我們上周末在埔里參加南投盃比賽：周六的 42km 繞圈賽和周日的 42km TTT。這是由我們的好朋友南投自由車委員會和埔里二輪館辦的地方性比賽。我們希望看到越來越多這種草根性，低調，不搞噱頭，不請長官講話的比賽在台灣各地定時舉辦。埔里可說是 Team Cinelli Ritchey 的第二家鄉，所以我們當然以全隊動員來代表我們對此比賽的支持。
也就是說，上周末，阿丹小玉民宿客滿, 來客有：Rick, Tina, Olive, Kai, Ray, Fraser, Joanne, Butter (canine), Dudu (canine) and a cat whose name i don’t remember.
周六的10圈繞圈賽捷安特包了前三名。光頭楊第四，我第六。我們本來前面六人在一起，四個捷安特對兩個 TCR。 (more…)
One of the things that I enjoy doing is riding mountain bikes. I used to do a lot of this back in Canada, where I am originally from but access to good riding here is somewhat limited. I usually jump at the chance to race mountain bikes and this weekend was no exception.
There were two races down south in Fongshan, Kaohsiung County. We drove down after work on Friday and arrived in Kaohsiung at about 11:30 pm. On Saturday we headed out and got to the race course at about 7 am so I could test ride the course. I got two laps in, but it wasn’t enough time to really get comfortable on the bike or with the course. They closed the course so I was unable to get any more practice in so I sat around until my race started at around 10:30. Unfortunately they also cut the length of the race, for unknown reasons. All of this conspired against me and I finished fifth (out of five finishers).
I was not very confident for the race on Sunday morning, though the one advantage I had was that there was a three minute climb, which was about two and a half minutes longer than any of the climbs on Saturday.
The Climb
北海岸已經來了好幾次 , 我一直覺得這裡是個適合比賽的地方 , 有好的交管 , 壯麗的海岸風光 , 萬里與金山的風土民情 .
今天的天氣相當不錯 , 伴隨著鹹鹹又涼涼的海風 , 沒有熱到受不了 . (今年的北部不知怎麼很少下雨 , 氣溫和南部有得拼 ?) 從金山漁港出發 , 一小段熱身之後就是一場硬仗 . 平路段集團前面一向十分的熱鬧 , 不少人嘗試攻擊找機會出去 , 但比起繞圈賽或平路賽 , 大家騎的很保守 , 因為 … 心中總會掛念著最後的 15km 爬坡 .
Ray in no-man's land. Behind the lead group, ahead of the chase.
如我們所料 , 在坡底前沒有任何領先集團形成 . 阿丹和 Rick 在爬坡前段帶我到前面幫我配速 , 讓我有了一個不錯的位置和節奏 , 很感謝有這樣的隊友支持我 . 但沒多久一幫人馬就開始加速到了最前面 , 我知道這裡是集團分裂的關鍵 , 接下來將十分難熬 , 咬牙跟上最前面很強的一幫人馬 . 當然 , 沒過多久我就已經有點難以負荷這種強度 , 決定先照自己的節奏然後等後面的人上來一起輪車 .
Ray in the lead group.
我和 Rick 上週六一大早從台中去台北參加天母城市自行車繞圈賽。這是由天母商圈發展協會主辦的比賽。只有分兩個組別，也限制參加人數為 200人/組。
在台灣辦繞圈賽最大的困難就是交管。這次的主辦單位把交管做的非常成功：在賽前年輕的裁判用有禮但堅定的方式控制想要撞入賽道的車－－Nice（這代表了主辦單位事前對工作人員有一定的訓練），賽道有心的規化和隔離（還用了稻草堆！這是記憶中第一次在台灣比賽看到），賽前每個彎角都有人掃幹淨，而在賽道選擇也是城市繞圈應有的 －－簡單，好的路面，在市區裡可讓其他民眾體驗我們自行車運動的魅力。。。
去年捷安特杯繞圈賽是我唯一沒參加到的一場聯賽 , 今年當然不能錯過 . 今年捷安特杯從以往的9月移到7月 , 似乎無懼7月一向炎熱且多變的氣候 .
7月24日一早 , 阿丹小玉載我一起去大甲 , 一路上很熱鬧 , Meimu坐我旁邊 . 我們在比賽前3個多小時就到了會場附近 , 還有時間稍做休息 , 繞比賽路線熱身 , 檢查車子 … 還好步調是如此的慢 , 阿丹才會發現已出現裂痕的曲柄 , 感謝上帝 !
菁英組是繞圈賽的壓軸 , 直到12:30 a.m. 我們才前往起跑線前集合 . 為了自身安全與其他人的安危 , 阿丹決定不下場 , 所以只有我與剛結束不可思異返台行程的 Rick , 還有第一次參加菁英組的英傑下場 . 此外 , 這場比賽來了幾支勁旅 , 如前勁車隊 , 沒記錯的話前勁車隊(前台中縣隊) 是今年第一次比全國聯賽 , 似乎他們今年的重點是要躋身國際比賽當中 , 我相當期待他們的水準越來越好 , 也給台灣的車隊們樹立正面的榜樣 . (more…)
這是單模車隊的英傑幫我們照的。哇，很難得我們有這麼專業的比賽照片。
These photos were taken by Jay from Team MV. Pretty pro quality race photos. Thanks Jay.
