Just Can't Get Enough...

Let’s just hypothetically say you love reading our blog… hell, hypothetically you could hate reading this, and catch up on our weekly happenings for spite… In either case you can catch more of us and our racing/training/shuffle-boarding/movie watching on one of our other Social Networking sites.

Twitter - www.twitter.com/rercyclingteam

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Real-Estate-Rescue-Cycling/153078698091059

World Wide Web - http://rercycling.com/

                We try to update as much as possible and will begin adding racing pics as well as some shots from some of our more scenic training rides.  We will also update the sites with information on group rides, events, and/or races we will be competing in.  We will be hosting a weekly group ride from our bike shop sponsor, The Getaway Cycle Center, beginning in the coming weeks and will be sure to update when we have that set in stone.

                See you on the World Wide Web!

-JJ

Augusta Crit Series, April 26 (Written by Pat)

Did a mid-week crit up in Augusta on Tuesday, April 26.  I had won the B(Cat 4/5) race earlier in the series so I was able to do the A(Cat 1/2/3) race for the 2nd time.  The first time I did the "A" race it wasn't too bad.  I wasn't able to get in the winning break but I was able to take 4th or so in the field sprint for 8th overall.  This week was a completely different field with many stronger riders.  The first few laps of the race we averaged around 26 mph as a break was attempting to get established.  I covered a couple of guys that I knew were strong, but unfortunately none of them got in the break.

Once the break was established, I was expecting things to calm down a bit.  I was very wrong. People kept attacking the chase group instead of getting a steady paceline going to try to bring the breakaway back.  After about 30 minutes of this, I knew there was no hope for us to catch the breakaway and I just sat in a bridged up when an attack looked like it gained a bit too much ground.  Unfortunately, some people in this race take it a bit more seriously than a training race should be taken.  I had a bit of a run-in with a very strong, ex-pro rider that was not happy I was unable and unwilling to bridge up to an attack.  I had been doing a large percentage of the work in this group and was in a bit of trouble if didn't calm down.  After a pretty heated argument with a couple of guys, the random attacking continued until the last lap.  I ended up rolling in for 16th overall, about 7th or 8th in the chase pack.

Overall, I felt really strong which I am happy about.  My tactics were questionable so I know I need to learn to relax and let other people do some work.  I need to learn to trust that other riders are also willing and able to chase down attacks and let that happen.  I was more unhappy with the atmosphere of the race.  The organizers are great and I have no complaints about that.  However, I do have issues with the way some people handle themselves during the race.  Unfortunately, this race is far too important to several people.  To me, it is an opportunity to race with some Cat 1/2/3's and test myself before I upgrade.  It seems like for them it is their entire season.  I hope that things will calm down a bit as weeks progress because I really enjoy the race, the course, and most of the racers.

Jeff and Paul rode very well in the Cat. 4/5 race.  They finished mid-pack but according to Jeff, they got in a couple of breaks and rode very aggressively.  I can't wait to see how they ride after they get a bit more comfortable with the racing! 

PJ

Mid-Week Update and Race Weekend

The past five days have brought four days of glorious spring weather, which are great for the beginnings of a solid bike tan, and one day of cold, wind, and heavy rains.  Finally, spring has sprung in North Jersey and with it has come pleasant rides in short sleeves as early as 7 am this week!  As for the one day of cold and rainy weather, that happened to fall on the Saturday morning… the one morning I raced this weekend!  Luckily, Pat and myself both braved and survived the nasty weather and have come out of it for the better with a couple more podium placings and a few days of beautiful spring weather to enjoy post-race. 

