Team Velo Wrench had many racers competing at the 2014 Sea Otter Classic. Below are a few of their race reports, and many photos.
Sea Otter Men's Cat 4 Criterium-
Race report by Jeff Pritchett:
'After
waking up before 5 am (ouch) I picked up Richard and we headed down to Laguna
Seca for the race. It was my 1st time down to Sea Otter so I was pretty
excited. After a really good hour long warmup it was time to race!
We started the race at the back of the pack (~45 guys) but that was OK.
First off - a description of the
course: 2 long straightaways with 90 degree corners and a 180 degree hairpin
corner at each end. After the start you climb, then descent, then a left
hander into a right hand hairpin, then a climb (shallower than the Monte Vista
climb from the Vacaville Grand Prix but maybe 2x as long), then a long mild
descent, then a right hander into a right hand hairpin into a left hander with
a straightaway to the finish. Keep in mind that the straightaways are
about 1/2 mile long, but the distance from the 90 degree corners to the
hairpins (and the last hairpin corner to the left hand 90 degree corner) is
about 50 feet.
It took me about 2 laps to get a
feel for how the pack was going to ride the climbs, descents, and the entries
into the corners. With every man wanting to show his power, everyone
would absolutely hammer the climbs, but then just sit in and coast the
descents. This made it easy to float on every climb (start the climb near
the front and then ride it slower than everyone else so that you hit the top
near the back - therefore working less than everyone else) and then get to the
front on nearly every descent. It was amazing to me that nobody would
move the the front on the descents besides me and one other guy. Simply
amazing. It was a really hard race though - those little climbs really
wore on me - especially having to jump hard out of the hairpin after the finish
line. Luckily for me I had Richard in the race and he was more than happy
to look after me - and help my fat butt up the climbs - on several occasions up
the long climb as I was floating back I would get a huge push from him that
would push me up 2-3 bike lengths. It definitely helped me save some
power. Going thru the finish line for 1 lap to go I was near the front
(10th?) and went hard up the climb after the finish and was then able to get to
the front (1st place baby!) before the bottom of the descent, so I was able to
hit the corner and then the hairpin with minimal braking and I was able to do
the first third of the final climb at my own pace before I got caught and had
to go really hard - even though I hammered up the climb once I got caught I
still got swarmed, but I knew that I would (all them damn skinny guys).
On the descent I again moved up on the right side up to 8th for the corner
and hairpin. Coming out of the last corner I was just too far back
though. Sprinted for 6th place. In hindsight I really did a near
perfect race, but coming down the last descent I should have jumped to top 3 to
hit those last corners - that was the only way to go for the win. All
good info for next year though. It was an amazing race - although a
really hard race - and I will definitely be back next year. Of course,
after the race, going back to the car in the parking lot, my front tire (a
brand new Continental) had the sidewall cut by a sharp piece of gravel and blew
out. Luckily it wasn't before the race!'
Race Report By Richard Nagel:
"The race was fun…waking up before 5am not so fun.
I knew going in to the race that I was not going to be going for the win but
to help out my team mates. Warmed up for a hour and accidentally drank
all my water. Thanks to Vince and Luis they supplied me and Jeff with water to
fill my and top off Jeff's bottles. Race was great. I stayed hidden in the pack
for most of the race. I helped Jeff save some energy on a few climbs with a
little push. With 3 laps to go I worked us to the front of the group to set us
up for the final laps. I ended up leading the race for half a lap with 2 to go.
I stayed towards the front going in to the last lap. I got trapped in the
middle of the pack while the field moved up around me. I wasted everything on
the last climb to try and get back in the field but they were just too fast. I
cheered Jeff on as he made the last hairpin turn. It was nice going to Sea
Otter and racing with team members."
Sea Otter Men's Cat 5 45+ Road Race-
Race Report by Danny Sullivan:
'Hi everyone,
This year's Sea Otter started
off great. Thanks to Vinny for getting my bike race ready! I started off doing
a couple of warm up laps on the race track, by the way, thanks also to the
"mountain bikers" on the side of the track for taunting us,
"mooning" us and calling us roadies, it gave us some good laughs.
