MOB in Roanoke, VA

So, Kelly and I drove up to Roanoke to do the 3 day omnium. Matt Chambers joined us for a few days and Jay cruised up for some fun on Sunday. Kelly raced the masters 40+, while I did the 3/4 races along with Matt. Jay did the 1-2-3 race on Sunday.

Day 1: Uphill TT: 1.9miles at 11% ave. Kelly was killing it, coming in under 11min, while I held my own at 11:38 (26th overall 3/4, 9th in the cat4) for the Cat 3/4 . Not sure where Matt ended up time-wise, but he put in a great ride.

Day 2: 0.7 mile crit (6 corner) technical with a small backside hill and a LONG finishing straight. Kelly stayed in the front the whole time, laying it down, getting 2 primes, and sprinting for 4th. I ended up 21st in the 3/4 (6th in the cat 4 group). Matt retired early, but put in a great effort.

Day 3: 3/4 mile technical crit with a 1st turn 180 degrees leading to several brick sections on the back side. It was pouring rain...and lead to some hard fought racing. Again, Kelly was pushing the front, and finished 4th. I ended up flatting with 2 to go...in a field that only finished 12...DAMN. Oh well. Jay came up for the maddness and finished strong in the field...having to maneuver around multiple wrecks and gaps from others dropping out. All in all, Kelly finished 2nd in the overall omnium for the 40+ guys. GREAT JOB!!!!!! Great job to Jay and Matt as well.

It was fun to hang out with the MOB guys and get in some good hard racing. I'm not sure where I finished up for the omnium, but the DNF on Sun didn't help my cause. More so, I knew Kelly wasn't going to post what he did this weekend, because, well, if you know him as well as I do, you know he just would say..."well...you know...I did alright." He was a force in those races, and the announcers were calling out MOB racing several times. It was a great showing for MOB racing.

Also, for me, it was an education. I was able to pick his brain and discuss all sorts of tactics and technics, including how the hell to race in the slop on Sunday, with the hairpin turns, esses, and brick sections without crashing...where to be and when, and what to look for, and who to watch out for. I learned a ton and had a blast.

One last plug, thanks to Pete for getting my sorry cycling self into shape to be able to compete with these guys. I'm getting there....SLOWLY!!!!!!!

So, if any of the less seasoned guys have a chance, get out there, and talk to these guys who have been doing it for a while, DO IT! They'll teach you how to go faster...just by using some common sense....and I promise it won't hurt nearly as much as hopping on the trainer for what is know in some circles as.... "the Cannell 2x20 death intervals!!!" :)

It was great racing with you guys this past weekend! Thanks again KHo.... See everyone this weekend at the PTO!!

Jerry