2009 UC Davis WCCC Championships

Championship Road Race- Me (7th), Viraj (10?), Dan Gazarian, Danny G (MIA)
This race was a flat fest. I think Courtney and I were the only UCLA riders this weekend that didn’t flat. She used the Pave tire and I used Rubino Pro’s. I’m sure that was luck on my part. Hippolyte and I agreed that Davis should really consider getting cobbles installed and ditch the gravel pit. My race began with 47 riders and was quickly shattered as we approached the 5-mile gravel stretch in the first lap. I made sure to stay at the front for the first set of rollers and mark the omnium leader Jay. The first attack was a Davis solo break, but I knew better than to chase it down. A group of maybe 8 guys helped to reel him in, including Viraj. It seemed that this was one of their strategies, because the same thing happened in the B’s and that guy won. In our race, he wasn’t strong enough to last and we caught him at the first hill. I hit the little rollers at a decent clip to try and
shell some of the riders off the back. It turns out the real selection occurred at the gravel. It went from 47 to about 15 in the first lap. The gravel was treacherous. We were the first group to ride through it, so there were hardly any lines to follow. In between the two gravel sections was a 100 meter patch of pavement, but right after that was the final section of really deep gravel. I almost slipped out and crashed multiple times. Riders were getting off their bikes and walking through it. Luckily I found a narrow dirt path and the edge of this section and rode on it to minimize my chance of crashing. I still got dropped in the gravel though. I thought my race was over here and I planned to drop out at the end of this lap. But coming out of the gravel I could see that the pack slowed and I buried my self and chased back on. I finally caught them before a steep hill, but I dropped my chain on the hill. I got it back on, but I had to turn downhill to clip in and then hit the climb. Again I had to TT my way back into it, and here I felt like my legs were shot. It turns out that when I dropped my chain, the omnium leader from Davis attacked the group and went solo. I saw him off the front when I finally caught back on, and he was really out there. I tried to stay with the group and recover in the pack and then attack the turn around and bridge to him. I hammered it with the tailwind and we were really moving. A Cal rider and a Nevada rider got on my wheel along with a Davis rider that tried to disrupt our paceline. We still managed to catch the solo break before the rollers and I knew he was tired. Once more we went into the gravel pit, and again I got dropped. I had to chase back on yet again, and when I finally got the group I was almost dead. I pushed myself on and got really lucky, because the omnium leader got a flat! I felt like it was my chance to take the race. So we chugged our way back to the finish, conserving energy and taking fake pulls at the front. As we approached the finish a Santa Clara rider attacked and we all responded. At this point there were about 8 riders left. I really pushed it, but I had no legs. I was about 4th wheel coming into the finish hugging the right side of the road. Some kid from Humbolt came up on my right with no space for error and bumped me off balance. My legs instantly locked up and two more riders passed me. I lost 3 spots because of this and limped across the finish. I instantly fell to the floor after letting out some choice profanity and sulked. As Jose said, “Failure: When your best just isn’t good enough”… I’ll say that the gravel was harder for me than the McEwan climb at UCB, and the hardest effort I had put forth thus far.



Championship Crit- Me (1st), Viraj (?), Dan Gazarian (?), Danny G (MIA)
The night before this race, my legs were destroyed from the RR. I felt like I had no chance in the crit. Thankfully Dave and Jose gave me some encouragement and I decided I would give it my best. As Jose so eloquently put it… “It’s the last game of the season, can’t hold anything back now”. My plan was to bust out with the skinsuit, shoe covers, and aero wheel and attack the group hard. Dave let me use his baller shoe covers, but unfortunately I was only able to use my regular wheels. At least I had the foresight to put my Pro3’s on them. As we lined up, Tony, one of the Davis riders told me to be on the lookout for his attack and work with him. I knew they were gunning for the win, in their own city, in front of all of their friends. I went off the front for the first few laps with Davis, but I got off the break early because I knew it wouldn’t last. I spent the next few laps at the front marking the omnium leader and chasing down small attacks. The real racing started when Davis sent a few solo breaks off the front. When the omnium leader went I chased him down immediately, but I let him dangle out there for a while to tire him out. I finally reeled him in when the time was right and another attack went. This time I knew it was too late for me to respond to it, as I had to get ready for the sprint. This was their ploy to tire me out. I singled to Dave who was watching on the sidelines asking him what to do, when out of nowhere comes Gazarian pulling at the front. Without his help I surely would have screwed my chances at the end. Gazarian pulled strong for the whole lap and reeled in the Davis attack with a few laps to go. Now it was all about positioning. I moved around at will in the field that was pulled down from 37 to about 20. I saw the Davis leadout train forming with 3 of their strongest riders. I got on the back of it coming around with 2 turns to go. I started shifting into a higher gear and gaining speed. We approached the straight to the last turn and I took the inside corner and opened up my sprint coming through the turn. They didn’t see it coming at all. They thought I was a climber so they underestimated my sprint. According to my powertap I put down 1199 watts and crossed the line alone, hands coming up just
as my wheels touched the red line. At first I couldn’t believe it, but then it hit me and I let out the “lion’s roar” with my fists clenched in the air. I don’t think any of our guys were there to take a picture, but I know Jose’s dad got some footage. Regardless, it was a fitting end to a long season and a lot of training. I only wish Danny could have been there because this course was made for him. It was a great day of racing and spectating for all of us. The podium ceremony made it even sweeter. I stood first with Davis on the podium for Danny, who would have won if he was there.

