On the road to Recovery

The past 3 weeks I have been sick to some extent and has put me off the bike most of the time. Thank god for doctors! I don't what i would do with out them. My temperature was ranging from 94F to 103F and would change in a matter of minutes. Not only did my temperature change but my throat, head, stomach would all be constantly pounding my immune system to the ground. Three weeks after being sick, I'm finally back on the bike and riding on a daily basis. I lost quite a lot of muscle and it will be a process to get back up to speed.

Meanwhile, I tried to race at VOS 2 weeks ago in sunny Arizona and didn't go to plan but it's all a learning experience and we definitely learned our lesson and we are all eager to get our next shot at SDSR in LA in a couple weeks. I was scheduled to race at Snelling RR in the pro/1/2 field this past Saturday but when the weather called for possible snow and frigid temperatures during the afternoon, I knew it wouldn't be the best idea to try to race in February when I'm on medications and still technically sick. My teammates David Benkoski and Kevin Metcalfe participated at the frozen tundra and didn't come up with the results they were looking for but I'm sure they are all excited and pumped for Merco Stage Race that is coming up next weekend!

I'm currently on the road to recovery and trying to get back to where I should be soon. Even though I am sick and stuck inside a lot, it gives me a lot more motivation to go ride more, which is why I can't wait to really get back on the bike and be healthy again.

Team Specialized Racing was also at Calville Stage Race just outside of Las Vegas this past weekend. They fielded Jrs in the cat 3's, 2's, and Jrs races and did an awesome job! Kyle Torres was in the leaders jersey for a day in the cat 3's race, Jack, Matt, and Diego worked very well together in the Jrs race, and to top it all off Marcus, Willy, and Jeff were able to get multiple top 5 finishes in the category 2's race throughout the stage race! Congrats to all of them!

Team Specialized Racing will be fielding at Merco Stage Race starting Thursday for the pro/1/2 guys (including  Fast Freddy!!). We will also be having some Jrs in the category 3's race and masters in the masters race I believe. Should  be a strong weekend of racing with some Tour of CA teams coming to participate in the pro/1/2 field. Looking forward to another great weekend for the team!

Thank you for reading.

My favorite ride

After racing in 70-80 degree weather at the VOS stage race in Arizona with my teammates. I was surprised to come back to Napa, Ca to a weather forecast with a high of low to mid 50's and continuous rain for near to a week. For most people they would ride in rain, snow, flood or drought. I would prefer to ride on the rollers, and do intervals. So, that is what I have been doing most of last week.

Until, I looked on The Weather Channel and found out that there was going to be about 4 days of no rain. I leaped out of my seat with excitement. Then mid Leap I realized that I needed to choose a loop to ride. I sat back down and suddenly remembered the loop that my dad took me on over a month ago. At that moment I realized that I was craving to ride on the loop again. This ride consisted of a flat start on Silverado trail for just over 25km. Then I would turn on to Sage Canyon Rd, which would take me about 20km up hill to Capell Valley Rd. Capell would stay flat with few rolling hills for 10km. Until, I meet up with Monticello Rd which last for about 18km, and goes to the top of Mount George. Once I would get to the top I would descend the west side of Mount George into the north east corner of Napa. In the end I will end up with about 80km of riding, and around 1,000m of climbing. After having road the loop twice I can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorite rides.

Valley of the Sun

Valley of the Sun was the first major race for the team this year and it was also a great time to get to know some of the new riders and practice working together as a team. I raced in the Cat 2 field along with David Benkoski, Dean Haas, Willy Zelmer, and Jeff Perrin.

The stage race started off with a 14 mile TT in the desert. I received some good tips from a few of the masters who raced earlier in the day about what kind of conditions to expect out on course. I hopped on my trainer and began my warm up and also get myself mentally prepared for the half hour I was going to spend in the pain cave. After about 15 minutes, it was time to roll on over to the start house. Not the best warm up I've done but it will do. I was a bit nervous in the start house since it was the first TT of the year and I didn't quite know what my body's limits were and how hard I could push myself. The last TT I did before this was at l'Abitibi back in July. 3...2...1...go and I was out on course. I rode conservatively because I didn't want to blow my engine in the beginning of the race. The first half of the course was very difficult. The road is a false flat almost all the way to the turn around and to make it even harder, there was a nasty headwind which isn't the greatest for a skinny guy like me. I kept looking down at my Garmin, checking the speed and how many kilometers I had left. I caught two people by the time I made it to the turnaround and when I made the u-turn, I couldn't even see the riders who started behind me. Coming back, I finally got into a solid rhythm and got myself into a very aero position. I remembered all the times Chris Lyman has told me to tuck my head down low kind of like a turtle in its shell. I kept my eyes focused on the white line painted down the road and began to pass more guys as if they were standing still. Coming into the last 2 km, I gave every last ounce of energy I had in me to get to the finish line as quick as possible. I crossed the line and my legs shut down. My time was 31:43, exactly a minute faster than my time from last year. I was very pleased with the result and it put me in 10th.

