Final Forest 10 mile TT

It's the final Forest 10mile TT of the year Tuesday night. 7pm start out and back on Forest road in Morgan Monroe State Forest. Those people who have previously set times during the year might be in line for a best improvement award! It'll be idlea trainin g for the upcoming IU Fall Cycling TT over the same (if shorter) course.
A group will ride out to the course at 6pm from the rear of BGI. Anyone planning on riding home should bring at least a rear light as it might be getting a little dark as we pull back into town.

DRT MTBing

With the road season winding down there isn't much in the way of racing in the immediate region this weekend. However there is a DRT Consulting MTB race in North Vernon so go and ride that if interested. Welcome back to all IU students, look out for the (very) early (very) unofficial Little 500 2010 odds next week!

Sad News

Many Bloomington riders will know Dan Daly who has done plenty over the years to promote bike racing in Indiana. If you have done his races then you would have encountered his wife Joanne and would have shared a humorous and kind word with her. Sadly she passed away yesterday in a freak automobile accident. I ask that your thoughts be with Dan and his family at this tragic time.

Worlds

Road Wednesday Worlds- 5.30pm at the Samples Gates, approx 6pm out at th4 446 circuit, 6 laps. With the majority of the local hammers likely riding Cross Worlds then it might be a Cat3/4 ride this evening which might be good for those of us usually struggling to stay in contention!

Cross Worlds- 5.30pm Samples Gates, 6.15p Tailgate fields.

Cyclo-cross Crazy!

Cyclo-cross is the coming-man in US bike racing and as appropriate Bloomington is hitching its wagon to this newly ultra-popular fall biking pastime. Therefore with the OVCX race series is just around the corner there are three days of CX training planned during the week:


From Don Galligher- Tuesday at 5:00pm Revolution Bike and Bean parking lot

Ride to Venue, warm-up with some easy riding, skills work, and then complete some technique driven laps on a designated course (should have barriers to practice on) pace will vary from very difficult to easy. Duration may be
2.0-2.5 hours (as daylight allows)

From Erik Hamilton and Fred Rose- ?pm at the Sample Gates

We are going to start a cross practice session each Wednesday. It will have a preset course but we want to offer a venue to practice skills and maybe get a little intensity in at the same time.

From Don Galligher- Thursday at 2:00pm Revolution Bike and Bean Parking lot

Ride and explore parks, trails, and roads, may include anything you may find on a CX course. Pace will be steady with some skills, dismounts, and CX specific running. Duration may be 1.5-2.0 hours

Of course for those people who want to ride hard on the road 'official' Wednesday Worlds will be continuing through the end of September. 5.30pm at the Sample Gates-

8/26- 446 Circuit
9/2- Forest/ NS/ SS
9/9- Buskirk- Paragon Loop
9/16- 446 Circuit
9/23- Forest Loop
9/30- 446 Circuit

ZIPP West Clay Crit

As well as the Marion Crit on Saturday there is the Village of West Clay Criterium on Sunday in Carmel sponsored by ZIPP! This event includes the Masters and Junior State Crit champs as well as a long slate of other races. The day ends with a band and party after the racing. Register before 6pm to race for cheaper!!

Good-Bye Axe-Murderer..... you'll be missed?

Approximately a year ago the Wednesday Worlds changed. Coinciding with the arrival in Bloomington of noted-face-smasher John Meyers they picked up a few extra MPHs that forced those riders barely surviving to be left far behind! Some folks bemoaned this development but hey, it's a training race so hang on for as long as you can! This year has seen a toning down of the Meyers aggression but it was rather fitting that on John's final WW as a Bloomington resident we were witness to a classic Axe-Murderer performance! The wind assisted trip down Anderson road was arguably the most rapid in recent memory with the speed barely touching below 30mph. After sit-ups and droppings it was down to a final four riders and all things being equal John would have taken the 'victory'! Regardless of the result it was a fitting end of his Bloomington sojourn. I'm sure he'll be missed (at least by those who can hang on his wheel...)!

