Congrats to all, as Bear is a true beast and I can only imagine the torture of a 4th lap! Something to look forward to, I suppose. Fortunately as a newbie, I was comforted at the start to find that several other riders were new to Bear as well.

Think we were all relieved by the neutral start and the majority of the 35-deep pack rode together on lap 1, with Elizabeth McAlpin, Maria Murphy and Liz Feeney leading the climb at a decent pace.

Suppose it was the calm before the storm, as lap 2 got a bit hairy on the descent, with several riders vying to get through the hairpin first. Unfortunately Kathleen Rucker of Kissena, who was riding a strong race, took the turn slightly too fast and ran off onto the grass. Fortunately, no other riders went down, but the field broke up a bit, as 15 riders were up the road climbing toward Tiorati. Again Murphy was on the front, as was Madrinan, Karmiel and Perkins, trying to push the pace and gain some separation.

Lap 3 clearly demonstrated that Bear is a race of attrition. The descent and turn went well, but suddenly we went from double figures to just four riders going strong up the hills. Alejandra Madrinan led a fierce pace and Killmon, Karmiel and Perkins worked hard to stay on her wheel. Yes, fatigue was setting in and anxiety levels were rising as the white flag and line approached.

And then there were three! Yes, at the Seven Lakes rotary, Killmon, Madrinan and Karmiel remained and began working together in a smooth and speedy paceline to stay away. The three actually became friendly, thanking each other as they crept through the feed zone, with tensions rising as the finish loomed around the final bend.

With fans yelling support and advice to “be patient,” or to “wait and go late!” the three rolled along almost side by side, anxiously waiting to see who would make the first move. Suddenly, from about 250 meters out, Killmon jumped out of her saddle and began to accelerate! Think she caught the others by surprise, as she gained some separation (not even a bike length!) and put her head down to motor through the downhill finish. Yeah, turns out it was good to go early.

As of the next club race on May 31, racers will be obliged to submit a release form for each CRCA race.

To simplify the process and ensure an on-time start we strongly recommend that all racers print out, complete, and bring the completed form to the race. We have limited space available for racers to complete forms on race day, so please try to comply with this request.

Blank forms can be found here:

http://www.usacycling.org/forms/rider_release.pdf

This change in our procedures stems from a change in policy at USA Cycling.

Thank you for your cooperation. Here’s to a smooth continuation of the 2008 season.

Bear Mountain is one of my favorite courses, except for the finish, until now …

Almost 60 women lined up at the start line. Though a bit cool, it was a beautiful, sunny day. I knew I needed to ride agressively–in my career thus far, flat or downhill sprints were not my strength. I was prepared to keep attacking in the hills.

While out training the week before the race, my “men friends” were telling me that if I rode the race like I was riding with them, there should be no reason I shouldn’t win, and I was tired of getting 5th or 6th.

I knew I had women to watch–Mary Zider and Rebecca Wellons, NEBC/Devonshire Dental, Silke Wunderwald, Independent Fabrication, Natasha Elliott, EMD/Serono/Stevens, and yes, Andy Ruiz (my boyfriend) pointed out Jen Stephenson, Team Ultralink.

Though our neutral start was supposed to last only until we exited the 180 U-turn at the bottom of the screaming descent to where the road Y’s, ours lasted until the top of the climb. The cat 4 men who started just a few minutes in front of us seemed to need some time to get their legs and start racing. Though we were told they would be neutralized at the top for us to pass, turned out it wasn’t necessary, and at the top of the climb, the race was on for both our fields.

1st lap, the group primarily stayed together. Once through the finish though, the pace picked up, with Anne Marie Miller driving it on the downhill, and women fighting for position to prepare for the 180 again. Into the climb, Silke attacked, with quick response from Team Ultralink and Equipe Cascades.

2nd lap was characterized by attacks from EMD/Serono/Stevens, Team Ultralink Equipe Cascades, and LeYeti. 3rd time through the 180, I attacked, with a gap opening where the road Y’s. Thanks to the Comedy Central Rider cheering me on there! Silke was about 100 m behind, trying to get my wheel, and I desperately wanted her there. Though I slowed a bit, she was unable to make contact, and so I had to put my head down and suffer through the long climb alone.

About half way through, I could see the train of green riders from Canada at the front, the rest of the field single file, and I fought to make it to the top before they caught me. We were down to about 20 riders now in the front group.

