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In Los Angeles, where I live, there is a bicycle club named Velo Club La Grange. The club is over 400 members strong, and has a long history of having very strong racing teams. This year I decided to make my comeback, not that my first attempt at bike racing was so great, but now that I am older (42 to be exact) I felt that my brains would at least keep me safe. So I send in my USA Cycling application and become a CAT5 racer. Then I join the La Grange Team of CAT5’s, which has about 15 guys.

One thing I quickly realize is that this team is tight. Really tight. They train hard together, and race harder. Results are the goal, and they will get them.

So last Sunday (5/27/07) was my best day racing ever. It was just one of those days where everything truly just came together. We had one plan, and it not only came together, but worked perfectly.

The report below was written by “Bubba” with very little editing by me;

Race: The LASD Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Bike Race @ Dominguez Hills
Date: 5/27/07
Course: 4 corner, 4 Right Turns .9 mile Criterium

Cat 5 - 7:30 am Start (~50 riders)

Who Raced:

• Wade - Pack
• Marco - Pack
• Jonathan - 19th
• Rob - 11th
• Eric - 4th
• Gary - 3rd
• Greg - 2nd
• Bubba - 1st

This was just one of those days where everything truly comes together….We had one plan…. and it is truly amazing how the whole thing came together.

Coming up to the start line, we all were a bit apprehensive…only due to the fact that all of us hammered between 70-85 miles up and around PV yesterday. Early on, the pack was pretty dang slow….to be quite honest….maybe 16 or 17mph on the first lap. This all changed when Rob when to the front and started to hammer for a prime (which he won). This thinned out the peleton….which kept it super safe……

JT, Wade, and Rob were near the front….REGULATIN’…..they made sure the pressure was on and no big breaks got too far up the road. Case in point, there was a rider…I think a Lipton rider that took off up the road…for a prime and to our amazement…continued to hang out even after the prime. Wade took it on….to rectify the gap….in serious fashion. Without the help of Wade, Rob and JT…..I think the race could have been more dangerous….but with all their hard work….it stayed clean and fresh.

So, coming in with 2 laps to go. Marco was designated to lead up till the last half of the last lap. This is where Eric really wanted to shine. Eric is quickly becoming a truly rockin’ sprinter in the 5s. Before the race, he made a point that he wanted to be there for the finale. So, I asked him to be my lead out. Marco….. ie; Mr. Master bike handler put us into the last half of the lap, but some of us were in the wrong spot. We needed to be on the left side of the road. Marco wedged himself into the pack as a rush started to push up the left side. So, I grabbed Eric along with Greg and Gary in tow….to diagonally shoot through the peleton to the left side.

Up front, a set of riders went down the right side of the road in the backstretch…but with the watchful eye of Wade and followed by the slamming of the door by JT….the group came back… The race was on. Eric lead up the left side of the road and soon the blue train….was now the Supersonic bullet train…..the MPH is shooting up and we are bearing down on the last corner…..Eric scrapped his pedal as he flew straight through…and we had a safe and perfect shot for the line. We were flying to the line…and coming up to it..I looked under my shoulder and to my amazement…..saw a truly beautiful sight…….4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st.

A perfect result….for a truly amazing set of teammates…….friends…….Kick ass Blue Train….and viva La Grange!

What I think you can see from Bubba’s race report is that team work is the key. During this race any number of little errors could of ruined our amazing results. every rider had their role, and when we execute, the results speak for themselves.

So if you are on a team, focus on the small things and let the big things fall into place. So whether it is brining back a break, closing a gap, or being in the right place to lead out your sprinter, get it done. So what if you end up being 39th instead of being top 10, if the team scores big, you score bigger.

Train hard, Race harder!