Cross Season Finish & NC State Championships

Last weekend's race marked my final race of the year.  Since my race at Salisbury I raced in Charlotte at the State Championships, and finished it off at the North Carolina Grand Prix.

My big goal for the year was to win the State Championship.  I set this goal over a year ago, and trained hard from August to November with this in mind.  The week of the race however was stressful at work, both my kids were sick, and I had to get on a plane a couple of hours after the race to fly across the country!

Once the training is done, and race day comes, it truly is a mental game.  Typically I try to focus on the race, the course, and those things that I can control.  The Sunday of the race, I listened to some motivating music, and started to visualize what it would be like to win.  When I got to the course I pre-rode it a couple of times, and got in a nice, hot warm up effort before hitting the start line.  When the gun went off, I slotted into 3rd going into the grass, but unfortunately one of the riders in front of me went down and I plowed into him on the first run up!  I was a little bloody and half-way down the pack.  I battled back to the front, before sliding out a second time and ending up back in 3rd place.  Pretty good right?  I was following Josh Whitmore when he went down, then flatted.  At this time, Eric Marland accelerated and pulled away by about 5 seconds . . .

I got into my own head and the negative thoughts started to flow, "You worked 70 hours this week, of course you are tired."  "Second place isn't so bad at the State Championships." "Eric is strong, his kids are here, he deserves to win."

NO! Around lap 6 of 9 I changed my mind (just check out the lap times: http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/NC_ChampionshipsLapTimes.pdf)  I decided that I wasn't going to get second, OR third, since Todd Hunter was breathing down my neck at 5 seconds!  I started thinking "I can win this . . . Stay smooth . . . Go faster through the turns, no braking!"  I started to claw my way back, and I took 20s out of the leader on the second to last lap, and  another 15 on the last lap when I caught Eric halfway through!  I could hear the announcer getting excited and I felt better and better.  As soon as we hit the pavement on the backside of the course I attacked with everything I had, getting a big gap and holding it to the line!  If you look at my lap times, the last lap was my fastest.  I let all the emotion out as I crossed the line:

This was perhaps my most satisfying win of the year, as I accomplished my goal, but only after seeing it almost slip away from me.  I also proved to myself that I had the mental capacity to hit bottom and still come back!

Anatomy of a Win: NCGP 2012

This past weekend was my favorite cyclocross race of the year, the North Carolina Gran Prix in Hendersonville, NC.  It's as close as I have to a real hometown race that's on a pretty big stage (the elite race is UCI!), I won here in 2009, and get to see a lot of friends and family when I go out.  It also allows me to really focus on the routine I like to go through when prepping for a cross race, since I can do recon, bring all my gear, and sleep in my own bed.

The real preparation however, begins months before the race when the big training "bolus" takes place.  In this instance, I like to do a little rest block in July after a pretty thorough road season, and then do a big volume block in August to get ready for the cross season.  Last year I did more intensity in August, since I took a break before a second build up to the World Championships, but this year I did one big build for a peak in November.  Unfortunately the NCGP move to December threw me for a bit of a loop, but I was able to hang on.  So this year after my huge volume block (for me) in August, I rolled into 6 weeks of VO2 intervals interspersed with some of the local cross training races.  These provide a similar training stimulus with a nice mental "break" from my normal indoor training routine.  Oh, and they are fun!  This brings my fitness up to par for a month or so of race-specific training in October for the November peak, which I can typically hold for about a month.

This past week I was especially nervous, as my early season goal of winning the NC State Championships 2 weeks prior had morphed into "win every Masters race I enter", including the NCGP!  I had done just that since October's first NCCX races and now I had just one weekend left.  Working 70+ hours a week for the past 3 weeks wasn't ideal prep, and I trained less than 10 hours TOTAL since November.  I wrestled with myself mentally, and even considered not racing.  However the evening before I pre-rode the course and after a few laps, I felt confident and set my goal to getting the "hole shot".  I then walked through different mental scenarios as I visualized the win.

The morning of the race I woke up and began to focus 100% of my mental energy on what it would take to win against a competitive field.  When my wife ran through my "chores" for the weekend in anticipation of my youngest son's 1st birthday, I threw out a challenge, "If I win today, I won't race tomorrow".  Secretly this would help motivate me, and alleviate the stress of figuring out how to recover after the race when I had to go to a Christmas party, shop, cook, and clean the next day for a 4PM party!  The challenges of a Masters racer . . .

