Sat. Ride

This is a special photo for me. It was the start of the last lap at the Suisun Criterium. The photo is a classic for me because I am right on the front and the other 3 riders along the front row with me have all won the BAR(Best All Around Rider) rankings for Northern California. The 3 riders I am surrounded by have all placed themselves as the best of their class, and there I was right in position among the very best in Northern California. The rest of the entire group is marking the leaders and the hierarchy is established. I was on the front and I was the one they were all marking. I need to continue to develop as my potential is beyond category....

I am racing on Sunday, so I waned to take it easy on the Saturday morning ride. However, I also wanted to climb with the lead group, so I did just that but did not do any attacks. I felt really solid on the climb and it whittled down to me and 3 of the best local riders. The pace was one of the fastest I have done up the entire climb. Yet I felt good and as if I could have attacked at any time. The other riders were on their limit and I felt I had something more to hit out with if I desired. But I am racing Sunday so I had to hold back and make sure I did not burn too many matches on the ride.

Riding

I have been working very hard on my riding....

Monday I had some good rest and worked on recovery from a hard weekend of racing.

Then Tuesday night my legs felt really good. I had the good sensations and on the final lap of the Circuit race I did some huge pulls to bring back 2 riders who were basically gone. I did a strong flyer up the first hill on course, then drove the pace along the false flat section. Then on the last set of rollers on course I simply pulled the whole way. A few riders were hanging on, but I was determined to sell out and pull back the break-away riders. Once I pulled the final rider back I just continued to drive the pace to the finish trying to set up my team mate for the sprint. It was nice to be able to drive the pace up the hills on the final lap and have my legs turning over well when the roads tilted upward.

Then on Wednesday I did a very hard hill repeat workout. This workout is crazy hard, but it is what I need to go through to get to how I want to ride. I followed the hill repeats with some sprints along the coast.

This weekend is a very demanding Circuit race in Vacaville and I will try my best to be a protagonist in that race.

Santa Cruz Road Race

Each year I want to have a good ride at the Santa Cruz Road Race. Fellow GT Dirt Coalition Team rider Dean Meyer has dominated the Pro division of this race in years past. Meyer also serves as my coach and advisor in matters of the bicycle, so I want to show him a good result in this race each year. It is a extremely hard race with a climb you must hit again and again and again. This year things did not work out. It was a great workout and it was also good to get worked over and suffer. Many people do not race because they do not like to get dropped or suffer. Me, I am always ready to put it on the line and have a fight for it. Sometimes I win, other times I get dropped, but whats most important is I am going out there and having at it. Each day I ride helps me improve, even if it is a bad time on the bike. You need the bad times on bike to get to the great times on the bike!

SAN ARDO ROAD RACE

I was eager to race at San Ardo, last year I almost won this race, and today I was feeling really good. My legs felt good and I was hoping for a good result. I felt excellent during the first 2 laps and was in the group when I looked up in the middle of lap 2 and a group had rolled off the front. Surprisingly none of the other riders reacted and next thing I know they were basically gone. I felt really frustrated because I raced too casual and did not monitor the action as I should have when I was feeling strong and ready to go.
It was a bad mistake.

TUES.-WED. RACING

I was able to make the winning breakaway's on both the Tuesday and Wednesday night races this week....

Tuesday was a good Circuit race in Ft Ord. A good group showed up and there were many talented riders in the pack. The speed was pretty fast during the entire time, except when a little Black Labrador jumped out in front of the group on the fastest DH section. It was a close call but the little dog was not hit, and no riders crashed.

On the last lap I followed a attack and then drove the pace to make sure the last lap move stuck. My legs were feeling good and it was nice to make the difference for the race win. I did the major pulls to keep the break ahead of any chasers and it was good to have good action in the legs and feel strong.

