Victory at Paris-Roubaix of NorCal: Amatelli Wins the 2017 Copperopolis M123 +35 Road Rac

By Rob Amatelli

Copperopolis.  A California Road Racing Classic.  Empress to all amateur bike races.  The Queen of the Classics, and for one euphoric moment on the Saturday before Easter, the mistress of one worthy conquerer.  It is written that only champions stiffened by an army of warriors with demigod-like powers possessing the purest of beating hearts and boasting unyielding strength will have the merit to lift her skirt and vie for her spoils.  To achieve such everlasting immortality one must first traverse eighty-five miles of the most cragged and scabrous terrain ever implanted on this terrestrial sphere we call Earth.  Mortal straphangers stand nary a chance against the menacing parcours set out by the Queen, and will be mercilessly crucified as punishment for such unabated insolence.  

Enlisted and qualified among our ranks that day: Madams, Oli, Sparkelz, Señor Donkey, Rooster, Pizza, and me Robo.  A worthy ensemble comprised of enough majestic force to rip the legs off any and every troll who dare threaten our premeditated barrage on the competition.  Among us forty other dogged and purposeful mercenaries with similar ambitions came prepared for the hostilities, willing to employ their own talents in a bid for the booty.  Though many of them honorable, none possessed the depth and synergy that is omnipresent in our band of hardened marauders.  Though we stood tallest amongst the teams, one man's strength transcended the capabilities of all others, even our own demigods.  According to cycling lore he was once bitten by a cobra, and after five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.  He goes by the name Coble.          

The race commenced and the pace heightened immediately as men fought for position going into the precipitous early slopes of the course.  Cold patches of tar littered the crumbling pave, spraying shards of oily rock at the competitors.  In an attempt to shed the weakest riders and break up the field, several of our adversaries drove a fierce pace through a countryside blanketed in mutilated tarmac.  

Half way through the race, in a cagey display of tactical brilliance, Madams and Oli slipped away from the group.  With the field already decimated, those astute enough to sense the danger quickly reacted and leapt away to join our men.  Noting that Coble remained anchored to the dwindling powers of the chase in favor of letting his mate Will Riffelmacher ride the breakaway, Señor Donkey, Rooster, Sparkelz and I also secured ourselves at the rear of affairs acting as watchdogs over Coble.  Even though Madams and Oli are both proven champions, the combined strength of the men around them made victory less than certain.  Nevertheless they were in a group without Coble and that represented our most prolific opportunity for victory.  They quickly established a ninety second advantage over our group of weakening chasers.  

After a harrowing descent that plummeted down over the most ragged of the courses surfaces, the referee informed us the leaders had nearly two minutes advantage.  Optimistic that my brethren would handle business, I was nonetheless certain my own race for glory was over.  Just as the thought crossed my mind the cycling Gods imposed their will.  The destructive and malevolent roads of Copperopolis had claimed Pizza's machine earlier in the race. as well as many of the others, and now Coble had fallen victim to the same misfortune when his tire punctured and he was forced to stop.  Anyone else would have been out of the race.  But this was a man who wrote an autobiography that later became known as the Guiness Book of World Records.  I knew he would come back to us, I just didn't know when.  I seized the opportunity to improve our chances.  

Quickly I hatched a plan to take Sparkelz and bridge to the leading group of six.  With Coble stalled by his wheel change we were free to attack the remaining chasers and rejoin the front of affairs, giving us a strong advantage in numbers.  After discussing the strategy with Señor Donkey, Rooster, and Sparkelz, we were all resolved to the endeavor.  Señor Donkey rode a hard tempo into the foot of the climb, tiring all but the strongest of legs.  Sparkelz then leapt away from the last of the competitors as if he had wings.  I could see as he rode away he was taking their souls with him.  As they hung their heads in defeat I launched my own attack.  The plan worked perfectly.  Sparkelz had decimated the remnants allowing me to escape in his wake.  He nursed me up the steepest pitches of the hillside over the next several minutes as I imposed the death of a thousand soles on myself.  We would finally reach the summit where the gradient leveled and I was able to contribute to the pace making.  

After catching the breakaway and taking a moment to asses my condition, I caught my breath and prepared to fight.  With thirty miles left to race over such unforgiving terrain against such rugged men, I prepared myself mentally for the rigors to come.  Soon enough we were back on the slopes of the sinister climb to the plateau and right on cue Sparkelz launches another vicious attack that none could follow.  A small group of four formed behind him.  Madams, Jeromy Cottell, Will Riffelmacher, and Dan Bryant.  Dropped and trailing ten seconds behind I gritted my teeth willing myself to make it to the top and regain contact in an effort to help protect Sparkelz's bid for greatness.  My perseverance paid off as we crested the summit and I slipped back into the draft of the quartet.    

