What a weekend!
I can't over emphasize how amazing Goddard Park is for racing a cross bike. This venue is the star of the New England series in my opinion. To be able to race on so many different surfaces in one race is great. The two courses put together by Matt Bodziony and his crew of volunteers from the NBX team, the COX Team, Union Velo (I just realized all three of these teams/clubs use Pactimo custom clothing...thanks guys!) are ideal for testing every thing a cross rider should be good at.
On Saturday we were hit with rain early in the day and it continued throughout the day. It wasn't very cold out so the rain wasn't that bad. The course featured a long, flat beach run, some very slick, muddy turns, a paved section, and some nice wooded sections with a few exposed roots to keep everyone focused on picking a good line.
Day 1: Masters 45+
In the 45+ race, Sam Morse lead from start to finish. I could see it from the first minute of the race how determined he was to just destroy everyone in the field. John Mosher was the only rider capable of staying with Sam and finished a very impressive 2nd place. Team FUJI/Clif Bar rider Marky G (sporting the leaders jersey) looked a bit flat and wasn't able to hang with Sam and Jon but did have enough to ride in solo for third on the day...enough to keep a slim lead going into the final race on Sunday. The 45+ races have been very exciting to watch this year as Sam, Mark, John traded off victories throughout the season.
John Grenier put out a great effort in this race as well and finished the day in 15th after being ejected from his bike approaching the barriers on the first lap. Mr. Wednesday night, Chris B, may have had something to do with this mishap...watch your back this Wednesday Chris.
Day 1: Masters 35+
In the 35+ race it was status quo with Johnny Bold going from the gun. Roger struggled to stay with Johnny and eventually was caught by Kevin Hines. I had visions of riding with these three this day but the legs and lungs had other plans for me. I faded and rode in a great group with 4 or 5 riders for the first few laps.
A few crashes in my group widdled things down to 4 with Matt Kraus, Bill Shattuck, myself, and Curtis Boivin staying together until the end. I managed to get by Matt going onto the pavement to win the group sprint for 4th while up ahead Johnny soloed in for the win and the reclaiming of the series lead. Kevin pulled off a great 2nd ahead of Roger.
On another note, Frankie Mac managed to pull of a magical start and was in 2nd place for a very short while on the first lap. Frankie hung in for an 11th on the day and earned himself some series points for a 3rd row call up position on Sunday. Nice going Bro!
Sunday morning: Snow Day ahead.
Sunday morning I woke up to 3-4 inches of snow at my house. I was psyched! I love racing in the snow.
I got in the car, hit the highway and was in awe looking out at the white landscape as I headed south on Route 95. As the miles ticked by the snow was less and less noticeable. When I arrived at Goddard Park there was basically no snow...oh well, I guess a little mud is just as fun as the white stuff.
Day 2: Masters 45+
The 45+ masters race started out fast and sure enough the top three from Saturday were riding away together. I peeked through the window of the registration building and noticed Sam driving the trio with John Moser and Marky G in line behind. I was hoping Mark was feeling better than Saturday when I noticed Sammy whipping out of the turns, yanking on the bars and stomping on his pedals.
The next time I saw the leaders things had shifted. Mark was leading, John was just behind, and Sam was about 10 seconds back. Turns out that Sam took a tumble and was trying to regain contact. I was nervous for Mark as I know how strong Sam is and figured he would make his way back to the front and try to take control of the race again.
It was not to be today for Sam or John, as Mark had the best ride of the season today. I was psyched to see him opening his gap on John and the others. What a way to win the series, with a win in the last race, while wearing the leaders jersey. Congrats Mark! And thanks for making your FUJI look so good this year.
John Grenier seemed pleased with today's race as well, although he didn't have the same power sensations as Saturday he managed a solid performance. John is motivated to make the leap to the next level for next season. I know that Marky G. would love to have another weapon up front in the form of a FUJI/Clif Bar teammate...better start your preparation next week John...It is only 9 months until next cross season.
Day 2: Masters 35+
In the 35+ race there was also another tight points battle going on between Roger and series leader J.B.
Roger took the front early on and got clear with JB on his wheel. I was BUMMED...I thought today was going to be my day. I really wanted to have a great race before the season ended and figured that there was no way I could close down a gap to those two.
Half way through the first lap I was making progress and following Matt Kraus who also seemed to have a serious plan to go for the win today. He was absolutely flying. Unfortunately for Matt, he punctured his front tire nearing the completion of the first lap.