Marian NRC Crit

The National Racing Calender comes to Indiana this coming Saturday with the Marian Classic criterium. It promises to be a great day of racing with many Pro teams scheduled to take part after being in the region following the National Champs in Illinois. There are many other races during the day and online registration end tonight at midnight. Sign up today to avoid a late fee.

Wednesday Worlds 8/19

Low Gap- Mahalasville loop. Fast paced training ride, 5.30pm at the Samples. Route goes out old37 to Anderson-Low Gap to the very end-R on Mahalasville Road-Thru Mahalasville- Right at T- R on Downey- Left back onto Low Gap- Anderson to finish.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/in/bloomington/356259478426

Forest TT Results 8/18/09

There was a convivial atmosphere out at the TT helped in no small amount by the presence of Jeff Gold and the ZIPP truck! Approximately 8 riders took advantage to upgrade their wheel-sets and although they don't make up for a lack of fitness they certainly make you feel faster! Thanks again to Don Galligher for setting this up and to Jeff for taking the time to come on out with the wheels. On the road Ryan Shanahan was on record pace until he overheated a little on the way home and had to be content with the 2nd fastest time of the year with a 20-51. Greg Strock came in 2nd with a 21-09 whilst Erik Hamilton set a new unofficial 'Eddy Merckx' (no aero gear) time of 22-34. There were a solid 20 riders with a number of newbies and PRs. At the very least James Mckenzie and Brandon Money took advantage of the loaner ZIPPs to set fastest times! There will be one more Forest TT this year on September 1st. See you out there- excitingly Sarah will have some prizes for best improvements on the year!
Rider, Time

1. Ryan Shanahan, 20.51
2. Greg Strock, 21.09
3. Russell Reed, 22.12
   
4. Eric Hamilton, 22.34
5. Jason Romain, 23.04
6. Jonathan Atwell, 23.30
7. Ren-jay Shei, 24.03
8. Brandon Money, 24.14
9. Tom Cox, 24.21
10. Chris Beck, 25.04
    
11. Alex Jerden, 25.29
12. Geraint Parry, 25.30
13. James McKenzie, 25.32
14. Kirk Weesner, 26.33
15. Randi Cox, 27.17
16. Joel Mickeborough, 27.36
17. John Murray, 28.04
18. Angela Breeden, 28.39
19. Heather McAllister, 28.44
20. Erica Strock, 28.54

Thanks to Sarah, Jordan, Adam et al for timing...

Tuesday Night Forest TT 8/18

Tuesday Night 10 mile TT in the Forest. Starts at 7pm. The ZIPP truck will be in attendance so if you wish to try out some ZIPP wheels then arrive a little earlier than usual so you can get properly hooked up. Start is at the junction of Old37 and Forest Road. I will be riding out to the course from the Samples Gates at 5.15pm and the usual ride will leave from the rear of BGI at 6pm. This maybe the final TT of the year so come on out and ride (it's up for discussion). Jordan Bailey has kindly agreed to do the time-keeping.