Exhausted from the effort, it took an incredible amount of concentration to stay in the shelter of their wheels.  Before long Cottell submitted to fatigue and fell back.  Then Will stopped taking his turns on the front.  The pace slowed and I was all but certain this was Sparkelz's day.  Little did we know the mighty Coble was closing in fast and a mere one-hundred meters behind us charging like a raging bull with steam coming from his nostrils ready to run us over and leave us for dead.  

Then the powerhouse that is Dan Bryant decided he wasn't racing for second and ramped up the pace to an almost unbearable clip of speed.  It took everything I had to stay in his draft.  After fifteen minutes of hell on wheels I look back to see it was only Will and myself behind Bryant, who was riding like he was on a mission from God.  We tore through the remnants of other fields like they were stuck to the ground when suddenly I could see Sparkelz just ahead of us.  Smelling blood, Bryant stayed on the rivet and swept up Sparkelz in an indomitable display of speed and endurance.  Without hesitation Will attacks our group to test our resolve.  Unwilling to succumb to the pain in my body I somehow manage to follow his acceleration.  When it was clear that I still had fight Will wisely slowed to save his energy and the four of us rode defensively into the final hill before the ever treacherous descent.    

When we finally began the short ascent Will attacked again but Sparkelz was ready for him.  Bryant was also able to follow and again, I am dropped.  I struggle up the hill yet am able to keep them within striking distance.  Ultimately I managed to make contact just as we begin the bone rattling descent for the last time.  

Riding into the final two kilometers Sparkelz sees I am on the front and intuitively takes over control, forcing Will to go around me.  I slip behind Will to get his wheel.  I am exactly where I need to be.  Sparkelz rides an even pace delivering us two-hundred meters from the line when Will starts his sprint!  I react instantly and am right on top of him as we drag around the bend shoulder to shoulder.  He takes the shorter inside line and is turning a big gear; but I have one more shift left in me.  I drop the hammer and kick again! I'm pulling away and adrenaline floods my body.  Bearing down I give it everything I've got when excitement overwhelms me as I realize I am about to win.    

Howling with delight I cross the line with fists pumping!  I've won!  I can't believe it, but I've somehow won the race.    

 

Rejoining my teammates after the race we embrace with celebratory hugs, reliving the chain of events that led to one of our own crossing the line first for the second year in a row.  Truly a team victory, it took seven of us and an act from the Gods to defeat Coble, who in a display of pure physical strength managed to finish fifth after repairing his wheel and ripping through the bodies left behind.  His legend grows. 

For now however, the spoils once again belong to Team Mike's Bikes.

Copperopolis RR (E4)

Copperopolis RR (E4)

In the photo: Mikal Davis

I came into this race feeling strong, but without having much success in the past few weekends of racing. I was cautiously optimistic considering the unpredictable road surface and my untested climbing legs. The main team strategy was to survive.

Turlock Lake RR (E4)

Turlock Lake RR (E4)

In the photo: Tom Van Pelt

The race began – as races always do – in the weeks leading up to the 8:15 starting line. Someone from the e4 squad instigated the “race conversation” with the usual questions: who’s signed up? who’s targeting the race? has anyone raced the course before?
 

Aggressive Racing Nets TMBMasters Victory: Williams Wins the 2017 Santa Cruz Classic Criterium

By: Dana Williams

2017 Santa Cruz Classic Criterium

Date: March 26, 2017

Teammates: Matt Adams, Oliver Ryan, Rob Amatelli, Scott Cox, Matthew Sloan, Josh Pizzica and Chris Hobbs

The plan: Make sure we have teammates represented in any breaks. If it comes down to a sprint then the lead out Dana.

Course: https://www.strava.com/segments/609611

Conditions: High 50’s/Low 60’s, a little wind and sunshine.

Summary
Before the festivities got underway, I sensed some pre-race jitters swelling up in my stomach and throat while I waited at the start line for the race to begin. I was reminded that this was my first race of the 2017 season and one of my main goals was to keep my bike up right and all my flesh intact. Those thoughts and feelings quickly faded when the whistle blew to start the race and I stepped down the Look pedals of my Specialized Venge Vias, accelerated and got the first shot of adrenaline.

