Junior Road Nationals -- Final Entry -- The Crit and Wrap Up

June 26, 2011

We're home now after a long drive on Saturday.

Friday was the criterium.  It was a 1.2 Km rectangular course around a couple of blocks in downtown Augusta.  Again there were 76 13-14 year old boys.  We knew this would be hard and we knew that Jake had no experience in a crit like this.

While we waited for the elevator, Axel Merxck came down the hall.  He was very nice and we got a picture with him.

Jake got a good warm up outside a little bakery

While Jake warmed up, I got some photos of Thomas Donigan of Pax Velo in the 10-12 race.
He did well.

Even though he went to the staging pen 30 minutes before the race start, Jake was still several rows back.

Jake was also stuck to the left and a bunch of boys on the right pushed open the barriers to open the gate more so kids who were on the barrier got a better starting spot. Watch:

 

Jake was stuck maybe 4 or 5 rows back.  The front guys sprinted from the gun and the gaps were opened before the first turn.

 

The field shattered into groups on the first lap as the Cat 3s drove the pace.

 

Basically after one lap there was a front group of 20.  A second group of 15-20, then a series of smaller groups.  Jake ended up in the third group with ..... Tanner Browne and Stuart Witkoski.  They just end up together even at nationals. They were working (although they needed to be doing a rotating paceline instead of long pulls).  

Ultimately, Jake's group was the last group pulled that the officials didn't score.  They were pulled after about 1/2 the race.  The 2nd group was pulled a few laps later, but scored.  Basically Jake et al would have been 38-41.  The winner was a cat 3 and so was #2.  The winner had a teammate (from the huge Boise Young Rider Development Squad "Byrds") lead him out.

Jake was pretty unhappy about the performance.  But it was a tough race.  I told him that on some level in a field that big, if you're stuck in the 4th row, you have to depend on the guys in front of you not to open gaps, but that didn't happen (later in the 15-16 and 17-18 crits the guys in the back weren't immediately screwed because the field didn't shatter).  Jake also needs to learn some lessons about being aggressive in big crits (like at the start).

We hung around and watched some other races.  We rooted for Isaac Kaplan of Rock Creek Velo and Justin Mauch of HPC in the 17-18 race. (a photo of Isaac hanging tough)

We got some video of the elite race absolutely diving through the second corner (practically scary to stand there)

 

We also hung out a little with Andy Guptil who rides for Jamis/Sutter Home pro team and works with the Charlottesville Bike Camp that Jake is going to in July. 

We got a photo with Warrenton boy Joe Dombroski who now rides for the Trek U23 development team. 

(Bill Shieken should pay me commissions for all these In the Crosshairs photos).

Final thoughts

I know Jake isn't completely happy with his first Nationals experience.  You don't go to a race without some belief that you can win or be competitive.  Otherwise you wouldn't be trying.  But I and many others have tried to tell him that he did well.  It was an important and eye opening experience.  He has only had a road bike since February and hasn't been training for years (when he would race cross the last few falls he never trained, just rode races on the weekends). Compared to the very highest level of national competition, he finished in the middle of the pack and did very well among other Cat 5s.  Now, he's pestering me to put him in Cat 5 races and ultimately to upgrade to Cat 4.  So, his desire wasn't crushed by the experience. 

Now, we need to finish a few road races and take a little rest before ramping up for cyclocross.

Thanks again to those who helped with Jake's Nationals Campaign: Geoff Hughes, Contes of Arlington, Ken & Jean Woodrow, Max Shute, David Wofel, Brad Evans, and all of Squadra Coppi.

 

Comments

[lorent]

I think he did fantastically, considering he was almost like the amateur at the US Open. With little experience, he really hung in there and held his own. I'm very proud that he wants to continue, to do the things that he needs to do to get relevant experience, rather than getting discouraged.

Soon he will be asking for a time trial bike, and nagging you to move to the LA office so he can race more frequently.

[Grandpa Tommy]

He males the whole family proud.
And, yes he will want you to move to the west coast of the US.
San Diego anyone? Always seems to be in the 70's.