45+ Niwot Criterium

Photo Credit: Heather Haupt Enos

Breakaway!

The downtown Niwot Criterium was contested on Sunday, August 16th, under beautiful late summer conditions. Joe Paulson and John Talley represented Vic's Espresso/Peerless in the 40 minute 45+ men's event.

The field strung out from the start, as riders at the front forced the pace to avoid getting bunched up in the tricky acute angle corners on the course. Jimmy Gibson from the Mix1 team was animating the race early, with an early solo escape. Joe was staying right up front to keep an eye on things and stay out of trouble, and on the first prime, another rider unintentionally gave him a perfect lead-out to capture the cash.

When Jimmy went out solo again, Joe knew the powerful Mix1 rider was on good form, and shot away from the pack to bridge up before the gap got too big. Hitching onto Jimmy's rear wheel as they came through the start finish, Joe saw that there were still 21 minutes of racing to go, and wondered if this was such a good idea after all. However, they were now committed, so Joe started contributing as much as he could to work the gap up.

Meanwhile, back in the pack, JT and one of Jimmy's Mix1 teammates were sitting on wheels to frustrate the chasers. The gap started to grow, and Jimmy and Joe kept pouring on the coals, splitting the primes to keep the pace high.

It was a great relief when the time counter changed to 5 laps to go, as the continuous effort was taking its toll on both riders. Just when Joe thought the break was certain to succeed, a couple of the chasers renewed their efforts, and brought the gap way down. At 4 to go, the pack was only a few seconds behind, and the catch seemed to be imminent. Glancing back, Jimmy moaned in disbelief, and dug even deeper to bring their speed up over 30 mph. Joe tried to offer a little more on his pulls as well, and suddenly the gap was creeping back up.

With one to go, they had a little breathing room, so Joe prepared himself, then launched prior to the final corner to take another blue W. Having confunded the chasers, JT was positioned to contend for the field sprint to take the final podium spot, but a lapped rider forced him to hit the brakes in the final corner, relegating him to 4th behind Chris Stout.

Vic's Steve Worley Takes Gold

Wednesday was a good night for the Vic's 55+ riders as Steve Worley took the gold in a perfectly ridden time of 2:27:863. Barry Messmer had everyone's jaw dropping when he rode a first 1K just 1/100 slower than Steve to eventually finish 4th on the night. Had Barry not had to go over the top of the other rider in his heat as he entered turn 1 and 2 he might easy have beaten 3rd place finisher Shannon Fox. Dennis rode to 7th place in the talented field.

Gerry "the Jet" Greenleaf rode to 14th place in the 50+ field which was dominated by a record setting ride of 2:19:661 by powerhouse Larry Norman.

Teammates Spanky, Dean, Randy, Lars, Susan and Brad were all there to see our boys collect their medals

Master National Track - when the blue boys are on

sjw's guess on who is doing what

AM sessions start at 9:00AM, except Sunday at 10:00am
PM sessions start at 6:00PM
{Rain mucks everything up and things shift}

Tuesday AM - Twitch and Lars? 500m, Neal Kilo
Tuesday PM - Jet, Barry 500m, Joe Kilo?

Wednesday AM - Lars and Twitch 2K, Neal 3K
Wednesday PM - Steve, Barry, Dennis, Jet 2K, Joe Points Race?

Thursday AM - Twitch 200m
Thursday PM - Twitch Match Sprints

Friday AM -
Friday PM - Twitch Points Race

Saturday AM - Jet Points Race (?)
Saturday PM - Steve, Barry, Lars, Neal Points Race

Sunday AM - Steve, Jet, Barry, TTT

Vic's Criterium Photos

I've got the first gallery of photos from The Vic's Crit up in the Gallery Section of the Website

This is a gallery covering all the races and podiums. A second Gallery of Vic's riders will be added later. I'm also adding to the Team Album gallery so send along photos you would like to include

Brad

National Masters Track Schedule

The National Masters Track championship schedule is here

Photos From Vic's Prospect

A few shots of the Vic's team

Vic's Prospect Criterium, August 8, 2009

Colorado Master's Criterium Championships will be this Saturday in Prospect, Colorado near Longmont, CO

The race is sponsored by Vic's Espresso. Volunteers helping at the race include members of the cycling teams receiving sponsorship from Vic's Espresso including Vic's Espresso/Peerless Cycling Team, and Team Rio Grande. The first race is scheduled to begin at 7:45am, the last race, the Senior Men Pro 1/2 category will begin at 6:00pm for 1 hour. Come out to watch and support the event.