The race was aggressive almost right from the very start. Your typical NorCal strong men were represented in the field including former world champion, Jeromy Cottell, Thirsty Bear tag team duo of Ariel Herrmann and Jan Weissenberger, and Olympic Club’s Chris Coble (who I like to tag as this seasons NorCal replica of Peter Sagan in the M123 field because he’s been consistently all over podium) and fortunately for me lots of strong proven teammates. There were so many different moves off the front that it's hard to remember them all but I do know that I felt very comfortable that my teammates were marking them and representing us. This took the pressure off to chase so I could wait for the right opportunity. My main goal was to not miss out on a break that included any of the above mentioned pre-race favorites.

At around 30 minutes into the race, as I exited the final turn close to the front, I pushed on the pedals a little harder than usual to see what would happen. I got some space off the front and was quickly joined by Ariel Herrmann. Looking back and having 20/20 hindsight vision, this was a perfect rider to join me. Ariel is very strong and isn't afraid to work, plus his ‘team sprinter’, Jan Weissenberger, was back in the field and wouldn't likely be chasing. I don't recall it being very long before Chris ‘Sagan’ Coble bridged up to us, but to my ‘excite’ in tow was my teammate Chris Hobbs. And I believe Chris Cain of Squadra joined at the same time. From what I recall, we worked pretty well together, with the occasional attack. Fortunately Chris was riding super strong and was on everything I wasn’t able to cover. He too must have been sipping Gu Hydration from his water bottle to keep his energy high. Next thing I recall is looking back and seeing another rider getting close to bridging up. I did a double check and was happy to see another teammate, Rob Amatelli, about to join the party. He also had a rider on his wheel, Jeromy Cottell. Now with three teammates in the break of seven, I felt pretty confident on how things would play out and our chances of success.

Fast forward to halfway through the last lap and Rob is on the front, followed by Chris Coble and me on his wheel. A little encouragement to Rob as we went up the small rise before the final turn kept the pace high enough that nobody took a late lap flyer. We exited the final turn and almost immediately Chris Coble got out of the saddle and started winding it up for a sprint. We crested of the short riser and continued on the false flat. At around 150 m to the line dug deep and accelerated up along the right side of him. As we hit the finish line I had about a half bike advantage for the win.

Thanks to all my teammates for solid racing.

Strava file: https://www.strava.com/activities/915999454

L-R: Rob Amatelli, Jeromy Cottel, Dana Williams, Chris Coble, Chris Cain

L-R: Rob Amatelli, Jeromy Cottel, Dana Williams, Chris Coble, Chris Cain

San Dimas Stage Race - Stage 1 Time Trial

Time trial days always seem to be unnecessarily stressful. Because you’re only racing yourself, you really don’t have much to worry about. Yet, nerves seem to create a myriad of non-existent stresses, so it’s often important to focus on the small victories leading up to those few last heaving breathes you make as the clock beeps 5-4-3-2-1.

First success: we got an AWESOME parking spot. We also had Caesar to pump up our slick Specialized tires so that our 3 pairs of puny climber arms could be spared for our ~ 16 minute uphill grinds. I was certainly thankful for this, as my arms had to do a bit more work than I could have predicted (more on this in a moment).

Aria, Andrew and I were starting within 20 minutes of each other, so we could pretty much roll around together, loosen up the legs and get focused to beat ourselves to a pulp against the steep and winding gradient that makes up Glendora Mountain Road. I was sure to gulp down plenty of GU hydration drink mix before the TT.  Andrew and I even opted to remove our lightweight BikeSmart HydroCarbon bottle cages for the sake of marginal gains!

The first section of the TT is flat, so I was sure to get low and aero on my bike. My S-Works Evade helmet and Capo Skinsuit helped nicely, too. Unfortunately aerodynamic equipment doesn’t do much to prevent punctures, and about two minutes in I heard the most nightmarish sound one could hear during a time trial: Phhhwoooosshhhhhhh.

I reassured myself that I was “going to break this f*#%ing wheel” to get to the top, so I kept my power solid and tried to salvage my race, at least for another few minutes until it was totally flat. Eventually, I stopped and asked a spectator for a wheel, and in perfect timing, Andrew rounded the turn on his way back to the van. I hopped on his bike and away I went. It was in this moment that my arms were finally ready for some real work. Riding a bike that is at least one size too small means that sitting down is less than ideal, so I nearly rode the last 10 minutes of the time trial out of the saddle… OUCH! I still managed to pass my 30 second man, though I finished with a time that was far from what I felt capable of.

It is rather ironic: in 2016, I successfully made it to the top of the GMR, only to have my rear tire explode just minutes after crossing the finish line. In hindsight, that was not such a bad predicament. I guess this Hill has some strange grudge against me. Maybe I’ll have to go the the USAC Hill Climb Championships after all. At least Aria will have some company now!

