Hopeful Friday 4/17/2009

by schmalz

Preparing for ‘Kill

If you listen closely, you can hear the hum of a couple hundred periodically attuned coaching plans reaching their simultaneous peaks.

Wow, that sounds a little dirty. We’re not describing some sort of lycra clad group loving’, we’re talking about the Spring Super Bowl of Categorized racing, the Tour of Battenkill! I’ll include the registration link here, but anyone going has already signed up, marked their calendar, selected their outfit and got their hair done.

Also on Saturday for those who aren’t trekking north, it the Cherry Blossom Challenge at Branch Brook.

Sunday has the Battenkill Pro Invitational, so if you are a pro, you probably got invited. Also on Sunday is the Kissena Women’s Track Clinic, and there’s the Rahway River Park Criterium in Rahway. And finally, Sunday is the date for the Spring Series Time Trial at the Palisades Interstate Park

 

 

122 Comments

Anonymous

3 month training plan = $600
New Fancy Cycling Kit = $250
New Fancy Carbon Tubular wheels = $2000
Bike Tune Up = $65
Gas for Car round trip = $40
Food for pre and post race = $100
Hotel = $150

Getting a flat 3 miles into the race and realizing the Wheel Van is 10 minutes back picking up the carnage = Priceless

Have fun. This year’s course is harder for sure. For me, the 6 hour round trip drive just isnt worth it after 3 years of BR racing.

Anonymous

I got a perm. Nothing outrageous, just simple with euro flair (highlights, etc.) My wife is used to the no-sex-before-Battenkill routine from previous attempts, so no biggie (literally).

Anonymous

you bought a new kit and carbon tubulars just for battenkill? nobody made you get the “fancy” versions. and wouldn’t you probably have eaten anyway?

there are a lot of races… seems to me that a lot of people should relax a bit about the big ones… do your training and all that, but shit happens, so don’t go crazy over one race. carpool, share costs, get the non-fancy kit, don’t get so nuts over your “A” race. hell, don’t even PICK an “A” race – better to pick an “A month,” get fit, and then race hard, often! much more sustainable, much better chance of getting a good result or two.

Anonymous

I won’t go back to BR until they build a few cell towers. No blackberry for 2 days is MADNESS. How do they live up there?

Anonymous

9:49: sad day indeed. what a way to fall from grace. i can even remember him at u of c racing the collegiate circuit. very unfortunate to see it happen…

Anonymous

we know the rumor is that he tested positive in the ToC but it is a little weird that the press doesn’t say anything about when it happened. Cyclingnews is talking about his vuelta positives… what gives?

Anonymous

fuck this idot, Hamilton, national/olympic champion doper! taking attention away from my battenkil carbon tubulars

Anonymous

seems like just about the whole f’ing ex-postal squad is now confirmed dopers, other than dopestrong himself.

Anonymous

Tyler is innocent!!!
If he is banned from UCI, will he still be able to race non-UCI events, like Mt. Washington climb?
We should get him on CRCA then…

Anonymous

will he be having a garage sale?

could use a little help in tackling up, need to do well on sunday’s tt on river road…

Anonymous

He has that puffy ‘roid look. Addicts lie. OTC anti-depressant? Come on. At least he realizes that he needs help and hopefully now will get it.

Anonymous

Man….he is the definition of f&cking stupid!!!

He should have a lawyer check his Chai tea since he first tested positive.

I had excuses for Tyler before.

i.e It’s called “Going Postal”, Tugboat made him do it, Haven had a huge shopping bill. His chimeric twin was upping his hematocrit.

No mas!

Anonymous

Michael Ball on Tyler being banned/retiring for ingesting a banned anti-depressantDHEA. “For him to have to retire on this note is a very tough pill to swallow,” Ball said

Anonymous

I don’t know if it is just me but it seems many of the cyclists battle depression, eating disorders, recreational drug abuse, alcoholism and a multitude of other issues associated with constant pressure to perform at a high level. Young elite athletes go through a lot of issues in their formative years. How do you become an elite athlete at the age of 16 or 17? Surely your parents had some role to play in pushing you along. Is it unrealistic to assume that you’ll have no adjustment issues? I therefore think that cycling and other athletic programs should make ample provision for mental illness treatment and education. I know that they have to be hard as stone when it comes to racing but surely there is a price that is too high and would not make up for the glory of winning.

