tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post2217654447682769988..comments2024-03-19T05:40:22.017-04:00Comments on Sprinter della Casa: Racing - Hartford CritAkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00430651087205849350noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-20113477956690837612009-05-25T15:38:00.966-04:002009-05-25T15:38:00.966-04:00I don't understand how you can be stronger but hav...I don't understand how you can be stronger but have less form. To me they're just different words for the same thing (?). You'd mentioned in BF that you averaged 160-odd watts at Bethel but 220-odd watts at Hartford. Doesn't that mean you're riding with about 30% more power? To me that would be a good thing. It's just that other riders are riding better also.<br /><br />I think one of the things that's happening is kind of like what's happened to Levi in the Giro. Levi is good in the early season for the simple fact that fewer good riders care about that part of the year. Basso, Menchov, Sastre, they're all cruising along in Feb, getting in their miles, while Levi is peaking, trying to win.<br /><br />Now it's later in the season and guys like Basso, Menchov, Sastre, they're starting to come into form. Levi, who I think is outclassed by those guys when on equal form, now finds it difficult to race against them effectively. (Watch him slay everyone on tomorrow's stage lol).<br /><br />Likewise, Hartford marks the beginning of the summer, and the guys who were doing Bethel just for training are now reaching some good form. Races will get harder for a little while longer (I figure until mid-July) as the collective field improves its form. Then, later, races should get manageable as the best riders upgrade or burn out and you gain some more fitness.<br /><br />I'm not any better than I was at Bethel, but the guys in the 3s are way, way stronger than I was back during the Series. I was like Levi - close to maxed out back then. They were like Basso - just twiddling their pedals. Those guys are now getting into good form just now, and racing against them when they're at 60% is different than trying to beat them when they're at 85%.Akihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00430651087205849350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-12595439948738035382009-05-25T12:59:35.624-04:002009-05-25T12:59:35.624-04:00Yup, I was there for that bit.
It also sounded li...Yup, I was there for that bit.<br /><br />It also sounded like my car was being hit by bullets on the highway because the sky just exploded for a few minutes.<br /><br />I'm stronger now than I was at bethel, but I just wish my form was close to where it was. Oh well :)Rishabh Phukanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10099720485421851653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-72743374882794376762009-05-25T07:14:13.780-04:002009-05-25T07:14:13.780-04:00It's unfortunate that it started raining at the en...It's unfortunate that it started raining at the end of the day. The 5s also got reduced to only a few riders after guys went down when the pavement started getting wet. At least you didn't go down.<br /><br />We left when the rain started coming down relatively firmly in the 5s. But later it really, really came down hard.Akihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00430651087205849350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-69184628214383065462009-05-24T23:19:55.701-04:002009-05-24T23:19:55.701-04:00Bummer that I didn't get to see you at the race, b...Bummer that I didn't get to see you at the race, but I showed up right before mine.<br /><br />It was my worst race of the year, when I didn't end up cramping up. It started pouring right before we lined up, and everytime I got the draft, I ended up getting being right next to a crash.<br /><br />After 3 times of this happening, my brain just told my body to stop and I couldn't push harder.<br /><br />I got pulled soon after. <br /><br />I need to get better at drafting in a single paceline-ish thing. I just didn't trust anyone to ride smoothly after the crashes. I guess my race ended right after that mental note. <br /><br />I feel like today would have been better spent on a long ride. <br /><br />Oh well. That's bike racing. <br /><br />-RtcRishabh Phukanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10099720485421851653noreply@blogger.com