Folsom Omnium

Since the Wente Road Race I have been struggling with some back issues resulting from past crashes and alignment. For me, the Folsom Omnium started a week before after seeing our Team Doctor Kristin Wingfield. The days before the race were my first rides without back pain and I knew if that held up it would be a good weekend. This was my third season doing the Folsom Omnium. Three years ago I did it as a Cat 3. Despite finishing near last I loved it. The next year it was  my first P12 race. Despite my lack of results in the past, it has always been a fun weekend. So after this introduction I will get to the point. This year not only was it a fun weekend, we won.

Time Trial We arrived at the time trial expecting a win even though James, Jim and myself haven’t done much riding on the TT bike at all (I had had one ride on it since Merco…).  It was a pretty straight forward course, mostly flat with 6 rollers. We all went hard, Jim got 2^nd  (~10 seconds back) and I finished 7^th (~35 seconds back). Either way, we were in great position for the omnium and I was stoked to have shaved 4 minutes off my time from a year and a half ago.

Crit

Tyler Dibble joined us for the crit. It would be my first race with both Team Captains and I was very excited for the opportunity. Entering the crit I knew a break could get away. It was windy and extremely easy to get out of sight. With Ryan Parnes in first we did not want to give up any of the preme points to him or anyone that could overtake Jim.  The goal of the race was to either get me up the road with someone behind me in GC or set up to lead Jim out for the field sprint.

From the start it was really sketchy. I tried to get Jim into a safe position early on and as I got to the front Adam Switters attacked.  Without hesitation Dibble chased. Strava bridged with me on their wheel and a few others. We were flying but Tyler and I didn’t work because Jim wasn’t up there with us. As soon as it was caught I countered with Chuck Hutchenson. We lasted for 2 laps before Switters bridged. When Switters bridged I sat on because he was 3^rd on GC.  Once we were caught Laberge countered for a preme lap and I sat up to see Jim and Dibble sitting in great position. After the preme, three riders got away including Strava, McGuire and Fremont. None of them were on GC. It was prefect, all the teams were represented and I knew there would be a hesitation to chase. Without hesitation I jumped in the first corner to get away on the crosswind section. I bridged and started pulling. I knew Strava would delay their chase because they had a teammate there, Fremont didn’t have the depth to bring it back and McGuire was all by himself. After 2 laps our gap was 20 seconds.

Before the race Dibble told me, “ You want the break to stick, but you don’t care if it comes back”. With that in mind I knew Strava would eventually start chasing, so I took advantage on establishing the break early.  Even if we were caught at the end, I would at least have taken all the preme points from anyone who could pull away from Jim. After about 4 laps I heard 30 seconds. The gap seemed to staying right there. I was doing the majority of the work because I was in it for GC.  I started noticing fatigue in the break and became nervous we weren’t going fast enough. Furthermore riders started skipping pulls and  Fremont started sitting on. A lap later I heard Chuck was trying to bridge. Without hesitation I ramped it up and as a result dropped everyone but Joe from Strava. I didn’t expect him to work because Chuck was bridging, so I put him in the gutter. After 2 laps of that, I looked at him and said, “Chuck isn’t bridging and I have three sprinters in the field, lets work”. He listened and we kept working until the finish. I got every points preme, but as the finished approached we were losing time quickly. Joe was getting tired and I was all in for the overall.  I pulled the last 2 laps, attacked into the final corner and won it. Forgetting about the crosswind I celebrated. It was not the most lovely victory salute but I haven’t had as much practice at this stuff as Laberge has.

I was happy, but became even happier when I saw Jim finish 5^th.  It was my first P12 win and my first Cycles Gladiator most aggressive/ best looking rider award. The crit was a great race for the team that set us up for the overall, but the circuit would be a new day.

Circuit In the morning, I decided to stop studying for my finals and look up results.  I had moved into 1^st overall and Jim was in 3^rd behind Parnes. Our priorities for the circuit were to keep 1^st overall, then move Jim into 2^nd and after ensuring that, win the stage. At sign in I looked at the finish and was freaked out by the 320 meter landing strip  I saw. No joke, you could land a 747 on that road. Furthermore, Ryan Parnes was in 2^nd and that guy puts out a 2000 watt sprint and has facial hair. How was I supposed to defend against that? Dibble talked to me before and said, “You be a shadow, that’s it. You finish one place behind him and you win.” I took “Yoda’s” advice since it worked yesterday and I got that wheel right away and stayed on it.

Throughout the race I paid attention to his jump and every time he attacked I was there. On the third lap Parnes had attacked and literally every GC rider was up the road with us. I wasn’t working because I was isolated and they had to take the overall from me. Eventually Chuck attacked with Switters, but I didn’t care because they were too far back to take the overall. Eventually Paul Mach bridged with the field in tow and I drifted back as Parnes’s “shadow”.

I started hearing trash talk and just took what Dibble said before the race as literally as possible. I just followed. In the mean time when I got bored of at staring at Ryan’s ass/ huge claves I glanced up the road  to see the team doing an awesome job at holding the race together. Jim was trying to find his way into moves and James was taking free rides to the finish. Dibble was either chasing stuff back or at my side calming me down as my voice cracked every other word (It tends to do that even when I am not nervous).

