VIDEO: Ride along with DER on il Doppio Ciclo

Get an inside perspective of the Maine peloton with some on board footage shot during the unofficial end of the year ride: il Doppio Ciclo (the double loop).

https://vimeo.com/112651130

Credit to Jon Ayers for the imbedded photo and for his enthusiastic support of Maine cycling.

Spinlister Bike Renting

Hi All,

If traveling and looking to rent a bike, check out this site: www.Spinlister.com Here is an article on it:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/13/spinlister-website-rent-bicycles-from-cyclists

DER Development Squad: Tired of Traveling Alone

Jason Isbell "Traveling Alone"

(click on YouTube link above)

Jason Isbell's sad lament in his soulful "Traveling Alone" reminds me of the common theme woven through the frequent requests of young riders who have asked to join Downeast Racing for next year. "Dude, I love racing but it's not as fun when you have to race alone." Some called me Mr. Pfeifle but "dude" is ok as the important part was the passion for racing the bike that was exhibited. Actually, this reminds me of a comment I overheard early in my career when a guy said, "If I had to race alone all the time, I'd quit!" And it's true. It's tons more fun racing on a team - driving to the race, lining up together, dodging potholes, wind, rain, eyeballs rolling backwards - you can't beat shared adventures. As a young rider on a team there's also the added bonus of the shared mission of moving up the category scale. The guys know that, depending on the course profile and a rider's strong point, the team could be working for ... me!! That definitely increases one's chances for success and that's clearly an inducement for joining a team.

 

So we at Downeast Racing have decided to open a development team of Cat 3-4 riders who have respectfully exhibited talent and ambition. The guys we have chosen know that success in racing is never a given and that talent and ambition must be complimented with hard work. It's a good mix of riders and we will be sure to keep all abreast of how training and racing progresses. Our new teammates are:

 

John Boucher  - Portland

Devin Frederick - Scarborough

Steve Bryant - OOB

Nathan Coste - Kennebunk

Luke Salvato - Brunswick

Matt Robinson - Portland

 

May I also add that Devins Hamlin will be riding with us next year. Although long on experience, desire & ability he, too, was in a position of racing alone. Well, not any longer. Welcome aboard, all. 

 

The Sustainable Athlete & Downeast Racing



We at Downeast Racing are happy to announce that The Sustainable Athlete, an endurance athlete coaching service with a nicely equiped training center, is now the coaching sponsor of our team. If anyone has doubts about the value of the use of a professional coaching program, one need not look further than the results posted this year by our Eliot Pitney. Last winter Eliot approached Doug Welling of The Sustainable Athlete for help and together they developed a training program that would prepare Eliot to maximize his abilities. Did the combination of proper coaching, genetics and self motivation take Eliot to the next level?   Indeed, yes, as Eliot won his season opening race (Tour of the Battenkill, Cat 3) in convincing fashion. Eliot "sustained" his excellent form throughout the long racing season and earned his Cat 2 upgrade along the way as well as winning a bunch more events. These fine results certainly caught the attention of Downeast Racing's riders who are now excited to avail themselves of the coaching and training facility services. In case it is not known by some, the benefits of coaching are:

 

- access to a "proven & tested" program

- personalized training structure

- a proper build up to target races

- sustained training-racing enjoyment

- daily peace of mind

- confidence

- performance improvement!!

 

That's a pretty nice line up of benefits. One can learn more about The Sustainable Athlete at their website: http://www.thesustainableathlete.com/

 

CX in full swing

After a long road season and countless hours grinding out the paved miles, a few Downeast Racers are finding their second wind in the mud, dirt and grass of New England cyclocross.  

Earlier in the month, Mainers were treated to a great weekend of local racing between Downeast Cyclocross (hey - great name there!) and Casco Bay CX.  This past weekend New Hampshire hosted the epic Orchard Cross, a venue with no rival, complete with massive dirt berms, a small pump track and numerous tight turns through the apple orchard.  Eager to mix it up with a packed 3/4 field Matt Moon and Eliot Pitney carved the course finishing a respectable 10th and 11th out of the field or nearly 100 New Englsnd CX'ers. 

Dan Vaillancourt did not want to miss out on the action either, and he shredded the course, and the P1/2/3 field for a 9th place finish.  Watch out New England, Danny V is getting his CX swagger back!

Orchard Cross hosted their annual costume ride and the giraffe made another appearance, as elegant as ever.  

There is racing every weekend but it might be a few weeks before the boys in blue lace up the boots for another slog through the mud and dirt.

Enabling Talent

Ben True: Winner at All Levels

Every now and then a kid comes along and, right off the bat, you (and everyone else) notices that he or she is better than their peers. You see it on the soccer pitch, the football field, the basketball court, the cross country course and, by extention, on the piano or in math. It's a wow thing as in "Wow! that kid's good" - an instant appreciation of talent. And when this kid comes onto the radar, it becomes fun to follow their career and see how it progresses against increasingly hard competition - college, minors, big leagues. A case in point in Maine is Ben True, the fabulously talented distance runner originally from North Yarmouth. Won in high school (Greely). Won in college (Dartmouth). Winning on the pro circuit. He's won because of natural talent, a love for his sport and scientifically applied training. One could also note the application of "hard work", but to these people the work is not "hard" but rather it is welcomed. Sitting at the piano for 4 hours straight? Ugh! to most people but pure joy to the gifted.  These guys wake up every morning and wonder "What can I do today to get better?". Consumed but happily so.