Anonymous

as a child i was pressured intensely to become a world champion korfball player. thank god i found cycling, it has allowed me to pursue my passion for athleticism, no matter how dreadful finishing 28th in a cat 5 office park crit might otherwise seem to the layperson.

Anonymous

So this is in no way condoning anything, and Andy may have to check my math.But this is scary.

So lets all take one Mitamins Depression Buster pill (20mg DHEA dose) and add some low-grade pharmacokinetics math (say 50% bioavailability and 12 hour half-life) and average bio data (160 lb person say 5L of blood or 60% water by weight).

12 hours after a single dose this is what you get.
Max concentration of DHEA in urine ~ 1000ng/mL (Blood basis)
Min concentration of DHEA in urine ~ 115ng/mL (Whole body basis)
UCI positive doping threshold for DHEA 100ng/mL

Granted, the true pharma data for DHEA are unknown but it is scary that a single dose of Depression Buster w/ DHEA (which WADA seems to admit has no performance enhancing properties) could easily pop positive without adding in the concentrating effects of the kidneys.

Again, not condoning Tugboat Tyler since he clearly read the ingredients list and took it anyway, but what if you didn’t???

Anonymous

Thanks. I’ll have that excuse in my back pocket tomorrow after i win cat 4 at BK and they hustle me of for a test.

Anonymous

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/dhea.html

Because natural DHEA levels decrease with age, people above middle age can have incredible results as the studies above have shown. Body builders or athletes can have some of the greatest beneficial results. They can use it to help build strong muscles and lower body fat.* It is also said to help keep the brain clear and the skin smooth as well!*

Anonymous

If I read the articles properly they say he did NOT test positive for a banned substance rather he has simply admitted to using a banned substance. ok ironcially it is the reverse of what he was banned for (found positive but admits to nothing) but what is with all the ragging on the guy. Anyone who admits taking a banned substance as he has and publicly admits to clinical depression (that runs in his family) deserves sympathy. Too many wankers out there venting; time to take a look at what is generating your underlying anger! Have a great racing weekend!!

Anonymous

To 14:11 and 14:20

I am sure the best place to get your information is from supplement and bodybuilding websites. I am also willing to sell you some dust from a bridge downtown that is sure to bulk you up and surely undetectable.

But, on a more scientific note:

From Wallace, et. al (1999). “Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone vs androstenedione supplementation in men”. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31 (12): 1788–92

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that supplementation with 100 mg x d(-1) of either androstenedione or DHEA does not independently elicit a statistically significant increase in lean body mass, strength, or testosterone levels in healthy adult men over a 12-wk period.

You decide.

Anonymous

I also have an elixir of red bean extract and cabbage. Totally natural and guaranteed to boost your power at threshold by at least 5 watts. More with a tailwind. Only 2 dollars a bottle. Get yours now, going fast.

Anonymous

8:34, don’t forget to add:

60 100mg servings of DHA = $14.49

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

———————————

3 month training plan = $600
New Fancy Cycling Kit = $250
New Fancy Carbon Tubular wheels = $2000
Bike Tune Up = $65
Gas for Car round trip = $40
Food for pre and post race = $100
Hotel = $150

Getting a flat 3 miles into the race and realizing the Wheel Van is 10 minutes back picking up the carnage = Priceless

Anonymous

does anyone else remember those chinese distance runners in the late 80’s/early 90’s who broke every record out there as unknowns and claimed they were eating some kind of worms? a few tested positive for steroids and the others just disappeared. a guy i used to race with went to chinatown and tried to buy the worms…

Anonymous

No one asks you to have sympathy for Tyler… his history is clearly pretty messed up, but to admit to depression publicly like that is a pretty big deal. And having gone cold turkey off of Lexapro in the past, I know for a fact that it can make you crazier than you were when you went on it. The stuff has to be weened or you feel REALLY rough… the dude’s life is bike racing and I guess for the first time ever I want to give him a bit of a break. People who haven’t been around depression don’t get it… and that’s okay, but try, try to believe that he may just be telling the truth for once. This is actually the first time I believe anything that guy has said….

Anonymous

Spoke with Kyle minutes after the finish. He seemed a bit stunned at his success.
Hey Kyle, how’d it go?
Kyle: Uhhh… I WON! (as if he was still trying to make himself believe it)

Pretty cool.