Two laps to go Parnes had flatted. At this point James got me on his wheel and kept me near the front for the finish. Things were getting hectic as Chuck and Switters break came into sight. I kept looking back paranoid that Parnes was going to get back on my wheel and jump me.  James was doing an awesome job at keeping me near the front and we were talking all the way to the finish. A kilometer from the finish I saw Parnes made it back and I got right on his wheel. I took the final corner on the inside and first focused on not losing that draft.  A hundred meters from the line I started coming around him and bike threw for the line realizing at the point if I crashed I would have enough momentum to carry me to the finish. It was close. Fourth through 14^th finished within a few feet of each other. I was relieved to later hear I held onto first and Jim’s finish had moved him into second overall. Our main priorities were accomplished.

I can’t thank the team enough for this win. It really was a team effort, from our team doctor to James and Dibbles selfless work. I am so proud to be a part of this squad and cannot wait for more great results to come in the future.

New Team Victory Salute

After solid number of wins, the TMB squad has had some time to practice the victory salute. It’s hard to top Laberge’s clean displays of dominance, but our current leader in the celebration department has to be John Piasta, aided by teammate extraordinaire, Eric Riggs. Check it out:

Brandt Looking to Take the Next Step

Tyler is kicking ass and people are taking note. Here's the latest press on him: Fairfax cyclist Brandt looking to take the next step at Grand Prix in Minnesota and Wisconsin

By Dave Curtis Marin Independent Journal

TYLER BRANDT has yet to burst upon the cycling scene. But as those who know him say, that doesn't mean his star is not on the rise.

Brandt, a 21-year-old Drake High grad who grew up in Fairfax, will try to take a step toward more recognition in the cycling community on Wednesday in Stage 1 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix in St. Paul, Minn. If all goes well, Brandt will come across the finish line after Stage 6 in Stillwater, Minn., on Sunday having opened some eyes among some professional racing teams after racing against professional riders.

"I'm trying to take this as far as I can," Brandt said of cycling. "Through high school, I was playing other sports as well as cycling. I definitely enjoyed cycling a lot, but it wasn't until maybe my junior year of high school it became more real that it was a possible step that I could make it there."

Read more of the story on the Marin IJ website.

Folsom Cyclebration Willow Creek Circuit Race - E3

Plagued with quadriceps tendonitis for the first half of the 2012 race season, most of my time has been spent on the bench in rehab and behind the scenes working on team stuff. Due to the injury, I have only had a couple of months of consistent on the bike training but my patient coach Shawn has made it some extremely quality time. I pinned my first race number back at a County Center crit and have gotten a couple other races in after that.

I drove out to the Willow Creek Circuit Race with intentions of supporting Ryan who had done well in the Time Trial and Criterium and was sitting high up on GC with potential to take the overall. Shawn also had me do Threshold Power testing the Friday before so my legs were slightly cooked and I figured this would just be another training race. The field was a decent size and Ryan gave me a quick rundown on whose number and team to watch for that were sitting above him in the standings. We rolled out for an hour of racing around the Folsom circuit thinking the race would likely come down to a sprint due to the close overall standings and representation from the teams. Early in the race a large break went off the front with decent representation from all the teams. With its size it looked potentially dangerous so before the gap opened up I went to the front and helped reel them back in. After the group was brought back, the field was content rotating and rolling around for a lap until two riders rolled off the front, Rocky Fletcher of Rio Strada and a Davis Bike Racing rider. As their gap started to increase, Ryan Oakes of Chico Corsa attacked out of the field to bridge up to the riders. Ryan had mentioned he was sitting high up in the standings and his teammate was sitting first overall so I attacked out of the field to join them.

With the four teams represented in the break, we quickly opened a gap from the field and were working pretty well together each comfortably sharing the load. The moto ref rolled up to us and gave a time update of what I think was 35 seconds. We continued to rotate but myself and Ryan Oakes began to do additional work. The moto ref then gave us a time update of 25 seconds so I knew the field was bringing us back and we had to work harder. I tried to motivate the riders to take stronger shorter pulls and keep a tight formation but felt that the workload was no longer being shared equally. With around 4 laps to go, I noticed Ryan Oakes had dropped out of the break and it was just myself and the two other riders. With the gap falling and only two companions left, my legs still felt fresh so I made the decision to rail the chicane and attack my two remaining breakaway companions.

For around four laps I proceeded to ride solo off the front with no time updates from the moto ref or race updates of chasing riders. In fear that riders would bridge or the field would catch me, I buried myself until the finishing stretch where I was able to celebrate solo with a minute lead on the peloton.

Luckily Ryan was able to rest in the field while the other teams chased and finished top 5 in the field sprint, but unfortunately was just nipped by a rider he was tied for 3rd with in the standings so finished 2nd overall in the GC for the weekend. Regardless, a great result and great weekend for us both. Later in the day, John Piasta and Jim Wingert would go 1-2 in the P/1/2 general classification. Phenomenal weekend for the team.

IC3 Dash for Cash

Arriving at the race I was stoked with all of the Mike’s Bikes kits I saw. I had thought it was only going to be James and myself; however Steve, Travis and Ryan (who I didn’t recognize at first because of his beyond manly beard) were there to join us. Steve conducted a pre race meeting and said I was going to be the guy. I laughed thinking that we have James and I haven’t been racing that much lately. Either way, I had a team behind me, and this was a first for me. I only know how to be a teammate or ride by myself, I had no idea what to do with them.