Benjamin Wolfe: Cycling Prodigy

We have these talent standouts in cycling, too. A young guy (age 19) who looks like his ticket is punched for bigger things is Cal-Giant's Benjamin Wolfe. We at Downeast Racing witnessed first hand his prowess while at the Beverley Crit this summer. The kid dominated against a national class gathering where he just rode away from the field - once again. However, and maybe unique to cycling in the USA, many talented riders blossum at a later age. A lot of talent comes to cycling AFTER their careers in other sports because opportunities for continuing in those sports ends. How many pro soccer openings are there a year? What do you do after a college rowing career (Eliot)? In cycling, the opportunity for advancement never ends and that's a gravitational pull to those who love to compete. Combine that competitive love & maturity with what the bike mysteriously does to the soul once you hop onto the saddle, and that "wow talent" emerges in surprisingly many people. Each year Downeast Racing looks to discover that latent Maine talent and provide these guys with an opportunity to discover just what lies within them. For our initial year we were heavily skewed toward proven talent with a sprinkling of latent. For 2015 we will bring on a few more latents where mixing them with the veterens will help to develop their potential. It's an exciting endeavor for us, so stay tuned and we will introduce you to our new members shortly.

Joe Moving On Up

 

Joe Struggled at Battenkill

The beauty of bike racing is that you have to earn your way to the top. Nothing is given, which makes the reward of achievement ever more meaningful. We at Downeast Racing are especially proud to announce that Joe Lynch has been notified by USA Cycling that he has been upgraded to a Category 2 racer. The pyramid of racing participants gets much more pointy as one moves from a 5 to a 4 to a 3 to a 2. There are but thirteen 2's in the state of Maine.

 

Joe spent the first half of the season in service to others and, in the process, gaining form. At Battenkill he worked to keep Eliot fresh for Joe Bean Hill at the halfway point of the race where Joe then sagged to a 101 place finish and Eliot surged to a win. Excellent work both and equally appreiciated by those on the team and in the peleton. More work at Sunapee and Killington where the depth of form continued to run deeper and deeper. Come July Joe exploded on the cat 3s (and everyone else) and showed all that he could play at the front, stay at the front and finish at the front. He forced the break at the New Britain Crit (3rd), hammered the front at the Balloon Festival Crit (5th) and then rode away from the field over the final 24 miles for a 35 second solo win at Jamestown. Of course Joe is the first to give credit to his Downeast Racing teammates for their help in his success, and they were only to happy to finally be able to return the favor. So, congrats, Joe, on a very deserving achievement. 

 

Joe showing his 2nd half good form

Leading the Way at the Mayor's Cup

Jamestown2014

Pardon my writing this in 1st person. It comes straight from the heart. While the Jamestown Classic offers a modest purse and plastic milk crates for a podium, it completely embodies the reason I race my bicycle. A scenic circuit around the island of Jamestown, RI, tough competition, great weather and great memories from past races. In short, it is a whole bunch of fun.

At the end of a strong season with many top 5 finishes, loosing often to CCB, Hottubes and others, Jeff Dixon, Ta Herrera and I (Joey Lynch) showed for the Masters 35+ and 45+ race of about 38 miles. One of my fondest bike racing memories is watching Ta win this race last year in front of his wife and two boys. The problem with this is it means we went into this year’s race with a marked man on our team!

We set out to keep our marked man out of the wind and cover attacks so he would not have to. About 10 miles in, I found myself off the front through covering one of those attacks. Well, it means a ton of work, but if I am off the front, Ta and Jeff’s work shifts more toward thinking in the main peloton (another thing they both do quite well). If the peloton is not happy with who is up the road, someone other than Downeast Racing will have to do something about it! And so, my objective became to make the peloton work if they did not want me where I was. One way or the other, my position would be a large factor in our success. But how do you keep pushing on the pedals time and time again harder than everyone else each time? Why did we show today? I rode by the Herrara family cheering section, cause to reflect, how many family dinners did I miss because I was out riding? How many times did I drag myself out on my bicycle after a long day of work? How many Strava KOMs does Ta have in Brunswick and why? How many times have we come up just a little short this season to very strong competition? Lots of folks have made sacrifices so we could be here today at this silly bike race.

Amazingly one pedal stroke at a time got me to the finish line to hear the cheer of Judy Stevens and the bell for the last lap of the 2 lap race. I will surely have nothing left after they catch me to escort Ta to the finish line. But, the other teams will need to work if they want to catch me and either way, they will have to sprint against a relatively fresh Ta… One stroke at a time gets me through the dirt section and back to the determined head wind out to the lighthouse. Where is the Herrera family? Gone to the finish to get a picture of it. At this point it occurred to me that Ta and Jeff were in back doing everything they could to insure the success of my break and it was now my job to ride my heart out. Nothing like a little pressure for motivation! So, what makes the difference here? Each pedal stroke has to be harder than everyone else’s behind me, especially up the hill before the finish. I look behind, no one in sight, I can do this, for me, for my family, for my team! And then, the last thing to think about, there is a strong crosswind so do not put BOTH hands in the air when you cross the finish line!

I am thrilled to end our season like this, blessed to be surrounded by competence.

