Another tough battle on the mountain bike in the books, this time in Columbia for the Show Me State Games Mid West Fat Tire race.
Last week I spent some time pre-riding this course and thought that it suited me well with it’s not so technical downhill’s, a few leg burning hill climbs and a section of wide open grass land.
17 of us in the sport 30-39 group lined up and off we went. I managed to hit the trees in 5th place with Rock, Zdenek, Mark and JP out in front of me. I was close behind JP for about half a lap as he was quicker than I on the downhill’s but I was able to pass and gap him on the first big climb putting me in 4th.
As I hit the grass lands 3rd place rider Mark was up ahead. I was able to catch and pass before entering the single track again. At this point I was feeling good, riding at a good pace and felt I was racing well. As I came down the last hill where this nasty section of roots made its home, I knew from my pre-ride this section was a bitch for me to clear, my tire hit the root just right, stopped all forward momentum and I went flying over the bars. Now at zero mph laying on the ground I was still clipped in by one foot, my elbow took a nice hit, one water bottle lost, chain fell off and Garmin computer was hanging on by one zip tie.
Needless to say this little incident gave Mark the time to catch and pass pushing me back to 4th place. I got thing back in order, let the Garmin just hand there and off I went. Not far down the trail the Garmin came loose coming to rest somewhere on the trail. I figured that a honest rider would come along, grab it and turn it in.
A few miles into the 2nd lap 40+ rider John, who I have been racing with at the dirt crits, came up on me and we worked together up and over the first set of hills to the creek bottom where he took the lead which helped me move through this section much faster than lap one. As we neared the top of the first big climb I could see Mark again. I lost John on the tricking creek crossing thought the grass lands. He miss shifted and let me pass. Ironically enough I caught Mark and passed him in the exact same spot as I did on lap one putting me back in 3rd place.
I hit the single track with a small gap but eventually John and Mark caught me and we rode together for the remainder of the 2nd lap into the final 3rd.
I thought I would be able to shake Mark up and over the first few hill of the 3rd lap but he never fell off. 2 miles into the 3rd lap I made a bad move, had to unclip and put a foot down. Mark attacked up the hill, I tried to catch back on but did not make up ground and eventually lost line of sight putting back into 4th place. It was a great move on his part just at the right time. At this point I was starting to feel it. The bumpy grind of the race coupled with a steady hard effort, I was now going much slower.
Made it through the big climb, grassy section and then again to the roots where the tumble occurred on the 1st lap. Figured there was no need to hurry thought this section so I dismounted for a run over. Low and behold 5th place rider JP catches me right there and passes. Crap!
Now with a burst of energy I maneuvered the last bit of downhill, hit it hard on the flats leading to the final climb where I regained contact with JP. We exchanged “what race are you in?” where we determined we were both in the 30-39 sport group. First opening I pegged it hard up the hill, passed JP and gave it all I had to the finish line to regain 4th place. Whew, what a race, just over 2 hours of fun!
Soon after I crossed the line I hear my name being called from a fried of John who had my Garmin! He saw it while racing and picked it up. Thanks for being a honest guy, much appreciated.
Today I’m beat up for sure, stiff and sore all over. My next mountain bike will defiantly be a full suspension. The Stump jumper hard tail has been an awesome bike with very few issues over the past 4 years, but I need a little more give on the back end.
Next up, MO State Crit on Sunday followed by 6 days off the bike for a full week of relaxation and recovery.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Dirt Crit #3
Good hard race last night with a mix of slick conditions thanks to the rain that fell right as we got started.
Plan for tonight was to stick with the main pack at the start vs. starting in the back and working up. After a couple laps positions quickly were established with the normal super fast guys off the front and long gone. What I could see was Logan and Drew working together up the trail a bit followed by John, Tom and I. This would play out to be the battle for 7th.
Along the way Logan broke free from Drew, then with 3 to go Drew was getting closer as we continued to chased him down. I was third man in the chase group being slower around the corners then John and Tom were. I found myself having to dig deep to catch back on through the straights and long grassy section.
With one lap to go coming into the creek crossing I knew this would be a make or break section. Clear the creek well and there was a chance to pass and move up. Don’t and there would be no chance to catch up. On top of that, Scott, who had taken a number of spills during the race, was quickly gaining ground from behind. I botched the creek crossing, then had a hell of a time getting clipped in. No way to catch back up to the guys in front of me so I did what I could to hold of Scott. He ended up catching me in the last turn just before the finish.