Much thanks to Brian Sarno for unexpectedly capturing what superficially appears to be positive emotional expression! I assure you: this is pure suffering and anger. Not a bad look, I guess.

 

 

 

Red Kite CR #3 (E3/4)

Red Kite CR #3 (E3/4)

In the photo: Travis Mceuen

The Winchester Circuit race is a new course (2nd year) for the Red Kite Series.  The course itself is 4.5 miles with 700ft of climbing and goes around the Winchester Country Club. I skipped this race last year and the word from my teammates led me to believe it wasn’t going to be easy...

Wards Ferry RR (E4)

Wards Ferry RR (E4)

In the photo: Mathias Jacquelin

Wards Ferry was quite a peculiar race. I was excited about that race as it was my first Cat 4 race as well as the first climber's race of the season. Let's just say that this race was special in the way events unfolded too...

Practicing Placement at Cal Aggie Criterium

Cal Aggie Criterium, held on the same course as the Land Park Criterium, is a flat, 1 mile closed loop, that includes a hairpin turn and a couple of chicanes. Earlier on in my racing career, I was nervous about criteriums--especially the technical ones like Cal Aggie. Over time, I learned that technical courses can actually be safer--and certainly more interesting--than 4-corner races. With this being my first criterium of the year, my goal was to focus on skills and placement. I also wanted to launch a couple of attacks to test my early season fitness. I had W3 teammate Trish Pablo with me in the Category 3/4/5 field of 19 racers, and Makenzie Delaugher on the sidelines for pre- and during-race support.

I was successful in my goals of racing actively and staying towards the front of the pack, especially heading into the hairpin turn--the spot on the course where riders in the back have to work extra each lap to make up time lost to the accordion effect. Trish and I took turns attacking, and she was even able to stay away for a bit while I covered from within the peloton. Halfway through the race, we were starting to get tired and agreed to race a bit more defensively in order to recover before the finish.

I knew that placement heading into the technical side of the course would be critical on the last lap. I made efforts to move up, but was still a bit further back in the pack than I wanted to be as we headed through the chicanes and out of the last turn. Nevertheless, I managed to dig deep and move up through the final stretch for a 3rd place finish!

 

1st and 2nd at San Bruno Hill Climb

I’ve heard of a superstition that what you do on New Year’s Day sets the tone for what you’ll be doing all year. If that’s the case, what better way to start 2017 than with a bike race? San Bruno Mountain Hill Climb, a mass start race for 3.6 miles and around 1,160 feet up San Bruno Mountain, kicks off the NCNCA racing calendar each January 1st. Top contenders in a hill climb race need the right mix of watts per kilogram, aerodynamics, and raw power, so I was super happy to have teammate and accomplished time trialist, Trish Pablo with me in the 3/4/5 field.

image: Alex Chiu

image: Alex Chiu

The race started in a combined group of 17 Category 3/4/5 women and 4 Category 1/2 women. The pace was pretty high right from the whistle, and Trish and I made sure to get towards the front. We settled into 4th and 5th wheel, and kept track of who was around and in front of us. We rode with the Category 1/2 women for a while, but with only a couple of them up front in competition with each other, we soon let them have their own race (since they’d be scored separately from us and in order to preserve our own energy).

That left Trish, me, and a W3 competitor from Team Swift climbing together. Midway through the ascent there is a quick loop-de-loop descent through a parking lot and under a bridge. Racers sometimes lose time here by making the mistake of easing up for relief. Since I had pre-ridden the course and knew what lines to take to keep pace through this section, I got on the front with Trish following on my wheel. We made it through the section, but hadn’t managed to drop Team Swift just yet.

We returned to climbing, and started preparing ourselves to duke this out. But then, as the grade got steeper, we heard our competitor starting to breathe just a bit heavier than we were. This was a good sign! Trish and I continued on and she started to fade. The gap between us and Team Swift grew, and we got more and more excited--now Trish and I just had to finish this thing off!

San Bruno HC, Photo #2, by Katie Truong.JPG

We kept our effort up the last of the climb and finished 1st and 2nd! Looks like 2017 is going to be a good year.

 

 

 

Bariani RR (E4)

Bariani RR (E4)

In the photo: Mikal Davis

Still riding high from Chico, the 4s were back in action at Bariani Road Race. We brought out another big, strong team and had a clear plan of action. We assigned roles; some guys would go for early breaks, others would go for mid-race breaks, and if it all stayed together we had Jacob as our protected rider for the sprint...

