You are here: Nocturne Grand Prix Series #1 E4
Aug 9, 2011 Criterium, Race report
It really didn’t look like this series was going to take place. Though he had to push it back a month, Brian put on the first race last Friday night. The course uses part of the Early Bird course. Though it’s a shorter meaner version. From the start finish line you go straight into the first hairpin. Turn 2 is a left hand 90 that takes you into some really crappy pavement. Go up about 1/4 mile to the second hairpin. Turn 4 is a right 90 (turn 1 at the EB’s) then a short jump back to the start finish line. There was a lot of loose gravel at the apex of the second hairpin. Wynn and I swept it the best we could but, it still was quite dusty. Made for a slippery 180.
For the race I was surprised to see about 15 of us at the line (only 6 prereg). Things were running late so we didn’t get to start till 8:00pm. At first I was tentative on the 180′s. It took a few laps to find my comfort zone on them. Once I did I started to have fun. Being a small group we played well together. We pretty much stayed together the whole time. Anyone trying to attack was brought back quickly. The wind had a lot to do with that. Though not horrendous the Fremont wind tunnel was churning like usual. Nice W/NW wind at about 10 mph for the 4′s race. It was almost home field advantage for me. Same wind we deal with on Thursday nights so, I knew how to stay protected. The first 15 minutes or so we were jumping hard out of the 180′s. 7 or 8 laps of that really saps your desire to dig every time. Think interval workout. So the last 5 laps were pretty mellow till the bell. The last lap was full on but I was asleep at the wheel. I knew what wheel I wanted but when it mattered I didn’t have it. I wanted to be on Bobby’s wheel from SJBC but I ended up being on his teammates wheel. So ended up railing the second hairpin and chasing like a madman to eek out a 5th place finish. Doh!
I had a bunch of fun and plan to do more of the series if I can. Anyone who can should give this race a try. You will certainly get a great workout.
Mike
2011 Burlingame Criterium 35+ Cat 4
Jun 27, 2011 Criterium, Race report
Second race on the day for me. The report for this one should start in the parking lot first though. I’m sure many of us have seen a rider in the parking lot and had that “oh crap” feeling. Usually it’s for one of two reasons. Reason one, said rider is super strong or reason two, said rider is dangerous. For the 35+ 4 race on Sunday it was reason two. For anonymity I will refer to this racer as “rider X”. Rider X is known for his kamikaze cornering technique. Not a good reputation to have. He happened to be parked right next to me. Me being me I offered up a friendly hi how ya doing. All he offered up was a mean case of stink eye. Okay, so that’s how it’s going to be. Whatever dude, time to race.
67 guys lined up for the 35+ race. Again, I slotted in toward the back. Whistle blows and were off. We started off at a quick pace and never let off. I moved up to the middle of the bunch and chilled. Legs were feeling a bit heavy but otherwise I felt alright. We were hustling along at 26-28 mph consistently. We really didn’t speed up much for the prime laps. Never had a real lull in speed either. Felt much quicker than the first race. A couple sketchy guys made it interesting. One guy would over correct out of every corner making for some close calls. Another dude would let a gap open every time he entered a turn then he would sprint out of the saddle to get back on the wheel. Not a good way to make friends. The masters field was much sketchier than the open field this year. So fast forward to 5 to go or so. I hadn’t seen much of “rider x” to this point. That would change soon. Going into turn 4 (right 90) I’m on the inside. POW!! I get rammed on the left side, hip elbow shoulder. Full on contact. Guess who?? It’s “rider X”. He hit me hard enough to get his bars locked in mine ( I was in the drops). Now I’m hosed as we are each fighting for control. As a last resort I flick my elbow and jerk my bars hard to the right and manage to break free. I hear “rider X ” go down unfortunately but I’m happy to stay upright. Two turns later exiting the sweeper another guy hits the deck right in front of me. Somehow I again avoid hitting the deck. Now the pucker factor is at 11 and I’m more nervous than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It’s also crunch time and I’m at the wrong end of the field. Pen Velo and SJBC have massed at the front and are keeping the pace high. I put in a big effort and move into the top 20 or so. Try to recover for a minute but I then hear the announcer call last lap. Time to boogie. Held my position till turn 5 then hit the gas between 5 and six. I was doing OK till a Wells Fargo rider cut to his right and slammed the door on me. That’s racing. Finished up in the front half of the bunch. Not what I was hoping for but I still had all my skin.
