After a huge drive across 11 states, we finally made it to the Atlantic Ocean. I've been to Gloucester 5 times for races, it was really nice to get to someplace that I recognized after being on the road for 10 days straight. Finally, we weren't lost! We arrived at the course and settled in for the weekend. The benefits of having the trailer really started to shine through, since we had hot food and comfy seats within 100yds of the finish line. Yeahh!
Gloucester is always a fast course, and I figured it would be more like a road race with some dirt. I was not disappointed. The races were blazing fast, and were actually pretty tactical. The lead group just rode me off the wheel both days, but it was embarassingly early on Saturday. The trip really took it out of me, and I felt like I was starting my first race of the year (which hurts like hell). I still have some room for improvement, obviously, and I'm still easing myself into the season. I'm not too worried. The next day I was much better, helped in part by a new runup that broke up one of the high-speed sections. I loved the change, but if you know I cut my teeth on giant runups in Watsonville Fairgrounds and Aptos High Schoool, you'd know why. I was much more in contention on Sunday, and felt like I had something to go for. I ended up 6th both days, but got there in two very different ways, so I was happy with the improvement.
In a show of solidarity, JoJo placed 6th on Sunday as well. On Saturday, however, she killed it and rode like the champ she is. We were just out of the car, and normally the course doesn't suit her, but she said she felt great and really rode well, ending up 4th. Killer!
After the races, we moved to a campground and chilled out on Cape Ann. I have an aunt that lives down the way in Manchester, so we got some visiting in also. We attended the local CX practice on Wednesday night, and then split the next morning for Philly. Next up: Granogue and Wissahickon CX Races.
Tuesday, October 28
A Couple Wins, The We Hit The Road
After Vegas, JoJo was feeling under the weather, so I ventured solo around NorCal to get some races under my belt. The first few races of the season always hurt way too much, so it's better just to get them out of the way.
I attended the Lion of Fairfax race, which was a benefit for the school that hosted the event. I did the race last year, and figured it would be good to go help them out again. Plus, they have a nice prize list. Last year, I was not-so-thrilled about the course, but this year they made some subtle improvements that really made it a lot safer and more fun to race.
I drove up with my teammate Justin Robinson, and we lined up for the first race of the morning. JRob, Josh Snead, and myself showed ourselves out the front door, and never looked back. At four laps to go I pounced and tried to ride away solo, Justin got to sit on Josh for a bit and relax. The course wound back on itself a few times, so you could keep track of where others were behind you... On the last lap, all of a sudden Justin wasn't there anymore, and it was just Josh riding by himself. I thought that some calamity had struck, but actually Justin just turned on the rocket boosters and killed a whole lap. I was starting to worry that he would catch me, he was going so fast! I dug in for a half lap and cruised across the line for my first win of the season, Big And Burly hot on my heels. We did the whole podium thing, but had to split straight away since Justin had kid duty in the afternoon and I had to go check out fire engines and AstroJumps at my nephew's 3rd birthday party.
The next morning, I was up and out the door to make it to the Central Coast CX race in Ft. Ord. Now this is more like it: local race, killer course, close to home. Nice! The race yesterday was great, but it still was 5 hours in the car vs. 1 hour of racing... Not much sense to that!
I've raced the Ft Ord courses so many times that I know every turn. I put it in cruise control and bided my time to attack the hill like crazy. Finally the elastic broke and I soloed in for the win. The form is coming around, and I'm glad to be riding strong all the way until the end of the race.
The day after we started our drive to the East Coast. Next up, I'll get some race reports in about races more recent than last month.
I attended the Lion of Fairfax race, which was a benefit for the school that hosted the event. I did the race last year, and figured it would be good to go help them out again. Plus, they have a nice prize list. Last year, I was not-so-thrilled about the course, but this year they made some subtle improvements that really made it a lot safer and more fun to race.
