East Ohio TT

Ray Sielski, Steve Marlette, Henry Dimmick and Randy McCracken took part in an 8am start,  moderately windy but sunny, Race #5 Finale of the 2011 East Ohio Time Trial Series.

On the line leading into this race was (1) Steve's lead in the Men's 40-49 Series Standings, and (2) Henry's Podium Position in the Men's Fixed Gear Series.

By the time the suffering was over, the results of the race, and the series, shook out as follows:

Race #5
Men's 40-49:
1st Place - Steve Marlette

Men's 50-59
2nd Place - Randy McCracken

5th Place - Ray Sielski (P.R. by 20 seconds)

Men's Fixed Gear
1st Place - Henry Dimmick (P.R. by 80 seconds)

...then the awards ceremony turned to the...

2011 Overall Summer Series:
Men's 18-29
3rd Place - Steve Brewer

Men's 40-49
1st Place - Steve Marlette
8th Place - Donnie Panizales

Men's 50-59
2nd Place - Randy McCracken
9th Place - Kirk Morrison
11th Place - Ray Sielski
17th Place - Henry Dimmick
19th Place - Rich Allen

Men's Fixed Gear
1st Place - Henry Dimmick 

Afterwards, Randy held Steve from falling under the weight of ALL his 2011 Series medals...

...and ALL the Series winners got to pose for a photo :)

A great series run by Brian Baird ...and a great way to END the ROAD season!

From here (~Akron, Ohio), Randy headed home...Steve headed to Ireland for a warm Guinness...

...while Henry & Ray left for (~Cleveland) for a 1pm start CycloCross race! 

Stay tuned for these DAILY DOUBLE results to be posted next!

Snake Bite CX

Kirk Morrison, Hannah Brewer and Steve Brewer ventured to Elyria, Ohio to compete in the North East Ohio CX Series (NEOCX).

...and guess what?  YUP. You guessed it, Steve had a mechanical during the race...AGAIN!!!

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Kirk tells HIS side of the story like THIS:
I joined Hannah and Steve Brewer at the Snakebite NEOCX race #2 in Cascade Park, Ohio. The weather was much cooler for this second edition of the Series with temps in the high 70’s. This was a fairly fast course with lots of grass, a paved section, two climbs, and NO SAND!!!

However, the MUD BOG was almost a foot deep which made it pretty much unrideable (as I demonstrated by trying to ride it ....... several times...

Photo by Gregg Brekke

To add further insult to injury, my photo appeared publicly on the NEOCX site HERE:

http://neocx.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/cascade-park-cx-results

In the first lap of the SS race, I met rider in front of me as he was running back into the mud bog to retrieve (as in “dig out”) his shoe which the mud had claimed for its own.

Hannah took top honors for the day from our group with a 5th Place finish in the Womens Open Race.

Photo by Gregg Brekke

Steve was on his way to a top 2 finish in the Cat3/4 Open race when he had the misfortune of a flat front tire. Unfortunately, Steve was snakebit again as the front wheel that he borrowed to get back in the race flatted too (which ended his racing day)...DNF.

Photo by Gregg Brekke

I raced in both the SS Open race finishing in 7th Place, and the Cat3/4 Open race (w/gears!) finishing in 15th place.

Below is a link to the results page.
www.snakebiteracing.com/Newsletter/CascadeCrossResults.pdf\

The weather took a drastic turn midway through the subsequent Cat1/2/3 race when a thunderstorm hit with heavy rain, wind and lightning.

While we were envious of the chance to ride in the “new mud” created by these conditions, this race ended about 15 minutes early as a result of the lighning.

Nice event, good course and great teammates !!

Kirk

Erie TT

Steve Marlette, Ray Sielski, Donnie Panizales and Randy McCracken attended the Iroquois Sports Presque Isle Time Trial...a race that has long been held as the END OF THE ROAD SEASON!!!

In order of age...top down(!)...

Ray finished in 19th Place (M50-59) & 49th Place Overall
...setting a new Personal Record by 5.4 seconds!

Randy finished in 11th Place (M50-59) & 26th Place Overall

Steve finished in 4th Place (M40-49) & 11th Place Overall

Donnie finished in 13th Place (M40-49) & 46th Place Overall

Let the CX Season begin!

West Virginia State TT

Dan Schar returned to the 2011 Appalachian State TT Championship as the 2010 Men's 40+ Champion.

http://ag3r.blogspot.com/2010/09/wva-state-tt.html

This year, despite having a faster time by 12 seconds, Dan ended up in 6th Place Overall.

