ING Capital Criterium, Sunday 9/21

[Kalidurga]

Whoa, why haven't I heard about this before??

ING Capital Criterium (http://www.capitalcriterium.com/) on Sunday, Sept 21, down near Federal Triangle and the Warner Theater. And, according to VeloNews, Christian VandeVelde (http://www.velonews.com/article/83018) is racing on the Chipotle team that day :eek: :D

I rarely make the trip downtown on days when I'm not working, but this may be worthwhile.

[madscot13]

i will have to see if I am busy. I've never seen a bike race.

[Zen]

Look at the site under 'Information'.
It says 'event pass'.
What does this mean?

[Kalidurga]

I'd guess that it gets you into areas that the regular schmoes can't get into. The CSC Crit in June has a similar thing, but you can pay $$ to get into that and get fairly lame schwag and snacks. I guess in this case you gotta be someone special.

[aicabsolut]

or you can just be friends or family of the host company's employees. at least that's how it is for CSC. the form doesn't make it even look that important here.

we have a sprints workout that morning, but i hope we can cut it a little short to go watch the pro race.

[Zen]

I may try putting in BikeDoctor as my affiliation:p

[Kalidurga]

I'm not gonna affiliate with anyone, I'm just going to wander the course and watch the action by my little ol' self. Unless anyone wants to join me in wandering and watching...

[Zen]

I'm not gonna affiliate with anyone

Well OK then!
I'll just pretend I don't know you :D

[Kalidurga]

I'm not gonna affiliate with anyone
Well OK then!
I'll just pretend I don't know you :D

The way I figure it, I've got no religious or political affiliations, why have a cycling one? :cool:

Though I will be rooting very vocally for Chipotle... :D

[7rider]

Hmm...looks interesting (but where's the women's race?).
But...
It's also the day of the PPTC Century (http://www.bikepptc.org/PPTC_Century). DH and I had a discussion last night as to whether or not I"m so h***-bent on completing a century in September that I might make a go at this one.

[Zen]

The CWC Century went right by my house, the markings are still there if you want to try again ;)

[Kalidurga]

Hmm...looks interesting (but where's the women's race?).
But...
It's also the day of the PPTC Century (http://www.bikepptc.org/PPTC_Century). DH and I had a discussion last night as to whether or not I"m so h***-bent on completing a century in September that I might make a go at this one.

But that's in *gasp* VIRGINIA!! Are you willing to drive into such fearsome territory for a century?

[7rider]

But that's in *gasp* VIRGINIA!! Are you willing to drive into such fearsome territory for a century?

I know. It even hits WEST Virginia!!! :eek::eek:
I'm hyperventilating at the thought of it.

And Zen....the "rolling hills" of the PPTC century sound much more appealing to me at this point than the "3 mountain climbs" of the CWC.

[Kalidurga]

Anyone else planning to see this race? I briefly considered heading up to B'more for the Charm City 'cross race, since I've been to that the last two years and it's supposed to actually have food vendors this year :D , but I think it'd be a kick to see Vande Velde so I'll probably head downtown for the ING Crit after all. If anyone else is going, wanna try to meet somewhere?

[madscot13]

I haven't double checked my schedule but I will be heading there. I volunteered on the website. I don't know if they will need my help but they have not contacted me yet, so I don't know if they will contact me at all.

I've never seen a bike race. I think this would be neat.

[madscot13]

that must have been their cue to contact everyone. I will be a course director at the kids AND PRO races. Pretty cool. they must have heard of the awesome work I did at the Crystal City Midnight 5k as a course director and were impressed. I'm not surprised.

[Zen]

If anyone else is going, wanna try to meet somewhere?

I'd like to go if the start time isn't too early.
Let me check that website again

[Zen]

they must have heard of the awesome work I did at the Crystal City Midnight 5k as a course director and were impressed. I'm not surprised.

You will be needing a new hat to fit on your new big head :D

[madscot13]

You will be needing a new hat to fit on your new big head :D


there isn't a helmet big enough for me.

[Kalidurga]

Zen, I believe the Pro race begins at 11:30. I'm planning to head down via Metro to arrive 11'ish and scope out the route.

Mad, if this is anything like the CSC criterium that takes place in Arlington, it'll be a blast. Crit races are cool because it's a small loop course, so you see the riders go past every few minutes, and the course is usually small enough that you can walk around to check the race from different spots. Though, as course director, you may not be able to walk around. Or will you?

And I just a got a new camera, so this'll be a fun chance to try it out :D

[Zen]

And I just a got a new camera, so this'll be a fun chance to try it out :D

What did you get?
I'm canera shopping now and leaning towasrd the Nikon S60 or L5

I can meet you at Metro Center, Freedom Plaza or Pershing Park

[aicabsolut]

I'll have to figure out when to do most of my sunday ride, but i'll be down there, maybe having lunch somewhere on the course. i'm going to take as many gw-clad people as will go.

[Kalidurga]

What did you get?
I'm canera shopping now and leaning towasrd the Nikon S60 or L5

I can meet you at Metro Center, Freedom Plaza or Pershing Park

I got a Canon PowerShot SD1100IS, something I can just throw in my pocket. Haven't played with it too much yet because my computer is spending a few days with the Geek Squad and I can't upload anything I've shot to see how things look. I considered a Nikon CoolPix S600, but found the interface of the Canon just a tad more intuitive.