Interval Timer: Indoor Training Tool

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

 

When doing a workout on a trainer or a set of rollers, it is nice to have a big clock handy so that the timing of your efforts and intervals can be easily monitored.  A nice tool I have found is the INTERVAL TIMER stopwatch available for downloading on to your computer at the above noted web address. The timer can be easily programmed with an infinite amount of segments and a nice loud BEEP goes off when each time segment is over. So, you can program 15 minutes for a warm-up, 2 minutes hard, 1 minute easy, 2 minutes hard, 1 minute easy X's how many you want, then 5 minute rest and then 2-1-2-1-2-etc. OR 3 minutes effort, 15 seconds sprint, 1 minute easy ... repeat. Whatever you want to do. Workouts can be saved. Very easy, very handy, very visable.

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

Northern California Climbing

I had to travel just north of San Francisco on business last week - another work trip, which is typically bad for the training schedule.  I always try to catch workouts on the stationary bikes at the hotel, but time passes slowly and workouts are difficult at best.

One of the wooded climbs

This trip, however, was a little different.  My meetings didn't really kick in until the evening of my first day there, so I headed over to the Sausalito Bike Company to grab a rental for the day.  The shop was awesome - I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a high end rental while in the Bay area.  The crew there hooked me up with a super sweet Giant TCR Advanced with Di2 shifting.

Before I left the shop, I was given some great advice on routes.  I ended up doing a loop starting near Sausalito that ran through the mountains between Larkspur and Point Reyes on the coast.  The shop employee cautioned me that the route had a good amount of climbing, and he was right!  As I climbed several forty minute climbs punctuated by fast switchback descents, I looked forward to each successive climb because of the descent that I knew would follow.  I also had to laugh to myself, because I knew that most of the Downeast crew - especially Hank and Eliot probably would love the ride for the opposite reason (the climb itself).

MTB Trails

 After about 2 hours of climbing and descending, I ended up on the top of Mount Tam, the birthplace of mountain biking.  The views of San Francisco in the distance were breathtaking, and the mountain
biking trails carving through the golden hills on the climb looked absolutely amazing.  Next time I will have to spend a bit of time on a fat tire bike checking them out.

I rolled off the mountain and rode all the way to the coast and coastal route 1.   I rode through a small town, whose name I can't remember, but whose population I can - 487.  After a bit of rest on the coastal flats, I turned right and started climbing through the mountains again, across a dam in the forest, and back to the car.  All in all, one of the best rides of the year - sunshine, 85 degrees, and exploring new roads.

View from Mount Tam

The next few days consisted of 'rides' in the hotel fitness room, but I was able to make a return trip on my final day in California.  I rented the same bike again and set out on the same route - this day was mostly the same, but very different.  This time I was familiar with the roads, so the climbs seemed easier, and I could carry a little more speed through the switchbacks.

The biggest difference on this ride was the wildlife!  It all started when I was climbing up a deserted road outside of Point Reyes; I crested a hill, and 50 meters ahead of me stood a mountain lion in the middle of the road!  I was a bit freaked out, but I kept slowly rolling forward, and it finally walked off the road.  I think I must have continued to look back over my shoulder for the next 20 minutes in case it decided to chase me down.  But that wasn't all - I also saw a coyote standing alongside the road, a large brown snake, and finally 2 deer crossed the road just before I arrived back at the car.  Day 2 ended up being a memorable day as well, but for totally different reasons!

Coyote!

I will be back in the area again in November, and I plan on looking up my new friends at the Sausalito Bike Company again on my return trip - hopefully they will still have that sweet Giant TCR Advanced in their rental fleet!

Thanks for reading...

Jeff

No pressure riding - fall at its best

It is easy to get caught up in the racing season and focus solely on being in peak condition for that moment when the selection is made.  You spend so much time with your head down, staring at your stem, that you forget to take in your surroundings.  That is why the fall is the best time to be on your bike, and why Downeast Racing was seen criss crossing the White Mountains of New Hampshire in prime leaf peeping season.  

With no specific training on the docket, the boys set off on a 130 mile cruise taking in the sights from the top of the Kanc, up through Franconia Notch on the FNBP, a slight detour through Littleton to address a mechanical issue (huge thanks to Littleton Bike and Fitness for saving Dan's bacon), up and over Jefferson on an epic section of dirt road, raced the setting sun down Pinkham, over Bear and finished off with a spirited ride down to Conway.  

The foliage was in prime form, as was Hank who flew up the climbs.  The nice women who runs a roadside hotdog stand near Jefferson, NH re-opened for Dan who needed a beef frank to power the last 60 miles and the only thing we absolutely had to do on the ride was beat the setting sun.  It was a pretty epic day on the bike, the kind of thing that is tough to do anytime other than the fall.

Big thanks to Hank, Dan and Zev for thinking 130+ miles and 10,000 feet of climbing was a good idea.  With any luck, there will be another weekend like this before the end of the year!  

If you ever get stranded in Littleton, look up Dan's new best friends at Littleton Bike and Fitness.  They fixed up a busted rear wheel and got us back on the road in no time.  Cheers guys!