 The Lucarelli and Castaldi Cup Series started last week and will run for eight weeks in Prospect Park, NY.  The series races include Cat 5, 4, and 1/2/3 fields with each race offering jerseys/bibs to Overall leaders (yellow), King of the Mountains (polka dot), and Sprint (Green).   Prospect Park has one 600 meter long incline at a gradient of around 5%, so King of the Mountains is loosely used but it’s great that they have the competition.  The 3.1 mile loop is fast, open, and full of sweeping turns.  It is not a course that favors climbers or breakaways… both of which are favorites of mine.  I awoke at 4 am to the sound of wind and rain and upon looking at the temp on my phone, 40 degrees, was hesitant to ride.  Luckily, Pat convinced me otherwise as he is looking for Cat 3 upgrade points and we headed into the city to race.  Our Cat 4 field included about 45 riders, mostly from NYC clubs.  Because of the rain and winds I figured no breaks would go off and stick, so I decided to sit in and go for the sprint, mountain and overall points.  Kissena was strongly represented and seemed intent on drawing out chasers to keep the pace high.  Luckily, Moshe and his Speedwell teammate were present to help Pat and I control the Kissena tactics and keep the race in hand.  After a few laps of chasing small breaks with Pat and Moshe the bell rang for the first of two sprint points.  I fell in line and followed the Kissena wheels until I was second wheel 400 meters from the line.  At this point I hit it, and held on for the sprint points win.  On the next lap I led Pat out for KOM points where he ended up second to Joe M from Kissena, who is a strong rider in his own right taking 2^nd at Battenkill.  Sprint point 2 was contested by myself and a few others and I nipped a rider at the line for max points.  Next lap, KOM point 2 was led out by the Kissena train while Pat and I sat in.  I managed to get around Pat and Joe M to take those points and lead over the top.  At this point a lap and a half remained and I was intent on seeing the race stay together for a bunch sprint, as I felt I had good sprint legs this day.  Luckily Moshe helped to pin back a few breaks and I was able to sit third wheel until the slight rise to the finish where I hit it and again held the field off for the overall win.  Pat ended up third and sits in third overall in the KOM race and third in the Overall Cat 4 field.  I ended up getting the Overall lead, the lead in the sprints competition, and sit in second in the KOM race.  Much thanks to the Speedwell boys for working with Pat and I, we’ll do our best to repay you in the coming weeks! 

The last few days have been great for riding and it’s great to be in the swing of daily training again, after my post-Battenkill swoon (no more shuffleboard and beer nights for a while).  One ride even included a hilly loop that passed by the former King of Morocco's NJ vacation home in Basking Ridge, NJ.  It’s great to be able to wake up and get in a 3 hour ride before leaving for work at 10 am… and even better to do so in short sleeves and shorts.  It has made the build up to the Cat 3 race at Killington a welcome challenge!  I’m sure in a few weeks I’ll be whining for 50 degree weather and less humidity, but for now bring on the sun, heat, humidity, and even the mosquitos that come along with that post winter weather.  Anything to avoid sub freezing temps and hours on the trainer!  The next few days brings more of the same weather (hopefully) and week two of the series at Prospect Park, where I will be defending my lead while wearing the yellow leaders jersey and hoping to help Pat into the lead of the KOM race. 

Climbing over Natirar Park

Enjoy the Spring temps and get your bike tan on!

-JJ

April 23rd, Lucarelli and Castaldi Series #1 (Written by Pat)

Late Friday afternoon Joe and I still had no plans of racing this weekend.  We had a down week of training plus the weather forecasted for Saturday morning looked absolutely miserable.  We were looking through some upcoming races and found the Lucarelli and Castaldi Series in Prospect Park.  They offered yellow(overall leader), green(Sprint points), and polka dot(Climbers points) jerseys to the respective leaders each week, plus I am desperate for Cat. 3 upgrade points after my disappointing crash out at Battenkill.  So we decided to brave the weather and give it a shot.

Waking up at 4 a.m. to pouring rain, temps in the 30s, and high winds was not the ideal way to start my Saturday morning.  After debating with myself whether or not it was worth it to put ourselves through this misery, we forced ourselves out the door and to the race.  We arrived at Prospect Park in time to do our usual 5 minute warm up, which is really just getting over to the start as quickly as possible, register, pin on our numbers, and get on the line just in time for the start.  

The race was scheduled for 31 miles, which is 9 laps around Prospect Park.  For those of you who haven't seen the course, it is a wide open road, with no technical turns.  There is one 800 meter big ring hill that averages around 3-4% grade which is where the KOM competition would be fought out.  The rest of the course is a gradual downhill followed by a slight rise to the finish line.  The first couple of laps were pretty uneventful.  Luckily, the rain slowed to a drizzle so I was able to stay a bit warm for the first half hour or so.  Kissena had a very large representation in this race.  They had about 8 guys in the race, so Joe and I knew we had to mark any potential breaks from them.  Fortunately we had some help in Moshe(finally got it right!) from Speedwell Racing.  He did a great job breaking up the Kissena train and helping us keep them in check.

