Monday, September 29, 2008
Hello?
So just wondering...I know its the off season (for road) but does anyone actually read this anymore? With the exeption of Cat's spitefull comment about Priority, the last comment was September 4, 2008 9:56 PM. Thats 25 days I have not heard from Colton, James, Doug, Darrell or others. I almost miss Dougs posting sprees.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Lately...
So here is a picture montage of what I've been up to latelty. Currently I am watching the World Championships online.
I am still around!
Still hanging out with Cat.
Ryan doing some reading.
Making friends and playing darts.
Playing table tennis
Marching Band at homecoming.
Still riding a little.
Getting free ice cream.
And eating it with friends.
Campus at night
My friend Karl playing his guitar and singing one night.
I am still around!
Still hanging out with Cat.
Ryan doing some reading.
Making friends and playing darts.
Playing table tennis
Marching Band at homecoming.
Still riding a little.
Getting free ice cream.
And eating it with friends.
Campus at night
My friend Karl playing his guitar and singing one night.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Happy B-Day Ray!
Today is "Big" Ray Dybowski's birthday. So Happy Birthday Ray!
I do not know Dybo very well. I first held a conversation with him this past July in Indiana at the Pancake Stage Race. He truly is an amazing person. He knows so much about this sport and knows how to help help anyone in need.
Since then I have heard many many stories about The Godfather and have talked to him at many races. It is great to finally know the most respected rider in the Michigan peloton. So again, Happy Birthday Ray!
I do not know Dybo very well. I first held a conversation with him this past July in Indiana at the Pancake Stage Race. He truly is an amazing person. He knows so much about this sport and knows how to help help anyone in need.
Since then I have heard many many stories about The Godfather and have talked to him at many races. It is great to finally know the most respected rider in the Michigan peloton. So again, Happy Birthday Ray!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Priority Ann Arbor 2/3 Video
This is pretty much all the footage I have of the race. The finish was missed by accident, the videographer did not realize how much time was left.
I tried to eliminate all the boring/waiting parts, so the random short clips of 1-2 riders are the leaders. I did not want to make this video 4 minutes longer by leaving the gaps in it.
At 2:31 you see the leader go by, this is the only full length clip in the movie. It shows you how big the gap(24 seconds) was to the peloton (at 2:55 on video.)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Priority Weekend
Awesome. Just awesome.
That is the best way to describe these races. I cannot wait untill next year, I am going to peak for these races. Colton, you need to come back here for these races next year.
GRAND RAPIDS
This race started with something like 60-70 riders. All Cat2/3 so we knew it was going to be a hard race. My goal for this race was to finish. The course was not all that technical, there were two brick sections that were not smooth, but not rough ennough to keep me from using my carbon wheels. The venue was awesome too. Last 200m baricaded with sponsors logos lining the street. A nice big start/finish line and a two story podium that housed the announcers, officials and winners podium.
I lined up at the very back of the group because I was doing a warmup lap when the riders were called to the line. The race started fast. A break was established for a while and I did what I could to help the team. My goal was to get to the front and do at least one pull through the start/finish line and get my name out there. So I started working my way to the front and man was it HARD! The feild was moving so fast that I had to expend most of my energy just to get around a few guys. At one point Big Ray went by me and I jumped in his draft. I finially got up to the front and sat on a West Coast Riders wheel for about half a lap. Then around the 200m to go sign I pulled through. That was a great feeling pulling the entire peloton across the brick streets.
After that I pretty much sat at the back. I used way too much energy and just wanted to stay with the group. So I dodged the dropped riders and managed to hold on. With about 2-3 laps to go, there was a crash. Darrell had been pushed into another rider and 4-5 guys went flying to the pavement. I was so far back that I had no trouble getting around the mess.
On the last lap I just held my position and finished with Alan A. and Brent D. I ended up 28th. Not bad for my first Cat 2 caliber race.
After the race I stayed and got footage of the Pro Mens and Pro Womens races. I have about 4 hours of video to get through, so I will post when I have time to edit.
ANN ARBOR
Rain started the day off gloomy. And it was the cause of some crashes in the early races. By the time our race started the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to peak out from around the clounds.