Mike
2011 Burlingame Criterium E4
Jun 27, 2011 Criterium, Race report
This is just a classic race! A great course, awesome atmosphere and an aggressive field make it one of my favorite races of the year. I think we lined up with about 50 guys for the E4 race. It was also Oliver’s first race as a 4 as well as his first time lining up in an open field. I have to say I was a bit worried for him at first but he did just fine in the end.
Oliver scored a spot right up front for the start while I was sitting at the back. Fine by me as my plan was to sit back and keep an eye on our new Cat 4. They started us on time at 7:00am (to damn early!). I settled in mid pack straight away. Oliver was up in the top 10 for the first 5 or 6 laps. Personally, not my style but I figured at least he’s safe. He slid back to mid pack after a bit and I sat on or near his wheel for a good 15 minutes. Oliver seemed to be comfortable in the group but tended to stay on the inside. His cornering was a little rough so I tried to give him some advice on lines and such. At 30 minutes in or so I decided to move up closer to the front. As I was picking my way forward a crash took out 5-6 guys just to the right of me. I was able to avoid the wreck easily enough. I didn’t know what happened to Oliver though. So, I moved to the outside and sat up till the back of the bunch came around. Hopped on the tail gunner position till I was able to find our junior. He didn’t go down but did get slowed up by the crash. Now I’m at the back and as we cross the start/finish line I realize the lap counter is lit up. For some reason I thought it said 5 to go instead of 9 to go. In a bit of a panic I make a few efforts to improve my position. So after 4 laps I’m in the top 15 when I realize now it’s 5 to go. Well, nuts, that’s not what I was expecting. I slid back to mid pack and that’s were I ended up finishing. I wasn’t in position for a top 10 so I didn’t sprint. Oliver ended up finishing right behind me. Great job for your first race as a 4!
Mike
2011 Joseph Mendes Crit 35+ Cat 4
Jun 11, 2011 Criterium, Race report
Mike - First place on podium
Second race of the day for me. After finishing the E4 race I was pleasantly surprised to see that my wife and 2 boys had come out to cheer dear old dad on. Figured I better perform. Again we rolled out with about 50 (older) dudes. First few laps were really chill. Tri Valley Velo had 8 guys in the race so I made a note to keep an eye on them. First 10 minutes or so I just surfed wheels and eyeballed all the usual suspects. See who’s looking strong and who isn’t. Two TVV guys went to the front and kept on rolling. So I grabbed a wheel and went with them. We had a small gap but the pack wasn’t worried and just sat there. After doing my pull I give an arm wag and slide over. Guess the guys behind me didn’t grasp the concept and our short lived break was over. We get reaquainted with the bunch and that was pretty much the way it was for the rest of the race. Nobody got very far off the front. Fast forward to 5 to go. I make my way up to the business end of our little party. Trying to see who is fresh. I was feeling decent but not great. 3 to go I see the wheel I want. Try to play it cool and slide on over benind Greg and Adam of BBC. Greg’s smart and he had positioned himself on the inside between 2 and 3. So the pack was sheltering us from the cross wind. Greg slowly ratched his pace up till he pulled off before turn 3 on the last lap. I sat on Adam’s wheel till about 100 meters before turn 4. Jumped hard and got a gap. Rode the razor trying not to blow up early. Cleared 4 with clean wheels and trucked across the line for the win.
I definately wasn’t the strongest out there. I felt I raced smart and put myself in a good postion for the finish. Of course lady luck played her part also. Was cool to take the win with my family there. Guess I performed OK for them. Thanks again Tony for shooting the race. Can’t wait to see those pics.
Mike
2011 Joseph Mendes Crit Cat 4
Jun 11, 2011 Criterium, Race report
This event is held in Pleasanton just off of the intersection of Hopyard and Stoneridge. Pretty typical 4 corner flat crit. Pavement is great and there aren’t any bots dots just reflectors. Pretty short course at .84 miles. Turn one was a sweeper and the rest were all standard 90′s. From the last turn it is only 150 meters or so to the line so you need to start your sprint early. We had a decent breeze blowing out of the west so we had a good tailwind leading into turn 4.
