4-19-09
Road race 64 miles (8min laps)
Night before the race was Thunder of Louisville. Big deal for the region with over 800,000 people showed up to watch the biggest fireworks display in the country and air show. Once the fireworks were over Elizabeth and I managed to make it to our car which was the first goal. The next was to get home. Within 10 mins of not moving in the car the gas light came on. We watch the gas mileage go from 50 down to 19 when we finally make it 2 miles which took 1 and ½ hours.
The race started with a break which lasted about a lap. There was another move as we went up a slight climb. I made an effort to join the 3 other riders. We rolled away from the rest of the field and never saw them again. It was the slight climb on the last lap where I made a slight effort to see how the other 3 were feeling. One guy fell off and the rest of us kept going making sure he did not catch back on. Four miles to the finish I made another move dropping another guy but he was able to crawl his way back on. Once he did he attacked and I went with him and we dropped the other guy. It was only me and another rider who kept trying to attack but did not have any luck dropping me. I attacked 400 meters to the finish and dropped him and Ciclismo won!
Rolf Eisinger
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
So I race a TTT and a crit this weekend. Since none of my teammates live here I had to ride the TTT with a couple of former teammates from Team KAOS. It was a pretty good race about 8.5 miles technical course. I think we won by over a minute but it was nothing really special. All we won was our entry fee to the crit later that day. The Good: I won the crit lapped the field I'm not too sure that anyone else even pulled during the entire race. I went off the front on the lap and tried to make it fast. Someone told me that there were guys off the back after the first couple of laps, which brings me to the Bad: the field. It was by no means a star-studded field but some local racers showed up and road hard. Being the first race of the year many people around here are just getting into it, Im sure races are just going to get faster. Next is the Ugly: A crash that happened at the end of the race as I was finishing with the lapped group, a tight corner 75 meters from the finish claimed a victim. Some guys were sprinting for 5th or 6th for no money, no prizes, nothing really. I have never seen a bike fly so high up in the air. They took him away in an ambulance I think that he is going to be ok though. It just goes to show how competitive cyclists are at any level or any commitment. These guys with nothing to gain or win threw caution to the wind and were sprinting like mad for a nothing more that pride. All in all it was a great day of racing and hopefully there are many more to come.
Jarred
Jarred
Monday, April 13, 2009
Race Reports from KY
KY race report
Sunday, April 5, 2009
It was a beautiful day for a bike race here in Kentucky. We drove 45 minutes outside of Louisville to the nondescript Waddy, Kentucky for today’s 50 mile circuit race. Though storms were promised for early in the afternoon, they held off and we had 75 degree weather with sunshine and a strong south/southwest wind.
The race started out quick; in the first thirty seconds attacks were firing like the fireworks at Kentucky’s Thunder Over Louisville (look that one up!). I did my best to cover and found myself in a break with five guys. About halfway into the first lap, I attacked and stayed off the front with one other guy, who just sat on my wheel. I made it all the way to the end of the third lap with the same guy still on my wheel, though he was starting to get fatigued when I continued to attack him on the climbs. We were caught by two others towards the end of the third lap and I attacked starting the fourth lap. This time I was by myself, so at least my work was a little more productive.
Three-fourths of the way through the fourth lap, I was caught just before the big climb. I rested for a few and a few people caught up to me. As I crested the hill, I attacked again and soloed the rest of the fourth lap and half of the last lap when a few guys caught me. I rested for a couple minutes before I countered a move. Another guy just sat on my wheel and I asked him if he wanted me to counter my own attack or are you willing to rotate with me. After a couple pedal strokes of silences I countered my attack. When I looked back I saw his legs locked up and he was done. I rode the rest of the way in and finished well over a minute ahead of the chase group of three.
