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That’s a great question. It varies from race to race. I’ve always wondered what the contracts looked like at the various levels of pro riding (guys riding on dedicated team throughout the season vs guys being flown out to guest ride for a team for a particular event etc). I would say most of these pro fields at the local crit level might have a few guys show up who are paid to do this for a living but the rest are cat 1-3s. The bigger events out here definitely draw more pros. Earlier in the season out here in LA in particular you see a lot of pro teams getting prepped for the start of their year by getting some early season racing under their belts.

Thank you for this feedback. You’re right, this sport is an international sport and it would certainly be worth changing over to metric system in these vids considering I’m looking to reach viewers beyond the US. Thanks again! Oh, and you should get out there. I’ve found it to be incredibly rewarding on so many levels.

Cory took home 🥇 👊

Hey Clarence glad to hear you are getting something out of these videos. I started doing race commentary this season on select races and used other races, like this one, for people that might be doing course recon or doing work on the indoor trainer and looking for something other than a zwift (or the like) screen to look at. Thanks again for subscribing! Much appreciated my man 👊

I’ll see what I can do 😏👊

Haha certainly adds to the “character” of the course

@@cassettecycling 😂 definitely!!

I aim to please. Thank you my man 🫡👊

Yeah, thanks dawg.

Hey Cliff thank you bro! I fully expected to be racing p123 this year at Eldo but wasn’t sure how I’d fare placement wise or fitness wise for the matter. It’s been a slow but very steady progression fitness wise I’d say and doing this race every week has had everything to do with that fitness progression. So many stronger racers will make you stronger. I think race craft or race smarts will always be more advantageous than being the fittest in the bunch. So as I progressed through each race I used what learned last season in the 4/5s tactics wise at Eldo and started racing like that in these p123s and started seeing a nice trend results wise. I think once you have knowledge of who is who and also how to race the course most efficiently it all plays into this progression

@cassettecycling I see. I always hear stories of these super fit triathlete trying bike ra ING for the first time then destroying the field, but at more advanced levels, that supreme fitness is less of a factor. I'm glad for your confidence, that's half the battle. Keep it up brother. With that attitude you're rise like cream on milk.

Though fitness is a must, crit racers must be cunning and have a good sprint.

@@andrewsandoz8005 I remember when I first started in the 80s and had cunning, but no fitness, nothing happened. LOL

@@andrewsandoz8005 fitness is absolutely necessary but I’d argue someone that has better race craft/race smarts could out perform someone with great fitness. In my short racing career I’ve learned it’s more about the choices you make, when you make them, when you burn your matches, etc. And to be honest, especially for being a big guy, my sprint isn’t all that great. If you are good at positioning you can make up for not having a good sprint.

So it’s you I have to thank for that extra hot last lap 😅

One match short of getting up there in chamois bros land for that finish 😅

Thanks Cliff!

Thanks man. That’s the only move I’ve had this year too lol. I came so close to becoming a permanent addition to that mailbox 😬

No doubt. That ditch and metal fence didn’t look to appetizing either 🫠

Thanks Cliff. I was certainly lucky. Really bummed for those that didn’t fare as well. Tough situation for sure 👊

@@cassettecycling really, others fell? I suppose part of the mastery of the course is the familiarity.. Next time, you'll have the anticipation of the corner and what speed you can give it.

@@cliffcox7643 at least two others went down not too far behind me unfortunately. I vaguely remember this corner from last year but in no way did I come close to the speed I approached it at this race. Live and learn. Maybe waiting and saving the attack/leadout until after getting through it was the move.

I appreciate it!

💫👊

Thx Cliff 👊

Much appreciated Anthony! I’ll keep the goods comin 👊

Thank you my man! Will do 👊

Thx bro! It truly is. Really opens up all the nuances of this sport. Plenty to learn going forward but things are pointed in the right direction. 👊

Thanks! I use the Garmin Virb software for the overlay of the data

@@cassettecycling I just tried the software you recommended, but the gpx file I imported seems to have no battery data. how did you do it

I believe you can manually add whatever data fields you are looking for within the software under the data section. Good luck! This software is old and glitchy. Not ideal but it is what has been working for me so far. @@羅全佑-n8i

Hey thank you! Looking forward to seeing you guys this Sunday at King/Queen crit in the 2/3 race. Looks like a real solid bunch so should be a fun one! Will also be good to meet in person as well. See ya then! 👊

Thanks man! I learn from the best 👊

Nice to hear you are getting back into the sport. If there’s anything I’ve learned since I started cycling it’s that the journey to gaining fitness on the bike is so, so personal. I try to never forget that (as we tend to always wanna compare). Glad you found the vid insightful! I appreciate it 👊

Thanks Cliff! Glad to hear you are into it! 👊

Thank you big man. Gonna be more fun talking about those podiums we gonna get! 👊😎

You too my man! It was a tough one but I’m sure glad we dove in. Real excited to see what we do as a team this year! 👊

Thx Cliff! I appreciate it! Tough course but I had a blast out there. So good to be racing again!