Giro & 'Druber: The Real Deal

Giro's Steve Swartzendruber in the French Alps

Companies that hire industry passionate people make inspired product. Case in point is Giro (cycling shoes & helmets) and Steve Swartzendruber ('Drubes) their Director of Product Creation - Footwear & Softgoods. Have you worn their shoes lately? There are plenty of opportunities because they make all types - road, mountain, triathlon, commuting, kicking around. We at Downeast Racing are fortunate enough to wear the Trans and one can tell from all the attributes important to cyclist that much thought and insight has gone into the design, development and production of this shoe. Probably much of that inspired insight comes straight from the Drubes. Ever since I have known him from way back when, he has been coo-coo for cycling. The history and drama of the sport - loves it. The heroism of the cycling legends and current protagonists - knows all their stories down to last finisher in the 1922 Milan-San Remo race. The lifestyle - he probably wrote the "Rules of Cycling". That smile you see on his face? It's there whenever he hops onto the saddle and starts heading to wherever the road may go. So, with that type of devoted energy going into his and his Giro mates' work, one can rest assured that nothing but what's best for your cycling performance & enjoyment is enimating from Giro's designers and on through to your clamping into the pedal. Thanks Giro and 'Drubes for being such a fine contributor to cycling.



Our Blue Giants (and Fred's yellow AD) have been to North Carolina, New York State, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont over the course of the 2014 racing season. They have been on new pavement that felt like we were riding on butter and awful New England roads that rattled our bones. They have been through, rain, mud and snow. We have laughed, cried and even bled on them.

The end of the season is bittersweet but Joey Lynch, Troy Barry, Ta Herrera and Jeff Dixon are looking forward to our last road race in Jamestown, RI on October 13th and a strong finish in the Masters 45+ field.

Photo taken near the top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine

Mayor's Cup 2014

Boston is quiet on a Sunday morning. Joe Lynch, Ta Herrera, Jeff Dixon and Hank Pfiefle arrived in town to contest the Masters 40+ field at the TD Bank Mayor’s Cup. This sleepy city was slowly waking to the clanking and rumbling of a truck and crew, setting up orange steel barricades to separate fans from human projectiles hurling themselves at speeds of over 50kph through this 1 kilometer, four corner course in the heart of Boston. 

In a quiet corner in this sleepy city, words of advice from a seemingly experienced local. “let me give you some advice, don’t let anything out of your sight in this town”. “Want me to watch your bike whilst you use the bathroom?” Well thanks to our supporters, the Blue Streak is insured but we would need it to make sure fast men interested in this $1000 purse do not get out of our sight.

A few laps in, there was a crash. Yes, bad form to take out the Patrone by his handlebars and send another to the hospital with a broken arm, just to advance your position. A couple neutral laps while we wait for the ambulance to pick up the even less fortunate gives many grownup men in this peloton pause, glad they are not the one to own this dubious distinction. With help at the pit, Hank’s blue Giant was running and so was he, dripping blood, but back up to speed, an extremely brief glimpse at the decades of dedication it took just to show up here.

Well, after about 30 minutes of "not letting anything out of our sight”, Ta Herrara, Professor, Pavement Melter, came out of the sharp end of the peloton. Well calculated, as his teammate Joey Lynch was right on the front end of this raging monster ready to throw monkey wrenches at its paws and jaws. Another brief look at dedication… One man, alone being chased by 60 others, wondering if he can go just a teeny bit faster than the rest, reflecting on if he trained hard enough over the summer. Another man, behind, watching, trying to slow the peloton down without letting them know they are getting slowed down.

And then the announcer amidst the din of bell ringing fans in TD Bank Tshirts. “Downeast Racing, off the front, and look at his teammate, on the front of the strung out peloton visibly slowing it down!” Well, despite our best efforts and the Professor digging very deep into his briefcase of courage, Ta’s one man break was eventually quenched, leaving him nothing left for the sprint finish. If you keep trying, sometimes it DOES work. But not this day.

At the end of the race, Ta’s wife and son stuck a fresh lemonade in his hands and Hank’s wife walked him back to his car. We thank our families for their understanding while we spend many lonely hours on the road. For their love, driving, food service and bell ringing.

We salute our competition for a job well done and look forward to seeing them one last time on the road in Jamestown RI in October. We salute our dear friend Cody Harris for winning the Cat 3/4 women's race!

Hank Showing Dedication Photo courtesy of Jeraldine Herrera

Ta Digging Through his Briefcase of Courage. 4 men want this move to succeed, another 60 (shown behind) dedicated to it's demise. Photo courtesy of Jeraldine Herrera

Hub City and Big Time Crit Racing this Saturday

Boston City Hall Plaza

 

Racing junkies Ta Herrera, Jeff Dixon, Joe Lynch and myself can't get enough of this criterium stuff and will take advantage the high wattage Boston Mayor's Cup to satisfy our need for speed. Fields are filling in all categories and we can expect our fellow competitors' energy to be fully charged by the 5,000 or so spectators projected to surround the course. Around and around we'll go on the kilometers worth of road bordering the plaza. Sunshine, mild temperatures, raucus crowds and the whirring of fast bikes - that's gonna be a good day!! 

Maine Apple Classic: Dan fires us up!