Then on Wed. night there was the Laguna Seca Twilight Track race. 6 laps on the famous track makes for good action. A very big group showed up, with all levels of riders taking part. At the start there must have been 40 to 50 riders going for it. The pace was all out right away, and the 2nd time up the hill the field completely blew apart. I made the split, leading the break with 4 other riders. A bunch of strong guys chased, including a few Pro caliber riders, but they missed the key move. It was myself and a CCCX team mate, and the 3 others, and we were the most on form climbers. Each time up the hill the pace was very steady and hard and it was a good break-away group. On the last lap there were no attacks up the hill, we seemed to be happy with our break and simply waited for the sprint. My CCCX team mate went for a good lead out trying to set me up. He signaled me to follow his lead out. But I was marked, so I eased up and he just rolled off the front as the other riders sat on my wheel, and then sprinted the final 400 yards on his own. It was a good win for him and the CCCX kit, and I was happy to play a role in his win. I had won the past 3 versions of this Twilight race, so I was content to see my CCCX team mate pull off the win. His name is John Pattullo & I gave him a nickname- "Primetime Pattullo", and it is a pleasure to set him up at times for the win.

On Top Of The Mountain

Here is where I started my ride, and almost 2 hours later I was at the very summit of this beautiful mountain. It is a long ride to the very top, but well worth the time and effort....
At the very top I encountered the giant Tarantula. It is our biggest spider and is large enough to be able to feed on lizards, mice, and birds. These giant spiders can live for years, with some taking over 10 years to reach full maturity. The oldest Tarantula on record was 49 years of old....

Sunday, after the Criterium race I did a MTB ride on the Zaskar to the very top of Mt Diablo as a sort of cool down ride. Mt Diablo is our biggest mountain in this area, and it took me about 1 hour 45 minutes to reach the summit on my Zaskar. At the very top It was nice to see the amazing panoramic view of the entire Bay Area.

It was also nice to witness the largest spider in our area, the giant Tarantula!!

The giant Tarantula only dwells high on the upper slopes of Mt Diablo, usually above the 3000 ft. mark.

I like to ride Mt Diablo to climb and climb and climb, because the hill is so long to summit. But most of all I like the ride back down the mountain, because I love descending. And I like seeing the great wild life that live high above the human filled valley's.

Suisun Criterium

My team mate was working to set me up with 2 laps to go, but I gave him a gap and he had the amazing strength to go solo for the win, while the rest of the field stayed behind me hesitating to chase.....
The speed is always fast at the Suisun Criterium, I have been frustrated by never making the top 10 in this race. This year I made the top 10!....

This past Sunday was the Suisun Criterium held near San Francisco. This is a fast paced Crit. on a short circuit, which makes the racing action go off at a very high speed. I have never made top 10 in this race, and was hoping to get in the top 10 this year to claim more BAR ranking points, as BAR points only go to the top 10 finishers.

It was lined out for most of the race. I did not feel great but did the best I could to hang in there. In the end I got right on the front with 3 laps to go. My team mate was working to set me up, but I eased up while he was driving the field and suddenly he had a gap solo. The entire field was behind me, and my team mate is rolling solo off the front by himself with 1 and 3/4 laps to go.

It was amazing to watch, my team mate went solo the rest of the way, and barely held it to the line claiming the win! It was sweet to watch my team mate win and good for him! It was a amazing ride!

I had my hands full with 60 other racers all fighting me for placing. The final 2 corners were very hectic. I was swamped by some crazy passing in the final corners, but then was able to pass back a few of them. It was sort of a inside out-outside in situation. In the end I was 7th place. I was pleased with this finish because my goal was to somehow get in the top 10 and claim a few BAR points. The field was stacked with talent and for my Road Race team to get 2 riders in the top 10 and the win was stellar for the team. I am sure we were the only team with 2 in the top 10.

American Bad Ass

Lance Armstrong is the real deal. This guy goes out and does Cyclocross races, Mtn Bike races, as well as stuff on the Road. My kinda guy. If he would just do some Downhill stuff and Dual Slalom he would really be close to my range of riding. But I will give him a break because he can drop me in the stuff he focusses on! And I am sure if he wanted to he could do the Downhill stuff as well because Armstrong is one serious bad ass on a bike!