I drove up with my teammate Justin Robinson, and we lined up for the first race of the morning. JRob, Josh Snead, and myself showed ourselves out the front door, and never looked back. At four laps to go I pounced and tried to ride away solo, Justin got to sit on Josh for a bit and relax. The course wound back on itself a few times, so you could keep track of where others were behind you... On the last lap, all of a sudden Justin wasn't there anymore, and it was just Josh riding by himself. I thought that some calamity had struck, but actually Justin just turned on the rocket boosters and killed a whole lap. I was starting to worry that he would catch me, he was going so fast! I dug in for a half lap and cruised across the line for my first win of the season, Big And Burly hot on my heels. We did the whole podium thing, but had to split straight away since Justin had kid duty in the afternoon and I had to go check out fire engines and AstroJumps at my nephew's 3rd birthday party.
The next morning, I was up and out the door to make it to the Central Coast CX race in Ft. Ord. Now this is more like it: local race, killer course, close to home. Nice! The race yesterday was great, but it still was 5 hours in the car vs. 1 hour of racing... Not much sense to that!
I've raced the Ft Ord courses so many times that I know every turn. I put it in cruise control and bided my time to attack the hill like crazy. Finally the elastic broke and I soloed in for the win. The form is coming around, and I'm glad to be riding strong all the way until the end of the race.
The day after we started our drive to the East Coast. Next up, I'll get some race reports in about races more recent than last month.
First Things First
Before we took off for the East Coast, JoJo and I went to Seattle and Las Vegas for our season openers: Star-Crossed, GP Rad Racing, and Cross Vegas. That's TWO night-time cross races in half a week!
Star-Crossed is easily the best race in the country, given the crowds, course, the quality of the field, and the amount of FUN that everyone has. Two years ago I won the race, and last year I was on the podium in my first comeback race of the year. This race has treated me well over the years, I was stoked to get back up to Marymoor. This year was not so lucky, though, since I broke my chain before the first corner. I had to run to the first pit, and started riding my bike about 3 minutes off the back. I started riding steady, just hoping for a workout, and ended up passing about 85 guys. I finished 13th at the end of the night, and I'll be reaping the benefits from the workout I got in a couple weeks.
JoJo had a killer race, starting really well and staying out of trouble. She was riding in 3rd for a while, grouped up with a couple others, and scorched them to finish 5th. She's a rock star, and claimed our team's first UCI podium of the season.
The conditions were pretty intimidating for the first big race of the year, since it was raining for a couple days ahead of time. It was a little slimy, and I figured the start was going to be total mayhem, which it was. Knowing that going into the race creates a little apprehension, but we dealt with it, rode it out (literally), and got past it fine.
The next day was GP Rad Racing, which benefits the top junior development program in the country. Jim Brown and his crew have their hands full, but they do a great job bringing more and more kids into the race scene each year. They have one of the best venues around, with THE BIGGEST RUNUP that we'll see all season. It's an awesome race!
I really like to run, so I was not so intimidated by the course. Everyone else was, waiting and riding relatively easy so that they wouldn't blow up at the top of the course. I rode easy in the draft and then relaxed on the run while everyone else stressed out. Eventually, I made some mistakes in the corners and started cramping in the straights, so I let them go and went on to fight another day. My muscles were in bad shape from the efforts of the night before, so I lost the sprint for 4th and ended up 5th on the day. Still, my first (of many, hopefully) UCI podiums of the year.
JoJo's race wasn't a good as last night, and she ended up 10th. The hill took it out of her, and the high speeds on the flats were a little too much. Plus, she claims she's getting old.
We made it to Vegas just fine, and hung out for a couple days to recover from the races. On Wednesday, the rest of the Cal Giant team came into town, and we went racing again. The Cross Vegas course was similar to last year, in that is was really hard to go fast: the grass was so thick and heavy that you felt like you were climbing a steep hill the whole time. I rarely used my brakes, since all you had to do to slow down was to stop pedaling your ass off.
Oh yeah, and the field was STACKED. MTB World Champ, Lance Armstrong, and every domestic crosser was there. This field was harder than Nationals! I got tailed off of the giant lead group, and was the first guy to come in after. I still had to battle, since my little group of four consisted of the Danish national champ, two current US National Champs (me and JDriscoll), and Barry Wicks. I ended up turning the screws on them and rode two off the wheel, and then sprinted Parbo for 14th place. A little redemption, since he beat me the previous Sunday in a two-up sprint.
