Sunday, March 28, 2010

San Dimas Hills Road Race

Last Saturday I won my first 3s race at San Dimas 1 day before my birthday. They team worked great. We ended the week 5th and 8th. The full is below

The RR was Saturday. We rode well and stayed near the front. Daniel won a Hot Lap for a time bonus and Andrew was in some early attacks but nothing stuck. After the second Hot Lap I rolled off the front and rode a half lap before I was caught. On the KOM climb Torey drilled it each lap and almost dropped me. With 2 laps to go we were neutralized by the 2s and then the pros. This gave me a chance to recover.


On the final lap 2 riders had a small gap. I followed a Ritte rider who won a race I did in Las Vegas. He brought me to the break. I talked to him, encouraging him to keep going. He pulled me to the break. We immediately dropped one rider and a BH rider wasn't working. I told Ritte to keep going and I gapped the BH rider. He was Verbally upset when I gapped him. I passed Ritte and kept going. I was alone for a while, during which another rider bridged to the break. When the caught me we were now 4 and worked well together. On a quick chicane BH's rear wheel slid out and he almost lost control. The new rider left us on the climb. I gambled and followed Ritte's wheel. He brought me to close to the line, but a rider from the pack attacked and passed us. I chased him down and did a bike throw. I won by a few pixels.


This was my first win in an elite field and just a day before my birthday.

Thanks to all my teammates who helped control the race.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

March 24 Founders update



Team Specialized Racing Juniors & Masters

San Dimas Stage Race, Category 3
Torey Philipp (15th GC), Daniel Tisdell (4th GC), Andrew Lanier Jr. (25th GC), Marcus Smith (8th GC, 1 day in sprint jersey), and David Benkoski

March 24, 2010

week of of March 19-21 @ San Dimas Stage Race
week of of March 12-14 @ Madera Stage Race
week of of February 12-14 @ Valley of the Sun Stage Race

The team has been stage racing lately and we want to share some of our successes with you. Valley of the Sun was covered in a previous e-mail so let’s catch up on our last two weekends.

Madera is a farm town in the Central Valley of California and the promotion is low-key, but the racing was HOT. With no junior field offered the juniors raced in their “category”, which is to say that they are racing against adults, including some professional riders in the combined category 1 and 2 and pro race. We did not win stages at Madera but we learned a great deal about teamwork, nutrition, hydration and recovery. All very important aspects of bicycle racing as each of these nuances are accentuated during an event where you are racing up to 3 times in 24 hours. The team was also treated to some wonderful 15 mile per hour winds which meant that we were racing in single file. This “gutter style” of racing is very common in Belgium and France, so the timing was great for these young athletes. Masters teammates Craig Roemer, Chris Lyman and I were able to race with junior teammates James Laberge, Eamon Lucas and Peter Taylor in the 1/2/Pro so that we could observe and discuss before, during and after the races.

Last weekend we traveled with 8 junior teammates to the San Dimas Stage Race. 4 mile hill climb, 56 mile road race and one hour downtown criterium over three days. I entered the old guy’s race which allowed for me to reconnaissance the courses and strategize their races. I am happy to report that all 8 juniors climbed that hill faster than me! In the category 3road race Marcus Smith, just one day shy of his 16th birthday, bridged to a small breakaway, helped to drive the pace up and then took out a fantastic win by the closest of bike throws. Impressive.

The highlight of the Sunday downtown criterium was that James and Eamon sprinted to 2nd and 4th in the category 2 race. This is a great result against a very competitive field. At the same time, it is a learning experience. Both Eamon and James have great sprints and they were communicative in the last laps of the race, but we will need sacrifices to bee made by teammates at junior road nationals if we are to earn that top step of the podium. I don’t want to take away anything from a great weekend, but this team is very capable and needs to be held to the highest of standards.

Thank you for your support.

Larry Nolan, Team Specialized Manager

www.TeamSpecializedRacing.com
www.teamspecializedracing.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/TeamSpecializedRacing
Twitter.com/SpecializedNCCF

Monday, March 22, 2010

San Dimas

Does anyone have a spare chain catcher?

San Dimas stage race was defined by a simple dropped chain. First stage was a simple uphill time trial, which I spent deep in the pain cave. 4 miles up Glendora Mountain was plenty hard, but I finished 59th out of 118, not bad for my third race of the year. The rest of the team finished in a similar time.