More information about the Prospect Criterium bike race can be found at these links:
Race Website
Race Flyer
Race Directions

45+ Bannock Criterium

2nd 2nd
Mike Nields Memorial Bannock Street Criterium, July 26, 2009, Denver Colorado - Race Report and Results

On Sunday, the annual Mike Nields Memorial Bannock Street Criterium was held under varying weather conditions, with sunny weather greeting the 2 PM start of the 45 minute 45+ race. Lining up in Vic's blue were Joe Paulson, John Talley, and Brian Todeschini. As always, the pace was high on the fast and exciting course, made even more so by the deteriorating pavement conditions.

The blue boys marked or initiated several moves during the race, and JT picked up a cash prime, but nothing was going to stay away for long from the fast-moving field. JT spotted former US Professional Road Race champion Norm Alvis in the pack, and alerted Joe to his presence. Alvis had relegated Joe to 2nd last year in taking the win with an impressive final sprint, so the boys marked him closely.

On the final lap, JT, Brian, and Joe were lined up and fighting to maintain position near the front when Vitamin Cottage hit the front with their lead-out train with four corners to go. The move triggered a reshuffling of the race lead, and the Vic's riders fought to reestablish themselves just behind the leaders. Alvis was threading his way back up through traffic, so Joe tried to shadow him. JT had the same idea, and they were poised on his wheel heading up the hill with three blocks and one corner to go, when the pace eased, and the riders behind them started to swarm.

Joe jumped up and out to the right side to keep from getting blocked in, and found himself out in the wind with no likelihood of recapturing a protected position near the front. He knew it was too early, but figured hanging out in the breeze wasn't doing him any good, so he cranked it up and got a small gap and the hole shot for the final right turn onto the long finishing straight. Joe hit full speed and sprinted for the distant banner over the finish line, but one rider in a Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop kit named Barry Lee inched past and held a bike length advantage by the line, demoting Joe again to 2nd. JT grabbed the final spot in the top 10, and Brian finished 28th.

Mike Neilds Memorial Bannock Street Criterium Results

Our Team Cycling Blog

Vic’s Espresso/Peerless Cycling Team is reaching out to the community through our Team Blog

The team had a great race weekend in Lakewood and Denver, Colorado this past Saturday and Sunday. We also just received our 5000 Visitor to our team blog (and we’ve only been counting for the past 3.5 months!)

As expected most of our visitors are from the USA, and I do believe your competition is checking you out because many of our visitors are from the greater metro area outside of Boulder. We have had visitors from 49 different countries, with the top number of visitors from Canada, UK, Germany, Australia, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Japan!

The new Vic’s Espresso/Peerless Cycling Team website should be published in August. We have built our team blog and website with the intention to present our team to the community, communicate to team members, record our race history and events, offer more exposure to our sponsors, and offer information to other cyclists.

Thank you for posting, commenting, and reading our cycling blog. More to come ...

45+ Federal Center Circuit Race

Beer me, Marge!


Colorado Bike Law Federal Center Circuit Race, Lakewood, CO, July 25, 2009 Race Report

On Saturday, Bill Brant, Joe Paulson, and John Talley represented the Vic's Espresso team in the 45+ Federal Center Circuit Race, contested this year in sunny, warm, and breezy conditions on a slightly modified course. With even more corners added, it seemed like the world's longest criterium.

It was also the final race in the Steamworks Cup series, rewarding the rider with the best results from races in three different disciplines with their weight in beer. After the first two races (Lookout Mountain hillclimb and HALO time trial), Burt Henry held a significant lead, but he wasn't able to make the final race, so it was up to Joe to try to claim the beer.