JoJo just wanted the workout for the night, and she ended up 3 spots better than last year. No complaints, plus she made some money grabbing dollars off the ground.
After the race, all I wanted was my prize money, a beer, and a steak. I spent much of the night getting my share of beer, but I didn't get my steak until we got back to the hotel at 5:30am the next morning.
Star-Crossed is easily the best race in the country, given the crowds, course, the quality of the field, and the amount of FUN that everyone has. Two years ago I won the race, and last year I was on the podium in my first comeback race of the year. This race has treated me well over the years, I was stoked to get back up to Marymoor. This year was not so lucky, though, since I broke my chain before the first corner. I had to run to the first pit, and started riding my bike about 3 minutes off the back. I started riding steady, just hoping for a workout, and ended up passing about 85 guys. I finished 13th at the end of the night, and I'll be reaping the benefits from the workout I got in a couple weeks.
JoJo had a killer race, starting really well and staying out of trouble. She was riding in 3rd for a while, grouped up with a couple others, and scorched them to finish 5th. She's a rock star, and claimed our team's first UCI podium of the season.
The conditions were pretty intimidating for the first big race of the year, since it was raining for a couple days ahead of time. It was a little slimy, and I figured the start was going to be total mayhem, which it was. Knowing that going into the race creates a little apprehension, but we dealt with it, rode it out (literally), and got past it fine.
The next day was GP Rad Racing, which benefits the top junior development program in the country. Jim Brown and his crew have their hands full, but they do a great job bringing more and more kids into the race scene each year. They have one of the best venues around, with THE BIGGEST RUNUP that we'll see all season. It's an awesome race!
I really like to run, so I was not so intimidated by the course. Everyone else was, waiting and riding relatively easy so that they wouldn't blow up at the top of the course. I rode easy in the draft and then relaxed on the run while everyone else stressed out. Eventually, I made some mistakes in the corners and started cramping in the straights, so I let them go and went on to fight another day. My muscles were in bad shape from the efforts of the night before, so I lost the sprint for 4th and ended up 5th on the day. Still, my first (of many, hopefully) UCI podiums of the year.
JoJo's race wasn't a good as last night, and she ended up 10th. The hill took it out of her, and the high speeds on the flats were a little too much. Plus, she claims she's getting old.
We made it to Vegas just fine, and hung out for a couple days to recover from the races. On Wednesday, the rest of the Cal Giant team came into town, and we went racing again. The Cross Vegas course was similar to last year, in that is was really hard to go fast: the grass was so thick and heavy that you felt like you were climbing a steep hill the whole time. I rarely used my brakes, since all you had to do to slow down was to stop pedaling your ass off.
Oh yeah, and the field was STACKED. MTB World Champ, Lance Armstrong, and every domestic crosser was there. This field was harder than Nationals! I got tailed off of the giant lead group, and was the first guy to come in after. I still had to battle, since my little group of four consisted of the Danish national champ, two current US National Champs (me and JDriscoll), and Barry Wicks. I ended up turning the screws on them and rode two off the wheel, and then sprinted Parbo for 14th place. A little redemption, since he beat me the previous Sunday in a two-up sprint.
JoJo just wanted the workout for the night, and she ended up 3 spots better than last year. No complaints, plus she made some money grabbing dollars off the ground.
After the race, all I wanted was my prize money, a beer, and a steak. I spent much of the night getting my share of beer, but I didn't get my steak until we got back to the hotel at 5:30am the next morning.
Tuesday, October 21
Hitting the Road
We left California Oct 1. We traveled through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachuesetts to arrive in time for the race in Gloucester, MA. Ten days in the car was pretty rough, but here's a hodge-podge of images from our trip for you to peruse:
Just to prove that we made it to the East Coast.
