Team Tower,
Tomorrow (Saturday 6/28) is PICTURE DAY and MOVIE DAY for the team. As such, a few changes will be made to the normal ride (and time)…
Team Picture: Let’s plan to meet at the Tower at 6:50am with your Tower Kits for a group photo. If you don’t have a kit, please ask someone to borrow one. This picture will only be of those wearing a Tower Kit. Bob Berg has kindly volunteered to coordinate the picture and thus after the team photo, we will ride back with him to his house (or wait) so he can drop off his camera.
MOVIE: For our website, we are planning to have a 30second introduction video clip of our team during a group ride paired to music. Pat Dillon’s son, Chris, is a college student and has expertise in this regard and has volunteered to help edit and execute this for us! Please thank Pat and Chris when you see them tomorrow! For reference, check out: http://www.rockracing.com/watchthis/
A few important items with regards to tomorrow’s ride:
1) Slower and Together. Chris (and a friend) will follow us in a car and take video as we ride the standard Saturday Bluff loop. Some footage will be as they are driving next to us. Some footage will be where he tries to get ahead for stationary shots. The idea here is that we will try to keep the group together for the entire ride and this ride will NOT be a hammerfest (so plan accordingly). Parts of the ride we may want to do a single pace line, other parts will be a rotating pace line, but please do not look or wave at the camera :)
2) Tower Only. I’m the first to advocate that we maintain ourselves as an open group. HOWEVER, to make this an effective/cool video clip, we can have only those in Tower Kits on this group ride. So if others show without jerseys/kits, then we will need to send them ahead, or keep them out of the group. If you know someone that is planning to show that doesn’t have a kit, ask around to borrow a jersey/bibs for the day. The more people we can get with Tower Kits on the ride, the better!
3) If you prefer a Hammerfest and/or a longer ride, then feel free to join me and others at 5:15am. We will depart promptly from Starbucks in Hinsdale. The reason for the earlier time is to make it back to the Tower in time for the group photo. Expect a fast pace and a hard earlier ride.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Tower gear at 6:50am tomorrow!
Let me know if you have questions/issues.
Jim
P.S. Please forward to anyone that I may have missed!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
State RR Championship
CHECK OUT WHERE THIS RACE IS BEING HELD GANG!!
It is right in our back yard.............
I did not think a race could get closer to us than Downers
Get ready Tower Racing.
Gary C
Monday, June 23, 2008
Doug's win at Fox River Grove
Just want to say it was great to read Doug's write up and see the photo of him standing on the podium. I checked early yesterday afternoon hoping to see the race report. It was worth the wait.
Like Mark, I too wondered if Doug had left too much out on Saturday's training ride but was glad to see he hadn't. Sounds like the course suited him perfectly. Great tactics! Great sprint!..........When's our next hilly race?
BRB
Like Mark, I too wondered if Doug had left too much out on Saturday's training ride but was glad to see he hadn't. Sounds like the course suited him perfectly. Great tactics! Great sprint!..........When's our next hilly race?
BRB
Tower Racing 1st place Fox River Grove Masters 30/40+!!!!
Race report.
I headed North Sunday morning into the rain and storm clouds(Spring Prairie) again to race at Fox River Grove. The courses main feature is a 400 foot climb each lap at 12-15% depending on what corner you took. The roads on the climb were very narrow but opened up for the decent, and the course was closed so you could use the whole road. As I arrived at the race the sky's cleared and the sun came out. I spent over a hour warming up and riding the course a few times to get ready for the race. By the time we lined up I was ready to go.The Masters 30/40+ field was 39 deep with the majority of riders 40+, and all the major teams represented.
The gun sounds and we are off, 100 yards then a sharp left and up the hill for the first time, you can hear gears popping all around, riders are weaving all over the road, and the heavy breathing and suffering starts right away.. I stayed near the front and crested the climb with two very strong riders from XXX. We bombed the descent diving into corners at 30mph+ trying not to touch the breaks at all.
