Hopeful 8/24/2007

Section head text.

We’re going to be as brief as possible this morning for all of those who stayed up late for the Bear registration vigil last night. This weekend is the World Championship of the World of Central Park, aka Mengoni. And Chris Thater is also this weekend, which is, of course, the World Championship of Binghamton, which is also, you know, very prestigious…

116 Comments

um?

wait… people signed up for the bear waiting list…, while there still a few spots?

As of 9:00am there were 6 cat 4 spots left and 6 riders in the waiting list.

Funny.

Anonymous

and it took 8 hours for the 4’s to fill up. So everyone who REALLY wanted to, got in.

Big thanks to CRCA for doing all the hard work to make this race, harlem etc. happen.

Anonymous

Extra spots might be for those who marshalled at the last race and have a spot reserved for them. Registration is closed and it shows 95 registered.

Test Pilot

I’m so glad I upgraded to Cat 3 a few weeks ago. It makes times like right now very satisfying.

Cross race on Sunday. Its gonna be awesome.

Anonymous

after feeling wiped out for weeks, Dan Schmalz pulls a season ending shocker by taking the win at Mengoni!!!!
With the win Dan decides to take the rest of the year off to prepare for his audition for a Letterman stupid pet trick episode. Only hint is that we are sure the trick does not involve Ginger, but Andy’s involvement is unknown.

All quiet on the western front

JFT questioned the mighty CRCA board on opening Bear registration and wasn’t heard from again. Theories?

jft

Was up at the Bronx Zoo a few weeks ago and saw a polar bear playing with a ball. Also a big grizzy bear, and tigers and elephants and cute little birds and red river hogs. Red river hogs are cute and funny-looking.

Wheeeee! I like the zoo!

jft

Now I get the joke. The idea was CRCABOD took me out. No, I’m still around. Wait, some guys in a black SUV just pulled up outside, let me go and see

Anonymous

“So everyone who REALLY wanted to, got in.”
Only if you consider “everyone” a reader of nyvelocity. Is Bear Mtn. a regional race or a local race?

Cat 3

I think to cut down on this madness that is Cat 4 registration Bear should have a Cat 3/4 and a Pro1-3 field. Then those strong 4s can race the 3/4 and the rest can get into the race in teh 4 field. The 3s about to make the jump can fight it out with the 1s and 2s. At 12:10am 60 spots were filled. I noticed there are no upstate riders registered – they probobly dont read NYVC and were pretty much left out. Too bad because some of the Placid Planet riders and CRBC guys love to mix it up off the front.

Anonymous

having reg open far in advance, or at least having notice of the date it opens being available a few weeks in advance, would give those upstate guys a fighting chance to get in

maybe the fall bear race should be a 1-2-3 and 3-4 in the future. But that format isn’t right for the spring — the p-1-2 at Bear is special and gets a good, full field with that format and should not be diluted

Anonymous

Bear Mtn spring is a good regional race – look at past winners which include pros and future pros

Bear Mtn fall – dunno

493

I’m from upstate, but I stalk this site because people hating everyone else anonymously is funny. I got the word about Bear reg. a long time ago. If someone is serious about getting into the race, they should know that this race starts before you register, most especially the 4’s.

I’m sorry about my “the bird” question, I must have missed that thread. did it coincide with one of the many kit arguments? Those threads are so riveting.

Anonymous

Man’s only natural enemy. Instinctual knowledge of the taste of human flesh. Will track, kill, and eat a human.

Most cyclists probably taste lousy. Sinewy and chewy compared to a nice fat seal.

493

I’m from Cornwall On Hudson, via the Bronx & Queens. 1 hour from mid-town, with no traffic, up the Palisades. 30 minutes from Bear Mountain(on my bike). 10 minutes by car.

Ben H

I suggest signing up for the waiting list of you want to race and didn’t register in time. There are usually lots of no-shows and you have a very good chance of getting to race.