This is singletrack for road bikes. The rumble strip on my left is very rough to ride on, while the gravel to my left drops off sharply. I was dreading having to ride for 70 miles on this 18" wide strip of asphalt, until I realized that there were no cars for 20 miles in either direction. We rode the center line for over an hour after that.
Big rocks in Utah. Note the brake smoke from the truck ahead.
MTBing in Fruita. Pretty awesome.
Our life in the car. For ten days straight.
Niagara Falls are behind us. I've never seen them before, and they were impressive! We rode through 40 miles of pretty countryside (block headwind) to get there.
Thanks to our Sponsors!!
I am pleased to announce that we've been picked up by Specialized and KMC to represent them at the races. Specialized is an obvious fit for us, since I used to work for them and I helped design the bikes that we'll race on. KMC came through in a big way for us and offered their support with the lightest chains on the market. It's awesome having the best equipment when you line up against the best racers.
Here's our official team press release:
Team Specialized/KMC pb Cal Giant Ready for 2008 Cyclocross Season
Team Features Husband-Wife National Champions
Watsonville, CA
Specialized, KMC, and California Giant Berry Farms are pleased to announce the newest cyclocross racing team for the upcoming 2008 season. The team’s official name will be Team Specialized/KMC presented by California Giant Berry Farms. The focus will be to garner excellent individual results through the season, amassing enough UCI points to place in the top 25 in the UCI World Ranking. With a top-tier schedule of 23 UCI Cyclocross events throughout the USA, the team will go full-gas around the country, with stops in almost 15 states: the team will attend all US Grand Prix of Cyclocross races, as well as select New England CCS, Mid-Atlantic CCS, and North American Cyclocross Trophy Series races.
The team will consist of husband-wife National Champions, Andy and Josie Jacques-Maynes. Andy has been to the World Championships three times, with seven National Podium appearances. He has three UCI wins to date. Josie has attended one Cyclocross World Championships, and has two UCI wins to her credit. Both Andy and JoJo are the current 30-34 National Champs, making the rare feat of being concurrent husband-wife National Champions. With extensive experience racing cyclocross in the US and in Europe, Andy and JoJo are ready and excited to meet the upcoming season head-on. They will be travelling in their RV from race to race, making the season one 3-month-long road trip!
The team will ride race bikes and equipment from Specialized, including S-Works Tricross carbon bikes, superlight Roval Alpiniste SL tubular carbon wheels, as well as industry-leading shoes, helmets, optics, and gloves. “Being a Specialized Factory-supported team means we get to race on the best equipment, hands down,” said Andy. “In fact, I had a hand in developing much of the gear on our race machines, so I know they will perform perfect no matter the conditions!” Andy and Josie will make appearances at local Specialized dealers throughout the season, so look for them as the cyclocross season swings through your area.
California Giant Berry Farms has supported the racing pair for 5 years and is excited for them as they take this next step in their cycling career. “Andy and Josie have always served as excellent spokespersons for the company and our berries”, says Anthony Gallino, VP of Sales. California Giant looks forward to providing continuing support for the cycling duo and appreciates all they have done for Cal Giant racing over the years.
The team would like to thank their sponsors for their generous support: Specialized, KMC , California Giant Berry Farms, TRP, SRAM, Clif Bar, First Endurance, and Crank Brothers.
Team Features Husband-Wife National Champions
Watsonville, CA
Specialized, KMC, and California Giant Berry Farms are pleased to announce the newest cyclocross racing team for the upcoming 2008 season. The team’s official name will be Team Specialized/KMC presented by California Giant Berry Farms. The focus will be to garner excellent individual results through the season, amassing enough UCI points to place in the top 25 in the UCI World Ranking. With a top-tier schedule of 23 UCI Cyclocross events throughout the USA, the team will go full-gas around the country, with stops in almost 15 states: the team will attend all US Grand Prix of Cyclocross races, as well as select New England CCS, Mid-Atlantic CCS, and North American Cyclocross Trophy Series races.
