Conference noted::bicycle

    Great job Steve.
    
    Tyler Monroe ... didn't he win the District TT? I think he passed me
    during that TT (I also raced 30-34 age group); I did 57:41 and someone
    from his club (maybe him) motored by me like I was on a joyride.
    As my heartrate approached 180 I knew I was not on a joyride!
    
    Dan Massucco from Minuteman Road Club won the Cat IV open race.
    Dan's a great racer, and especially a gifted climber which came
    in handy over the hilly course. After the first lap (23 mi/lap)
    the lead pack was 16 or so riders. Dan attacked the hills over
    the second lap, and by the finish there were about 8 people.
    200 yards from the line people started sprinting; Dan passed
    them all one by one, and threw his bike at the line to grab
    victory by less than half a wheel. Upon watching the replay,
    Dan mentioned that 'throwing' his bike (which we were taught
    at USCF camp in Lake Placid) probably got him 1st, instead of
    2nd.
    
    Mark

    I was there but in the 1,2,3 race there were two groups that broke away
    the first one took off right from the start. the second group took off
    after the first 10 miles. other then that the pack stayed together. I
    threw my chain in the third lap at the begining of the small climb
    after the long decent off the MT. the chain bent on me so I could not
    finish. It was a good race up to that.
    	Tyler Monroe was a CAT II racer then he drop down to CAT III. He is
    pretty good. He does alot of the crit racing. It was a great day to
    race.
    
    Mike/cyclonauts racer

  I spoke with one of my club members (Mike Reardon) last night that raced 
for the Worchester Road Club in the Senior race and got some more details on 
that race.   Apparently two riders went off the front very early in the 
race (the McCormick brothers???) and were able to stay away over the entire
distance (112 miles).   The field broke up on the third lap and a lead group
of ~40 riders went off the front and stayed together for a field sprint
at lap #5.

  Both of our club riders (Mike & Eric Johnson) qualified for nationals as
they placed 6th and 11th resp.  The top 17 riders from our district qualify
for the Senior nationals in Albany next month.

  Does anyone know anything about the McCormick brothers?

  Re:  .1  Mark, How did you do in the 30-34 race?  What club do you ride for?

  Steve

    I only know i.e. Mc COrmick bro's from what I read in Lowell
    Sun on article about the Pro 40k race.
    Frank Mc is 3 year in a row winner if the event
    Mark MC is younger bro of Frank and both belong to Mass Bay Road Club
    before that they belonged to the defunct I.M.E. panasonic team...
    That's about the extent of my knowledge..
    Denny (F.Y.I.)

    from todays Boston Globe (surprisingly).
    
       Mass/RI District race
     (at Brimfield, 115 miles)
    --------------------------
    Senior Men:
    Frank McCormick  	4:58:00
    Mark McCormick	     st
    Tom Masterson	5:05:12
    Jim Preisig		     st
    Todd Cusson		 no time listed
    Mike Reardon
    Dave Deuber
    Karl Goetz
    Greg Swinand
    Bill Yabroudy
    Eric Johnson
    Tim Stewart
    Ed Kross
    Tyler Hamilton
    Peter Stokloza
     
    

    
    I can give you some comments on the USCF district races from another
    point of view - I'm a USCF Official.  I promoted the District Track
    Race, did the scoring at the TT and was in the follow van for the
    30-35 road race.  I have been involved in racing for about 8 years
    because my son is a national B team member in track.   
    
    In general, I feel that the District Races should be run at least
    as well as other big races.  They are, after all, Class D races
    while most of the others are Class E.  In addition, all the officials
    in the district are required to work the races.  
    
    District Track
    
    Best kept secret in New England!  We all know that the closest
    velodrome is in Trexlertown, PA.   For the past few years we have
    run the District Race at Thompson Speedway in Conn.  There are usually
    about 30 riders and we run Kilo, Pursuit, Sprints and Points Race.
    This year, Tom Vinson (District Rep) was not going to hold the race
    because he had other commitments on the regular date.  After a lot
    of discussion (you may have seen the petitions) Tom agreed to let
    me promote the race.  So, we had it on June 2nd.  Results:
    
                    Matched Sprints
              1. David Bittenbender, Wellesley
              2. Richard Martin, Roslendale
              3. Jason Snow, Freetown
    
                    Kilometer
              1. Jason Snow             1:16.8
              2. Gregor McCluskey       1:17.1
              3. Richard Martin         1:17.6
    