Anonymous

I got in the spring race through the wait list after many bailed. However, the spring reg was up much longer then the fall so with the race 2 weeks away most know there schedules.

Anonymous

If you are in the Catskill Mtns you are upstate. If you are in the Adirondacks you are in no mans land.

Anonymous

I think they need a 30plus group and a 3/4. Many of the guys on the Cat 4 could race the 30plus which is actually a better field (smaller but higher quality). No 30plus field hurts the race.

Anonymous

Albany….Syracuse, Utica…etc…that’s upstate. Cornwall on Hudson is just suburbia homey……C’mon!!

Ben H.

I’m willing to make a gentleman’s wager that if you are on the waiting list you will get to race – there will still be lots of no-shows. I’m pretty sure the whole waiting list raced in the spring as well as last fall. On top of that, I cut almost 50 refund checks in the spring to riders who registered and couldn’t race as the date got closer. Just sign up on the waiting list and take a chance.

Anonymous

Well, not a joke, but basically the front of the 30+ race are a bunch of cat 2s who don’t want to do the p-1-2 and have too much ego to downgrade.

Believe me, I know that story.

But it’s not masters, it’s just another cut on dividing up the good 3 and some 2s.

rkelly

P123 fields make it damn near impossible to get the results you need to upgrade from 3 to 2,and the 3 field at bear will close out as well…I think the 30+ idea is a good one, but 4s…just upgrade…or register early

Kremlin

Two CAT4 fields split by age would probably solve the problem, but the venue can only accomodate so many fields, so you would have to drop one of the smaller fields.

493

10 years ago, Cornwall on Hudson was upstate. Now, its totally the new Croton on Hudson (West SIIIIIIIIDE).

Anonymous

123 1)Wilson 2) some one from the navigators team 3)Lisbon
3’s 1)Dan Schmals 2)Dan Schmals 3)Dan Schmals.. Dan..Dan is our man if he cant do it no one cant
Jrs some one from the jr developmant team (I hope so)
the women who cares!!they are boring
no one really cares.
28 girls as of friday the 24. one day before the race. its a shame
I WILL BET $1000.00 that it will come down to a sprint. way to go LADYS

jft

Are there any?

Apart from the missing Navigators, the field looks pretty good.

There are a few former winners in the field, plus Bill “The Jackal” Elliston who was runner-up a few years ago and riding well.

jft

Always good if a local rider wins. But would be cool is Rebecca Wellons wins — she’s aggressive and due.

Anonymous

Cat 3 The Schmalz.

Who will continue riding after crossing the line. Then he’ll catch the Pro field and win that too.

It’ll be legendary.

Anonymous

I think Dan can catch the liile girls up the road too.and wiiiiin the feild too. after winning the 123and 3’s
he’s the corrent ladys sprint champ isnt he? sweeeeeet..

Anonymous

the poster who keeps complaining about the “ladys feild” has to be a troll. nobody is that stupid, and spelling that bad is not believable.

Mr. Brightside

Does CRCA look better for having races that are high-enough level that some past winners are dopers?

Anonymous

nyvelocity is now bigger than just NYC. They now have the coveted upstate demographic! Bring on the advertising dollars. Soon they’ll have enough dough for that helicopter to film the CRCA races.

Anonymous

I’m always amazed/annoyed at how you inner city dwellers do so well in the out of NYC hilly races??…..any insight?……where are you training??

Anonymous

Schmalz will Smash!
Schmalz will Smash!
Schmalz will Smash!
Schmalz will Smash!

Schmalz will Smash!
Schmalz will Smash!
Schmalz will Smash!
Schmalz will Smash!

Brian G.

How about Spring Bear being on Mother’s Day!! Sure I could race, but my personal belongings would be set aflame by my wife and my mother!! There I said it..flame away…I’d write more but then I would veer into the wonderfully insightful ‘Dedication Argument’

Anonymous

training in the city is like training at altitude. there is less oxygen. when we get to the fresh air in the hills….look out!