At the start I got to the front right away and it was aggressive. I could tell from the start something would get away because of the long crosswind sections. We covered everything and made a few attacks but nothing was sticking because either Nate English didn’t make the move and reeled it back, or everyone else was too fresh to chase it down. So after a few more break attempts I wasn’t able to respond as the winning move went with Nate, Chuck and Sam Bassetti. I didn’t panic because there were still strong guys in the field and knew as long as the pack didn’t sit up I would be able to get across. However, what didn’t even cross my mind was the question, “How can I use my teammates to help me get across?”. This was shortly answered when I went to Steve, told him I could solo bridge it when he firmly responded, “No! You get on my f***ing wheel and we do it together!”  That shut me up and I did what the man said, pushing anyone out of the way that tried to get that wheel from me. He attacked like a mad man and I barely stayed on to realize the separation he caused. Was everyone stupid to let two Mike’s get off the front or were they just not strong enough to hang on as Peleaz put them in the gutter. It was definitely the later.  Steve swung off and I knew I had to close the gap before the headwind section. The last 10 meters were the hardest to close but I finally got there and sat on to make sure no one came with me.  I realized how much energy Steve saved me, I probably could have bridged it solo, but I would have killed myself in the process and not taken full advantage of my teammates. We were gone and eventually I started working a bit but never drove the break.

We pedaled bikes for the remainder of the race and then it got exciting again with two to go.  I had been examining my competitors and saw that Nate was hurting and would have to go a long way out. Chuck looked strongest and I pretty much assumed Sam would cramp.  With one to go Chuck attacked, English chased but peeled off. Then it was just me and Sam. This reminded me of Nationals last year, 1 up the road and two chasing. I thought I knew what to do after my failed attempt last June. Sam was not going to close that gap, but at the same time there was no way I was taking him to the finish with me.  I sat on and attacked him in the crosswind section. I looked back and had a gap on him and had to be all in. I bridged to Chuck and my mistake was not coming around him hard enough. I just thought he was dead, but he got back on me and 100 meters from the line he came around me and 10 meters from the line so did Sam. I screwed that one up…big time. By me not jumping Chuck hard enough, he just made the gap for Sam smaller, and was able to use me a lead out.

I look back on the race and am so grateful for Team Mike’s Bikes.  Everyone was in the race making a difference and I got to experience being a Team Leader getting to play my card for the win. I doubted myself before the race, but Steve’s confidence in me was contagious and I am one race closer to my first P 1/2 win.

2012 Mount Hamilton District Road Championship - An Instant Classic

After 63 grueling race miles with over 5K feet of climbing, the race came down to a bike throw. In that moment, it became an instant classic between two close friends, now on rival teams vying for the title Best Norcal Team. But before it came down to the bike throw, the race was brilliantly ridden by Shawn Rosenthal who threw caution to the wind on Mt Hamilton's hairy descent. He built a lead of 2 minutes and was riding away with the race until the dreaded cramps sneaked up on him. Painfully, he marshaled on and rallied the troops.

Here's the race video and a glimpse of how I motivate my riders (@ the end).

http://vimeo.com/43655390

Below is Tyler Brandt's race report:

Mount Hamilton is one of my favorite races on the calendar, a close second to the Nevada City Classic, but it has not been kind to me for many years. Mount Hamilton was my first race in the Category 3’s in 2006 I believe. I was still a Junior on the amazing Team Swift program and I made it over the climb in the front group and then cracked around mile-40 on the big roller climb, when out of no-where a dropped rider from the 1/ 2 race (Mack Chew) pushed me back into the lead group and I stayed with them to finish in the top 15. A year later I placed 4th in the Cat 3’s at which point I was still a great climber, I thought, and I absolutely loved the race.

The next year I was still a junior, but I was racing in the 1/ 2’s now and it was a rude awakening. I was no longer a climber, not in this category. For the next three years I toiled off the back, suffering a lot on the climb and never making anything near the front group. Last year was particularly disappointing when I got dropped with Rand Miller and barely beat him for something around last place with a silly bike throw.

After working particularly hard this winter and losing some of my baby fat, I was certain that this year would be different. It was also helpful that Mount Hamilton aligned with U.S. Pro Nationals, giving us local racers a moment of respite from the climbing prowess of local strongman Nate English. On the surface, it appeared to be a pretty even battle of teams at the race and I was confident in our leader for the day, Shawn Rosenthal, after we had gone for the pre-race ride the day before and he had smashed my face in with his “openers”

Alas, the race started and we began to roll up the hill. I didn’t get much of a warm-up in, mostly just focused on using the bathroom a few times to make sure I was as light as possible. Right away I knew I felt good, but I was still a bit worried. Shawn needed me for the last part of the climb and I wanted to make sure that I would be around for the fireworks show that I was sure the Cal-Giant Climbers were going to put on. The miles ticked by and I started to feel better and better, there were a few attacks, but nothing really put me in difficulty. Near the top Huffman finally put in a big dig on the front, but I wasn’t too worried about it because I knew that with my descending skills, at this point on the climb, I would be able to easily catch back on.

I finished the descent near the front, but was not yet aware that my teammate Shawn Rosenthal was up the road, after bravely and safely handling his bike down a hairy descent. I followed a little attack from Chuck Hutcheson on the next roller and when I began to pull through, Jim Wingert yelled at me.

My day suddenly became absolutely amazing, not only had I survived the climb, but my teammate now had a 2-minute gap on the field ala Paul Mach status 2009. Even more gratifying was that I knew Shawn was on amazing form and that it would take a very organized and complete chase to bring him back now. The tactics were beautiful. While Team Mike’s Bikes had initially been disadvantaged by not having the strongest climbers in the race, the pendulum had suddenly shifted and we were in complete control. To top it off we had the fastest man (boy?) in NorCal still in the lead group, our own little pocket rocket James Laberge. The wonderful thing about bike racing is that it isn’t just a lab test based on pure power to weight strength; it’s the complete contest, a measure of strength, ability (being able to handle one’s bike) and brains. And a smart team can win even when they don’t have the strongest rider in the race.

