DCMTB

Here’s a video I shot with my digi camera – not great quality, but captures the energy of the race…

ps – watch the volume, there is some screaming.

Evan

eaelupus.wordpress.com

Evan Ellicott 2006, Cyclocross

Great course in Rhody. Beautiful weather. Lots of beer. I wish Nats were going to be back in the northeast next year.

After taking the red-eye from San Fran on Friday night and getting in Saturday morning, friend/coach Josef picked me up and we went straight to the park to watch the races. I was beat and my back was killing from a week’s worth of being on my feet and talking with like-minded nerds at the AGU conference, but some beer and pulled pork got me back into shape.

Next morning we set out early to the course. Matt, Judd Walencikowski, Kyle Murphy, Josef, and I got to the park and did a warm up lap. The course was much slicker than what we witnessed the pros race on the day earlier. After the first group raced, the course turned to peanut butter…and made things difficult early on in our race – as can be seen by the pix. By afternoon, it had dried out again, which made the course really fast – but our conditions made it rather comical to start.
I started in the 6th row, which is not bad considering there had to be about 15 rows with 170+ racers. I had a good start and felt pretty good. My back never acted up, but I was feeling the effects of travel. My legs were heavy and lungs chalky by the closing laps. By about middle of the 2nd lap I found myself with the a small lead group of 5. One rider attacked and we all just watched him get a gap. My strategy was to let him go and hopefully he’d get reeled in later. More of a survival strategy as I felt like I was pinned and couldn’t chase him down anyway. Before the next long run up I had moved to the front of the group, was sitting in 2nd, and had gotten a small gap. At the top of the run up my strategy was quickly altered. I had dropped my chain remounting and it jammed between the crank arm and chain ring. I continued to peddle, only making matters worse at it wrapped around on itself. I tried to fix it while staying in the saddle – and then – SLAM! At the last second before impact I saw the telephone pole that would deviate my plans. I had drifted to the edge of the course near the road and like the titanic, ramped head first. Over the bars, but back up quickly, fixed my chain and going. Well, not yet. Seems the impact was hard enough to knock my front tufo clincher off the rim. In a daze of anoxia I couldn’t figure out why my bike no-workie anymore. Finally the screaming fans made sense as they explained to this stunned rider the issue with the tire. Surprisingly, the tufo popped on quickly and I was on my way.

And that’s how it went. I stuffed my head into the pain cave to make up the lost ground, but eventually could only do so much. In fact, I faded in the last 1/4 lap and lost two positions. My fight was gone – I was exhausted more than any other cross race this season and happy to just finish. Nonetheless, it was a great time with racing, spectating, a little boozing, eating, and talking shop. Fun to hang with JoFo, Mike, Tris, Roger, and others.

Maybe Kansas next year.

Evan

I’ll post pix on my blog later

Evan Ellicott 2006, Cyclocross

Crank Brother pedals suck. Last night at the W@W race I had my 2nd encounter with a pedal coming off it’s spindle. Last year it was at a Cranky Monkey race with my Eggbeaters – this time with my Candy pedals. At least I was gorged like last year – a scar that remains on my calf to remind me to get rid of these things.

That said, although I only did one lap in the single speed race, the folks at Potomac Velo were sympathetic to my situation and let me jump in the expert race for free. Luckily, I had brought my road bike with me to work in case of another rain-out at Wakefield – at least I could still get a ride in and last week the Greenbelt race was a go despite the momentary thunderstorms. So with my road shoes strapped on and my speedplays mounted I road off into the proverbial sunset. It was brutally humid and I soon returned to the tropical-like canopy of the Wakefield trails. This time at least I finished and had the company of fellow CBers, Kent, Matt, Joel, and DT to suffer with.

Evan

Evan Ellicott 2006

by Evan

Well you got the jist from Eric’s and Chris’s reports. Attacked, decided to stick it out – a move that was a lap too early and proved fruitless. Lesson learned. Sat up, but when two riders bridged decided to stuff myself back into the hurt locker. Things were looking good, especially since one of my break companions was NCVC and there were 12 more back in the pack, presumably working for him. When he flatted, the game was up. My other break partner just had more energy and pulled away slowly after the dirt section. In hindsight I should have buried myself and stayed on his wheel….because he won. Still pisses me off. Oh well. That’s racing – lesson learned. Thanks to Eric and Judd for helping launch me and suffering to keep me away – for whatever it was worth – at least the majority of other roadies think were f*ing crazy – especially with the Lodi double up…