I drove to the race separately from my family, taking my 2 Specialized Crux cyclocross bikes, one equipped for my pit bike, and the other, my stripped-down race steed.  Both bikes have been awesome this year, and I can't thank Motion Makers, Specialized, and I9 enough for their support in this area.  I rolled up to the course, blasting some Beastie Boys to psych myself up, registered, and started my pre-ride laps.  My preferred method is to walk the course, watching how other racers negotiate the course, however with my familiarity of this course, I was comfortable getting right to my laps.  The focus is on the "perfect line" and tire pressure.  I like to start around 28psi, and went down to 26 on Saturday, but was bottoming out on some rocks on the backside of the course, so I settled on 27psi.  Incidently, the lower the pressure, the lower the rolling resistance off-road.  After hitting a few key sections at race-speed, I returned to the car and to watch my oldest son complete his kids race!  Then it was back to the warmup.  If it's cold and/or wet, I ride on the trainer.  However I like warming up on the road if there is a good stretch of pavement and I can focus.  I typically get in a 5 minute tempo effort, followed by 15-30 second race starts.

Once warm, I hit the start line about 10 minutes early to get my spot, be careful to stay warm.  My focus on Saturday was to get the "hole shot", so I concentrated and focused on not only the starter, but on my pedal.  I find if I get clipped in I have a decent start.  The whistled blew and GO!, off we went!  Through my tunnel vision, I could see riders on either side of me approaching, but I shifted up, up, up and hit the grass first.  I negotiated the early turns comfortably, and maintained my lead.  We hit the back stretch and I sprinted all-out on to the pavement, and then hit the climb with some power.  After staying "safe" on the sidehill section I again sprinted all-out onto the paved start-finish and still had my gap!  Looking back at the lap times, I had the fastest lap of the race on this lap so I wasn't being TOO safe!

The Hendersonville course is a "roadie" course, with lots of pedaling and pavement.  Unfortunately this pavement can work to a rider's disadvantage if he has a bunch of other racers sitting on his rear wheel.  With this in mind I decided to keep my head down and try to maintain my gap.  I then settled in, and focused on hitting the fast sections super-hard, and being as smooth as possible through the twisty and grass sections.  The tough thing about being in the lead is that one mistake can lose your race, but the chasers can go for broke and keep the pressure on!  Fortunately on Saturday, my latent fitness, my prep, and my knowledge of the course helped me to maintain my gap to my first "Line to Line" win, in front of my home crowd!

Check out a video here: http://www.citizen-times.com/videonetwork/2038038454001?odyssey=mod|tvideo|article

Interview: http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/250065-2012-North-Carolina-Grand-Prix/video/670124-Chris-Larsen-Wins-AGAIN-at-the-NCGP-Day-1

More photos: http://www.weldonweaver.com/Racing/12-12-NCCX10-11-UCI/12-12-NCCX10-11-Sat-Masters/27148723_nRwTpV#!i=2279149598&k=bx7G5GN

CX Season First Half - EarthFare/I9 stacks up the wins!

So we're halfway through the cyclocross season with about 2 more months to go! That is, unless you are going to the World Championships in Louisville this year, which would mean another month of intervals!

For the team, it's been a great start with Tim Jenkinson taking 4 wins in the elite ranks, and putting the finishing touches on a strong build up for the National Championships next month.

I've chosen to race in the Masters 35+ category this year, to take a hiatus from getting beaten every weekend my pros and young riders that get to train full time! It's been a lot of fun to be competitive again, even given my hectic life schedule including family and work. I started my "official" race campaign last month with the first full weekend of North Carolina Cyclocross (http://www.nccyclocross.com/) races in Southern Pines and Raleigh. It was a bit of a drive, but the courses and conditions were great, and the competition pretty tight. I was on my aluminum Crux from Motion Makers which suited me well during the early-season "warm up" races and had confidence that it would get me through the weekend successfully.

The first day featured a sandy, fast course that had lots of grass turns, a must-run sand pit, and a LONG sandy downhill, before climbing back up to the start finish via lots of pavement. Any course with lots of pavement tends to suit my skillset, and this was no different with a good start position (2nd into the woods/hole shot) turning into a win at the end of the day after a back and forth fight with Josh Whitmore and Nathan Smith from Charleston.

The second day was in Raleigh, and after refueling at The Pit the night before I was ready to go. The course was even better than Saturday's (for me at least) with a long stretch of pavement proceeded by a long, steady uphill and some fast, grassy turns where you could pedal straight through. I was a little annoyed by the jests of "sandbagger" the day before, so I decided to try to attack hard and lead the race from start to finish! I had a great start on the fast pavement start, but decided to slot into the 2nd position going into the woods after a few hundred meters. Coming out of the woods, I punched it up the first hill and never looked back, growing my lead 5-10 seconds per lap, and having one of my best days ever on the bike!