4th lap was time to recover and save something for the sprint. Team HPC kept the pace high, with Ultralink and Equipe Cascades initiating attacks, all of which were covered by various riders.

Coming into the final few miles, I saw Rebecca Wellons came up the right side of the road (to the right of me), and so I grabed her wheel and stayed on it until about 200m to go, and seeing an opening, gave it all I had. Didn’t know I had it until I saw the white line under my wheel. Fantastic race–my best result yet.

Race report written by the winner of the Pro/1/2 race, Matthew Johnson of the CRCA/Empire Cycling Team.

How the race unfolded for me: Earlier in the race having burned too many matches covering attacks up the climb I spent the middle part of the race suffering at the back and thinking that my race was over.

Eventually I started to feel my legs again, so with two laps to go in a dwindling field I put my head back in the game and realized that there was a break of up the road. The pace up the climb with two to go was pretty fast, enough to bring the break back within view. Close to the top I thought we were going to get them, I think a couple of guys actually bridged the gap, but for the rest of the field we got left behind with the race up the road. I spent most of the next lap in what felt like futile attempts to bring the break back.

There were only a few of us that were pulling, the rest either had teammates up the road or were too spent to do anything. I couple of times I went clear, but I knew with the strong winds that it would be a mistake to solo to the break. I might get there, but probably wouldn’t have anything left.

Eventually I went up the road with Jonathan Erdelyi (Rite Aid) and a guy from Ottawa bike club. We then bridged the gap over the last third of that lap, catching them on the descent. I immediately went on the attack, but it was short-lived.

At the base of the climb Dan Cassidy (CCB) snuck away. I surprised myself pulling away from the group on the climb and it was then, on my own that I noticed the CCB jersey up the road. I settled in and rode the climb well within my limits.

Near the top I was joined by the two guys from Eva-Devinci, along with Eneas Freyre and Roger Aspholm. They had attacked the rest of the group and went clear. So the five of us then worked together to the finish. We could see Dan Cassidy up the road and slowly brought him back. So nearing within a couple of kilometers to the finish one of the Eva-Devinci riders went on the attack, and we all chased him back.

We came back together in a paceline again and as we came around the final curve to the finish I was at the back. The pace was stagnant at that point, and then eventually everybody started gunning for the line. I just sat back, clicked it into the 53×11 got up to speed and then waited. I just kept telling myself “wait, wait, wait.” Then when I knew the time was right I broke out fast on the left and came powering by everybody just before the line.

It was an exciting and emotional moment to cross the line first after those long 98 miles. I think it is also the first time I’ve won a race with a sprint since my first race ever at age 14, when I won a two up sprint.

This report was written by the Masters 35+ winner Ciaran Mangan of CCB Volkswagen.

Great race. So I signed up for this race not expecting to win. I went to there to help my other teammate win.

Anyway, first time up the hill was hard, but I was not expecting a break because everyone was fresh and willing to chase. It was when we got down the other side and hit the roundabout that the racing started. No breaks seemed to stick but guys were dropping off the back like flies.

Second and third time up the hill was more of the same, guys just going to the front and drilling it. Just before the finish of the third lap a group of about six riders got away and had a gap of about thirty seconds. This, I thought, was the move — and I was not in it.

We started the climb for the last time and I knew it was going to be hell for leather so I placed myself in the top ten riders and hung on for dear life. Just before the top David Taylor attacked and about five of us got to the lead group only to be caught by the main field again.

Now we head down the descent and through the roundabout. The attacks were coming from everywhere. I went with as many as I could. Finally David Taylor attacked and I bridged across to him followed by Edward Angeli.

We rode up and over and made the final turn around with about a 15-second gap on the field. So at this point I am thinking, Will we make it or not? David seemed to be the strongest of the three of us. We got over two hills and started heading up through the feed zone.

With 1k to go I was on the front and David attacked, hard. I thought to myself, do I chase or do I leave it to up to the other guy? I decided to chase, dropping the other guy and seeing stars as I chased David. I latched onto him with about 500 meters to go, rested for 200 meters and jumped him to win the sprint. I could not believe I had just won the Bear Mountain Road Race.