It's really hot in LA, especially for an Oregonian used to 50 degrees and cloudy, 80's and direct sun is quite a bit different. Going into the road race the team's goal was for me to get into a break and win some King of the Mountain Points and the Jersey, but the best laid plans mean nothing during a race. Eamon Lucas, James LaBerge and I all carried out the plan for the first couple laps of the race. We stayed at the front, I claimed third in a KOM sprint, we all attacked, we all were brought back, oh and I dropped my chain on the base of the KOM climb. Welcome to the pain cave. I went from top 30 to the back, jumping off my bike, throwing the chain back on, climbing on the bike, and chasing like a madman to regain contact. However luck was not on my side; that lap was a sprint lap, so the group charged down the hill, and sped to the hot lap sprint. Meanwhile, I put my head down and chased by myself for a lap. Then I caught some other riders off the back, and we grouped up to chase together.

Now remember the heat. People started to pop; I started to break. On the 5th lap of chasing my body gave up. I couldn't drink enough water. I couldn't handle heat. I was broken. I started dry heaving, but there was nothing there. I feeblely finished. 17 minutes down, but still I finished. Unfortunately, not inside the time cut. I guess there is a first time for everything.

The next day was a crit, one that I had traveled 2000 miles to end up spectating. While this was not the choice situation, I had to live with it. Luckily James and Eamon created something worth watching. Those two controlled the Cat 2 race. Eamon gave a great lead out, and James claimed second place, while Eamon captured fourth place. I wish I could have raced so badly. It sucks to watch a race you should be part of, especially over something as dumb as a little dropped chain.

As much as I lament on my misfortune, the weekend was really fun. Spending time with the team is tons of fun. Doing dumb stuff like jumping in the pool in full kit after a hard race never gets old. Road trips where giggling passes the miles are always great. Riding an amazing Specialized Tarmac SL2 never hurts either.

Related, story my teammate Marcus Smith won the Cat 3 road race, in a fantastic two up sprint with the pack charging behind them.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

March 11 Founders update



In this picture we can see James Laberge is about to win the Junior event at the Merco Criterium in Merced, CA on Saturday, March 6. James is wearing his 2009 State of California championship jersey, since he won that event last June. Coming in 2nd place and just off James’ right shoulder is teammate Eamon Lucas who provided the leadout to assist in the team win. Eamon is a bit upright in his position because he is about to celebrate the win. The gap to 3rd place is substantial, depicting the speed at which these two came out of that last corner and headed towards the line. Steven Larson from Sacramento grabbed that last podium spot.

What you don’t see in this picture is the team effort to get James to the line. 9 teammates in the morning junior event. That meant Jack Maddux (12) and Matt Valencia (13) raced with the older kids. It was a twenty five lap race of a .8 mile course. The team controlled the first 20 laps, letting riders go off the front, but one will never beat a team that is coordinated and in pursuit. One by one our competitors shot off the front and grabbed the announcers attention. Dave Towle is an experienced and fun announcer so he was giving props to all the competitors for trying to get away. One by one the attackers came back into the pack led by the Team Specialized chase. When the team saw five laps to go their attacks started. The pace went ballistic. Riders that had been in the pack were losing pace and going it alone behind the pack. With two laps to go teammate David Benkoski soloed off the front and immediately had a gap. It was up to his competitors to bring him back so when they did teammate Peter Taylor attacked with one to go. Again, he had a gap and competitors were forced to chase. Peter was caught, but by the time Eamon and James hit that last corner all of their competitors were gassed.

Larry Nolan, Team Specialized Manager

2010 podium finishes (through March 7, 2010)
- five Early Bird Criterium Training Races – mentoring new racers and controlling seasoned racers
- Cherry Pie Criterium – 8 pies! 1st, 2nd, 3rd Jr 17-18, 3rd Jr 13-14, 3rd category 3’s, 1st and 3rd M45, 2nd M35
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – time trial - 1st, 2nd 3rd Jr 17-18, 3rd Jr 15-16, 1st, 2nd, 3rd M30
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – road race - 1st, 2nd Jr 17-18, 2nd, 3rd Jr 15-16, 2nd M30
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – criterium – 1st, 3rd Jr 17-18, 1st and 3rd M30
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – General Classification – 1st, 2nd, 3rd Jr 17-18, 2nd Jr 15-16, 1st and 3rd M30
- Berkeley Team Time Trial – 1st Category 3, 1st and 2nd M35
- Snelling Road Race – 1st Category 3, 1st M35
- Merced Criterium – 1st Jr 17-18
- Merco Criterium – 1st and 2nd Jr, 1st and 3rd category 3’s, 3rd M35+
- Merco Road Race – 3rd category 3’s

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Christmas in March!!

