Friday, May 30, 2014

The Benefits of Track Racing


Besides the fun atmosphere and fast racing, the velodrome provides many benefits that translates to road racing. When looking at the 2014 Tour of California results, many of the pros that did well in the TT, GC, and sprint stages all come from a track background. The velodrome helps riders with their sprints through the speed of racing and the pursuit helps riders with pace for time trials and even road races when they are off the front. Developing speed and sprints on the track is key because it is translated directly to road races in the last few kilometers of a race. In this years Tour of California we witnessed 2x Madison world champion, Mark Cavendish win two stages. Mark Cavendish comes from a strong track background winning multiple national championships as a junior. In the pursuit, pacing is key for having a fast time. Riders have to find a good pace where they are going as fast as possible but still have to finish strong. Developing pace on the track is translated on the road in time trials, as seen by multiple world track world champion, Bradley Wiggins, winning the TT and eventually GC at the Tour of California. Former pursuit world champion, Taylor Phinney also displayed his pacing effort on stage 5 of the TOC winning solo and also at the USA time trial national championship winning by about 51 seconds. Track racing is fun and it has many benefits that helps racers on the road. 

-Matt Valencia 

Friday, May 23, 2014

Nationals- Approaching Quickly

           As Nationals is only a little over a month away everyone is making sure they're good and ready for the biggest races we will look forward to in our seasons. Being part of NCCF/ Team Specialized Juniors I understand how important these couple races in LA and Wisconsin are to myself and the whole team. We train all year, doing races and races and these are merely just practice racing for the real thing in early July. As a team we've rode strong all season and proven that we are major contenders to beat at this years Track and Road National Championships. I am proud to say I am part of a team that brings their A-game every time they pin on a number. Whether you're having a bad and you communicate with your teammate that you want to work for him, we always seem to have at least one rider contending for one of the podium slots. This year I say willing that our team has greatly developed, with better communication, great sacrifices, furthering the ability to push ourselves, and overall having a great time.

Overall I'm very excited for Nationals this year! I think everyone on our team will accomplish their goals and we'll have a great time.
Grant McElroy

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Keep Calm and Carry On

Every race you start, you should have a plan.  You should be able to envision how the race is likely to play out and what you can do to maximize your chances to win.  However, bike racing rarely goes to plan.  In the end, you need to stay calm, read the race, work with your teammates, and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Last week we raced the Berkeley Hills Road Race.  Baker, Buckley and I went up against several teams with larger numbers, so the plan was to be attentive with the breaks and wait until the final lap as attrition should dwindle the field.  However near the end of the second lap our field got mixed in with the field in front of us and a small group of riders from the main teams got away without representation of our team.

My first thought: 'damn, I missed it.  Now I have to go.'  So I got to the front.  I attack.  I pull.  It really doesn't get me anywhere.  As the field regrouped, Buckley and I checked in and worked our way near the front.  It was unlikely that the two of us would be able to pull back the break and still finish well, so the goal became creating an advantage for us.

On the back side of the course, Buckley was the first to go, lining the field out for about a km.  I was able to slot in about 10th wheel and as the paced slowed, I hit it.  With other teams busy reacting to my teammate, I was able to get away solo and work on bridging to the break up the road.

Fortunately I had the legs to make the catch and out climb the breakaway riders on the final hill.  But what made the day was how we worked together to turn a disadvantage into our advantage.

Carry on,

Jeromy






 
 
State Road Championships
 
 
       This years state road champs was definitely something to remember. I came into this 50 mile road race with a ton of confidence with the intension of winning or helping my teammate Jules win. Each lap being 25 miles each I knew going solo would be something very difficult, especially on this course. Every lap had a fair amount climbing in it, so I guess you can say it was a course for the climbers.  
 
        About 20 minutes into the race we finally reached the first of the few hills and as soon as the group settled into a rhythm, I attacked. Distancing my rivals I got about a minute gap until the cable to my shifting snapped off leaving me in the small ring for the remainder of the first lap. I was eventually caught by the field and trying to hang on the back spinning my brains out trying to keep up. As I started the climb to the finish I stopped on the side of the road and Mr. Castellano stuck a rock in my derailleur so that I can get into my big ring.
 
         I eventually got back into the group and as soon as we started to ascend on the second lap, I attacked with anger because I don't find it cool to attack someone when having a mechanical and I was definitely going to finish what I started. I quickly opened up a 3 minute gap and it continued to grow from there. As I approached the finish I took a quick look back and I was finally able to relax. I sat down on the hot pavement totally exhausted waiting to see how my teammate Jules would finish and he came away with an excellent 3rd place. I must say Jules helped me a lot in this victory by pushing the pace on the steep grades. Jules and I celebrated with another win for the team.
 