Tough Weekend

The Mass Ave Crit in Downtown Indy was a great event on Saturday morning. Almost 300 riders, plenty of enthusiastic spectators and some free beer made a exciting atmosphere. The course featured two 120 degree corners (and a 90) within 0.5miles and therefore meant for a lot of sprinting, particular in the lower categories who don't go round corners quite so smoothly! The Keilers (Gray Goat) finished their road seasons with a pair of top ten positions in the early cat 3 race (Matt 3rd, Ryan 8th) whilst the coming-man Scott Catanzaro (Wolverine) finished to 4th in the big group sprint. The Cat4 race featured an all-IU breakaway featuring Micheal Schroeder (MOB Squad) and Adam Mercer (Speedway Wheelmen) holding off a fast charging field. Mercer led it out and seemed to have the win in the bag but at the last moment Schroeder snuck by to take the win. As we learnt in 2009 Little500 never count out a Cutter until his corpse has stopped twitching!
'Patches' Schroeder takes the win!
The masters 45+ included a half-race breakaway that included Tom Saccone (Tortuga) but alas in the closest sprint of the day, Saccone lost out to Mark Swartendruber (Verizon) by literally a quarter of a tire width! Gary Palmer (4th) and Tim Davis (8th) rounded out a great day for Tortuga. The featured Cat1/2/3 race turned into a brutal race of attrition with less than half the field finishing the day. The main break featured a couple of ex-IU Betas. John Grant (Texas Roadhouse) shocked the big crowd by beating home town favorite Chad The Birdman (Kenda) in the final sprint whilst Nathan Moorhouse (WDT) gave a statement of his quality by finishing in 3rd position. The break succeeded because the chase in the main field was almost non-existant with RGF/Panther failing to get organized and NUVO failing to finish more than two riders.
Saccone fail by less than half a tire!

The Downers Grove race weekend didn't see much Bloomington involvement with the Saturday results being held down by Lauren Gowdy and Taylor Gaines who took top 15 finishers in the Womens 3/4 and Junior races respectively. The following day on National Championship Sunday conditions took a turn for the worse with some brutal weather especially during the Elite Mens race. Riders endured pouring rain that set in after about 30minutes of raining and really helped shatter the field. Ryan Knapp (RGF) and Mike Sherer (Alderfer Bergen) kept their sleds rubber side down to take excellent top 20 places whilst John Meyers (ABD) also rode strongly throughout. The Pro race was held in constantly wet conditions and Bloomingtonite Bennett VDG (Kenda Pro Cycling) was solid throughout the race until the last 10 laps when he was involved in two wrecks and was unfortunately unable to finish.... along with the majority of the field! A day for hardmen to be sure!

Bennet VDG being pro in the Saturday evening Pro-Am

It got wet real quick in the elite race on sunday (Erik Hamilton by caitlin Coar)

Tuesday Forest TT presented by ZIPP!!

Next Tuesday (8/18) the Forest 10mile Time Trial will be a special occasion! Don Galligher, owner of Revolution Bike and Bean has organized for Jeff Gold, a representation of ZIPP wheels, to be in attendance with the ZIPP truck. Jeff will have a selection of demo wheels available for riders to roll with. From Don- 'ZIPP will have demo wheels to try (assuming aero set-ups) 404, 606, 808, maybe rear disc. They will help install the wheels, and make sure everything is working well. Their goal to show people the aerodynamic advantage of using their set-ups'. If you have any specfiic questions please contact Jeff at bikewave@aol.com
The TT will start as usual at 7pm so if you want some wheels then get there early! The ZIPP truck will be at the forest from approx 6pm so arrive early in order to see what’s on offer. I’ll be rolling out from the Sample Gates at 5.15p if anyone wants to ride up to the Forest.

Weekend Crit Action

There is only one race in downtown Indianapolis and it is this coming Saturday. The Mass Ave Criterium is a mid-summer classic that brings a large number of ‘zip-coders’ out to race on their favorite terrain- flat roads. The course features a 180 turn that always causes a little chaos for the overambitious racer! Register for a wide range of races before August 13th at Midnight for a cheaper price.
Check out the NUVO article about the race.
The Mass Ave Crit acts a perfect prelude for the big event of the weekend- the National Crit Champs at Downers Grove in Chicago on Sunday. Many of Saturdays racers will make the trip up I-65 to compete for Cat 3, Cat2, Cat1, Womens or Pro Crit champs on a challenging 8-corner course in this major Midwest throw-down! You’ve got to be in it to win it so register now to bring the stars and bars to Indiana!

Wednesday Worlds 8/12

Low Gap- Martinsville. 5.30pm at the Gates. Last time we took it easy all the way to Low Gap but we'll see what happens this time out. Route is Anderson- Low Gap- Mahalasville Rd (N)- Southview Drive- Burton Lane- Jordan Road- Liberty Church- Morgan Co Road- W Hacker Creek Rod- Old 37 (S). It's a tough one!