Thank you to NCCF and all of our sponsors! It feels like Christmas all over again(shoes, helmet, glasses, jacket, hat, shirt, and BIKE!) I am so proud to be wearing the big "S" and representing our team every weekend. This is my first chance to ride with one of the top jr. teams and I am enjoying every minute of it.
This weekend was my first time racing at the Merco crit and road race. In the jr crit our team lead out James, I was so thrilled to see my teammate win so I raised my hands in victory as I crossed the finish line. Today was the road race and I raced against jrs. that were twice my size. During the first lap the San Jose guys were attacking on the rollers but Chris, Jack, and I were able to cover them all. As we approached the 2nd lap there was a big attack from Matthew Koenig which I followed. This attack left us with 5 in the lead group which grew to over a minute and a half (according to the lead moto). As we approached the final hill I knew I didn't have much left in my legs but suffered through it because I didn't want to get caught by the chasing group. In the sprint I got 5th place against those older jrs. Overall, I had lots of FUN!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

March 2 Founders update

Team Specialized Racing Juniors & Masters

As you are all aware, the goal of Team Specialized Juniors Racing is to be the best junior cycling team in America. We are off to an incredible start and have already accumulated a wealth of podium finishes. As manager of the team, I want to personally thank you all for your generous support and provide you with an update of our recent accomplishments.

The 2010 formula for success can be traced back to 1988 when Thomas Weisel and Steve Johnson created a team and a vision to change cycling. We are pleased that Steve and Thom continue to stay involved and support our team. Wyatt Weisel picked up the team vision four years ago and under his guidance and leadership the organization has grown dramatically to include the establishment of the stellar juniors program. Team Specialized’s roots come from a great organization (Subaru-Montgomery, Montgomery-Bell, U.S. Postal, Discovery Channel-AMD) which served as an excellent foundation for the premier team that it has evolved into today. Founders, sponsors, young athletes, experienced masters’ athletes, and advisors contribute to the diverse and accomplished organization which is now Team Specialized.

Here’s a quick story of one of our recent junior road trips: Nine junior teammates traveled to Arizona over Valentine’s Day weekend to compete in the Valley of the Sun stage race. The 15-16 year olds placed 2nd, 4th, 14th, 21st and 23rd. Our 17-18 year olds placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 10th. The 17-18’s won the time trial, the road race, and the criterium. Impressive results, but, the reason I’m sharing this story is to thank you all for the opportunity you provided which facilitated an overall superb growing experience for the junior teammates. The Northern California Cycling Foundation purchased a team van through generous support from our founders. We all drove back together from Phoenix, twelve extremely valuable and educational hours in a confined space during which time coach Billy Innes and I had the opportunity to discuss the weekend of racing in intense detail. It was a great experience for all of us and demonstrated that even when we win races, we still have opportunities to learn! Our junior teammates received powerful and immediate feedback thanks in good part to the support (team van, coach, manager) which would not be possible without the founders support.

Our equipment sponsors have been great too. Some of the Squadra team clothes arrived when we were in Arizona and they look great. Squadra came through with six different designs and quality clothing. The Specialized SL2 frames have gone out to the juniors and their enthusiasm and excitement is beyond what we have seen before. All thirteen juniors are pumped up for the new year. The Zipp and the SRAM gear will arrive soon so we will be well prepared in the coming weeks for some very big events.

Our team is required to maintain the highest level of accountability, both junior and masters. October and November were spent recovering, transitioning into the off-season and some cyclocross racing. December brought us our first training camp (in Napa) and a good amount of miles (monitored through Google Docs). January started off with another training camp and a push to have each of our juniors “mentor” new racers at the Early Bird 5-week Criterium Training Series. Not only did they provide their advice to new racers, but in doing so they reaffirmed their knowledge of the sport. To top it off we raced together, masters and juniors, where we made a big ask and had them ride tempo at the front of a 1/2/3/Pro race. Learning to control a race at that level (averaging 25+ mph), to count on your teammates and to experience reading a race against adults with years of experience was invaluable and a great experience.

