DCMTB

The team did well out there with good rides by Jonathan with his 2nd place, Joel getting 18th, Alex top 25, and Raul holding his own in the Masters Elite.

Racers race entries below:

Category:  1/2/3 Masters Men 35+/45+

33                                   Gwadz             Marc

48                                   Rojas             Raul

61                                   Poochigian        Brian

70         45+                       Rogers            John

Category:  3/4 Masters Men 35+

2                                    Seibold           Jonathan

18                                   gwadz             joel

54                                   twyman            corey

71                                   Vannier           Dave

74                                   Foley             Joe

Category:  2/3/4 Men

21                                   Ebright           Alex

87                                   Scardaville       Michael

Marc G.

As the dutch like to say- “Een goed begin is het halve werk”
(a good start is half the work)
unfortunately, I had a crappy start (desptie my decent 3rd row starting
spot) and had to work twice as hard to try to make up for it! overall I
felt pretty good and passed a lot of people for a few laps. by the last
lap or so my legs were worn out and I lost back a few spots, settling
for 33rd.of ~ 90 in the elite masters.
I had a good time though- charm city is a great race, and with huge,
fast fields. it was fun to have a good number of guys racing.

Joel G.

My legs are tired… I am tired… it is hard to believe that a less than one hour effort on the bike could make a person so sore and so tired.  Yesterday was what many consider to be the season opener for the 2009 Cyclocross Season in the Mid-Atlantic.  Like so many others I approached the day with a flurry of excitement and anxiety.  My arrival to Druid Hill Park offered just enough time to suit up, register, do a quick up and back on the road/half a lap pre-ride and then line up for the start.  I was pleased with how the pre-registration gave me a slot in the third row My goal was to maintain my position at the finish It was a tough day on the bike with some drama with three laps to go.  Even with a mid-race glitch I was able to achieve my goal which had me finish 18^th our of 125 racers!   YE HA!  I have not finished that far up since back in the day when there were 25-40 racers.

John R.
My goal for the race was to keep the rubber side down and not get hurt, not get lapped, and not be DFL, in that order.  Mission accomplished, but it was a wild ride.  Each year I wonder why I do CC, given that it is not a MABRA race, and given my bad history of starts at CC.  Every year the start at CC throws up something interesting.  This year, someone else went through the tape in the prologue, yet I managed to get the tape wrapped around my tires, head tube, down tube and seat tube.  It took about a minute to clear and I was completely DFL by at least 100 yds b/f I could get moving again.  I tell the C-3 guy marshaling the course and looking upon me with pity that I didn’t even leave the course, he manages a consoling smile and shoulder shrug that somehow made me feel better.  Anyhow, I’ve been in that position b/f at CC, so off we go. 
I finally make my way back to the field, when I realize that I have no front brakes.  Hmm…I touched every bolt last night…nevertheless, the cable hanger bolt slipped…ok…who needs brakes.  Then I got to feeling pretty good, as my crossresults.com arch nemesis from B Masters a couple years back was just ahead.  I spent a couple of laps chasing him, and actually managed to pass him once.  Cool. 
By this time though, the terrible sand from the sandpit was ready to take its toll, as a case of no-unclipulitus occured right before the barrier by the start/finish.  Hmm, I think…voluntarily stack it or run into the barrier…Oh yeah, I’m moving while thinking this, and I end up splitting the difference with the dismount and ground surfing in a manner bringing laughter to those who saw it.  Having brought mirth to the onlookers, I was thinking the gods might favor me…no…my shfiter had shifted position on the handlebar b/c of the wreck, caclunk, caclunk, caclunk…good-bye arch nemisis and group around him. 
Oh well. on the last lap I spied a guy in a kit I didn’t recognize about 200 yds ahead and set off in search of him.  I finally caught him on the asphalt climb and then pipped him at the line for 81st (or something like that–I have no idea where I finished)!!!  Woo hoo!!!
Seriously though, I had a great time and I’m psyched for the start of the MABRA series.
I also think I’ll keep doing Elite Masters b/c I can sleep in and still race (a great thing since I have  high schooler and am up at 5:30 every morning).
Finally, thanks to all the DCMTBers for cheering me on (way cool)!