                    4K Pursuit
              1. Tom Stevens, Somerville  4:11.9
              2. Paul Curley, N. Dighton  4:18.9
              3. Gregor McCluskey         4:27.2
    
                    Points Race
              1. Tom Stevens
              2. Jason Snow
              3. Greg Swinand, Amhurst
    
    You never see local results in the Globe or Herald - right.  Well,
    I got both papers to publish the results.  All i did was call them
    and they took the info over the phone!  The only thing you need
    to do is call them the same day.  They want weekend scores on Saturday
    or Sunday - not 5 to 10 days later.  Nothing worse than old sports
    scores.  If you mail them in they go to file 13.
    
    
    District Time Trial
    
    I was really concerned about the organization of this event.  I
    was there at 7:00am ready for something.  None of the officials
    had pre-assignments.  The Chief Referee and Tom Vinson showed up
    about 7:30 and then things got started.  People sort of did what
    they had done in past years.  Someone handed me some numbers, a
    start sheet and release forms an said to do registration - OK.
    
    At 9:00 I was asked to start entering data into the new computer
    system that was put together so that we could have "high-tech" results
    in a nanosecond after the finish.  Anyone who was there knows how
    well that worked.  There were no results posted for anyone other
    than juniors.  You were told that some of the start sheets blew
    away in the wind.  The real  reason for no results was that the
    computer system was far too slow and no one was running the tried
    and true index card system for scoring.  
    
    The results were finally posted at the road race the following week.
    As I recall the SR1/2 was as follows:
    
                1. Tyler Hamilton     52:20
                2. Tom Stevens        52:40
                3. Tyler Monroe       53:10
    
    I feel that there is no reason for the lack of organization in this
    race.  I hope that the clubs demand better organization in next
    years events.
    
    
    District Road Race
    
    Fortunately this turned out much better that the TT.  The course
    was tough and there were enough people to run it.  As I said, I
    was in the follow van for the 30-35 race.  It was great until you
    guys let the vets pass you!   Most everyone held in for the first
    lap.  By the second lap we lost about 15 on the big climb.  The
    rest finished in what looked like a good field sprint.
    
    Since the 30-35 race went 3 laps I got to watch the end of the SR1/2/3.
    The McCormick's stayed with the pack for almost four laps.  Mass
    Bay Road Club was really well organized on who went out and when.
    Frank and Mark started pulling away on the climb on the 4th lap.
    With one to go, they only had about 90 seconds on the pack. At the
    end, they won by 8 minutes.  
    
    Both McCormicks are national caliber riders.  I know that they have
    spent a lot of time in Europe in both cyclocross and roads.  Both
    spend full time riding.
    
    
    And in Conclusion!
    
    
    The District Races were generally good races but not well organized.
    All the money you pay goes directly to the district rep as the promoter
    of the races.  The riders really are entitled to better organization
    than they got this year.  Write to your Rep.  
    
    
    Mark
            

  re: .6

  Mark,

      Great insight!  It's great to hear the story from an official's point of
view.  I've only been racing USCF for two years but I've heard the same 
complaint from many differant sources.  It's certainly true that when you 
compare one of our district events to a local event (such as a bi-atholon)
it's sadly obvious how we lack organization.

      On the positive side I'd like to point out that all of our district
rep's deserve ALOT of credit as the events would not go on without their 
involvement.  I try not to be too critical since I have never participated
as an official and it's not fair to complain unless you've put in some effort
to change the system.

      Mark, You said that all of our entry fees went to the district rep
as the promotor...that's about $5000.  Since we didn't get any cash awards
and there were only a handful of cops and 2 porta-pottys, where does all of 
that money end up?

      Steve

    
    Steve,
    
    You get three guesses as to where the money ends up.  Actually,
    I think the total entry frees between the TT and RR were about $7000.
    The greatest expense is police coverage.  Not sure but I think that
    is $300 per officer for 4 hour blocks of time.  At the RR there
    was a camera which runs about $500.  I got paid $25 for each event
    so figure $700 for officials.  The USCF insurance is $1 per rider
    per event - thats $700.   Ok, let's say that total expense was $3000
    max.  So the District Rep (Tom Vinson) probably made $4000.
    