Do you want to meet at either my place or Shady Grove Metro? Might be easier than trying to meet downtown. I'll warn you, though, I sometimes fall asleep when riding the subway, so there might be snoring ;)

[Zen]

I can wipe the drool off your chin. Or maybe give you a lovely knuckle tattoo with a sharpie. "hill slug" ok?:D

I'll meet you at Shady Grove, then.
What time? 10?

[Kalidurga]

According to Metro, taking the 10:14 train from Shady Grove will get us to Metro Center at 10:49am. We could get there early and get some chow, or we could catch the 10:34 train and get downtown at 11:09. The F & 12th street entrance of Metro Center's right smack on the course, so we won't have to walk far unless we decide we want to be closer to the start. Still want to meet at 10:00, or want to sleep in for another few minutes and meet at 10:15?

Sorry, work's got me into that "splitting hairs" mindset today :rolleyes:

And if you tattoo me with "hill slug", people will confuse me with MdHillSlug. Think of something else.

[Zen]

Metro has timetables now? That strikes me as hilarious. I'm going to aim to be there around ten.I'll wait for you or you wait for me. Just make sure we're talking about the same Waffle House.


And if you tattoo me with "hill slug", people will confuse me with MdHillSlug. Think of something else.
she has a knuckle tattoo? How'd i miss that?;)

[Kalidurga]

Metro has timetables now? That strikes me as hilarious. I'm going to aim to be there around ten.I'll wait for you or you wait for me. Just make sure we're talking about the same Waffle House.

Meet me inside the station at the farecard machines. There are multiple Waffle Houses (parking lots), so that's probably safest. If I'm late, you can hang out and talk to the station manager.


she has a knuckle tattoo? How'd i miss that?;)

I haven't been close enough to Nicole's knuckles to know, but as long as she's got that 'net name I figure folks would assume I'm her. Or that I'm a wanna-be, which is probably closer to the truth. The way this year's been going, I'm probably more like "hill roadkill".

[ny biker]

I heard on the news today that as usual there will be Metro delays due to track work this weekend. Including the Red line around Friendship Heights.

So y'all should check the Metro website for details and allow extra time for the delays.

Enjoy the race!

[Kalidurga]

That's what's hilarious about Metro's timetables. They have them, but rarely keep to them. Good thing we're meeting at 10am.

Thanks for the head's up, NY.

[madscot13]

so what did you guys think?

[Kalidurga]

Unfortunately, I didn't go. I had a situation on Saturday left me under the weather, so I stayed home most of the weekend. Next year...

[aicabsolut]

great! lots of fantastic attacks. so sad to see a crash on the last lap again!

[madscot13]

oh man, it was terrible looking. I was directing at the start of the hill just a block up from where the fall/ crash/ pile up occurred. real sad. I wanted to run down there and help out but they had ample, more qualified people down there. I thought it was pretty great to watch. I love the hum of all those wheels sprinting together.

I hope it becomes an annual event.

[Kalidurga]

C'mon, ladies, I need to live vicariously through you. What was the course like? Who won? Did you see Vande Velde or any other of the big names? And, so I'll know for next year, were there good booths/vendors set up around the start area?

[aicabsolut]

Vandevelde and Danny Pate put out a lot of attacks. V was OTF for quite a while solo after shelling Rock Racing's Bahati. Pate blocked well for V by himeself somehow. Later on, Pate took a flyer with a small group. After several laps, they started playing cat and mouse and got swallowed up by the field.

Towards the end, Time launched attack after attack. A couple of guys got more than 10 seconds on the field for a while. Kelly Benefit was doing their usual thing of leading most of the chase efforts in the main field. They had a full train going for most of the final, oh, 10 laps. Garmin was right behind them. A few of the Harley boys were in good position, and Russ Langley found his way into a few break efforts. Ultimately, all of the breaks were caught. The last one looked fairly dangerous, but a late prime spurred on the pace (3 place primes, with $1k, $500 and $250). The pack started getting broken up at the U-turn approaching the S/F for the final lap when a Kelly rider who had taken a flyer sat up. He pulled off to the side, but too many people got confused in the close quarters and got stuck behind him. Most of the team organization was still intact when they came across the line, but a crash in turn 1 blew a lot of it up leading into the hill. At the end, I thought it was going to be Fast Freddie for the win, because he'd been sitting at 3rd to 5th wheel in the pack for at least the last 25km. Bahati I guess had given up his sprint after his break attempt, because he was sitting in the rear third most of the time after he got caught. The mad sprinters on Toyota United came out of nowhere and stole the show, I believe taking 1-2. Freddie was gritting his teeth, but couldn't quite catch them.

*edit: Freddie did get 2nd, and the other Toyota guy 3rd. I was standing at an ING tent (the one for account holders not VIPs) behind the S/F, so I couldn't quite see the line with riders in the way.

http://cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2008/sep08/capitalcrit08

[Kalidurga]

Your race report was way better than the one at cyclingnews. Makes me really wish I had been there.