Note: Category 5 – beginner,
Category 4 – experienced in at least 10 races,
Category 3 – high placings in multiple races against Category 4 riders prior to their upgrade,
Category 2 - high placings in multiple races against Category 3 riders prior to their upgrade,
Category 1 - high placings in multiple races against Category 2 riders prior to their upgrade,
Professional – licensed and contracted to race for a salary

I would like to introduce you to our junior team.
+ Daniel Tisdell (18, Category 3) has been with us since 2007. You can easily pick him out from his teammates as he wears the USA National Champions stripes on his clothes. Daniel is shooting for a win at Nationals in 2010 and an U23 contract for his bright future.
+ Peter Taylor (18, Category 2) is in his 2nd year with our team. As he was just chosen to race with the USA National Team for the Junior version of Paris-Roubaix, we are completely supportive of his efforts. If Peter has a solid ride in France and a great National Championships he has a great shot at the Junior Worlds team.
+ Eamon Lucas (18, Category 3) started racing in earnest in 2009 and is on fire! He just earned enough upgrade points to be a category 2 and has big goals for the year. Eamon attended the USA national road camp last fall. He is new to the team in 2010.
+ Andrew Bennett (18, Category 2) is our strong man from Eugene, OR. He’s totally focused on national championships in Bend, OR and getting into one of his favorite Ivy League schools. Andrew is new to the team in 2010.
+ James Laberge (17, Category 2) won the most races for us in 2009. He quickly upgraded to a Category 2 and is looking for that extra toughness and speed that will help him win a national championship. James has been with us since 2007.
+ Torey Philipp (17, Category 3) has a bright future because he is capable of winning races and helping his teammates too. He brings a calm and analytical mind to his racing and teammates that is appreciated. Torey joins us in 2010 from the strong Davis team.
+ Andrew Lanier, Jr (17, Category 3) races extremely well on both the track and road. He joined our team in 2008 and has been a consummate teammate and big diesel engine, which is to say that he has one long and powerful sprint. Andrew attended the USA national track camp last fall.
+ David Benkoski (17) also races the track and the road, bringing an attacking style that is both appreciated and unpredictable, and that’s a good thing! David joined our team in 2008 as well and has already chalked up a win in 2010.
+ Alistair Eeckman (16, Category 3) has been with our team since 2009 and is a climbing sensation. Our goal is to strengthen the other aspects of his racing. Alistair stormed the 2009 summer USA Cycling development camp and then attended the USA national camp in October.
+ Marcus Smith (16, Category 3) also has strengths in all disciplines. At the top of his age group he will be pushed this year to attack and win off the front. Marcus has been with our team since 2007.
+ Chris Laberge (16, Category 3) has that genetic Laberge gene that helps him to sprint better than most at the end of the race. Chris is quietly building confidence in himself and should have a great year. He has been with our team since 2007.
+ Matt Valencia (14, Category 4) loves to race, from road to track to cyclo cross. He also plays basketball and enjoys helping his teammates win. Matt joined our team in 2010.
+ Jack Maddox (13, Category 4) placed 2nd at the USA junior nationals time trial last year but he too is an all around athlete. Jack joined our team in 2010.

Larry Nolan, Team Specialized Manager

www.TeamSpecializedRacing.com
www.teamspecializedracing.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/TeamSpecializedRacing
Twitter.com/SpecializedNCCF


2010 podium finishes (through February 28, 2010)
- five Early Bird Criterium Training Races – mentoring new racers and controlling seasoned racers
- Cherry Pie Criterium – 8 pies! 1st, 2nd, 3rd Jr 17-18, 3rd Jr 13-14, 3rd category 3’s, 1st and 3rd M45, 2nd M35
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – time trial - 1st, 2nd 3rd Jr 17-18, 3rd Jr 15-16, 1st, 2nd, 3rd M30
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – road race - 1st, 2nd Jr 17-18, 2nd, 3rd Jr 15-16, 2nd M30
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – criterium – 1st, 3rd Jr 17-18, 1st and 3rd M30
- Valley of the Sun Stage Race – General Classification – 1st, 2nd, 3rd Jr 17-18, 2nd Jr 15-16, 1st and 3rd M30
- Berkeley Team Time Trial – 1st Category 3, 1st and 2nd M35
- Snelling Road Race – 1st Category 3, 1st M35
- Merced Criterium – 1st Jr 17-18