FOX CUP #9

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TWW FOX CUP SERIES #9

Presented by our friends at

Howell Mountain Challenge!!!

August 14th, 2005

PUC College

Check out their website for more info on the race and other happenin's.

Results

Class_Name		Place 	Name			Result 	 Gap 	  Time_Behind 	Race #

Senior 2 Sport Men 	2 	Matt Leonard 		01:56:16 00:01:02 00:01:02 	420
30-34 Sport Male 	9 	Lloyd Ranola 		01:55:40 00:00:34 00:12:51 	465
30-34 Sport Male 	11 	Loren Thomas 		02:01:54 00:01:07 00:19:05 	401
35-39 Sport Male 	3 	John Hillstrom 		01:50:36 00:04:01 00:04:52 	458
35-39 Sport Male 	11 	Troy Wenski 		02:00:24 00:00:06 00:14:40 	421
35-39 Sport Male 	13 	Paul Oellerich 		02:01:40 00:00:20 00:15:56 	484
40-44 Sport Male 	13 	Richard Henthorn 	02:05:26 00:00:36 00:18:57 	473 
35-44 (W) Sport Female 	4 	Jennifer Oellerich 	02:13:25 00:01:26 00:04:00 	483
Senior Sport Women 	7 	Meredith Obendorfer 	02:30:45 00:02:53 00:33:55 	640
45-49 Expert Male 	2 	Jason Tandeta 		02:58:55 00:13:53 00:13:53 	619
30-34 Sport Male 	14 	Matt Cerkel 		02:14:25 00:05:10 00:31:36 	461
35-39 Sport Male 	15 	David McCrimmon 	02:03:13 00:00:34 00:17:29 	439

Race Reports

HMC 2005 Report
Sport 30-34

The Weather was excellent, and TWW had a great turnout! The overall turn out of the race was a bit weird, some medium sized, some very small.. but overall a very low-key showing. I had felt a bit sick/run down the few days before the race, but I’ll keep that in my collection of lame excuses that I like to use when I don’t perform like I would have liked.

My warm up went well… 45 min around the track with two threshold efforts up the race start hill thrown in. This race always starts fast so I wanted to be ready.

At the starting line. I line up in the front. We are grouped with the Sport riders from age 19 through my group (up to age 34). The group seems really relaxed. Though, to my surprise, there are a number of riders in my category in that 1st row. One of which was a Livermore Cyclery guy who looked a bit more… say ‘faster’ than the others. Well we start, and we’re off, I’m with the front 5 riders or so, and we cruise into the single track. My warm-up was perfect as I reached intensity for the start very easy, and maintained just fine. But there went the Livermore cyclery guy.. off the front and he gapped us right away.. then kept going. At first I started to wonder if our group was starting to sit up like they do in road races, as it seemed that everyone just settled into their own pace and knew our escapee wasn’t coming back.

I stayed with the lead group for a while but faded a bit when we started climbing letting a few riders go a bit, but catching them on the descents. Seemed like a good way to conserve energy. But really, I don’t seem to be staying with these riders like I want to so I pace it down a bit in hopes to recover and decide not to try and pass anyone. In the meantime a few riders catch us including Matt Leonard. Soon, we hit a flat, weird rocky section, and I see the riders on the front of our group dismount, so I do the same thinking it was a faster route… nope, dumb move! So I let more riders go by including Matt.

I catch most everyone again, but then on the 1st little ring climb, I dropped my chain.. Matt comes by still looking strong and asks immediately if I need help (now that’s a cool teammate!). I say no thanks, put it back on and off I go. Ride with Matt some more, and later at the whoops… (where btw.. the right side w/ the drop off is WAYYY more fun) I drop my chain again!! Matt is there to witness this again.. and once again I’m behind him.

We complete the 1st lap, and I’m already getting the hint of cramps, I’m staring to think to myself that I just don’t have it today! I keep going and decide to settle in behind an expert woman for much of the second lap. I really felt like I needed the recovery, and her pace was friendly enough. After 15 min or so, I felt better, and moved along upping the pace again. I go by Matt again, and hear from the back Sup Lloyd! I didn’t know who that was but he and Matt started chatting. So as we were climbing the switchbacks, I decide to look back to see who it was… in the process.. I run into a tree. It was Hillstrom, and he goes by me summing my move up perfectly: “you dork!”

