Monday, November 16, 2009

Today we ride for Dave

From Rodney:

I just wanted to THANK everyone who came and supported the "Today we ride for Dave" ride from the Fitness Center. It was incredible! We had over 600 riders and raised over $10,000. We had 10 team members who either rode or worked the event that I'm so grateful for. Thanks to Chip for his support and the other team members who participated, Mark Jellous, Matt Mason, Grant Lawyer, Frank Mullins, Paul Paisant, Rick Lee, Steve Golinski and to Julie Paisant for taking so many photos from start to finish. It was a great day, one of the best days I have had on the bike and it had nothing to do with a result. To see Dave's wife there riding with his two daughters was very moving. Take care, be safe, have a great week and look forward to the shop ride next Sat. @ 11:00am.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

MOB Finishes the Last Ace Race in Fine Fashion

What an awesome night for Cyclo Cross @ SECCA or to finish out the last Ace Race at Ace Speedway. The B race had a nice field of ~30 riders with Rick Lee and Steve Golinski flying the MOB colors. Rick was position at the front covering a flerrie of attacks to allow Steve the opportunity to contest the finish and contest the finish he did. A lone DeOro rider took a flyer with 3 laps to go. Rick went to the front to all but bring him back. The DeOro rider went on to win the Gamblers prine with 1 to go but was caught by a charging Steve and one other rider coming out of turn two. Steve made the move to the bottom of the of the track while the other rider went around on the high side. Steve got a gap with a solid sprint that he started 1/2 way down the back stretch. Steve had such a lead he was able to sit up coming into the home stretch for the win! On the cool down from the B race Mark Jellous and myself congratuted Steve on his victory and Rick on his effort. I then told Mark since Steve won the B race he had to win the A race for the sweep.
The situation for the season standing had Mark on the podium in 3rd and behind 2nd place, Erin Pharm, by 3 points. Mark stated the race setting the tempo at the front with multi efforts with me trying the mark the riders that could compromize Marks 3rd place standing. With 15 laps to go Mark was able to get in to a move with Ben Fualk, Michael Vandy, and a bridging Zandy Collins. Now for my role is was easy 1) either wait for Mark to come around and help him with a lead out and 2) try to get between him and 2nd place Erin.
With 3 to go, the break was well established and not coming to the field, by choice so I just sat on waited. Coming to the line with 1 to go I hit it with all I had from about 4th in the field and just kept digging. I look under my shoulder coming to the line and see Erin coming but he was not going to catch me for 5th place. On the cool down lap confirmed that Mark won and with Erin finishing 6th. This would be enough for Mark to finish 2nd for the series. The events of the evening made for a light hearted trip home. A great night all the way around. Now it is time to get ready for the Carolina Cup. Rodney

Monday, August 31, 2009

Aug. 24th What a week!

From the Individual TT to the Team TT to Tour De Gaps to more Cyclo Cross it was a great week for MOB. Wed. Aug 26th at Lowes Motor Speedway we had Rick Lee who won the Cat. III individual TT with another personal best of 22:00:79 just so close to under 22mins. Then we had two Teams in the Team TT. MOB Team I was Daryl Rains, Kelly Holmes, Brad Messenger and Rich Melenico who worked together to set a time of 22:06. Good enough for 5th out of 31 teams. Then MOB Team II of Zach Lail, Jay Cox, Joe Carpissasi and Mark Jellous set the third fastest time of of the night of 19:13! The fastest team was Carolina Masters who posted a 18:32.
Then on Sat. Jay "the Mt. Man" Cox, Frank "the climber" Mullins and myself took part in
the 9th annual Tour De Gaps in Mt Airey. This event boasts of over 11,000ft of climbing in 82miles. We had the sheer pleasure of climbing Squirrel Spur , Willis Gap, Orchard Gap and then the icing on the cake was Pipers Gaps. All 4 gaps combine for 30miles of climbing leaving just 50miles to roll around. Jay was able to finish a very impressive 2nd place in a time 4hrs 17mins. Myself and Frank ended the day by doing 3 / 4 of the climbs.
Then there was a host of folks @ SECCA who worked to perpare the course for the upcoming training and pre season races. There is a 20 degree drop in the temps today from yesterday almost feels like Cross is around the corner. Till next time have fun and be safe. Rodney

Saturday, August 15, 2009

MOB is everywhere

From Ace Speedway to Terry's Challenge biathlon to the Blue Ridge Brutal 100 MOB was everywhere this weekend. We had Pete Cannell, Grant Lawyer and Mark Jellous in the Master's race at Ace Speedway which Mark was able to lap the field with one other rider from the super team support and would go on to win the event.
Mark, and Grant then joined Zach Lail, Kelly Holmes and Avery Telligman in the A race. Zach, Mark, and Grant would lap the field as part of a 7 man break. I'm not sure how this one played out. So maybe we can get the result from one of these 5.
All the while Frank "the climber" Mullins was in West Jefferson participating int he Blue Ridge Brutal 100. This is a 104 mile event with over 10,000ft of climbing. 30miles into it Frank is in the select group of the day with John Patterson, Ryan Jenkins, Charlie Brown, Terry Huss, Jeremy Kahn, and two others. Frank would go onto finish 6th over all in a time of 4hrs and 47min. That is a great effort!
Then we had Paul and Julie Paisant, Steve Golinski and his wife Jennifer, Rick Lee and his wife Stacie, and myself did the Terry's Challenge Biathlon. Paul was able to bring home some hardware for his team. Team Golinski, Steve and Jennifer were able to bring home a trophy, Rick and Stacie Lee were able bring home a trophy, Julie teamed with her sister in law won the women's team division and I was able to win the men's team division with the help of Jacob Crickenburger as my runner.
Wow, what a Team that we can be in so many different events and still have such great success!
Who knows where we will be next weekend, maybe Krispy Kreme!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Cat 4 / Crossroads & Hanes Park

The Crossroads Classics are a fun week of racing. This year I raced the last three of the five races in Salisbury, Statesville & Harrisburg, finishing 25th, 15th and 11th. Charles joined in on the fun @ Salisbury and Statesville and rode strong. Congratulations to Jerry Rebo who raced all of the Crossroads races and finished 3rd in the overall. Also, Congratulations to all team members who participated in the races, as we finished third overall in the team competition.

