JMSR Sunday Criterium

We got to the Crit course and I was a little stunned by how hard the course looked. The first thing you notice is the climb. A good 25 second steep uphill kicker right before the start/finish line loomed - to make it harder it was sandwiched in-between two false flat sections that would end up taking their toll on the field. However, at the time I was much more concerned that what goes up, must come down - and on a 2.5 minute course, the descent/speed/corning combination on the backside of the course would have to be intense. I wasn't able to preview the course, so I was a little timid entering the 'recovery' part of the crit.

Anyways, it was clear that positioning on this course was going to be hard to come by. The pro race was immediately in front of our race and so everyone lined up on both sides of the fencing ready to pounce towards the start/finish line as soon as the race was over. The main pack of the pro race finished up and everyone was getting twitchy to line up. After a few seconds someone was ballsy enough to pull the trigger causing everyone to pull the trigger on racing up to line-up. A few straglers of the pro-race came through complaining (rightfully so) and the chief judge told everyone to take a lap. I rolled through the line and immediatley got off the course and rolled back right before the start/finish line until the officials actually called us up. This gave me decent positioning for the start.

The race went off and my timidness on the backside of the course showed a little as I let a few people go by through the turns while I gained comfort moving through them (which came quickly). The hill came and was tough - I think by the 2nd or 3rd lap I was already thinking about how long I'd be able to solo off the back without getting pulled, but I ended up doing a really good job of finding recovery points throughout the course - especially mentally - whenever I felt like I wasn't going all out, I was reassuring myself that I was relaxing and recovering. The first time I looked down at my Garmin was the 25 minute mark (halfway). This was signficant because 1) it meant half the race had already gone by and 2) it meant that I had officially not been time-cut from the race as you would be scored even if you didn't finish. My main goal for the week had be complete, however, I knew that if I could somehow stay with the pack and score the leaders time, I'd likely move up onto the first page on General Classification. The officials finally gave the call - '7 laps to go'. The next 5 laps or so were fast. At one point a split in the field about 4 guys ahead of me occured - luckily I felt ok enough at this point to but in a big turn of speed and leapfrog him back onto the main pack, but I'm pretty sure a split in the field occurred at that point. Soon enough we were on the last lap and it was all bonus at this point. I kicked as hard as I could up the hill and ended up 20th on the day. Taylor finished well again securing his top 10 in GC. O'Boyle finished the day after a tough wreck yesterday in the lead pack. Only 35 of the 100 starters would finish with the lead group. Flashing back to Schlitz Park (similair hill type crit) or the Tour of Galena (tough but not as well represented stage race), I figured it'd be tough to actually finish this thing - if not impossible. Not only did I finish the race, but I only lost 2:03 to first place and made my way up onto the first page of GC results (33rd). Had I lost half of what I did on the TT I would have finished in the Top 15 of the race. Couldn't be happier with how it went and again, a really nice affirmation of the hard work I've been putting in. Looking forward to where this helps put me for the rest of the year. I'll certainly be going back to Joe Martin in the future as it was an incredibly well put on event and the caliber of racing was outstanding.

Until next time...

JMSR Saturday Road Race

The Saturday road race was a three lap circuit that totaled 86 miles and contained a good short climb each time. The route had more elevation gain than the 110 mile road race and certainly proved to be a more difficult course - as one of my teammates put it 'it's a course that feels like you're always going up'. Climbing is not something I generally have done well.

After yesterday, my hopes were a little higher that I could potentially hold on, but I still was going to approach it with the same mindset - don't get time cut and hold on as long as possible. The group hit the first climb together and it was certainly tough, but doable. We hit the feedzone at the top of the first peak of the climb (the climb was a good steep climb, crest w/ feed zone, slight descent, and then longer steadier climb for a little while until it crested) and everyone, per usual, seemed to start ramping the pace up making getting a feed chaotic. After my experience yesterday and at Boulder-Roubaix at feeds, I was done getting caught out at this point and made a point to make sure I was moving up through the feeds. I heard a lot of people had to do some chasing to catch back on, so yeah...

The 2nd lap climb came and all of the sudden it seemed like people were hurting (as was I). One of my former teammates who was there (and is really strong) was moving up the left side. I quickly sprung on his wheel and just tried to relax while ascending it - mentally, I was just trying to act like it's just me and him on a group ride (not in a 1-2 national level race going up a hill - a place I don't have much business being). He cruised up the hill, and with me in tow, we ended up passing dozens of people which certainly gave me some confidence. This was a point where many people ended up getting popped and where even a few riders who I expected to be far stronger than me actually pulled out of the race. I made it to the top again and focused on trying to recover for the next 15 miles.

