Philly Week Recap!
Philly Week was a huge learning event for the young TIME Pro Cycling team, and a few days after the crowning race in Philadelphia, we can look back at it and take stock. Erik Saunders takes a look back at Philly Week:
Day 1: Lehigh
The race was fast. We thought it would be flat, but it wasn't. It was a lot like the old course in Lancaster. It's just the right distance for all the European riders to go full gas the whole day, so nobody had to pace themselves. For us, to have a whole bunch of first year professionals with really only successful regional backgrounds, it was a tall order. It was exciting though, guys like 19-year-old Jackie Simes showed that they were there and ready to play with the best. We raced to make the breakaway, but nothing stuck. At this point, we are not necessarily racing to play for the end of the race, so we have to play for our race which admittedly has a small chance of success. We are a young team. When they started the race, the thought was that it would be like many of the NRC events that we had contested throughout the year, but they found out quickly that this was racing at a whole other level. It was a good day for setting the level. Nobody finished in the sprinting group - out of 200 starters, only 60 or so made that front group.
Results
1. Yuri Metlushenko (Amore e Vita)
2. Karl Menzies (HealthNet)
3. Brad Huff (Jelly Belly)
Day 2: Reading
More of the same, but the guys knew where they stacked up. Nobody felt like they were making any particular sacrifice to their result if they made an effort. We held Ramsey and Stoop back to see if they could finish higher up. Six guys made the early break, which we missed, after being present in nearly everything leading up to that one. Nick Frey saw a lot of action at the front, along with the rest of the team, all doing everything they could to make that move. The guys got a lot of experience on how to ride at the front of a fast bike race, and if you sit on and don't attack, you don't learn that rhythm of racing at a high level - a fast bike race.
The race took in Mt. Penn three times - and finished with a bunch kick of 60 guys. It was not a climb. The typical younger rider would think that was a climber's course, but if you're fast, you're fast and you get over it. They learned the difference between a climb and a hill in Reading.
Results
1. Oscar Sevilla (Rock)
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road)
3. Bernhard Eisel (High Road)
Day 3: Philly
By the time Philly rolled around, everybody was calmer. It was long, and it was the hottest I've ever seen. We knew it was going to be a slow race - it was going to be a six hour to six and a quarter hour Philly, and for Guttenplan (the only finisher) it was six and a half hours. It was a little bit better opportunity for everybody. We went into it as a learning day and the imperative was to make the early break. We needed to show everybody that we were present and ready to take opportunities. Once the guys knew they had nothing to lose, they went hard and took it seriously and rode hard until the first breakaway and we made it.
Check out some great pictures of Daniel working hard in the break: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
It was a great experience in terms of racing as a team for each of the rider, as they all took turns looking after each other - getting bottles, doing whatever they needed to do to help out. Baker, Soladay, and Guttenplan came back to the car for bottles and took care of everybody. Guys understood that it was going to be hard and they were cohesive...
For Andy, he was 3rd in Junior Crit Nats last year, and he really impressed maybe the most of all. He went for it on the front and then went back and got bottles and distributed. For somebody that's 19, he was a model teammate. He stuck it out for awhile and didn't finish, but he doesn't have 153 miles of racing in his legs the way others might, but he did a lot with what he had. Guttenplan gets credit for sticking it out and making it over the Wall all ten times.
This isn't the top of the mountain - they've seen a good level they need to get to within a year or two.
Results
1. Matti Breschel (CSC)
2. Kirk O'Bee (HealthNet)
3. Fred Rodriguez (Rock)
There was no time for rest following a great Philly Week. Immediately following the tough day in Philadelphia, a squad of six headed on to the Nature Valley GP in Minnesota. More on that on Monday!
Day 1: Lehigh
The race was fast. We thought it would be flat, but it wasn't. It was a lot like the old course in Lancaster. It's just the right distance for all the European riders to go full gas the whole day, so nobody had to pace themselves. For us, to have a whole bunch of first year professionals with really only successful regional backgrounds, it was a tall order. It was exciting though, guys like 19-year-old Jackie Simes showed that they were there and ready to play with the best. We raced to make the breakaway, but nothing stuck. At this point, we are not necessarily racing to play for the end of the race, so we have to play for our race which admittedly has a small chance of success. We are a young team. When they started the race, the thought was that it would be like many of the NRC events that we had contested throughout the year, but they found out quickly that this was racing at a whole other level. It was a good day for setting the level. Nobody finished in the sprinting group - out of 200 starters, only 60 or so made that front group.
Results
1. Yuri Metlushenko (Amore e Vita)
2. Karl Menzies (HealthNet)
3. Brad Huff (Jelly Belly)
Day 2: Reading
More of the same, but the guys knew where they stacked up. Nobody felt like they were making any particular sacrifice to their result if they made an effort. We held Ramsey and Stoop back to see if they could finish higher up. Six guys made the early break, which we missed, after being present in nearly everything leading up to that one. Nick Frey saw a lot of action at the front, along with the rest of the team, all doing everything they could to make that move. The guys got a lot of experience on how to ride at the front of a fast bike race, and if you sit on and don't attack, you don't learn that rhythm of racing at a high level - a fast bike race.
The race took in Mt. Penn three times - and finished with a bunch kick of 60 guys. It was not a climb. The typical younger rider would think that was a climber's course, but if you're fast, you're fast and you get over it. They learned the difference between a climb and a hill in Reading.
Results
1. Oscar Sevilla (Rock)
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road)
3. Bernhard Eisel (High Road)
Day 3: Philly
By the time Philly rolled around, everybody was calmer. It was long, and it was the hottest I've ever seen. We knew it was going to be a slow race - it was going to be a six hour to six and a quarter hour Philly, and for Guttenplan (the only finisher) it was six and a half hours. It was a little bit better opportunity for everybody. We went into it as a learning day and the imperative was to make the early break. We needed to show everybody that we were present and ready to take opportunities. Once the guys knew they had nothing to lose, they went hard and took it seriously and rode hard until the first breakaway and we made it.
Check out some great pictures of Daniel working hard in the break: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
It was a great experience in terms of racing as a team for each of the rider, as they all took turns looking after each other - getting bottles, doing whatever they needed to do to help out. Baker, Soladay, and Guttenplan came back to the car for bottles and took care of everybody. Guys understood that it was going to be hard and they were cohesive...
For Andy, he was 3rd in Junior Crit Nats last year, and he really impressed maybe the most of all. He went for it on the front and then went back and got bottles and distributed. For somebody that's 19, he was a model teammate. He stuck it out for awhile and didn't finish, but he doesn't have 153 miles of racing in his legs the way others might, but he did a lot with what he had. Guttenplan gets credit for sticking it out and making it over the Wall all ten times.
This isn't the top of the mountain - they've seen a good level they need to get to within a year or two.
Results
1. Matti Breschel (CSC)
2. Kirk O'Bee (HealthNet)
3. Fred Rodriguez (Rock)
There was no time for rest following a great Philly Week. Immediately following the tough day in Philadelphia, a squad of six headed on to the Nature Valley GP in Minnesota. More on that on Monday!
posted by Jered at
1:12 PM
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