The next day we headed out to the venue for the road race which could be a set for a wild west film, middle of the desert with cactus and mesas surrounding the area. The wind was picking up as we got our bikes ready and put our kits on. We were racing 90 miles in the bright, Arizona sun. The first lap was relatively slow with a couple of attacks but none of them ever got too far up the road. On lap two as we headed up the climb, some guys to the right of me were getting a bit aggressive trying to fight for a wheel and ended up causing a big pileup which Jeff was involved in. The crash split the field up and I was in a group of about 30 with David and Willy. David and I, along with many other riders from other teams went to the front to drive the pace. For about 10 minutes, we all took turns at the front trying to bring the tiny peloton to the finish without anyone rejoining the pack but other teams lost motivation and the pace dropped and riders caught up in the crash were now back together with us. On lap three, another crash occurred in the same spot as the previous lap. This time someone slammed into my rear wheel pretty hard which knocked my brake out of alignment. I hopped off my bike, fixed it, and chased back on with David, who was involved in the pileup. Fortunately for us, a semi truck passed us while we were chasing back on so we were able to get a little draft back to the pack and the race official was okay with it. Next time up the climb, David bridged solo up to a breakaway. Instead of focusing on my spot on GC, I immediately began to do what I needed to do to make sure the breakaway stayed away to give David a shot at the "W". I covered attacks and disrupted teams chasing at the front until I knew the break had a big enough gap. With half a lap to go, I rolled off the front in an attempt to finish ahead of the pack which contained many guys that were high on GC. A few kilometers later, the pack caught up with me and the leader's jersey was at the front with a few others trying to bring back as many seconds as they could to the break. Since I knew David was far enough up the road and was never going to get caught by the peloton, I went to the front to pull back as many seconds to help with my GC standing. The breakaway survived and David managed to get an impressive 3rd place, even after crashing. I rolled across the line with the pack and dropped to 13th on GC which isn't too bad. I also got the my first tanlines of the year. Yes they are pretty bad!

The final day was the criterium. Our race was only 45 minutes on a somewhat technical course. I rode in the pack and stayed out of trouble. There was no need for me to be fighting at the front and bumping elbows with the big sprinters. I knew that all I had to do was cross the finish line in the pack to keep my 13th place on GC. The bell on the final lap was a great thing to hear and then we all crossed the finish line. Stayed safe and finished 13th overall! I also got the first few upgrade points to put in the piggy bank.

It was a great weekend of racing and spending time with the team. I am sure we all learned things in our races and we will be ready for the upcoming ones! I also want to thank Kyle Torres and Diego Binatena's parents for hauling the RV's all the way to the races. It was great being able to relax before the start of stages in the RV and make lunch afterwards. Made us feel like ProTour riders!

Valley of the Sun Stage Race

My name is Dean Haas from Lakewood, CO and I am new to the team for 2011.  I traveled with Team Specialized to the Valley of the Sun Stage Race in Arizona.  I raced in the Cat 2 men's field with my team mates Jeff Perrin, Willy Zillmer, Torey Philipp and David Benkoski.

Stage One was the TT and this race basically determines the GC for the race.  The course is a 14 mile flat out and back and is fast.  I didn't get the best warmup and along with being from Colorado where racing doesn't start until April, my time wasn't that fast.  I did a 34:04 which put me in 48th in GC out of 85.  Torey was down by about a minute with a 10th place finish, Willy was 40th, Jeff was around 60th and David got a flat tire.

Stage Two wasn't great for me either.  The course is about a 16 mile loop where we did 90 miles in the cat 2 race.  I put my race wheels and went through my whole pre race routine and to my misfortune, I had a mechanical problem at the very start of the race.  My derailleur was malfunctioning and was actually broken and would not shift in any cog lower than my 19 tooth.  I ended up getting dropped about 7 miles into the race and dropped down to near last in the GC.  David however, was 3rd on the stage and had bridged a gap after crashing lap three.  Torey finished with the gruppeto and Willy was not far behind.  Jeff went down in a crash on lap two.