The attacks started early in the race, and an attentive Bill covered several moves. JT then was able to get into a number of breaks, allowing Bill and Joe to camp at the front on the wheels of the chasers. A long solo break by Great Divide's TT specialist Jim Dickerson was reeled in by a hard chasing Jimmy Gibson of the Mix1 team early in the final lap, setting the stage for a field sprint.

With two corners to go, Bill, JT, and Joe were lined up near the front, ready to start the blue lead-out train, when Scott Soden of Great Divide launched from in front of Joe. Joe knew Scott wouldn't be able to carry it to the line, but figured marking Scott would keep the field at bay, and jumped on his wheel.

As they approached the final turn, Joe bided his time in 2nd, realizing how long the finish straight is. He was just getting ready to jump, when Karl Keister blazed by in the inside gutter countering his teammates set-up, with an opportunistic Christopher Stout in his draft. Joe launched immediately around the turn, and was able to close down a fading Karl quickly, but Chris had a big gap and wasn't slowing. It's a good thing the finish straight is so long, because it took almost all of it for Joe to pull along side Chris, then eak out just a little more top end to beat him to the line for the win. JT was also able to get around Karl to grab the 3rd and final podium spot.



The win locked up the Steamworks Cup, and Joe was weighed on their nifty balance beam scale, where it was established that he weighs in at 4 and 1/2 cases of beer. He picked up another case for the win, and JT scored a 6 pack for 3rd, so even after each of the boys took home a sampler, and Joe dropped off a case for the crack mechanics at U-Bikes, there was plenty of suds left for the annual end-of-season team party.

However, it turned out that there were more Blue beer winnings to come. Bill lined up again shortly after the 45+ open finish to race again in the 45+ Cat 4 race, where he won a beer prime, then went on to grab another case by winning the race! Start planning now to attend the season-ending festivities!

Race Results Co. Bike Law Federal Center Circuit Race

Boulder Record Racer TT #6

More Vic's-tories!

Another large field turned out last night for week #6 of the Boulder Record Racer time trial series, contested under warm and fairly calm conditions. Many riders benefited from a bit of a tail wind, resulting in some fast times.

Christy Orris flew the blue in the SW 4 field, taking the win in a time of 27:45.

In Burt Henry's absence, Joe Paulson stepped up to continue the Vic's/Peerless domination of SM 45+ time trials, winning with a time of 24:23.

Bill Brant competed in the SM 4 category, riding the course in 27:04 to take 5th.

Cheyenne Canyon Hillclimb TT

Author: Burt Henry

Today's race was a unique event for our race scene. Cheyenne canyon is a 3.2 mile climb which gains about 1200+ feet. The elevation gain is similar to Lookout mountain, but in 1.3 less miles, making for some steep grades. The route was closed to traffic and the weather sunny and warm.

The initial part of the climb had constant pitchy grade changes, while the upper half was basically just one grade: steep! I found myself searching for more gears a couple of times when I had maxed out the 39x27.

The Vic's boys raced it sight unseen. It was unmarked and it seemed that every time I shouted out "how much further," to onlookers, the reply was either "half mile" or "you're almost there". I was glad when the torture finally ended. I gave it my best effort to break the Mix-1 climbing stranglehold but to no avail. They grabbed the first 4 places in the 45+. Bill Simmons and Brandon Henry met with more success in their respective categories.

Team race results are below:

Brandon Henry 3rd 17-18 17:14 (2 seconds out of 2nd)

Burt Henry 5th 45+ 17:46 (7 seconds out of 3rd)

Dean Sandoval 10th 45+ 19:03

Bill Simmons 3rd 55+ 19:54 (3 seconds out of 2nd)

Cheyenne Canyon Time Trial Results

Boulder Record Racer TT #5

Burt Wins Again!

The 5th edition of the 2009 Boulder Record Racer Time Trial Series was contested last night under very hot and relatively calm conditions, a dramatic change from the wet and sometimes windy conditions of previous weeks. The result however, was the same: Burt Henry posted the best time of 25 minutes flat in a large field of 20 40+ riders, good for 9th overall.