The 3rd lap climb came and it seemed a little neutral at the beginning and then the attacks came. Even with a slow start we ended up ascending the climb much faster than the other laps. Uneventfully, I made it to the top.

There was a break that went off earlier in the day that was a minute forty up the road. This would have shattered our GC man's (Taylor's) hopes of a good overall finish. Although gassed after the climbs, we needed to organize a chase and inject a little pace into the race in hopes of bringing the group back. O'Boyle came by me yelling that we organize a chase. We found Austin as well and moved our way up front for some digs. After a few rotations, the Hincapie team were lined up on our wheels putting in some good pulls and helping bring back the chase. Eventually we had the breakaway in sight and reeled them in with 10 miles or so to go.

With 6 to go there was a big wreck, I hadn't seen O'Boyle much after that so I assumed he got collected.

I was trying to figure out where the finish was, but was mostly happy to know that I was going to certainly finish with the leaders time again today as there was nothing else challenging about the route towards the finish. We made a right hand turn and low-and-behold, the finish line was 200 meters away. Completely unaware that the finish was so close I launched a sprint and ended up finishing 18th on the day. Another complete shocker of a result. We ended up with 3 top 20 finishes on the day as a team which was incredible. Just as shocking was how hard the course was on the field. Many riders who I expected to make it through the day had a lot of time put into them. It still seems like I shouldn't have been in that group, but it's nice to know the massive amount of training is certainly paying off. O'Boyle ended up being in the wreck and rolled through the line 5 minutes after the leaders did, ruining his chances of a good GC finish - at this point we were just hoping he and his bike were okay for the next day.

Anyways, it was another good day on the bike that moved me from the 60's into the 40's on GC, still 2:03 back of the leader.

JMSR Friday Road Race

Well - that went a bit better than expected. The first two pre Mount Gaylor climbs ended up being certainly effort-inducing but not fatal. The only hiccup was dropping my chain on the second one early in the climb when shifting from my big to small ring causing me to fall off the back, fix it, and chase back on - not the worst effort in the world, but an effort nonetheless. The miles went by quickly and soon enough we were at the base of Mount Gaylor which was a seven to nineish mile climb which I assumed I'd get popped on. My race was a success at that point given that I knew I wouldn't be time cut as I'd have roughly 40 miles to not lose a full hour to the lead group - which would be pretty easy. So my only objective at that point was to see how long I'd stay on. The climb wasn't straight up but instead it rather rolled up, so it'd go up and then flatten out a bit, and repeat like that all the way to the top. The draft was rather immense through this section with nice wide and paved roads, so sitting midpack really helped mitigate its difficulty. Mile by mile rolled by and I was still within my limits and I started having the thought that I could make it over this thing intact - which would be huge, because the remaining 30 miles would be all slightly downhill, which would almost be a full recovery ride to the finish line. Some of the front guys kept trying to get away, but the pack seemed fresh enough and attentive enough to not let anything go, which effectively made the back half of the climb a little easier than it probably should have been with some of the stronger guys beaten up and/or discouraged from trying to get away. Finally I saw the feed zone which indicated the top of the climb and it was all downhill from there. I was a little amped at this point and started being a little overly active at the front, trying to pull back the breakaway group and even momentarily seeing if I could get into a chase move. Eventually, I pumped the brakes and tried to save what I had left for the finish. The finish ended up being a bit more technical given the rain (which it was doing for half the ride), than expected. It also had several decent kickers in it, which were also a bit unexpected. I positioned myself relatively well entering the technical section with roughly 1k to go. Immediately the rider in front of me dumped it, which put me into a full brake mode as I was able to cut to the inside of him and carry on. The final corner approached, I thought I baby'd it a bit too much in the turn but saw the rider's wheel in front of me slip out (he saved it) - which caused me to feather the brakes again as a few guys whipped by me for the sprint. I kicked as hard as I could just trying to see how far up I could place. I hit the line - and just found out the result - 22nd. Blew my expectations out of the water. Moved me from 97th to 67th in the standings, a little over 2 minutes behind the leader. Really fun day.

Tomorrow is a hillier 86 mile circuit race. My expectations are low again, but we'll just take it a mile at a time like today and see what happens. Until then...

JMSR TT

TT went fine. An uphill time trial is far from a strong suit of mine - ended up 97th of 123 guys. It's something I can work on in the future if it ever becomes a goal to get good at these things, but its not on the radar currently. My foot didn't act up at all during it which was great and a good sign for tomorrow - which is the real test. The plan is to try to make it to the base of Gaylor Mtn with the group (70 miles in), hold on as long as possible and then try to organize a 40 mile team time trial with whoever is around me at the top to make sure we don't get time cut. That's all. Helping out our two GC guys would be outstanding and my primary responsibility, but it'd also be nice to be able to race into the weekend.