I never looked behind, but I imagined the fast pace from the start would shatter the field. Each time up the climb a few more riders would fall of the pace, the guys from XXX were setting a devastating pace. Finally after 5 or 6 laps the group is down to 5 and I was sitting 3rd wheel the whole time. I tired to pace my self up the climb and recover on the decent, but bombing at 30+ left little time for recovery. The climb was lined with people shouting encouragement every lap, I tried to stay on the outside of the turns on the climb, because the ramps on the inside were probably 3 to 4% steeper than the outside. This continued for a few more laps and we all realized we gone for good. From there I started counting down the laps and watching for attacks. Finally 2 laps to go, the pace picks up even more, the bell lap, up the climb the climb a 2CC rider attacks I counter and over take him. We crested the hill with a good gap and drilled it, one quick look behind and I know we are gone. We each pulled into the headwind on the back part of the course. Coming into the last corner he was on my wheel but I could see his shadow, so as soon as he jumped I went too. We had a nice drag race to the line and I beat him by a good bike length. One good fist pump and hoot and Tower Racing is on the board a win!!!!
4/5 open.
Time for more pain and suffering. Almost 50 rides lined up and a soon as I saw Chris from Pegasus and a few CC, and other XXX racers knew this was going to be a sufferfest. I was not sure how I would feel after effort in the first race,and the worst part for me was the 15 minute break between races. After the gun sounded and we started the climb for the first time my legs locked up and I struggled up the climb mid pack, We bombed the descent and up the climb again and my legs felt the same and I was now loosing ground, finally towards the top I started to feel better, but I was already well back, on the third trip up I put in a good effort and bridged to the lead group
of several riders, from here I tried to settle down and recover, after a few more times up the climb the group was down to 6 and Chris attacked on the descent , no one wanted to chase, and I couldn't so he was gone for good. Each lap went by and the climb seemed to get steeper and longer, I would stand one lap, and sit the next time up to try to relax the legs. Another guy attacked on the climb with about 4 laps to go and he was gone too. Finally 2 laps to go and I funny thing happened, I started to feel pretty good, so I decide to attack the on the final climb, I did not think I would have a good sprint left against 3 other guys. So after the first turn on the climb I stand and go. I was able to get a gap and then tired to stay away on the descent. Coming into the last corner they caught me and I had nothing left for the sprint. So 6th place for me in the second race. I felt good knowing I left it all on the course and tried. I also wanted to thank Mark for staying and cheering me on in the second race. I could hear hiss words of encouragement before the climb each lap. It was great to have a teammate helping me.
In the end I am very happy to put Tower Racing on the board with its first win!!
Doug
I headed North Sunday morning into the rain and storm clouds(Spring Prairie) again to race at Fox River Grove. The courses main feature is a 400 foot climb each lap at 12-15% depending on what corner you took. The roads on the climb were very narrow but opened up for the decent, and the course was closed so you could use the whole road. As I arrived at the race the sky's cleared and the sun came out. I spent over a hour warming up and riding the course a few times to get ready for the race. By the time we lined up I was ready to go.The Masters 30/40+ field was 39 deep with the majority of riders 40+, and all the major teams represented.
The gun sounds and we are off, 100 yards then a sharp left and up the hill for the first time, you can hear gears popping all around, riders are weaving all over the road, and the heavy breathing and suffering starts right away.. I stayed near the front and crested the climb with two very strong riders from XXX. We bombed the descent diving into corners at 30mph+ trying not to touch the breaks at all.
I never looked behind, but I imagined the fast pace from the start would shatter the field. Each time up the climb a few more riders would fall of the pace, the guys from XXX were setting a devastating pace. Finally after 5 or 6 laps the group is down to 5 and I was sitting 3rd wheel the whole time. I tired to pace my self up the climb and recover on the decent, but bombing at 30+ left little time for recovery. The climb was lined with people shouting encouragement every lap, I tried to stay on the outside of the turns on the climb, because the ramps on the inside were probably 3 to 4% steeper than the outside. This continued for a few more laps and we all realized we gone for good. From there I started counting down the laps and watching for attacks. Finally 2 laps to go, the pace picks up even more, the bell lap, up the climb the climb a 2CC rider attacks I counter and over take him. We crested the hill with a good gap and drilled it, one quick look behind and I know we are gone. We each pulled into the headwind on the back part of the course. Coming into the last corner he was on my wheel but I could see his shadow, so as soon as he jumped I went too. We had a nice drag race to the line and I beat him by a good bike length. One good fist pump and hoot and Tower Racing is on the board a win!!!!
4/5 open.