Anonymous

the mother’s day thing isn’t so bad, but starting the race at lunch time is pretty dumb. at least run the master’s race on saturday or earlier…those are the guys getting in the most trouble.

Cat 4 observer

was doing laps and saw the finishes so no in race report. AEG Toshiba pro beat Mengoni’s Perez for the finish. Some Westwood dude with a helmet cam won the 3s over Jerry Martinez. Good races.

Anonymous

GS Mengoni was shutting down breaks all race long, then AEG put five or six guys on the front on the last lap, so those teams deserve the top spots. Kind of cool to see that whole team take the front.

Thanks to Alan Atwood and Maurice and the CRCA – nice race

Anonymous

GS Mengoni was shutting down breaks all race long, then AEG put five or six guys on the front on the last lap, so those teams deserve the top spots. Kind of cool to see that whole team take the front.

Thanks to Alan Atwood and Maurice and the CRCA – nice race

Anonymous

adler and merrill lynch rode a dumb race. between them they had like 12 guys, by far the dominant teams. yet they left that break dangle with 5-15 seconds for the last few laps. really a bad showing by the two dominant local cat teams (sorry blue ribbon, nice job but i consider you masters). it seems like adler and ML were marking arjan from nyc sketches all day or maybe the empire guys. ignored the break that mattered.

Anonymous

o’donnell actually got popped the last time up harlem and chased back on just 5 secs ahead of the field.

ignorant local rider

I can’t believe the helmet cam guy won! I kept trying to avoid being on his wheel. I was like “who the hell is this guy with a giant light (or maybe it’s a helmet cam?) on his head? Now I know.

Ravi Rajcoomar

its been awhile since I have been to a race in the park….today’s pro race was good one…the entire NYC cycling scene should be cogratulated….the CRCA put on a great race and the riders put on a great show….look forward to the next one…

Anonymous

If you guys haven’t figured out who Will O is by this point in the season, you deserve to lose to him. Didn’t anybody race Branchbrook?

Anonymous

ok schmalz. you saw the front maybe twice so waht do you know. it’s not embarassing for a solo rider to not have made the break, it is for merrill. nice job, way to waste dmitri’s firepower. next time work.

Anonymous

fun race… thanks to CRCA for a great event.

I think the break might have been aided by the ambulance in the road about 1500 m (?) from the finish…definitely disrupted the rest of the field.

a big WO fan.

why upgrade to 2 froms 3s if you dont have a bazillion hours to traing? there are few pure cat2 fields, everything ends up being p123. you could do the p123 races anyway. and if you dont have oodles of time to train, and are crazy good, you end up getting popped dropped and pooped on in all the biggies. there is a world of difference between the good p12s and the3s, in the big races. prospcet, branchbrook, 3s can hang on. bear, union, fitchburg,forget it. you’re riding solo behind the leaders by 10, 12, 20minutes.

3s is a good place to be. you have to earn it, talent is good.

if all the races had pure cat2 fields, a few more 3s would push up. seen it 40 times.

hahaha

There’s a world of difference within p-1-2 racing, even the events you you mention.

Fitchburg is a real pro race at the front, while Unionvale and Bear aren’t. The top local 3s could hang, or at least hang for 2/3s the race, in regional races like Bear and Unionvale and have a worthwhile experience.

I’m a 2 who really should downgrade, but have been in contention for top-15 at Unionvale (when it was bigger, with 60 starters in the p-1-2. Never finsihed Bear but made it to the base of the last climb in the Fitchburg RR in the field a few times. The Fitchburg crit was great. And have done p-1-2 crits that were a blast!

Races at the level of Mt. Holly, Mengoni , some Jersey crits, in the p-1-2 are very doable by good local 2s and really fun.

Definitely worth getting my butt kicked and finishing way way way back sometimes.

