Thursday Night Crit - Week #3

[Andrew]

Special thanks to David and Monica, and the crew at Kelowna Cycle for working hard to ensure our safety on a course that featured a gravel corner at the top of the hill. David was there throughout the race to continually sweep debris from the pavement.

So, we were back to the open route, and were no longer doing the 180 degree corners as we have the past two weeks. It made for a fast moving, and dynamic race.

BPR was represented in every serious break, and the team moved well at the front for the entire race. I was really proud of the group this week, with good heads up riding, and solid performances from everyone.

On a personal note, I felt ON FIRE. I never felt pressured, and was able to get off the front for some short bursts. We had a late break with Matt and two KC riders which I thought might even have a chance, until Jason and Carlos brought us back. Jason was riding very well, and at one point rode at the front for over a lap, and pushed the pace of the group. However, with the strong headwind up the hill on the back part of the course, it was fairly easy to sit on the wheel.

My limitation remains a combination of leg strength and respiration. With concentrated focus, I can control my breathing, which almost always improves my perceived exertion. But this feeling is lost in the pressure of the moment when attacking, or trying to maintain a break, and my default is always to an uncoordinated and inefficient pattern. Maintaining respiratory pattern will be my focus for next week.

We can look forward to some great reports from those that raced successfully in B Group, and I look forward to hearing the insights from the other contingent from A Group. We failed to put a rider in the top 5, despite being active on the front all evening, and present in every break. So, it is a bit of a trade-off. We could have some riders sitting in, and waiting for the final sprint, but my guess is, that nobody form BPR would be happy with that...

From a learning perspective, the second Prime seemed to take the punch out of some of the stronger riders, and we had an opportunity to make a strong move at that time. Though we stretched it out a bit, we never made any definitive move which could have been decisive.

[Peter O'Brien]

I would like to echo Andrew's thanks to David and Monica for ensuring the safety of all the riders going around the sketchy gravel corner. The Kelowna Cycle guys did a great job organizing yet another successful crit night!

I was just getting over a week long cold, which had started right after last week's crit. My plan was not to race, but simply to have an easy ride. When everyone was getting ready to go, I couldn't help but sign up! Quinn, Tannile, my new friend Jeff, and myself started B group. It was a beautiful t-shirt weather day. I pulled the group off of the line, and took turns pulling with Jeff for the first few laps. Everyone did a great job sharing the work at the front after that.

Some guy tried to make a move, a few laps before the prime. I was pulling around the last corner when he shot by the group. I had to respond, but did it with a bit too much acceleration and made a small gap between myself and my teammates. Bad move on my part, sorry guys! I was working hard to maintain the pace, but knew the guy ahead was working way harder. By the end of the straightway he was slowing down, and I slowly crept up to his wheel, not eager to increase the pace any more because I knew my teammates were in the pelaton, which was quickly catching up. The breakaway guy was caught and dropped on the first hill, after which the group sat up for a while.

Jeff was riding really well and won the prime. I had gone too early on the top of the hill, but hopefully helped Jeff win. Quinn is always looking strong. He took turns pulling, and even tried to make a move on the final lap. Lesson learned the hard way, the group piled in behind him and made him do all of the work on the last uphill. I feel like I should have helped him, but at the time was a little too distracted thinking of the finish line. Halfway up the hill I gave it my all. Another unknown rider caught me around the gravel corner, where I hesitated. Big mistake. I contemplated pulling in behind him until the last 300m, or giving it my all right then and there. He apparently had my prior plan in mind. We slowed down, side-by-side, neither doing anything, going through the last corner. Jeff and Tannile were sitting somewhere behind us, getting ready for the sprint. Apparently we had lapped the guy who made the first break early in the race, and he had jumped back on the group.  He zoomed by me, which surprised me, and strangely made me sit up for a second. Something in my mind told me I couldn't win, which took a second to shake off. By time I had it together Tannile and Jeff were ahead and gaining.

All in all, I'm happy with third place, but would have liked to have done better. It's great that we represented BPR on the podium!... if there were a podium in Winfield... 

My body was working quite well considering still being a bit sick. My lungs burned for the first fifteen minutes, but dramatically improved by the end. I did feel a little weak when pushing hard at the end, but that's no excuse!

It will be exciting to see Quinn progress over the summer, as he is already riding better than I was last year!

Peter O'Brien

[SimonC]

Mega strong efforts from the A group posse.
Always impressed by Big River Woman driving at the front !!!
My only suggestion is that we need to be more organized later in the race.
3 to 4 guys driving hard at the front and sacrificing will guarantee a podium place if not a win.
We have the numbers let's use them !!!!
Otherwise strong performances !!!

As a side note .... Lots of posts have referenced the Killers strength.
There is nothing I like bettter than putting the hurt on the shredmaster, but it took all I had to bridge up to that guy in a break and at times I could barely hold his wheel.
The compliments are well deserved ...

