Elite Cat 4 Illinois State Championship

As most newbies getting involved in the sport of bicycle racing there is an urgent desire to learn as much as you can about how to race. I know that was the case with me. What do I have to do? When do I do attack? When do I start my sprint? And so on. We watch the Tour on tv and it looks so easy, but when we start to race things just do not seem to work out. It does not work out mostly because of our fitness and secondly from our inexperience. And as we improve our fitness we learn more about how to race because we can stay in the pack longer and longer. But then comes the desire to learn more. You join a team and you do that to improve your skills, to learn more, and because you seen it work on tv, you want to race as a team. How sweet it is to have others work for you so that you can win a bicycle race. That is the idea. You want to learn team tactics.

So in my quest to improve and race as a team, I asked a number of questions. And as usual, I was told that team tactics just don't work in the Cat 4/5 fields. Time and time again I heard this and just could not take that for an answer. I found out for a long time it did not work and I feel it was because of inexperience and training. But why did it not work after we had that. There had to be a reason. And I believe it has more to do with the wanting to win. Everyone wants the win and wants the glory but might not want to work that hard for it. Remember we seen it on tv and we are on a team now, I will be the last one to go, or save myself and I will get this great leadout and win the race. But also remember that we are all thinking the same thing in those early stages of our racing, and if that is the case and we are all saving ourselves for the win are we really racing as a team? Are we really sacrificing? Are we really blocking? Are we really pushing the pace? Do we really trust that if we get reeled in a teammate will step up and counter? We race individually, but do we race on a team or for a team.

Well let me tell you from experience, team tactics will work in the Cat 4, Cat 5, and 4/5 races. I started to notice it working last year during Superweek for with Loukas, Moyer, Jared and many others. And have seen it working alot this year. I am not saying it is always going to work or we will always get the win and I am sure we will fail miserably at times. But do not believe that it can not work if you race as a team. And you may not be in the limelight, or you may get a DNF because you buried yourself pushing the pace or you got a flat tire in the last lap, but take pride in the work you did for xXx during the race when a teammate gets results. Why? Because you helped make it happen and the rewards are not always there. That is what a team is about, sacrifice, trust, and respect. We are going to have our good days and we are going to have our bad ones. Both as an individual and as a team. Enjoy them all and learn from them all.

I remember being at the Goal Setting Meeting this last January and breaking up into our smaller groups and when the Cat4 and Cat5 started to talk about their target races.

A number of us had Proctor as our target. Most wanted it because a bad taste in their mouth from last years crash in turn 7 on the last lap. Myself for a loss of air in the rear tire going through turn 5 and 6, which eventually went flat on the final stretch. I finished but after just missing the podium in the morning masters race and now this. I wanted this race bad in 2009, even more than the masters.

The Plan. With so many of us wanting the win, how do we decide? You don't do that, the race will do that. You agree to keep the pace hot by working hard or attacking and countering if and when you can when a teammate gets reeled in. And you trust.

I could write for hours because I have replayed this race in my head a number of times. And as I said in my earlier report, I thought of almost every posible way to win this race. This was the most spectacular race I think I have ever been in. We raced as a team. We were not selfish. William at the front right away in a break. Liam in the chase which eventually bridged. They were gone for a long time and I seen my chance at another jersey disappear. But I did my job and blocked. When it came back, I was glad because my chance came back. Do I sit in? No, I gave Liam a "Nice Job", and attacked after turn two. No one came with. I did not want to burn myself but I had to go. After 3/4 of a lap I was tired going into the wind and when I turned around I thought they would be right there. Why are they not reeling me in? They have a tailwind, they should be working harder. Are they getting tired? So I jump again going thought the start finish. It is to beat them up and make them work. I go for another lap but now am cashed. No sooner do I get back to the pack and Chris Kostner attacks and goes of on a solo. Gone for two laps and I have recovered now.

And as we come around turn 8 with five to go, Chris fades back into the pack, Liam is sitting up front and starts to ride faster. It was the norm every lap that I can remember, the pack increased speed on the slight decline and with wind at our backs. I was on Liam's wheel and then eased up just slightly to see what would happen. I did not say a thing as I had in other races, which I felt I blew the suprise. About five guys came around me, but no one got on Liam wheel. 20ft, 30ft, 40ft and then he turned around. Davey Jones was up front wearing last years kit. Liam seen the gap and jumped,and jumped hard. I think he got a block on us right there. I have seen this before. This was Liam moment. I worked the blocking for him at Monsters. I knew he could go five laps with this wind and with the front runners either not wanting to work together or having a team that was going to work as hard. It was also a moment for me. Did I just lose the jersey? No time to think now must get back to the front. Block you idoit. I jumped and pulled right up next to Davey. We looked at each other and esased up. A number of attacks went off but not one would pull for more than a block and xXx were always second or third wheel. Four to go. The same stuff continues. At three to go, Liam has advanced the lead to three blocks, and then I knew I lost the jersey. I had joked with Liam and the team after the race, that Liam was nothing but a big jerk (I used other words of course) for stealing my jersey. My Goal was to get two jerseys that day. I really wanted it. But we all know he is not a #$% #$%^, he just wanted it more then I did at that moment with five to go. So as we crossed the line with three to go, I am sitting third wheel and yell out to Liam again, "Nice Job". This time I know he can not hear me but the guys at the front sure did. And I got some strange looks. I just let them know that they were not going to win. I just knew it and I think they did too. And now the fight was on for

2nd place.

The waiting for the final sprint was great. I just kept jumping to second or third wheel. With a lap and half to go I even pulled on the backstretch against the wind. Not to make time on Liam, just to make it look like I was working. and everyone just followed. It was the swarming pack of guys waiting for someone to jump. With the bell lap the pace increased greatly but did not shake any one of importance. I was worried about leading someone out and not getting second. I was not going to let that happen like so many times earlier in the season. Namely Karl from Guiness, Ben from Power Bar, a couple guys from Wild Card, but mostly Jason from Bike Heaven because I had heard of his over powering sprint. And as we turn into the wind after turn 6, all these thoughts come into my head. Thanks Bob and Jeff for your advice in the 2008 race which I believe you got from Randy. And Luke for always telling us to hit it when it is hard. I was riding on the front to the inside of guys going five wide in the backstretch. I eased up again to fade back and Morrissey went around me. Ryan Fay took the front and it was swarming. I just wanted some space. 'Attack on the backstretch', Jeff and Bob said to me last year, and I then I remembered Bob going on the inside. I was getting that calming feeling again. And I was confident it would work. All this just in a split second. Liam had his moment now it is my turn. I jumped with a block away from turn 7, into the wind. I continued to hammer throught the turn up to the final stretch. My legs were screaming stop, pain!!! I had to look as I made the turn. For the second time that day it looked great. I sat in the saddle in response to the legs, because I needed them to finish. Then pedaled squared for a block and stood up to sprint again with 150 left. I gave one more peek and brought it home listening to the annoucer yelling 'xXx going 1-2'. I sat down and crossed the line with a big smile on my face.

What a great race for the Cat 4's. Everyone did so much work and we controled that race from the gun to the bell and to the finish. I would like to thank everyone who was in that race. So many comments were made about our preformance, you should be proud. I am very proud of this group, especially of the new Cat 4's that just upgraded. John, Chris, and Ryan, you are learning fast and working hard. How great it is to be on this xXx Racing Team. And to all the Cat 4's and 5's, keep up the good work, work together and work for each other and then no one can tell you 'It just does not work in your category'.