The first Sprinter's points were contested by both Joe and I, and we took 1st and 3rd respectively.  Joe attempted to lead me out for the first KOM climb, and I was able to pull off a 2nd place with him taking 3rd.   It was sometime after that KOM climb that it started pouring on us.  My whole body was slowly going numb and I was having trouble getting my legs ready for the second KOM climb.  I skipped contesting the 2nd green jersey sprint, which Joe won again, to save my legs.  I knew I would have to beat the Kissena rider, Joseph M. on the second KOM climb to be in polka dots at the end of the day.  Unfortunately, I could not match his acceleration on the climb, and I got 3rd behind Joe and Joseph M.

The rest of the race was spent marking Kissena and trying to keep my legs warm enough so they would be ready for the sprint.  The lead up to the sprint was pretty unorganized, and I just marked a couple of wheels and was able to pull off third place, behind Joe(another win!!).  Joseph M. of Kissena finished 4th, virtually crossing the line at the same time as me.  Unfortunately, Moshe got a flat right before the sprint and had to roll in with a flat.  Unlucky for him as he was looking very strong the last couple laps. 

Overall, it was a great race, we got a yellow jersey and some valuable upgrade points out of it.  Joe and I both look forward to doing the race again next week.

-PJ

Post Battenkill 12 Days... Downtime!

It felt great to wake up to lightly bruised and annoyingly sore quads the day after Battenkill.  I decided I need a somewhat down couple of weeks after riding and focusing for 3+ months on the second weekend of April.  I do enjoy a beer or two from time to time and really enjoy a good red wine, but enjoyed it a bit more these past 2 weeks.  Sure, I still raced… but did not do much of a warmup or cooldown and also neglected on my mid-week maintenance rides that have become very helpful the past few months.  I also realized I still suck at guitar hero… something I am unsure whether to be happy with or ashamed about.   Also of note, is the fact that I realized that B horror flicks are both not entertaining and all too predictable… I would assume this is a result of not seeing one of these in recent years until this week and not from the fact that I have grown intellectually in any way.

Post-Battenkill  Week’s  Stats:

Races: 3 including Battenkill (TOB, Augusta Crit, Tour de Lake)

Wins: 2 including Battenkill (TOB, Augusta, 2^nd at TDL)

Pat and I on the attack at Tour De Lake

Hours on the bike: 16

Mornings slept in rather than riding: 5

Nights Spent Playing Guitar Hero until 1 am: 1 (I still suck at that game)

Hours Spent Playing Shuffleboard in a dingy Local Bar: 3

Trivia Nights Spent at Local Irish Watering Hole: 1

Cups of Coffee Drank: 17 (5 more than a regular two week period)

Late Night Movies Watched: 6 (Soul Surfer, 127 Hours, Pirahna, I Spit on Your Grave, Frozen, Scream 4)

Crappy Late Night Movies Watched: 2 (Pirahna, Frozen)

Pints of Ice Cream devoured: 4 (2x Snickers Vanilla Ice Cream, 2x Edy’s Butter Pecan

Bottles of Wine drank: 2 (Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio)

Beers Drank: 23 (a variety of Fine/Cheap American brews… Bud light, Yuengling, Mich Ultra)

Up next for me is a return to serious miles/hours next week and a focus on the Cat 3 race at the Kilington Stage Race.  First, I will be racing at Prospect Park 4/23 in what promises to be a windy and rainy circuit race.  Keep the rubber side down… (knocking on wood)!

-JJ

The week after Battenkill (Augusta and Tour De Lake- written by Pat)

The Tour of the Battenkill was a day of extreme highs and lows for the Real Estate Rescue Cycling team. We had monstrous success through Joe's breakaway victory and we had the massive disappointment after my crash out 40 miles in.  After such a draining weekend, it made for an interesting week of racing and training.