Eisinger's 2nd Race
Ciclismo
70 mile flat windy road race with a stronger field:
I arrived at the race about 40 minutes before it started. The drive took around 3 hours. It was sunny but the wind was intense. The race started with a break out of the gate. I hung in trying to hind from the wind. The break was pulled back after about 12 miles and then people started to attack. I caught on a couple but then saved my energy since all of these efforts were being brought back. It wasn’t until the small incline in the course that a break started to roll off the front. I caught a wheel and worked to bridge to the break. We had 8 guys. Two teams had two guys each and we all worked well together just rotating until the last 4 miles. I know the finish was on a downhill and with a cross / tail wind. Most of the guys in the break were sprinters and I knew it would be tough to beat any of them in a sprint finish especially with there teammates. So I attacked mid way up the hill and got away with one other guy. He was kind of soft pedaling looking back and we were caught by 2 other guys (one was just sitting on) about 2 k out. We dropped the rest of the guys. Once we were caught there was a little hesitation and I attacked again. The guy who was doing all the work to catch us blew up and the guy who I was working with tried to reel me back in with the other guy on this wheel. He managed to catch me about 200 meters out and blew up but the guy who got the free ride went around both of us. I managed to place 2nd and felt good about the effort. The other guys in the break were impressed with the move and congratulated me instead of the guy who own.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
It was a beautiful day for a bike race here in Kentucky. We drove 45 minutes outside of Louisville to the nondescript Waddy, Kentucky for today’s 50 mile circuit race. Though storms were promised for early in the afternoon, they held off and we had 75 degree weather with sunshine and a strong south/southwest wind.
The race started out quick; in the first thirty seconds attacks were firing like the fireworks at Kentucky’s Thunder Over Louisville (look that one up!). I did my best to cover and found myself in a break with five guys. About halfway into the first lap, I attacked and stayed off the front with one other guy, who just sat on my wheel. I made it all the way to the end of the third lap with the same guy still on my wheel, though he was starting to get fatigued when I continued to attack him on the climbs. We were caught by two others towards the end of the third lap and I attacked starting the fourth lap. This time I was by myself, so at least my work was a little more productive.
Three-fourths of the way through the fourth lap, I was caught just before the big climb. I rested for a few and a few people caught up to me. As I crested the hill, I attacked again and soloed the rest of the fourth lap and half of the last lap when a few guys caught me. I rested for a couple minutes before I countered a move. Another guy just sat on my wheel and I asked him if he wanted me to counter my own attack or are you willing to rotate with me. After a couple pedal strokes of silences I countered my attack. When I looked back I saw his legs locked up and he was done. I rode the rest of the way in and finished well over a minute ahead of the chase group of three.
Eisinger's 2nd Race
Ciclismo
70 mile flat windy road race with a stronger field:
I arrived at the race about 40 minutes before it started. The drive took around 3 hours. It was sunny but the wind was intense. The race started with a break out of the gate. I hung in trying to hind from the wind. The break was pulled back after about 12 miles and then people started to attack. I caught on a couple but then saved my energy since all of these efforts were being brought back. It wasn’t until the small incline in the course that a break started to roll off the front. I caught a wheel and worked to bridge to the break. We had 8 guys. Two teams had two guys each and we all worked well together just rotating until the last 4 miles. I know the finish was on a downhill and with a cross / tail wind. Most of the guys in the break were sprinters and I knew it would be tough to beat any of them in a sprint finish especially with there teammates. So I attacked mid way up the hill and got away with one other guy. He was kind of soft pedaling looking back and we were caught by 2 other guys (one was just sitting on) about 2 k out. We dropped the rest of the guys. Once we were caught there was a little hesitation and I attacked again. The guy who was doing all the work to catch us blew up and the guy who I was working with tried to reel me back in with the other guy on this wheel. He managed to catch me about 200 meters out and blew up but the guy who got the free ride went around both of us. I managed to place 2nd and felt good about the effort. The other guys in the break were impressed with the move and congratulated me instead of the guy who own.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Upen races, DONATE!
I'll keep it short and sweet . . .
First off, I'm BEGGING you all, my wonderful readers and devoted friends/family/fans and the people who keep me motivated and going 110%, to PLEASE DONATE ANY SMALL AMOUNT TO MY TEAM, CICLISMO RACING!! It means a ton to us and we'll get you hooked up with the bi-weekly team newsletter, and with your help we'll even be able to afford chamois cream.
Here is a link to sign up for our NEWSLETTER, and here is the flyer for our soon-to-be-famous launch party:
On Saturday I had planned to ride from Princeton down to the Philly circuit race, do the race, and ride home. Well, I got started a touch late and ended up doing a decently hard TT with a full backpack on for two hours, only to get hopelessly lost in a great part of North Philly (wink wink). I ended up watching the race and heckling some guys, then rode home. But again, the ride home was a bear because I had a headwind the whole way and took an even longer, more circuitous route! ARGH. Got home after 6+ hours of riding and 5000kJ.
Notice the large spike in HR and elevation at around mile 50? That's the Manayunk Wall! Brought back many fond memories . . . it's crazy to just ride it after only racing on it, and it definitely hurts at the top!!