A Stinging 60km Solo Ride Gets the Win for Amatelli: 2017 Snelling Road Race

by Rob Amatelli

As I walked to registration at the 2017 Snelling Road Race, 5 laps of a 12mile course through rolling terrain, rough roads, gusty winds, rabid dogs, and swarming bees, there was a buzz in the air; coming not from the bees, but from the 1000 or so enthusiastic amateur bike racers of varying age, gender, and capability, all excited at the prospect of winning a Northern California Classic, a priceless Velo Promo T-Shirt, and all the prestige that comes with.   

After picking up my number at registration and getting back to my mother-in-law's shitty hand-me-down car that I lovingly refer to as 'The Hooptie', I got pinned and kitted up for a spin.  All went well except for peeing on myself a little bit during a nature break, but hey, pros pee on themselves too, right?

Fast forward to the start of the race and I plopped myself right up front with my Mike's Bikes teammates, Oli, Cox, Sparkelz, Beardo, BBQ, Apple, and the Magpie.  Behind us were 70 other racers from more than nine different teams all with at least five teammates.  We had a few laughs at the start line before following the moto referee through town on a quick promenade to the course.

Five minutes on we arrived at our destiny, er destination, which could easily be mistaken through the eyes of 40 something year old men as a Northern European Classic.  No longer were we mortal men, we were now gladiators of sport, athletes of superior quality and form, easily mistaken for the heroes of the pave and the hellingen of Flanders on a quest to make their mark and earn their spot in eternity at the top of the results page on the Masters 35+ 1/2/3 list on USA Cycling's website.  Yes, this was the stuff of legend.  

The racing began immediately with attacks flying off the front of the race as every racer tried to separate from the field.  Counter-attacks rang out like machine gun fire.  There were screams coming from the captains ordering their troops into battle.  "Hold that wheel!" they'd cry.  "Left, on the left!" the panic in their voices palpable.  Every breakaway attempt seemed to be the one that was going to stick, and those who missed out would have their dreams of triumph struck down and crushed.  

Our Mike's Bikes squad was strong and disciplined, making every group attempting to breakaway as well as instigating moves of our own.  Unfortunately with bike racing and war, there are casualties, and we lost valuable men that day.  One of our strongest lieutenants, Todd Markelz, was struck by shrapnel, a nail piercing his tire and impaling his $2k carbon rim.  David Allen, aka Beardo, selflessly sacrificed his race by giving Todd his own wheel in an attempt to get him back in the race.  Sadly Todd never made it back but he did soldier on and finish the race, as would be expected by any hard man of sport; you simply don't quit.  We also lost Apple and the Magpie to the treachery of the race.  We were down to four men against seventy.  

As the peloton smashed over the broken roads towards the end of the first lap two rabid, barking dogs appeared form nowhere, threatening to strike, seemingly unafraid of a herd of eighty cycling brutes traveling thirty miles per hour.  After the dogs we came to an orchard where swarming bees circled the roads and pelted the cyclists.  This.  Was.  Biblical.

Approaching the bridge towards the end of the 2nd lap, Chris Coble, quite possibly the single strongest man in the entire field, made a forcible move over the short rollers.  I was in position to follow along with a few others.  The group behind scrambled to get on terms with the pace he was setting.  As he eased up and turned around to admire the wreckage he had caused I sensed the opportunity to take an advantage for our team.  I kept pushing and leapt away from the group, forcing the other teams to carry our men if they wanted to rejoin the front of the race.  I glanced back and saw no one was coming.  I pushed on alone.  The mission was to stay out front for as long as possible to give our men more rest and the best chance of winning.  

With more than 2 laps and 55k of racing left, I knew the group was going to eventually bring me back and that the energy I was using to stay away would ruin my own chances of winning, but this is a team sport and to ride as a team you must be willing to sacrifice yourself for the success of the team.  

Before long I finished another lap.  One to go.  

Rob riding solo on his way to the win.

Rob riding solo on his way to the win.

 

I dared not believe for a moment I would make it.  Through the headwinds I approached the feed zone and saw Beardo cheering me on.  Belief started creeping in.  Just then, as I crested the roller and began the charge into the crosswinds, near disaster struck as a bee somehow flew inside my protective eyewear and lodged itself between the lens and my eyeball.  I panicked and ripped off the shades.  The pivlock arm released and my eye shield tumbled to the ground.  Disgusted, I spiked the remaining pivlock arm in my hand to the ground and swiped away the bee that had stung my eyelid twice and nearly ended my race.  Stung and without eye protection, I had 20 minutes of racing left.  I had to make them count.

What happens when you are allergic to a bee sting, and you get stung. Hope you feel better soon Rob.

