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LATE-SUMMER AND FALL RESULTS: ROAD, MTB, AND CYCLO-CROSS!
10/1/2009
WINBERRY WINS JUNGLE HABITAT, and SALERNO 8th! Laura Winberry of Team Campmor put in an electrifying performance at the Jungle Habitat MTB Race in West Milford, NJ, winning the race by a huge margin. She had arguably the best race of her career, reported having “insane focus” and feeling utterly fantastic. She finished 10 minutes ahead of Kern, who won the H2H Pro Women’s overall, and 2 minutes ahead of Serruto, one of Laura’s main rivals.
With personal issues on her mind, she decided to race, to get her mind off things, and she just had a different motivation and focus out there, almost “otherworldly” she told me… The course is technical in sections with a capital T, but she flew through, just feeling the power and feeling overly fast. One of those days where everything clicks and you just can’t push hard enough! It’s good to experience that in training, but it’s an entirely different feeling experiencing this during a huge race!!! Laura wrote that she felt like she could do anything, and it must’ve been a triumphant feeling to score this huge victory after an emotional weekend…
Nick Salerno of Death Row Velo was able to finish 8th in the SingleSpeed class. He suffered two major crashes that resulted in minor injuries. The first crash was in the first minute on a section of asphalt road with water and moss on it. He lowsided around a turn and slid like a crit racer onto his thigh, creating some road rash. He was up and off, plowing into the first rock garden and went over the bars, slamming his right knee into the ground. He was up again, off racing, and it was only after the race when the adrenaline wore off did he realize the damage that was inflicted. His knee was incredibly sore and with the road rash, it was difficult getting any sleep!
Aside from the crash-ridden start, Nick performed well, staying upright the rest of the way, cleaning every climb and technical section. Nick’s endurance is really coming along… He’d bonk or fall apart in early season races, but now he’s finishing feeling he can do another lap. This is encouraging, because we’re looking to upgrade next season!
LESNAK WINS FLANDERS TT, DAVID 6th, FALLON 6th in 45+!
Ben Lesnak continued his winning way, winning the Flanders TT in dominating fashion. In the Cat 4s, 2nd place was over 30 seconds back, and 3rd place was almost two minutes behind!
In the stacked 45+ category, Dana Fallon of Liberty Cycle had a strong ride, good enough for 6th…
Nick David of Team Propeller ended up taking 6th in the Cat 4s. Nick mentioned starting hard and trying to stay aero throughout. He may have hit the climb too hard, cracking a bit, but this is how you learn… Post-climb, he was able to get the speeds up again, passing 4 riders. He finished with the top Propeller time of the day.
SALERNO WINS PLATTEKILL MTB!
Nicholas Salerno of Death Row Velo scored his first victory of the year at the Plattekill Mountain Challenge, stop #2 in the NYS MTB series. The race course was actually a ski slope with lots of singletrack linking the ski runs together. Nick reported it was one of the most intense races he’d ever done. The loop was 8 miles round-trip and was essentially 4 miles up and 4 miles down.
On the climb up at the start of Lap 2, a rain storm swept in over the course. The group ascended into thick clouds and what started out as a misty fog soon became torrential rain. Nick had to ditch his glasses, which seriously impaired his vision! He ended up making two wrong turns, losing the lead he had worked so hard for. Nick was able to catch the leaders on the climb. Well aware of “out of sight, out of mind,” Nick hammered through a technical section and sprinted around the corner, trying to get out of sight and out or rabbit’s distance. Afterwards, Sal, who finished second, said the plan worked perfectly: when Nick was gone, Sal settled into his own rhythm and did what he could…
Nick pushed to the finish. The downhill portion was very rocky with water rushing down it. His hands ached badly from the vibrations and staying on the brakes, hoping desperately to stay upright and not go down on the slick rocks. When Nick reached the finish line, the MC knew his name and his team and announced it over the PA as he crossed the line. Nick had never won a race before, and he was amped up! He noted it was intense waiting during the awards ceremony, seeing the podium and knowing that the top spot belonged to him.
CARR WINS MILLERSBERG TT!!!