The rest of this final lap, I ride that stupid rock section like a normal Mt. biker would and still remain about 50 yards behind Matt. On every climb however, I revert to spinning in my lowest gear, like 110rpm up every climb.. eating and drinking everything I had. Cramps were just too close throughout, but I managed to avoid them. Finally, we get to that last climb and false flat on that last mile before the airport. I manage to step on the gas… tell Matt let’s go! And we head to the finish. Unfortunately, I he couldn’t stay with me, so I caught up to one rider who started 2 min behind me in the 35+ class and said let’s trade pulls in the headwind. So we did till the Airport where I faded a bit. I then caught him on the decent into PUC and we hit the track together. I yelled, go! go! Go! You’re 2 minutes ahead!! .. and stayed on his wheel around the track. But just for fun, I decided to see if I had a sprint against him on the line… I stand to sprint at the final corner, and my legs go totally stiff!!... Finally, the cramps get me for good!

Well it turns out the competition in my class today was a bit better than I expected. 1st place was a ridiculous 9 and ½ minutes ahead of second, and Second through my place (Ninth) were all within about 3 and ½ minutes.

Overall I had a good race…no flats, and no ‘real’ crashes. Only a few little mechanicals, one that made me wonder a bit. Two dropped chains which delayed me only a bit. Turns out I just changed my cranks out, but didn’t double check to make sure my front derailer was dialed perfectly. Second, I noticed that when I got home, my seatpost was 3cm lower than when I started. I didn’t tighten the bolt enough! Well, I wonder what that might have done to my leg power… for now, I’ll keep that in my collection of excuses that I like to use when I don’t perform like I would have liked.

There must have been 5 or 6 top three TWW podiums. Great job everyone! Some of us who had time to stick around, hit the Silverado Brewing Co. for a late lunch, and recovery drinks.

-Lloyd

WOOW, what a fun day. I had a blast yesterday and am really enjoying the benefits of being in better shape. This was the first time I really felt that I was an actual participant in the race, and not just an obstacle in the way of other riders. I started out pretty slow, as usual. I think I need to get in to some sort of warm up routine, not just riding around casually for a few minutes. Anyway, I tried to start at the back of the pack as usual, expecting to watch everyone race away from me at the start, but Dave kept yelling at me to get to the front, so I did. I was there next to Lloyd and behind Loren and we took off. Surprisingly, I kept up with the pack better than I expected. By the time we hit the single track following the fire road by the airport, I was around the middle of the pack. I was riding behind a couple of guys, and was really being held back. I gradually passed about 5 guys over a couple miles, which felt really good. All three of my previous races, the only people I really passed were either hurt or had flats. So I felt strong and eventually caught up to Lloyd. We traded places a few times due to his mechanically difficulties and cross tactics through that rocky part in the dried up creek. Any way, I was feeling pretty good during the second half of the first lap. I hit the single track at the beginning of the second lap following Lloyd and someone came up behind me. I said, "let me know when you want to go by" and he replies "I don't want to go by, I just want you to go faster." I thought, what a jerk, just pass me if you want, don't ride my wheel and get all pissed. Well, it turns out it was John Hillstromm, the first of the TWW group to catch up from the later starts and he was just giving me encouragement. So Lloyd, myself and John where in a line going through the singletrack for awhile. After Lloyd fell over going around a turn for no good reason, I followed John by him and stayed a couple hundred feet behind him for a couple of miles. But after awhile, here comes Michel. I rode behind him for awhile, but when I told him John had passed me about a mile or two back, he took off. So Lloyd and I kept passing each other for the rest of the race, but in the end, he took of on the flats. What can I say, I am no roadie. I did draft with him for a while at the end of the first lap, but the savings in energy didn't outweigh the fact that I had to look at his ass so closely. So on the sprint home, I decided to follow one of the expert women and let Lloyd take off. Somehow it made drafting a little easier. But once we hit that last little single track straight away before the grass, I passed her and sprinted all the way to the finish line. I thought there was a chance that I was in first when I crossed the finish line, but turns out I took second, 1 min 2 sec behind first place. I have come to believe that maybe there is something to be said for the fancy matching spandex outfits and maybe its not just fashion. I think I left the rookies behind this race and rode with all the people wearing all matching, new fancy clothes. Maybe that would have made the difference between 1st and 2nd. Who knows. Anyway, 2nd place out of 4, sport 25-29, 1:56:15. See everyone tomorrow at Skeggs!