It was nice having a race nice and close. I had 7 of my freinds, my parents two of my brothers all show up to watch me race. Most of them have never seen a race like this, and deffinitly not a this caliber. So I was exited to have a fan base and wated to ride well.
This course was beautiful. I loved it. Techincal and fast with some "climbing." It was a tough tough course with only 1-2 spots that allowed you to move up in the peloton. We thought the feild was going to split for sure.
The race started and I went immeditatly to the front. I didnt want to go down on the first lap in some of the technical corners. We started with 55-60ish riders again today. On the last hill before the finish, I went to the front to pull. No one was interested in matching my speed, so I said what the heck and went for an early break. It was good publicity for me and the team. I did a 2 lap solo breakaway and then sat for a while in the feild.
For the next several minutes I just stayed in the draft, moved up on the hills and held a good line through the turns. However, Nathaniel Williams got off the front and had a signifigant gap. Thats when the pace just skyrocketed. Riders were dropping off the back like flies, they were all abandoning or getting pulled at the line.
I worked as hard as I could to stay with the feild, and trust me, there are times I almost quit. But I didnt want to dissapoint my freinds so I stayed in there. With about 3 laps to go, we realized we picked up the chase WAY too late. The course was too technical for the peloton to close the gap.
With 3 laps to go, they called a prime. I had no intention of going for it at all. But as we rounded the second to last corner at the bottom of the hill, I was sitting 4th wheel. It was for $50. So I took off on the hill. I thought that if I had a big enough gap on the hill, I could hold it to the finish. I was almost right. I looked back with about 100m to go and saw Brendon Benson comming after me. I used everything I had to get to the line first...but he is a great sprinter. Needless to say, I didnt win it. I lost it by about this [ ]much.
After that, Brendon and I both tried to get on the back of the feild. But it was useless. We both used all of our energy in the prime and rode in behind the pack. I finished dead last....but I finished. Remember I said we started with 60 riders. I placed 24th. We lost 2/3 of the peloton to an awesome race!
After the race I went to eat at BDs with my family. I then took footage of the Mens Pro race which included Frankie Andreu.
Congrats to Eric Chris and Scott who rode well this weekend. Eric managed 4th on both days. Chris was 5th in Ann Arbor. Scott was 9th in Grand Rapids and 14th in Ann Arbor.
It was a great race and I cant wait untill next year. THANK YOU PRIORITY HEALTH!
That is the best way to describe these races. I cannot wait untill next year, I am going to peak for these races. Colton, you need to come back here for these races next year.
GRAND RAPIDS
This race started with something like 60-70 riders. All Cat2/3 so we knew it was going to be a hard race. My goal for this race was to finish. The course was not all that technical, there were two brick sections that were not smooth, but not rough ennough to keep me from using my carbon wheels. The venue was awesome too. Last 200m baricaded with sponsors logos lining the street. A nice big start/finish line and a two story podium that housed the announcers, officials and winners podium.
I lined up at the very back of the group because I was doing a warmup lap when the riders were called to the line. The race started fast. A break was established for a while and I did what I could to help the team. My goal was to get to the front and do at least one pull through the start/finish line and get my name out there. So I started working my way to the front and man was it HARD! The feild was moving so fast that I had to expend most of my energy just to get around a few guys. At one point Big Ray went by me and I jumped in his draft. I finially got up to the front and sat on a West Coast Riders wheel for about half a lap. Then around the 200m to go sign I pulled through. That was a great feeling pulling the entire peloton across the brick streets.
After that I pretty much sat at the back. I used way too much energy and just wanted to stay with the group. So I dodged the dropped riders and managed to hold on. With about 2-3 laps to go, there was a crash. Darrell had been pushed into another rider and 4-5 guys went flying to the pavement. I was so far back that I had no trouble getting around the mess.
On the last lap I just held my position and finished with Alan A. and Brent D. I ended up 28th. Not bad for my first Cat 2 caliber race.
After the race I stayed and got footage of the Pro Mens and Pro Womens races. I have about 4 hours of video to get through, so I will post when I have time to edit.
ANN ARBOR
Rain started the day off gloomy. And it was the cause of some crashes in the early races. By the time our race started the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to peak out from around the clounds.