Friday Intervals

Today my interval workout took place right above this cove where the view is one of the most scenic in the California...

It was a 3 hour ride today. I mixed in my coaches choice intervals on the brutal section of road right above Still Water Cove in Pebble Beach. The view in this section of the forest is amazing.

Then I mixed in some flat intervals in my big gear just to get the feeling of sprinting in my 11 cog.

Race Sunday.

Weekend Race

Another podium visit in what has been an amazing season of racing....

This weekend there is a very big race near San Francisco I will be competing in. The field is loaded with talent and the competition will be very strong, which is par for the course in the Nor-Cal Road events. I must race aggressive.

Today's Ride

The photo above is one of my regular riding routes on Tuesday night. This bike path gets me into Ft Ord where the Circuit race workout takes place. Click on the photo to enlarge it, and you can see basically the same view I have on most of my rides on this trail....



Below you can see the scenic road I like to ride thru Pebble Beach. In this area the roads are super well maintained and there is not too much automobile traffic off of the main tourist roads. It really is a cycling paradise.....

Many of my rides take place along this coastal road where land meets sea to produce stellar vistas....

It was 3 hours 30 minutes on the Road bike today. The Tuesday Circuit practice race had some very fast moments in it. At times the speed gets really going and if your not on your game you will be dropped. I like these work outs, and I am happy to have created this Circuit race workout. Each time the Circuit race delivers action. And it seems there is always surprises and different outcomes week to week. A few weeks in a row I have won back to back times. But it is a rare occasion when the same story plays out on the road. Also this workout race really helps the riders who take part. I can see the riders who continually make the session advance as cyclists, and this is one of the reasons I wanted to host a Circuit race practice session on Tuesday nights. I like to help others get strong on the bike. And if others are strong on the bike, this enables me to continue to develop my strength as well. I need to be pushed to develop my game. I could do intervals solo, and that is great at times. But if your not reacting to other riders attacks and tactics in a race like environment, you will be lacking that sharpness when it comes to the real thing.

Ride Time

The first hour of my ride cruised past acres and acres of Strawberry fields....
The final part of my ride was along the coastline where Monterey has some incredible scenery....

It was 4 hours today on the Road bike. I kept the pedals turning over smoothly and covered 68 miles during the ride. There was lots of wind today. so I made sure to find some good tail wind sections to make me feel fast.

Saturday Ride

This is one of the spots along my bike ride that kick out tremendous views again and again......

It was the Saturday morning group ride for me this weekend. It was super misty and very foggy along the coast, but the temperature was mild and the day was excellent for riding. Inland it was as sunny as it can be, but along the coastline it was pea-soup type of fog.

I felt solid during the ride, and was first to the top of the climb. The climb separated the riders, and in the end it came down to me and four others. At the top I was able to accelerate and get a gap on the others. My time for the entire climb was one of the fastest this season.

Then I kept riding, and pumped out 5 hours and 80 miles total. With no races for me this weekend it was nice to get in some fun riding on the road bike.

Goal Reached

Another podium result next to the best riders in Northern California~ I have made podium finish after podium finish this year. It really has been amazing, and these top 5 finishes have enabled me to reach a major goal I set for myself at the beginning of the race season....
This race season I set a goal that was way high. It was one of those goals you dream about, but maybe is unrealistic and too high to attain. It was a goal so high that to climb that mountain and reach that goal could be too demanding and difficult.

Well, I did reach this goal. It has been amazing to get to this point where I actually reached a place I wanted to work for, and actually made it even if it seemed like to big a task.

At the start of the race season one of my goals was to achieve over 100 BAR Ranking points for the NCNCA cycling region. Each year only a handful of riders get over 100 ranking points in the Best All Around Rider(BAR) ranking system. Only the true greats of Nor-Cal Road Racing can get 100 points by the end of the season. The races are too difficult and the competition too stiff to earn so many points. Only the best of the best get over 100 BAR points.