Pooch

That was one strange start from row ten or so.  I didn’t even hear a whistle.  My goal was to simply finish higher than my starting position.  I’ll make the assumption that there were 77 starters in front of me, plus another 20 or so behind.  Things got moving quickly enough though, and I probably advanced 20 or so positions after the first few slow corners.  Pre-riding definitely helped there.  The dust was pretty overwhelming at times.  Once we all got in line, to my surprise I could see Marc followed by Raul probably 5 seconds/positions ahead and thought that if I could maintain this pace, I’d be really happy.  Well, that didn’t quite work out after I made the mistake of glancing at the “3 laps to go” sign.  The Marc/Raul train was pulling away.  Then Evan passed me, and I felt stronger for a few seconds…  Then I just decided to try be silly and ride the sand pit – almost made it.  It felt like less effort than running and didn’t cost any positions.  Sometime late in the last two laps Joe Fritsch passed me and 13 others – talk about late race surge.  Except for the final lap, I was pleased with my riding.  My bike behaved nicely too.  Think I finished 61st.  I might dabble in the A Masters again.

Darren News

2009 DCCX Presented by Family Bike Shop and Fueled by Whole Foods Market

With Support from Blue Ridge,  Sticky Fingers bakery, Gam printers, BikeReg.com, and GAMJAMS.net

Oct 25, 2009 at the AFRH

DCCX- Presented by Family Bike Shop-  DC’s only Cyclocross race!

register at Bikereg.com

(We expect some classes to fill and registration order affects race-day staging)

Questions can be directed to race directors Matt Donahue (mattydonahue@hotmail.com) or Marc Gwadz (dc.cyclocross@gmail.com)

Family Bike Shop of Crofton, MD and Whole Foods Market are sponsoring the Elite race purses- $1000 each. DCCX will also have a $250 purse for the Elite Masters race.

Other sponsors: Glover Park’s Blue Ridge Restaurant, Sticky Fingers Bakery,  The Embassy of Belgium, and Bikereg.com.

DCCX – Presented by Family Bike Shop is Washington, DC’s only cyclocross race, held on October 25th on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. The historic venue near Georgia Ave. in northwest Washington is transformed for the race into a festival celebrating biking and the sport’s northern European roots. More than a race, the DC Mountain Bike Team, which sponsors, has crafted an event celebrated by participants and spectators for good food, beverages and fun.

Whole Foods Market will be on hand to distribute some goodies, host club DCMTB will be cooking up frites, and the DC Dutch club will make special mini-pancakes, all free of charge. Other sponsors include beer from Blue Ridge restaurant, yummy vegan baked goods from Sticky Fingers Bakery,  and the Embassy of Belgium. There are no food concessions on site, so bring a lunch and enjoy the free refreshments while watching the premier afternoon events.

The 2009 race is the third annual incarnation of the event, which is part of the nine-part series of the Mid-Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association. Last year’s DCCX, with more than 400 racers, was the largest race in the MABRA history. Proceeds from the race are donated to help veterans living at the facility, which had been a summer retreat for Abraham Lincoln.

Cyclocross is a unique biking discipline which was initially contrived as a way to allow road racers keep fit as cold weather took hold in the northern European autumn. Riders use bikes that look like road bikes -those used in the Tour de France — but with thicker, beefier tires to handle the grass, trails and mud of the course.

The races at DCCX will run from 40 to 60 minutes over loops of the course. The course sports barriers — for which riders must dismount and run — and lots of sharp turns around trees, a special cobblestone path as well as tough climbs and open grass.

Racing begins at 9am with the entry-level class and culminates with the Women’s Elite race presented by Whole Foods Market at 1:30 and the Men’s Elite race presented by Family Bike Shop at 2:30.