Anonymous

Top finishes at Grant’s Tomb, and now no. 1 at Battenkill! A terrfic start for the women of TeaNY!! Nice job Fabienne!!!!!!

Anonymous

rumor has it that CJ beat someone out in a sprint for 26th place and then proceeded to win a pie eating contest

Anonymous

Rumor is wrong.

It was a bacon eating contest, and he came in second to a trucker from Montreal.

Anonymous

Other results for locals:

– Neil Bezdek 6th in Cat 2
– Matt Cuttler 5th in Cat 3
– James Stevens 2nd in Cat 4

Anonymous

Atocha top10 in the 3s? Kid finally can climb. Nice job. What happened to Bernstein? I thought he was top 10 in the 3s? Slokar?

Aaron

Very nasty downhill crash took out Slokar and brought down maybe 15-20 guys. Sparks were flying off the road. Guys trying to avoid the crash rode into the ditch and hit trees. A riderless bike went flying end-over-end across the road.

Anonymous

what the hell do you guys eat ? congrats to both of you on great wins and battenkill.

Was an epic race and sure everyone has a story to tell, and big congrats for fabienne winning womens 3/4 race on her first out of town

Alot of great results for CRCA riders in all categories.

Anonymous

evan cooper, former CRCA junior got 2nd in the other cat 3 field

and yes, gabele and bernstein were seemingly left out of the results. they were part of the seven man lead group in the cat 3 green field.

Anonymous

Best race conditions as it was cold, hard packed dirt roads and good traction. These roads are really tough to go hard on on the downhills when the temps are warm and the conditions are sandy. Race should be early April or late March for a true Classics feel (cold wind and rain).

Anonymous

Cat 3 Green results are messed up. I was right behind Collins and Atchoa but am not listed and there was no way we racing for 6th. Definitely a few more up the road like Gabele & Bernstein.
Anyone know how Slokar is? Crash looked bad.
shaw

Anonymous

It took a long time to sort out, so not a lot of people hung around until the end. Looked like Lisban won, with Ken Harris a really close second. Gary Steinberg placed in the masters putting the overall title just about out of reach.

Anonymous

messed up because there were so many stragglers from different fields intermingling everywhere. that’s what you get when you put 20 fields in a race.

Anonymous

was easily the worst I’ve ever seen. I heard Slokar is okay but I’m worried about several others in that crash. Very very scary.

Anonymous

So I (liberty cycle guy) was part of the “nasty” cat 3 – green crash. I flew off the road into the ditch on the right side of the road. Slokar (Adler, right?) seemed to have faired well; a scrapped knee and he had hit his head, but seemed fine. One of the three kids, all from the same team (white and blue, I think) , was in really tough shape. Basically broke his face, including his teeth. The other two got their shit together and attempted to finish the race. I rode in the chase vehicle and got to watch the last 15 miles of the race with the best seat in the house.

Anonymous

The time trial course was not dangerous or scary. It was a lot of fun to race and Anthony deserves a lot of credit for putting it on.

Anonymous

I was also in the ugly crash in the Cat 3 Green field. Got launched off my bike and into the woods on the right side. Hit a tree, but luckily walked away unharmed. Saw the guy who “broke his face”…no better way to put it. Teeth and blood all over the road; Hope he (and all other downed racers) are recovering well!

Anonymous

I had some reservations about a Spring Series TT. I wasn’t sure about the course or AVD’s ability to handle the logistics. When I heard the officials talking about taking down riders’ times and numbers at the turn around, my fears began to subside. I rolled up to the start and found that after an hour, they were only 5 minutes behind. Another good sign that maybe they had their stuff together. The course was awesome and for the most part safe, aside from a few slow moving rec’ cyclists. The road surface blows away FBF and it had a nice sweeping turnaround. I did hear a few people grumbling about missing their start times. I think that they started moving riders up into open slots. They should have just ghosted the slot and stuck to the original timetable. I really think it was a success and it did throw a wrench in the works of the usual spring series mentality. All of that negative racing gets old and this event forced those teams to think outside of the box and earn their championships with their legs not team tactics. I hope AVD will realize what a success it really was. If he should learns from his mistakes today and keeps it in his line-up, he will have twice the turnout next year

Anonymous

I was an earlier adopter on the TT hate parade. I was surprised at how fun it was. The course proved to be safe, though moving the start times to 1:00 instead of the originally proposed 30 seconds certainly helped that. It was fairly well run, though as mentioned they did make a mess of a few people’s start times and that effected the overall results.

