July 30 - Minden Criterium
Race info

Results

Reports: California Giant Cycling Team blog entry

Men 50+ report by Ted Brooks  Mako/Galaxy Granola Cycling Team

MAKO/GALAXY GRANOLA STRIKES GOLD
Part one
Sunday, I woke up feeling like I'd been mugged and beaten the night before. Once I did my warm-up, I felt much better. There was enough time for me to do a few laps on the course before the Crit began - boy am I glad. It is a pretty technical course, especially at race speed. So the whistle blows and we're off. There are a few Morgan Stanley guys in the race (Steve Archer, Brian Fessenden, Paul Chuck). One thing Morgan Stanley does right is work together. I knew this, and I know each of them, so we worked together during the race. Steve was the chase/attack guy, Paul was working the crowd, and Brian would bring the prize, having not raced the RR the day before. The race got off fairly smoothly, and picked up pretty good now and then as different attacks went off. I felt very good during the race, only really maxing out a few times during chases and a couple of short-lived breakaways which I was in, the first of which I tried right after the first prime. Nobody else wanted to do it. Allen Neilson of Pegasus ws watching me (he raced the 45-49) and told me that I looked very relaxed, calm, and not working hard during the race. I was finally using my brain instead of just my legs. I ended up helping Brian F get the second prime, as I was going to go for it, but felt that I'd rather save my legs for the sprint - especially after the RR and major cramping the day before. I started to go around, and then decided I would sit in, and repay them for all the hard work Steve had done for me. We had gone to the front for each other and pulled several times after a hard effort.

So, 3 to go, and I realize I really should move up now, I had been cruising, hiding out in the shelter of the pack, trying to be fully recovered for the fast finish and sprint. 2 to go, I'm up well inside the top ten. The bell, and I'm up around 6th or 7th, trying to get as much draft as possible on the back stretch into the headwind, before the technical chicane and final sprint straightaway. I'm waiting and watching, knowing that I now need to fight off anyone who wants to move up ahead of me. The pace is hot now, and all of sudden I see a green Alto Velo jersey flying up the right side. I have to try to catch his wheel as he gets past the peloton and be very close to front in the chicane, otherwise everyone will be fighting for position and possibly braking. So I jumped off to the left very hard, and realized that I had jumped much harder than him, as when I looked back, I was all alone - the nearest rider was at least two bike-lengths behind me. I knew he would not be getting much draft back there, so I poured in all I had, knowing that if anyone happened to hook onto my wheel in the chicane, I was going to take them for one wild ride. I worked every edge of the turns, powering as hard as I could, to the point I felt that that I was on the edge of losing it, getting right up against the curb in one right-hand turn. I came through the chicane, looked back, and I was clear. Looking ahead (it looked REAL far at this point) to the finish, I felt that I had a gap on them, and that with the effort from the RR the day before, to stand up and sprint might cost me the race. Harvey Nitz, my coach, has told me that I have a very efficient pedal stroke, and that in a long sprint I should use it, rather than beat the wind. So, I laid my forearms out on my bars, and pedaled as fast and hard as I could, knowing that if anyone could catch me, I wasn't going to make it easy on them. I crossed the line all alone, TT'ing the final sprint as hard as I could. Sweeeeet!

It looks like work is about to get real busy again, and that my training schedule will suffer as it did earlier this year, but looking at this little gold medal, somehow that's ok now. Results are already posted, and some photos were taken by Lois and others.

I am so proud to be a part of Mako/Galaxy Granola! This team rocks! Thanks to every teammate, every sponsor. We need a lot of help out there the rest of this season and next. If you have friends who may want to join, encourage them. When you're in a race with teammates, work together. Most of all, have fun!

Top three 50+ at Minden Photo by Lois Olechney © 2006

Ted Brooks
Il Presidente, Mako/Galaxy Granola Cycling Team

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