The race. About 50 guys lined open for the open 4′s. As we were the first race of the day they started us right on time. I had warmed up on course and already had decided were I needed to be to stay out of the wind. Stayed in the wheels most of the race. A few attacks went off the front but as typical for the 4′s nobody wanted to work together. So end result was gruppo compacto when they lit up the laps to go sign. At 4 to go I moved up into the top ten. Found the wheel I wanted and was sittin pretty, or so I thought. The guy on the front was motoring well till his legs cramped on the bell lap (been there). So, ended up getting swarmed and slid back way to far. Just before turn one a Roaring Mouse rider launched a solo attack. He got a good gap so we ended up chasing him till turn 4. He took it real wide on 4 not knowing we were right there. This caused the front bunch to hesitate a fraction and bunched us all up. I didn’t sprint as I was completetly out of postition. Crossed the line in 22nd place. For an open 4 race this was pretty safe. Still some goofy moves out there but, I felt at ease most of the time. One thing that would be nice though is for guys to learn how to take a corner. I am constanly amazed how many people lack this basic skill.
Mike
2011 Wente Crit Cat3/4
May 4, 2011 Criterium, Race report
This was the second of two races for me on the day. After the sprint in the 35+4 race I had just enough time to change out my number and roll to the start line. Well, the back of the full field that is. Looked to be 100 guys ready to go. I gulped down some Clif Bloks and water as the whistle blew. Thankfully, I got clipped in quickly as the race started in a full on sprint for the first corner. It didn’t slow down after that, we were flying. The first couple of laps I was still trying to recover from the end of the previous race. Not an easy thing to do when your scooting along at 30-31 mph. While the 35+4 bunch was happy to be out on a Sunday drive these boys were out for blood. After tailgunning it for a few laps I started to feel better and made my way up to the middle of the bunch. Very nerve racking place to be. Some really sketchy and squirrely guys out there. On my way up I said hi to Rey and Rory. They seemed to be coping with the fast pace well. Spotted Gonzalo sitting in the top 25 or so and he appeared to be comfortable up there. When I was closer to the front the group seemed more relaxed and I started to enjoy myself. For the next 5 or 6 laps everyone around me worked together and raced smart. This didn’t last and soon it was back to the normal Wente sketchfest. Usually a fast race is a safe race but not this time. It only was a matter of time before someone hit the deck. Around 30 minutes in I decided to move up a bit further and try to find a happy place. As we entered turn 3 a big pileup happed just in front and left of me. I was able to avoid it easily and only caught the damage out of the corner of my eye. I spotted some of the ubiquitous red,white and black kits but the only kit easily recognized was a Taleo rider. At this point the field is pretty much split and the guys on the front drill it. We fly through the left right sequence and as we enter the last turn my F-this-o-meter gets pegged and I decide to throw in the towel. It was just to crazy out there to justify the risk. When I glanced at my computer as I rolled to a stop our average speed at that point was 28.5 mph. Pretty quick for a 3/4 race. My fears were realized as in the last 5 laps the race was stopped once, neutralised twice and had 2 more wrecks happen. Just another day at Wente I supppose.
After finishing the race I was rolling over to my truck to leave. I was stopped by someone who recognized our kit. He told me Gonzalo had gone down hard in the first crash. Crap!! I made my way over to the reg/medical area just as they SAG vehichle showed up with Gonzo’s bike. But no Gonzalo. Double Crap!! Found out that he had to be taken by ambulance to Eden Hospital. Want to thank VSRT and USAC for their help in getting me the emergency contact info so I could contact his family. They handled it very professionally. My thought go out to Gonzalo and his family. Hope you heal up fast my friend!
2011 Wente Crit 35+ Cat 4
May 3, 2011 Criterium, Race report
The 2011 Wente Crit lived up to it’s reputation as a sketchy crashfest. First up for me was the 35+ Cat 4 race. 45 minutes with a more “mature” group of guys… Not so much. The course by all accounts should be a blast. It has lots of turns, it’s wide, and the pavement is OK. A lot more interesting than your typical 4 corner cookie cutter industrial park crit.