@@cassettecycling haha, you were chomping at the bit for a race.

@@cliffcox7643 10000000%

Hey thanks! I don’t believe that guy was DQ’d. One of the first things I learned in racing was to always protect your front wheel. If I remember correctly this guy that went down was a masters rider from another race (they run races simultaneously here). I hate seeing fellow racers go down but it does happen. Something I guess you have to accept about the sport. And yea, man that pavement could use a serious overhaul but it does make things more interesting. Ha! After doing a couple of these you learn the lines pretty quick and it isn’t so bad. This remains my fav race series in SoCal. If you haven’t raced it yet or encourage you to do so. The vibes are on point. Always a good time 💯👊

Hey! Absolutely! Don’t mind helping you out at all. Shoot me an email for ya and I’ll drop a raw file of that moment over to you later today 👊

It truly is. Can’t say I’ve ever seen anything quite like it before.

Thanks Alan! Really appreciate you my man!

Planning on doing a bunch of zone 2 next few months before I start hitting any intervals at all. Also planning on hitting the gym to lift/stretch etc. I've been sooooo bad with that since I started doing this more seriously. How about you?

@cassettecycling my power dropped when I raced so I'm working on Z2 and intervals, till I'm built up, and in the mood to be competitive.

@@cliffcox7643 why the power drop in races? I noticed this year it was very dependent on the type of race, conditions, quality of competition, and how active (or not) I chose to be. My last week of racing this season was wild power wise. I had the absolute worst and best results, power wise, in one week since I’ve been racing. Two very different races. Personally, I feel like I’ve found my limits this year and most certainly need to either lose a little bit of weight or gain more strength (preferably both) if I want to get to that “next level”.

@cassettecycling simply I wasn't able to train and be in the zones that increased my power. Ibwas stronger before racing. When racing came, I'd preserve myself for the races and it altered my progressive training.

Thank you my man! 👊

Thanks Jeff! Man I would have been way more patient with that long drag sprint, trying to be in first 6-7 wheels through that turn on back of course. I would have stayed sheltered and out of the wind in the middle-left (towards the inside) and then sent it with around 300m to go or so. With it being my first time doing this race, it was really hard to gauge where the sprint might actually start. Patience is def key with this one and positioning up towards the front to avoid getting swarmed is also clutch.

@@cassettecycling you are doing great man, always amazed at how many watts are in the tank for you at the end of these races!

@@StigNash thanks bro. Def a work in progress but aren't we all? And I need all those watts to haul my 220lb frame around these courses haha. Planning on hitting the gym this off-season to add more strength and MORE WATTS. Boom.

Bro I thought it was the coolest you were there volunteering and supporting. Real good shit my man! I think what made those turns tough for me personally was the quality of pavement. Wasn’t great and def had a few moments where back wheel skipped around. Certainly made it tougher but overall I actually really liked the course. Those rollers made it tough too 👊

Tell me about it haha

Thanks Shannon! Man I was holdin on for dear life 🤣. Stoked for Manhattan Beach on Sunday! I’ll see ya then! Gonna be a fun one!👊

I appreciate it! Thank ya! 💫👊

Man I didn't even put two and two together on that one! I met Nigel when I first got out here. I think it might have been my first race here. Such a nice guy and a helluva bike racer. I remember him asking me where I was from and then we had the whole convo about if I know JP Primm etc and how he's on his team etc. Sadly Nigel was in a bad crash earlier this season ( i think he might have broken his wrist) but he's back racing now and kicking ass (he just missed podium in this race). Definitely one of THE wheels to follow out here.

Thank you Cliff! I’ve actually been toying with the idea of adding commentary. Good to get that kinda feedback. 👊

@@cassettecycling ya, cause it's one thing to read it, which i value, but to hear it and the nuances in the voice when situations happen is king.

I wonder if those other four that bridged did so when we were passing women’s field? I have no clue how we could have missed something like that but sometimes things like that sneak through when passing or getting passed by other races 🤷‍♂️

Thanks! Good race my man 👊

It looks like 6 according to bikereg.com but I do remember hearing them say something about the last race being in September sometime

Thanks man! First p123 race coming up next week. Exited to see what it feels like and also to see what kinda work lies ahead in the off-season 😂🫠