Yunlin County is one of those places that blur by as you hurl toward somewhere else, registering only as km’s to be ticked off. Oh yeah, it’s got overrated and overpriced coffee in Gukeng. Soysauce. And the controversial giant Formosa Plastic oil refinery on its coast. Impressions from my one previous visit to Yunlin – only 1 hour south of Taichung – are of desolate farm houses amid a desolate sea of rice paddies, shimmering in a desolate sun, everything quietly baking in desolate silence.
TCR all kitted up for battle. Our race kit this year is a real eye-popper. Being easy to spot in the pack is both an advantage and a disadvantage, we find. But there's no denying our Stratos are getting the most attention.
The National Club Series’ 5th and 6th races were held in Yunlin this past weekend, around the Town of Huwei (Tiger’s Tail). It’s the first time the Series has come to Yunlin, as part of the county’s tourism promotion. The crit and the road race were held on the coastal plain, meaning for both days we held nary a hill in sight. As we drove around Huwei looking for lunch I couldn’t help wondering hmmm what kind of lifestyle would I have to adopt if I lived around here. Sure after a while i’d find something to dig in the sultry central-southern (中南部) miasma. But where would I do my hill repeats? Where would I go for the shady escape into the hills? I mean, where are the shades? I started to wonder if I had to be in a place that’s garishly bright, murderously hot, mind-bendingly flat and without shades, would I rather be in a real desert or an asphalt-and-rice-paddy desert? Yeah the mind wanders when it should be taking siesta.
Tim in the lead breakaway during Sunday's RR: First in EM40 and Fifth overall.
That is not to say that I found nothing to recommend during our excursion. Huwei has a real vibrant night market (ok, that’s the obligatory tourist thing to say). And the town has some really cool Japanese-era public buildings left that I wished we had more time to explore. And you gotta respect the sun-toughened A-beis (Old Uncles) who rule the roads with their imperturbably imperious scootering — no helmets, no lookin’, no paying no mind to nobody. Dis them at your own perils. (more…)
這是我第二次騎武嶺 , 上一次是去年的第一屆 . 對我來說這比賽很特別 , 好像是每年必經之路一般 , 是充滿著挑戰的一條路 .
賽前一天埔里還下著大雨 , 一整晚雨聲滴滴答答地響著 . 我們都很擔心會像去年一樣在比賽前就已經全身溼了 , 一路在雨中騎上武嶺 , 然後縮著發抖的身子下山 . 結果呢 ? 隔天早上雨就停了 ! 還好 , 惡夢沒有成真 .
菁英組最早出發 , 也最備受大會的關注 . 大會有兩部維修車全程跟著我們 , 還有數不清的機車裁判沿路幫我們開路指揮 . 除此之外 , 沿路設有三處補給點 , 然後大會還幫我們載衣物到山頂 , 從這些細節來看真的會覺得大會實在很用心在辦這場比賽 !
Being a 2-day race, Huadong is a special race in the calendar in Taiwan. For us is a very important race, and also a great excuse to go to the beautiful East coast, Hualien and Taitong.
Here some highlights of the race:
Rick on the attack!
One more year we were at the start line in Hualien ready for the Tour of East Taiwan, 300km, 2-day race up and down between Hualien and Taidong, and back.
As usual, the route profile dictated a race in big groups, where is hard to breakaway but easy to follow. I noticed the groups were really bigger this year (basically both days it was just one big group), it seems the average level has increased, the speed was high as well, and I didn’t see dangerous riders or moves as other times.
Huadong 2nd day... a hard training ride if you just look at the summary... but the 800+ watt spikes tell a different story.
今年新的分組制度下，菁英組的人數多出很多，但有沒有一兩隊可以或願意出來組織或帶頭。在這種情況下，集團中騎法變的很負面，因為只要在集團裡“精打細算”的騎，就可以到最後“再拼一拼”。
我不確定這種騎法對個人或對台灣還在成長的公路車文化是好的。 (more…)
My ride in the north coast series stage one road race was a good example of selection, timing and steadfast commitment. Either that or I got lucky, ha! Mere minutes after the starting gun, two riders attacked off the front. Not long after another rider accelerates to bridge. In the time of two heartbeats I knew this was my opportunity to get out of the pack and into a promising breakaway, so I chased hard… Once the initial accelerations and rotations were over, we had six grouped together with representation from: Giant, Equinox, Columbus, Cherry. With this mix there was less motivation for the main pack to chase, and those that attempted to chase weren’t organized well enough.
yeah yeah, it's another plaque... but the fans were impressed
北海岸的團隊計時賽和公路賽是我們今年的第一個賽事。Team Cinelli Ritchey 中表現最亮眼的是老傢伙 Rick。他不只是周六 TTT 的 Big Motor，幫 TCR 拿下了第七。 在周日的公路賽 Rick 更很聰明的加入了六人的 break, 在精英組總成績第五，在精英 40 組當然是第一。
Not bad for an old man.
我們 TTT 是第七。因為我們只有四人，所以我們沒有可 jettison 隊友的選擇，只有四人一同完賽才算成功。在團隊計時賽一定會有隊友的狀況比較好或不好 －－ 這並不是問題。但以我們之間應有的默契，我們在後段不應浪費不少時間等人，regroup. To me, 這是不該出的狀況。But we were happy to podium.
Rick 在周日公路賽最後一段：RE40 第一，菁英總排名第五
Yeah, Team Cinelli-Ritchey went off-road, but not out of control, this last weekend at Merida Cup in Baiguo Shan near Shetou. And again it was visible at the (extended) podium, with a 7th position finish, behind some top pro riders.
訂閱台灣 Team Cinelli Ritchey 車隊 