Sherer Wins Warsaw!

Mike Sherer (Alderfer Bergen) returned to the downtown Warsaw Crit this past saturday and repeated his 2008 victory after jumping across to the leaders, lapping the field and winning the final sprint. Eric Hamilton (NUVO) was once again victim of Sherer's presently formidable sprint with another podium position in 3rd. Elsewhere Robert Perez became the second former-ATO rider to win in the past few weeks as he won the cat4/5 race in Warsaw. It's almost too obvious to mention that the dominant Alderfer Bergen womens team took the top five places in the crit with Bri Kovac being the first across the line. Please post a link to pictures if you have one.

Wednesday Cross Training

From Eric Hamilton-

Fred Rose and I are going to start a cross practice session on Wednesdays. It will have a preset course but we want to offer a venue to practice skills and maybe get a little intensity in at the same time. We realize it will briefly overlap with Worlds and don't want to step on toes but smoothly transition and give guys the option of doing either. The start date will be Wed. August 26th. It should be a great time and should bring the bloomington cross scene together. If you could post this on BVN that would be totally awesome. It will leave from the gates. Further details to follow.

Update on Eagle Creek Park Wreck

From Rob Templeman

I just wanted to let you know about Tim Arnold's status. He was in a bad wreck at Eagle Creek in the Cat 4 race on Saturday. I don't have too many details, but he remains in ICU at Methodist. He sustained a head injury, but has had some awake moments. If anyone is interested, Toby Holsman at BGI North is taking a collection for him. You can call BGI North at (317) 842-4140 and ask to contribute to the "Tim Arnold work order." If you don't know Tim, he's an incredibly encouraging guy, will do anything to help his teammates, and a lot of fun to race with.

Thanks,
Rob

Weekend Racing

It's always a shame when there is a clash of races within state and especially when said races are within a couple of hours of each other. Sadly that's how it is this coming Saturday.
Throughout the weekend is the always popular Indiana Stage Race presented by the Indiana Race Series. This involves the rapid Eagle Creek Crit on Saturday morning followed by a short TT in the early evening. Then on Sunday is the challenging Fort Ben circuit race on the east side of Indy. A fun weekend of racing!

Elsewhere on Saturday it is the Downtown Warsaw Crit. Dedicated Cat 1/2 Crit riders will hopefully be inspired to race twice on Saturday as the Eagle creek Crit starts at 9am and then the Warsaw Crit at 6pm. Plenty of time to recover and travel between venues.

The road season has barely a month left in it so get out and RACE!!

Wednesday Worlds

446 circuit. 5.30pm at the gates, 6pm at circuit. We'll decide the number of laps on the road but as 446-fatigue is setting in I'd guess for 6 or 7. And this week lets try and keep things civil eh?

Forest TT

MMSF Forest Road 10-mile Time Trial Tuesday 7pm. Ride out from BGI at 6pm if you'd like. We're still looking for someone to keep time so if you can help out with that then let me know. Usual winner Ryan Shanahan will be out of town so it'll give someone else a chance to take the W!

Elk Grove

The Midwest road racing action this weekend was dominated by the Tour of Elk Grove that takes place just to the west of Chicago. There is huge money for a weekend of essentially pretty dull crit racing on what seem to be rather unimaginative courses. However the cash brings all the US Pro teams out in force! Local representative in the cat 1/2 races had some success with Mike Sherer getting a big result by breaking into the top ten on saturday whilst Ryan Knapp (saturday) and Eric Hamilton (sunday) also took home a little cash for top twenty finishes. All the many guys must have wished they were lacking the 'Y' chromosome for the weekend as a paltry field of twenty Cat1/2/3 women racers competed for $8000 over the weekend! Nice payout for EVERYONE!!