UCSB MD Criterium & MC Road Race

MD Crit- I forgot to sprint. 4th place
This would turn out to be my last MD race of my short career, so I really wanted to do well. Before the race, I reflected on the advice I got from John and Alex at CPSLO..."Attack! Attack! Attack! oh, and don't forget...Attack!" It got me 6th place at the CP crit, but that course had a slight hill and rather technical corners for some D riders. The SB crit was as flat as can be, and the turns were so easy that you could pedal right through them. This is why I love business park crits. As the race started I was nervous as usual, and some strange kid from Davis was telling lame jokes. "What happens when the smog clears in Los Angeles? You See L A." That is funny........NOT. Anyway we took off and the pace was really relaxed. There were a few attacks, but everything was being immediately pulled back in. There was absolutely no way to break. Viraj tried to attack, but not enough people went with him for it to work out. I decided to take it easy and sit in, i.e. danny style. I did nothing the entire race. All my powertap data was well below my personal best. Coming around the first turn of the final lap some USC D plowed into my RD. I heard the chain rattle loudly, felt the cranks stick and looked back to see his face stunned. I kept it up and the cranks started spinning again. Anyway, after this I was so angry that I didn't realize it was last lap. Oddly enough half of the other riders didn't know it either. Up to the last turn I was 4th wheel and kept it. I didn't even sprint. I was so fresh afterwards that I felt as if I was still warming up. What would have happened if I actually tried at the end? Who knows, but as Jose says "there's no glory in the D's". After the race we noticed that my RD wasn't shifting properly. I took it to a LBS and it turns out the hanger and RD were slightly bent and needed adjustment. I would find out the next day that the skewer itself was also bent. USC kid, you owe me. Big time. Ron maybe you need to give those D's another pack handling clinic?

MC RR- The C's are scared to breakaway. 5th or 6th place
Hans allowed me to upgrade before the road race, so Andrew A, Viraj and I joined Danny for our first C's race. To Danny's dismay, we wouldn't be leading him out Columbia-Highroad style (although maybe we should have). The race started out and I was very apprehensive because of all of my bike problems. I was using Hippolyte's trainer skewer in my rear wheel and my shifting was off. I also dropped my chain warming up, so I felt like something bad was bound to happen. As the race started SB and Santa Clara went to the front. They kept a very easy pace. Danny and I kept to the front and the tea party ensued. When we got to the front the pulls were at about 150 watts. Thats no joke. As we approached the first turn there was no course martial and Danny took a left. I followed and the entire field went right. We turned around and caught onto the back to find Cal Binder riding along with us. Danny began to chat and I worked to move up. I knew I screwed my chances with that mishap, so I made sure to get up there. It took me and entire lap to reach 10th wheel. During this boring journey the pace slowed down even more. Slowly the Cal Poly riders moved their team to the front. I noticed an attack off the front with mostly Cal Poly riders. At this point I was about 8th wheel. I saw the break slowly move away and wondered why no chasing ensued. The C's are very hesitant to let any breaks go. Then I saw SB, Cal, Santa Clara and some other riders just sitting behind 4 Cal Poly D's. This is what I like to call the Cal Poly Cattle Guard. They set up 4 of their weakest riders at the front and blocked the entire lane.
This is literally blocking the entire lane from the centerline to the shoulder so that nobody could pass. I screamed at the riders in front of me who didn't even notice to pass them, push them, get by them. I forced the group to catch the weak break and by this time we were ready for the 3rd lap. As we passed the feed zone I heard Jose yell out "ANDREW ITS THE LAST LAP!". As Hippolyte would say... it was time to drop the hammer and say goodbye. The pace started to pick up. I attacked on the first hill. I went hard its was a very short hill, so I just muscled up it. I Looked back after 10 seconds and nobody was with me. I wasn't going to waste energy like at the Cal Poly CR, so I let them catch up and kept second wheel. In retrospect I should have just gone for it. I can to race for first not tea party. "If you're not first, you're last." I heard things like "oh he got tired.", "Were not working with you.", "Good luck". Ok fine, let it come down to a field sprint and you'll get crushed by Danny. Second hill, I kept my position at the front and attacked again. A Stanford rider came with and we hammered it. He was doing okay until he cracked and almost took me out. He slowed so much that I touched his rear wheel. I took over and got aero, by this time the field chased and then it was over. I pulled off and got back into the group for the sprint. I was about 4th wheel coming into it and stayed there. I heard a crash at the back as some Davis guys apparently tried to move up and bounced off some other riders. I didn't look back. The sprint began, but I knew I wasn't in top form. The failed attempts at breakaways took a lot out of me. All of a sudden I see Danny come out of nowhere. He took second ostensibly, and I took 6th in the sprint. I went back to the van and devoured a blueberry muffin in about 2 bites. I really thought I could muscle that one out, but 5 second power isn't my strong suit at this point.

UCSC should be interesting. I'll either do well, or get crushed by the seemingly endless climbing...



- Andrew T, UCLA

this is my dog.