causing a moment of fear/amusement as the pack skirted around the cute road furniture.
Once racing began again in earnest, the field started shrinking. The hardest dirt sections were about to come and the field was strung out much of the time into what seemed like a constant headwind on the long drags of small highway. People at the back started becoming unglued and as we hit the penultimate dirt section, there was no hiding. The dirt road dipped and climbed, dipped and climbed, and over the top of each rise, small groups crested and then reassembled on the descent. When we hit paved road again, the front group was down to about 20, but there was a lull and a large chase group reattached itself and the front group numbered about 40. Andrew Boone, Andrew Adams, Jason Beerman, and Eric Tremble were in the front group for Kenda/Raleigh. With one dirt section to go and a short paved section into the finish, the front group was surprisingly large at this point in the race.
Sensing this lack of selection, Fiordifrutta drilled it through the last dirt section and created carnage, as popped riders were offering handslings to those behind them as they drifted out of the paceline. When the right turn onto the final 5-mile slog back into town finally came, the front group was down to a more manageable, but still relatively large, 20 guys. Boone and Beerman had made the final split although both were cramping. Attacks were relentless and gaps kept opening as everyone wanted to whittle the group down and get away from the handful of fast finishers who had made the split. In the end, the group came together for a 20-man sprint into town which suited neither Boone nor Beerman who finished 16th and 10th, respectively.
Labels: Racing
Michael Schott Memorial Circuit Race
April 1, 2007
Jason Beerman
Sean, Andrew Boone, Jason Beerman, and Eric comprised the Kenda/Raleigh squad for the traditional "official" season opener in New England. The course consists of a 2.2 mile circuit raced around beautiful Marblehead neck. With its million dollar homes and sweeping views of the Atlantic, this is a unique venue for a sufferfest. Luckily, the weather was cooperative and with temperatures in the mid-50s and a relatively calm ocean wind, the field was expecting a fast day.
The course features a short climb before a quick descent to the finish line. This is followed by a dip, then a small rise and a right turn into the backstretch, which is wide open and ascends slightly. After cresting a small rise, there is a fast S-turn which leads down to a flat section before a sharp right U-turn leads back into the climb to the finish. Although not overly selective, the little climb and the traditional winds take their toll on the field.
Kenda/Raleigh was attentive from the gun and, although only 4-strong in a 100-man field, the plan was to be represented in every significant break. It was assumed that Team Nerac/OutdoorLighting, sporting a full squad, would keep sending guys up the road and, if they weren't happy with the combination, would bring it back for a bunch gallop.
The plan went accordingly through the first 12 of 17 laps. All 4 team members were aggressive yet smart in their energy expenditure. In the words of Tim Krabbe, they consistently tried to eat off their opponents' plates before beginning on their own. Moves went, moves came back. It was difficult to get the right combination of riders and teams so the field was still together with 5 to go. Sensing a lull, Beerman attacked after the finish line into the right turn and summoned forth a big group with most teams represented. The elastic had finally snapped and the field sat up, letting the group of around 15 roll away. The group was so big that it was difficult to muster cooperation and the field crept back into sight. This conjured a sense of panic and the break organized itself and drilled it for half a lap until it was out of sight. Nerac, with 3 in the break and their sprinter back in the field, could risk it all. And they did. With the winner assuredly coming out of the break, a Nerac rider attacked solo with one lap to go and managed to stay away. Impressively, Nerac also swept the remaining podium spots. Beerman managed 8th place.
Jason Beerman
Sean, Andrew Boone, Jason Beerman, and Eric comprised the Kenda/Raleigh squad for the traditional "official" season opener in New England. The course consists of a 2.2 mile circuit raced around beautiful Marblehead neck. With its million dollar homes and sweeping views of the Atlantic, this is a unique venue for a sufferfest. Luckily, the weather was cooperative and with temperatures in the mid-50s and a relatively calm ocean wind, the field was expecting a fast day.
The course features a short climb before a quick descent to the finish line. This is followed by a dip, then a small rise and a right turn into the backstretch, which is wide open and ascends slightly. After cresting a small rise, there is a fast S-turn which leads down to a flat section before a sharp right U-turn leads back into the climb to the finish. Although not overly selective, the little climb and the traditional winds take their toll on the field.
Kenda/Raleigh was attentive from the gun and, although only 4-strong in a 100-man field, the plan was to be represented in every significant break. It was assumed that Team Nerac/OutdoorLighting, sporting a full squad, would keep sending guys up the road and, if they weren't happy with the combination, would bring it back for a bunch gallop.
The plan went accordingly through the first 12 of 17 laps. All 4 team members were aggressive yet smart in their energy expenditure. In the words of Tim Krabbe, they consistently tried to eat off their opponents' plates before beginning on their own. Moves went, moves came back. It was difficult to get the right combination of riders and teams so the field was still together with 5 to go. Sensing a lull, Beerman attacked after the finish line into the right turn and summoned forth a big group with most teams represented. The elastic had finally snapped and the field sat up, letting the group of around 15 roll away. The group was so big that it was difficult to muster cooperation and the field crept back into sight. This conjured a sense of panic and the break organized itself and drilled it for half a lap until it was out of sight. Nerac, with 3 in the break and their sprinter back in the field, could risk it all. And they did. With the winner assuredly coming out of the break, a Nerac rider attacked solo with one lap to go and managed to stay away. Impressively, Nerac also swept the remaining podium spots. Beerman managed 8th place.