It was nice having a race nice and close. I had 7 of my freinds, my parents two of my brothers all show up to watch me race. Most of them have never seen a race like this, and deffinitly not a this caliber. So I was exited to have a fan base and wated to ride well.
This course was beautiful. I loved it. Techincal and fast with some "climbing." It was a tough tough course with only 1-2 spots that allowed you to move up in the peloton. We thought the feild was going to split for sure.
The race started and I went immeditatly to the front. I didnt want to go down on the first lap in some of the technical corners. We started with 55-60ish riders again today. On the last hill before the finish, I went to the front to pull. No one was interested in matching my speed, so I said what the heck and went for an early break. It was good publicity for me and the team. I did a 2 lap solo breakaway and then sat for a while in the feild.
For the next several minutes I just stayed in the draft, moved up on the hills and held a good line through the turns. However, Nathaniel Williams got off the front and had a signifigant gap. Thats when the pace just skyrocketed. Riders were dropping off the back like flies, they were all abandoning or getting pulled at the line.
I worked as hard as I could to stay with the feild, and trust me, there are times I almost quit. But I didnt want to dissapoint my freinds so I stayed in there. With about 3 laps to go, we realized we picked up the chase WAY too late. The course was too technical for the peloton to close the gap.
With 3 laps to go, they called a prime. I had no intention of going for it at all. But as we rounded the second to last corner at the bottom of the hill, I was sitting 4th wheel. It was for $50. So I took off on the hill. I thought that if I had a big enough gap on the hill, I could hold it to the finish. I was almost right. I looked back with about 100m to go and saw Brendon Benson comming after me. I used everything I had to get to the line first...but he is a great sprinter. Needless to say, I didnt win it. I lost it by about this [ ]much.
After that, Brendon and I both tried to get on the back of the feild. But it was useless. We both used all of our energy in the prime and rode in behind the pack. I finished dead last....but I finished. Remember I said we started with 60 riders. I placed 24th. We lost 2/3 of the peloton to an awesome race!
After the race I went to eat at BDs with my family. I then took footage of the Mens Pro race which included Frankie Andreu.
Congrats to Eric Chris and Scott who rode well this weekend. Eric managed 4th on both days. Chris was 5th in Ann Arbor. Scott was 9th in Grand Rapids and 14th in Ann Arbor.
It was a great race and I cant wait untill next year. THANK YOU PRIORITY HEALTH!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Priority Eve
So I am sitting here in my room at the Courtyard Marriot in downtown Grand Rapids the night before the race.
I got here about an hour and a half before my parents and waited in the lobby for a while. I got to see Jamie Smith, the Colavita girls, Jittery Joes and Team Type one riders all come in. If I had thought about it sooner, I would have asked the Colavita girls if I could have gone on their ride with them, but I failed.
I wanted to talk to the Jittery Joes guys and tell them I was from the team, but they were a little busy and we never really met up after that. (Though they are literally directly across the hall from me.)
There is some party for the Priority race going on next door at the BOB, but I dont know what allows one to get into said party. So I went down to the eve on the ave and walked around with my parents. Now I am about to go to bed, because I am really tired.
School started this week, which is why Im tired, but thats a whole other post...
This race tomorrow is going to be AWESOME! Its going to be fast and its going to be hard. I cant wait.
I got here about an hour and a half before my parents and waited in the lobby for a while. I got to see Jamie Smith, the Colavita girls, Jittery Joes and Team Type one riders all come in. If I had thought about it sooner, I would have asked the Colavita girls if I could have gone on their ride with them, but I failed.
I wanted to talk to the Jittery Joes guys and tell them I was from the team, but they were a little busy and we never really met up after that. (Though they are literally directly across the hall from me.)
There is some party for the Priority race going on next door at the BOB, but I dont know what allows one to get into said party. So I went down to the eve on the ave and walked around with my parents. Now I am about to go to bed, because I am really tired.
School started this week, which is why Im tired, but thats a whole other post...
This race tomorrow is going to be AWESOME! Its going to be fast and its going to be hard. I cant wait.