We lined up with around 40 guys. Much smaller than I had anticipated. They get us rolling on time and so the fun begins. We start out at a decent but relaxed clip. Kind of suss the course out a bit I figure. Pace slows down even more. We are noodling along around 20-21 mph. So I move around and find people to talk to. Do some catching up. Even the prime laps were taken at a mellow pace. That’s not to say the race was uneventful. Plenty of bush league moves kept us alert. I think there was a minor wreck about halfway through. Heard it but didn’t see it. Finally at 5 to go the pace picked up. Not fast but not as slow as before. I started to move up to the spot I wanted to be in. When we hit the bell I was sitting in the top 15 and was pretty set in my strategy. The front stretch from the last turn to the S\F line is long. Like 500 meters long. So my plan was to let the sprint open up and follow wheels till about 200 meters then hit the gas. I also didn’t want to be boxed in as happened in 2010. So, going into the last turn we are in a swarming mass. I’m on the outside somewhere in the front half of the bunch. Sprint starts and the dude in front of me launches. I just plant myself on his wheel and get towed along. For some reason he swerves to the left through the cones. As he does this his bike kicks a cone right into my path. Probably doing 29-30mph now. I had enough time to say Oh,Fu…crunch. Plow right over it as I didn’t want to deviate from my line. I quickly check that my sled is in one piece. Of course the wheel I was following was gone so I jumped from way to far out and ended up finishing 15th. Was making up ground fast but faded towards the end. At least I kept it planted right side up. Average speed for this field was only 24mph. Would have been even slower if the pace didn’t pick up the last 5 laps.
Mike
2011 Menlo Park GP E4
Apr 26, 2011 Criterium, Race report
Enjoyed this race in 2010 so I was looking forward to doing it in 2011. Had not raced since the Merco RR in March and hadn’t lined up for a crit since the last EB in February. So my main goal for this event was to get back into the flow of racing.
The course is run counter-clockwise. From the S/F line it goes: Short straight to a hard 90 deg left, short straight to another 90 deg left, long back stretch on chewed up pavement (with a head/cross wind) to a 90 deg left, short straight again to a 90 deg sweeper, another straight section leads to the left/right chicane then straight back to the S/F line. It’s a fun course in my opinion but it sure gave the E4 bunch fits.
After watching Chris and Tony finish up in the 5′s race the officials quickly got the 4′s lined up. After they cleared the course we were off. After the first few corners I already had a feeling of how the race would go. Not good! Typical E4 insanity. I sometimes think the 4′s need mentors more than the 5′s. Every turn seemed dicey. Dudes yelling and complaining the whole time. Kept me on my toes for sure. Spent the first few laps settling in and finding my sweet spot in the corners. The sweeper seemed to confuse a lot of guys. I found the safest way through the chicane was to enter the left on the outside which put me on the inside of the right. The fastest way through seemed to be more towards the center. They had a bunch of prime laps in the middle of the race and that lined it out a bit. For the most part we were all bunched up. Only saw one break get a gap but they weren’t away for long. The race went buy very quickly for me and I was surprised when I saw five to go. Bided my time and when we hit 2 to go I started to make my way into a better spot. I was somewhere in the middle of the bunch when the bell rang. Moved up a bit more as we went up the backside. Coming through the sweeper the last time I wasn’t in position to contest the win but felt I had a decent shot at a top ten. Decided to take the fast line through the chicane. That’s were I made a mistake. As I entered the right of the chicane I glanced at my 5:00 to see if I had room to move. Guys were cued up behind me so I held my line tight. Coming out of the corner a bunch of guys went down right in front of me. With nowhere to go and not want to make any crazy moves I was caught up in the wreck. Luckily I was able to due some nifty bike handling and come away relatively unscathed. An abrasion on my right leg was the worst of it. Did get some nice tire rubs and a chainring tattoo on my left leg from someone else. Bike was OK and more importantly the kit was untouched (first race in it). Got up clipped in and rolled across the line solo in 36th.
The way the race unfolded a crash seemes inevitable. Seems like so many guys are missing the basic cornering fundamentals. You couple that with people not having any spacial awareness and you get a scary situation. Next up the Wente Crit… OH Crap!
Mike