As we came onto the long paved section and crossed the finish line at the conclusion of the first lap Roger was leading with JB tight on his wheel. I was about 5 seconds back with Kevin H about 2 seconds behind me. I knew this was my chance to get to the leaders so I buried myself down the long descent and across the winding paved section before the beach run. I hit the sand with some great momentum and found the perfect line that allowed me to merge with Roger and JB at the base of the steep section of the sandy run. I was absoluted smashed at this point but luckily we were approaching one the best recovery sections on the course and I managed to get my heart rate and breathing under control.
Within the next lap, Kevin also made contact with us and JB took the front and started turning up the pace. I did all I could to make sure I maintained 2nd position. I am pretty sure that Roger was riding tail gun and paying the price back there with JB sprinting out of the turns and putting all of us under pressure.
The four of us stayed together (with some points of small seperations) until the two laps. JB made it clean through one section and I had a tough time. It took me a few minutes to get back to him and in doing so I think Roger lost the group. With 1 to go it was JB, me, and Kevin. Roger was just a few seconds back but with JB committed to keeping the leaders jersey we flew down the paved section and back to the barriers. This is where things went a bit south for JB. Johnny hit the 2nd barrier with his foot and he tripped and dropped his bike. I had just enough room to get by on the right but kept things mellow so that he would have a chance to get back up to Kevin and I. It only took JB a few turns to get back to us and he came straight to the front to keep the gap over Roger.
Johnny was content with his effort after the final beach run that he peeled off and let Kevin and I take over. I led through the snaking section before crossing the paved road and continued to lead through the roots and onto the pavement for the finish sprint. I didn't look back at Kevin to see if he was suffering or smiling. Either way, I was extremely psyched to have finally won a New England Series event this year.
JB held on for the overall series win over Roger and Kevin finished the season in 3rd.
It was fun to be a part of the action finally and although it was extremely uncomfortable for most of the race today, the pain and suffering was all worth it. For on Monday, it is back to work selling more bikes.
Oh yeah, before I forget...Frankie looked to be ready to post a top 10 today until he hit the deck with a few turns to go in the race. Apparantly he planted his right knee into the ground and wasn't able to finish off the race as well as he should have. Great try today Frankie.
Special thanks to younger Bro Shawn for acting as the team jacket holder at the start and finish. It was nice to have that warm clothing to put back on after being quite cold today.
National Championships
Best of luck to all of you that are heading out to Nationals in Bend, OR this week. Bring back some "stars and bars" for New England.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Shimano Di2 on my new 2010 FUJI Cross RC frameset
HOLY COW! I can't even begin to describe how amazing Di2 is. I have been riding on this electronic group set on my FUJI SL-1 most of 2009. When the cross season started up and I was using my mechanical shift bikes I couldn't believe how much I missed the shift precision and speed of the Di2 from my road bike.
I now have a 2010 FUJI Cross RC frameset, which I had a hand in the design and development of along with the FUJI engineers. This frameset, combined with the Di2, is such a nice combination.
Shifting under pressure, when my heart is beating through my chest and my legs and arms are telling me to stop, was SO nice. Quick taps on the shift lever was all that was needed when it was time to shift. I could shift under full load on the pedals and the deraillers responded. This is such a great application for Di2.
Don't delay, head to your nearest Shimano retailer and get one for your cross bike. You won't regret it.
If you want to take my bike for a test ride, stop me at one of the upcoming races and I will let you give a try. Seriously.
I now have a 2010 FUJI Cross RC frameset, which I had a hand in the design and development of along with the FUJI engineers. This frameset, combined with the Di2, is such a nice combination.
Shifting under pressure, when my heart is beating through my chest and my legs and arms are telling me to stop, was SO nice. Quick taps on the shift lever was all that was needed when it was time to shift. I could shift under full load on the pedals and the deraillers responded. This is such a great application for Di2.
Don't delay, head to your nearest Shimano retailer and get one for your cross bike. You won't regret it.
If you want to take my bike for a test ride, stop me at one of the upcoming races and I will let you give a try. Seriously.
BRC CX at Shedd Park - by Mark McC
Team FUJI/Clif Bar had its largest contingent of racers this past weekend in Lowell, MA. The three McCormack brothers raced in the Elite Men's race while Mark Gunsulas and John Grenier raced earlier in the day in the Master's races (Mark in the 35+ and John in the 45+) and Greg Gunsalus raced the Cub junior race.