Capt'n
 

[Andrew]

I agree with Simon...the next few weeks will be a focus on a strong BPR FINISH! We rode really well through the first 45 minutes, but lacked organization on the final lap. The Quail went early to follow the lead of another rider from outside the team, and kacked before the final corner. We had enough power to have pulled him through the final bend, or for an organized pace line to at least give those still feeling strong a better chance of getting to the line first.

It will take some communication towards the end of the evening next week in order to be organized, and most of us won't want to burn all of our matches before NIMBY 50 and COBRA back to back Sat/Sun. But all of these events are really training days for BCBR, so my suggestion is that EVERYONE shows up in race kit next Thursday ready and willing to work as a team for 45 minutes plus two laps. Let's see what we can put together with a true team effort from start to finish!

[JasonK]

Good job everyone!  Thursday night crits are definitely my highlight of the week.  I have to give it to the Captain for bridging up on the first lap.  I gave it everything I had and saw Simon trying to come across.  I put my head down and drove it again with full effort and saw Simon still trying to come across.  I thought for sure he was going to let up so I dug to the bottom of the tank all the way to the top corner and saw the Captain's shadow right on my wheel!!!  Super job.  Looking forward to many more Thursday evening suffer fests!

[StephenU]

Not bad for our first attempt this year!  I take full responsiblity for not providing a good result!  I needed to organize Guardian, Horn, and Jen between me and Captain on the last lap.  When Jason attacked, it took EVERYTHING I had to to pull him back by the upper gravel corner.  Bad tactical decision!  We both hammered full out into the wind.  Jason and I were both relegated to watching 4 or 5 guys sprint it out..  I have to admit that I got obsessed with chasing down my buddy Killer..  Next time!

[Andrew]

Quail, thanks for coming clean and admitting to the poor decision in the closing moments.

The Captain was in position, Big Ring, and Matterhorn were still there, and I was ready to pull you to the line. Part of our plan in upcoming weeks will be to set an exit strategy and stick with it, even in the anxiety and stress of the moment.

We need to choose a sprinter for the night, and that person will need to trust the crew to give him the best chance of success. We don't have anyone with the fire power to win it solo, but do have the numbers to make it happen...stay tuned, week #4 is just around the corner.

[JasonK]

I find that interesting that Andrew and Stephen think that was a poor decision in chasing me down on the last lap.  If Stephen had not been on my wheel when I hit the gravel on the last corner what do you guys suppose the outcome would have been???

[StephenU]

Its possible Kilmartin would have made it all the way to the line?  There is no guarantee that anone else would have chased.  Let me tell you, it was a vicious accellaration!

[Andrew]

Just to be clear, I will admit that Jason's move was impressive. But the results from Quail were not what we wanted, so my observations are more than fair. The question was not whether someone should have chased Jason down. The question was should it have been Quail chasing?

I have the great opportunity to make these comments, and ask these questions with the clarity that only hindsight can allow. Nobody can say what would have happened if the Quail had not chased. What I am discussing here is an alternative scenario where the Quail had more confidence in a better organized BPR crew, and would have allowed us to bring back the late break in time for him to make a sprint to the line.

The two things that were missing last Tuesday for that scenario to unfold were 1) The organization of the BPR crew on the final lap (me being one of them) and 2) The confidence from Quail that we could get the job done.

[SimonC]

Very low probability of a solo attack holding off a motivated chase group.
That being said I am ALWAYS respectful of aggresive riders who put it all out there.
It was enivitable that the pack would chase Shred down ... A more sucessfull strategy would be to let 2 or 3 BPR guys reel in the Shredmaster while the Quail rests saving everything for the final sprint. Sure we'd be dragging the rest of the hardmen to the line but we have 100% confidence that the Quail can finish things off !!!
This of course relies heavily on the assumption that 3 of us can chase the Shredmaster down ... may need to enlist the help of the Chainline guys if Shred gets any more boned up !!! :-)
 
Capt'n

[JasonK]

I agree with the Simon.  I'm sure I would not have made it but I definitely would not have let up if Stephen was not on my wheel.  Weather it was a poor decision for Stephen to chase is up to you guys to decide but given the numbers of the BPR riders I think it was a wise move that someone started the chase. 

[Quinn Middleton]

The second crit race for me was a lot of fun. I arrived early to warm up with the group on the repaired course. I started the race off well taking a few turns pulling at the front but was usually saving my energy at the back. About halfway through the race one guy made a move but was dropped by the pack after he used up all his energy. On the final lap I made a bad decision when I decided to take a turn pulling at the front and was dropped on the last hill. It taught me a lesson I will never forget. Thanks to the Kelowna Cycle crew for the great race! 

Quinn

[JasonK]

Hey Quinn,

I also got dropped on the last lap after taking a big pull but its only going to make you stronger for next week and is definitely not a bad decision.  Obviously we don't want to get dropped every race but it is good to change it up from time to time and bury yourself, especially near the end of the race.  Keep up the good work and keep taking pulls, even if they are only a few seconds long!