Joe Paulson made his first appearance this year in the series, and was able to capture 2nd place in the 40+ class (15th overall) with a time of 25:44, holding off 3rd place finisher Clark Sheehan by 5 seconds.

Results for Boulder Record Time Trial Series July 08, 2009

2009 Masters Nationals, Day 9

US Master's Road National Championships, June 28-July 4, Louisville, KY
Criterium 07/04/09
Mens 45-49 Criterium: Fireworks on the 4th of July



The racing action returned to Churchill Downs this morning for the final day of the Masters Cycling National Championships. Vic's rider Joe Paulson lined up with a large field for the first event of the day, the mens 45-49 race. The temperature was in the high 60's and the skies were overcast, but the predicted rain was holding off as the scheduled 10 AM race got underway a little late, as has seemed to be the norm at these Nationals.




The first 10 laps were full tilt and the pack was strung out as various riders attempted to establish breaks, but nothing too serious was able to get away. Joe gambled that the field would stay together, and conserved his energy mid-pack. Excel rider Bob Dahl, on the other hand, initiated or followed a number of moves in the hope of making an escape from the field.

As the 50 lap, 25 mile race progressed, the speed became a little more reasonable, but it was difficult to maintain position near the front in the ever-surging pack. One effort to move back up brought Joe to the sharp end of the peloton, and he made a token appearance in the lead before tucking back behind the largest body he could find nearby.



In the final 10 laps, the speed increased again, and riders started taking creative lines through corners trying to move up, causing a number of near-crashes and shouting matches. Joe kept moving up when he could do so without great effort, but would then be swarmed by another surge, and find himself instantly 30 riders back again.



In the last 2 laps, yet another doomed break attempt was reeled in, and the full pack started jostling for final position. Joe found himself slamming on the brakes in every corner as desperate riders dove inside looking for lines. Half way through the last lap, Joe finally found an open lane and sprinted up the inside toward the front, but a rider in front of him closed it down just before the second to last corner, and Joe was involuntarily in brake mode again. It was wall-to-wall into the final turn 200 meters from the finish, and the inevitable contact between riders started a cascade of falling bodies and bikes that Joe braked again to avoid, then slipped past. He was able to hold off the riders behind him, but couldn't overtake those who had gotten through the corner cleanly, and crossed the line in 12th, with Bob Dahl finishing right behind him in 13th.



After a few warm-down laps, Joe wished good luck to Byron Nix, the Green Mountain 40-44 rider who was about to mount his title defense after winning out of a break on the same course last year, then headed to the van to mop off and pack up his bike. As he did so, it started to sprinkle, and Joe had to admit that he'd gotten some good weather breaks this year. Mike and Joe then headed through the tunnel under the horse track, made their now traditional post-Nationals pit stop at the nearest White Castle for 10 burgers and some fries, then headed west as the rain began to come down in earnest.

One other important task remained: espresso. The boys figured they'd need to stop in a bit for gas anyway, so they jumped on the interstate and enjoyed their sliders on the road. The rain came down harder, the gas gauge dropped, but their trusty GPS searched for coffee shops to no avail. They crossed the entire state of Indiana in a downpour and a caffeine drought. Finally, they pulled off the interstate and drove several miles into Mt. Vernon and filled the gas tank, but found the promised "Life's Little Perks" coffee shop closed for the holiday.

Increasingly desperate and grumpy, they exited again at O'Fallon, Illinois, where the GPS claimed they'd find a Starbucks. No 'Bucks, but the Schnuck's grocery at the identified coordinates had a Kaldi's Coffee stand inside, where they finally satisfied their coffee Jones with some mochas, and took the precautionary measure of purchasing a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans to avoid further caffeine trauma. As they got underway again, the rain finally stopped, and while the sun didn't appear, their moods certainly brightened.

Mike and Joe are now gazing once again at the Gateway Arch as they pass through St. Louis. The plan is to drive until they grow too weary, then stop for the night, and continue on to Colorado tomorrow. It's been an eventful trip to Nationals, and the boys are ready to go home.

Race Results for USA Cycling 2009 Masters Road National Champ, Louisville, KY
Criterium 07/04/09 Results