After an impressive chase by Cal-Giant and Marc-Pro Strava, Shawn was reeled back in with about 5ish miles to go. My teammate John Piasta immediately put everyone back on the defensive and countered Shawn’s move. The next 3 miles were a constant flow of attacks and I tried to stay in the midst of everything at the front while still leaving a bit for the sprint. We hit the final descent and Team Mike’s Bikes controlled the front, with at least 7 guys leading us down. At the bottom I saw our advantage and yelled to my teammates to hit it. It was wonderful display of selfless riding while Rainier Schaefer, and Matt McKinzie hit the lead-out first. Then Shawn Rosenthal, after riding all day on the front still sacrificed everything and anything he had left to help the lead-out. We passed the 1k to go sign and the big engine Jim Wingert took over and then Eric Riggs took us to 250 meters to go and at this point Sam Bassetti attacked our train on the right side and then Chris Stastny came flying by even quicker on my left. I was still confident in our sprinter James Laberge and I knew we couldn’t lose this race after how hard everyone had worked for this moment. I hit it hard and figured that around 100 meters to go he would come blasting past me. I stayed on top of the 11 tooth, probably too big of a gear, I could sense James wasn’t coming and Chris had a good gap on me. I put my head down and gave it everything I had, I wanted to win bad. With about 30 meters to go I saw Staz start to put his hands up, but I kept digging and threw an absolute prayer of a bike throw. At that moment I was pretty sure that I had pipped him and in the process I almost crashed him out. I was absolutely ecstatic to come through for my team and get the biggest win of my career, while also sad to have stripped the win from one of my best friends on the racing circuit. After being teammates for the past two years, we have had some great battles this season and I am glad to have finally come out on top before the rivalry became completely one-sided.

I can’t thank my teammates enough, this team came together as a unit in the early season and we have fought together as one throughout, led by our fearless leader Steve Pelaez. It is a complete joy riding for Team Mike’s Bikes and I hope that we can keep building on our success throughout the summer as we head to some bigger races across the country.

Memorial Day Criterium

It was a beautiful day in Morgan Hill, home of the Specialized Bicycles Headquarters! After the team's yesterdays performance (Tyler Brandt winning Mount Hamilton Road Race), he had a strong shot at winning the omnium and to earn a spot at the Nature Valley Professional Stage race next month! The team's plan was to first secure his qualifier and second, to get the win whether it was by breakaway or field sprint. It was a windy day; head wind on the front straight and a cross-head wind the next straight away. We thought that a breakaway would get away, so wanted to make sure to stay near the front and make sure we don't miss it. There were multiple attacks throughout the race and it strung out the field a lot but it never really broke the field apart completely. Eric Riggs gave me a perfect lead out for a $150 prime at about the halfway point in the race and I felt good in that effort, so I decided to sit in and wait for a field sprint and make sure Tyler would be on my wheel so that he can get to Nature Valley. It indeed eventually came down to a field sprint and we were lined up about 10 guys back with 1/2 laps to go and I yelled up to Steve "GO!" and he attacked so hard that I had to then tell him slow down, but we quickly adapted and was able to get organized and ramp up the speed again. Tyler came by me and led me out through the last turn and I was able to come around him to take the win! Tyler was able to hang on for 2nd and earned himself a spot to go to Nature Valley and compete against the pros! Big congrats to him and he will definitely represent Team Mike's Bikes strong! Martin Acosta (McGuire) finished 3rd, and Chuck Hutchenson (Marc-Pro Strava) finished in a well-deserved 4th place! Thank you to all of my teammates throughout the race yesterday as it was a pro/1/2/3 race, so I was able to race with a few of my category 3 teammates which made it pretty cool! They were all so selfless and were all willing to stick their head out in the wind and turn the pain meter up a notch. Couldn't have done it without them! Also, couldn't have done it if it wasn't for any of our sponsors that have come together and helped support this amazing team that has come together as one! Once again, thank you and hope you have enjoyed the reading! Photo Credit: Dale Tapley

Mt Hamilton Road Race, State Championships (from the lonely guy riding by himself)

I look around and see 4 other teammates stacked at the front of the race with 1km to go to the summit. Jim Wingert was up there setting the pace. John Piasta attacked hard 1km from the summit to go after the KOM. Evan Huffman, 2012 Gila TT winner of Cal Giant, putting his team on his back at the front of race, went shortly thereafter with Jim and myself on his wheel. When Huffman went, it took quite a bit to stay in contact, that guy has an engine.

Jim and I sat behind Huffman while he chased down John. When Huffman caught on to John on the flats after the summit, I looked at our group containing three of us and Huffman. I looked back and we had a decent gap on the field. I yelled: "Jim, go to the front and drill it" in hopes of getting this group to keep rolling for a advantageous breakaway. We did the work to make sure we were toward the front of the race with numbers the entire climb and it paid off. Our team was in an extremely good position here. Jim took over and without intention got a gap on all of us immediately. Huffman closed it down. At this point, Huffman had been a beast, pushing hard in the wind for over three minutes on his own. I think back to what local racing strategy expert, Roman Kilun would do in this situation. Roman would assess the situation and decide what would strategically put the race largely in the team's favor.

