Cascade Cycling Classic Wrap-up

Cascade Cycling Classic Wrap-up

After visiting Bend, Oregon the last two years for Master's Road Nationals, I have been looking forward to racing Cascade.  This year the schedule worked out and I was able to make the trip.  Since it was only Craig and I making the trip (plus Jason who was guest riding for Bear Development), we decided to jump in the 2s race instead of the Masters race.  I was looking for upgrade points and the 2s stage race was spread over 4 days instead of the 3 days for the Master's race.

Stage 1: Crooked River Time Trial

This TT was on the same course at the Master's National TT for the last two years, just a shorter distance.  This was great for me as I knew the course well.  Looking at my previous files, I set a goal time of 33 minutes, based on times for the previous year and what I thought I could do this year.  The course is mostly rollers, so I broke the course down into 2 mile blocks (for 8 splits total).

There was a slight tailwind out and head wind back, so I was a little ahead of my splits on the way out, catching my 30 man.  At the turnaround, however, I was struggling a little in the wind.  After 2 slow splits, I started to get back on top of my gears.  I also started picking off a few more riders, helping with my motivation.  Coming into the final few kilometers, I knew that I was a little behind my goal time, but emptied what I had left in the legs.  Across the line I had the best time so far, but I was early in the start list and had to wait through some 80 more riders.

In the end, my time was good enough for 3rd, 4 seconds off the leader.  I was super stoked, despite missing my goal time, sitting in a perfect GC position.

Lesson 1: Know the course (and use it to your advantage).


Stage 2: Cascade Lakes Road Race

This year they decided to run the road race in the opposite direction compared to previous years.  This made for a 96 mile road race with a 10 mile grind of a hill to the finish.  I have been in a few larger stage races, but this was the first time in a field of 110 riders with the centerline enforced.  This was especially important in the first 20 miles, which included a high speed descent down from the Mt. Bachelor ski resort.

Early, a small group got away and got a bit of a gap.  The GC leader did not have any teammates, so there was no real control in the peloton.  Instead there a few minor attacks and some moderate tempo in between.  About 25 miles into the race, the moto that was leading the peloton turned the wrong way!  As a result, SO DID THE PELOTON!  A few riders that were on the right of the road continued on the correct course, while the rest of us had to stop and turn around.

Since it was an official error, the moto neutralized both the lead break and the impromptu break that had formed and reset the original gap.  With racing back on, we slowly reeled in the lead break before the first feed zone.  Again a few attacks went of, but nothing of note really happened.

Passing the second feed zone and starting our way back towards the finish, Craig appeared at the front to start driving the pace.  After a long stretch of rollers and a mild climb, we were fairly strung out and rolled through the final feed zone at the base of the climb.  The final climb is a long big-ring climb.  There were a few attacks again, but nothing stuck and basically came down to attrition.  At this point I knew the GC leader was struggling, but I was not sure where the 2nd place guy was.  I was able to follow wheels as the Bear Development riders were pushing the pace.

We finally made the summit as a group of maybe 30 riders.  Unfortunately I expected the finish to be at the main ski lodge (where the National finish had been), so the real finish came up before I was ready.  I was able to dig and stay with the lead group, but was out of position to get a high placing (and any time bonuses).  After rolling over the line, I took stock of the riders to find that both the GC leader and the 2nd place rider had been dropped from the lead group, putting me in yellow. 

Lesson 2: Know the course (so you know where to go).


Stage 3: Downtown Twilight Criterium

The crit was in the afternoon, so I spent the morning pre-riding the final road race course.  Once at the crit, I got set-up and put in a good warm-up.  With the yellow jersey, I got a call-up to the front of the pack, which was essential for this 4 corner crit.  I was able to patrol the front fairly easily as minor attacks would go, but nothing dangerous ever materialized.  In the final lap, I was actually leading the peloton down the backstretch.  Into corner three a rider took a flier with no one else reacting.  I was slow to react, but still went through the corner at the front of the group.  Sprinting out of turn four, I did my best to power to the line, but was passed by two other riders.  Finishing 4th, I missed out on the time bonuses again, but still maintained my lead.

Lesson 3: Riding a crit in the middle of a hilly stage race is pretty easy (since there were no real sprinters).


Stage 4: Awbrey Bette Road Race

The final stage was four laps around a hilly 16 mile circuit, culminating in a 1K hill climb.  After pre-riding the course the day before, I knew where the danger areas were (where breaks could go, when I needed to move up, and where the decisive climbs were).  Craig did a great job patrolling the front and keeping the pace up for the first three laps.  I took one flier in the middle of lap two to bridge up to a small break, but everything came back together quickly.  The rest of the lap was spent staying near the front, suffering up the main climbs and marking the few riders within striking distance.

On the last loop, the team of the 2nd place rider (13 sec back) came to the front and drove the pace towards the final hill.  While it was nice to have someone take control of the front of the race, I knew that the last time up the main climb would be decisive.  Predictably, the 2nd place rider hit the climb hard and I did all I could to follow his wheel.  Cresting the main kicker, followed by several smaller kickers we were down to maybe 15 riders, but most importantly we were still together.

