Friday, July 27, 2007

uno mais foto espoir nationales

Espoir Nats and French Broad Classic

The finish of the tim trial at u23 nationals, it went okay. The course was open and wide and straight, with four turn-arounds! and it was fairly windy aka not really my kinda time trial but I think I managed 63rd. The most frustrating thing was that I couldn't line up at TT helmet, it kinda sucks not to have the proper equipment for nationals but whatever.
Mr Tollesson navigating the third turn-around. I was his minute man, so needless to say, I eventually saw him out on the course. Felt like the old LMC days!
Me negotiating the third turn-around, not to stoked about having to start the sweet slight grade without precious momentum haha.
In the start house. Ready to rock.

The road race went ok as well, I don't have any pics unfortunately but I managed to get through in the second group, in 81st place. Not stellar, but I was pleased to have finished and have a vibe that I was getting back on track.

My home race in Asheville was last weekend, the French Broad Cycling Classic. The time trial was brutally windy for the early starters, which included me, because I was too lazy to register early haha. So I was on a great pace until the turnaround, but didnt have the power to fight the headwind, and only ended up beating my time from last year by 1 second. But, my placing was higher...15th. I felt GREAT in the road race, "no chain" as Hincapie says. But in almost identical fashion to last year, I got a little excited and instead of waiting for the field sprint, I attacked with 1km to go...and got caught 50m from the line, sucked, but the reality of racing bikes. there was a break off, so it was only for 5th anyway. But it is frustrating to feel so good in front of your home crowd and not come up with the goods. But it's only one race after all. I ended up 15th, again. I'll just keep hoping one year they decide to make the race longer. please. haha. The course is really flat, and I actually really like it a lot, I do time trial practice on the exact loop that we raced. But unfortunately, when the course is easy, I need it to be long to really excel. One day...I'll win it.

The crit is a super tough course that I managed a very good result at last year, but this time around it was a suffer fest, there is a really sharpe turn before the climb, so you hit the climb at like 10mph and have to sprint up it every lap, and it worked me over pretty good. I couldn't do much more than sit in and survive. Amazingly....15th place, yes, again. Worst case senario, I can call my weekend performance consistant haha.

I am In Altoona PA right now, for the Tour de Toona. I'll do a TdT post as soon as it's over and I get some pics. Stay tuned

e

Monday, July 02, 2007

the new mtb

this is my new mountain bike, i just got it built this weekend. BMC aluminum frame, carbon rear triangle, cane creek zonos wheels, sid race, avid juicy brakes, filled out with xtr and sram x.o. weighs in at 22.8 lbs.

if i can get the engine in a little better shape maybe it can do some damage this fall on the collegiate circuit.