Photo of Ciaran Mangan by TeamOrganic NYC

I’m not a climber as you can tell, I just rode very conservative and tried not to stand much. I didn’t have any climbing gears so I used my 11-21 cassette and kept running out of gears on the climbs, but the pace wasn’t so fast so I was able sit and spin. The guys who climb were up front babying the big climb so I was glad for that.

On the second lap there was a big crash (don’t ask me where because I never did this course before, I just know it was a crash uphill at about 17-18 mph). It was a pretty big pile up, 15 guys or so, and that split the field. I was behind the crash and navigated around it but had to sprint up the hill latch back on to the group up the road.

After that the climbers raised up the pace and the started the damage (I know Dave Trimble from Kissena and a few others were behind that, very strong climbers). Guys started getting popped off the back. I was pretty much the last guy in the first group so I saw guys blowing up dropping off on each side of me. I just kept a steady pace and followed any steady wheel I could find.

I had 3 gels and one bottle so I was pacing myself with the fluids. I don’t carry more than one bottle on long training rides so I got used to riding like that. On the fourth lap I was feeling pretty good up to the last big climb, then all of a sudden I blew up, calves and quads cramped up and I had to pull over, basically I got dropped. I got too comfy sitting and forgot to stretch, so I started standing a bit while climbing to work off the cramps. Honestly I never felt pain like that before — it felt like someone gave me a dead leg in both my legs. About a minute later the cramps left but so did the first pack I was with.

While I was going up I still saw guys getting popped off the back but two guys I ride with out in LI, Dan Habiq and Craig Goodstein from Metro, caught up to me and we organized real quick. They shared load on the climbs and I hammered on the flats and the rollers. We kept working like that for about 7 miles until we reeled the first group back in on one of the flats. I gave the final surge to catch them before the final climb.

Once we caught them I stopped peddling and started recharging, I was the last guy again out of about 17 going for the finishing sprint. I sized up the group to see if any other sprinters were in there and I saw one, the rest were pretty much climbers or a little bit of both. I saw a small surge on the right then the left started a bigger surge so that’s the side I took. I didn’t know where the finish line was since I was new to the course so I just looked for the crowd of people standing and just dropped the hammer and never looked back. I just listened to hear if someone was trying to sneak in past me since I had two more gears left … but that’s all she wrote.

Pro 1/2 Men, 98 miles, 110 starters

1. 49 Matthew Johnson, CRCA/Empire Cycling Team
2. 78 Jean-Sebastien Perron, EVA-Devinci
3. 77 Dominique Perras, EVA-Devinci
4. 35 Eneas Freyre, Targetraining U-25
5. 1 Roger Aspholm, Westwood Velo
6. 22 Dan Cassidy, CCB/Volkswagon
7. 94 Thomas Soladay, TIME Pro Cycling
8. 30 Jonathan Erdelyi, RITE AID P/B Shebell & Shebell
9. 75 Arnaud Papillon, Equipe Volkswagen
10. 25 Nathan Coleman, IMMEDIATE MORTAGE - ARTEMIS

Cat 1/2/3 Women, 56 miles, 55 starters

1. 232 Beth Miller, North Atlantic-Velo /Classbook.com
2. 244 Jen Stephenson, Team Ultralink
3. 205 Joanie Caron, Equipe Cascades
4. 231 Sinead Miller, UPMC Cycling Performance
5. 214 Kate Fiore, HPC Powered by Altarum
6. 204 Lorena Candrian, HPC Powered by Altarum
7. 210 Sabra Davison
8. 217 Audrey Friedrichsen Scott, Bikeway/Verge Sport
9 230 Alyssa Mellon, Team Ultralink
10.237 Lucie Poulin, Le Yeti

Juniors, 42 miles, 33 starters

1. 197 Filip Capala, Capala Brothers/Polska
2. 183 Nikolai Masluk, Northeastern Hardware/CJCT
3. 193 Ricky Gargiulo, Colavita Racing
4. 182 Austin McLenithan, Farm Team Cycling
5. 199 Lewis Almonte, G.S. Mengoni

Cat 3 Men, 70 miles, 92 starters

1. 347 Dan Hoffman, Westwood Velo
2. 305 Greg Battista, Team Metra/Wendys/Victor Homes
3. 337 Maurice Gamanho, Yeti/ CRC of A
4. 338 Gabrielle Gentile, Cafeteros Cycling Club
5. 397 Scott Wisenbaker, CRCA/Foundation