JMSR Pre-Race

Here at Joe Martin! Our hotel room smells like smoke and feels like a sweaty sauna room, but I suppose that's 'pro'. A 2.7 mile uphill time trial on tap for tomorrow. Any nerves I possibly could have had have been nullified by a foot cramp that hasn't gone away in three days - really hoping it works itself out or it could be a quick trip. There's a loose rumor going around that Chris Horner, a recent Vuelta winner, is here which would be neat - it'd be fun to see if I can stay within...2 minutes of his time tomorrow. Drive wasn't too terrible - especially for those few who were unconscious for half the trip. 

Until tomorrow...

Joe Martin Stage Race Looming...

The final week of a nice three week training block is here, and included in that is a nice trip down to Fayetteville, Arkansas to race the Joe Martin Stage Race. Weather's looking like rain and thunderstorms for the long Friday Road Race which could make for a rather interesting day. The Men's 1-2 race consists of a short uphill time trial on Thursday, a 110 mile road race on Friday, an 86 mile road race on Saturday, and a 50 minute crit with a little hill on Sunday. Certainly not things in my wheelhouse, but should provide a nice fitness boost. We leave tomorrow morning early with a team of seven of us looking to work for one or two guys that have a chance of doing something big in the overall.

The past two weeks have provided some nice training. Boulder ended up being a 380 mile week with significant elevation, and last week ended up right around 350 miles - all my rides are generally listed here on Strava. So, Joe Martin Thursday-Sunday and then back to Chicago for a rest week I'm very much looking forward to. Should be a nice time to relax, get everything in order, and book up the rest of my racing trips this year. But yeah, first up is focusing up on not getting time cut at Joe Martin and if I'm successful there, helping out our team leaders throughout as much of the race as I can. I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to the challenge, but I'm really looking forward to having the experience and what it should do for the rest of my season.

Boulder-Roubaix

Saturday was the Boulder-Roubaix which is a 75 mile half gravel, half pavement road race where road bikes are still the weapon of choice. Given the week of training and the altitude adjustment on my end, I was happy with how I felt during it, but unfortunately got a puncture at almost the halfway point of the race which ended my hopes of finishing with the group. I just decided to finish up the last few laps and get a good workout in for the day as it was my last opportunity to ride in Boulder.

The race had a decent pace throughout, certainly fast, but not insane. Guys in the back had a bit of tailwhip issues through the corners and as well through the long gravel sections as several times some of the pro CX'ers in the field hit those sections hard. Splits seemed to be occurring, but nothing that wasn't impossible to close back up. Early on there were a few classic water bottle mine-fields caused by some bumpy sections and riders not having there bottles secure-enough in their cages and there were about three significant wrecks nearby that I was more than happy to avoid.

Anyways, great experience racing with those guys. Here's my full race below.

Boulder - Days 4 & 5

Yesterday we did the 'Gateway' loop which ended up being roughly 80 miles roundtrip and had a few nice climbs that were shorter (5-20mins). Had some odd twitching near my IT band near my knee on my left leg which was concerning but rode through it and starting feeling fine. Definitely feel better than I did a few days ago, but my legs are still completely tender to the touch - it'll be a nice change to actually have them feel good next week. Liam and Will hit some climbs hard and it was nice to pace around them as they're both great to ride with and rather quick uphill.

This morning we did a nice climb up to Jamestown. The town was apparently destroyed in the flooding last year and this week is the first week the road was open. Very pleasent and gradual climb to the top. The descent consisted of 4 dudes trying to battle a headwind in freezing temperatures with no sun - glad to be done with that.

Anyways, here's some video from the Bus Stop ride on Tuesday and some pics from the last few days.

Boulder Bus Stop Ride Video

Trains...

The worst mental part of my trip after getting lost on the ride...only got better from here!

Nice peaceful solo ride back to Boulder

Chicago!

Will & Jeff before heading up the climb to Jamestown...

In Jamestown at the top of the climb.

And Jeff absolutely freezing even before the descent...

Boulder - Day 3

A nice double day on tap today. Boulder-Roubaix course recon in the morning (followed by a long nap) and then the Boulder Bus Stop ride. Went a little too hard at the wrong point, made a wrong turn, and that was that. Fun time though. Looks like a long ride tomorrow with a good group. I'm not sure if my legs will work or not, definitely having issues recovering out here, but oh well - this is training (as is everything I'll do this month), nothing more. Earlier this week we ripped down a long descent into Lyons and got it all on video.