Fun race! Good job guys!
B race afterward was a good time too. Started in the back and moved up to 18th. No cross bike this time, way too slippery for those skinny tires.
Open A
201 Chris Ploch DRJ 1
205 Greg Sandknop Segal 2
206 Wes Bienman DRJ 3
202 Logan Von Bokel Dent Wizzard 4
204 Zach Hafner Mesa 5
207 Bob Arnold DRJ 6
218 Drew Black Mesa 7
215 Tom Albert DRJ 8
216 John Peiffer Ghisallo 9
196 Scott Olgivie 10
173 Jeff Yielding Dogfish 11
209 Craig Hoeflinger 12
211 Jim Krewet DRJ 13
212 Robert Metz DRJ 14
217 Craig Thrasher Velo Force 15
208 Kent Jones ICCC 16
203 Bob Crow DogFish 17
210 Mike Teiber Ballwin Cycles 18
219 James Nelson BigShark 19
220 The Dr. 20
221 Rich Kisselofff 21
213 Barry Blueribbonkemper 22
Plan for tonight was to stick with the main pack at the start vs. starting in the back and working up. After a couple laps positions quickly were established with the normal super fast guys off the front and long gone. What I could see was Logan and Drew working together up the trail a bit followed by John, Tom and I. This would play out to be the battle for 7th.
Along the way Logan broke free from Drew, then with 3 to go Drew was getting closer as we continued to chased him down. I was third man in the chase group being slower around the corners then John and Tom were. I found myself having to dig deep to catch back on through the straights and long grassy section.
With one lap to go coming into the creek crossing I knew this would be a make or break section. Clear the creek well and there was a chance to pass and move up. Don’t and there would be no chance to catch up. On top of that, Scott, who had taken a number of spills during the race, was quickly gaining ground from behind. I botched the creek crossing, then had a hell of a time getting clipped in. No way to catch back up to the guys in front of me so I did what I could to hold of Scott. He ended up catching me in the last turn just before the finish.
Fun race! Good job guys!
B race afterward was a good time too. Started in the back and moved up to 18th. No cross bike this time, way too slippery for those skinny tires.
Open A
201 Chris Ploch DRJ 1
205 Greg Sandknop Segal 2
206 Wes Bienman DRJ 3
202 Logan Von Bokel Dent Wizzard 4
204 Zach Hafner Mesa 5
207 Bob Arnold DRJ 6
218 Drew Black Mesa 7
215 Tom Albert DRJ 8
216 John Peiffer Ghisallo 9
196 Scott Olgivie 10
173 Jeff Yielding Dogfish 11
209 Craig Hoeflinger 12
211 Jim Krewet DRJ 13
212 Robert Metz DRJ 14
217 Craig Thrasher Velo Force 15
208 Kent Jones ICCC 16
203 Bob Crow DogFish 17
210 Mike Teiber Ballwin Cycles 18
219 James Nelson BigShark 19
220 The Dr. 20
221 Rich Kisselofff 21
213 Barry Blueribbonkemper 22
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Babler
Too much rain this afternoon and tree limbs down on course made for an uneventful day! Race cancelled.
MTB State Championship
Awesome course! Big thanks to Matt and James for putting this one together.
Legs felt good but could not get the bike to go fast enough, technically I was slow. The climbs on Blue Ribbon trail were steep and challenging, granny gear a must with some portions so steep and full of roots and rocks had to walk.
The best part of the race for me were the climbs. First two laps I made it up 2/3 of the way up the second climb. Goal for lap three was to clear the climb, goal achieved.
Ended the day with a smile and 5 out of 9, good day on the bike.
Last race of the week, Babler X Treme today, might be in the rain.
Legs felt good but could not get the bike to go fast enough, technically I was slow. The climbs on Blue Ribbon trail were steep and challenging, granny gear a must with some portions so steep and full of roots and rocks had to walk.
The best part of the race for me were the climbs. First two laps I made it up 2/3 of the way up the second climb. Goal for lap three was to clear the climb, goal achieved.
Ended the day with a smile and 5 out of 9, good day on the bike.