    
    Did you also know that $6 of your annual fee goes to to the District
    Rep.  That's about $9000 annually.  In total the District Rep gets
    paid about $15,000 per year.   Now that sound like a lot but, he
    really does a lot of work for that.  I would like to see all of
    New England under one Rep with appropriate clerical support.
    
    
    Mark
    

The Maine and New Hampshire District Championships had their share of action as 
well.

The TT was in Newport, NH. An out-and-back course with the first half a gradual
grade uphill and a headwind on the way back down. No rest for the weary.
Sean Lennahan (NE Kitchen Cabinet) won handedly with a mid-54 min TT.  No one 
else went under 56 minutes.  Tom Thurston and Brian White were second and third.
Sean and those dudes all ride on the same team.  I was 14th with a 58:27.

The RR was in Hollis, NH.  A 7.5 mile loop was done 12 times.  The road 
condition made up for the shorter distance in the Cat 1,2,3 race.  Washboard
descents with frost heaves and a few pot-holes that you could fish out of.

All eyes were on Lennahan.  The race went without incident until 50 miles.
A three man break drifted off the front and eventually gained 2 minutes on the 
field.  One Putney rider, Greg Larkin (NVC) and Tom Thurston (last year's
district Champ, after spending the previous year in Spain racing).  With
75 miles to go a chase group formed with Brian White, Sean Lennahan, Lenny
DeSousa (NVC), Todd Mion (NVC) and one other rider from the Yester-year team.

The three-man break stayed away and the race was won by the Putney rider.
Greg Larkin (NVC) was second by out sprinting Thurston.  30 seconds behind
was the chase group.  Lennahan was 4th, White 5th, Yester-year team member
was 6th, Todd Mion (NVC) was 7th and Lenny De Sousa (NVC) was 8th.  A nice
small sprinting match from what I understand.

30 seconds behind the chase group was the surviving members of the main group.
I was able to win the field sprint by a bike length to grab 9th place with 
another NVC rider in 10th behind me.  NVC had five in the top ten including
Greg Larkin who qualified for Nationals. (Top 5 qualified).

My apologies to the Putney and Yester-year riders for not remembering thier
names.

I'm not sure of the action in either the women's or the Cat IV race.

Jim

Well I just have to respond to this note. 

Last year I won the District TT in the 45-50 age group. I have yet to receive
my medal. Seems like every race I went to after the districts Tom was either
not there or did not have the medals with him. I have called him a number of
times. The last time he said he did not have the money to mail it to me. So two
months ago I send him a letter and a SASE with $1 worth of stamps on it.

Guess what, folks still no medal!  Its been over a year now. 

For someone whose pulling down $15k it would be interesting to see what some of
our noters would write for performance evaluations. 



/Charlie
                  

    MAINE ,NH DISTRICTS were run very well. I was only able to do the
    RR and had an off day but got to meet most of the riders due to
    the pace being sooo slowwww, the first two laps were so bad I thought
    we were riding to a picnic with our wives ( no offence ladies).
    The washboard, frostheaves, and small ponds that Jim reffered to
    were mostly on desents which made for some real cool tabletop jumps
    and bunnyhops!! Sure, some people got upset but since it was me
    and three or four other people pulling the rest of the pack along
    I figured I should have some fun ... right? The race I did was the
    Cat 4 race and I believe there was only one bad crash (believe it
    or not!) unfortunately it was one of the hammerheads that was with
    me, he got cut off at the last corner and did a face plant twenty
    feet from his bike! Well anyway I ended up with 10th due to the
    fact that I can't sprint to save my mother, and my legs aren't
    shaved :-) . Maybe next race I'll see what I can do if I sit in
    a bit. 
          
    ERIC

    This was the strangest crit/TT I've ever ridden.  The III's did
    a 1.1 mile lap 13x's.  The field of 125 started on the top of the
    course...downhill start...a 90 degree right...50 meter flat...another
    90 degree right...then, a .5m uphill.  I mean UPHILL (39x22)!!
    
    After the first lap then race turned into a TT for most.  This hill
    broke up everything.  I really underestimated this course.  I figured
    a crit in southern NY State..hell, it'll be a flat sprinters course.
    I was only able to slip onto my big ring a few times on the descent.
    
    Two laps from the finished, I attacked to catch three riders ahead
    of me.  We ended up on a small group sprint to the top of the climb.
    I ended up second in this small group flush and 15th overall.
    
    125 riders....28 finishers.  Oh yeah, the temp was 101 degrees.
    
    tired from driving,
    Jim