USA Cycling National Festival at Seven Springs
Champion, Pa. – July 5-17
For the second consecutive season, the majority of national titles on the road will be decided at Seven Springs Resort in Champion, Pa. The Pittsburgh-area destination in Southeastern Pennsylvania will again play host to the USA Cycling National Festival at Seven Springs as juniors, U23 athletes, elites and masters will compete in road races, time trials and criteriums July 5-17. The scenic and selective courses in a rural setting will again be partially responsible for determining the outcome of the races. Changes for the 2007 edition include a new time trial course and new road courses for most of the junior categories and all master categories. The first week of the schedule will feature elite and master events, while juniors and U23 athletes will highlight the second week of racing.
After Jens sent me some info on the course, I was really down about the prospect of setting that as my key goal for next year. He told me a protest was being lodged and I sent an e-mail just last week to the head of the nationals program to add my voice to the protest. I’m just thrilled to hear of this change … well, I’m thrilled at the prospect of a change. I’m hoping they’re changing it to address the concerns that it wasn’t a true time trial course and time trial specialists weren’t winning the event. I guess we don’t have details of the new course yet … do we?
Thanks for posting this. It’s made my day. Tomorrow I see the doc and learn if I have to have a hip replacement or not. If not, my A race for the coming year is now on the calendar!
Becuase people dont want to train for a hard course TT. In the elites and the U23, the top 5 was the same guys that woulda topped 5 had the course been light rollers ( a “real” TT course). Yes it was hard, but I guess masters fatties that spend 10k on their TT bikes werent happy with their 22 mph performance.
I was 11th in the elites, and thats about how I woulda finished on any type of course with that competition. My teammate AndyApplegate won his master’s category and he’s certainly a TT specialist, so that theory sounds like it was proposed by a sour grapes whiner that didnt train enough. Suck it up, train harder. If you did the course this year, you shouldknow exactly what you need to do to prep for next year. Theres no where flat around 7 springs. At least the elites have the same course. Now i have 8 months to prep and know exactly what to prep for. Not 3 or 4 days in advance when I pre-ride like this year.
My teammate AndyApplegate won his master’s category and he’s certainly a TT specialist, so that theory sounds like it was proposed by a sour grapes whiner that didnt train enough.
Again, I wasn’t there. My objection to the course (based on what I know about it) doesn’t involve the climbing. It involves the descending and the twists and turns. What does that have to do with training? From all I’ve heard and read, the problem was that it was a test of nerve and bike handling (of bikes that are notorious for their poor handling qualities) moreso than a test of fitness.
Yes it was hard, but I guess masters fatties that spend 10k on their TT bikes werent happy with their 22 mph performance.
Obviously, you have an objection to aging. At what age do you plan to off yourself? Do us a favor and … well, nevermind. As for “fatties,” that’s a pretty tired cliche. I’m 51 and I’m probably on the order of about 8% body fat now that it’s the off-season. You may call that fat, but I guarantee you won’t when you get to be my age … if you chicken out on offing yourself. You’ll learn that, as you age, it takes twice as much training load and a ton of dietary discipline to keep the weight off. Some of those “masters fatties” are probably a good bit more fit than you. As for them spending 10k on their bikes … damn them for having some success in their lives and dropping some serious coin on something they dearly love. Don’t they know they’re supposed to be paying alimony and chasing secretaries in their corvettes?
As I said, I’m 51. My best time trial at Lowes Motor Speedway this year was within 20 seconds of Andy Applegates best time trial there. I think maybe I should be at nationals next year, but if the course doesn’t conform to USCF rules, I won’t waste the time or money. I suck at descending and cornering. That’s part of the reason I love time trialing.
By the way … from the USCF rulebook:
“6. Championships
6A. Organization
. . .
(b) Individual and team time trials are to be held on relatively flat courses that have no sharp turns;” (thanks Jens)
Becuase people dont want to train for a hard course TT. In the elites and the U23, the top 5 was the same guys that woulda topped 5 had the course been light rollers ( a “real” TT course). Yes it was hard, but I guess masters fatties that spend 10k on their TT bikes werent happy with their 22 mph performance.
I was 11th in the elites, and thats about how I woulda finished on any type of course with that competition. My teammate AndyApplegate won his master’s category and he’s certainly a TT specialist, so that theory sounds like it was proposed by a sour grapes whiner that didnt train enough. Suck it up, train harder. If you did the course this year, you shouldknow exactly what you need to do to prep for next year. Theres no where flat around 7 springs. At least the elites have the same course. Now i have 8 months to prep and know exactly what to prep for. Not 3 or 4 days in advance when I pre-ride like this year.
Hmm. 11th. Your time would have put you in 6th place in the fatty masters 40-44 and only 2nd place in the fatty masters 50+.
I also note that, on your race day, you beat 45-year old fatty Mick Hellman by less than 2 seconds. If 47-year old fatty Thurlow had raced that day, it looks like he would have beaten you by nearly 2 minutes, as did fatty Kenny Williams.
TT results should not hinge on how fast over 55mph you’re willing to take sharp turns in the rain.
I propose all important TT’s be run point-to-point on at least a shallow and preferably steep downhill. That way I can best take advantage of all my fat
Simplifies training greatly as well …
This would be fantastic. I could finally enjoy the Christmas season. Temptation is everywhere! I just had to move aside my wife’s bag of chocolate covered pretzels to get to my Kashi toasted dirt bar.
Reason for the protest is that the USCF did not apply their own rules, in that Nationals TT courses are supposed to be relatively flat and non technical as per the USAC rulebook
(Not hilly, with sharp cornering in the rain)
If they can’t find a venue, then they should move it out of the mountains to a flatter location
Now I am just wondering why both track and road nationals are in PA this year
I’m not making that trip twice in two months for a “few minutes of racing” (Jul/Aug), so I will probably do track natz since it is at 400ft and not in CO this year
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yes and the course was faster the day the masters went. Applegate went almost a minute faster during the master’s session with less wattage via SRM. Now had your old guys raced the same day as us, then yes your personal attack would hold some water. But it doesnt.
Master’s fatty is a universal term for master’s racers. If you have never heard it, you obviously dont race USCF. Its meant with love and respect.
They held Elite nats there 3 yrs ago. So its not the 1st time that the numerous officials haev OK’d the course. And being under UCI rules (hence the bike checks), it obviously meets the criteria. Not saying that I liked it, I hated it. But it is what it is.
And yes Thurlow, and Kenny, Bookwalter etc are the top guys I am referring to when I said that real TT specialists were doing just fine.
It rained all day during the masters TT event last year. It would be hard to believe the course was faster that day. I thought course was hard and very nervy (but I am not a super fast elite cool guy). I am not going back to PA to race that course; it is just not worth the trip.