The team got up before dawn on Sunday (I didn't even get off my bike on Saturday until 8PM!) to drive down and race the TTT and criterium. We rode the TTT on our fast bikes, but did about 85% to just get things smooth and figure out our communication and rotation. We pushed it a little near the end, but were really happy with how controlled and smooth the effort was. We won by over 20 seconds!
The criterium was a very fast but easy race on a wide-open flat course with only three huge, smooth turns. A sprint finish if I've ever guessed a race correctly! With 6 laps to go, a break had been off the front with a consistent ~10 second gap for much of the race, and Austin and I finally decided enough is enough so we got to the front and ripped it. We had a lot of help from Chris Ruhl which lead us to bring the break back in just under 3 laps! Argh . . . to early. After some amazing late-race moves by UVM and the ever-powerful Josh Lipka, Austin and I did our best to get Big Bennette a leadout. I was tapped out just about 50 meters too early, and Nick had to do the whole final drag against UVM's endless stream of guys--he got third to a fast Colin J and a coordinated UVM team effort. Kudos.
Now I've been locked in my room for over a day writing my nuclear physics paper--AHHHHHHH!!! Then tonight/tomorrow I have to do my automatic control systems take-home midterm--DOUBLE AHHHHHHHHH!!!
"Just four weeks left, Nick . . . "
First off, I'm BEGGING you all, my wonderful readers and devoted friends/family/fans and the people who keep me motivated and going 110%, to PLEASE DONATE ANY SMALL AMOUNT TO MY TEAM, CICLISMO RACING!! It means a ton to us and we'll get you hooked up with the bi-weekly team newsletter, and with your help we'll even be able to afford chamois cream.
Here is a link to sign up for our NEWSLETTER, and here is the flyer for our soon-to-be-famous launch party:
On Saturday I had planned to ride from Princeton down to the Philly circuit race, do the race, and ride home. Well, I got started a touch late and ended up doing a decently hard TT with a full backpack on for two hours, only to get hopelessly lost in a great part of North Philly (wink wink). I ended up watching the race and heckling some guys, then rode home. But again, the ride home was a bear because I had a headwind the whole way and took an even longer, more circuitous route! ARGH. Got home after 6+ hours of riding and 5000kJ.
Notice the large spike in HR and elevation at around mile 50? That's the Manayunk Wall! Brought back many fond memories . . . it's crazy to just ride it after only racing on it, and it definitely hurts at the top!!
The team got up before dawn on Sunday (I didn't even get off my bike on Saturday until 8PM!) to drive down and race the TTT and criterium. We rode the TTT on our fast bikes, but did about 85% to just get things smooth and figure out our communication and rotation. We pushed it a little near the end, but were really happy with how controlled and smooth the effort was. We won by over 20 seconds!
The criterium was a very fast but easy race on a wide-open flat course with only three huge, smooth turns. A sprint finish if I've ever guessed a race correctly! With 6 laps to go, a break had been off the front with a consistent ~10 second gap for much of the race, and Austin and I finally decided enough is enough so we got to the front and ripped it. We had a lot of help from Chris Ruhl which lead us to bring the break back in just under 3 laps! Argh . . . to early. After some amazing late-race moves by UVM and the ever-powerful Josh Lipka, Austin and I did our best to get Big Bennette a leadout. I was tapped out just about 50 meters too early, and Nick had to do the whole final drag against UVM's endless stream of guys--he got third to a fast Colin J and a coordinated UVM team effort. Kudos.
Now I've been locked in my room for over a day writing my nuclear physics paper--AHHHHHHH!!! Then tonight/tomorrow I have to do my automatic control systems take-home midterm--DOUBLE AHHHHHHHHH!!!
"Just four weeks left, Nick . . . "
Friday, March 27, 2009
I'm gonna need a 58t . . .
I just clocked ~6 hours putting this baby together! I've you'll look closely, there is no rear brake cable . . . ran out! Oh well, brakes are only for slowing down.
I rode her on the trainer for about 1 minute . . . WOW!!! I can't wait for the UPenn TTT this Sunday! I'll try to get some pics and/or video.
Ian, what a stud. We got punished up the climbs by the local Silver City group on the last day of camp.
I am actually in serious pain with a horrible sunburn at this point! ;-)
I don't know about living here, but I'll definitely be down here for a lot of training in the coming years!!!
Hopefully they let me come back!
The requisite team headshot . . . mine wasn't as hilarious as some of the other guys' pics, but I'm actually pretty happy with it.