Mr. Podium: Eliot Pitney
 

Dan Vaillancourt was excited this morning. Was it because of the Maine Apple Classic 44 mile road race, which was about to start? Ummm ... somewhat. Was it because of the sun dappled crisp Maine early fall day? Ummm ... Kind of.  Here's a guy who, at the pro level, rode the Tour of Ireland and the Tour of Chile and the Tour of Utah among many other pro races, and what excites him this morning? .....Wearing his wind vest!! Go figure. Maybe it's what it symbolizes. Changing seasons - Changing fortunes? But, no. In retrospect it wasn't anything deep like that. The vest was just a cover for the fact that he just loves riding his bike. And to get to do it with 60 like minded souls on a perfectly surfaced course with seven equally amped teammates - well, yeah - who wouldn't be excited. So Dan laid out the Downeast Racing team plan for the race. And you know what? We executed that plan to perfection. Well, almost. We got two guys (Fred & Eliot) into a five man break during the first ascent of Cross Hill (4 x 11 mile rectangle loop) and we then controlled the chasing pack allowing them to establish a safe time cushion. The one wrench in the plan was Eric Follen (Momentum Barracuda) who attacked and attacked and attacked on the last assault of Chase Hill, got his seperation, and solo'ed in from 7 miles out. Change of pace on a hill - fun if you can do it and very tough to handle when it's being administered. Good job, Eric.The remainder of the break stayed together with Eliot taking 2nd, Brendon McLaughlin (Boston) 3rd, Eric Weinrich (Momentum) 4th and Fred 5th. Our Matt Moon stayed alert and niftily built a 2nd break from the field with 6 miles to go in an attampt to nab 6th place money but, sadly, it must be reported that he got nipped at the line by a break-away companion. Good aggressive move, though, Matt. And Dan? He was all happy directing team traffic throughout the race. And not contect with that, he (and Eliot and Zev) rode 70 miles back home just because you can't beat time in the saddle on nice day - especially when it's cool & crisp and you get to wear your wind vest!

 

Apple Classic this Sunday: Will Feature Maine's Best

Blue team will need to dig deep this weekend

 Sunday heralds in the Maine Apple Classic Road Race contested around scenic Webber Pond in  Vasselboro. It won't be all peaches and cream however. Because it's apple season? No, because the gang at the Central Maine Cycling Club have established a most fair circuit that does contain the increasingly famous Cross Hill where the legs and will power become progressively strained over the course of the 4 x 11 mile laps. Now in its 3rd year, the race continues to increase in competitiveness as the word spreads of all the positive features of the race - New pavement. Plenty of marshalls. A course where both sprinters and climbers feel they have a chance to win. We at Downeast Racing very much look forward to toeing the line and greatly appreciate all that the Central Maine Cycling Club does for our sport..  

Blue Team to Race at Portsmouth Crit

Pitney & Herrera

 

Yellow, red and orange usually dominate the Fall color palette, but expect to see blue enter the mix as cycling's road racing calender enters the tail end of its New England season. Up next for the Downeast Racing squad is the Portmouth Crit this Sunday in downtown Portsmouth, NH where we have entries in both the 40+ (10:45am) and the P-1-2-3 (12:00 noon) fields. One DER team member showing outstanding form is Ta Herrera as evidenced by his savaging of ALL Strava segments in the Maine mid-coast area. Frankly, the locals are fed up with his whirling dervishness and Ta's retreat back into academia, for them, cannot come soon enough. But fellow New England racers are eager to challenge Mr. Herrera as an oft asked question at the recent Green Mountain Stage Race was, "Is that Guillermo guy racing at Portsmouth?". Yes. "What do you call him? Todd??"  No, it's "Ta" - the derivation of which remains a mystery but his racing talent is no secret. Blue-mates currently slated to join Ta are Peter Cole, Jeff Dixon, Hank Pfeifle and Troy Barry. See you in Portsmouth!  

GMSR: Plenty of Satisfying Moments

Zev's GMSR cat 4/5 crit win

 

If you look at Dr. Zev Myerowitz's bio on his Cape Chiropractic website, you soon realize that this guy is quite the brainiac. Magna Cum this and Summa Cum that but, wait, no mention of criterium bike racing experience. That's because he hadn't done any, which makes his win at the Green Mountain Stage Race criterium (cat 4/5) that much more impressive. The night before the race he asked his more experienced Downeast Racing teammates for some advise. "Stay at the front". "Pedal through the corners - it's faster that way". "You are stronger then the others in the field - attack when you feel them weaken". Check. Check. And check. Done. Done & Won. As mentioned earlier, the kid's a quick learner.

 

Eliot tired after 4th place Circuit ride

 

Eliot Pitney is another smart guy and he knows that charging across the finish line by yourself AHEAD of the field provides much better odds at placing well than sprinting from the pack. But chugging along at 35mph for a mile with 70 snarling guys behind you waiting to pounce ..... Ummm, that's not so easy to do. But Eliot did bolt from the field in an attempt to bridge to what proved to be a winning 3 man break, and that effort garnered a well earned 4th place finish in the Stgae 2 ciruit race (Cat 2 field). Well done, Eliot.

 

Fred celebrating 2nd place TT performance 

 

Fred Thomas is used to podium finishes in his specialty - time trialing. But nothing is a given in sports and trying your luck against new blood from around the country does give you sleepness nights. To see Fred in TT mode is witness to the power of drool, spittle and determination. Great focus and an extraordinarily efficient wind profile body position allows Fred to maximize all power into forward motion. Another fine performance, Fred.

 

Slaving at the front makes Matt thirsty

 

If there was a podium for sacrificial domestique work, Matt would be on the top step after every race. Unfortunately domestiques toil away in obscurity with the rewards being a tired body and, most importantly, the complete appreciation and respect from his teammates and racemates who fully understand the value of his work. Without Matt, podium finishes by his teammates would be far fewer.