This year, David Carr of Team Setanta has been spending more time on his TT bike… Our first year working together, he’s a bigger rider with a HUGE aerobic engine, so it was a logical idea… He won the Sandy Hook TT in April, then took 2nd behind Elite Endurance’s Ben Lesnak in the Giro del Cielo TT. His goal for late-summer was to peak for the Green Mountain Stage Race and then Bear Mountain. He wanted to a good test prior to Green Mountain, and we targeted the Tour de Millersburg TT as a solid event to try and go for. And go for he did! He won the TT against a stacked field including Doug O’Neill of Deno’s Wonder Wheel, Mike Bradbury of Evolution Cycling, Marc Frazer of Kelly Benefit Strategies, and Tim Lung of AVC/Team Hagerstown. The work we had spent with position, pacing, and cadence paid off big-time… David went on to finish the crit and road race and place 6th on final GC.
WHITAKER WINS LEHIGH VALLEY WINERY RACE!!!
Mike Whitaker of Spinners Cycling won the 35+ Lehigh Valley Winery Race in fine fashion, riding aggressively all day and then getting in the final break of the day. Mike made the right move – one of the riders in the break had four teammates in the peloton, so it was time to go. The move stayed clear, and with four laps to go, Mike dropped the hammer, leaving them behind on the steepest climb on the course and winning solo by almost three minutes. Huge… Mike started the season similarly, winning Day 1 of the Philly 2-Day by dropping the break, so it’s nice to bookend the year with two powerful solo victories!!!
WINBERRY WINS US CUP SUPER-D, 4th at WINDHAM XC US CUP!!!
Laura Winberry of Team Campmor went up to Windham New York with heavy ambition, looking for a top ride in a top race against top competition. She got a fantastic start, plowing into the first singletrack with the leaders. The course was uphill in the beginning, and she knew she had to stay up front…
On the first lap, the top-four women begin to splinter off the front, with the first rider really earning a huge gap. Laura and the three others continued to power away from the field.
On the final lap, Laura was gapped by another woman, and her and Lindsay Bayer (a rival she’s competed closely with all season) began to go back and forth to the finale, Lindsay a touch stronger on the climbs and Laura faster on the descents. On the final climb, Lindsay gapped her a bit and Laura eased up, so as not to blow. She finished solidly in 4th and was happy with her overall performance…
For the Super D, it was a supra-10-minute effort, a downhill sprint!!! The course was chock full of big drops, rocky technical sections, and bermed turns. During the race, Laura stayed on Diedre York’s wheel, a woman usually blows the Super D field away. Laura was able to finish 1 second behind her, winning her age group! Laura mentioned feeling “very, very good,” an excellent sign after the prior day’s cross-country effort.
WINBERRY 2ND, SALERNO 3RD at NJ STATE MTB CHAMPIONSHIPS Laura Winberry of Team Campmor earned 2nd at the NJ MTB Championships! She is now 3rd overall in the H2H standings…
Nick Salerno of Death Row Velo has continued to improve in dramatic fashion, taking 3rd at States, jumping up to 4th in the H2H standings… This is Nick’s first time on the podium and the first medal he’s ever won. Well, the State Championship is great timing for that! Nick mentioned that everything came together for this race. Nick made sure to start the race near the front, getting the holeshot of his life and plowing into the early singletrack in the front group. The fast start proved beneficial as there was a huge bottleneck behind.
Nick was in 2nd for the entire first lap, got passed by one guy near the end of the second lap. Nick knew this was a huge race and continued to push incredibly hard. He’s fallen apart in previous races during final laps, and he was worried that the hard pace thus far would cause him to fall apart… He wanted to go easier but knew the pack was on his heels! Nick powered up each climb, cleaned every technical section, and when he got to the top of each hill he had the energy each time to kick it down and sprint to open the gap on the field.
On the final lap, he did get passed by two SingleSpeeders but he caught one of them in the final mile. He was able to take 4th, but in the end one of the racers was not from NJ so he was bumped up to 3rd! What a day!!! HUGE result!