Someone mentioned a bad masters crash at Battenkill. I heard it was Doug O’Neil who crashed and was taken by helicopter to a hospital. Not sure if that’s true, but I hope he’s ok.

Anonymous

Yes it was Doug that crashed in the 50+. Looked like he washed out on a fast, loose off camber decent. Looked scary, he was in a fetal position. I saw one of his teammates after the race and he said that Doug had a possible concussion. Best wishes to Doug!

Larry Towner

Anonymous

hope everyone heals up. more updates as they become available please. It always sucks to hear about bad crashes like this.

Anonymous

apparently duplicate numbers were issued for different fields so timing and scoring got all fucked up. I was by the timing trailer several hours after the race and they were going through the finish line camera frame by frame trying to sort it out. Looked like a complete mess.

Anonymous

What caused the crash? All I know is that I was near the back of the field and all of a sudden it was an explosion of riders flying in all different directions.

Anonymous

Ken Hochman spoke with Doug who is in good spirits, all things considered, there was no head or neck trauma. He is at Albany Medical Center. His teamate Damian stopped mid-race to stay with him. After the race Brian Rafferty and his wife Helen went to the hospital to check on Doug. Doug optimistically hopes to get released tomorrow, with his broken ribs, crack in the pelvis, and a collapsed lung.

Best wishes and all our support for his a speedy and complete recovery.

Chris Castaldi

Anonymous

Would still do it again tomorrow in a heartbeat – fun. That’s what makes this sport so ‘twisted’.

Anonymous

Cat 4 red did become a complete mess, we caught the 40 plus masters field at about 30 miles in or so and were held behind them for a while until finally allowed to go past, I think race tactics were playing out in there field, and the cat 4 field went off pretty hard.

As soon as we hit the off road section around 40 miles or more in , the masters came by causing an absolute bloody mess, the roads were narrow and nobody knew where the pace cars were or who was in what field, it would have been very easy for any rider to have taken advantage of this situation and ridden in with the masters field and broken away with them and the pace car would not have known, this happened at houstonic last year in the cat 4’s.

Thinking trying to sort it out will be a bloody mess,

Anonymous

i love cat 3 snobbery about cat 4 tactics- i’m glad you got your 25 races in so you can sound “above it all”

Anonymous

Does anyone know exactly happened? i was the guy who messed up his face.

Here is the my race report that I wrote on the maxpowercycling team blog:

Great racing weather in Cambridge by the time our race went off. The race was slow for the first hour but then picked up on each climbing/dirt section. Steve, Paul, and I were all riding strong. I kept making my way to the front for the climbs in hopes of a split in the field by the strong climbers.

Almost two hours in we were on a paved/gravel section riding along nicely. Out of no where this guy’s handlebars rammed straight into my legs and I hit the ground hard on my face.

The fun was just beginning….

Then I got dragged along the ground for 100-200 meters where I was repeatedly run over by people and my body continually turned about, scraping up asphalt. When I opened my eyes all I could see was the pack slowly drifting into the distance.

I sat up and spit out a huge wad of blood. I looked on the ground and I saw what I thought were my bloody teeth but they were only red jelly beans.

Then the pain came and came and came…I was in the ER for about 9 hrs where two of the hours were spent doing “scrubbing treatments”. Pretty much what they did was take a brilo pad and drag it across all the road rash on my arms, legs, and yes even my face to get all the dirt and rocks out.

So here is the tally:

My left hand is completely sliced and is wrapped up totally. All 5 fingers are cut up.

My left and right arm has road rash from my forearm to my tricep.

Left and right legs are completely covered in road rash.

My two front teeth are chipped/cracked.

My lip is hugely swollen and I have road rash on the right side of my face.

My bike is semi-ok. I think the frame is still in one piece. I’ll have to replace the front derailer, handlebars, and stem.

I think that’s all I can think right now.

Can’t wait to get on the bike again!

Hope everyone had a good race weekend.

Recovery? T – two weeks ??

Thanks so much to Paul and Steve who waited with me until help arrived. You guys are true teammates and I would do anything for the both of you.

Adam Z

Anonymous

holy shit! I was right behind the crash and it looked very scary.. I couldn’t tell what/who caused it. I’m relieved its mostly all flesh wounds. Photos of the road rash?

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