-Matt Leonard

Well I have started writing this thing a time or two only to stop because I didn't like the way it sounded. Long and short of it is I had a horrible start (whats new), a very good middle, and then I blew up.

Howell Mtn - it was great to be back at a MTB race and see all the people. LT came up to me and said he was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. ie both of us have been on the low pro for the race scene in '05.

The Race: Hmmm, I got to see allot of backsides right off the get go. I wish we started with the women, at least the backsides would be interesting to look at but I digress. I slowly pass people and find a rhythm. As I am picking people off I say hi to Bob, Paul, Rich, and Troy. I had made my way into high single digits then I caught Giant dude. I have commented enough on him, lets just say he needs to learn how to ride his bike and allot of trail etiquette. Okay when someone does something stupid I say something stupid but this guy deserved more than what I gave him. Shortly there after I lost my mojo. It was more of matter of shutting it down because it was taking me quickly into a direction of fighting with Giant dude. At that point the power in the legs was gone. A group of about five or so passed me quite quickly, then Troy who was looking strong and passing people, then Paul came by and said hi. I think he was more surprised to see me. I saw this jersey lurking up on me that I thought was Henthorn but turned out to be Chris Machon about a mile or so from the end. I crossed the finish line, shook a few hands, and then loaded the bike onto car and went home.

So over the past few days I have been ready to chuck in bike racing. Then last night I went out and did the SJBC Tuesday Night Crit and had a great time. My legs were a bit tired but they eventually warmed up about 5 or so laps into the race. I felt pretty good as Allan was struggling at times when I felt good. I tried to crank up the pace with about 2 laps to go but got shutdown after a lap or so. On the last lap I got bumped, kind of scared me at first until I realized it was my buddy Robin. He came shooting through the pack and did a good lead out for the person who eventually won. I knew I should have jumped on his wheel but I was a bit stunned when I got bumped to instantly jump. Ended up with a pack finish but it renewed my desire to race my bike. At the end of the day I have to remember not to let one bad experience on the bike ruin my fun.

-Dave McCrimmon

Well once again it was race day, luckily I had the whole day off, so no rushing back for work after the race for me today! I got to Agwin just over an hour before race time, picked up my packet and said hi to the various TWWers I saw. It was on to the warm up, I was hoping the sluggishness I was feeling would go away, but since the week after Dville I've been feeling sluggish, was sick for a few days and the week before the HMC I had race #3 of the Mendo Point Series. But at least I have my Epic back, no SS for me this time. Well enough bitching, on to the racing.

So we're off and soon I'm near the back of the pack. My legs feel like lead and I feel like I'm stinking up the place. Wait is that more whining? Hey I'm racing in the"whine" country, maybe I should get some cheese to go with it! By the first water station nearly everyone from TWW has passed me, but I continue on, with the goal of beating my time from last year. By the Whoops my legs final feel like they have life and I actually pass a another racer on the climb near the end of the lap. I check my time and to my surprise, my first lap is several minutes faster then my first lap last year.

On to lap 2, definitely a better lap for me. Actually pass a few riders who passed me earlier. Not many pass me, except for the pros and a few experts. On the final climb I catch a rider from my class. Another racer catches me, just before that short steep drop before the finish, he goes down on that section, so he doesn't put any distance on me. We enter the track, I'm right behind him. Just before the final turn he starts the sprint, I'm right on his wheel. We're now on the straight away before the finish line, I'm right on his wheel. I know I can take the sprint, I make my move with yards to go, just before the line I pass him! Yes!and oh sh*t ! time to slow down to make the turn on to the grass...

I check my time, 2:14:25, well I did it, I met my goal of beating last years time and it was by a lot! Last year my time was 2:23:30. I fell pretty good about that improvement. I made the time up in the climbs. Now I just need to work on my handling skills... All things consider it was a good race day, even with my worst start of the year. As I write this I think the sluggishness of the past several weeks is gone. Tomorrow I'll do a training ride at Annadel and Sunday it's on to the final race of the Mendo Point Series.

Matt Cerkel

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