Seeing the field not too far behind I realized our group was not going to maintain it's gap on the descent so I roll up to Jim and told him "sit up and follow Huffman". I fully trust my equipment which is undoubtedly free speed on descents (Specialized SL4, Specialized tubular tires, and Zipp 404s) and years and years of training in the East Bay hills. I have spent over a decade racing and training on twisting norcal roads, also spending much of my available time coaching some of our future's young talents on Tieni Duro Junior Cycling Team how to push extra speed through turns with exceptional comfort and safety. Turning around after sprinting out of one of the corners, I see a large gap opening behind me. This is the point where I get to put those honed skills to use.

I come to the consensus that until there's a time check, I've got freedom to open up some serious time. It's a race to the first time check to establish my gap before worrying about the chase.

I know the training I've been getting from Provantage Sports is working and the fitness is there (a completely self interested plug right there). This is a championship race. Internally I tell myself: "Make it happen just like Paul Mach did in 2008 (report)." I take the corners smooth, feather down the hills, and hit the subsequent flat stretches and small hills with sustained concerted efforts of 400-500W. I could tell this is where training with fellow cycling coach Nate English has been really paying off. My team has my back. If I get caught, we've got some great sprinters who will be ready.

GAME ON!

Mile 20

Mile 25: I get a time check of 2:10. "Ok, not as much as I'd like but let's stay smooth and stay out of sight." Mile 30: I then get a time check of 2:30. "Great! This could really work. Hold back, stay smooth." Mile 35: 2:00. "Oh man, they are coming in but I am getting close to the last big hill. There's still a lot of legs left. The training is timed and tuned to perfection." Mile 40: 1:50. "I am at the 9 minute hill, the last big one of the race. The legs are feeling great so I push it hard to maintain my gap and to ensure I am not seen on the climb's long stretches knowing that it could really work if I maintained the gap over the hill." Mile 45: 1:40. "Only 10 seconds lost on the hill! EXCELLENT!" Mile 48: 1:40. "I'm feeling great, the legs are feeling energized, 40 minutes of racing to go. It's on! This is now a 30km time trial. Pedal it in!" Mile 52: Hamstrings are not happy about this effort and cramp with every pedal stroke. I am not ready to give up. I am pedaling through the seizing muscles. I can feel my legs ripping themselves apart. If there's a pain that is any worse than being stabbed, it's stretching out a muscle that is actively pulling itself into a ball. "HTFU! JUST KEEP PEDALING!!!" Mile 53: 1:10. The descending is so close. "JUST KEEP PEDALING. DEAL WITH CONSEQUENCES LATER." Mile 57: I turn around and see a field led by BHRR winner, Keith Hillier of Marc-Pro Strava. The descending is just around the corner. "Just keep pushing and there might be a lull in the field. If not, your team is still getting a free ride."

Mile 53

I get caught. We are now on the descent and our team is looking fresh with numbers. We had numbers and utilized it well to bring it in for a field sprint. With intentions of keeping it together for a sprint, we covered an attack by Cal Giant's strong climber/TTist that created a group 2:1 in our favor. This isolated Cal Giant's strong sprinter Sam Bassetti to chase it down with our riders in tow. I gave what I had left to keep our guys in place. The team took over. Tyler gets a huge win (can't wait to hear his story).

Nice Shoes

Roman Kreuziger wins Giro Italia stage 19.

County Center Criterium #2

This was the third opportunity, and the second weekend in a row, for NorCal riders to race this course this season.  I had competed in the first two races and placed 3rd and 2nd.  My number was called (the team worked for me to try to get the win) last weekend  during the Team Swift Crit. This weekend we decided Steve Paleaz, our team director, was our team member who we were going to work for to try to get the win.  It was just myself and Hank who were there to help Steve because the majority of Team Mike's Bikes riders were south racing the Modesto and Fresno crits.  Our plan was for Hank and I to mark any dangerous breaks while Steve was to rest as much as possible in the field while at the same time be attentive and not miss any crucial breaks.  On a side note, I wanted to get a good workout and get the team as much swag as possible so I made it a goal of mine to go for every prime if I was in the right spot. The 90 minute crit got started and the pace was pretty manageable.  The first prime lap came and I moved towards the front on the back stretch and was lined up behind two Metromint riders.  I could tell they were also keen on getting the prime.  As we rolled around the final turn and onto the finish straight away, I was able to stay on the wheel as one Metromint rider sprinted and then just come around him at the line for the first prime.  I thought to myself 'that was harder than I wanted to push'.  The race continued.

It wasn't that long though, about 20 minutes if I recall, that a break of about 9 riders got some space on the field.  With a little bit of communication, everyone soon realized we were in a good move and began working together. The gap began to grow.  Steve and Hank were back in the field letting others try to chase to bring them back to the break.  The bell for prime #2  rang.  I found myself at the front going into the final two turns of the lap so I decided to pull a little longer than needed and then jump out of the final corner to get space to win the prime.  Mission accomplished so far and it didn't mess up the break.  Pretty soon after this, to my delight, Steve bridged up and was now in our break.  Then a few laps later two guys got off the front and stretched their gap out to about 7-8 seconds.  Steve soon came to me and said to pay attention because he was going to go the front of our chase group and put in a few good pulls.  When the gap looked manageable then I was to try to bridge up to the two guys up the road.  On Steve's second acceleration, the gap closed down enough that I thought I could bridge up.  So I jumped and went for it. I was able to make it up to the two guys, one rider from Muscle Milk and the other from Metromint, the same guy that I 'duked it out' for the first prime.