The race stared off
real fast, as soon as we hit the downhill section, the pace motorcycle pulled
off and we got going 35 mph+. They slowed us back down at the foot of the hill
and then the race was off. I tried to stay with the lead group up the hill but
slowly faded to the back. When I reached the top there was a strong cross-wind
and I started to hammer to catch up to a couple of guys ahead when somebody
behind me said "let's work together"(#1130). So we did and caught up
to them quickly. The rest of the race, we all four worked together, #1130 and I
would lose the other two on the hills but then we would catch back up on the
flats. We picked up and lost several more riders as the race went on and it
looked like we would finish together. Unfortunately #1130 dropped his chain on
the last lap. On the climb to the finish I could see the other two guys about
100 yards ahead of me. We never caught up to the lead group. It was an awesome
race!'
Sea Otter XC Clydesdale-
Race Report by Mike Wilson:
"First off, let me say that we have been racing at the
Sea Otter since 2009 and I have been sniffing around the podium but never on
the box. This year I was hoping for the best but had no illusions about my
finish. I raced in the cat 3 xc Clydesdale group, figuring this was my best
shot. I don't know how many riders started, but only 37 finished.
The race started like most SOC XC races, a bit of a draft fest on the race
track and I hung in the 3rd or 4th position. As we left the pavement the 2
lead riders crashed, as the course was not real clear, but it is another paved
road. I stayed in the 3 spot and we went through the first single track
section, and back out to paved road. At this point i had picked up the wheel of
another Clyde, who did not like it, and swerved back and forth like a drunk. I
decided enough was enough with this guy and punched it a bit to the next single
track section ahead of him, and that was the last I saw of him. at this point I
was pretty sure I was in 3 rd spot, and I could see the 2 leaders. I was able
to stay with these guys, never getting more than 15 or so seconds back. By this
time we were in heavy traffic in single track, and we all had to make some
pretty aggressive passes. By the top of the second big hill the 2nd place rider
had popped and it was just me and one other rider. We talked, and between us we
knew nobody was up the road and we were the leaders.
We did get passed by this huge rider, who was in the Clyde division, but he
exploded at the next hill and it was back to me and 1 other. I did take the
lead briefly at about the 14 mile mark, but got screwed by traffic, and was
caught and passed by the same rider.
As we approached the finish, about mile 16 of 18 I attacked and was able to gap
2nd place, but got screwed by traffic again. we came to the last 1/4 mile,
which is a quick downhill into the finish stadium. Both the leader and I
sprinted to make it through the tiny gate ( each of us crashing a rider to get
by) and he beat me too it, but as we descended into the track his chain had
come off, and tore his derailleur off his bike. I was able to sprint by and
cross the line about a minute ahead of him.
Yes, there was a little bit of luck involved, and I am not sure I would have
been able to out sprint him at the finish, but I was not going to quit without
giving it a shot. I was actually not sure I had won until the results were
posted. I have to say I was pretty happy, to finally get a Sea Otter Classic
podium , and a win to boot!
It was extra sweet with Ellen getting a win as well. I will let her write her
own report for the race.
See you at Boggs!'
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| Andrea & Brigitte @ the Velo Wrench Bike Shop booth in the SOC expo. |
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| Andrea, Brigitte & Kristen @ registration. Brigitte is the selfie queen. |
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| Andrea chillin in the Sierra Nevada Beer Gardens |
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| Jeannie & Brigitte rockin!! |
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| Brig, Greg & Andrea after Greg's race at the SOC. |
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| Brigitte hanging in the Seirra Nevada Beer gardens |
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| Danny's pre race warm up routine. |
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| Ellen Wilson, top of the box11 SOC XC Athena |
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| James waiting to start the Cat 4 circuit race. |
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| best podium picture ever!! |
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| both Mike & Ellen Wilson top of the podium in their races. |
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| Mike Wilson top spot, SOC Clydesdale XC |
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| Vince hanging with pros Phil Mooney and Erica Tingey at the Velo Wrench Bike shop booth |
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| Veee DUB |
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| Team Velo Wrench and JET cycling |