             
                                 See you next time, Sean


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Growing

In the last year or so I have grown about a half a foot. Let me tell you, body size makes a big difference for cycling. For one, it means a new, larger size of all equipment. I have gone from a 49 to a 52 frame size bike and my regular shoe size went from a mens 7 to 9. I've put on roughly 20 pounds since last season and at first it really affected my climbing. But, as I've started to fill out my new body size, I've noticed an increase in something I've barely ever had. Power. I can push bigger gears up climbs and sustain hard efforts for longer. I never knew how much power mattered in climbing because I had mostly been good at it due to my small body. But now as I am growing and my weight has been increasing, power is the only thing keeping me with the leaders on the climb. I've been doing a lot of velodrome and criterium racing this month so when I started climbing again a few days ago, I didn't expect to be fast at all. Well, thanks to the power I've received from the velodrome, hard criterium racing, and my growth, I actually climbed like a beast. Of course to get better at climbing, you have to climb; but, training my power really helped my ability to do so. Growing can be a bit of a burden with all the new things that follow it, but with cycling it means more power. That is why I am so glad to be finally growing and hope that my power never stops growing as well!

To the benefits of growth!
- Jules

Friday, May 9, 2014

Definition : Blocking

What follows is a rant.  I'm expressing my opinions here so that you'll have a chance to express your opinion too.  When I express my opinion in a race there's not always time to hear the other side of the story.  These are my opinions and not those of Team Specialized, NCCF or any of our sponsors, although I know that they would agree with the topic at hand.  We are seeing way too much of this lately.

Get out of my way!  That's right.  If there is a break up the road, I have missed the move -and- I want to chase it back, DO NOT get in front of me unless you are helping to chase!  Racers move to the front for safety and tactical reasons and we understand that, but DO NOT move to the front to BLOCK.  Blocking the progress of the race is unnecessary and unbecoming of your sponsors.

The Team Specialized Juniors know that its important to race forward, not impede the progress of the chase!  All nine juniors dream of racing in Europe with the USA National Team.  When in Europe (as many graduates and current riders have experienced) the races go FORWARD.  There is no blocking! 

Two quick examples:
1) you have no teammates up the road in a breakaway.  It may stay away.  It may get caught.  You will either gamble that the break will come back and let the speed of the pack bring it back, or you will hit the "panic button", serve your penitence and need to chase.  When you chase with others that have a vested interest in chasing we do not want riders BLOCKING our progress.  Get out of the way and let us chase!
2) you lucked out and your teammate is up the road in a breakaway.  It may stay away, it may get caught.  Your "job" as a teammate is to be attentive to those trying to get across to the break.  Your position in the field should be no further forward than behind the chasing riders/ teams.  You DO NOT hit the front of the field and slam on the brakes going into a corner.  When you do this we will yell out opinions of your foolish racing tactics.  Get out of the way and DO NOT BLOCK!

Larry Nolan, 27 years racing, and quite opinionated about the subject of BLOCKING!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Ugly face

photo credit Katie Truong, Team Fremont

I have an ugly face and I wear it proudly... when I race.  Which is to say that I'm not trying to scare people away when I'm not racing.  In fact, I've been told that I have a nice smile.  But, the smile goes away when I get to the point in a race when I suffer. 

As the director of the Team Specialized Juniors I have an important role in helping these young men.  That might include listening to their performance goals for any given event, or advising them on the nuances of a certain course or how that race might play out, or it could be fetching a bike from the top of the van.  Whatever it takes, right?

Wyatt and I had a discussion a few months ago, but first let me give you the race setting: Wyatt and I raced with masters teammates at the 2008 Brisbane Circuit Race.  Wyatt's wife and two young boys were at the race hugging the fence as we approached the finish, me sprinting to 3rd after teammate Dylan Casey had won the race over Chris Phipps.  I didn't know it at the time but my loud huffing and puffing combined with my ugly face had scared the young boys.  Fast forward to Wyatt and my coaching discussion... how do you bring that level of effort out of a junior?  Can you teach them to go so deep that they don't care what the spectators say about their huffing and puffing or their ugly (er, race) face?  I'm old, I'm married and I'm not pretty so I really don't care what people say about my ugly face, but what about a teenager?  what would a parent say if they saw their junior cyclist turn themselves inside out in pain?  What would their friends say?

Well, I'm happy to report that I've seen a few efforts that have amazed me.  I've heard a few good stories too, and then there's this one:  http://teamspecializedracing.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-limits.html

How badly do you want to reach your goals?

Thanks for supporting our team!  Larry Nolan