The course in Lowell was a blast! The race crew did a great job laying out this course...which apparantly has been the same course for a few years. The run-up was a nice touch and something I think many races seem to be lacking these days. I also liked that there were only a few sections where we were riding in between yellow ribbon making u-turns.
In the Master's 45+ race, John paid the price for being a gentleman in the first 1/2 lap and was held up by a few riders that were making unsafe passes which led to untimely crashes. It sounded like John had great legs but couldn't overcome his first lap of misfortunes to get back into contact with the lead group. At the finish he rolled across in a respectable 8th place. I think John will be a bit more aggressive in the upcoming races so he can put his great fitness to the test.
The Masters 35+ race looked like a fairly stacked field and Marky G opted to race with the younger guys to fine tune his fitness going into the two Sterling races with the NECCS leaders jersey on his back. Mark also finished in 8th place and was happy to see his son Greg take the victory in the Cub Junior race...NICE Job Greg! Thanks for being a part of Team FUJI/Clif Bar this cross season.
In the final race of the day the McC-trio did a great job filling in the middle and back of the pack. Mark made his return to racing after 4 weeks off due to back problems and a case of the Pig Flu.
Shawn gets a prize for doing a good deed: stopping on the last lap to make sure Justin Spinelli was okay after crashing in the rutted section. Way to go bro!
I finished the day in 10th after motorpacing behind David Wilcox for about 45 minutes, Frankie rolled in 19th, and Shawn in 30th.
I can't wait for the final two weekends of racing.
Marky G has his work cut out for him with John Moser and Sam Morse, both guys are riding really strong this season and the points are tight in the 45+.
Frankie is going to make his NECCS debut this weekend in Sterling. He plans to be taking off the shock post and wheel reflectors so I am guessing his is pretty fired up for a solid 45 minute effort.
The 35+ races are going to be great races with Johnny, Kevin, Roger, and the gang duking it out for the points jersey. I hope to finally be up near the front for the full race and trying to get my first win of the season. And if things go well for Frankie on Saturday he could get a few points and get a call up for Sunday...Uh Oh.
Stay tuned.
The course in Lowell was a blast! The race crew did a great job laying out this course...which apparantly has been the same course for a few years. The run-up was a nice touch and something I think many races seem to be lacking these days. I also liked that there were only a few sections where we were riding in between yellow ribbon making u-turns.
In the Master's 45+ race, John paid the price for being a gentleman in the first 1/2 lap and was held up by a few riders that were making unsafe passes which led to untimely crashes. It sounded like John had great legs but couldn't overcome his first lap of misfortunes to get back into contact with the lead group. At the finish he rolled across in a respectable 8th place. I think John will be a bit more aggressive in the upcoming races so he can put his great fitness to the test.
The Masters 35+ race looked like a fairly stacked field and Marky G opted to race with the younger guys to fine tune his fitness going into the two Sterling races with the NECCS leaders jersey on his back. Mark also finished in 8th place and was happy to see his son Greg take the victory in the Cub Junior race...NICE Job Greg! Thanks for being a part of Team FUJI/Clif Bar this cross season.
In the final race of the day the McC-trio did a great job filling in the middle and back of the pack. Mark made his return to racing after 4 weeks off due to back problems and a case of the Pig Flu.
Shawn gets a prize for doing a good deed: stopping on the last lap to make sure Justin Spinelli was okay after crashing in the rutted section. Way to go bro!
I finished the day in 10th after motorpacing behind David Wilcox for about 45 minutes, Frankie rolled in 19th, and Shawn in 30th.
I can't wait for the final two weekends of racing.
Marky G has his work cut out for him with John Moser and Sam Morse, both guys are riding really strong this season and the points are tight in the 45+.
Frankie is going to make his NECCS debut this weekend in Sterling. He plans to be taking off the shock post and wheel reflectors so I am guessing his is pretty fired up for a solid 45 minute effort.
The 35+ races are going to be great races with Johnny, Kevin, Roger, and the gang duking it out for the points jersey. I hope to finally be up near the front for the full race and trying to get my first win of the season. And if things go well for Frankie on Saturday he could get a few points and get a call up for Sunday...Uh Oh.
Stay tuned.
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