National Championships - the time trial

June 24, 2010 19:37 by Neil Browne

The time trial is called the race of truth for a reason. There is no hiding in the pack and bluffing. It is an all out effort and the fastest rider wins.

I drove down to the start with extra wheels, bottles and miscellaneous tools in the back of the Suburban while the Devo team rode the three miles to the start as part of their warm-up. The weather was another picture perfect day in Bend – sunny with the temperatures in the mid-70's and no wind to speak of. It was a great day for a race.

Our two junior riders were the first to roll out for the Devo squad with Matt Lipscomb leading the charge. A few minutes after Lipscomb was Parker Kyzer. As I write this I'm not sure of Kyzer's time, however Matt was 15^th on the day! I think he's a little disappointed but it was a tough course.

Next up was the U-23 riders. When it was all said and done our riders were disappointed in their efforts and had been hoping for better. Again, as I write this the times were not official yet. However, Hincapie Devo rider Tyler Karnes said, “That was the worse time trial I've ever done.” Tough day all around for the boys.

Tomorrow in the late afternoon is the criterium and we are looking for some strong results. The course is a four corner loop with the only technical section being a narrower road going into turn four.

Wish us luck!  

Touch Down in Bend

June 23, 2010 23:07 by Neil Browne

This was the weekend the Hincapie Development squad had been waiting for – the national road racing championships. For the second year in succession the championships are being held in Bend, Oregon. Unlike last year when temperatures were in the 90's, the weather so far has been pleasant with sunshine and no wind – perfect for racing.

The first event for most of the guys is tomorrow's time trial. The course starts with a gentle uphill drag, U-turns and then does a additional loop through a residential area that includes a round-about, for a total of 18 miles.

We rolled out this morning to inspect the course as well as to take the opportunity to open up the legs and blow out any jet-lag. From the Hincapie Devo rental house it's only three miles to the starting ramp. The guys looked pro as they rode two abreast down the road with me following in the huge red Chevy Suburban.

The 18-mile loop had plenty of riders with the same idea as us. All along the course riders were either just gently cruising or banging out short time trial efforts. We spotted the Garmin-Slipstream and Trek-Livestrong squads on the course and exchanged polite waves as we passed. We're friendly now, but once the racing starts in earnest they are the competition.

The boys doing a recon ride on the TT course

The boys set a steady tempo up the first uphill leg of the course with each rider taking surges to get the blood pumping. At the turn around we had a quick meeting to discuss the gear ratios to use. Like mentioned, it's uphill but raced in the big ring with no need to shift into anything bigger than the 23 rear cog. On the return section the legs should be spinning at a 100 plus cadence and their speed will be at their maximum. This downhill section will allow a bit of recovery before the final six-mile loop. This final portion features gentle rollers that will elevate the heart rate again. After the rolling section it's a straight shot back to the finish line. The guy's heart rate should be pegged as they punch it to the line.

As I write this the guys have woken from naps and are watching t.v. as the dads plan out dinner. It looks like huge portions of pasta are on tonight's menu. However before we eat it's one more short trip into town to pick up race numbers and to double check the time trial bikes on the UCI jig to ensure that the angles are within the allowed tolerances. It's best to double check these things before we roll up to the start line tomorrow.

Follow the team's national championships adventure on Twitter @HincapieDevo and on Facebook. I'll post updates as often as possible.

Parker putting his bike on the TT jig