The team will consist of husband-wife National Champions, Andy and Josie Jacques-Maynes. Andy has been to the World Championships three times, with seven National Podium appearances. He has three UCI wins to date. Josie has attended one Cyclocross World Championships, and has two UCI wins to her credit. Both Andy and JoJo are the current 30-34 National Champs, making the rare feat of being concurrent husband-wife National Champions. With extensive experience racing cyclocross in the US and in Europe, Andy and JoJo are ready and excited to meet the upcoming season head-on. They will be travelling in their RV from race to race, making the season one 3-month-long road trip!
The team will ride race bikes and equipment from Specialized, including S-Works Tricross carbon bikes, superlight Roval Alpiniste SL tubular carbon wheels, as well as industry-leading shoes, helmets, optics, and gloves. “Being a Specialized Factory-supported team means we get to race on the best equipment, hands down,” said Andy. “In fact, I had a hand in developing much of the gear on our race machines, so I know they will perform perfect no matter the conditions!” Andy and Josie will make appearances at local Specialized dealers throughout the season, so look for them as the cyclocross season swings through your area.
California Giant Berry Farms has supported the racing pair for 5 years and is excited for them as they take this next step in their cycling career. “Andy and Josie have always served as excellent spokespersons for the company and our berries”, says Anthony Gallino, VP of Sales. California Giant looks forward to providing continuing support for the cycling duo and appreciates all they have done for Cal Giant racing over the years.
The team would like to thank their sponsors for their generous support: Specialized, KMC , California Giant Berry Farms, TRP, SRAM, Clif Bar, First Endurance, and Crank Brothers.
Please visit:
Big Rig!
So you've seen our truck, here's what we'll pull with it:
It's got a garage in the back for all our bikes, a shower, stove, fridge, TWO high-def TVs, and plenty of room for the two of us... It'll be pretty comfy, I think. It took me over a week, but I engineered a rack system for the back of the trailer, so now we can bring along all our bikes:
If you're out East at the races, you'll get a chance to see this thing up close and personal. It's kinda hard to miss...
AJM
Big Truck!
So once we decided to head out East, we needed a place to stay and a way to get there. I had always assumed we would go the traditional way: fly out, live in an apartment, drive to each race from one base of operations.
Lo and behold, another plan has presented itself to us: DRIVE across the country, and stay in an RV at each race. We worked out the options and price differences, and the RV method was more cost-effective! Soooooo, we went shopping:
Lo and behold, another plan has presented itself to us: DRIVE across the country, and stay in an RV at each race. We worked out the options and price differences, and the RV method was more cost-effective! Soooooo, we went shopping:
That's a big truck! F450 from Ford will pull yer house down. Don't ask about the gas mileage.
The Plan
Welcome to the first post of our blog! JoJo and I will try to keep this updated as often as possible so it's easy to follow our exploits.
A while back, I had a thought: We race every weekend (usually both days) during the 'Cross season, with CCCX, BASP, Surf City, Livermore, and some Sacto races thrown in there. We're pretty busy racing during the winter in California. But when it's time to go to Nationals, we get killed because of poor call-ups and a lack of high-end conditioning. So I thought we should race every weekend, but go to the races that matter: UCI cross events.
Since these are clustered on the East Coast, that meant moving out East. So I started planning a move to New England for the Winter. I was planning it out as early as July: I would move to Northampton, MA, drive to all the races, and campaign the UCI cross circuit.
JoJo decided she had enough of her job, so she quit and signed up too. Here we go!
AJM
A while back, I had a thought: We race every weekend (usually both days) during the 'Cross season, with CCCX, BASP, Surf City, Livermore, and some Sacto races thrown in there. We're pretty busy racing during the winter in California. But when it's time to go to Nationals, we get killed because of poor call-ups and a lack of high-end conditioning. So I thought we should race every weekend, but go to the races that matter: UCI cross events.
Since these are clustered on the East Coast, that meant moving out East. So I started planning a move to New England for the Winter. I was planning it out as early as July: I would move to Northampton, MA, drive to all the races, and campaign the UCI cross circuit.
JoJo decided she had enough of her job, so she quit and signed up too. Here we go!
AJM
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