Masters 35+, 56 miles, 92 starters

1 660 Ciaran Mangan, CCB/Volkswagen
2.692 David Taylor, CRCA/Blue Ribbon -Translations.com
3.605 Edward Angeli, Horst-Benidorm PRC
4.654 Max Lippolis, Targetraining/Fastar
5.649 Troy Kimball, Westwood Velo

Cat 4 Men, 56 miles, 89 starters

1. 412 Andrew Walsh
2. 500 Adam Zimmerman
3. 468 Colin Prensky, CRCA/Sanchez Metro
4. 420 Matthew Cuttler, CRCA/Affinity Cycles
5. 422 Louis Donato, GS Park Ridge/Cyclesport

Masters 4 40+/ 3-4 50+/ 60+, 42 miles, 86 starters

1. 590 William Thompson, CCC/Keltic Const Zanes Cycles
2. 538 Haluk Sarci, Strictly Bicycle
3. 562 Damian Dicostanzo, Deno’s Wonder Wheel
4. 526
5. 521 Danny Inoa, Brooklyn Velo Force/GQ Racing

Cat 4 Women, 42 miles, 32 starters

1.289 Debra Kilmon, CRCA/Comedy Central-Sids
2.287 Alejandra Madrinan, CRCA
3. 290 Corinne Karmiel, CRCA/Nyvelocity
4. 279 Edie Perkins, Kissena Cycling Club
5. 271 Maria Vlaske, Connecticut coast Cycling

Learn to Race!
Saturday, May 31
Central Park, NYC

Tempted to try bicycle racing? Not sure how or where to start?

Here’s the answer: Women from the Century Road Club Association, New York City’s road racing club, are presenting a three-lap simulated race around Central Park. Experienced women racers will ride with the field, providing instruction, assistance and advice. Many local racers started their careers at this clinic–you can too!

Informational Session

Nervous? On the fence? Clinic instructors will ease your jitters at a Q & A on Wednesday, May 28, 7:00 p.m. at A Bicycle Shop, 163 West 22nd St. (btw 6th & 7th Ave.)

Questions

Call Beth Renaud at 212.316.9430 or email her at bethrenaud[at]yahoo.com

Cost

$10

Pre-Register Online

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6484

Race Day Registration

5:00-5:25 a.m. at the clinic.

Pre-race meeting: 5:25-5:45 a.m.
Post-race analysis: 7:00 a.m., includes Q & A and prizes.

Directions

Meet and register in the Rambles parking lot, just north of the Boathouse on the East Drive, north of 72nd St. (Cars are not allowed in the park.)

Very Important

• Helmets are required!
• No aero bars!
• No sleeveless jerseys!
• Bring an energy bar and 2 full water bottles!
• Eat breakfast!

Presented by the CRCA/Comedy Central-Sid’s Bikes and CRCA/Radical Media teams.

Rider Manual

A battle for women’s honors is shaping up between Team Ultralink from Ontario and Equipe Cascades from Quebec. Team Ultralink will arrive with their Carbon Soloist bicycles. “We are very happy to be involved with Team Ultralink again this year,” said Gerard Vroomen, co-founder of Cervélo. “This is a team of very talented women, and we are delighted that they continue to find success with their Cervélo bikes.”

Team Ultralink is a registered Trade Team with the Canadian Cycling Association. Ultralink will be led by veteran racer Jennifer Stephenson and 2007 Ontario Provincial Team member Sarah Coney.

Stephenson formerly rode for Expresscopy/Biovail and has finished in the top 5 in stages of Tour de Toona. Her win last week at the Ultralink Calabogie Classic shows she’s in good racing form.

Team Ultralink manager David Gazsi is also a top contender to win the Master’s 35+ race. He won the Elite Masters race at Calabogie.

From Quebec, Equipe Cascades features veterans Joanie Caron, 3ième aux championnats québécois sur route en 2007, Véronique Labonté, gagnante de plusieurs courses provinciales en 2007, Jessica Burns, grande complice de ses coéquipières and 21 year old newcomer Julie Munro. Equipe Cascades has competed in major races including the Montreal World Cup, the Tour de Leelanau and the Green Mountain Stage Race.

Another Canadian, Lucie Poulin a Cat 2 from Montreal represents team Le Yeti.