The week started out nicely with a Tuesday night Augusta race at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.  It was a rainy, windy, and nasty day.  Due to work conflicts, Joe was the only RER racer able to toe the line along with about 15 other racers.  Joe knew that noone would be in the mood to chase down a long breakaway so he made a surge about 3/4 of the way through the first 1.1 mile lap, and opened up a gap that noone was able to close down. Joe stayed away for the whole hour of racing for another solid victory! Joe is quickly putting together a very very strong resume.


The next race on the agenda for this week was the Tour de Lake Hopatcong.  Joe and I heard about this event through our brother in law, who is a police officer in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey.  This event raises money for his police department, so we definitely had to do the race.  At this race, Joe, Paul, and I would all be competing.  The Tour de Lake is not a USAC sponsored event, so we didn't race in categories.  The distance we raced was 40 miles that goes around Lake Hopatcong.  We had heard that the course was pretty hilly, and figured it would suit our abilities well.  I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from the competition, and was pleasantly surprised when a large lead group of about 40 guys stuck together over the first couple climbs.  The whole race, we were being told that there was one hill in Sparta called Edison Road that breaks the pack apart every year.  Joe, and I knew this would be our opportunity to test the legs of some of the top riders in the pack. 


 Once we hit the hill, we accelerated and immediately broke apart the group.  After about 400 meters of climbing about 10-12% incline, we were alone up front.  Once the grade leveled off to about 5%, Joe took over and laid down a massive pull to really gap the field.   After about 1 mile of climbing and some really hard pulls, we saw that a group of 3 climbers were clawing their way back to us.  I had nothing in my legs to handle another epic surge from Joe's Vino-like pulls so we sat up and waited for them to come back to us.  Once they latched on, I saw that there were two riders from the Cycle-Craft team(including one pro mountain biker and Cat-3 road racer that has won this race 3 years in a row), and one Marty's Cycle rider in the group.  Once it all came back together they refused to take significant pulls up the rest of the climb and it allowed  a larger group of guys to claw their way back to us once we hit the descent.  After we all regrouped, I was excited to see that Paul was making his way back on!


Paul leading a chase group




For the next 8-10 miles the group crawled along allowing more and more riders to latch back on.  We knew there was one more significant climb left about 10 miles left to go and figured this would be our last shot to get a decent gap before the finishing climb.  The mile long climb started on a real steep grade of about 10%.  Once we hit that grade Joe and I switched off taking hard pulls that shelled the entire field off our wheels.  We knew that there were a lot of strong riders behind us that would organize and chase hard once we hit the descent, so we hammered until we reached the top.  We had a gap of about 30 seconds and that gap pretty much held until the finish line.  The wind and the hills were relentless the final 10 miles.  The last 3 miles or so my back cramped up really badly and I was real lucky Joe was still taking his Vino-like pulls to keep the gap.  We rolled into the finish together and I took the win.  Paul ended up coming in 12th place about 8 minutes back. It was the longest race of his short career and he bonked pretty hard the last 10 miles.  Still a great result to see him in the lead pack until the last major climb!

Joe(left) and I in our 10 mile long break

Overall, the Tour de Lake was a great event.  It was really well organized and had a very large group of riders, both racing and just riding the course.  It was a lot of fun, and Real Estate Rescue will be sure to show up to this event every year!

2011 Tour of the Battenkill Race Report (Cat 4 Blue) Part 2

I felt as if my Tour of the Battenkill race could be broken into two halves.  The first one being the opening 37 miles, which were spent riding next to my brother and teammate.  The second half being spent on or near the front and mostly solo.  After Pat went down at around 37 miles, I sat in the pack and was unsure as to how to attempt to finish off the race.  I really enjoy going on long solo attacks and forcing the pack to chase and bring me back.  I think I got this tactic from my running days where I would often go to the front and hang on for as long as I could, win or lose.  My legs were feeling strong and fresh and I felt I could climb with or even outclimb anyone in the field.  I had no indications of cramping in my quads, calves, or hammies and my back felt loose and comfortable.  As we approached the second feed zone I noticed my teammates on the left side of the road, which caught me off guard and forced me to cross the double line to get my bottles.  I was no upset with Jeff or Paul for being on the left side of the road, we had caught them off guard by how quickly we reached that mile mark, despite the fact that our pace had dawdled between the 1 hour and 1:45 mark. 