Last race of the week, Babler X Treme today, might be in the rain.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dirt Crit #2
Another awesome night for dirt crits! Ralph and his crew do a bang of job of providing entertainment and food for all!
A Race (MTB)
22? lined up for this one. Stuck with the game plan of starting in the back then working my way up as far as I could. I like this plan as it allows for maximum fun trying to catch guys out in front. And the workout is exceptional; keeps me on my toes, helps me concentrate on clean lines in pursuit of short lap times and finally motivation to push hard.
With 6 laps to go I could see Ron from the team as I entered the start finish area. Over the next lap I was able to catch and we rode a lap or two together while at the same time Drew from Mesa was coming into view. With three to go I put in a hard lap to gauge how Drew was holding up. Figured if the effort got me close I would push on, if not I would stay steady. In doing so I lost Ron and made up significant ground on Drew so I pressed on catching him just as we the final lap. I stuck to his wheel with a plan to attack after the creek crossing. Once out of the creek and up the bank to the straight-way I put the hammer down and was able to get clear. Ended up 9th on the night.
B Race (Cross Bike)
Thanks to Matt for hooking me up with a new front beefy tire and to Bob for letting me use his wheel and tire again this week.
Huge field of racers in the B race, I think 45-50. For me, this race is about getting to know the cross bike better, working on handling skills at speed, and pushing the watts on the straights.
Highlight of the night was on the last lap where several of us crossed the creek together. Once clear I pushed it hard with a plan to keep it pegged to the end. Came around one of grassy corners, which by this time of the night had begun to see some moisture, and slipped going about 20pmh. Knocked the wind out of me as I hit the deck hard. About 7 guys came flying by as I got my wits about me and soft peddled in. Next day feel fine, no injuries thank goodness.
Today rest, Saturday MTB Champs then top the week off with Babler X-Treme on Sunday.
A Race (MTB)
22? lined up for this one. Stuck with the game plan of starting in the back then working my way up as far as I could. I like this plan as it allows for maximum fun trying to catch guys out in front. And the workout is exceptional; keeps me on my toes, helps me concentrate on clean lines in pursuit of short lap times and finally motivation to push hard.
With 6 laps to go I could see Ron from the team as I entered the start finish area. Over the next lap I was able to catch and we rode a lap or two together while at the same time Drew from Mesa was coming into view. With three to go I put in a hard lap to gauge how Drew was holding up. Figured if the effort got me close I would push on, if not I would stay steady. In doing so I lost Ron and made up significant ground on Drew so I pressed on catching him just as we the final lap. I stuck to his wheel with a plan to attack after the creek crossing. Once out of the creek and up the bank to the straight-way I put the hammer down and was able to get clear. Ended up 9th on the night.
B Race (Cross Bike)
Thanks to Matt for hooking me up with a new front beefy tire and to Bob for letting me use his wheel and tire again this week.
Huge field of racers in the B race, I think 45-50. For me, this race is about getting to know the cross bike better, working on handling skills at speed, and pushing the watts on the straights.
Highlight of the night was on the last lap where several of us crossed the creek together. Once clear I pushed it hard with a plan to keep it pegged to the end. Came around one of grassy corners, which by this time of the night had begun to see some moisture, and slipped going about 20pmh. Knocked the wind out of me as I hit the deck hard. About 7 guys came flying by as I got my wits about me and soft peddled in. Next day feel fine, no injuries thank goodness.
Today rest, Saturday MTB Champs then top the week off with Babler X-Treme on Sunday.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Sunday Ride
Hermann now has an officially welcome area for all to enjoy. Looks great as you enter the town. This however is a view as you would be leaving town.
The rest of the ride was on the Katy trail. All the rain from the weekend caused tons of washout spots. 3 hours of peaceful riding with 2, 20 min endurance intervals mixed in.
Sunday ended a good week of training, shredded the legs for sure. This week is more of the same!
The rest of the ride was on the Katy trail. All the rain from the weekend caused tons of washout spots. 3 hours of peaceful riding with 2, 20 min endurance intervals mixed in.
Sunday ended a good week of training, shredded the legs for sure. This week is more of the same!
Friday, July 03, 2009
Thrusday Night Dirt Crit #1
Thursday Night dirt crits have to be some of the best racing there is next to cross. Ralph and his crew set the place up right offering tons of fun for all.