Last weekend was my second full weekend racing this cross season and one of my favorites as I got to race only 1.5 miles from my house at Carrier Park! Again, I chose to do the Masters Race after "racing" with my son Ethan in the kids race. I was encouraged after watching Caleb win the race prior, and wanted a good showing for the team. We had a solid field with a lot of the local Masters showing up. When the gun went off, Tom V. from Asheville Cyclocross got the hole shot and led me through the sand on lap one before I punched it as hard as I could on the backside of the course. The field strung out, and from there it was head down and focus to get to the finish line, waving to my son each lap!

Check out a video from last weekend (note that EarthFare alumnus Ricky Muehl wins the Elite race, for a clean sweep of the contested podiums!):

http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/249901-2012-AVLCX-Carrier-Park/video/661095-2012-AVLCX-Carrier-Park-Highlights-Part-2

Sunday was on to Salisbury for stop #4 on the NCCX series and it was the toughest fought race yet this year. A solid field lined up and the course was dry, fast, and "flowy" with lots of grass, hoppable log run-up, some pavement, and a long, big ring climb back up to the start/finish. The course was long and our field did 5 laps after the gun. It was back and forth with a group of half a dozen of us taking turns punching it through the turns. On the 3rd lap I ended up on the front going into the bike path on the back side of the course and decided to test the group with a hard acceleration. A Boone Bike rider (Eric) who appeared to be the strongest, ended up at the back of the group, so I took my 5 second gap and ran with it. I had to "run" pretty hard as the group was working together and breathed down my back for the rest of the race as I hovered between 5 and 10 seconds, and was held up multiple times by lapped riders. Fortunately I was able to stay smooth and hang on for win #2 of the weekend, which put me into 2nd overall in the NCCX series after missing a race in Boone.

Thanks for reading, and . . .

***Thanks again to our generous sponsors: Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacita’s, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, CarboRocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our Facebook page!).***

3 Peaks Race Report

How not to get ready for a race:

1. Get sick the week before

2. Go for a hike the day before the race

3. Go out to a nice dinner the night before

So I did all three of the above, one for each peak in the race! In addition it was my wedding anniversary weekend, so I made sure to pay extra attention to my wife. She was kind enough to support me in doing this event this year. Whether one of my 2 boys, allergens, or some other source caused my system to weaken this week and I've been paying the price with congestion for the past week. This persisted through Sunday, and probably wasn't helped by hiking Saturday outside (although it was quite beautiful!).

Sunday greeted me with nice, crisp Fall temperatures in the 50s, with a projected high of around 60 on the day. Pretty nice for an off-road event. Three Peaks USA is billed as "America's Hardest Cyclocross Race". Check out the course:http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1183096, and a video: http://vimeo.com/31066243 In 50 miles, we took in 10'000 feet of climbing, several gnarly decents and 30+ miles of dirt and gravel roads. The course is based on 3 climbs, with lots of technical riding, and some pavement in between. The gun went off at 10AM and we all blitzed the first climb, with several of the regions top mountain bikers present as well as riders from up and down the East Coast. I knew from the first climb that the day would be a long one as I just didn't have the top-end that I normally do, and my breathing was labored (probably from whatever had been ailing me). I settled in behind the front group and just tried to take it steady. The group exploded on the first climb and I ended up in the top 20, setting my own pace. In a race of this distance (about 4 hours) you need to really focus on nutrition to keep you energy levels up. So I took turn taking drinks from my Camelback hydration pack, sips of energy drink, and blowing my nose. Since I wasn't on a great day, I tried to enjoy myself a bit and snuck a few peaks at the peaks surrounding us as we climbed up the backside of Beech Mountain. It was a gorgeous, clear day and the views were really breathtaking (or was that just the altitude?)!

Over the first peak our group was diverted off course and cost us about 10 minutes. We turned around and began our chase of the lead group once again. The steep, off-road ascents were the best, since my Specialized tubeless tires rolling on the new I9 wheels held traction better than most others out there. I also spend a lot of time in my 34 x 32 "granny gear"! The rest of the day wasn't the most tantalizing race from a strategic perspective, as I only had one speed. My mantra became, stay safe, catch riders. Over the second peak I was caught by a few riders, but on the technical descent I held my own and passed several riders who had either crashed, or gotten flats (one of the perils of riding a cyclocross bike down mountain bike trails!). I hit the middle of the course in about 15th place and just kept up my charge, hydrating, and eating (gels).

I actually started to feel pretty good on the final climb, and thought of my smiling boys and my son, Ethan, shouting "go faster Daddy"!, which he does when he riding in the trailer behind me and we're climbing a hill. I picked riders off one by one and climbed into 9th place by the top of the final peak. The final descent couldn't come soon enough, as my back started to lock up with about 5 miles to go, and the extra mileage from our "detour" left me on the brink of the dreaded BONK. I was able to hold my position however and came across the line in a top 10 position. I was pleased, since the whole day was a physical struggle, but the beer, wine at Banner Elk Winery, and pasta helped fuel my body and soul.