ALDEN 3rd at BALLOON FESTIVAL
Mark Alden of the Blue Ribbon Cycling Team had won this race in 2008, so he was hoping for a repeat win! The attacks began immediately and continued for the rest of the race! Greg Olsen of Adler put in the first formidable move but never getting more than 20 seconds… Then Mark’s teammate Eddie Espitia, Fernando Ferreira (Target Training) and Ken Harris (Adler) bridged… Mark attacked at the beginning of the third lap and bridged to the break with 2 other riders.
The final time up the climb, Dan Staffo and Mark attacked, but on the descent Olsen and Ferreira caught back on. Mark didn’t respond to Dan’s late attack, taking 4th in the sprint, good enough for 3rd in the 30+, 2nd in the 40+. Mark was happy to see Staffo win, a strong and classy rider. He rode aggressively and deserved the win.
WINBERRY 2ND OVERALL AT THE MASSANUTTEN, VA HOO-HA
Laura Winberry of Team Campmor had an excellent 3.5h race, making it to the line still feeling strong. She fought off some dehydration, reporting getting the chills in the heat, but was eating and hydrating as well as she could through those tough trails. Massanutten was an amazing course, one of the toughest XC courses out there – even Jeremiah Bishop attested to that. Big race, big result, Winberry continues to move in the right direction, her goal to be a professional athlete in the next two years…
DAVID 3rd at STATE CRIT CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2nd at TOUR OF BASKING RIDGE!
Nicholas David of Team Propeller has continued to improve since we started training in May… He made the Cat-5 New Jersey State Criterium Championships a goal -- and he almost won the race! Nick reported having electric legs (always nice to hear on planned peak days!) and was able to stay up front all race, marking moves, keeping the cadence high, easy to accelerate. The race came down to a field sprint and Nick jumped early, forcing a long, fast sprint. The field was forced to respond, and Nick gritted his teeth to the line, never sprinting harder, and only two riders NIPPED him at the line. Nick knew if he had waited a touch longer, that final sprint could’ve been his. This is how you learn! 3rd place is still a fine, fine result for a first-year racer!
A week later at the Tour de Basking Ridge, an exciting circuit race that is bookended with two short climbs, Nick saw Joseph Meyer-Fuchs, who rides for Bahati Racing, at the start line. Nick knew he was strong – Fuchs was one of the riders who nipped him at States. Nick knew he was a powerhouse sprinter and decided to watch him carefully throughout the race.
The race started with a slew of attacks, fast and hard, and Nick hung back, watching the action unfold. Nick saw that the attacks weren’t getting away, so he was content to follow wheels, still being attentive. The race soon split into two groups, and Nick mentioned he had no problems going with the first split. Nick wanted to try a solo effort for the finish, but he was smart, knew the race was too short and everyone too fresh. So he waited.
On the final lap, Joe positioned himself up front and Nick went with him. Going into the final climb, Joe made his move and Nick followed shark-like, seated in the drops and on his wheel. I kept seated in the drops and held his wheel. Cresting the climb, there were just 4 left, gapping the field. Nick jumped early again, making the sprint a long, hard charge to the finish, and he was caught by one rider – Joe Meyer-Fuchs. Nick noted how fast he is in the finishes, but Nick knows in his heart had he waited just 5 or so seconds, the win could’ve been his.
WINBERRY 2nd STEWARTS DARKHORSE GALLOP
Laura continues to string together improved performances as she heads towards Easterns and Nationals. She felt strong at Stewarts, could push hard, even on the final lap. She was closing the gap to champ Ellen Serruto in the final lap but ran out of trail… Laura noted that her “mud navigating skills” were on!
VACCARO 4th at Blueberry TT, 2ND at BUCKMAN TRIATHLON!
Roy Vaccaro of Jimenez Velo Sport has finished the season building momentum for his 2010 campaign… Roy, after years of road racing, has found a love for time trialing. With his participation in triathlons, he’s looking to become a force in the NJ TT Cup in 2010. He finished 2010 by taking 4th overall at the Blueberry TT, then taking 2nd at the Buckman Triathlon!
Roy’s upcoming goals are to finish the New York City marathon with a new PR, perhaps run in January’s Disney marathon, and compete in the 2010 St. George Ironman… His primary goals for the bike are to be competitive in the NJ TT Cup, ideally peaking for the NJ State Time Trial Championships.
