john schmidt
Wow there was some cool racing. I didn't race but got to watch some of
the races...
I too think this course is a great balance. There is a enough flats
that this race really is a test of paceline, drafting and teamwork
skills. When I say Teamwork, I don't necessarily mean those on the same
club. To certain point (like say until the "sprint") everyone is your
team-mate (this is what makes cycling so fun). In my opinion, the climb
to a large extent was test of how smart everyone was. Are you going to
go it alone on the flats after the climb? or are you going be aware of
who's in front of you, whos behind you, slow up get a little group
together and start chasing (the sooner you do this the better). It
doesn't make much sense to have say 5 people (or even 2) spread out
spaced 100 yards apart going 20 mph when you could regroup and be doing
25-30 mph. Even having someone just sitting on your wheel is better
than nothing (yes aerodynamically it helps..) and they might recover and
start feeling better anyway in a couple miles... Got a strong climber
or two way off the front? With a group of 5-10 or more doing a proper
echelon, you CAN catch them (but the paceline has to be smooth and you
have to all work and do what you can... And when you start getting
close, let those climbers cook a while.. maybe just maybe they will be
toasted by the climb ? (or of course they may just let up and rejoin
the pack only to dance away again, but at least you caught them and now
have a chance !)
A great example of cool racing at madras was the Cat 4 / Masters Woman
field. As expected the pack broke up on the ascent. Three or four
women were sort of together at the top and were smart enough to rejoin /
wait for each other. One was behind but just killed herself to get
latched on. So now there were 5. These five then started working and
started reeling in those off the front and became 8. There were three
and two off the front and the 8 almost caught the the 3 (who were also
working hard together..). I thought it was just great especially given
that this was a first race for some! The two and three off the front
were smart and did right to just keep going hard. The only thing that
might have been done different were that those in No-mans land in
between the breaks and the pack maybe should have slowed up immediately
after the hill, re-grouped and started working together sooner.
Theres nothing more fun or exciting to watch or to be a particpate in,
then a break or a chase group in a race. A smooth running echelon
cruising along at 30 mph is just too cool and Yes cat 4's, cat 3's can
do it. (although sometimes takes some direction and cajoling by one or
two) And since most of us are not riding with huge teams, the teamwork
must be with anyone and everyone...
Now i just have to get my fat ass in shape.
Schreck, George wrote:
If you want a championship race with a flat finish, there is the
District Crit in August. Also, there is PIR and other flat races as
well. The road races should be hard, and if you look at a lot of the
European races, they end with uphill finishes. I think it provides a
bit of balance to have some races where climbing with power determines
the winner. Not every race should favor sprinters.
-----Original Message-----
From: mike.m-@obra.org [mailto:mike.m-@obra.org]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 9:14 AM
To: 'OBRA Remailer'
Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] front Helium missing from wheel pit @
Championship RR
Although I agree about the placement of the finish I don't think that
"under
5' 4" and 120lbs" really applies to any of the winners. Aaron Olsen?
Barry
Wicks? Not exactly heavy guys but not very short. In the Cat 4/5 all
the
top places were relatively tall guys. In some of the fields the top
places
were actually fairly heavy people. They all had the characteristic of
having a big power output and ability to climb. Although some can also
sprint, they did not need to use that yesterday.
At any rate, you will be happy to know that moving the finish closer to
the
start is being considered for the State Championships in June.
Mike Murray
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Malcolm [mailto:gary.m-@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 08:38 AM
To: ob-@topica.com
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] front Helium missing from wheel pit @
Championship
RR
Dear OBRA,
Here's my take on the Rehearsal Road Race.
I want to thank OBRA for finding another great course in a beautiful
location. As I have come to expect, the officiating and support was
beyond
reproach. In particular I would like to point out what a balanced course
this loop turned out to be. Great wind swept flats. Twisty, technical
descents. Moderate rollers to stretch the legs and of course the hill
just
long enough to allow good climbers to open gaps in the field.
And this brings me to my one negative. The finish placement. Why was the
finish basically located at the KOM? I understand wanting to balance the
climb and the big flats so as not to have too much of a sprint at the
finish
for safety and easy officiating but the placement really was a gift to
those
of us under 5' 4" and 120lbs (as verified by the results!). There really
was
no chance even an extra mile or two would have given in reeling those
little
guys back in, as had happenend on previous laps...
This probably should have been advertised as the Climbing Championship
for
the 4/5's.
Thanks for listening to my whining. Perhaps I'll eat fewer donuts next
season. In any event I had a great time, didn't hit the hay bales' and
the
Criterium season is just around the corner!
Gary Malcolm
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