What happens when you are allergic to a bee sting, and you get stung. Hope you feel better soon Rob.

I told myself if I made it to the bridge and over the little bump and could still not see the field, then I would allow myself to believe.  After riding through the orchard and the swarming bees, this time with no protective eyewear, I make it to the bridge.  I make it over the rollers and through the penultimate turn onto the gnarled pavement of Figmond.  The wind is blowing cross-tail.  This is good for me.  I am catching the field in front of me.  Two miles to go I look over my shoulder and see a little black dot.  One mile to go I peek over my shoulder again.  The black dot is bigger.  Coble.  He is coming.  I do the math and know I have to ride it to the end.  I make the last turn and see the finish.  The race is mine.  I finish anonymously with the stragglers from the field in front of me, my victory salute pointing to head and heart unseen and un-captured by film to show my grandchildren as I spin my tales of lore and legend from when I was not young but not old.

No one strikes out alone with nearly 60k to go and makes it on their own strength.  Behind me our diligent and disciplined men, Oli, Cox, and BBQ, thwarted all attempts from the other teams trying to bridge.  None of us were the strongest in the field, but together our collective strength as a team was enough to win the day.  

Chapeau Team Mike's Bikes.

Epic Solo Road Race Victory by Ryan is Enough for the Win: 2017 Chico Stage Race

by Oliver Ryan

The Chico Stage Race is usually the highlight of the season for me, and TMBM has a pretty solid track record over the last few years, the racing is fun and hard, but the camaraderie of hanging out with my friends and teammates is what makes the weekend, and this year was no exception.

We showed up with a full squad of 8, focused primarily on trying to win stages, but also hoping to keep Matt Adams in a position to contend for the GC. It was a smaller field than in the past, but deep nonetheless with TT powerhouses Dan Bryant, Chris Phipps, Scott Giles, uber-strong men Chris Coble, Jan Weissenberger, Mike Sayers, and speedy finishers like Josh Carling, Chris Baker and Chris Espy.

Stage 1: Circuit Race

This was a new course at Thunderhill raceway, flatter and shorter than in previous years. Racing was fast and aggressive, with TMB riders getting into moves that looked threatening, and reeling in anything that got away without a TMB rider in it. Throughout the race, riders including Sayers, Giles and Coble all put in efforts to get away, but the team made sure we were either represented in those moves, or that they came back. With 1.5 laps to go I followed an attack by Chris Coble, barely hanging on, and with about 1/2 a lap to go Scott Giles bridged up with Rob Amatelli and Matt Adams in tow and the group came back together. Somehow Coble still had it in him to attack again before the final sprint, but Josh Carling came roaring up the middle to take the win by several bike lengths, with our own Scott Cox mixing it up in the sprint for 7th. Same time for our GC rider Matt so we were sitting fine going into the Road Race.

Stage 2: Road Race

I look forward to this race every year, a 90 mile flat-to-rolling Road Race with a 4 mile stretch of gravel (to be traversed twice), and the finish had been moved back close to where it used to be, a few KMs after the gravel exit, making that section of the race critical. Our plan was to be opportunistic, if early moves that looked good went, we would go with, and if it was together going into the gravel on lap 2 we would try to make it hard enough that a small group would go to the finish with at least 1 TMB rider. We marked early moves, and at around the 15-20 mile mark I followed Jason Boynton from Peet’s as he bridged up to a move that Scott Cox had gotten into with Scott Giles, we ended up going through that move and got a decent gap pretty fast. I knew Jason would work hard, and felt confident about my chances out of that break, so pushed the pace pretty hard. The next 60 miles was the two of us working really well together, Jason is a super-experienced rider and neither of us played any games, taking even, smooth pulls and extending our gap out to several minutes. We had no idea what the conditions of the gravel would be, and when we entered it, it was like riding on asphalt, crazy fast, and we ended up taking another couple of minutes out of the field in that section. As we exited, Jason said ‘now we just survive’ and we continued to work together through the windy, flat section after the finish. As we got close to the gravel on lap 2, the moto gave us a time check, 5 minutes with about 8-10 miles to go, pending some kind of disaster we were going to stay away. As fatigue started to set in, I could see that Jason was struggling a little, and as we entered the rough road before the gravel I put in a short effort to see what would happen, and got a gap fast. I put my head down and dug in for a 5 minute effort, looked back again and nobody was in sight, all I had to do now was get to the finish. Despite it being fast, the second half of the gravel was brutal as I felt the effects of being in a break for 3 hours, I made it off the gravel safely and kept pushing it all the way to the finish, taking the win and over 3 minutes on the next closest GC rider. Seeing the smiling faces of my teammates as they crossed the line knowing I had stayed away made it a race I’ll never forget.