There was a short descent down to a left turn for the final 1K.  I did my best to recover and stay near the front of the group as the pace started to quicken.  Setting up for the left hand turn in the middle of the group, riders on the right side of the group went straight!  Meanwhile guys on the left side riders were jockeying for position and went down!  Fortunately I made it through and pedaled squares up the hill trying to hold position.  I knew that I had the second and third placed riders behind me, so I just kept pushing.  I ended up 10th on the stage, good enough to clinch the leaders jersey.

Lesson 4: Know the course!


Big thanks to Craig for all of the effort he put out to get me into yellow and stay there.  It also payed off to have friends in the peloton as a number of NorCal riders were up racing and would pitch in here and there.  Lastly, thanks to all of our sponsors (for both the Masters and Junior teams), including NCCF, Touchstone Climbing, Specialized, Clif Bar, and Zipp/SRAM.

Cheers,
Jeromy




 

An unforgettable ride

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end” (Ernest Hemingway). In 2007 at the age of 11 my cycling journey began thanks to my dad. I remember my first ride with him riding down Foothill Expressway and falling because I didn’t know how to clip out of the pedals. From there I was determined to get better. I soon started riding at the track and quickly fell in love with everything about the sport. At the age of 14, I was invited to join Team Specialized, which furthered my journey. I will be forever thankful of the opportunities this team has provided for me.

Last week I completed my last Junior National Championship. I first started at Track Nationals in Carson, California at the Stub Hub Center. I competed in the International Omnium, 3k Pursuit, Kilometer Time Trial, Points Race, Scratch Race, and Team Pursuit. Winning the omnium when I was 14 and 16, I targeted the omnium again this year. The omnium started extremely well, winning the flying lap and setting a new Jr. National record. On the third event, the Elimination Race, I unfortunately crashed twice. This put me down on the overall omnium and at the end I finished 6^th. I had to learn how to quickly move on from disappointment. My next two events were the Points Race and Scratch Race where I finished 3^rd and 6^th respectively. Track Nationals ended with another national title. This time it was in the Team Pursuit. Thank you Ken Carpenter for your guidance and support, not only at Track Nationals this year but throughout my junior career on Team Specialized! I will always be grateful.

Straight from Track Nationals, I flew to Madison, Wisconsin with the team for Road Nationals. Some of my greatest memories with the team have been at Road Nationals and this year was no different. Along with the fun times, the team displayed great teamwork all week long. The 17-18’s teamwork approach got put to the test in the criterium because we all felt we could either win in a field sprint or a breakaway. The first half of the race went as planned, my teammates followed attacks and we were all attentive at the front staying safe and away from crashes. Teammate Nielson Powless then got into a breakaway of 6 for about 20 minutes before a crash ruined it. After the long breakaway got pulled into the pack, Noah Granigan and Jake Silverberg countered and stayed away till the finish. Teammate Sean Bennett then made a move with one other rider with 5 laps to go to bridge to the breakaway but came within a few seconds short and finished 4^th.  Back in the field, Nick Castellano was looking after me and leading me out for the field sprint. With 2 laps to go, Nick and I were towards the front. I was giving him directions because I didn’t want to lose his wheel on the last lap. Coming into 1 to go, Nick and I didn’t panic instead we decided to be patient. I didn’t want him to run out of gas and I also wanted him to be attentive in case we were going to get swarmed by the field. Coming into turn 3 on the last lap, Nick hit the front at about 33mph and led me out to win the field sprint for 5^th place. Although we didn’t win the race, Team Specialized displayed great teamwork, sacrificing each rider’s own goals for the good of the team.   

As my junior cycling journey ends, I would like to take this opportunity to thank NCCF for their endless amount of support they have provided for the team every single year. Without their help, the success of this team would not have been possible. Thank you to Larry Nolan for being a great mentor to me on and off the bike. The memories we created each year will definitely never be forgotten.  I would also like to thank my coach, Billy Innes, for helping me achieve many successful seasons. To my teammates, thank you for pushing me to be a better leader, rider, and person.  Wherever the road may take you, I wish each of you success. And last but not the least; I want to thank my parents. Thank you for always telling me what I'm capable of, for giving me the support that I needed to build a dream to chase after, and for believing that I have the talent to reach my goals.  Without each of you, I'd be nowhere near the person I am - and the person I'm still working on becoming.

Next for me is to finish the season out strong and then off to college where I will be studying at the University of Hawaii!

-Matt Valencia  

Thank You

As my summer adventures begin tonight with my travels to Nationals, it's important that I don't forget the people who have truly supported me throughout my cycling career so far. If it wasn't for my parents, I would have never been taught correctly of how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle and because of that would have never got involved with riding a bike. If it wasn't for my local cycling community, I would have never had a variety of people to ride with and keep my motivations high. If it wasn't for Team NCCF/ Specialized Racing and Larry Nolan's direction, I would have never been able to experience what it is like to be a part of a national and world class team. If it wasn't for my Coach Mike McKovich, I would never been able to improve on the smallest problems that would help me in the long run. And without my friends and family, I would not be surrounded with continued support and encouragement off the bike when I'm not in the cycling world. So thank you to all who have helped me achieve my goals so far and have continued to support me!

