Medals for Everyone!

On Saturday, November 20 several of the EXPO wheelmen contested this year’s CT state championship at the Cheshire cyclocross race.

The race at Cheshire has taken place over the last several years so a few of the more experienced crossers on the team knew what to expect.  The riders started in a field and then quickly went out a rough dirt road followed by a steep run up into the woods.  Once in the woods the course followed wooded single-track for the next few minutes and culminated with a steep long hill.  The long hill was rideable for most but posed a significant challenge every lap.  Many spectators made this their viewing location including one in a full Santa suit.  After the long hill the course descended back to the parking lot and wound its way around a few fields to the finish area.

Jon T was first up on this day and started things off on a positive note for team Expo.  Jon won the hole shot and led for the first half of the first lap until being passed just coming out of the woods.  Jon sat patiently on the leader’s wheel waiting to make his move.  Through the deep sand pit which Jon chose to run while the leader attempted to ride, Jon attacked was able to get a small gap.  Throughout the next few laps the lead stayed at a consistent 7 seconds.  Jon made a final push on the last lap and was able to take his first win of the season and secure the gold medal as CT state 45+ champion.

Next up were Cliff and Dave, both competing in the 35+ which was split for medal purposes between 35-39 and 40-44.  Cliff and Dave both started well and were within a few seconds of the leaders throughout the first lap.  They then tried to pull the gap back through the woods at the start of the second lap.  Unfortunately for them the leaders were working well together and they were unable to close things down.

For the remainder of the race, the two of them rode together trying to share the workload during the more open sections of the course.  As a result of working together they were able to finish, 4^th (Dave) and 5^th (Cliff).  After noting the ages of the winners, Dave by virtue of his 4^th place finish won the 40-44 category and was crowned CT champion.  Cliff’s efforts were rewarded with a 3^rd place medal in the 35-39 category.

The final race of the day was the Elite 1/2/3 race and saw Expo’s Keith Gauvin toe the line.  The rest of the Expo team stayed around on this day to encourage Keith during his race.  Keith got a great start and after the first run up a group of 4 had already established a gap.  This group worked well together and within a lap already had a sizeable lead.  Keith pushed the pace several times and by virtue of this work was able to shed a few of the other racers going into the last lap.

Keith worked hard on the last lap but was unable to come around the winner at the line and had to settle for 2^nd.  However, 2^nd on this day was good enough to be awarded the CT Elite Gold medal as the winner of the race was from Massachusetts.

Congratulations to the Expo racers on their fine work and great results!

In the money

The last race in Easthampton, MA of the CT Tobacco Valley Series, a seven race series throughout CT and MA, was held on a chilly New England morning on November 21st.  With temperatures hovering right at 40 degrees, both Keith and David prepared for their races and when the time was right, lined up for the start, Keith in the elite’s and David in the masters 35+.

The course was held at Easthampton High School and would prove to be a very similar course (and results) as the previous day’s race for the CT Championships.  The start was on a short but fast straight of road leading to a sweeping left into the woods and a few quick twists and turns. This was followed by a double sand pit, the first section ride-able while the second section proved a bit trickier.  Up next was a challenging off-camber section that if done correctly could give you a good advantage, done incorrectly would cost you valuable time.  This was a longer than normal course with average laps times around 10 minutes each – overall race was 5 flaps.

Keith was up first with a strong start and immediately found himself with the front group – he would hold position with the top three and secure a decisive 3rd overall atop of the podium.

Up next was David taking the hole-shot and leading the pack into the woods.  His strong start helped him stay in the lead group for the first 3 out of 5 laps.  Coming off of his challenge with bronchitis, David was not able to keep up the efforts necessary to stay with this group, he would slot into 5 place overall and hold this to the finish.  Overall this placed David in 4th place for the overall series.

On Sunday November 21 team Expo was represented by Cliff and Jon at the 2010 Robinson charity ride to benefit the Shriners Hospital in Western Massachusetts.  Also, in attendance were teammates Jonathan Swan and Jesse Quagliaroli.  Several of the team did this ride last year and had overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the event.  The ride is held at Robinson State park in Agawam, MA and consists of 17 miles of twisty fun leaf free single-track.

Jon and Cliff started with the advanced group at 9:30 and within minutes were already smiling as the trail quickly starts to descend and twist through the woods.  After 2 hours of riding bliss they were back to the car for the raffle and a quick snack.  Talking with several riders at the conclusion of the ride everyone was amazed with how great an event this has grown to be.  Expo will sure to be back again next year to benefit this great cause.

This past weekend saw the Expo Wheelmen contesting the longest running UCI cyclocross race in the United States. The Cycle-Smart International celebrated 20 years of continuous racing this year. As part of the Verge New England Cyclocross Series the race was held over two days at Look Park in Northampton, Mass.

Saturday’s race saw Chris F. line up near the back of the huge cat. 4 field. Chris enthusiastically battled with the other 149 racers to a satisfying finish. Chris seems to like ‘cross and is expected to be seen at future races.

Next up were the 45+ masters, where Jon T. would hope to defend his 8th place series position. At the whistle, Jon found himself charging off the front to get his first ever hole shot. The course quickly transitions from a paved start stretch onto a steep and eroded run-up. From there the course winds through two distinct sections. The upper section is twisty, rooty pine grove before dropping steeply down to the lower area. The lower area is made up of soft grass and fast open turns, which combined can make the legs scream. Jon avoided the many crashes on the slippery early morning track to finish in 8th place.

The 35+ masters race was contested by Keith G. and Dave H. on Saturday. Dave seems to have recovered from his long lingering cold and is starting to improve his standing. The standout of the Expo team though was Keith, who fought hard to finish 6th in this super competitive field. Dave finished in 30th place. Sunday saw clear skies and sun, with a light breeze. Jon was up first with the 45+ race. Another good start from the front row saw him riding smarter and following at second wheel down the start stretch. Jon found himself at the back of the five man lead group for the first lap and a half, and then began his slide off the pace. After being caught by a group of 5 on the last lap he finished the day in 14th place.

The 35+ men’s race saw Dave and Keith, along with Cliff K. this time, at the starting line. Right from the whistle, it was clear that Keith wasn’t satisfied with his 6th place on Saturday as he charged to the front of the race. A lead group of three formed followed closely by two riders, Keith and Todd Bowden. The two worked well together to maintain their positions in 4th and 5th. On the last lap Keith made his move to go through the last grass corners on the front. As they hit the pavement, Keith gave it all he had, which wasn’t enough to hold Todd off. Keith finished an incredible 5th place! His highest Verge placing to date. Cliff and Dave both rode strong races and finished ahead of mid-pack.

Joe T. has taken the leap and upgraded to cat 3. The cat 3 race is sometimes called the ‘B’ race or the Killer Bees. 150 racers were on the line for this fast race, which also included the 15-18 year old juniors. This race is serious and unlike the cat 4 field, 98% of the guys are there for some serious racing. Joe finished toward the back of the pack, but had a good time and got a nice taste of his next step in ‘cross.

Once again, we had a great team weekend with lots of good times. There are still plenty of races this season, so come on out and join the ‘cross community.