Victory salute by Oliver Ryan, winning the road race of the 2017 Chico Stage M35+ 123 Road Race

Victory salute by Oliver Ryan, winning the road race of the 2017 Chico Stage M35+ 123 Road Race


Stage 3: Time Trial.

After some back and forth with Matt on Saturday night about whether or not I should use his Time Trial bike (I didn’t have one), and hearing that the course had been shortened to 8 miles, I decided to ride my Venge Vias with clip-ons, I had almost 3.5 minutes on 2nd place in the GC and figured playing it safe by riding the bike I knew was the smart decision. I warmed up for almost an hour and the legs were hurting a lot, rolled over to the start and I put my head down and gave it what I had, knowing that a steady effort should keep me well in the lead going into the final stage. Despite some bad suffering, I took 7th in the TT and gave up a little over a minute to the winner, giving me more than a 2 minute lead going into the final stage.

Stage 4: Crit

All we needed to do to keep the GC was not give up 2:13, which was well over a lap at the speeds we would ride, and our plan was to do just that, keep it fast, watch for riders in good GC position trying to get away and protect the leaders jersey. It was fast from the gun as it always is, with TMB keeping a few riders close to the front at all times. A move with Giles/Coble went up the road (along with Jan Weissenberger, Matt Adams and I think one other), but 3 of the 5 riders came back to the group, leaving GIles/Coble off the front. Peet’s and Thirsty Bear had the most to lose with those GC contenders (who went into the stage 3rd and 5th respectively) and Dan Bryant (who went into the stage in 2nd) went to the front to try to bring it back, but ended up in no mans land and ultimately came back. With a few laps to go, TMB put 6-7 riders on the front to manage the gap which was holding around 30 seconds, with a lap to go attacks started to fly as riders moved up to contest the field sprint, I surfed wheels confident that we had the GC locked up and cruised over the line ecstatic that we had taken the win.

Thanks, as always to my amazing TMB teammates and friends for an awesome weekend of racing.

Chico Stage Race (E4/5)

Chico Stage Race (E4/5)

In the photo: Mikal Davis, Tom Van Pelt, Oscar Martinson

The spring racing kicked off in earnest for me at the Chico Stage Race. This was the first big race for me as a part of the TMB Development team, and I was still getting to know my teammates. The 4s had a big squad full of firepower and we made sure nothing got off the front in the road race.

Cherry Pie Crit (E3)

Cherry Pie Crit (E3)

In the photo: Travis Mceuen

As you may know, it’s been raining... Like a lot and Monday, February 20th was no exception. With a small field of guys dumb enough to show up to race in the rain and me more or less just racing for fun, I wanted to try some things. The field had a lot of juniors so I knew if any of them wanted to try and break I would go with them. The course itself is pretty technical with two 180 degree turns and an off camber round about...

Early Season Aggressive Racing Nets Amatelli 2nd: 2017 Red Kite Circuit (the Bumpe) Race

by Rob Amatelli

Race: Red Kite 'The Bump' Premier Series Race #1

Course: 3 laps of rolling terrain with a few bumps.  25miles/2k' 

Gear and race prep: Specialized Tarmac Pro Udi2 sans water bottles/cages, rolling on S-Works 24mm Turbo tires, S-Works Evade helmet, S-Works 6 Road Shoe, Capo cycling apparel, Smith Optics.  Gu nutrition pre/post race. 

Summary:  Team Mike's Bikes lined up for the first race of the BikeReg Premier Series in Livermore, CA with a strong squad of racers.  David Allen, Oli Ryan, Matt Adams, Josh Pizzica, Scott Cox, Matthew Sloan, Todd Markelz, and myself.  Team Captain David Allen laid out a solid plan with detailed roles for each rider.  

As the riders gathered at the starting line there was definitely a low-key feeling, mostly due to powerhouse teams Specialized, Peet's Coffee, and Thirsty Bear not being represented.  As I looked through the field I saw KaiVelo and Squadra had numbers.  I also recognized Will Riffelmacher from Olympic Club and saw he had a teammate but did not know who he was.  That would change very soon.  

When the racing got underway David and Matthew just kinda rolled off the front and it took a few minutes for the other teams to get their brains and legs working and chase them down.  They were brought back just before the group went through the finish for the first time.  

After the descent there were some breakaway attempts and Mike's Bikes managed to instigate or infiltrate each of them.  I saw each of our men queuing off of teammates and taking turns covering moves and making attacks of their own.  From my point of view the team looked like a well-oiled machine.