 

Hank gets a call-up at the GMSR crit

 

Placing high in GC (General Classification) is what it's all about for many who approach a stage race, and such was the case for me. Placing well on GC is very satisfying, and the organizers at GMSR are very good at giving that accomplishment some recognition by calling up the top 5 guys on GC to the start of the crit race. If I say so myself, fine performances in the TT and the Queen stage placed me 4th on GC (50+ field) and a solid ride in the crit confirmed the placing. Nice job ... ME!

 

Joe and Sarah wash the fatique away

 

And what's the most satisfying part of stage racing?  How about plunging down Middlebury Gap and watching the beauty of 50 guys weaving through the descending corners knowing that your Giant can handle the 55mph speeds and high g-forces thru the corners with ease. Or summoning up the will to pass that last guy at the finish of App Gap. Or drinking that one Long Trail back at the team house. Or knowing you had the strength to mix it up with the best and come away with a haul of good performances. And lastly, how about hanging out with your friends and family and maybe showing off a bit (!!). So fun. So satisfying.

  

GMSR Day 1

Day 1 of the Green Mountain Stage Race is in the books and there is a lot of blue hanging around the top of the General Classification leaderboard.  Highlighting the day was Fred Thomas's 2nd place finish in the Cat 2 event, 18 seconds off the winning pace and Eliot Pitney was another 13 seconds back, good enough for 10th on the day.  Matt Moon rounded out the DER field in the Cat 2s putting out a strong effort finishing in just over 16'.

Fred on the second step of the podium

Hank Pfeifle was 9th in the Master's 50+ event, just under a minute off the pace.  Joe Lynch put down a strong effort in the Master's 40+ event finishing in just over 16' and team sponsor Zev Myerowitz of Cape Chiropractic & Acupuncture, entered in the Open 4/5 event, finished 4th 20" back of the stage winner.  It was a strong showing across the board for Downeast Racing.

The TCRs are washed and put away for the night, ready to tackle the hills in the coming days

Welcome to the Green Mountains

Green Mountain Stage Race: Up, Down & Around

Yours truly in GMSR yellow vintage 2009

 

 

We Downeast Racing guys love our blue, but we'd swap that color glady for yellow come this weekend in the Green Mountain Stage Race (GMSR). Yep, we are headed to Warren, Vermont to race Friday (6 mile TT with first 2 miles uphill), Saturday (circuit race), Sunday (Queen Stage with finish up App Gap) and Monday (downtown crit in Burlington). We'll have Eliot Pitney, Fred Thomas and Matt Moon in the Cat 2 race, Joe Lynch in the Cat 3 race and me (Hank Pfeifle) racing masters 50+. Yes, the General Classification leader yellow is nice, but sprinter green and mountain climber red polka dots are also nice looks. Hummm .... we've got some work to do.

Western Maine Velo Androscoggin Time Trial (Race #6 of Maine Time Trial Series)

The Western Maine Velo Androscoggin Time Trial is race number six in the Maine Time Trial Series. The course is a 20 mile loop that features fast straight aways, rolling hills and long sight lines. The race is held in Bethel, Maine at the door step of the White Mountains. This is the second year that the event has been held and a favorite for many due to its length and location. Conditions were cool and perhaps a bit unsettled with temperatures in the 60s. Fred Thomas was there and writes about the race. "The main feature of the race was the last ten miles inbound on North Road. It was rough in many sections with some tough hills. I found my momentum, concentration and rhythm wavering. I finished with a time of 41:53 (2013: 40:37) which was fast enough for second place, but well off my time last year. Nevertheless, I was pleased to have raced a longer time trial and to remain current in the overall series. Many thanks to Peter Southam of Gould Academy for organizing and timing the event."

Balloon Festival Crit: Fast and, ah .., Fast

 

Ever vigilant Ta Herrera 

 

Sometimes you get back from a race and think, "Wow, that was a pretty good effort". Such was the case yesterday after the Balloon Festival Crit when, after checking Strava, you see that you were running lap after lap at 27 to 28 miles per hour.That's fast, no? Crazy what guys do for fun. A bunch of us from Downeast Racing signed up for the festivities with most DER'ers doing both the 35+ race and the Pro-1-2-3 race. The 35+ went first and the Downeast Racing team managed the race well. Repeated attacks by various team members (along with attacks by other teams) eventually succeeded in getting Eliot Pitney and Joe Lynch into a 6 man break. Then Troy Barry and Matt Moon worked the front to keep the trailling group from capturing the break - never an easy task. Once the break was safely established, Ta Herrera saw an opportunity to escape solo to try and gobble up 7th spot. A couple of guys bridged to him but the remainder of the peleton was again kept under control by Troy & Matt. Now it was time to see if our breakmeisters could muster a victory. Unfortunately ... no ... as Ron Bourgoin of Momentum Barracuda unleashed a strong, strong sprint that carried the day (he does that allot). But we did gobble up 3rd, 5th and 7th and the race as a whole showed a strong team presence and awareness.

 

Our friend Andrew Pryhuber (Bowdoin) on way to 7th in the 4's

 

The Pro-1-2-3 race poved a difference story as fresh legs (and Tim Mitchell's solo effort off the front)ruled the day. It is very difficult to summon both the physical and mental enegry for two races held within 2 hours of each other. Which makes you think that guys like Michael Phelps who can win 8 gold medals in a few days is, indeed, an extraordinary athlete.    

