Date:  Sunday, Sept 8
Race:  Blueberry Circuit Race, Hammonton NJ
Distance: 60mi/15mi per lap/10 places
Roster:  Me(Los) and Karl


Well, let me start off by discussing the reduced roster.  Stephan retired 
this year (r.i.p), so did Chadd (good luck with the baby).  Scott went to 
another team (recently tearing it up in Poland), and Pup decided in the 
Spring his time was up (and bought a house, a car, and got married).  Pete 
hasn't been having any fun lately and decided to hang it up for the season 
(career?), and Nick was helping someone move.  Johnny called it quits after 
his poor showing at last weeks stage race in Harrisburg.  That left Hacker to 
mix it up on his own at the Nutcracker RR, producing a respectable eighth 
place on a very difficult course riding against team Bean's.

So, this morning fighting off a serious bout of neck pain and the, "are you 
sure you want to race, considering you slept like shit and can't turn your 
head more than an inch?" thoughts not only going off in my head but coming 
from my girlfriend as well; I met Karl at 7:30 to take the trip to pancake 
flat Hammonton, NJ.  And I know it's redundant, but I have to say that riding 
twice in two weeks left a slightly uncomfortable feeling in my head as well.

After suiting up, handing Karl extra pins (par for the course), and rubbing a 
ton of a cream on my neck, I hopped on my bike and settled in for the start.  
Perhaps a hundred guys lined the road, a surprisingly high number for a 
fairly small race, and it was filled with riders from the local pa/nj/ny 
scene.  The course is dead flat, incorporates all of four turns in fifteen 
miles per lap, and straight roads covering up to 3-5 miles before a turn.  
This would be a highly tactical and technical race, and I immediately went to 
the back to wait until the 59 miles of racing were up so I could at least 
give it a go at the glory.

Karl on the other hand jettisoned off the front in search of some pilgrims 
after about five miles of racing and stayed away for a few miles.  But the 
break was too big, and there was too much horsepower in the field to allow 
the break more than twenty or thirty seconds.  And so, as we crossed the line 
starting the second lap, I found myself at the back pretty much unconcerned 
with more than how frigg'n hot it must be to work in the blueberry fields 
during the heat of day in the middle of Summer.  Which reminds me, while I 
was sitting on the can in the bathroom before the race (we were able to use 
the facilities of the local blueberry distributor) I couldn't help but notice 
the Spanish only signs hanging up instructing workers to "wash hands 
thoroughly" before returning to work. You'd think I was in some joint down in 
Tiajuana!

Anyway, just before I started to doze off, I looked up to see about ten 
riders working smoothly just off the front and gaining ground.  On the one 
hand I didn't take it too seriously since the course was so flat, on the 
other hand since neither Karl or myself were in it and there were a number of 
well represented teams with riders in the break I thought it could be 
dangerous. After working my way to the front with Karl and taking stock of 
the situation, after a what seemed like a good reaction from the field, the 
break actually gained time and was up to 55 seconds!  Karl was shocked, and I 
now felt I would have to put my lack of fitness to the test.  We circulated 
around the front taking pulls, hard enough at times that others could not 
follow, and worked with other riders to reel in the locomotive ahead.  It was 
a hard series of efforts, but eventually it paid off and the break came back 
with a lap and half to go.  Now all the two Toga guys, and the other sprinter 
guy from Gap, and all the other punks who reneged on their gentlemanly duties 
by sitting in during the chase had to do was wait  for the sprint.

And, minus the mid race action, the race came down for the inevitable filed 
sprint.  As Karl and I worked our way to the front I surprised myself by at 
least circulating in the top twenty in an effort to help out Karl or find my 
own way.  Karl has been going well lately, but admittedly hasn't had the 
perfect race to garner a win.  And with this long, straight finish it would 
be a bit of a crap shoot today.  The sprint started prematurely, but did do 
enough damage to weed out the wannabes, before it went again.  Karl and I 
were still there, but I started to fade as the real sprint began.  Karl 
jacked it up, with me shouting support, but as has been his m.o. the last few 
races he finished just behind the fast guys and just missing out of the 
money.  As a matter of fact, if you go to www.cyclingnews.com you can find a 
picture of the finish and see his left arm, leg and shoe in the photo...I 
think the rest of him was blocked by the Toga guy raising his arms in triumph!

And so, while this very well may be the last race of the season for me, a 
season bittersweet, it was a good, fun day, and Karl and I were left to 
ponder the future of TBT.  By the way, after the race my neck felt a little 
better too!  

So, while the Mengoni GP may be in the cards in late September, I'll be 
finishing school, starting a new career, with an imminent move to NYC on the 
horizon, and left to ponder the what may come of TBT next year.

Later.

Results
Cat 1/2/3 men
 
1 Sergio Rolando (Toga)
2 Rosevelt Martin (Gap)
3 Kevin Belz (East Coast Velo)
4 Wilson Vasques (Mengoni)
5 Roman Pineda (Toga)
6 Gil Hatton (Gotham)
7 Christian Young (Ideal Tile)
8 Jura Dealemida (Ready Pac)
9 Steve Ward (Colavita)
10 Alex Meyer (Montclair)
11 Larry Detris (Ec Velo)
 
12....Karl?

Nutcracker Road Race

9/8/02

Course:  4 laps on a 10 mile circuit mostly hilly with one KOM climb and a 2 mile finishing hill

Condition:  Warm, not too humid

Roster:  Me (Rob Hacker)

Another small field (30 or so guys) but most of the top Bar guys were there.  I knew to watch for an early move and actually went on my own to grab the first Kom points.  I was hoping to pull a small group away but alas, the field stayed together and I went back peacefully.  On the second lap 2 escapees went (Kyle Wamsley-FUJI, and a mountain biker).  It seemed early and a little breezy for it to last but they quickly gained almost a minute.  Beans was the best represented in the bunch so I sat back and waited for them to chase as the numbers in our group slowly dwindled down. 

When we got the bell for one lap to go the break was about 20 seconds up  and Josh Beck(Beans) made it across alone and added some horsepower to the break.  Any attacks from my group were marker by two teammates in our group.  Wamsley also had a teammate covering some stuff.  The gap opened up again but the mountainbiker was dropped from the group and quickly caught.  As we approached the final climb the chase group was down to 9 guys.  They were paying 10 so someone in the group wasnt getting paid.  No way was that going to be me!!!

Things strung out on the climb as the Beans guys who hadnt done much but cover moves all day started to attack.  I hung tough but got nipped by Erydeli at the line and finished 8^th