schmalz FBF 8/3/2010

by schmalz

Whatever hits the floor

Now that I’ve committed myself to the notion of competing for the "GC" (I use quotes there as competing for the general classification of a training series still strikes me as slightly ludicrous) at FBF, I find myself in the position of having to form strategies for each night’s race—not that I haven’t been forming strategies all season long, but some of those early strategies were simply "ride hard" or "don’t follow Mihael". Now I need to remember who’s near me and who’s ahead of me in points and race accordingly. To be honest, it’s a bit taxing, as I take to math as Wisconsinites take to vegetarian entrees. Since I’m close to Danny Inoa, Frank Arroyo and Chris Castaldi in points, I have to keep an eye out for all of them, and in order to gain any points on Frank, I have to split the race up, as he will spank me like a drunken substitute teacher in a field sprint.
Luckily, the wind was blowing hard last night, which at FBF usually portends a split in the field, as the wind serves to slice the fat and gristle off our rolling pork chop. My plan was to stay near the front and try to not get lumped in with the hot dog parts.
We rolled off and I had the good fortune to have teammate Jaime with me tonight, I told him that I would have him stretch out the race at certain points to try and take some of the chase out of the field. I also made some early moves off the front in order to shake the chase out of the followers. I wanted the race to be hard enough to split up the group and that wasn’t going to happen without someone sticking their nose in the wind, so Jaime and I stuck our noses out.
The race progressed in this fashion through the first green jersey sprint, with attacks off the front and counters aplenty. Jaime and I managed to manage these moves for the most part. Andrew Clerico of NYvelocity got away sometime between the first and second sprints, in a move that was equal part diabolical, homicidal and suicidal. The race let him go, daring him to hold his 30 second gap until the end. A long solo break like that can mess with your mind, every time you hit the wind, self-doubt causes you to question yourself. "Can I keep this up?", "when is this going to end?" and "what in God’s name is Mr I. smoking up there?" are all questions you have when in an FBF break, and they can all tempt you into slowing your pace and retreating back to the pack. Andrew did none of these things, and held on to take the win solo on a terribly windy night at FBF—quite an accomplishment.
Behind Andrew we were still jumping and clumping, with about two or so to go, Scot Willingham, Jon Orcutt and Graham Macbeth got away in the cross wind section and started working together. I told Marco, my (not anymore) secret teammate to put in an effort to chase, and he pulled through turns two and three. He got me to within 200 meters, and I was able to jump across and join the boys in the break. Chris Castaldi joined soon after and we all started to work in a together-ish manner.
We needed to put in some efforts initially to get the break established, and it required us to work together smoothly—which we really didn’t do if I am to be honest. Despite our best efforts at incompetence, we managed to keep our gap at the bell. I could tell that Chris was feeling the effort as he would pull off hard after hitting the front, a sure sign of fatigue setting in; and soon after he dropped back to the field. This of course, was very good for my GC aspirations, as it gave me a chance to gain some points on him.
As we hit the bell, I knew we had a good chance at success if we hit the cross wind section hard. I worked through the cross wind, and as we hit turn three, I knew we would stay away. At that point, it was just a matter of trying to take the maximum points possible. Clerico was dangling ahead of us at a tempting distance, but if I were to try to jump and catch him, I risked finishing fifth and only gaining one point. I played it conservatively and rode for the sprint from the break. When we hit the finishing straight, Graham jumped with about 200 meters to go, I marked him, I saw Jon coming up on the right, and then I jumped for the line. I was able to hold Jon off and ended up second—my fourth second place of the season at FBF. I was able to gain five points on Frank and Chris, all in all, not a bad night.

The head song for the night was "Bring It On Home" by Led Zeppelin. Da da da da dum, da—da da dum dum dum.

 

27 Comments

Amine O-Ring

And NYVC’s Clerico (who was a Cat 5 until a few weeks ago) is the Fabian Cancellara of FBF, who just motored to a massive solo win.

Gregorio O-Ring

When are you going to do that laziest rider competition with Mihael? That will be like the local equivalent of post-Tour crits for Schleck.