Labels: Racing
Charge Pond Training Race
March 24, 2007
Andrew Boone
Kenda/Raleigh put its largest contingent of 2007 together on Saturday as Sean, Andrew, Jason Beerman and Jason Baer headed down to the Charge Pond training series race in Plymouth, MA. The pre-race goals were to defend Sean's lead in the race series. The racing started out hot from the gun and Beerman set a fierce tempo on the first lap. Unfortunately, he was so focused on ripping the legs off the rest of the field that he forgot to make the turn for the second lap and headed off down the finishing straight! After a nice little chase back on he resumed the pressure. Lots of attacking led to an eventual break of about 5 or 6 including both Beerman and Baer. Sean and Andrew were content to sit in and rest for a while. The break only lasted a few laps with Mark McCormack helping to pull the break back. Once caught, another break was formed and Sean and Andrew were able to slide right in. This group of 8, worked well together and quickly built up a nice gap. Things were looking good for defending Sean's series lead. However, a quick acceleration by McCormack with 5 laps to go took the break by surprise and Andrew was the only rider to successfully follow his wheel. Trading pulls for the last 5 laps, Andrew and Mark were able to distance themselves from rest of the break. With 1 lap to go, McCormack showed he was in full control as he threw in an attack that left Andrew to chase a few meters back to finish in 2nd. Sean was able to take 2nd out of the remaining break for 4th place and is currently tied with Mark McCormack for the series overall. Teamwork was strong as Beerman and Baer did a great job of shutting down the chase and overall it was a great early season day in the saddle for Kenda/Raleigh.
Andrew Boone
Kenda/Raleigh put its largest contingent of 2007 together on Saturday as Sean, Andrew, Jason Beerman and Jason Baer headed down to the Charge Pond training series race in Plymouth, MA. The pre-race goals were to defend Sean's lead in the race series. The racing started out hot from the gun and Beerman set a fierce tempo on the first lap. Unfortunately, he was so focused on ripping the legs off the rest of the field that he forgot to make the turn for the second lap and headed off down the finishing straight! After a nice little chase back on he resumed the pressure. Lots of attacking led to an eventual break of about 5 or 6 including both Beerman and Baer. Sean and Andrew were content to sit in and rest for a while. The break only lasted a few laps with Mark McCormack helping to pull the break back. Once caught, another break was formed and Sean and Andrew were able to slide right in. This group of 8, worked well together and quickly built up a nice gap. Things were looking good for defending Sean's series lead. However, a quick acceleration by McCormack with 5 laps to go took the break by surprise and Andrew was the only rider to successfully follow his wheel. Trading pulls for the last 5 laps, Andrew and Mark were able to distance themselves from rest of the break. With 1 lap to go, McCormack showed he was in full control as he threw in an attack that left Andrew to chase a few meters back to finish in 2nd. Sean was able to take 2nd out of the remaining break for 4th place and is currently tied with Mark McCormack for the series overall. Teamwork was strong as Beerman and Baer did a great job of shutting down the chase and overall it was a great early season day in the saddle for Kenda/Raleigh.
Labels: Racing
Wells Ave Training Crit
March 11, 2007
Jason Beerman
The Boston contingent (minus Colin) of Andrew, Sean, and I headed out to the Wells Ave Training Crit in Newton, MA to wake up the legs after a winter of collective basement wall-staring. Moreover, as new teammates, it gave us a chance to race together for the first time in a relaxed setting. The plan was to counterattack one another all day and work on leadouts for primes. The morning went well, as we scooped up a few primes and were on the attack all day. Things looked good at the end as all 3 of us were off the front in a small group, but we blew our chance by not riding it out and the field came together for a patented Wells Ave finish. Lesson learned.
Jason Beerman
The Boston contingent (minus Colin) of Andrew, Sean, and I headed out to the Wells Ave Training Crit in Newton, MA to wake up the legs after a winter of collective basement wall-staring. Moreover, as new teammates, it gave us a chance to race together for the first time in a relaxed setting. The plan was to counterattack one another all day and work on leadouts for primes. The morning went well, as we scooped up a few primes and were on the attack all day. Things looked good at the end as all 3 of us were off the front in a small group, but we blew our chance by not riding it out and the field came together for a patented Wells Ave finish. Lesson learned.
Labels: Racing
Charge Pond Training Race
March 10, 2007
Sean O'Rourke
The first New England race of the season saw about 50 racers show up to contest the A field race in beautiful spring-like conditions. On the second lap of the race, Sean O'Rourke decided to see how the pre-season training had gone and attacked the field to set up a breakaway. He was quickly joined by three other riders. After a couple of laps the break was down to 2 riders: O'Rourke and Graham Garber of Legal Seafoods. Both riders worked well together and were able to stay away for the entire race and Sean took the first win of the season for Kenda/Raleigh Racing.
Sean O'Rourke
The first New England race of the season saw about 50 racers show up to contest the A field race in beautiful spring-like conditions. On the second lap of the race, Sean O'Rourke decided to see how the pre-season training had gone and attacked the field to set up a breakaway. He was quickly joined by three other riders. After a couple of laps the break was down to 2 riders: O'Rourke and Graham Garber of Legal Seafoods. Both riders worked well together and were able to stay away for the entire race and Sean took the first win of the season for Kenda/Raleigh Racing.
Labels: Racing