Time for more pain and suffering. Almost 50 rides lined up and a soon as I saw Chris from Pegasus and a few CC, and other XXX racers knew this was going to be a sufferfest. I was not sure how I would feel after effort in the first race,and the worst part for me was the 15 minute break between races. After the gun sounded and we started the climb for the first time my legs locked up and I struggled up the climb mid pack, We bombed the descent and up the climb again and my legs felt the same and I was now loosing ground, finally towards the top I started to feel better, but I was already well back, on the third trip up I put in a good effort and bridged to the lead group
of several riders, from here I tried to settle down and recover, after a few more times up the climb the group was down to 6 and Chris attacked on the descent , no one wanted to chase, and I couldn't so he was gone for good. Each lap went by and the climb seemed to get steeper and longer, I would stand one lap, and sit the next time up to try to relax the legs. Another guy attacked on the climb with about 4 laps to go and he was gone too. Finally 2 laps to go and I funny thing happened, I started to feel pretty good, so I decide to attack the on the final climb, I did not think I would have a good sprint left against 3 other guys. So after the first turn on the climb I stand and go. I was able to get a gap and then tired to stay away on the descent. Coming into the last corner they caught me and I had nothing left for the sprint. So 6th place for me in the second race. I felt good knowing I left it all on the course and tried. I also wanted to thank Mark for staying and cheering me on in the second race. I could hear hiss words of encouragement before the climb each lap. It was great to have a teammate helping me.
In the end I am very happy to put Tower Racing on the board with its first win!!
Doug
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Tower Racing's Braun Wins Gold at Fox River Grove
Doug Braun won the Masters 30/40 at the Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge, to bring home the first victory for Tower Racing in 2008 midwest master's racing. We all know Doug is a great climber, but he laid down the law, and won this race in a contested field sprint.
This was a USAC event, that featured a climb at the Ski Hill at the Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove. The climb was similar, but a little shorter to the climb at the Spring Prairie Road race. The descents were similar to the first two curves coming down the first part of Bluff Road, but consisted of about 6 curves. The masters 30/40 race had a field of 29 racers from teams across the area, with 27 racers finishing.
I raced with Doug in the Masters 30/40 and came in 13th. I could not offer any real support to Doug, who was in the lead group throughout the race.
Doug did not stop there. He raced back to back in the Cat 4/5. This race started with 45 riders, many of whom got crushed. About half of the riders got waved off, and about half of the riders that finished got lapped. Doug was in a group of five riders that were chasing the leader, and was in second or third place most of the race. He just missed another podium, and came in fifth.
Before the races, I mentioned to Doug that I thought he may have over done it at yesterday's training rides (rode too hard the day before a race), but he came through any way.
Great job Doug!
This was a USAC event, that featured a climb at the Ski Hill at the Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove. The climb was similar, but a little shorter to the climb at the Spring Prairie Road race. The descents were similar to the first two curves coming down the first part of Bluff Road, but consisted of about 6 curves. The masters 30/40 race had a field of 29 racers from teams across the area, with 27 racers finishing.
I raced with Doug in the Masters 30/40 and came in 13th. I could not offer any real support to Doug, who was in the lead group throughout the race.
Doug did not stop there. He raced back to back in the Cat 4/5. This race started with 45 riders, many of whom got crushed. About half of the riders got waved off, and about half of the riders that finished got lapped. Doug was in a group of five riders that were chasing the leader, and was in second or third place most of the race. He just missed another podium, and came in fifth.
Before the races, I mentioned to Doug that I thought he may have over done it at yesterday's training rides (rode too hard the day before a race), but he came through any way.
Great job Doug!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Fox River Grove Race
Racers
I plan on racing the Masters at 11am, then the 4/5 at 11:45. Chicago Bike Racing has a description of the course. The main feature is a steep climb up the "ski hill" every lap. Let me know who is interested.
https://www.usacycling.org/events/getflyer.php?permit=2008-750
Doug
I plan on racing the Masters at 11am, then the 4/5 at 11:45. Chicago Bike Racing has a description of the course. The main feature is a steep climb up the "ski hill" every lap. Let me know who is interested.
https://www.usacycling.org/events/getflyer.php?permit=2008-750
Doug
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Chicago Crit 5’s filling up
Only five spots remain in the Chicago Criterium Cat 5’s. Register now! For the July 27th event in Grant Park.
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