Kudos to the Lewiston Balloon Festival organizers for conducting a perfectly organized event on a fast and fair downtown course. Results can be found here:

 

http://www.road-results.com/race/4890

Lewiston Balloon Festival & Racing Close to Home

 

 

It will be another weekend of tight quarters racing as the Downeast Racing squad will tackle the 4-corner, 0.7 mile long downtown Lewiston Balloon Festival criterium course this Sunday. We all look forward to racing so close to home and hope to put on a good show for those who are able to watch the event. The 35+ field takes off at 11:00 (for 40 minutes of racing) and the Pro-1-2-3 field starts at 2:00 (for an hour's worth of racing). Many thanks to John Grenier and the crew at Rainbow Bicycles for organizing this event.

 

 

There is also a Maine Time Trial Series (METTS) race this weekend in Bethel and our Fred Thomas will be defending his title there. 

Tokeneke: Revenge of the Weaklings!!

 

I'll never forget the first day in high school. We had to go to the health office to get weighed and have our height measured. At the time there where Joe Wilder ads on how to transfrorm from a 97 pound weakling to a big he-man. The skinny kid in the picture was always having sand kicked in his face on the beach in front of a bunch of girls. Oh, the ingnomity!!! Sure enough, when I stepped on the scale that first day, I weighed 97 pounds. But life has a way of finding balance and for us skinny guys that balance is found on the bike and in the mountains. The Tokeneke Road Race in northwestern Connecticutt offered up the perfect skinny person revenge course - a 22 mile multiple loop course with the last 12 miles trending uphill - WWAAYY uphill at times. Three of us Downeast Racing racers entered the challenge with Matt Moon and Eliot Pitney in the Pro-1-2 field and me in the 50+ field. Each field had about 70 entrees (as did most of the other fields) - a good turnout to a well run race.  

 

 

New pavement on much of the course allowed for fast and aggressive racing. No opportunity for punishment by the skinny guys on the uphills was wasted and the leading groups melted under the unrelenting onslaught. Unfortunately, Downeast Racing beefcakers Matt and Eliot were on the receiving end of the figurative sand slinging and came unhitched from the lead pack on the back side of the 3rd lap. How bedraggled they looked as the came "no mas!" to the finish area. (But don't feel too sorry for them as they still managed a "Well, HEL'lo" from the lunch counter girl what with salt slick faces and all). Meanwhile, your now 143 lb reporter, was having no problems with the surges in his race and truly looked forward to the finishing two mile climb to the finish. But the unexpected is the expected in bike racing and on the final 50mph descent leading into the final climb, when a front spoke snapped and pinged-pinged-pinged against the front forks causing some anxiety - "Oh, wheel, don't collapse on me now - just get me around this last corner". Maybe the prudent thing would have been to back off during the descent, but with the prize of all the preceeding efforts just down the hill, who's going to do that!! The bike handled ok, the final fast corner was negotiated and the uphill run to the finish commensed with 22 guys focused on the prize awaiting at the top. Handled the first surge. Handled the second. Uh-oh, did not do well on the third. But wait. Hang in there and claw your way back on. That I did and latched on to the lead bunch just as we rounded the last corner and the finish line came in sight. Uhg - everyone snaps into the big ring and the final dash to the line is on. Bu-bye to winning as many surge away but I manage to tail in to a 12th place finish. Back at the car I note that the front wheel is rubbing against the brake due to the broken spoke. Yeah, that probably didn't help on the final climb and offers up a nice excuse, for as John McEnroe the tennis great, once famously stated, "Never accept physical or mental shortcomings, when you can blame it on something else!!". All in all a great day as racing is always fun. 

Results can be found here: https://www.bikereg.com/Results/rr/4863/tokeneke-classic-road-race

 

Ta Herrera's First Person Report from Salem Witches Cup

 

You Gotta Hang on Tight at 30mph!!

 

 

Ignoring forbidding black thunderheads and NOAA’s small craft advisory (my Giant TCR Advanced 1 is, after all, a size Medium/Large), I headed down to Salem, MA on Wednesday Aug. 6 to contest the Salem Witches’ Cup Classic with the Pro/1/2/3 field.  One of the oldest on the New England circuit, this race orbits the Salem Common, a triangular patch of grass where in a bygone era colonists grazed their cattle, townsfolk hurled rotten produce at ne’er-do-wells detained in the stocks, and many purported witches met a grisly fate without the benefit of due process.

On this fine (and thunderstorm-free!) evening, however, a beer garden was constructed on the Common, and the feature spectacle consisted of 85 riders repeatedly circumnavigating this patch of turf for 60 minutes – a race that made up in speed and aggression what it lacked in duration.  Like the Maine thunderstorms I left behind, the “call-ups” were ominous: one by one, the race M.C. called forward a slew of riders and listed their exploits: National criterium champion! National cyclocross champion! Professional criterium specialist! National time trial champion! Junior national champion! Best sprinter in New England, etc.   By the time he was done, 16 of the top riders, who didn’t really need the help, occupied pole positions in a race where position is paramount; as the rich get richer, the fast get faster…

 