We were now three.  I wish I could say we worked well together but one of the Muscle Milk guy seemed to be in a bit of discomfort and wasn't doing many pulls.  At this time I had to remind him that his teammates were counting on him to stay away so he should help us.  Fair enough, he took some pulls but soon dropped back so it was the Metromint guy  and I. We continued to work well together.  I glanced back, without putting too much effort to really gauge our gap, and couldn't see any other riders.  But then all of the sudden, out of the corner of my eye during a rotation, I saw another rider.  Another Muscle Milk rider had bridged up (very impressive) so we were now three again.  This was definitely favourable for us.  We continued working well together.

Now let me reverse this story a bit. I put air in my back tire prior to my warm up.  Then just before the start, or about 30 minutes after pumping it up, I felt my back tire and it kind of felt soft.  I found a pump and sure enough the pressure of my tubular tire had gone from 130 down to 90.  I wondered if I should use my spare wheel or just pump up my race tire again and go with it.  The latter thought won.  When Steve bridged up to our break early on in the race I asked him if my back tire looked soft because it felt like it.  He said no so I forgot about it. But with about 10-12 laps to go in the race I started to feel as though my wheel was soft.  Then with six laps to go, after I bounced on my back wheel and kept looking down at it, the Muscle Milk rider asked if I had a flat.  I said that I thought it was soft.  He looked down and confirmed this.  So now what do I do?  As we rolled over the line with five laps to go, I tried to get the attention of the referees to see if I still had a free lap.  Note to self: pay attention at the start when the referee announces how many laps before the finish you can get a free one.  Next lap around, I happen to see my teammate, Hank, holding his bike telling me I can jump on it.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Do I stop and make the switch and then try to make it back up to the two other guys in the break?  Do I take a chance and hope I can ride the almost flat tire a few more laps?  Well here's where fair play came into play.  My two break companions told me they would let me ride ahead so I could jump on Hank's bike and get back on with them.  So that what I did with three laps to go.  Luckily Hank's bike fit me very well.  As the bell lap rang, I rolled through leading my other two compatriots.  We kept rotating and I was third wheel entering the back stretch.  I could sense some jockeying about to begin so instead of playing any games I decided to make my move.  I got out of my saddle and accelerated hard.  I looked back and had a gap.  But the Metromint guy was digging hard and keeping me in check.  I pushed on and tried to stay as low as possible.  As I turned the final corner my legs were hurting.  The gap had stayed the same and as I got closer to the line I realized the win was going to be mine.

Once again, team work paid off.  If you've been reading our team race reports this year, you've probably heard this before.  Steve was our 'guy' for this race but he ended up helping me get in a break, which ultimately helped get the win.  At the finish we were all psyched to get another victory for Team Mike's Bikes.

QUICK STEP and TEAM MIKE'S BIKES

Quick Step, Boonen, Vader, and Team Mike's Bikes went for a ride to discuss the Tour de France and, more importantly, the Modesto Road Race.

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A Force of Good and Happiness - Mike's Bikes

Thanks to Chuck's post from the Wente Crit, many of us have had a good laugh and fun these past few weeks. And we continued to play on this age old theme of good vs bad, of dark vs light at the Mike's Bikes Cat's Hill Classic. Here's the race video: http://vimeo.com/42036413

Obviously, Mike's Bikes is really a force of good and happiness to all of us. Let me share why:

Before deciding to join Team Mike's Bikes, I did some research and asked around about Matt Adams and the company. I was impressed by all that I learned. Mike's Bikes is the largest and most successful bike shop in the country thanks to the vision of the partners Ken Martin and Matt Adams. Their vision is simple: to bring biking happiness to all.

When you step into any of the 11 Mike's Bikes stores throughout Norcal, you feel this vision at work. The employees happily greet you and cater to your needs regardless of whether you are a novice recreational rider or a seasoned racer. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is treated with the same great customer service. Btw, I'm always curious about people's background and their journey to where they are today. So it's interesting to note that both Matt and Ken started as regular bike employees at Mike's. They are just regular guys like many of us who have worked at bike shops. Except, now they have created a biking empire in Norcal.

But what's even more impressive about Mike's is how they give back. In my book, the true worth and value of a person is measured by how much they give of themselves rather than how much they earn or make. In this regard, Mike's (Matt and Ken) are truly giants. Their bike Africa philanthropy project is impressive.

So before I even joined the team, I already liked these guys. Then, I met Matt Adams and many of the Mike's Bikes employees. I knew then, I had to be part of this team and turn the 2011 creme puff image around. My goal was simple: create a team that represents the excellence of Mike's Bikes.

At first, I simply looked around for talented riders who would successfully represent the company's high standing image. But then I thought, let's invest in the younger riders. However, in order to do this correctly, it's important to create the right peer support structure for the younger riders. We needed to bring not just one but a group of them. But our budget did not support adding (4) U23 riders. So I spoke with Matt, and he generously opened up the budget to support these young guns, the future of our sport.

I even suggested that perhaps, we don't need all these high end equipment to make room in our budget. Of course, Matt Adams would have none of this. If we are truly to represent the excellence of Mike's Bikes, then everything has to be the best. This is why we have the best bikes, the best wheels, the best clothing, the best gruoppo, the best nutritional products, the best coaching. The best training tools (garmin, gopro, cyclops powertap). We are a fortunate group of riders.

Over the years, I've developed the belief that a happy rider is a fast rider. Ultimately, we ride to pursue happiness. And the key to happiness is NOT wins. The key to happiness is feeling purposeful and being part of a community (something larger than oneself). We've worked hard since the end of the last year to create this sense of purpose for each rider (being the best teammate) and to have them be part of the Mike's community, not just with their teammates but with the entire Mike's organization. Interestingly, without the active pursuit of wins but a focus on great teamwork, we've won a lot more than I could have expected. These kids are great.

