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Picture of the Month
Gary Ruddell and Randall Bradford - Wednesday Night Criterium
| | Mindy Caruso National Time Trial Champion | | | |
  
| | Place | Points | Name | License | Time | Bib | Team | | | USA Cycling 2011 Master Road Nationals | Individual Time Trial | | Master | 35-39 | | 1 | 200.00 | Mindy Caruso | 274426 | 39:34.320 | | Olev Rapido/Olev Rapido / The Kickstand | | USA Cycling 2011 Master Road Nationals | Road Race | | Master | 35-39 | | 3 | 216.67 | Mindy Caruso | 274426 | 00:00.0 | 133R | Olev Rapido/Olev Rapido / The Kickstand | | | USA Cycling 2011 Master Road Nationals | Criterium | | Master | 35-39 | | 7 | 240.91 | Mindy Caruso | 274426 | 0:00:00 | 133R | Olev Rapido/Olev Rapido / The Kickstand | |
First of all, I want to thank everyone for their continued encouragement and support this past week.
The crit race on Friday was held in downtown Bend with high energy all around. There were large screens with video coverage of the back side and a real-time placing due to chip technology.
It was a cool start but warmed up with the sound of the gun. The course was relatively flat with 4 corners. There was definitely more physical contact than I'm accustomed to, but always in control. I'm not sure how to express the grace that can be present with elbow to elbow contact. There were multiple attacks, but nothing ever stuck. I mostly positioned myself comfortable, but did a few hard efforts to check the legs and peloton. One thing was for sure, I did not want to be squeezed out the final two corners to the long finish. So I attacked hard on the last lap, got a good gap, went hard into the last two corners with still a gap, then was swarmed at the finish and placed 7th. I was just so happy that I survived.....and no doping control for the day.
Today, the final event at Nationals was an 84k road race in the spectacular hills surrounding Bend. The course was closed to traffic and we had the entire road. The roads were pristine clean and smooth. Awesome! It was a cool start at 42 degrees; sunny with light breezes (they call it "wind" out here). The course was a 3 lap circuit with more roundabouts and either up or down. It was fairly clear on the first lap who the strongest 7 riders were. By the second lap, the strongest 6 were defined. There were no successful breakaways. I tested the group on the 2nd lap, holding 300-350 watts for about 3 minutes and all 6 stayed with me on the climb. Plus, if one did get a break on the climb, the following headwind was too tough for the horsepower of the group. I ended up in front the last 5k of the course. Darn, how did this happen and I was stuck. So, I did my best aero and gutter position, while saving a little gas for the finish. Had the final roundabout with 1k to go, someone attempted an attack, obviously too soon and was swarmed into a 90degree corner with the remaining 200 meters to go. I was in last position and just ran out of run way, finishing 3rd with the hardest throw ever. Bronze metal was nice, but makes me really hungry to come back here for another chance.
I did make Best All Around Rider, scoring a mug and many cheers from the crowd and announcer expecting my presence next year.
Great experience! Highly recommended!!
Mindy
| | | | Leadville 100 | | | | New Mexico State Road Race and Criterium Championships | | | |
New Mexico State Road Race and Criterium Championships registration is now open.
The Kickstand/Olev Rapido Presents
The 2011 New Mexico State Road Race Championships
July 9, 2011
Sedilo Hill
Click Here to Register 
The 2011 New Mexico State Criterium Championships
July 10, 2011
Balloon Fiesta Park
Click Here to Register
| | | | Tour of Los Alamos Race Results | | | | MM 50+ 2 Place Randall Bradford
MM 50+ 9 Place Larry Coons
SM 1-2-3 19 Place Gary Ruddell
SM 1-2-3 22 Place Teddy Rael
| | | | Sandia Crest Race Result | | | | So the 2011 Crest Race course was changed in the final week. Some racers pleased and some disappointed. The Forest Service did not approve the Crest course due to the high fire risk this year. Of course, I heard the jokes about the racers who smoke cigarettes….many times.
I, personally think this restriction was a wise call from the Forest Service. The start area was pleasantly congested, despite the smoke filled air from the Arizona fires and health warnings. The outlines of inhalers were present in so many racers back jersey pockets…hummm. This is the one race that there are actually plenty of honey houses, as my dad used to call them, at the start….and at the finish, I might add. Seems like such a small request, but everyone was using utilizing the facilities.
There were plenty of volunteers and the ever present Morgan McLain, the liaison to the memory of her late father Bill. The racers were off between 9:00 and 9:40 am. The alternate course or Tour of Heartbreak Hill Challenge was equally, and perhaps even more grueling of a test. The air was dry, pleasantly warm (some felt it was hot)…..if we could only add some S’more particulate to the smoky air. Maybe, simply some S’more flavored energy gels or bars. Olev Rapido’s colors were present in nearly all fields, including one in a follow car and taking wins in 2 out of the 7 categories. We Albuquerquiens are quite privileged to have an amazing event like this held in our back yard each year. 2011 certainly did not disappoint, despite last minute changes. Randy Corcoran deserves some great kudos as a director of this event, not to mention changing into his kit at the last minute to race, himself.
Mindy Caruso
| Sandia Crest Race | | Place | Olev Rapido/The Kickstand | | Men Pro Cat 1/2/3 | | 19 | Gary Ruddel | | 20 | Teddy Rael | | Women Pro Cat 1/2/3 | | 1 | Mindy Caruso | | Master Men 50+ | | 6 | Larry Coons | | 7 | Neil Davie | | Men Cat 5 | | 19 | Angel Chavez | | Men Cat 4 | | 1 | Randall Bradford |
| | | | Pajarito Punishment Results | | | | Great day of racing out at Pajarito Mountain in Los Alamos on Saturday June 11. The course included plenty of excellent singletrack through the woods and total of 2,100 feet of climbing, as well as lots of fast, technical downhill. Overall an excellent course that tested all areas of a rider's ability.
Check out the course here: http://nmmtb.org/graphics/sport.jpg
David Jordan took third in the Cat 2 40-49 class.
| | | | Santa Fe Stage Race Results | | | | | Santa Fe Stage Race | | Place | Olev Rapido/The Kickstand | | Men Pro Cat 1/2/3 | | 21 | Gary Ruddel | Women Pro Cat 1/2/3 | | 1 | Mindy Caruso | | Master Men 50+ | | 7 | Randall Bradford | | 9 | Larry Coons | | Men Cat 5 | | 4 | Dale Maxwell | | 9 | Angel Chavez |
   
| | | | Kickstand/Olev Rapido on the podium at Mountain States Cup Chile Challenge | | | | David Jordan takes 3rd in the Cat 2 40-49 group
Conditions were excellent at the Chile Challenge in Angel Fire on Saturday June 5. The weather was great, and the rain that had been threatening had blown over by the 2 PM start time for the Cat 2s. The course had plenty of climbing, including a difficult rock garden near the top. The downhill provided quite an upper-body workout with many switchbacks through the trees. Lap two was a slightly shorter version of the first lap, thankfully without the rock garden at the top. Then it was down again. It was a great race, and a great course.
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