Daan Ziptie

This is his first year ever riding, and never did mountain biker or anything like that. Also, I think he just upgraded to a cat 4 last week, so not sure if thats really sand bagging . . .

Goro Stiff

Listen to the Goro… I am sick and tired (this is my NYVC hyperbole) of people referring to FBF as a so-called training series. I know that notion persists, as evidenced by even Sir Schmalz’s use of the term, but it really no longer is one.

Do training races give out leader’s jerseys and sprint jerseys? Do training races even have a GC? I say, no! It’s fine if Charlie I wants to up the ante and hand out these appealing tunics (last year, the overall winners won Cannondale framesets, ferchrissakes!) but don’t turn around then and say, Whoa, everybody chill out when you’re racing here, cause we all know FBF is just a training series and it doesn’t really mean jacky doody if you win here.

Bullshtein! If you want a training series, take away the the yellow jersey, take away the green jersey–go ahead and don’t even keep track of series points. Those trappings send the message that there’s more to race for out at Floyd than just getting your ass kicked, or kicking some ass. Keep the sprints in even, just offer like $10 premes for those.

Maybe people prefer all of the “real race” bells and whistles–but then don’t try and pass off FBF as a training series. If there’s a yellow jersey on offer, why should someone like Sir Schmalz feel this weird guilt about wearing it–like he cares too much. Can’t have it both ways in the Goro’s book.

Alessandro Stiff

…but you are merely highlighting how Mr. Charlie I has been very successful and clever in offering you middle aged zeros enough superficial frills so that you won’t think twice about paying $20 for a race that cost $8 just six years ago.

It’s a training race. Get. over. yourselves.

Goro Stiff

Brother Stiff: What’s the point about Charlie I and the $20? Are you saying he’s lining his pockets with our middle-aged zero $$$ and retiring to Bermuda after one more bonanza season of race promotion? That’s the other laughable-hoary-tale that’s told on these here boards: that race promoters are somehow getting rich, or out to fleece us zeroes. No one’s getting rich on this crap. $10 or $20 doesn’t matter to me. Did the price of the race really double to pay for leaders’ jerseys? I doubt it.

Arthur Neck

Charlie – let’s do it. Or, how about the Giro de Sopranos – the race could start at the Silverline Studios and finish at the most famous abandoned airfield in Brooklyn. The winner gets cold hard cash, and the laterne rouge – a cinder block with a rope.

brain surgeon

yeah hey Goro, it’s a training race. pretty sure i’ve heard charlie refer to it as such.

hey hey hey

what the f-ck are you clowns yabber-clamming about? is this the view? chr-st.

charlie i calls it a training race, guy? really? that’s f-cking genius. outstanding. how about if he called it a duck? what would that make it? if i called you a jackass, does that make you a jackass?

are we back in my college dorm room again? then pass the water pipe*, broseph. “how do i know that the color ‘training’ is to you is the same as the color ‘training’ is to me?”

let me learn you a little something, palooka. charlie i calls it a training race so you squids don’t crash me, full stop. how about you crack open the usa cycling handbook, smart guy, and point out to the class here on which page it explains the difference between a “training race” and a “real race” that that stronzo alessandro is probably winning every weekend.

FBF pays $. FBF gives upgrade points. FBF is a race. the word “training” means absolutely nothing … just an excuse for you to get dropped and not feel as bad about yourselves. go do your philosophical semantic circle jerk about the meaning of the gerundive** “training” elsewhere. meanwhile i’ll see you next tuesday … i’ll be the guy stealing all your cheese.

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* i’d call it a b0ng but one of you high horse, holier-than-thou, casting-the-first-stone m0therf-ckers would problaby sick novitzaky on me.

** yeah, it’s a 50c word. look it up, numbnuts.

Benjamin Threadlock

wow chief… you need to relax a little. i’ve never seen someone get so worked up over… what, exactly?

the chief, i like that

oh, i see. thanks. “The whole thing smacks of effort, man,” is that your story? i should just relax, and crank up the phish a little, eh brosephina. no need to drop a 2000W post on your ass, huh? let me guess, this is just a training thread, right?

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