Nearing the end of the first lap Chris Evans from Thirsty Bear used the little hill before the finish to make a move and stretch the field.  We had guys on his wheel so I just sat back and looked for a ride across, which I would eventually get.  Just when I reached the front five riders Chris, let off the gas and looked back.  When he did that I upped the power and did a 3min interval through the finish into the decent.  When I looked back to see if I made a dent I saw three other riders were coming across and there was a little gap back to the field.  I sat up and waited for the other three to see who they were.  The first to reach me was Lucas Paz from KaiVelo and behind him Chris Evans was dragging someone up with him.  That someone turned out to be Riffelmacher's Olympic Club teammate, Chris Coble (awesome name for a bike racer).  

It didn't take me long to see that Coble was the strongest.  He wasn't showing off but his pedaling action was impressive.  Chris Evans looked good too. 

Reaching the final stretch of road before the finish we had 40sec on the field and Coble was starting to get frustrated with me for not pulling harder.  He kept barking at me so I went slower. 'Just wait' I thought.  I decided to sell out on the last little bumps before the finish to see if I could get away solo for the win.  It actually worked out well because as we hit the hill I was rolling to the front.  I spun up the cranks the best I could and pulled away.  I looked over my shoulder and had a good gap.  I kept going for another 10 sec and looked back again to see Coble coming across.  He caught me at the top of the second little bump just before the right-hand turn to the finishing hill.  The other two were dropped so I slowed up just enough to keep our gap over them but trying to hit the hill at a slow of a speed as possible to make it a pure sprint and not give Coble any more draft than I already was. Coble easily won the sprint.

The team rode perfect and I'm so thankful for being given the opportunity to ride the break and go for the win.  

Red Kite #1 Bump CR (E5)

Red Kite #1 Bump CR (E5)

Written by: Mathias Jacquelin

Team Mike's Bikes Dev made a good showing at RKO#1 The Bump: a total of 6 Cat 5 riders were present: Gustavo, Jeff, Jon, Oscar, Will, and myself. This allowed us to practice some team tactics. Our plan was to control the race as much as possible before attacking during the second half of the final lap...

Team Work and Strong Legs Kicks Off the 2017 Season with Victory: San Bruno Hill Climb

Date: 1/1/2017

Teammates: Marcel Appelman (Appel)

Conditions: Mid-40s with a 10mph headwind for the first half of the climb and tail/cross for the final mile.

The Plan: Have Appel cover any early moves keeping me out of the wind and in contact for the final five minutes where the race is typically decided.

Summary

With only one other team (Thirsty Bear) showing up with a squad that included a really strong climber (Hanns Detlefsen) strategically the race was set up to be pretty straightforward. Because the last several minutes of the climb suit me better than the earlier shallow gradients and rolling middle portion I was content to save my legs for a single attack where it would matter the most. This meant Appel was on duty for covering all the early moves. And Thirsty Bear put him to work fast.

Moments after the group settled into the climb Chris Evans shot up the road on the left and immediately got away. Appel slipped up to the front and started to apply pressure to limit his gap. After navigating through the pack I got on Appel’s wheel and locked into a comfortable pace. After a couple of minutes Chris started looking back and it was clear he was no longer gaining. Appel did an excellent job of taking his time in reeling him in to avoid additional attacks. By the time we hit the first flatter portion of the climb we were all back together and Hanns briefly went to the front while the overall pace slowed.


Jacob (another Thirsty Bear) took over next and led the group through the underpass and onto Radio Road where the real climbing begins. As soon as it got steep Hanns put in an acceleration which Appel jumped to cover. I got back on Appel’s wheel and the three of us separated from the rest of the field. Hanns we pushing hard now and Appel was on the limit. With a flick of his hand he signaled he was done and the rest was up to me.

Todd Markelz climbing away to a win at San Bruno. Photo credit: Alex Chiu

Todd Markelz climbing away to a win at San Bruno. Photo credit: Alex Chiu

I got on Hanns’ wheel as he tapped out a steady rhythm. I continued to bide my time for the final few hundred meters. Nearing the top his pace slowed and I looked back to see that Chris Evans was working his way up to us. Not wanting Chris to rejoin and be outnumbered going into the finale now was the time to attack. Coming out of a corner I stood up and and kicked for about 15 seconds then looked back to see the damage. I’d opened up a significant gap and felt confident in the last 200m that nobody was going to catch back up. On I rode to the first win of 2017!

A huge thanks to Appel for doing the lionshare of the work on the climb! I was just happy that I could honor that work with TMB’s first win of the new year.

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/817938345/analysis/1558/2614