Trophee and Devos Reports
TROPHEE
So this was a pretty fun race, but I didn't expect it to some down to a feild sprint. I went in as the team leader with 3 guys riding support for me. Scott did great on the flats, keeping me protected and at the front. Doug helped out at the front as well. Eric stayed near me, ready to make it to any break that might form.
On the hills, I would always end up off the fron with 4-5 other guys who were also good at climbing, but we never stayed out there and always ended back in the peloton.
Thats pretty much how it went, lap after lap. A break would form then it would get pulled back. The climbers would battle on the hills, but eventually be pulled back. There is too much flat road between the climbs. The race needs to finish on top of Col de Trois to make it really interesting.
Anyways...the last time up Col de Trois, I made a move and got some of the other climbers to go with me. We wanted to cut off the straglers and downsize the peloton. But it was expected, so once we were at the bottom of the decent and saw the peloton on us, we sat up and went to rest to try and battle out the last climb.
The approach the the final climb was great. Scott and Eric did an awesome lead out for me. I kept yelling "BOTTOM OF THE HILL!" and thats where they got me. However, there were about 5 guys who had just been sitting in doing NOTHING the whole race and they took off from about 350m. I stayed with them for about 300m and came undone in the last 50m.
I ended up 9th, just behind Tony in 7th and Eric in 6th. I was disapointed in my placing, I thought I could do better. But congrats to Alexey V. who finished with the 3/4 peloton. Too bad BB couldn't be at the race, I'm sure he would have been right up there too.
NOTE: Team Fusion, please inform the rider on your team that got lapped by the peloton, that attacking while being a lap down is bad form.
NOTE: I got to drive neutral support for the Masters and Womens. Video below.
DEVOS
Didnt race Sunday, but woke up Monday morning ready to race. I picked up my freind Jason who just moved here and is a cat 3. We drove over to Aubrun Hills where my parents met me with my race wheels which I hadn't brought to school.
After I registered I met up with the team which consisted of Joe, Scott, Dominick, Eric and me. A pretty strong team if you ask me. Other heavy hitters there were Antonuck, Minnema and Birmann.
The course was kind of an 'L' in a bowl. The two highest points were the 180-turns. There as also a 90-right turn and a 120-left turn. We knew the 180s were going to be a little sketchy. And they were. They took down about 4 riders and I was almost one of them. I clipped my pedal pretty bad exiting one of them.
The race was fast. 52 minutes at over 26mph. There were constant attacks and bridge attemps so it wasnt hard to move around the group, but hard to hold your position.
I made an attempt or two to get in a breakway. Scott Eric and Joe did too. None of us were very successful. The feild was riding very sketchy for some reason. It was just a 3 feild of about 40 riders, but it wasnt as relaxed and safe as it usualy is.
However, we did make it through to the end. As we came around the last 180, it was about a half mile to the line. I went to the front with Eric on my wheel with Scott on his. I dug as deep as I could to give Scott what he wanted. But it was too hard for Eric. A gap formed and it was too late to recover and get a good leadout. Scott was left to his own in the last 400m.
I was hurting bad so I sat up about 200m from the line. As the peloton flew by there were some elbows being thrown and riders sliding into each other. One rider went right into Scott which resulted in Dominick going down hard.
After we got him off the road and looked at by the paramedics, I got him to a care center where his wife met him. My dad thought he had broken his collar bone. It turns out he seperated his shoulder. So D is out for a while and I wish him a speedy recovery.
Seeing as I finished behind the feild, I didnt bother looking at results. But there was some mix up and the officials wrote me down as having finished 13th. They paid to 25 places. So now I have to see if I can get that money. haha.
So this was a pretty fun race, but I didn't expect it to some down to a feild sprint. I went in as the team leader with 3 guys riding support for me. Scott did great on the flats, keeping me protected and at the front. Doug helped out at the front as well. Eric stayed near me, ready to make it to any break that might form.
On the hills, I would always end up off the fron with 4-5 other guys who were also good at climbing, but we never stayed out there and always ended back in the peloton.
Thats pretty much how it went, lap after lap. A break would form then it would get pulled back. The climbers would battle on the hills, but eventually be pulled back. There is too much flat road between the climbs. The race needs to finish on top of Col de Trois to make it really interesting.