Ride hard,

Nick Castellano

The Long View

Reflecting on my past two weekends of racing at Pescadero and Nevada City it has become evident that, despite the amount of time I have spent riding and racing, my cycling career is just beginning. I enjoyed seeing the benefits of my hard work and dedication leading in to nationals (only three weeks away now) at both races.

            For those who aren’t familiar with either of these NorCal hallmark races Pescadero is a 103 mile, hilly, and often relatively windy road race through the coastal roads of Pescadero and La Honda; Nevada City is a 54-year-old classic that consists of 90 minutes (roughly 30 laps) around a 1.1 mile circuit split between half a lap of tough climbing and the other half of high-speed descending into two off-camber, left hand corners. These are two of my favorite courses all year, and the Pescadero loop also serves as one of my standard long ride routes.

            Pescadero was my second ever 100+ mile ride and first 100+ mile race, and a true test of my endurance. The race was highly attended with Mike’s Bikes, Marc Pro Strava, CalGiant and Vumedi all sending full squads, and local pro Ben Jacques-Maynes hot off of the Amgen Tour of California. Long story short, the race was one of attrition and I came into the final ascent up Haskins Hill well fueled and hydrated, and in good position for a top-ten finish. However, my legs quickly decided that they had done enough for the day and the metaphorical wheels came off about half a kilometer into the climb. In survival mode I pulled every last bit of energy and power out of my legs as riders, seemingly, “sauntered” past me. While I may not have achieved my desired result on the day, I recognize how far I have come in the past few years, and that the endurance to be competitive in 100+ mile road races comes with years and years of riding. Pescadero served as a great endurance overload coming into nationals.

            Nevada City also reinforced the fact that I have plenty more racing in my career and that there is always the next race. Added to my normal race plan was the fact that Neilson would be racing with me in his first P1/2 race. It was a treat to have a teammate in a local race. About halfway through the race, after feeling really good and being aggressive at the front of the race, I was forced into the hay bale on the outside of turn two when the rider in front of me, and slightly to my left, slid out. Luckily, I was able to scrub off most of my speed (the corner is normally taken at or in excess of 30 mph), and escape with all of my skin and no broken bike bits. After getting out of the hay bale, and get myself reoriented the field was about 40 seconds ahead of me. With adrenaline flowing I flew, charging up the climb in pursuit. Unfortunately when I got to roughly 15 seconds adrift of the field riders attacked and I was unable to regain contact. I finished the race, resenting what could have been, but aware that I will go back next year with a vengeance. I am grateful to have come out unscathed, and send my best wishes to Tim Aiken who broke his collarbone.

            Now it is on to Nationals as I put the final touches on my form.

Jason S.

The Junior's Biggest Sponsor

Recently I have been noticing at bike races that a lot of the junior athletes I compete with have been getting into conflicts quite often with their parents. I'm not trying to call just one person out because there are many riders who are in the scenario. Everyone has been in this situation at one point or another in their life. Maybe it's something they said or something they are making us do, it could be almost anything. I know I am not always in agreement with the things they want me to do. What I'm trying to say is even though they might not always be there for our enjoyment, they are always trying to do what's best for us. Because of all of their hard work they put in, I think we as juniors should show a little bit more respect and thankfulness toward them. After all, they are the ones that bought your first bikes, took you to bike races and paid race entry fees, and so much more. Even before you could love them back they loved you. I'm not saying that you always have to be best friends with your parents, but a little respect and thankfulness goes a long way. Next time your mom or dad says or does something you are not in favor of, think about how much they really do for you.

Thank You Mom and Dad!

The Benefit of Teammates/Iron Horse

The biggest race in Durango each year is the Iron Horse. There are events all weekend and many locals come out to watch. The road race is normally 50 miles with 2 mountain passes with a peak elevation of 10,000 feet. This year the passes were snowed out unfortunately and the race was cut in half. I was lucky to have Gage join me this year and we were excited to see what we could do in the pro field. For the first time the race wasn't sanctioned by USAC. There were two options to compete in the road race, the 2,000 people citizen's tour or the 200 person road race. Many people who signed up for the road race didn't necessarily belong in the same field as the fastest riders. For this reason Gage and I were sure to be on the front row of the 200 person field. The pace wasn't very fast throughout the first 10 miles on the flat. However as soon as we hit the climb with 13 miles to go it completely broke apart. Gage and I went up the road with 4 others, including two local legends Todd Wells and Ned Overend. After the first 10 minute climb I started feeling badly. I didn't have the best few days leading up to the race and I ended up throwing up. I dropped back and threw up about 3 more times. It wasn't very fun, as you could guess. Gage was able to stay with the lead group and fight for a very solid 3rd place. I ended up 7th.

I was upset that I felt badly, especially during a local race when I had a chance to stay with the leaders. However having a teammate end up with a great result made the bad day much better. I learned last weekend that road racing truly is a team sport and I was happy to have Gage there. We've had many similar races this year as a team. Sea Otter was a dominate performance for us and everyone helped each other in benefit of the team. I'm glad to be apart of this team and I'm looking forward to more great results.

-Christopher

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