I decided to attack on the rise following the feed zone. I saw open road and a group of riders drinking water and taking in their calories.  I figured I could catch them off guard and potentially open a winning gap if they did not chase until late.  As I attacked, I heard someone yell my name which caught me off guard.  Did they have me marked?  It ended up being a friend from a local team in North Jersey... Thanks for the cheers Steve M!  I knew 21 miles was a long time to stay away solo, especially with the major climbs of Meeting House and Stage Roads coming.  I was riding off of emotion at this point, as once Pat was out I had lost the member of the team who usually keeps me in check and helps to control my impulsive attacking in long races. 


After the attack I looked back and saw that the lead group had not responded and I had my gap of 20 or so seconds.  That gap continued to grow, even though Ben from TBS Racing had bridged up.  Ben and I worked together over the next dirt section at 47 miles and he put in some great pulls on the flats to keep our tempo high.  I would have loved to be able to ride with Ben to the finish, but his work to bridge left him spent on the next major climb so I would have to go it alone the rest of the way.  Atop meeting house Rd I counted my gap at around 40 seconds and saw the field was single file and chasing hard.  Coming off Meeting House Rd I began to feel a funny quiver in my quad and hamstring as I pushed into the headwind leading to Stage Rd.  I began to concern about my missed bottle early on and lack of fluid intake.  Still, I hammered to the base of Stage Rd intent on keeping my gap knowing that a catch at this point would equal a bunch sprint or worse off getting dropped off the top of the climb.


As I climbed Stage Rd I felt fresh and clear mentally.  Physically, though, my quads/back/and hamstrings were all beginning to tighten.  In an effort to gain speed and gain more time over the field I stood to attack on Stage Road's steepest point... big mistake.  My entire quad and hamstring seized on my right side.  I had to sit down, soft pedal, and be sure to not let it happen again.  All steam was lost at this point and it became a matter of survival off the top of the climb and on the run in to the finish.  No time checks were given to me, unfortunately, and I was waiting to be caught by the single file chasing field.  I was able to put out a moderate effort on the flat run-in to Cambridge but the kilometer markers couldnt come quick enough.  3 k to go, 2 k to go, and still no sign of the chasers.  Finally in the last k I saw 2 guys in dark kits flying towards me, they must have hammered off Stage Rd and been closing hard as I continued to cramp.  Luckily, there was only two 90 degree turns and 400m to the finish and I was able to come through the line with a 5 second gap and a victory at Battenkill!




Simple Fist Pump at the finish.

 As it turns out Andrew Shelby and Dylan Gallagher had shelled the field on Stage Rd and chased together off the top of the climb.  They were coming like freight trains, and luckily for me the race was 64 miles and not 65!  In hindsight I know that a solo attack in the heat was not the smartest of plans, but I raced off emotion and was able to get away with it this time.  Much congrats to Andrew and Dylan on a great race plan and strong chasing and much thanks to Ben for his help on the break!  I can't say how different the result would have been had Pat not crashed out, but I can tell you he had great legs that Sunday morning!  Next year, Patio!  I can't say enough about what a help Paul and Jeff were at the feed zones and how much I appreciate them riding 40 miles on their own from point to point to cheer us on... it was a huge help! 

Podium of the Cat. 4 Blue race at Battenkill
Andrew Shelby got 2nd, Dylan Gallagher was 3rd

Post-Race I enjoyed a monstrous cheeseburger and down an icy Stella Artois... that combo had been on my mind since the top of Stage Rd when I saw a father and son enjoying a brew together in their chairs while watching the race!  It felt great to see an entire winter's worth of work come together on one day and end in a result I had hoped for.  I hope to be able to come back next year and have a similar result with Pat helping to pull my cramping ass over Stage Rd!  For anyone who questions the cost of entry, the travel time, or the experience... Battenkill is worth it and more!  Not only is it a truly unique race to America, but it has the excitement and homegrown feel that I imagine the Classics of Europe having (on a much grander and faster scale!)  To top it off, the chocolate milk given to all podium finishers was well worth the price of admission despite my stomach wanting nothing to do with chocolate at that point!


Counting down the days to Battenkill 2012!