Shaun and I loaded up the truck with three bikes for the short 1.5 hour drive to STL. My plan was to race the A race on the MTB.
Then enter the B race right after on the cross bike.
This worked out well, I'll stick with this plan from here on out. Bob from the team let me use one of his 1.8 cross tires for the night. I used it on the front wheel, that worked great for this course. I rode the B race with this bike having tons of fun. This race was more about cross skills than anything. Did several laps for about 20 min, felt good on the bike but then a small cramp came on in my calf so I coasted in and called it a night.
My fist race however was the A race, I lined up at 6pm with 24 others.
I spent the first couple laps keeping a steady pace then began to ramp things up a bit. I'd see riders ahead, work to catch and pass. About 38 min I could see Drew and John ahead. Took about two laps to finally catch. The three of rode for a lap or so with Drew falling off leaving John and I to see who would capture that 10 place spot. John had the better legs and eventually rode away taking home 10th with me close behind in 11th.
Alpine Shop Short Track Dirt Crit by Velo Force Results A Race Thursday 7-02-2009
Place Name Team Bib
1 Chris Ploch DRJ 171
2 Josh "Butthead" Johnson Bigshark 175
3 Bob Arnold DRJ 169
4 John Mathews DRJ 170
5 Greg Sandknop Seagal 177
6 Wes Bierman DRJ 173
7 Doug Davis Gateway 179
8 Zak Hafner Mesa 180
9 Paul Quindry Gateway 188
10 John Peiffer Ghisallo 181
11 Jeff Yielding Dogfish 166
12 Drew Black Mesa 183
13 Eric Shuck Velo Force 172
14 Ralph Pfremmer Velo Force 168
15 Ryan Hermsmeyer Bigshark 186
16 Robert Metz DRJ 178
17 Kent Jones ICCC 167
18 Matt Stuckman Bigshark 189
19 Logan Von Bokel Mesa 174
20 Jim Krewit DRJ 176
21 Rich Pierce ICCC 184
22 James Nelson Bigshark 187
DNF David Nies Bike Surgeon 182
DNF Craig Thrasher Velo Force 185
DNS Dan McCarthy Unattached 190
Shaun and I loaded up the truck with three bikes for the short 1.5 hour drive to STL. My plan was to race the A race on the MTB.
Then enter the B race right after on the cross bike.
This worked out well, I'll stick with this plan from here on out. Bob from the team let me use one of his 1.8 cross tires for the night. I used it on the front wheel, that worked great for this course. I rode the B race with this bike having tons of fun. This race was more about cross skills than anything. Did several laps for about 20 min, felt good on the bike but then a small cramp came on in my calf so I coasted in and called it a night.
My fist race however was the A race, I lined up at 6pm with 24 others.
I spent the first couple laps keeping a steady pace then began to ramp things up a bit. I'd see riders ahead, work to catch and pass. About 38 min I could see Drew and John ahead. Took about two laps to finally catch. The three of rode for a lap or so with Drew falling off leaving John and I to see who would capture that 10 place spot. John had the better legs and eventually rode away taking home 10th with me close behind in 11th.
Alpine Shop Short Track Dirt Crit by Velo Force Results A Race Thursday 7-02-2009
Place Name Team Bib
1 Chris Ploch DRJ 171
2 Josh "Butthead" Johnson Bigshark 175
3 Bob Arnold DRJ 169
4 John Mathews DRJ 170
5 Greg Sandknop Seagal 177
6 Wes Bierman DRJ 173
7 Doug Davis Gateway 179
8 Zak Hafner Mesa 180
9 Paul Quindry Gateway 188
10 John Peiffer Ghisallo 181
11 Jeff Yielding Dogfish 166
12 Drew Black Mesa 183
13 Eric Shuck Velo Force 172
14 Ralph Pfremmer Velo Force 168
15 Ryan Hermsmeyer Bigshark 186
16 Robert Metz DRJ 178
17 Kent Jones ICCC 167
18 Matt Stuckman Bigshark 189
19 Logan Von Bokel Mesa 174
20 Jim Krewit DRJ 176
21 Rich Pierce ICCC 184
22 James Nelson Bigshark 187
DNF David Nies Bike Surgeon 182
DNF Craig Thrasher Velo Force 185
DNS Dan McCarthy Unattached 190
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)