I rode her on the trainer for about 1 minute . . . WOW!!! I can't wait for the UPenn TTT this Sunday! I'll try to get some pics and/or video.P.S. DONATE TO MY TEAM, CICLISMO RACING!!! Any amount, even if it's just $20, is super helpful. We're going to some big races this year and I want to keep everyone updated, so sign up for our excellent email newsletter (probably bi-weekly updates on the team) and help us out with some spare coin for tubes, bar tape, and beer---er, Gatoraide.
Ian, what a stud. We got punished up the climbs by the local Silver City group on the last day of camp.
I am actually in serious pain with a horrible sunburn at this point! ;-)
I don't know about living here, but I'll definitely be down here for a lot of training in the coming years!!!
Hopefully they let me come back!
The requisite team headshot . . . mine wasn't as hilarious as some of the other guys' pics, but I'm actually pretty happy with it.Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Princeton Criterium, a B-day, and Silver City!
A great 22nd birthday present!
TEAMWORK AT RUTGERS!
The skinsuits are key.
My good friend Doug came to the race with his parents!
That was worth it!
Wind is not your friend.
Those BMC SLC01 Pro Machines are sweet.
I'm going to miss my time at Princeton.
"REALLY?!"
I almost killed Chris Wynnyk here . . .
Corner three was pretty sweet, especially since I had to rail it each time to keep my gap!
Well, the weekend of March 7-8, just before my 22nd birthday on March 9th, was a BLAST! Dad drove across the country from the land of corn and hogs, sat in on some classes, had dinner with the Princeton team, and watched us tear it up at our home race and the Rutgers circuit race.
It has been a hectic, stressful couple of weeks leading up to Spring Break, as it always is with our midterms and problem sets due just before we leave. I made it through without cracking, and did a respectable job with [most of] my work. I went into our first races of the season knowing I had good form, but also not feeling quite right on my brand-new BMC . . . I decided to just enjoy things and let it rip! Sure enough, I felt good in the Princeton criterium and went off the front just three laps in to solo to a win--but not actually. I had missed the start after warming up for a little too long and just jumped in midway through the second lap! Argh . . . a sophomoric mistake, but oh well, we put on a good show and I confirmed to myself that I'm riding well at this point in the year.
It was a blast seeing all of my old collegiate racing buddies! I love the vibe of collegiate races, very fun and not too serious, but the guys don't pull punches--the races are 100%. It's a great way to have fun, get in some seriously intense training, and hopefully get some wins and bring up new riders through the categories by passing down the incredible knowledge we've accumulated by touching a hot frying pan many times!
Dad and I had a great time at Princeton, and I know he really soaked it in since I'll be moving on in just another couple of months. I had some intense problem solving sessions post-Princeton-race in order to get my final loose ends tied before flying to New Mexico, but sure enough I had my things packed and ready to go come Thursday night . . .
Woke up late--8:20 for a 9:30AM flight IN PHILLY, a 1.5hr train/cab away. No worries, changed my flight on Southwest--love them! Well, got my things together, made a frou-frou soy capuccino and headed down the stairs to grab my bike bag and go. Uh . . . NO BIKE BAG!!! Maybe it's in the bike room? Maybe I just had some dream about leaving it there to pick up in the morning . . . nope, it's gone. Wow. Well, better get the old Ibis fixed up and ready to train on so I have a reason to even go to training camp!
Long story short, I made it to Silver City, New Mexico with the Ciclismo boys, ready to ride my bike up many thousands of feet of amazing Tour of the Gila courses while burning a nice farmer's tan into my arms and legs! While I am very jealous of the other guys' sweet BMC SLC01 road bikes, I've got some good legs and I'm SO excited to be racing with the new team. We've gelled amazingly in a very short time, and we've got the advantage of being under the radar while having a great card to play on the climbs, in the sprints, and in the time trials. I can't wait to graduate and get out to Colorado to pursue racing as well as selling the best bamboo bikes in the country. Big things to come . . .
Silver City Team Training Camp 2009
Hello faithful followers,
We are incredibly excited for a second year of racing under the incredible management of Ciclismo, LLC. I'll leave more in depth posting to others, but I just wanted to update you all and let you know although the Ciclismo Racing website continues to evolve, we are now able to once again begin blogging. We are currently down in Silver City, NM for training camp staying with our wonderful hosts who continue to open their doors, although I'm certain we over-due our welcome. Here are some pictures to entertain your curiosities (yes, we are actually training).
All the best,
Phil (Pocket Rocket) Mann
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