Announcer Sean “Bega” Blumenthal, director  Hub Racing

Darren News

We had guest instructor Mike Birner come out and do some good drills for those less, and more experienced.  Next Wed is the 4th and last clinic with MAC, Mabra, and defending(2x) DCCX champinion Wes Schempf of C3- Athletes Serving Athletes

free for USAC -licensed riders.
$5  for unlicensed riders. (for one-day USAC event fee)

6:15-7:15

Fort Reno Park NE DC

Darren News

The first of the DC CX clinics had some ladies to enjoy the nice weather.  Next week the boys are added to the mix.

2009 DCMTB Cyclocross Clinics:

Introduction to some basic skills. Plus drills and practice course

First four Wednesdays of September at Fort Reno, DC:  6:15 – ~7:30 (light permitting)
Sign-up on-site at 6pm.

9/2, DC-ChiX (w

omen only). Instructor: Arley Kemmerer, Hub Racing

9/9- DCMTB’s Marc Gwadz with Arley Kemmerer and Marjan Huizing of Kenda Racing

9/16 Mike Birner of Mid-Maryland Coaching

9/23 Wes Schempf of C3- Athletes Serving Athletes, defending MAC and MABRA-CX Series  Elite Champion.

Free for USAC -licensed riders.
$5  for unlicensed riders. (for one-day USAC event fee)

Fort Reno bandstand: http://tinyurl.com/5w25gx

Darren 2009, Press Releases

8/29/09

18 Hours of Scouts Honor

For the 2009 race season, this was to be my last mountain bike relay race. Scouts Honor is probably the best bang for buck relay race in the Mid-Atlantic Region. It takes place at a boy scouts camp that has cabins, teepees and a fort you can stay in–or you can camp out. The added bonus compared to other races is indoor plumbing for toilets and showers and even an A/C mess hall with free breakfast!

Ian going Solo

The DCMTB Team was to be comprised of Darren, Mike, Tyler and Leland. Mike unfortunately got hurt in a wreck 2 weeks prior and was not able to attend. We had decided just to give it a go as a 3-person team in the 4-person division and use it for training for the SM100. One big hurdle is getting to the race. It happens to be the same weekend that many kids are going back to college, so a 2-hr trip took us 4 hours.

We get to the race 15 minutes before the required team meeting, and at registration we ended up picking up a random rider whose name was Mike. Coincidence? He was the Hawley rep for Richmond. I asked him if he was fast and he said he was expert skills and sport level fast, so I figured he would be ok. We set up our camp site right on the course so that once someone came by, you would have five minutes to get down to the start/finish.

The Start

It was decided that I would do the first lap. The race had a casual roll out lap and then we were on the race course. I tried to stay near Calvin and Ian (a new DCMTB member). I ended up passing them both and hooked up with the lead group. We were going around and I was feeling pretty good. The trail was really fast, and at this point it was too dry, being a little washed out at the corners. I was starting to feel a little itchy, and I noticed that there was a fast single speeder that was about three riders in front of me that wasn’t going as fast as I would like on the straightaways. I went to look ahead and had an out-of-nowhere pedal strike on an isolated rock. I then was bucked off my seat, riding my top tube, veering off toward a destined wreck. I ended up in a four-foot ditch off the trail, very stunned. I tried to get my wits about me and get back on the trail. Surprisingly, no one had come up behind me yet. We must’ve had a 30-40 second gap. So I get back on the bike and for the next two miles I’m kind of out of it, but riding ok. I ended up finishing the lap with a 46.

The rest of the guys put in solid laps with Tyler doing a low 50s and Leland putting in I think a 50 and our new recruit Mike putting in something in the mid-50s.