Anyways...the last time up Col de Trois, I made a move and got some of the other climbers to go with me. We wanted to cut off the straglers and downsize the peloton. But it was expected, so once we were at the bottom of the decent and saw the peloton on us, we sat up and went to rest to try and battle out the last climb.
The approach the the final climb was great. Scott and Eric did an awesome lead out for me. I kept yelling "BOTTOM OF THE HILL!" and thats where they got me. However, there were about 5 guys who had just been sitting in doing NOTHING the whole race and they took off from about 350m. I stayed with them for about 300m and came undone in the last 50m.
I ended up 9th, just behind Tony in 7th and Eric in 6th. I was disapointed in my placing, I thought I could do better. But congrats to Alexey V. who finished with the 3/4 peloton. Too bad BB couldn't be at the race, I'm sure he would have been right up there too.
NOTE: Team Fusion, please inform the rider on your team that got lapped by the peloton, that attacking while being a lap down is bad form.
NOTE: I got to drive neutral support for the Masters and Womens. Video below.
DEVOS
Didnt race Sunday, but woke up Monday morning ready to race. I picked up my freind Jason who just moved here and is a cat 3. We drove over to Aubrun Hills where my parents met me with my race wheels which I hadn't brought to school.
After I registered I met up with the team which consisted of Joe, Scott, Dominick, Eric and me. A pretty strong team if you ask me. Other heavy hitters there were Antonuck, Minnema and Birmann.
The course was kind of an 'L' in a bowl. The two highest points were the 180-turns. There as also a 90-right turn and a 120-left turn. We knew the 180s were going to be a little sketchy. And they were. They took down about 4 riders and I was almost one of them. I clipped my pedal pretty bad exiting one of them.
The race was fast. 52 minutes at over 26mph. There were constant attacks and bridge attemps so it wasnt hard to move around the group, but hard to hold your position.
I made an attempt or two to get in a breakway. Scott Eric and Joe did too. None of us were very successful. The feild was riding very sketchy for some reason. It was just a 3 feild of about 40 riders, but it wasnt as relaxed and safe as it usualy is.
However, we did make it through to the end. As we came around the last 180, it was about a half mile to the line. I went to the front with Eric on my wheel with Scott on his. I dug as deep as I could to give Scott what he wanted. But it was too hard for Eric. A gap formed and it was too late to recover and get a good leadout. Scott was left to his own in the last 400m.
I was hurting bad so I sat up about 200m from the line. As the peloton flew by there were some elbows being thrown and riders sliding into each other. One rider went right into Scott which resulted in Dominick going down hard.
After we got him off the road and looked at by the paramedics, I got him to a care center where his wife met him. My dad thought he had broken his collar bone. It turns out he seperated his shoulder. So D is out for a while and I wish him a speedy recovery.
Seeing as I finished behind the feild, I didnt bother looking at results. But there was some mix up and the officials wrote me down as having finished 13th. They paid to 25 places. So now I have to see if I can get that money. haha.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Trophee Video
Hey all,
Sorry its been a while. I have been trying to get internet access here at school. Then once I got it I have been running around buying books, eating and meeting people. So I had some downtime this morning so I edited these videos. Its not great work, but it gets the point across.
This video was shot while I was driving support for the Womens race. I had a tripod set up in the passengers seat. I have half of the first lap and the entire last lap but to music by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
This video was shot while I was driving support for the Masters race. The tripod had been taken down at this point and I was shooting the camera with one hand and driving with the other. I was paying attention to the road and the riders, not so much where the camera was pointed, so sorry if the image is less than par. And sorry about the cheesy music.
Sorry its been a while. I have been trying to get internet access here at school. Then once I got it I have been running around buying books, eating and meeting people. So I had some downtime this morning so I edited these videos. Its not great work, but it gets the point across.
This video was shot while I was driving support for the Womens race. I had a tripod set up in the passengers seat. I have half of the first lap and the entire last lap but to music by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
This video was shot while I was driving support for the Masters race. The tripod had been taken down at this point and I was shooting the camera with one hand and driving with the other. I was paying attention to the road and the riders, not so much where the camera was pointed, so sorry if the image is less than par. And sorry about the cheesy music.
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