Highbloo - Time To Change Pt 2 (Surfing Leons Remix) preview by lektroluvrecords
Wetblog: Highblood - Time To Change Pt 2 (Surfing Leons Remix) preview bylektroluvrecords
The OMEGA HIT SQUAD convened this weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. With most of the team heading down to Laguna Seca for the Sea Otter Classic next weekend, Quinn, Chris and I traveled to Utah to represent Exergy at the Tour of the Depot. Kai Applequist, our Team Exergy teammate won the 2009 rendition and we were traveling with the hopes of a stage win and some great training. But Utah’s higher altitude and well represented teams had other plans. The Canyon Cycle team, SLC top local team, were shooting for the overall win as the weekend’s top GC amateur earned a spot on a composite squad for Minneapolis' Nature Valley Grand Prix event in June.
The first day started bright and early. A 9am start with a few inches of snow on the ground welcomed us three amigos as we ventured an hour west of SLC to Stocton, Utah. The course was changed and start delayed as snow over the pass forced a reroute but fortunately the temperatures were just warm enough to melt the big white flakes before they iced up the roads. So amidst a snow storm, a 30 man pack (with 7 Canyon riders) took off into the rolling flatlands of Stockton. We planned to be aggressive from the start as the early break usually sticks but perhaps I was a bit too early when I countered over Quinn’s opening attack to launch into a 15 minute solo break accumulating a maximum advantage of 50 seconds.
Although the field was slow to react in a show of confusing tactics, I was brought back as the field turned into a block headwind, leaving Quinn and Hong to cover the front. After the first turn-around at 50km, a small three man break had formed without Exergy representation so in classic 101 bike tactics, I stretched the field out just enough to launch Quinn across. Now six strong, the break rode 60-90 seconds in front of the cold peleton.
After the second turn-around, the second largest team in the race, SportsBaseOnline, got organized at the front and starting chasing with their five man squad. Chris and I, along with a few Canyon riders, rode just behind the rotating SBO riders. However the gap to the front remained 90seconds strong. After a third turn-around and we rolled back towards the finish line, a strong tailwind and false flat uphill made the pain in the legs equal for all in the peloton. Near the crest of the single hill of the day with 15 miles remaining, Chris and I, along with 1 Canyon rider (Tyler Riedesel), rode away from the pack, eventually finishing 80 seconds behind Quinn, who after slowly shedding the rest of the breakaway, attacked at 500 metres only to lose out to local 42 year old legend David Harward (Canyon) in the sprint.
Stage 1:
1) Harward (Canyon): 2:57:00
2) Keogh (Exergy): +0:08
After the race we all got a chance to shower and nap in the trailer camper of our wonderful homestay Andre. Andre also had a pretty good day in the snow as he won his Master’s +45 race. The time trial was set for late in the afternoon on a course featuring a 3 mile 3-5% uphill followed by a 6 mile descent...which means Quinn and I were both very excited to ride the brand new KASK time trial helmets and our Williams disc wheels. Unfortunately race organizers cancelled the event due to a road washout.
Day 2 was much more pleasant. Sunny skies welcomed us as we returned to the location of the time trial course to race 8laps of an 8km circuit over slightly inclined terrain (nothing over 3%). We were aggressive when appropriate and controlled the race when appropriate but it was very difficult to go for the win due to the amount of riders in the race and the team’s represented. With only 19 riders toeing the line Sunday, Canyon’s six riders made escaping into the breakaway very difficult. Unfortunately we lost Chris very early and despite controlling the race through the second of two intermediate sprints (Lap 2: three man breakaway claimed the time; Lap 5: Quinn claimed a 1 second time bonus to move only 7 seconds adrift of Harward. However unfortunately a late move slipped away and Canyon lost the GC overall to a rider representing Tulsa Tough.
So the weekend didn’t go to plan but we still came away with some great VO2 max training at elevation. Looking forward to a few days of training in Salt Lake before our trip to Tucson.
Labels: Road Report