Also, except for Toona (which I never did) and Killington (which is no more) and maybe GMSR, the key to doing OK in regional p-1-2 races is not oodles of training. Endurance is not the problem for most of us. It’s being able to go really really hard for a couple hours and super hard for 15 minutes at key moments.

hahaha

I just watched the video of the 3 race and am a huge O’Donnell fan on a lot of levels. For his racing and for sharing that info.

Weelll done O’Donnel, Weeelll done!

Anonymous

Schmalz, I think anon has a good point. No reason to be defensive and snarky. You’re team messed up, why can’t you admit it without flaming back without any real point. Oh, yeah, just to remind us you’re cooler than the rest.

schmalz

Did not have a good point. His point was basically: “ML and Adler didn’t chase and I didn’t get a chance to unleash my mighty sprint for 18th place, waaaaaahhhh (pause, take breath) waaaaaaahhhh!”

My reply implied that the guys who made the break were the smart ones (you know, sometimes guys are strong and deserve to win…), and anyone who didn’t make it wasn’t smart. Shocking insight, I know.

ML was not working for a sprint finish, our team is strong, but we’re not set up for a field sprint finish. If we couldn’t get anyone into the break, of course that’s not smart on our part, what’s really dumb is putting the blame for your own pathetic race (even if you are a solo rider) on the tactics of another team, that’s typical three-tard boo-hoo-ing.

And I don’t need to remind everyone that I’m much cooler than them, one look at my signed Zac Efron headshot will do that

Anonymous

i remember seeing that guy with the head thing on and saying the same thing…stay away from his wheel, until i saw him attack 2 or 3 times effortlessly.
that video is great and shows a great passio for the sport. it might be the first helmet cam in a peleton showing beginning to end, a win.

not very aero though for a big TT guy. I looked up his team mate Gregg Cosgrove, and he seemingly won the NYS TT Championships 30-35 last weekend. whats with those Westwood guys and TT’ing?

DONT ANY OF YOU SPRINT!!!!??? (all in good fun!)

congrats to you will, and your team. next time, our squad will have to work harder

Anonymous

race looked very much like a cat 4 Prospect race. Riders attack and only a couple of the same folks ever respond. Should I be surprised??

jft

That’s how it looked. But in fact two guys broke away, two other guys joined them, the break split briefly, then came together and just held off the field

Pretty cool

Will O'Donnell

I appreciate all of the feedback. I hope everyone enjoyed the video. Just remember to continue to stay away from the uy with the helmet cam and let him go on breaks any time he wants to. It’s better to not have him being dangerous in the pack. 🙂

Oh, and Westwood riders sprint. We just start from a long way out…about 52 minutes from the finish.

Anonymous

Schmalz you are full of it. Our team did not want a sprint finish? So what did you want, 4 guys to stay away? If you have such a strong team then all except one guy should have been chasing, when you catch the break, that other guy counters. Simple. Especially if a guy like Dmitri was trying to bridge and couldn’t get there.

Its Cat 3 racing. Guys talk about it like its a Euro pro race.

Anonymous

Fresh from his top 4 at Mengoni yesterday, Lewis Almonte today won the CAT 3 today in Binghamton. Some major talent, that ‘kid’. Congratulations!

Anonymous

Just because a team does not want a field sprint does not mean they should chase down every break. In fact, it means that sometimes they should NOT chase a break even if they don’t have anyone in it. They should let the teams/people that want a break chase.

I was not in the Mengoni 3 race, but it seems to me that, if anything, ML should have tried some hard attacks behind the breaks and hoped their guys could bridge. But that’s easy to say and hard to do.

Arjan

Congrats to Lewis Almonte for winning the cat 3 at Binghamton. He was strong (and smart) in the breakaway and deserved the win!

And Schmalz is right…. we were stupid for not being in the breakaway, bcause that’s how you (increase yr changes to) win races…

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