Stage Three was a great turning point for me, we raced the shortened 45 minute criterium in Downtown Phoenix.  The course was kilometer long technical course with many turns and I had a lot of fun.  We were down to four riders after Jeff's crash the day before.  I went off the front a few times including on three laps to go which I thought might stick but didn't.  I even won a $25 prime and I was chopped in the last corner but I still managed a 10th place in the final sprint.

I had a lot of fun riding and racing out in the sun with my team mates, regardless of my fitness level.  I want to say thank you to everyone who made this such a fun experience, including the new equipment I received from Specialized!  I can't for the next trip to San Dimas in March!

On the Road to Valley of the Sun...

My name is Diego Binatena. I’m 14 years old and a new addition to Team Specialized Racing Juniors. With Valley of the Sun coming up this weekend, the team’s first big stage race, I was anxious to test my fitness this past weekend at So Cal’s Boulevard Road Race, a very demanding 44 mile road race.


Boulevard Road Race
I rolled up to the start line in my Team Specialized Racing kit for the first time. As all 100 Cat 4 racers arrived, a rider moved over to me and said, “Hey kid, where did you get that kit?” I said, “I’m on the Junior Team.” He gave me the thumbs up and wished me a good season. This kit is so pro!


Lap One – Look Good, Feel Good…
The race started with a short climb and was followed by a bombing descent that covered about 7 miles. I didn’t have any problems staying in the front on the descent. There were no attacks at all, as all riders knew what was coming up in miles 10 through 21.
The race really took off at mile 10 with a 3 – 6+% climb. At around mile 12, the 100 member peloton split and at least 30 riders dropped off the back. The pace up the remaining 5 miles spit out twenty or more of the field. I was still in good form at mile 21 and waved to my parents as I completed the first lap in 4th position.


Lap Two – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly…
After the short pitch climb we had the bombing 7 mile descent again. I felt so good that I thought maybe I should have skipped the 4’s race and gone straight to the Pro1-2 race. However, as we started the final gruesome 4 mile climb to the finish, the engine room notified me that we were losing power. I couldn’t maintain the pace and began to drop off with about 10 other racers. Now, it was every man (and one Jr.) for himself as we struggled to the finish.
I crossed the finish line in 28th place. The race was 42.11 miles long with 3,928 feet of climbing. This wasn’t the finish I wanted, but considering I was laid up for 10 days sick with the flu, I finished ok.


Red Trolley Crit
The next day was the Red Trolley Crit in San Diego. Great So Cal weather and the Cat 4 field maxed out again at 100 racers. This was a short, .6 mile fast course with a swooping climb out of the fourth corner. The last lap of the race was scary fast with bumping and banging. I lost some spots coming out of the last turn but managed to sprint for 9th place. Again, not what I wanted, but decent given this is only February and I’ve got a long season ahead of me.

All in all it was a good weekend of racing. Next up, “Valley of the Sun Stage Race” in Phoenix, AZ, where I get to spend 3 days and race with the best team in USA- Team Specialized Racing Juniors!

Content with Disappointment

Ah....the 2011 racing season is official upon us!

Cherry Pie crit is the official season opener here on the NorCal racing scene. With all my bottled up excitement that had been accumulating over the off season during the long base miles (see here if confused: http://teamspecializedracing.b

logspot.com/2011/02/more-then-just-miles.html), I was ready to unleash some of it in the Pro/1/2 race. Knowing Freddie Rodriguez would again be there to guide us throughout the race and set up a perfect lead out, I knew I had an outside shot at victory. With that in mind, Larry Nolan, our team director, gave me the nod to miss out on the very early and short junior race earlier that morning in order to arrive fresh at the starting line of the latter race.

All started off in a rather cordial fashion. The usual early, unplanned moves getting reeled back, the occasional "hey, watch it!" and the ever so common, rather rough, elbow bumping up the hill, that occasionally can turn into colorful expletives. The usual testosterone filled crit racing. I knew either a breakaway with me in it, or a well planned field sprint with the help of Freddie Rodriguez would suite my style and abilities of racing. During the first half of the race, I covered a couple moves that looked somewhat serious along with the help of fellow teammates Marcus Smith and James Laberge and Larry Nolan. A few times, a half dozen of racers would get a gap of a few seconds, but no worry was needed. The moves where always brought back by acceleration from the field, usually brought on by either Rand Miller (Webcor/Alto Velo), Mike Sayers (former professional on BMC) and Logan Loader.