-JJ

2011 Tour of the Battenkill Race Report (Cat 4 Blue) Part One

Blog written by: Joe Jacobs


When my brother, Pat, and I began cycling last July we knew little outside of our locat Crit scene and the Tour de France.  As we trained through the fall and did some road races we began hearing tales of an epic race three hours to the north called Tour of the Battenkill.  Modeled after the European Classics this 64 mile race includes 22% dirt climbs, 9 sections of dirt roads totaling 19 miles, and one of the more competitive fields in the Northeast.  A climbing heavy course with steep grades... we were hooked on the idea!  We immediately knew we wanted in on this race and signed up the minute the registration opened up at 7:30 pm on 12/19.  Our daily battle-cry during this record snowfall winter became, "Battenkill is coming."  A three hour ride in 15 degree weather... "Battenkill is coming."  Two hours with power intervals on the trainer... "Battenkill is coming."  It certainly helped to add some vigor to the cold and dark winter months.


As the early season races began and we had some relative success, we decided to upgrade and race the Cat 4 field at Battenkill.  Our early season Crits had gone well, complete with both breakaway and sprint victories, and we entered Battenkill excited and fresh.  A couple of easy 90 minute spins in the days leading up to the race, and a home cooked meal of pasta and meatballs compliments of our Aunt and Uncle the night before left us feeking rested and ready for the race. 


We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning that left Battenkill's dirt roads hard packed and clear of soft mud spots.  On the drive into Cambridge we were able to ride the last 20 miles of the course and scout out feeding zone 2 (which became hugely important to me), Meeting House Road, and Stage Road.  Pat and I originally planned to sit in until Stage Rd and make our attack on the steep early steps of the climb and hope to hold the gap to the finish.  Our hope was that Pat's quick acceleration uphill followed by a big pull by me would be enough to create a gap that we could hold down the backside of the hill and for the flat 4 mile run into town. 

The Cat 4 Blue field was slated to start at 10:30 am, and sure enough we were rolling through the neutral first kilometer at that time.  We had spent the previous two nights checking results of the other guys in our race and had an idea of who the major teams and riders to watch would be.  The first major concern was getting near the front of the field as we entered the Covered Bridge at the 5 mile mark.  I was able to work my way up to the middle of the field near Pat through the bridge, which ended up being great positioning.  The pace was moderate heading into the first major climb at 12 miles.  On each of the climbs we were sure to place ourselves somewhere in the first five wheels and maintain a comfortable tempo while saving our matches for the late climbs.  We crested Perry Hill and Juniper Swamp comfortably and found ourselves to be climbing with the top of the field on each hill. 





Cresting Juniper Swamp Hill at the front



Temperatures reached near 70 degrees during the race, so hydration was key.  We had two of our teammates, Jeff and Paul, come along and volunteer to ride to the feed zones to give us water and nutrition.  We met them at the first zone, 17 miles in, feeling comfortable and well hydrated having drank two bottles by that point.  Unfortunately, I missed one of my two bottles at the feed zone and had to ride on and wait until mile 44 for the next feed zone.  The next 20 miles were fairly predictable with a few small attacks going off the front and our entire field working really well together to pin it back (Thanks Dylan G, Tufts Rider, Andrew S, and a Vermont rider).  Pat and I took some big pulls on the front to pin back one break that got a minute on us.  Pat had one pull through the dirt section 30 miles in where I could have sworn he rode like a 160 lb classics specialist despite his 125 lb climbers frame!  Pat and I crested Joe Bean Road with a 10 second gap on field and Ben from TBS Racing Team with us, but decided it was to early to try to make a winning break happen and came back together into a lead selection of 15-20 riders.  I was patiently and anxiously waiting for Stage Rd and going on the attack with Pat, but Carney and Cassidy Rd and its dirt climb was to play a major role in our race plan.