Boulder - Days 1 & 2

Boulder's been outstanding. Felt disastrous yesterday during a 90 mile / 7500ft gain day, but felt much better today's ride (55 at 6500ft of gain). Tomorrow's a recovery morning ride, massage, and evening group ride which should be interesting. Anyways, a few photos from today's ride up Flagstaff and towards Nederland.

Lincoln Park Criterium

Our team’s true annual road kickoff was yesterday at Lincoln Park. The elite squad was almost completely represented with several guys looking to have some success, notably Austin Venhuizen and Ryan O’Boyle.

The Lincoln Park P/1/2/3 race is pretty simple at its core, but generally has a few consistent aspects each year. 1) The wind. Half the field generally DNF’s as they find themselves out of position or just not strong enough to hold the pace, particularly on the backside of the course going over the bridge and 2) generally a strong-man break wins the day.

Let’s start with the wind. Navigating this course can be a whole lot easier if you play it right through the corners. As the crosswind the past two years has come directly from the west (towards the lake) positioning yourself throughout the course is critical to saving some precious race-saving watts. Anyways, the way I navigate the course (to each their own) is I try to enter the first long swooping turn with no one on my left side. Once I hit the midpoint of the sharper left-hander I try to carve it off a bit, which keeps me on the leftside throughout the backstretch shielded from the wind. At this point, after cresting the hill, I start thinking about setting myself up for the frontstretch. As I make my way towards the 90 degree righthand turn that leads up towards the 180, generally (if the race is at speed) it will be hit single file or nearly single file and upon the exit of the turn I push myself right towards the gutter. As I hit the 180, this allows me to stay on the outside…thus allowing me to exit on the right which guarantees that I’ll be shielded from the wind down the front stretch as well. If I failed to stay outside upon the exit of the hairpin, generally I’d let the guy on my outside go past on the exit which makes way for me to squeeze in behind in a single file manner heading towards the finish - such that again, I’m positioned directly behind or just to the right of the rider in front of me, shielded from the wind. Repeat. (Also, staying up front helps significantly as it allows me to have more flexibility in where I want to go and it of course allows me to avoid the constant whiplash throughout the day which can quickly kill a race, especially once riders start peeling off in front of you).

Also, as an aside, the wind today actually made the race significantly less technical than it could have been. The day before, Austin and I previewed the course with the wind direction coming directly from the North. While doing a jump and hitting the right hand turn heading up towards the 180 we hit nearly 40mph which might have caused a few people to run into the fencing throughout the day had it stayed strong in that direction. But instead, it compacted the race at that point and naturally mitigated the speed through the 180. Anyways on to the race…

A few thoughts entering the day included trying to get one of our strong guys in the move (O’Boyle, Austin, etc) and trying to mitigate Sammy’s from launching people up towards the break - as they successfully did last year. Whenever several Sammy’s riders hit the front near the 180, our goal was to have a rider near them such that they could either disrupt the move or get in the launch themselves. So, back to that strong-man aspect of the course: Ryan O’Boyle. The guy has a serious knack for finding the right move and not surprisingly found the right move about a third of the way into the race. Austin had attacked several times early but eventually got off the front after the O’Boyle move was established with one other guy that went to the finish ahead of that pack but behind O’Boyle’s break-of-the-day. Given that Sammy’s had a rider in the break-of-the-day that was almost sure to be outsprinted by several guys with a solid kick, they stacked the front and slowed the peloton down (particularly around the 180) in hopes of allowing the O’Boyle break to lap the field. If it did, I’d assume they’d try to create a long leadout train for him as that might be the only way to take the W. It worked and the move lapped the field with about 2 to go. O’Boyle made his way through the field to the front with 1 to go. I asked him if he was looking to launch a move early or field sprint: field sprint was the answer which sent me on one-man one-lap-to-go leadout mission for him. As we crossed the start/finish I hit the front hard and looked back to make sure he was on my wheel. As we hit the riser over the bridge, I made sure to flush far enough left to leave a clean line for O’Boyle but no one else (as anyone who wanted to go over the top of me would have had to come through the wind on the right). Still on the front through the right hand turn and up towards the hairpin I started to feel it. We hit the 180 1-2 and I started giving it just about everything I had upon the exit. I heard Ryan say “1 More Tyler” which made me pause for a second thinking…wait, was this NOT the last lap??? At that point my effort slightly decreased and the sprint went off…and I quickly was reassured that yes, this was in fact the last lap…thank god…and I coasted through the line. Anyways, Ryan ended up sprinting for 4th which is a solid result. Had I given it slightly more for a bit longer heading towards the finish line maybe he gets 3rd, but oh well. Austin also attacked his man late grabbing a 6th place finish. Can’t be too disappointed putting two guys in the top six. A nice start to the season and hopefully a platform for many more results ahead!

…oh…and here’s the last lap…enjoy.