Also, I absolutely love going to the Mike's stores because many of the employees are genuinely interested and happy with the team's success. I feel that they too share in the team's success. We are after all their team. And it's our goal to be Norcal's most enjoyed and supported team too by bringing you biking happiness every week through our race videos, race reports, and team rides. Hope you are enjoying the show that is Team Mike's Bikes. We're just getting started.

Mike's Bikes is truly the force of good and happiness in Norcal cycling.

Golden State Circuit Race

Golden State Circuit race is a sinuous course as part of a two day omnium. Matt McKinzie and I were teaming up for the second day, with a game plan to save our strength for a field sprint. Lo and behold, Chuck Hutcheson (MarcPro-Strava) made a move that stuck, working with Ariel Herrmann (Metromint Cycling). The peloton mostly shut down except for attempted bridges. There was no organization. Matt who is brand spanking new to category two, handled the final two laps. He pulled the entire peloton, myself included, for over four miles with no other teams assisting. Half the breakaway got caught on the line. I got second in the field sprint, for fourth overall. Photo from Steve Harriman

Mike's Bikes Cat's Hill Classic!

And what a classic it was! It was a beautiful day for a bike race in Los Gatos, California; it was an even better day for a showdown between the dark and light sides of the force. Impressed by the Jedi photo shop tricks of team MarcPro Strava, Team Mike's Bikes suited up in our new white jerseys, hoping for some even cooler storm trooper pics. Come on guys, let’s see them! And fearing that the Empire might be a bit misunderstood amongst the nor cal cycling scene, Team Director Steve Peleaz sacrificed his own shot at racing glory to focus on a little public relations outreach.

The race started out fast. Guys were attacking left and right, but nothing was getting away. I was able to sit back and watch everyone attack during the 65-minute race as my teammates were awesome, following any dangerous moves and even going for glory themselves by attacking. As the race winded down, it became clear the winner would be determined in a field sprint. At 1 lap to go Rainier and Shawn were at the front, a couple guys in front of me, and I told them to drill it. Rainier drilled it to the hill and Shawn drilled it up and over the top. I was sitting pretty with two cal Giant riders next to me and Roman Kilun (Kenda 5 Hour Energy) at the front. I told Roman to go and he did just that. He drilled it all the way to the top and down the hill to the last turn and I was able to get into position behind one of the Cal Giants riders, grab the inside line and sprint to victory! We ended up having 5 guys in the top 12! Benny Swedberg (Cal Giant) was second, Jared Barrilleaux (Cal Giant) came in third, photo shopper extraordinaire Chuck Hutcheson (Marc-Pro Strava) was 4th, and our very own Tyler Brandt rounded up the top 5!

A special thanks to Roman as while he's not my teammate, he acted as if he was and gave an me excellent leadout. Thank you Roman! The rest of the team rode amazing and we executed! Thank you to Mike's Bikes and all of the sponsors! Couldn't have done it without you!

--James LaBerge

City Park Becomes a Sponsor of Team Mike's Bikes 2012

Team Mike's Bikes, one of Northern California's premier cycling teams, is proud to announce that

City Park

will be an integral part of this year's program.  City Park has been San Francisco's premier parking management company for the past 50 years.  The sponsorship provides Team Mike's Bikes (TMB) 2012 with financial assistance for riders to attend key races throughout the season.  In return, City Park will receive brand exposure on the teams kit as well as exclusive VIP treatment at some of the team's key Northern California races.

"I've been extremely impressed with not only team's results so far this year but also their professional approach, dedication and strong commitment to the team," explained Tim Leonoudakis, CEO of City Park. "Just like our business, you need a strong team environment to create success in bike racing.  TMB certainly shares this value, as evident of their results this year."  As an avid cyclist himself, Mr. Leonoudakis also expressed his interest in Mike's Bikes projects in Africa. He hopes to become involved to some degree in one of these programs.

Matt Adams, Mike's Bikes CEO, is also thrilled with the teams new sponsorship.  "It's really nice to have a local San Francisco company like City Park see the value in sponsoring a grassroots cycling program such as TMB 2012.  This is the team's second year of existence and sure, the results have been impressive. But even more important than this is the leadership and skills we are trying to instill in the Bay Area's top bike racers."

Panoche Pass RR

This is a year of first timers: The Viper gets to second base with the podium girl for winning his first bike race, we eat healthy food, we go paint-balling for the first time... and many more to come. At Panoche though... I got to call "sit up and wait for the rider who flatted"... One of these days I'll get to call a pee break.

Panoche's course is a fun one. It is an out and back 67mi course. Go up a hill. Go down a hill. Take a left into a flat crosswind section. Go up a hill. Go down a hill. Turn around. Suffer all the way back in a headwind.

Two things that I am terrified will happen during a bike race:

1) Someone will throw a snot rocket and it'd hit me.

To those offenders (you know who you are), spitting and projecting out of your nose lost its coolness back in the 3rd grade, that year that you realized girls are cooler than earthworms.

2) Someone will pee in the pack and I'd get an unfriendly shower.

I bring this up because 20 miles into the race, I've got to relieve myself. I roll to the back of the pack along the side of the road and try to go. Hmm, not much of a stream going. Ok, there it goes, better.

Wait... why is my shoe all wet. f**k.  I know our shoes are fiery hot... but come on!

