Latoria April 20th - Calling all C Racers

[mlawless]

Okay, I have decided it is time to learn to ride my bike again. I am considering going out to the Latoria race today with my bike (that is a big step up from planned spectating). Is anyone planning on racing C or should I plan for this to be a TT (assuming I do not chicken out)?

Michael

[glenowyn]

Don't chicken out Mike. Just do it.

[jeremy]

I may be out too

[Kevin F]

Is the a ride out time? 5:15 leaving the switch bridge?

[Dylan J C]

sorry everyone, I wont be able to make it out tonight, hope the racing goes well.

[sylvan]

5:15 Switch Bridge. 5:10 from Douglas/Alpha Mayfair Starbucks if anybody wants to caffeinate. Is there a C group tonight? If not, C racers should just dig deep into their suitcases of courage and get in touch with their inner masochist. Embrace the pain. It's good for you. In solidarity, A & B racers should do the same. The race will be short tonight, 9 laps for the B's, 10 tops. We're going to have to make it a lot harder than last time at Latoria. I don't have a ton of (any) confidence in my ability to outkick Vinko now that he's getting his fitness back, so I'm happy to play Jens Voigt super-domestique and make the race hard for somebody else who wants to try their hand in the sprint. I think we should just go to the front, take solid 10-second pulls and get back in line ASAP to come around and pull again. Try to keep it from getting all bottled up like it did last time. If it does get bottled up and you feel like it's too easy, attack. If somebody goes away with no TS, a TS should try to bridge and get a cooperative breakaway going, otherwise we pull 'em back and somebody counterattacks. If any TS'ers want to go off the front, awesome, we got your back. If we are off the front, the rest should sit on, but don't disrupt the chase if the other clubs want to organize it. These are introductory practice races and I think it's better to let the others practice a good chase than for us to practice disruption techniques, which at our level would be kinda baggie. We can just sit on the back of the rotation and launch a counterattack when it comes back together.

[sylvan]

Don't chicken out Mike. Just do it.

Ya.

[Lister Farrar]

5:15 Switch Bridge. 5:10 from Douglas/Alpha Mayfair Starbucks if anybody wants to caffeinate. Is there a C group tonight? If not, C racers should just dig deep into their suitcases of courage and get in touch with their inner masochist. Embrace the pain. It's good for you. In solidarity, A & B racers should do the same. The race will be short tonight, 9 laps for the B's, 10 tops. We're going to have to make it a lot harder than last time at Latoria. I don't have a ton of (any) confidence in my ability to outkick Vinko now that he's getting his fitness back, so I'm happy to play Jens Voigt super-domestique and make the race hard for somebody else who wants to try their hand in the sprint. I think we should just go to the front, take solid 10-second pulls and get back in line ASAP to come around and pull again. Try to keep it from getting all bottled up like it did last time. If it does get bottled up and you feel like it's too easy, attack. If somebody goes away with no TS, a TS should try to bridge and get a cooperative breakaway going, otherwise we pull 'em back and somebody counterattacks. If any TS'ers want to go off the front, awesome, we got your back. If we are off the front, the rest should sit on, but don't disrupt the chase if the other clubs want to organize it. These are introductory practice races and I think it's better to let the others practice a good chase than for us to practice disruption techniques, which at our level would be kinda baggie. We can just sit on the back of the rotation and launch a counterattack when it comes back together.

good advice

[Lister Farrar]

I think we should just go to the front, take solid 10-second pulls and get back in line ASAP to come around and pull again. Try to keep it from getting all bottled up like it did last time. If it does get bottled up and you feel like it's too easy, attack. If somebody goes away with no TS, a TS should try to bridge and get a cooperative breakaway going, otherwise we pull 'em back and somebody counterattacks. If any TS'ers want to go off the front, awesome, we got your back. If we are off the front, the rest should sit on, but don't disrupt the chase if the other clubs want to organize it. These are introductory practice races and I think it's better to let the others practice a good chase than for us to practice disruption techniques, which at our level would be kinda baggie. We can just sit on the back of the rotation and launch a counterattack when it comes back together.

So? Did it work?

[sylvan]

We're going to have to make it a lot harder than last time at Latoria.

Whoa, we didn't have to, it happened anyway. Giant packs in both A and B. Only the solo A winner lapped the B's, not the A pack. 37 km/h average after only averaging about 34 last time at Latoria. Tripleshot tactics worked well Vinko got mad at me during/after the sprint, said I didn't hold my line. I'm afraid I may be one of that kind of rider that gives the VCL a bad name, if that's what it has. I feel terrible. I will always try to ride straight and safely in future sprints. At my age I suppose I may never be able to become what one might refer to as a "good" rider, but I am trying to improve. Tripleshot has helped a lot in that regard. I think the B races in the VCL can play a part, too, but I don't want to become a menace. I don't know. Maybe I should just leave town.