Results: http://www.leetiming.com/TPUSA2012_39.htm

Thanks to all of our great sponsors: Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacita’s, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, CarboRocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/earthfare.cyclingteam !).

RACE REPORT: Three Peaks USA

How not to get ready for a race:

1. Get sick the week before

2. Go for a hike the day before the race

3. Go out to a nice dinner the night before

So I did all three of the above, one for each peak in the race! In addition it was my wedding anniversary weekend, so I made sure to pay extra attention to my wife. She was kind enough to support me in doing this event this year. Whether one of my 2 boys, allergens, or some other source caused my system to weaken this week and I've been paying the price with congestion for the past week. This persisted through Sunday, and probably wasn't helped by hiking Saturday outside (although it was quite beautiful!).

Sunday greeted me with nice, crisp Fall temperatures in the 50s, with a projected high of around 60 on the day. Pretty nice for an off-road event. Three Peaks USA is billed as "America's Hardest Cyclocross Race". Check out the course:http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1183096, and a video: http://vimeo.com/31066243 In 50 miles, we took in 10'000 feet of climbing, several gnarly decents and 30+ miles of dirt and gravel roads. The course is based on 3 climbs, with lots of technical riding, and some pavement in between. The gun went off at 10AM and we all blitzed the first climb, with several of the regions top mountain bikers present as well as riders from up and down the East Coast. I knew from the first climb that the day would be a long one as I just didn't have the top-end that I normally do, and my breathing was labored (probably from whatever had been ailing me). I settled in behind the front group and just tried to take it steady. The group exploded on the first climb and I ended up in the top 20, setting my own pace. In a race of this distance (about 4 hours) you need to really focus on nutrition to keep you energy levels up. So I took turn taking drinks from my Camelback hydration pack, sips of energy drink, and blowing my nose. Since I wasn't on a great day, I tried to enjoy myself a bit and snuck a few peaks at the peaks surrounding us as we climbed up the backside of Beech Mountain. It was a gorgeous, clear day and the views were really breathtaking (or was that just the altitude?)!

Over the first peak our group was diverted off course and cost us about 10 minutes. We turned around and began our chase of the lead group once again. The steep, off-road ascents were the best, since my Specialized tubeless tires rolling on the new I9 wheels held traction better than most others out there. I also spend a lot of time in my 34 x 32 "granny gear"! The rest of the day wasn't the most tantalizing race from a strategic perspective, as I only had one speed. My mantra became, stay safe, catch riders. Over the second peak I was caught by a few riders, but on the technical descent I held my own and passed several riders who had either crashed, or gotten flats (one of the perils of riding a cyclocross bike down mountain bike trails!). I hit the middle of the course in about 15th place and just kept up my charge, hydrating, and eating (gels).

I actually started to feel pretty good on the final climb, and thought of my smiling boys and my son, Ethan, shouting "go faster Daddy"!, which he does when he riding in the trailer behind me and we're climbing a hill. I picked riders off one by one and climbed into 9th place by the top of the final peak. The final descent couldn't come soon enough, as my back started to lock up with about 5 miles to go, and the extra mileage from our "detour" left me on the brink of the dreaded BONK. I was able to hold my position however and came across the line in a top 10 position. I was pleased, since the whole day was a physical struggle, but the beer, wine at Banner Elk Winery, and pasta helped fuel my body and soul.

Results: http://www.leetiming.com/TPUSA2012_39.htm

Thanks to all of our great sponsors: Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacita’s, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, CarboRocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/earthfare.cyclingteam !).

Labor Day Omnium/Tour De La France Race Report

This past weekend Evan Wynn, Dylan Cipkowski and myself set sail for Anderson, SC to race the Labor Day Omnium—formerly known as the Tour De La France, which Dylan won in 2010 and Chris Larsen managed two 2nd place finishes in 2011. Boiling humidity and 93°temperatures greeted deep fields, rich with plenty of the region’s most talented riders.

A tough technical criterium was held on day one. The heat took its toll on the field with many riders dropping out early and throughout. Unfortunately Dylan and Evan fell victim to the oppressive solar torture, too. A poor equipment selection weakened my own confidence, and the twitchy 23mm tires to which I was unaccustomed were simply not sufficient for the most technical part of the course—a tight little corkscrewy turn with a patch of loose sandy asphalt on its outside. After following a few early breaks I managed to finish, but never mustered up the guts to navigate the course properly and finished with the field.