Here I was enjoying my ride, just chilling and singing songs in the back with the Mike's Bike's poster child, Rainier Schaefer, and now my shoe is ruined.

I was enjoying my day and now I'm just want to rip Barbie doll heads off and tantalize the youngins for their tears. Speaking of trying to torture the youngins (emphasis on trying), Travis, Riggs, & LaBerge were out fending themselves pretty well from this guy and his green stick.

We are within sight of the left turn into the flat crosswind and I just want to see friendly faces turn to ugly. This guy below epitomizes the latter.

We make the left. GAME ON! Rainier and I tried to make a dent. The field was too strong. I attacked a few times while Rainier had my back. I got off the front and caught the rider who was bravely solo for 32 miles up to that point. I got some stellar pulls from him, we got to the turn around only to see the group a mere 3 seconds behind.

I hit it hard up the up hill in front of me and half way up, I turn around and my breakaway companion was out and in place, James Enright of Squadra caught up with Ranier locked on his wheel. We get over the hill and back on the flat crosswind section. This is where some more fireworks happen.

Have you ever seen a bike racer go solo up the road when everyone (self included) is in absolute agony? It's nothing short of f****g amazing.

If you have raced in NorCal, you'd be lying if you said no. This guy, Rand Miller (Cal Giant), our district's criterium champion, built and continues to build his reputation on the ability to always make a solo move when all eyes are crossed. For that guy, everyone remembers that crossover point in 2011 when it went from "Ah that's cute" to "Ah s**t" and then later in 2012 when it went to "LMFAO, that's funny".

Back to the campfire story... At this point it was Rainier and three others in a group with others chasing hard behind. I attacked and didn't get anywhere. Rainier had my back to make sure I could recover. When the next rider pulled through (his motivation to keep the break rolling), I attacked again. I got caught again. Third time is a charm, right? Either that or three strikes or you're out. This is the one I committed to knowing it was one or the other. I hit it hard and got a quick gap. I got to the point where I knew it was no longer bridgeable but at the same time sitting where I was on a leash. I held that gap for a few minutes holding back a little in case someone put a dig in to bridge. After 5 minutes, I looked behind and a rider was only 3 seconds off my wheel. I put in a deep 1k effort and opened the gap up and kept pushing harder and harder to open keep the gap growing.

At some point I told myself "sweet, this is kickass" and thirty seconds later realizing that there is a long ways home and saying "wtf am I doing, this hurts, and I just want to be done". Wishes were answered. I stood at the finish line eating a chocolate chip cookie the refs were nice enough to give me while getting to watch the rest of the race light up the field sprint. Ranier finishing up with 3rd in the sprint after covering for me all day. Brian Buchholz (Webcore) making a return for 2nd and Joe Dickerson (McGuire) rolling in strong for 3rd.

In my years as a cyclist, all my results were from sprints. My strategy was pretty simple. I sit around, pick my nose, maybe drink a milkshake, then sprint. If I wanted a chance at finishing well, it would ALWAYS be a sprint, no other way. I had always wondered what it would be like to approach the finish line, see the 200m sign and have the luxury to turn around to look off in the distance, seeing nothing but empty roads.

What happened this year? There's some synergistic magic within the team this year. The sponsors are super supportive. The team all wants to see each other win as much as they want it themselves. The team's management is pulling for the riders and making for a great year.

Winte Vineyards Crit Video.

Here's some highlights, a crash, and the final laps I captured with my GoPro last Sunday during the Winte Vineyards Crit

Wente Vineyards Criterium

It couldn't have been a better day of bike racing in Northern California: 80's and light winds all day! I got off work (Jamba Juice) at 1pm and quickly got home, packed everything up, picked up my girlfriend and we were off to the races! We got there and it was hotter than expected but I was anticipating this race and kept thinking about it all morning at work. Before I knew it, it was game time and the whistle blew. Eric Riggs and Travis Lyons were also here representing Team Mike's bikes and our game plan was to save it for the sprint because it almost always comes down to a field sprint here. We did just that, but it wasn't easy at all: there were non-stop attacks and the average speed was about 29 mph! A small breakaway did get away, but we reeled it back in in the closing laps. All three of us got organized and Travis got Eric and I into position for the last two laps as we sat between 5-10 guys back, just waiting to pounce in the last kilometer of the race. At 700 meters I yelled at Eric to go and he went off like a rocket. I kept encouraging him in these desperate moment and told him up once again and he even got out of the saddle! This guy has some raw power! I took off at 200 meters and held it off by a bike length! Chuck Hutchenson (Marc-Pro Strava) and Austin Carroll (Full Circle Cycling powered by Pure Gear) were creeping up beside me but the finish line came soon enough so that I can put my hands up and give Team Mike's bikes another "W" for 2012!

Thank you to all of the sponsors for everything that you do to make this team rise this year!

--James LaBerge

Mega Sale

rainermegasale

Team Mike's Bikes' own Rainer Schaefer beat out all  contenders to take the cover spot of this year's Mega Sale catalog.

Beyond Rainer's rugged good looks, the catalog delivered the scoop on one of the best bike sales around to the mailboxes of households across Northern California.

The sale is on now through Sunday at all 10 Mike's Bikes stores, including the new shop in San Jose.

Find the nearest store to you here.

Everything is on sale. Check out great deals on stylish Capo kits, high performing Specialized bikes and all the accessories you need from Bike Smart.

Sea Otter Crit GoPro Video

Some great footage from Eric Riggs at the Sea Otter Crit.