So I set a goal of making over 100 BAR points. I knew it would take great finish after great finish, in race after race, to get over 100 BAR points.

Amazingly that has been it for me. I have made so many good finishes that it really has been a amazing ride. I have made so many podiums and so many high finishes, that now I have 107 BAR points total.

Reaching this goal will only make me work harder!

Master 35+ 1/2/3 Points

1. Christopher Phipps- Team Spine/Specialized - 218

2. Alex Holtz- EMC 2/Felt Bicycles - 120

3. Kevin Metcalfe - Team Specialized - 120

4. Dean LaBerge- Team Specialized - 118

5. Chris Wire- SJBC/SugarCRM - 114

6. Keith DeFiebre- NorCal Elite Cycling - 107

7. William Innes - Team Specialized - 96

8. Dan Martin - Safeway/Bicycles Plus- 94

9. Judd Van Sickle - Rocknasium- 92

10. Michael Sayers - Amgen/Giant Masters - 91

There are over 200 riders who are ranked in this division, and I am so thankful for reaching the goal I set to be one of the few who reach 100 BAR points.

Pedaling

I am definitely finding another level of form on the Road Bike....
One of my favorite places to ride, Pebble Beach....
Today I saw one of these bad boys on my ride. I always keep a eye out for whales when I ride along the Pacific Ocean....

It was 3 hours today of pedaling. The weather was amazing. The Pacific Ocean sparkled while reflecting the bright sunshine from above. I spotted a huge breach of a California Gray Whale, it seemed the whale was extra large, maybe 50 feet in length.

I went into the hills above Pebble Beach, where the view is epic and the mansions exquisite.

I worked on my riding, and put effort into improving as a cyclist.

Training...

On the podium at the California State Masters Criterium Championships. It was an honor to make 3rd place in this Championship race.....

Today was 4 hours of fast riding on the Road bike. At the Tuesday night Circuit practice race I felt really tight early on, but as the race kept going I felt better and better. In the end my attack with 4 hills to go broke up the group and was the deciding move of the night. I was pretty sore after doing 3 races this past weekend, yet I know the hard racing will help me as the Road season rolls along.

Tomorrow I will be back on the bike......

Race Action

Leading the Pro 1/2 race with 2 laps to go....

Here is the start of the last lap in the Pro 1/2 race. You can see me right on the front. It was super demanding to work into that position, and it was non stop fighting and elbow banging just to get up to the front of the 80 rider Pro 1/2 field for the last laps. Have a close look at that photo and you can see riders to my right actually shoving and pushing each other for position. That is how it goes down, the strongest riders pushing and shoving for position. I worked very hard to set myself up after 68 miles of fast paced action, but I had no power left for the final 75 yards of the sprint....
It was a very greuling weekend on the bike and now I am super sore after constant surges and constant sprints over two days of racing....

It was solid race action this past weekend. Saturday I was feeling quite good in the Ft Ord Road race, until a flat ended my day on lap 3 of 6.

Sunday was the Tampani Crit. in San Jose. In the Master 1/2/3 race I had a team mate in a early break and was forced to shut down any chasing. I felt really good for this finish and it was difficult to not race for the win, but with a team mate up the road I had no chances. I was forced to not chase and take one for the team. I did feel quite good in the race, and this showed as I was 2nd in the field sprint against the rest of the group.

In the Pro 1/2 race the action was very hectic. There were over 80 Pro 1/2 riders and the riding was all done elbow to elbow. Many times there was contact between riders and the gaps were very close in the turns. The pace was super fast as it came down to a sprint for the win. I worked my way into the front position of the group with 2 to go, then came into the final turn in 6th place. This effort to get right on the front was super demanding and I did not have any sprint left for the line. I basically sat up with 75 yards to go and still finished high. In retrospect I should have kept sprinting and I would have finished even higher as 7 riders at least sprinted past me at the end after I sat up. It was some very fast riding and a great workout for pack racing, sprinting and tactics. On this day I did 70 miles in about 3 hours. Now my legs are very sore.