Day two’s circuit race was exactly the same as last year’s, plus a bonus 25°F to make for another slog through the Anderson Bayous. Evan opted out, as he and his father finally decided that he was obviously not fully recovered from his mano-a-Mono duel some months back. I made sure to avoid the previous day’s doom and ran my Industry Nine wheels with the indestructible 25mm Specialized Roubaix tires. Dylan and I lined up and rode aggressively from the gun, with Dylan attacking a few times early on hoping to instigate a break. About halfway in a fire truck entered the course—apparently riders were bursting into flames all along the route. The water-wagon disrupted the field in the middle of a turn taken at about 40mph on the bicycle! I was in a small group off the front at the moment, so I did not suffer the same fate as Dylan, who was dislodged from the race with several others. When I realized that I was the lone EarthFare rider with still 45 minutes to go, I decided to race a little more conservatively and make my efforts count. At one point a break of six with a couple of riders from each of the larger teams escaped and gained 10-15 seconds. With a stentorian “THIS IS IT!”, I jumped clear of the field, cackling maniacally and tossing a handful of smoke-bombs t’ward the boys on my way up the road. The fireworks and subsequent celebration proved premature, as I looked back to see Team Type One on the front reeling in their two teammates—and me. Fully expecting a counter move to go, I readied myself at the front but that move never came. The heat did do its damage. With about fifteen minutes remaining, John Hamblin selected a breakaway companion from the group and I did not make the cut. I committed the cardinal error of failing to position myself properly far enough out to avoid the inevitable last-lap calamity. Sitting mid-pack with one lap to go I was anxious to move up but succumbed to the terror of those gutsier than myself and finished in the middle of the field. I was happy with my performance, however, and hope to finish off the season with a respectable result at this Sunday’s Carolina Cup.

Thanks again to our generous sponsors: EarthFare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacita’s, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, Carbo Rocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our Facebook page!).

July Race Reports: More Podiums and another NC State Championship!

July is over and it brought some more great results from the team! Three weeks brought 3 podiums and a big win!

Caleb finished off a gutsy performance at the 100+ mile Pro/1/2 State Road Race Championships on July 15th with a terrific sprint for 3rd on the day! Caleb said DURING the race "I don't know how I'll do since I've never ridden or raced this far before." I think he did just fine.

Tim Jenkinson, our newly-upgraded Cat. 2, came close to dethroning a couple of pros in Asheville at the French Broad Cycling Challenge, eventually finishing a strong 4th overall! He inititated the winning break during the road race, finished second, and even after being victim to poor timing during the TT, hung strong in a hotly contested criterium on Sunday.

The following weekend, Evan Fader, recovered from his participation as one of only 6 amateur racers in the country to participate in the Nature Valley Pro Chase (http://www.naturevalleyprochase.com/The-Riders/2012Team/Evan_Fader) WON the NC Criterium Championships, keeping the team's state championship results going for 2 years in a row!

This month sees the team participate in North Carolina's Crossroads races series, as well at Chattnooga's Volkswagon Omnium before finishing off the season next month.

See race reports, pictures and more on our website: http://ashevillegrassrootscycling.wordpress.com/. And, stay tuned for more great results, thanks to our generous sponsors: Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized provided by Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Blue Sky M.D., DNA, DeFeet, HD Coaching, PEAK 10, Omnium Bodyworks, and CarboRocket

WMC Race Report

Working Man's Classic 2012

Matt, Tim and myself started the first night of the Working Man’s Classic with the goal of making sure we were in any major breakaway and trying to get as many primes as possible. The race started out aggressive as there was a prime every lap but it also seemed to keep groups from working well together and nothing got any major gap. Tim and Matt rode aggressively, making it into all the breakaways that looked dangerous and winning plenty of primes along the way. Tim made it into a breakaway with two others that was able to build a substantial gap on the field but ended up being reeled in by the field after several laps. Coming into the final laps of the race Matt was able to get himself up to the front of the field and begin to position for the sprint. With one lap to go it was pretty unorganized and none of the other teams were able to set up a real lead-out for the sprinters as everyone was fighting for position. Matt was riding at the front but got a little boxed in on the right side of the road coming into the last corner. I moved up on the outside and came into the corner in sixth wheel with one rider over shooting the corner and riding into the grass, I was able to come around one guy but wasn’t able to catch the top 3 guys and finished 4th. Matt also finished top 10 in 8th place setting us up well for the overall.

On day two the plan was about the same with trying to make breakaways but a little more conservative because Matt and myself were top 10 in the overall. Tim and Matt rode awesomely and nothing got away without either of them in it. The course was a little more difficult and slower than the day before but the field remained pretty much intact. Matt attacked solo for a few laps picking up extra primes and Tim also won some prime laps off the front but the field reeled everything back in by the end and coming into the final few laps it looked like another sprint. I tried to move up coming into the last lap and got to about 7th wheel on the final straight away. Unfortunately I made the mistake of freewheeling through the last corner while the more experienced guys who have raced this course over and over cranked through it and gapped me off. I put my head down and pulled as hard as I could to the finish finishing in 8th. Matt finished close behind at 10th.