In the vortex of racing fury, nothing really goes through one’s mind other than “get that inside line!”, “move up now!,” “on that wheel!”, and an occasional “oh &$*%!” in response to a nearby crash.  Budgeting my tolerance for pain, I didn’t allow myself to look at the lap cards for the first 15 minutes.  When I finally did, they read “44” – this seemed like a large number, but the laps melted away and I managed to achieve a certain zen peace amidst the unique mayhem that is criterium racing. We rode 58 laps around the Common, at a blistering average speed of 29.9mph; several laps cracked 32.5mph.  At the end of the day, the usual suspects garnered the podium spots and most of the cash, and I finished 34^th out of 85 starters.  This may seem a “pack fodder” finish, but since only 64 actually finished the race I felt a certain sense of accomplishment and belonging in the ranks of the fast guys

 

From the outside (or the beer garden), this whole enterprise may have seemed like some legal form of torture, strangely and voluntarily embarked upon.  But for me it was an elixir of speed, which – like the civilians with their ice-cold, intoxicating brews – I gladly gulped down.  Privileged to fly the colors of Downeast Racing in such elite company, I am counting the days until I can do so again, at the Lewiston Balloon Festival Criterium on August 17.  Good luck to the DER guys who climb hills, in their next effort at the Tokeneke Road Race.

 

Results and photos can be found here:

http://www.road-results.com/race/4847#cat48348



Downeast Racing's Fred Thomas at 2014 Tour of the Catskills

Downeast Racing's Fred Thomas raced at the 2014 Tour of the Catskills last weekend. The Pro 1 2 race features a 10-mile out and back individual time trial, a 60-mile circuit race and a 109-mile road race that includes 8,000 feet of climbing and the famous Devil's Kitchen climb.  "The time trial and the circuit race were fine, but the road race was much harder than last year", Fred said. "The climbs were long and steep in some places, and the pace was fast. There were a lot of strong riders." 

Fred finished in 6th place in individual time trial on the first day. Downeast Racing's Dan Vallaincourt originated strategy for the second day circuit race: sit in and conserve. Fred avoided the temptation to chase breaks. The field was deep and strong and the one break that managed to advance up the road was ruthlessly caught with in five miles of the finish. "I felt very fresh at the end of that race." Fred said.

Conserving for day three was the right strategy. "The field hit all the climbs hard." Fred polished off numerous Hammer Gel Sustained Energy drinks and scored a new personal record for how much Hammer Gel Gu bottles can be consumed on a single ride. He snatched neutral water at each feed and persuaded another team's support staff to hand over a bottle. "Paying attention to nutrition made all the difference. I had no cramps. Some guys were dry at mile seventy." Fred said. The Devil's Kitchen climb slowed Fred down, as it always does, but he made it up without doing the "paper boy" or blowing up and losing big chunks of time. "The compact allowed me to get up the steep sections at a steady pace and gain time on a lot of riders." Fred said. The last five miles of the race into Tannersville had Fred riding with a handful of riders and finishing strong. "There were so many opportunities to get dropped or not to finish during this race that to make it within four minutes of the leaders is an accomplishment for me." Fred finished 11th in the general classification (2013: 9th). Fred plans on returning to the Tour of the Catskills next year.

Concord Crit: Cole & Herrera Shine

 

Ta Herrera "melting pavement"

 

 

No prize money envelopes are safe from the maurading crit pursuits of Downeast Racing's Ta Herrera and Peter Cole. Herrera, as chairman of the economics department at Bowdoin College, knows that money flows to those with unique talents or products, and Ta's particular talent is reading a race and having the unique ability to be in the winning break. Twice yesterday, in both the 35+ race and the 45+ race, Ta broke from the field with three others and mangaed to stay away for two healthy paydays (4th in each race). Peter Cole, a student at Bates College, is not adverse to taking lessons during his summer recess, and followed the professor's astute teaching by capturing a 3rd place finish in the Cat 3 field AND managing to win three preems along the way. Cha-ching x 4! May it also be reported that your humble reporter lent timely support to Ta during the 45+ race and then managed a top 10 finish in the 55+ field.

 

 

Meanwhile, over in the Catskills of New York, Fred Thomas and Matt Moon are participating in the Pro-1-2 cateory at the 3 day Tour of the Catskills. More on that tomorrow. 

BEVERLEY CRIT RESULTS (40+): Speeding in Downtown!! Video proof !!!!

2 to Go at Beverley

 

 

Mass civil disobedience broke out in Beverley last evening as the 40+ division of criterium riders repeatedly and unapologetically exceeded the 25mph posted speed limit for the urban environment. An average speed of 27.3mph by the 56 man group whittled the finishing gallop to just 31 riders. On the 5 corner technical downtown course, minor flaws in cornering, positioning (ummm ... major flaw), sprinting out of corners - all were magnified by the high and unrelenting speed. Downeast Racing's Ta Herrera and Joe Lynch managed strong, clean efforts with Joe often toward or at the front pounding out the speed. To quote Joe, "I feel better when others feel bad" kind of sums up his burgeoning positive mental & physical state. Ta used his muscle, sharp elbows and smooth bike handling to ride top ten throughout the contest.

 

 

 The final lap contested at 30.2mph produced an exciting finish as evidenced by the video below. Ta managed an 8th place finish (plus a preem win - good for a burrito feed for us all) with Joe 20th.

 

 

 

Once again, congrats to all contestents - those spit out the back and those running at the front. As the saying goes, "different courses for different horses" which means everything is up for grabs to all who enter come the next race on the calander. For a look at the results go to:

 

https://www.bikereg.com/Results/rr/4815/gran-prix-of-beverly