#dolcevitafreewheel

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Stage 3 complete. Finished 10th. But decided to take a concrete nap maybe 30 minutes in ☹️ Worked back up to the front of the group and swooped Cinco😊 #dosgatosproblemos #TOADorBust #dolcevitafreewheel (at Eric's Porter Haus)

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Quick n dirty race report. Got to the start with 35 minutes till race time. And as a racer you know 35 minutes aint shit! It takes about 10-15 mintues to park and get your number, wait in line to do the do is another 10 minutes, lastly getting your bibs on pinning your number will leave you with maybe 5 minutes left, if you're lucky. Which i kind of was? Anyways i knew that i would warm up on the first climb, and i did. A couple guys took off when the moto left us. We eventually caught the duo at the start of the first first climb up to the observatory, Thanks to Marcus's BEAST MODE and charging at the front numerous times. Once they were caught a group of 8 or 9 went off. Cooper (Dolce Vita) and maybe two other guys broke off from the groupetto and eventually caught onto the break and successfully stayed away for the rest of the race. I was mixed up in a group of five guys for 80% of the race after Cooper took off. We were the official chase group. The only downside to the group was everyones pulls werent very organized. I mean myself and a new Dolce cat2, Erik. Were in this group. So it wasnt idealy our plan to try to catch the break. Well maybe it was for me when i was descending down from Hammy. But i was just actually trying to catch up to Tym Lang (Lowfactoryracing). He had some desending skills that I dont have quiet yet. After the main descent our group stuck together until about just the 5k mark. Myself and another guy started losing gas. And the group of four kept on trucking. I solo'd all the way to the finish for 13th and found out that Cooper did eventally get back with the break and got 3rd! So i think it was another successful day for Dolce Vita. But MAN! that race is fluffing hard! Sidenote. We rode back to the start (46miles 2:30min) That ish sucked. Im parking a car somewhere off of Mines road next season! haha Thanks again for all the support

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Cats Hill Classic Crit P1/2 "Do better than last year." Was the sentence that repeated in my head every time we came around the corner from Massol onto Nicholson (the steep one block climb). We defeated that street 35 times! Last year I cramped pretty bad with three to go and I was completely spent. I laid in someone's front yard for 25 minutes because I was so wrecked. This year I finished and I wasn't nearly as much of an eye sore. Unfortunately I did cramp on the last time up the hill. The rest of the guys looked great! But I lost sight of Cooper pretty early on in the race V, Adriano, and Marcus hovered through out the field like myself. There were some laps where it would be easy to make position on the straight away from the start finish and the flat section on top of the climb. As the race continued there were multiple attacks from Mikes and H24 riders. The whole 75 minutes the pace stayed pretty steady. I can only recall maybe a couple of them slowing when a Mikes guy would try to attack off the front and his homies would slow the group down, but those laps were quickly increased when others would attack and swallow up any breakaways attempts. I honestly really enjoy that course. I'm going to like it even more next season because they're going to repave the whole neighborhood! No more, I think my wheels are going to explode, feeling on the descent to the last corner. ANYWAYS! This was another exciting race. Yes, I didn't place too well and cramping is a mental state of mind. So more things to work on as the season continues. Thanks again for all the support and sorry for the grammatical errors.

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Wente RR P1/2 I haven't done one of these in a long while. I've had a couple hiccups in my race season so far. BUT! Wente Vinards Road Race started out fast off the gun. This was actually just a feeler race for me since getting back on the pony after my stomach going through some rough times in SoCal during San Dimas and Redlands. So yeah! Fast off the gun. Right when the moto pulled off a small group went off the front. More chased and then an established break of about 20ish riders was formed. I got into the chase group just before the bump section, but then fell off when we came up to the hay bail wall. I chased to maybe see if I could get back in but the head wind was just too much. A smaller second chase group formed with Ryan in it and I sat with them for the remaining four laps. We paced lined kind of and slowly picked up guys that got shelled off the chase group. One lap to go we were about a mile from the feed zone two guys jetted away from our group and Ryan went after them. I started to loose focus and eating fell away from my train of thought. "Just need to get past the bump and you're all done!" Side note. EAT AND DRINK THE WHOLE DING DANG RACE! That's what keeps you going! Six miles to go I caught up to the P1/2 women's field break away group. They were MOVING! And it was extremely awesome to watch my lady racing as strong as she has been all season. Again I was loosing steam and couldn't keep up. They quickly pulled away as I was huffing and puffing to get up and over the bump and coast down the last couple turns to the uphill finish. I didn't win, pack finish, or DFL. I'm really happy with how this went and was even more impressed that I preformed as well as I did. Was even more proud of Cooper and Ryan for riding as strong as they did! *YESS Mark and I are banana breaking* Thanks again for all the support. D

[zgingnar]

The rain started right when we lined up for yesterday's #santacruzclassic Criterium. It was a tough day (as my expression might indicate), especially at the tail end of a hard training block. I was basically pack fodder, avoiding the plague of bodies and bikes crashing on the wet concrete. You can't win 'em all, but you gotta get out there and try. 📷 @acaurora, #raphadramatic manipulation by me. #dolcevitafreewheel (at Santa Cruz, California)