Congratulations on your Personal Record Dan  :)

Strongland Road Race

Day #2's, road race in the Strongland Chamber of Commerce's racing weekend was enough to attract Brian Hopkins to "come home" in order to line up beside Mike Maher ...just like the good ole dayz :)

Representing Ag3r-ButlerHealthSystem can be accomplished in many ways.  Brian and Mike selected Way #3b... which came with it's own unique "challenges"!

~12th Place - Brian Hopkins
~13th Place - Mike Maher

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Mike recalls:
Brian and I attacked off of the back spectacularly on the first major climb.

Brian then soft pedaled for a mile or two until I bridged up.

I then spent the rest of the day suffering twice.

Once trying to hang onto his wheel, and then again having to look at his ass for that long!

Strongland MTB

Mike Maher and Kirk Morrison got their DIRT-WORM on at the day#1 mtn bike race of the 2-day (mtn/road) Strongland racing weekend.
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As Kirk tells the story:
Mike Maher and I raced in the Intermediate II Class at the Tour de Strongland Mtb race at Roaring Run Park (near Apollo).

This was a well attended race with fairly treacherous trails (lots of wet rocks and roots). The course was technically challenging (for me anyway) with spectacular scenery.

Mike got off to an early solo lead and rode smart (and fast)...

...to a 1st place finish in both the Overall and Masters (40+) categories.

I was further back in the pack and ended up finishing in 2nd place in the Senior (50+) category as well as 15th place in the overall Intermediate II field.

The results should appear at the following website
(http://www.strongland.org/bikerace.html).

After taking advantage of the local stream for some cleanup...

...I enjoyed some Uncle Charlie’s (the sponsor) burgers before the award ceremonies. Excellent event ……… I’ll definitely be back.

Attached are a few pics taken by Mike and me.

CX Season Team Bug #3

Another contender has thrown their name in the hat for the position of Ag3r-ButlerHealthSystem CycloCross Season Team Bug.

Spicebush Swallowtail Catepillar
Contract Negotiations by Joy Claypoole

As worthy a contender as this BUG may be, (his?/her?) success is threatened by metamorphosis!

The others who have applied remain:

(1) http://ag3r.blogspot.com/2011/08/team-bug.html

(2) http://ag3r.blogspot.com/2011/08/bug-resumes-rolling-in.html

Final selection will not be made until the ABRA Kick-Off Cross...so keep those Resumes coming :)

Camp Manatoc CX

The name of this race makes it sound like "A Day in the Park", when it was actually more like "A Day at the Beach"!!!  After what appears to be more running than riding...

Hannah Brewer finished in 6th place of the B2 Womens Cat 1,2,3 Race

Steve Brewer finished in 7th place of the B2 Mens Open Cat 3,4 Race

Brian Hopkins finished in 8th place of the B2 Mens Open 3,4 Race

...and Kirk Morrison finished in 16th place of the B1 Masters Men 45+ Cat 3,4 Race. No pic :(

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Kirk says:
Despite temps in the mid 90’s I couldn’t resist the opportunity to join Hannah, Steve and Brian at the NEOCX Camp Manotoc cyclocross race.

Camp Manotoc Boy Scout Camp is located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (between Cleveland and Akron) and is only open to bikes during this one week/year. This was a well attended day with the camp opened to Mtn bike trail rides and about 10 vendor tents including a large Specialized factory booth (with loaner bikes).

The course was fairly flat with an extensive, u-turn sand pit, one set of barriers and two tight technical sections through wooded areas. The days biggest challenge was the heat and high humidity (with a heat index of almost 100 degrees).

I rode in the 1pm “B1 Masters Men 45+ Cat 3,4 race” which ran before the combined 2:15pm “B2 Mens Open Cat 3,4” and “B2 Womens Cat 1,2,3” races (which Hannah, Steve and Brian raced).

After my race I found a shady spot near the sand pit to cheer on Hannah, Steve and Brian. In the spirit of Cx, I was offering beer handups to my teammates (Shockingly, I noted that I was the ONLY spectator offering this (!?)). As their finishing places demonstrate, my teammates were more interested in being fast than my handups...so "I" had to drink them ALL!!!

Attached are a few pics that I was able to take near the sand pit area (including one of Brian after a tumble in the sand pit …….. a gallant effort to ride where almost everyone else was running). Also, a video that shows Steve riding the sand pit. While many tried, Steve was the only person I saw who was (pretty much) successful at this.