2nd Lap

The Scouts Honor race is different from most races because it is mostly a nighttime race. It starts at 4 p.m. and goes until 10 a.m. On my second lap I was hoping to get it in before nightfall. I went blazing out of the gates and was really feeling good. Since I had already done one lap I was more familiar with the terrain and was able to take my lines a little better. I passed Calvin and several other riders and then came upon one of the two unicyclists in the race. I was calling out, “Behind you. Behind you. I’m coming behind you,” but that did not seem to make him pull to the side of the trail. So I ended up right on his wheel during a rooty downhill section. He then wrecked. On a side note, when unicyclists wreck, they don’t wreck like mountain bikers. When unicyclists wreck, they jump off the bike and leave the unicycle right in the trail. I ended up hitting his tire with my front tire, which then exploded my front tire off my rim (I was running tubeless stands with UST rims). I swore, which I don’t usually do, because our team was in one of the top two positions at the time. That was kinda the unicyclist’s fault (I did talk to him later and he said he had called out to me, but I was not able to hear what he was saying). What was my fault was that I had a hole in my spare tube that I had not used for a year, and my air cartridges were not working correctly. I ended up messing around for 20 minutes on the trail until several people came and helped me, giving me a tube and air. So that lap turned into a 1:09, with me having to use my light for the second half of the lap. The other guys pulled pretty strong laps and so although we went from second to third, we were looking good.

3rd Lap

On the third lap, I went out on a mission to try to recoup some of that time that I’d lost on the flat. I really pushed it on the hills and tried to keep a fast pace through the corners. I was finding that I was having to dig a little bit deeper than I would’ve liked on the uphills to keep my momentum going. I ended up pulling in a 46 minute lap–about the same speed as my first lap in the daylight–which was pretty incredible for me since my night laps are usually five to ten minutes slower depending on the course. Everyone else pulled some decent laps, keeping us firmly in third place.

4th Lap

The fourth lap is the dreaded lap of all…it is the late night/early morning lap. I went out at 3 a.m. or so and wanted to keep it going. I had eaten well and stretched out, so I was ok physically. My main issue during this lap was my focus. I kept trying to keep myself looking 20 feet up the trail, but my focus kept going to five feet in front of my bike, which made me react to the trail instead of anticipating turns. Also, during turns I found myself leaning instead of manhandling the bike like I should’ve. The fatigue had really started to set in. To keep my momentum going, I was using a lot lower gear so I could spin up the wheel quickly. I was also having to stand a lot more to keep the pressure on the pedals and keep my pace going unless I wanted to downshift and just granny up stuff. I came in with my slowest lap at I think around 51. Tyler was having the same problems as I was with the focusing on the trail, and everyone else pulled their slowest laps as well.

Around this time, we were looking at results to see how far back we were, and we noticed that we were in 2nd place. We didn’t think this was possible because the team that we were behind was pulling 45-minute laps with some of the riders. We found out that they must’ve gone too hard and two of their riders had some really bad knee troubles, so they decided to pull out instead of riding the rest of the race with 2 team members.

Last Lap

I ended up with the dawn lap, and I made the bold choice of bringing no lights. I find that the dawn and sunset laps are some of the hardest because you’re typically dealing with natural light and artificial light on the trail. What is always great about the last lap is that you can leave it on the trail. When I went out the fatigue was still there, but my focus and reacting was a lot better than before. Just like a wet sponge, I squeezed all the water out, and I ended up pulling a 47 for the lap. Tyler pulled a pretty good lap and said he was pretty beat. Leland, “the young buck,” was determined to do a good lap even though I don’t think he had to. He ended up pulling his second-fastest lap of the race. The final times were confusing because we didn’t know exactly where we were. When Leland came in, he was battling against the person behind him, but we had to triple check to ensure that that person’s team was actually a lap behind us. We ended up being a lap ahead–so Mike, our substitute rider, did not have to go out. We finished our race around 9 o’clock instead of around the 10 o’clock time.

Final Thoughts

• Leland was the revelation of the race. I believe with his motocross skills, he was really able to rip up the course and he put up some really fast times. Being that this kid is only 22, he is only going to get better.
• The course was great–a combination of Lodi and Schaeffer Farms. Would be a good course for a single speed.
• The dew was insane…but with the course being so dusty, the dew made the night laps really great on the trail. Unless it was in your tent, however, all of your stuff was wet.
• Special thanks to Sara for coming down. Even though she wasn’t able to see the race, she was able to see the awards presentation with us getting 2nd place…and was able to drive my tired self back to my parents’ house for a restful day laying in the lake and in the bed.
• And don’t forget the free breakfast!

Darren 2009, Events, Mountain Bike