WINBERRY 2nd at LEWIS MORRIS, SALERNO 8th!
Laura Winberry of Team Campmor continues to pack together points in the H2H series, a series she’s hoping to win! At the Lewis Morris race in Morristown, NJ, she was stuck on her single-speed. She reported feeling very strong, having to ride overgeared on the climbs. She was a bit too spinny on the flats, but still able to finish solidly with Ellen Serruto, a top rival… The laps were FAST, and she was only 8 minutes off Jane Pearson, whereas it’s more like 15 minutes… Laura knew is she were on her geared bike, that gap would be even LESS!
Nick Salerno of Death Row Velo rocked a solid 8th at Lewis Morris, one of the final stops in the 2009 H2H series… Nick had his best race ever, his best result ever. He felt strong all race, didn’t bonk, pushed a bigger gear, didn’t cramp… He cleared every climb and really felt like he was flying… Nick continues to improve with every race and I’m expecting some big things out of this kid
DAVID 3rd at CRITERIUM NEW YORK!
Nick David and his Propeller Racing teammates competed at Floyd Bennett Field’s Criterium New York and earned a solid result. The team sat in for the first half of the race, then laid down attacks near the end, hoping to get away. With one lap to go, Nick attacked out of a corner, pulling his teammate Paul Harrison and one other rider away from the peloton. Going into the sprint, Paul launched first, Nick forcing the other rider to pass, but Nick misshifted. Propeller still won, taking home 1st and 3rd on the day! HUGE result!
WINBERRY 3rd at WILLIAMS LAKE
Laura Winberry of Team Campmor had a good day, not her fastest, but she had the ability to push, showing her form is there in prep for Nationals… The race was a mudfest, which she loved, and her technical game was on. Laura reported riding better and better, even with thick, soupy mud and slick everything.
Laura reported also eating and hydrating very well prior to the race, but early during the race she realize he cage was missing! She was missing her “magic” mix and had to settle for water on the remaining laps. Into that final half hour, she knew she was entering Bonk Mode and fought hard to hold onto the 3rd she had worked so hard for. She writes, “The last 30m were just me hanging on, climbing in granny, slowly, almost passing out, having no control on the downhills, eyes not focusing.” She did manage to hang on, though, and finish for a solid 3rd overall…
SALERNO 15th at the DARKHORSE GALLOP Nick feels this is the best of his career thus far. His mind and body were in tune and for the first time ever, and he didn't crack in the final laps. Perhaps it was because he made an effort to drink more than usual during the race. Or perhaps he’s getting stronger! This year’s race was slower and wet, but still HARD to say the least! By the end of the day, competitors' colorful kits were hardly distinguishable, as everyone had taken on a few different shades of brown, depending on their various stages of wetness.
SALERNO 6th at RINGWOOD LEAF BLOWER MTB RACE, THE H2H SERIES FINALE!
Racing for Death Row Velo, here is Nick’s diary entry for this October race: “The Ringwood race went awesome for me. I knew the pressure was off since I was out of contention for an overall podium. I was totally relaxed from the start. Instead of lining up in the front of the pack, I was in the very back. And instead of trying to stay in the front and fading back, I chose to just ride the best I could and pick people off as I could.
"Fortunately, there was almost a mile of fire road before the first single track, so I worked my way up to 5th place, and traded with 6th for a little while, then left him in my dust. The lead 4 went way off the front and I never saw them again. I rode smart, didn't crash, and hit every techy section with confidence and cleaned everything. I was killing it. I went up this one rocky ledge that no one was making and the guy behind me yelled, 'NO WAY!' It was awesome.
"The 6th place guy caught me right before the entrance to the last 1/10mi of single track and I just couldn't pass him to reclaim 5th. His name is Stephen Conroy and he's consistently whooped my ass all season. I am happy that I was able to hold him off the whole race and that I found out he was feeling and riding well that day. It was a great day all around. The weather was perfect, the trail conditions were perfect, and Ringwood is one of my favorite parks. Great way to end the season. Thank you for helping make it as great as it was.”
Nick Salerno’s blog can be found at http://www.dirt-merchant.blogspot.com/ and www.deathrowvelo.com.
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