Day three was supposed to be the most difficult of the series with the same hill from day one, but a sharp right-hander thrown in which forced riders to brake. Tim attacked from the gun to win the first prime and drilled it up the hill into the tight corner. A few laps later it was all together and all of us positioned ourselves near the front to avoid yo-yo effect at the back. Tim and Matt rode aggressively again picking up most of the primes early in the race. The course started to take its toll on the race and riders were going off the back thinning out the field. A little over halfway through the race a break of four riders including Keck Baker from the Cisco/XO team, who we had noted as one to watch as well as former Mountain Khakis professional Mike Stoop rolled off the front and the field didn’t react. The gap immediately grew to more than thirty seconds, Tim and Matt went to the front of the field and set a hard tempo to try and bring the breakaway’s advantage down stretching out the field behind the and sending more riders off the back. Coming into the closing laps the break was clearly going to stick and it was a sprint for 5th place. Matt and I were able to position ourselves close to the front but the rider in front of me took the hard right-hander too fast and lost it in front of the two of us. I tried to get back up to the front but could not and just rolled in. Matt was able to make it up to the front but had also wasted a lot of energy from having to chase back on. Although our third race didn’t go as well for us with the missed breakaway and some bad luck in the sprint, we still were able to walk away with some primes and 7th overall. The Working Man’s Classic was an awesome event and I look forward to going back next year.

Thanks again to our generous sponsors: EarthFare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacita’s, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, Carbo Rocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our Facebook page!).

Johnson City Race Report

This past weekend took the team to Elizabethton and Johnson City for one of the region's big races: the Roan Groan, finishing on top of Roan Mountain at 6285'! The weekend was an "omnium" or mini stage race, starting with the road race, then continuing with a short time trial Saturday and a criterium Sunday. All of the region's big teams showed up, including Globalbike, DIY/Chainheart, and pros from BMC and Kenda. Definitely the most "stacked" field I've seen in my 5 years here. We brought Caleb, our new climber addition, Tim (straight off the plane from South Africa), Matt Dinsmore, Dylan and myself.

Saturday's course was the classic road race course, beginning with a wide open start on the highway before turning onto the hilly loop that extends the course about 25 miles for the Pro/1/2 field. The plan was to get Matt, Dylan or Tim in the early move and then follow any counter attacks while Caleb sat on my wheel as I shepherded him through the field, waiting for the final climb. The plan began perfectly as early attacks by DIY and Globalbike turned into a break of about 10 riders, including Matt. The break's advantage grew to 2 minutes on the hilly loop as Dylan and Tim patrolled the front of the field. As we turned back onto the highway for the final approach to the mountain, the field was strung out. Tim and Dylan hit the front, causing gaps to open behind and I followed an attack to form a small breakaway as Caleb bridged up from behind with pros Bobby Sweeting from Kenda, BMC, and riders from DIY and Globalbike. The race was on and I drove the break as hard as I could going into the climb, instructing Caleb to rest up for the 9 mile ascent ahead. He did just that as we closed the gap from 2 minutes down to 60s. I waved goodbye to the group as we hit the climb and watched the fireworks from afar as Caleb rode superbly to finish as 5th cat. 2 in his "first hilly race"!

After the time trial, Caleb sat top 15 in the overall (pros, 1s, 2s) going into the criterium, but the team decided to ride for a result on the day. The race course was a technical 7 corner course in downtown Johnson City that was suited for about 20 riders, not the close to 100 that lined up! The race started off fast as riders jockeyed for position going into the alley on the backside of the course. Riders were going through the tight single-file turns THREE abreast, fighting for position like it was the Tour de France. As riders got shed out the back and started to tire, a crash took out the back half of the field. The officials "kindly" put these dropped riders back into the main group! Caleb and I fought for position as riders tired and popped off the back and left open gaps. Caleb bravely attacked about halfway through the race, only to be reeled in by a mighty Globalbike team looking to defend there rider in the overall. I hung tight and slowly worked my way up to the top 10 with 2 laps to go, only to be taken out of contention with 2 corners remaining as a sketchy rider went down in the sweeping turn on the backside of the course. While I didn't go down I came to a dead stop trying to avoid turning him into road kill! While Sunday didn't end as planned, the team road superbly and our new, young riders are showing not only their potential, but their willingness to work together and sacrifice for one another.

Thanks to all our sponsors who make this possible, and check out pictures from the weekend here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/julieelliott/sets/72157629991189863/with/7339379338/

RACE REPORT: Speed Week by Matt Dinsmore

Putting the finishing touches on Speed Week, the team recently lined up at the Spartanburg Regional Classic and the Electric City Circuit. The Spartanburg Regional Classic is a tight criterium race held in downtown Spartanburg, SC. The course is an excellent one for our team, and we hoped to lead team sprinter Evan Wynn to the win – two places better than his third place finish from the 2011 edition. Being its first year running, the Electric City Circuit surprised us all with its total lack of shelter from an unseasonably blazing hot spring day.