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Chico Stage Race 2016 - Catagory 2 Stage 1- Thunderhill Circuit. Arrived about 20 minutes til the start. I was anxious and the only way my mind would be at ease was pinning my numbers on my kit. Clare dropped me off at the reg building, getting there a little late worked out because i didnt have to wait in the long line that usually backs up the getting ready process. Got back to the car,pinned the numbers on the skinny and everything else was easy after that. Bike out of the car, stinger honey shot gel in my gut, helmet and shoes on. I was ready to meet up witht the other Dolce's for the game plan. We kept our presence known at the front for the whole race. Sean Allen was holding it down the whole time! He got the first three(two?) sprint primes. Multiple attempts at breakaways happened. But none stuck. Virgilio i believe made a couple jumps just to show the group that Dolce is here and we arent playing this weekend. He did come back in the peleton and saw me. "Steve, do you want to take a flyer?" I responded with a "YEAH!" As we came around to the start finish the last sprint lap bell rung. I waited after the first turn then lit it up. Jump on the outside right where the group blocked the wind and motored up to the front and right when the road dipped down a bit before "the bump" (front side climb) i made a second effort that sepperated me from the race. i was away for the rest of the lap. But during I wouldve imagined that i was going to get caught on the back side climb or the last turn. But i kep an eye on the field and didnt get caught until after the start finish line. I successfully swopped the last sprint prime. So that mean that Dolce got all the primes. Sean continued to stay towards the front. Possitioned himself along with Virgilio behind some kids that decided to explode at the 400m mark. THey died just after the 200 and a crash happened.. Not sure if it was caused by these guys. Either way! Sean took the ding dang win and V came in after. Holding down the lead result for the first stage was Dolce Vita Freewheel. Stage 2- Paskenta Hills Road Race. We arrived an hour before the start. Just enough time to get all spando'd out. Last little bit of carbs to put in our guts and then spin the legs. It was pretty brisk that morning and stayed that way the rest of the race. Arm warmers were a good move. The pace was pretty calm on the ride to the gravel. THen more and more guys were anxious on getting towards the front for the dirt. Maybe i hadnt warmed up enough? Because when we got to the dirt i felt my body start to fitigue. But I pushed as hard as i could to get past the hard part of "FUCK THIS CYCLOCROSS SHIT!" Sliding all over the damn place on these 23's! haha THinking every couple minutes i had a flat. But didnt feel the valve on the rim so that meat i was good! A couple hops once we hit the pavement again, and i was confident i would make it the next lap around. The backside of the course had a nasty headwind. I needed to force myself to eat. This was the main issue i had with this race. One was positioning and two eating. Everytime i would eat i would be able to keep going.. ISNT THAT CRAZY?!?!?! Besides my issues. Zach and Virgilio had taken off miles before we came back around to the dirt. THere was a two man break that went after the feed zone on the first lap. And they stayed away until Zach latched on. V came soon after and all four of them worked well. The oregon kid that was with them peel'd off on the dirt the second time around and meant the guys had to work smart the rest of the race. Which they did and finished about a minute and some change in front of the group. Once peleton reached the dirt more guys fell off but i managed to jump on a very confident wheel in the group and didnt use too much energy. Until the guy started to run out of juice!! "FUCK!" i yelled. It wasnt good timining either! We were a half mile to the pavement. I went around him and for the next three minutes i dug so fucking deep. Telling myself to keep pushing and just get onto the tail end of the group! It sucks too because after the gravel its a slight up hill for a quarter mile. So being tired from the dirt then motoring through the feed really made it hard to keep going. But i couldnt give up! I kept pushing down the pedals and eventually made it onto the tail end. Stayed with the group all the way to the finish line, where Zach and V were sitting with HUGE smiles after taking first and third. Dolce Vita Freewheel still at the top of the points as we finished stage two. Stage 3- River Road TT Ill make this one quick and dirty. I LeMondz it. 10miles 23:45 came in 54th.. I was hurting holding 316w Average. Fucking Jaffa caught me at the 1 miles marker! haha he did motivate me to keep pushing though. I think that was the best part of it. Zach came in 3rd over all for the TT wich still kept Dolce Vita Freewheel in the top rankings for the overall results. Stage 4- Steve Harrison Memorial Crit. "Go with any move and give them hell." Sean Stayed at the front again. Cleaned up two of the sprinter primes and completely locked in his Green Jeresey over all position. The guy was fucking killing it this weekend! Marcus did an inceredible job leading Sean out for one of those sprints. Putting in work and showing once again Dolce was a force not to be messed with. The rest of the race Maciek, V, Marcus, Ryan, and myself stayed pretty close to the front. A couple breaks tried to happen but they died pretty early. I looked down and saw we had 10 minutes left of the race. Moments later two guys took off from the group and put about five seconds on the peleton. I noticed that V and Maciek werent anywhere close to the front to make a move. SO! I found after turn two was the best place for me to explode and catch up to the break. Maybe they were tired because we only had a break for a lap and a half. Where of course how it always happens! A prime lap happened when we got caught. We got caught maybe second to the last turn. I was on the front and flicked my arm telling the AMain guy beind me i was toasted..Which i wasnt. He took off to the left of me right before the last turn. No one jumped on his wheel and it seemed like he knew he had the sprint. I mustered up a good about of power to get his wheel and got him at the line. He died after that, but i kept the pace high. Maybe not the best move but i wanted to see if i would have some help at having a break before the last lap. Unfortunalty no one else came up and i was quickly back in the group. But possitoned myself pretty close to the front for a last second breather before the finish. Corey Duran from AMain took the win, Sean and Virgilio took 3rd and 4th. Still overall Dolce Vita kept the over all GC standings. Zach kept the gold Jersey with all the points and took the glory for the weekend. All-n-all It was an amazing first stage race for the team. We have little imporvements to work on, but nothing too serious. We worked well together and I can tell this will be a good season. Sorry for the majorly long report. Im probably missing some important information. Or maybe wrote the wrong thing,but this is what i can remember from the long weekend of racing. Thanks again for all the support

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1502 by Katie Truong Via Flickr: The Bump Circuit Race, Wave 4, 2/7/2016

Bell lap.. It wasnt an easy one.