Evan Ellicott 2006

Race Report: Michaux Maximus 4/23/06

by Evan

Here’s the brief – as you already heard from Mike S. it was rainy, sloppy, slippery. A steep, long road climb quickly stretched our group. I was 2nd into the woods and then took the lead for a while. Got passed by Eric Roman who started a minute behind my group (expert senior) and tried to stay with him. That’s just not happening – that guy was flying (as usual, but now on a geared bike). My glasses fogged and my lack of mtb saddle time became more apparent. Stopped, took off the glasses, and got passed. Now in 2nd, but riding without impaired vision. Conditions worsened with heavier rain and my wee little arms were struggling to control the bike (again – too much road time). Relinquished 2nd and sat comfortably in 3rd going up the 15 minute double track climb – Dead Woman’s Hollow. I had 1st and 2nd in sight most of the climb and couldn’t see anyone behind me….giving me about 3 – 4 minutes on 4th place. At the top we were about 1:45 into the race. Then my world started to cave. I began to have the lightheadedness, drifting concentration, and fatigue that warn of the impending, dreaded bonk. Throttled back, slipped to 4th as my skills deteriorated and I began to cramp a little with every miscalculated technical move. I recovered and caught 3rd place on the final forest road. We must have had 3 miles to go and I wanted to stay with him to the end and pull out a roadie move of coming around for a sprint. Never happened. I cracked like an Easter egg! This time for real. Got passed eventually by the guy in 5th place behind me, putting me into 5th, as I crawled up the road to finish in 3:07.
Disappointing race as I felt really strong for about 2/3 of it (minus my technical riding which will hopefully come around soon). Officially I finished 6th, but a short cut apparently was discovered accidentally by several riders. I never saw anyone else pass me at the end besides the guy in 4th, and specifically not the guy who officially finished 4^th – however, in the pain cave it is often hard to see clearly. I think he slipped into our lead group without even knowing it and got passed by the 3rd place rider. On to Greenbrier…

Evan Ellicott 2006

by Evan

Quick briefs:

Stasburg, PA: cold! windy! this sucks! Raced 4/5 and nothing was getting away. Didn’t stop me from punishing myself with a last lap attack. It only lasted until I hit the brutal headwind on the backside of the course – about a half lap. Sprinted for 6th.

Strasburg part 2: A little warmer for the 3/4. MTB Pro (Trek/VW) Jeff Schalk decided to do a TT and didn’t realize this was a road race. He single handed destroyed the field and myself and 2 others just hung on for the ride. We tried to help to make sure the break – or pack – or whatever we had become – stayed away, but Jeff just liked being in the lead pulling us around. He got punked at the line and took 3rd. I got 4th. Not bad for the 2nd race of the day.

Kirkwood, PA: 4/5 race started with some rain and the Amish country roads were soon flowing with mud and um, horse poop? Great. Bike, legs, face, water bottles and mouth now cover in this “horse mud”. I put in some hard efforts to soften the field and it worked. We dwindled from 75 to about 15 and started to shed more weight. 2 guys took a flyer and I assumed we would just bring them back, but it soon became apparent the small lead field I was in was suffering and nobody wanted to work. I tried to bridge, but – like Strasburg – the wind was brutal and I was stuck in limbo. I sat up and waited for a very slowly approaching group. I tried to recruit some help, but the break was gone. I decided to just wait until the last mile where a steep climb would allow me to attack. It worked and only one guy could stay with me. As we approached the 200m I faked a sprint and he countered – dumb move on my part. Lots to learn in this road business.

Kirkwood part 2: 3/4 race…wind was getting much worse. On the final stretch we were echloning out and only going 12mph. I dropped my chain 3 times and chased back onto what was left of the lead pack – about 20 guys. 3rd time was a charm however. I went to the front, did my pull, and went right out the back door. I dwindled about 100m off the pack for a lap and then called it quits. 2 races and a saddle sore issue developing it seemed like a good idea.

Mt Joy, PA: 3/4 race was fast and, again, the pack was destroyed. Last lap there was only about 25 of us left. Two steep climbs and then rolling, twisting roads to the finish. First steep climb I downshifted into my smaller chainring – actually, the chain dropped and lodged in the frame. I dismounted and fumbled with it. Then started running up the hill. Quite a sight in road shoes…did my best impression of a cyclocross remount, calves cramping, and chased to save some honor as the pack took off. Finished 23rd. That sucked. I need to fix this front derailluer.

Evan Ellicott 2006