NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

New Time Trial in Rio Vista May 7^th.

If you haven’t heard about this TT – spread the word.  It’s a solid course, early enough in the morning so you can make the Pittsburg Crit that evening … and it’s for good causes.  Check out the event http://www.socalreg.com/schedule.asp?race=Montezuma+TT

There’s only space for 150 riders at this TT … so register now!

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Copperopolis … feats of strengths and determination

To say that there was repaving on the Copperopolis course is like saying that Joan Rivers had more cosmetic surgery … it ain’t gonna ever be enough.

There was a phenomenal number of flats out there on Saturday – from cattle guard pinches to pothole descending explosions, people were piling into the backs of trucks faster than at a Home Depot on a Saturday morning.  I started with the men’s p1/2 race, thinking that they’d at least start the first lap a little chill in the face of 100+ miles of bone jarring, sphincter bruising crappo roads and face punching climbs.

Fat chance.

 

The MPStrava boys (http://marcpro-strava.com/) pseudo drilled it out of the parking lot and we were near enough to single file in the first mile to make me regret ever seeing a bicycle.  It was just hard enough to be uncomfortable, and make you angry that the guy in front wouldn’t just have attacked and gone off by himself, rather than drag us all into this purgatory of un-warm up.

Then of course, as soon as we hit the climb, the pace eased off and we tempo’d it up.  Over the top, my legs were already feeling pinched and beef-jerkied, and I knew my day was near to being over before it started.  My seatpost had cracked, and I’d replaced it Friday night without much thought of positioning or ass-comfort.  The seatpost replacement was one of the profile fast forward thingies … or, as BJM termed it – the ugliest ass-hatchet he’d ever seen.

Anyway, after the climb – things were slow until after the dam and the chicane through the farmhouses, and then it went apeshit with CalGaint, Strava, Nate English and BJM crushing nuts to end the race for all the pretenders.   Since my legs were two sacks of useless, I was able to sit back and watch the action as BJM put on a clinic of how to select efforts and attacks to follow and make.  Nate English and BJM were the strongest, but if there were ever a race that showed the difference between a decade’s tactical experience and a strongman still learning the ropes … it was this Saturday’s Copperopolis.  From the basics of when to attack, to how to conserve energy when the heat is on … it was evident from that first lap who was going to win the race.  BJM is simply in a class by himself.

In the end, it would be BJM, English, and CalGiant’s Jesse Moore & Ozzie Olmos at the front of the race for 80 miles of rotating pain.  On the 4^th lap, BJM and English put the squash on the Berries and only Moore was able to survive the press.  Olmos made a brave solo effort to keep off the dwindled chasers, but would be snapped up late on the last lap.  Down to three, it was BJM and English drawing knives on each other … with BJM the last to draw blood.

English is showing a huge amount of form this year – especially in the time trials, turning in big results at Sea Otter and Redlands.  He should have a strong performance at Gila this week … positioning isn’t quite as critical at that event, as it’s more based on pure climbing engine and fitness.  However, being with the leaders at Gila is also heavily contingent upon getting race support for food and hydration.  I’m not sure if English is going to have the support needed … but if he does, he could crack a top-8 out there in one of the hardest stage races in the nation.

Of course, the bully of the mountains thus far has been Francisco Mancebo.  Meh, he’s not one of my favorite riders as I still have doubts over his involvement in the Spanish ‘Puerto’ ring.  But, it is what it is.  Personally, I’m hoping that Bissell puts in an assassin’s ride and takes down the climbing giant.

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Speaking of taking the giant down

Rebecca Werner is one helluva rider.  In the women’s race at Copperopolis, it was the Fremont Bank heavy hitters making the selections up each climb.  The first and second laps saw riders regrouping to a lead group forced by Susannah Breen and Beth Newell’s climbing pace.  Metromint’s Annie Fulton, Jane Despas of Yahoo, and Webcor’s Rebecca Werner would crest the climbs with Breen and Newell.  Behind, it would be a Molly Van Houweling train of TT-pace bringing riders back up to the leaders.

Lap 2 would see MVH making almost all the pace across the high-plateau at Copperopolis.  I was following the race behind, and couldn’t help but pull out a few hairs in frustration at MVH’s willingness to make pace, and yet not attack and go on a break in her territory of mastery.  On flat, rolling terrain – there are few who can match MVH’s strength and determination.  But the woman seems genetically predisposed to sit at the front of a field instead of attacking it.

A little less than a mile before the backside climb, Breen would flat and take out any attacking option of the Fremont Bank riders on the hill.  Newell kept watch in the group as Breen got the wheel change and powered back to the pack at the base of the climb.  Once over the climb, Newell would then launch a solo effort off the front for the final lap, forcing the other teams to give chase through the big climb.  Pressing pace all the way up the climb, and over the dam – the lead group would finally be reduced to Rebecca Werner, Breen, and Newell.  Behind, Annie Fulton would just miss the final acceleration and be left in no-man’s land between the lead trio and the chasing Despas.  Behind Despas would be MVH and Kim Fong.

The Fremont women made a massive tactical error in communication, as Newell came off on a small popper and didn’t let Breen know.  Over the roller, with but a few miles remaining in the race, Breen then began rotating with Werner – all but delivering the Webcor rider to the line.  Werner masterfully controlled Breen on the final climb, setting a hard tempo that made Breen question whether she should put in an all-effort final attack on the powerful sprinter.

Coming to the line together, the result all but a foregone conclusion, the powerful Australian kicked away from Breen for a superb win.  Newell would solo in behind for 3^rd, with Fulton kicking away from Despas to take 4^th.   Werner is a smart, saavy rider.  She wasted no energy during the day and rode every pedalstroke for the win – making those with less of a sprint drop her if they didn’t want to get whooped by her.  And they didn’t.

The Fremont riders did make the race – doing all the attacking and riding the race as it should be … hard. They just made a serious error by giving up the 2 on 1 advantage over Werner.

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Cat 3s and Masters

The 35+  and 45+ races were won by the Safeway team – in diametrically opposite ways.  The 35s was dominated by Dan Martin, riding away from first his breakmate Brian Choi, and then a hard charging field.  It was an insanely strong performance put in by Martin.  In the 45s, sprinter Gregg Betonte survived the climbs and swept through the field to take a win that he’ll cherish for quite awhile.  It’s a big coup for Betonte, taking a win on terrain as familiar to him as a bad hair day.

The Cat 3s field was won by Fusion Sport’s, Michael Mulvihill in a ridiculously long and impressive breakaway.  Originally with 2 other riders, he was the only survivor of the move and held off the field for a win that signals another big talent moving into the Norcal p1/2s.  Winning the field sprint behind was Will Meyers of Fremont Bank … now with enough upgrade points to join his squad in the 1/2s as well.  Good strong young riders moving up in the ranks.

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Sorry that’s all I’ve got for now.  I should have written about the Chico Stage Race … and how Roman Kilun crushed nutz in the time trial and lead the charge at 35mph through the road race gravel.  But, time flies and some such excuses.