Friday night’s race was fast from the gun, largely due to our early aggression. The plan was to have Evan sit in near the front and await the predictable field sprint, with Matt and Dylan covering all of the early attacks. Dylan valiantly controlled the race for the first few minutes, while Matt made his way to the front after being caught behind a near crash out of the gates. Unfortunately Evan was involved in a bad crash shortly after Matt arrived at the front. They both maintained control for the remainder of the race but had to settle for finishing a modest 15th place.

Saturday’s event offered a totally new venue. Ricky replaced our crashed compadre, and Matt Goddard also joined us for an hour of fun in the sun. Anderson’s mid-day race presented shade-free, shockingly hot conditions, which took an immediate toll on the field. Our plan was to race aggressively, cover all attacks, and drive any significant breakaways. We did exactly that, but the 95° temperature decimated the field and left the remaining twenty (of about sixty that started) of us delirious and exhausted. We were aggressive into the last lap, but unfortunately we lacked the gas, guts and gusto to participate in a dodgy mass sprint and had to settle for another less satisfying field finish for 13^th. After multiple wins in the past 2 weeks, we look forward to redeeming ourselves over the next couple of weeks!

***As always, we thank our good friends at Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, DeFeet, HD Coaching, PEAK 10, Omnium Bodyworks, and CarboRocket, without whose generous support we would be unable to pursue our goals of developing riders and promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.***

RACE REPORT: Charleston Weekend - 2 WINS IN TWO WEEKS!

This past weekend brought the team's second win in as many weeks as Dylan Cipkowski broke away with one lap to go in a repeat solo win! This past week highlighted the unity of the team as HD Coaching's training, team strategy, and equipment all helped to orchestrate success.

The team lined up Saturday with several of the region's teams to contest a great event in Charleston, SC in the I'ON Village in Mt. Pleasant. The team looked forward to representing Earth Fare in this event as they have a location only 8 miles from the race course! We passed out Earth Fare coupons before the race and planned on not only winning, but getting the team name announced as much as possible. The plan was to have Matt D, Dylan, and myself attack and counter attack and have Evan W. and Matt G. sit in the field and wait for the sprint. We lined up for a 55 minute race on a tight course that started with a chicane, leading into a long right hand sweeping turn into another 90 degree right hander. This led to the backside of the course that was up and over a small bridge before heading through a tight right hand cobble stone turn into the last straight-away before the final turn into the finishing straight. The tight course meant that it was fairly easy to control from the front, but the race stayed strung out as riders battled for position through the wide straights before hitting the tight turns. This was complicated by a light rain that fell on and off during the race. Combined with temperatures in the 80s, it felt like a sauna to those of us that live in the mountains!

As we waited for the start, we let a little air out of our Specialized tires to better grip the wet turns. After the gun went off the team started off right away with attacks as myself and another rider went up the road on the second lap. Matt D. and Dylan counter attacked until finally Dylan got away with another rider. This made it easy for the team as we were able to "follow wheels" as riders tried to bridge up to the leading duo. As Dylan grew his gap up front, a crash in the field behind took out Matt Dinsmore and he headed to the pit for a front wheel change. Fortunately I9 provided spare wheels for the event and Matt was able to swap out his wheel in the pit and hop back in the field. Unfortunately a staunch headwind made it tough for Dylan and his compatriot as Dylan ended up battling the wind by himself with about 15 laps to go. He decided that it would be silly to stay out there by himself and dropped back to the pack to recover for a few laps. I took an opportunity for a prime (mid-race prize) with 10 laps to go as riders sprinted for the next 2 laps as the promoters handed out prizes. Dylan decided that the strung out field had enough and took off for the second time of the day, getting a solid gap and taking a rider from Bitter Dose Racing with him. Their gap grew to 30 seconds as Matt and I covered moves behind. Matt decided that he would hit the front with 2 laps to go and he and I would lead out Evan for the sprint to the finish (behind Dylan of course!). However it was touch and go during the final 3 laps as the gap shrunk to about 10 seconds. Matt and I had front-row seats as Dylan attacked with about 1 km to go, dropping his partner, and Matt drilled it on the front, lining it out through the turns and making sure that no one would be able to get near the front in the sprint for second. We came through the 3rd turn, but I hesitated for just a second, and Charlie Brown (real name, and a local power-house) jumped around me before the final turn. I tried to close the gap between him and another rider but had to settle for 4th and a front row seat to see Dylan take his second win in a week! Evan rounded out the results with 14th and the team was able to show off a local sponsor yet again!