B1 (Master's) Race Video
Kirk running past at: 37 sec, 3 min 33 sec & 5 min 35 sec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xGvdrGZElw

B2 Race (Men's & Women's) Video
15 sec - Brian and Steve running the pit
1 min 10 sec – Hannah running the pit
1 min 54 sec – Brian running & Steve riding (most of) the pit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7L_nCN0SRE&feature=related

Below is a link to the results:
http://lakeeffectracing.com/2011-cyclocross/big-valley-results

Well organized event with great attendance. Highly recommended but, Cx races are definitely meant for cooler weather !!

Kirk

Henry Clay 30K MTB

Kirk Morrison and Rich Allen traveled down past Morgantown to Coopers Rock State Park for the Henry Clay 30K Mtb XC race ...with the following Results:

10th Place - Rich Allen

11th Place - Kirk Morrison

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Kirk Writes:
The weather was great with partial clouds and temperatures in the low 70’s for the noon start. This race is put on by Gunnar and Betsy Shogren who did a super job at organization.  This was a super race with pizza and pop at the finish. Thanks to Gunnar, Betsy and the rest of their volunteers !

Rich and I both competed in the Men Sport Master (45+) category. The course was fairly fast with some tight single track and a few rocky climbs.  Unfortunately, I had an early spill shortly after our race group funneled into the first trail section.

This was my first “mass start” XC race and I obviously need to work on my ability to ride in a tight group, at speed, over rocky, rooted trails. After picking myself up, I lost about 15 places as I waited for a break in the line of racers to allow me to jump back in.

From there I worked my way back up through the group only to discover that Rich had flatted at about the halfway point. I stopped to give him a “Big Air” canister (he had used up his little CO2 cartridge) and continued. Rich repaid my kindness by passing me a few miles later and giving me a rabbit to chase for several miles!!!

Attached is a pic of the WVMBA flat screen monitor which provides an instantaneous race results status. Very cool.

Yellow Creek MTB

Hannah Brewer was accompanied by Steve Brewer and Mike Maher to the latest edition of the Yellow Creek Grassroots MTB Race.

2nd Place (Women) - Hannah Brewer

11th Place (Men) - Steve Brewer
12th Place (Men) - Mike Maher

Rumor has it that Steve was hiding behind a BIG TREE along the trail, waiting for Mike to race by... then sprinted around him to take 11th Place!!!

Getting CROSSED

Chris Mayhew (http://jbvcoaching.com/ChrisMayhew.asp) and ProBikes (http://www.probikesllc.com/) have sponsored a CycloCross Clinic & to date, two weeknight CX practices in Frick Park to get ready for the upcoming CX Seeason.

So far, Dan Schar....

...as well as Kirk Morrison and Rich Allen have attended at least one of these events.  As Kirk writes, the night Richy went, things did not go quite as smooth as he would have liked!

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From: Kirk Morrison
A Tough nite for Rich !

1. Forgot his helmet (Todd sent over a shop loaner)
2. Forgot to switch out his cassette (from 9 to 10). He realized this when he shifted into his spokes.
3. Pulled a calf muscle which sidelined him for most of the practice.
4. Ripped out his valve stem while experimenting with tire pressure.

His CX season can only IMPROVE from here!!!

Swinging the Chains

This reporter has uncovered that Ag3r-ButlerHealthSystem rider Steve Brewer has signed a contract with Cannondale Bicycles to help develop a new Shaft Drive Bicycle.

An un-named source from the bike's development team said, "By breaking 6 or more perfectly good chains per year, Steve and his Sequoia sized tree-trunk legs made him a perfect test subject for this project.  When we are done with him, the Government has expressed their own interest in experimenting on Steve."

The bike has been named "The Harpoon".

Ag3r teammate Brian Hopkins was quoted as saying, "No one is happier than me that Steve has finally gotten the SHAFT"...!

Well said, Brian  :)

PMVC Master's Criterium

Henry Dimmick and Kirk Morrison were joined by Ken DeFurio at the final PMVC Friday Night race of the 2011 Season.  While these races were shorter than (normal) due to the fading daylight of a late August evening, they were no less intense..as the only old guys that show up for this stuff are the FAST OLD GUYS!!!

50+ Criterium
6th Place - Kirk Morrison
8th Place - Henry Dimmick
Mid-Race Prime Winner - Henry Dimmick

40+ Criterium
8th Place - Henry Dimmick
10th Place - Ken DeFurio
16th Place - Kirk Morrison
Mid-Race Prime Winner - Henry Dimmick

...and then we hung out in the Police Parking Lot (replenishing our carbos) until 10:00pm!