Multimedia Alert: TOWC Crit Video - Cat 1/2/3 Stage 3 Crit

29 minutes of high-speed goodness. Video courtesy of Brian S. See his other videos here.

Comments

[Jesse]

Pretty impressive how DCVelo dominated the race. How does that happen. Kelly, Artemis Elite, and a couple of others had a gang of guys but were just sending one to the front or off the front in chase...

How about taking a page out of the "pro" books and putting all the dudes on the front and working to bring that back?

Easier said than done I guess.

Cool video.

[Ken]

The reason is because we DC Velo Senior Team really don't care about anything other then the win. So.. if we miss the move like we did at Murad or Smithsburg we will send all but the protected rider to bring back the break sometimes it works and we win sometimes it does not and we lose bad but it is all about the win.

For me I was lucky enough to be protected at Murad and I was able to deliver after the team chased the break down, with the help of a couple of other teams.

At Smithsburg it did not work but at least we can say we tried to do something about the fact that we did not have representation in the breakaway.

I really think that if some of the other teams started doing lead outs or chase if they miss a break it would take local racing to a whole new level. We know that we are not the strongest team on paper but we have been together for 3 years now and it is really starting to show because we just know what to do and only want to win the race!

[brian]

Well - it was a stage race.. Not sure who was being 'protected'.. and not sure if these 2 riders 'mattered' in the final results.. So there was a GC to protect and other positions of importance.

2 hard stages before (TT, and road race).. But true - always easier said than done.

[Ken]

Without turning this into some sort of debate the question was why don't other teams do what we do and I attempted to answer that question.

I mentioned Smithsburg not the crit. Once we realized we did not have a chance of winning the GC we just wanted to race the crit hard and get another win.

Anyways it really is not hard to do it just takes a commitment from every guy on the team to disregard his personal result. Sure that does not make for good Monday Morning blogging but hey when you are on a team you should be willing to lay it on the line for whatever is best for the team that week even if it means a DNF or last place finish.

Just my 2 cents

[Matt]

Why don't you guys quit bike racing and be better husbands/fathers/employees/?whatever it is you are supposed to do?. Let's face it, every dude on DC Velo is old enough to race masters, but your all frontin' like your still trying to go pro? Good joke. Truth be told, Ken is the best sprinter in the area- better then T Hipp for sure. Frick can ride a TT like a bad bitch, but your still going out every weekend and trying to win $200 at Ride Sally Ride. Man up and take your wives to dinner, instead.
You could also do something constructive, like put younger guys on your badass "elite" team. Show them the ropes, and bring them up. Maybe you could even throw some broke ass college kid a frame. No doubt you guys are good, you are a threat in most races. Your true colors do come out in the NRC level stuff, but for a bunch of old ass dudes, you are not bad. You can get mad about what I just typed, but it is all true.
I'll give you props where they're due, but I'm gonna call bullshit when I smell it.

[Pete "The Master of Disaster" Custer]

I think the DC Velo guys are good husbands, employees, and fathers. Well, except for Nick Bax. I don't think he's a very good husband right now :-P

No seriously, they only do some of the more regional events because they have to get back to work, wives, and kids.

I'm glad they focus on 1/2/3 races they way they do -- that gives us more of a chance to have the best competition possible -- because these guys are SUPER good.

[Kyle]

I do not get this concern for peoples wives in comments on blogs everywhere. I mean who is setting the standard on how happy some wives can be. I know I am not but why is this a topic being brought up in racing topics. Like saying you should wear clean under wear while cooking dinner. Huh what. Yeah makes no freaking sense. You can still make a pretty good dinner with a dirty pair of underwear.

I doubt they will not stop any pure talent that comes through the ranks. Either they will recruit them or another team will work for a young talent. I do not know about you but if you ask guys who race bikes what their secret is most of them are willing to show you and take the time to explain what they do. There is no clear and right answer to this sport. Most guys who are good are noted. To blame equipment or lack of support one team gives, which they do not have to but I am sure they would, is not a fault of middle aged bicycle racers. I think a lot of stuff like this is a projection of ones feelings about their own lives.

Great Job DC Velo in being successful this year and working as a team. Something a lot of teams miss out on. And that is getting their shit together.