Sunday's results were almost as good, as the team scored 2nd (with Dylan in the winning breakaway) and Evan Wynn winning the filed sprint! Check out the race report, photos and more on our website and facebook pages:

http://ashevillegrassrootscycling.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001680326288

A big thanks to all our sponsors: Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized provide by Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Blue Sky M.D., DNA, Defeet, HD Coaching, PEAK 10, Omnium Bodyworks, and Carbo Rocket

Greenville Spring Training Series Race Reports by Matt Dinsmore

The Hincapie Spring Training Series is the "official" opening to the race season, and provides an opportunity to test our legs against all the region's biggest teams, and even some pro riders! The Donaldson Center hosted both days of the first weekend, and both of those days presented completely different racing conditions.

Unlike the warm spring conditions of day one, a cold, wind-driven rain poured over us throughout the entire race on day two. In hopes of staying warm and dry for as long as possible, Dylan and I got no warm-up in what turned out to be a bad gamble. About half as many riders lines up as on the previous day, including several dozen former and neo-professional riders itching for early results. We ripped out of the gates and into the water like a speedboat, with the wind and rain immediately taking tolls on us all. We fought to maintain contact, temporarily dropped in a crosswind section but brought back by a heroic effort from Dylan. A small break had established 15-20 seconds on the field, with remaining teammates happy to defend them from behind. The pace slowed to a near standstill, severely clogging the front. Despite having just suffered a few heart attacks, I made my way to the front and took the first opportunity I could to jump across to the break. In an effort to establish dominance, I immediately took to the front of the group and took a pull. This ol’ silverback loves a laugh, and that’s just what he got! As soon as I retreated to the rear of the group, I noted that the field was chasing and would consume us within a few seconds. Anticipating that the counter would be the move that stuck, I stood up and tried to respond but my legs were rocks. I was unable to cover it, and watched a group roll away. I jumped back into the already decimated field and hoped that it would come back. It did not, and everyone seemed content to finish together and chat. I rolled in for a top-20 finish.

The series’ holds its only criterium on the BMW Performance Center test track. A crash in the preceding race delayed the start of our race by an hour. Everyone was ready to roll and it was fast from the gun. The winds howled, but criteriums generally offer predictable conditions. I covered practically every significant move, really hopeful that something would stick. Luck would not have it, and the race ended in a massive field sprint. Out of contention, I opted to roll in with the field to fight another day.

Wanting badly to come out of the series with a result of which we could be proud, five of us lined up at the River Falls Road Race with the hopes of enduring all ten ascents of its arduous climb. My legs were aflame from the first time up the hill on, and only once did I feel good on it. The rest of the team appeared to feel the fatigue of the past few weeks and we did what we could to cover attacks. With a few laps to go I came out of hiding to follow a few wheels myself, but the riders I followed were heavily marked and those attacks were short-lived. I felt my best throughout the last lap, but with speeds exceeding 50mph, maintaining good position going into a finishing climb that had already killed me nine times prior was not in the cards. I did move up, but could not match the speeds of those already in front of me and the race ended just before I could win it.

I look forward to our next race together, as we all have a lot to learn from one another and I think we all expect great things from our collective organization, including each of our generous sponsors, without which none of this would be possible: Earthfare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacitas, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, Carbo Rocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our facebook page!).

RACE REPORT: Greenville Training Series

The year started off with a bang as our newest rider, Evan Wynn, pulled off a 3rd place finish as the first race in the series against the biggest teams in the Southeast, including George Hincapie himself! The week before, Evan Fader, riding solo, won the field sprint for 8th in Raleigh at the Wolf Pack Classic. Tim Jenkinson (coming off a National Championship team win at Collegiate Nationals last month) took home a storming win in the Cat. 3 field the following day, winning solo after attacking early and staying away! He followed this up with an upgrade to category 2 to join the rest of the team this year.

While we had some great results and lots of excitement, we fought against some other big teams (and some of us the pavement) . . .

Last weekend, Matt led the team in the hardest race of the series on Saturday after attacking a hilly course over 10 laps. And while attacking Chris and Evan battled in the wind at the Donaldson Center again. Evan made the early split with pro Andy Baker, but was brought back early. Unfortunately, while in the chase of the winning break, Chris' day ended early when a rider swerved to miss a DEAD CAT and took the rider out behind him. Chris had nowhere to go but over his bars and hit the pavement hard on his head, shoulder and left knee. Fortunately only soft tissues injuries ensued and will all heal in time.

Please see all of our early season race reports here, pictures from races, and follow us all year long at: http://ashevillegrassrootscycling.wordpress.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001680326288

A big thanks to all of our 2012 sponsors: Earthfare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland Brewing, Mamacitas, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, Carbo Rocket, DeFeet, HD Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our facebook page!).