The Hanes Park Classic Cat 4 race was an absolute blast. I overheard several people questioning the decision to reverse the course, my opinion, it was great. We had a strong presence in the field with myself, Rebo, Charles, Matt Chambers and Steve Golinski. Charles, Rebo and I stayed at the front the entire race not letting anything get away. I won a Mock Orange Prime and tried to stay off the front but wasn't capable of doing it alone so I sat up and integrated back into the field. Charles had a plan for he and I to get Rebo off the front on the last lap for a shot at the win but it didn't pan out, Rebo had worked his rear off at the front and chasing down attacks and his legs had left him. Charles executed like he said he was going to and I went with him, I had a shot at the win but finished second with Charles 5th, Rebo 14th and Steve and Matt finishing strong. Great team effort.

I would also like to thank everyone for the offers to teach me to get in the drops, stand up and sprint. I'm pretty sure I get it... LOL

Friday, July 31, 2009

Hurt, Pain and agony lives up to its name

It is only 100K how bad can it be.? With almost 7,000ft of climbing in that distance makes it one of the hardest events i do all year. Last Sat. was a beautiful morning as Frank Mullins, Stephen Brumley, Paul and Julie Paisant and myself went to raise proceeds for the Cancer Foundation on one of the meanest and most seneic rides we will do all year.
This ride starts for the 1st 6miles out of the box all up hill with 2 sections of 18% grade. Eric Austin was off the front by the time we turned L onto Frank P Parkway which is the entrance to Stone Mt. State parkway. I set a tempo on the front that pulled Stephen, Frank and Jeremiah Kahn out of the field. Once on to Oklahoma it is still Eric with a gap Stephen's pulls then Frank then Kahn who turns up the heat and takes Frank up to Eric.
The three of them are hooked up and gone once we top out Oklahoma and it leaves Stephen and I as the 1st chase group. As we make our way over to the Parkway I can tell today was going to be a along one with the way I was feeling. Stephen is now taking longer pulls as my turns get shorter.
I start to eat and drink but still was not feeling it. Now it is my team mate who is doing all the work to get me back in. I felt really bad about holding him up as he was almost having to push me up some of the rollers. The worse I felt the stronger Stephen seemed to be.
It was at about mile 40 that while on Stephen's wheel I heard a pop and first thought that he had broken a cable. We pull over and it is a broken spoke in the front wheel. As we are removing the spoke here comes a group of7 lined up like a trian with John Hamblin on the front. They were rolling. Now Stephen has to nurse home a bike that gets high speed wheel wobble and me. At mile 50 we get up the steep 18% pitch up to the the Parkway as I notice the legs are really starting to sting. With less than 8miles to go I cramp so hard I have to get off the bike. After stretching a bit was able to get back on and get back down to the Trap Hill Elementary school where we started. I Thanked Stephen for bring me in and meet up with Frank who was able to finish second to Kahn which is a tremendous effort for the day.
I talked to Paul and Julie who were using the event as training and they said they had a good day as well.
Once I got home and kicked up my heels I called Grant Lawyer who did the cat. 3 race in Reidsville. He told me about his event and Daryl's result then began to tell me about the Pro 1/2 race and how Jay Cox attacked out of the field and that John Hamblin , yes that is right the same one who came by us at Hurt, Pain and Agony towing a group like the engine of a train, joined Jay and Charlie Brown to lap the field. That really hurt my feelings. But it was a great result for Jay who would go onto finish 2nd in the Pro 1/2 race. The good thing about racing your bike there is always another day. See you on the road. Rodney

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

DIXIE SEASON END......AND CHARITABLE GIVING CONTINUES

MOB Racing has seen recent great results and participation in all categories. I recently participated in the FRENCH BROAD CYCLING CLASSIC CRIT on Sunday. 50+elite....and got schooled by wiley old vets but great fun. An absolutely blistering fast course. The team will have to look toward this next year. Daryl Rains won the 45+ TT and finished top 10 in RR and Rodney Simpson finished top 10 in 35+ TT and RR and was 10th in Omnium points going into Sunday.

DIXIE: Raced in the last Dixie race of the season last pm. Frank,Matt and I worked hard to attack the B race, and Franked attacked and created a 3 man break and finished 2nd overall. Great teamwork.....the potential of our Cat3 group is huge. Cat 1-2 had 2 guys in the break in the A race to lap the field and finished top 3. Hate to see the series end. Great fun.

But all of the racing aside, the team has done HUGE WORK to SUPPORT CHARITIES over the past 6 weeks and throughout the season. Our team helped sponsor, promote and deliver THE PIEDMONT TRIAD OMNIUM which recently raised $25000.00 for MS and Lexington Parks bike Greenway. We provided $, sweat, work, racing, and brain power to help make it work. The team supported the MS Training ride last month and the MS VIBE Ride last month. Riders have participated in the Tour de Kale, Red Sleigh Ride,Tour de Furniture, Stroke Ride just to name a few. Seeing the team give of themselves in this way brings great pride to all of us. THANKS!
We will be helping to sponsor the HANES PARK CLASSIC NRC RACE on August 8th. The finish line will be at the front door of Mock Orange Bikes.....awesome.

CX....CX....IT'S COMING IN A BIG WAY..........

Chip Duckett
MOB