With approximately 3 laps to go, I knew the race would result in a field sprint. All I needed to do was coordinate with Fast Freddie how it would play out between us. He stated as long as I remained on his wheel, I would be up there. With two laps to go, everyone was fighting to steal Freddie's wheel from me, but no, it was mine, and I did not learn my childhood lesson, I never share! Coming through the start/finish on the last lap, Kirk Carlsen (Garmin/Cervelo) put in a huge pull at the front to help Freddie lead me out. Carlsen pulled a majority of the lap ( I guess being in the ProTour makes you strong...) Coming through the last real turn on the course, Mike Sayers hit it, coming around, Freddie, Carlsen and I, with Logan Loader on his wheel. Freddie and I jumped on their acceleration out of the turn, but when they hit the gas and went 60+kph, I was suffering. As we went through the chicane with about 300m to go, Sayers was fading, there was a small lull, but as we hit the base of the small hill with about 200, to go, Logan launched his sprint with Freddie on his wheel and mine on his. As Sayers started drifting back, I found myself boxed in for a few seconds, enough time for Sam Bassetti to come around me, as I was finally able to launch my sprint, it was to late to make up to loss and I had to settle for 4th place...

Not a bad result one might say, but not what I was looking for. Freddie Rodriguez did get second place, (...and I quote, roughly... " I could have won if the sprint had started off faster, I can't sprint at those speeds, it was like a track sprint"...again, somehow having been or being in the ProTour just makes you fast I guess...) As you can easily tell, again, having Freddie on the team to guide us through the sprints and teaching us how to fluidly stay in the front but out of the wind is priceless information that can really make the difference in the end.

Cherry Pie 2011

This years Cherry Pie race was hot and windy, which I appreciated because the past three years the weather was always cold and wet. The Juniors race started in the morning and there were seven Team Specialized Juniors that lined up with the field. On the first lap Jack Maddux crashed, which took him out of the race. Later teammate Andrew Lanier got into a break with one of the All-Sport rider and they stayed away for a long time. In the field, we were answering all of the attacks and controlled the front. On the last lap, Andrew and the All-Sport rider still had a slight lead, but at the back side of the course, the pace was fast and we were closing in on Andrew and the other rider. We finally caught them at the chicane and it became a field sprint to the finish line. James LaBerge had to close a gap which got him 2nd in the 17-18's. I stayed behind Marcus Smith and went around him to come in 4th overall and a win in the 15-16 category. We learned a lot riding as a team and also won some cherry pie!

Thank you Clif Bar for providing the fuel to help me win and Specialized for the cool glasses and shoes!

-Matt Valencia

More then just miles...

A few thoughts come to mind when one thinks of the “off season” in cycling. One can look forward to taking anywhere between one week to one month off the bike to both physically and mentally rejuvenate, and start the following year as fresh as possible. Others might just look forward to regaining weekends to spend time with friends, family, and if you are a junior bike racer, having an opportunity to pretend you are a normal adolescent for a few months. Personally, when the thought of the off season comes to my mind, long, treacherous, cold, slow miles are what I think of. To some cyclists, this might seem like necessary dirty work that needs to be completed in order to reach the finishing line first in when it counts, but to me, it’s more than just miles.

As I got back on my bike after taking what seemed to be the longest two weeks off the bike, I began slowly revamping the training and piling on the base miles. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to talk to a great number of professionals and top level amateur cyclists. To my surprise many of them had expressed their dislike in training. It seems not all, but some seemed to view training as a requirement that needs to be fulfilled in order arrive at the starting line of a race fit. In my point of view, training can sometimes be a drag. (Usually when it is extremely cold or rainy…but considering we live in beautiful California it is usually not the case…knock on carbon…). This all led me to an epiphany; training time is reflection time, reflection on not just my day or my week, but also racing in general. These long arduous miles are a fantastic time to reflect on the previous season, reminisce on great times, re-live the sorrow of the close calls, remember the pain of the crashes, but most importantly, it is a great time to psychologically prepare yourself for the upcoming season. My thoughts tend to digress during 4+ hour rides, and spend a majority of the time getting mentally prepared for what awaits me, and in this case, it was the 2011 racing season, possibly what will be my toughest, most crucial season of my so far short racing career. I usually think of dream scenarios that would play out in order for me to win races I’ve always wanted to stand atop the podium of.

All in all, most of the preparation for racing is done during the base miles, whether it be the headwinds, climbs and just general tough times you suffer through, or the amount of hours you spend mostly by yourself, left alone to reflect on what the upcoming season will be like, and the toughness you will have to endure to persevere to a higher level. Something we all aspire to…