Carney and Cassidy Rd was a new dirt section, and one we had not scouted race morning.  We knew it was around 2 miles long and had a steep 3 step climb on it.  As we approached the climb, Pat and I worked out way towards the front few wheels and sat in comfortable.  Suddenly, a rider from NYVelocity, could no longer pedal and swerved to his right without looking.  In the process, he took out Pat's front wheel but kept riding.  I heard some yelling and bikes hit the ground and had a feeling Pat was involved, as I no longer saw him in the group.  A few other riders had fallen on top of him and the impact had jarred his handlebars sideways.  I immediately went to the front to slow the pace in hopes he would rejoin the lead group.  30 seconds, 45 seconds, One minute on the front and still no Pat.  I drifted back off the lead group about 100 meters and slowed hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but did not see him.  It was at this point that I decided I would have to ride on without him and try to win the race solo.  Not only was I extremely disapointed to lose a strong teammate, but I was also very upset because every mile of training this winter was spent with my brother building to the next 20 miles.

Part 2 to follow shortly!

-JJ

The Inaugural Season Begins- (Written by Pat)

After months of training through extreme cold, wind, snow, and nasty roads it was finally time to shed the booties and toe the start line.  Only problem was that on March 5th at the first Branchbrook Park Cat. 4/5 race it was 30 degrees and we(Joe, Jeff, and I) were still dealing with all the conditions that haunted us all winter.  The race only got worse from there.  3 laps around the 2.2 mile loop of destroyed roads and dealing with the sketchiness of the first race of the year an errant rider took out my front wheel and bent the spokes.  Not the start of the season that I was looking for.  Joe spent the rest of the race trying to break away and chasing down attacks.  After 40 minutes, Joe finished at the back of the main pack.  Jeff got caught behind a pretty big crash and was off the back and unable to latch back on.  He battled nicely and finished not too far behing the main pack. 

Joe leading the pack at Branchbrook with me(Pat) sitting 5th wheel

Copyright © 2011 Jan Curran

The next race of the year was in Central Park on March 6th.  It was the first race of the New York Spring Series.  Joe and I lined up for this race, and we knew that the course suited us much better than Branchbrook. We sat in the peloton for the first lap of the 6 mile course.  We chased down a couple of attacks and were pretty antsy to get to Harlem hill on the second and final lap.  When we reached the hill, Joe launched an attack and got a gap.  I took a big pull to crest the hill and put in a bit too much work.  I fell off Joe's wheel about a half mile later.  I dropped back to the main pack and blocked/chased down attempts to bridge up to Joe for the next three miles while he soloed to Real Estate Rescue's first victory of the year! I sprinted for 2nd place and fell back to 6th.  Joe and I were both very satisfied with the result and were extremely excited about our climbing.

The rest of March and early April have been just as successful for Real Estate Rescue.  The results for each rider are as follows:

Joe- Branchbrook series- 32nd, 6th, 3rd, 3rd, 1st

        Augusta Crit "B" race- 2nd, 1st, 2nd,               "A" Race- 9th, 1st

        NYC Spring Series- 1st(in report)

Pat- Branchbrook series- DNF, 7th, 5th, 4th, 11th

        Augusta Crit "B" race- 1st, 29th                       "A" Race- 8th

        NYC Spring Series- 6th

Jeff- Branchbrook series- 40th, 32nd

       Augusta Crit "B" race- 21th, 9th, 2nd

Paul- Augusta Crit "B" Race- 39th (First Race), 20th

Battenkill post to follow shortly!

       

-PJ

The beginnings of RER Cycling

         After a long running career, my brother (Joe Jacobs) and I (Pat Jacobs) decided to mix things up and give cycling a try.  We figured we had a strong aerobic engine because of our running, and the low impact training would help alleviate our injury issues.  After years of watching Lance destroy the Tour de France, we had always wanted to give 100% to cycling.  Upon my graduation from college, I decided it was time to ditch the old Steel Trek 560 and spend my well earned graduation money on a new road bike.  Joe, not wanting to get left behind, decided it was time for an upgrade from his old-school Trek 1000.  I went with a Fisher Rail and Joe topped me with a Fisher Rail Super.  They aren't exactly ProTour ready machines, but they have treated us well. After delving into the sport with 2 major purchases, we then recruited a couple of "teammates" to train with through the hot summer months.  An old track teammate and on-and-off dedicated cyclist, Jeff Pacailler, and another runner, triathlete, and future mountain biker and brother in law Paul Chegwidden decided to take the dive and see what Joe and I were so obsessed with.
     
 After training all summer and fall and doing a couple of races, we decided it was time to start a team.  Throughout the winter, we looked for sponsors and began designing jerseys. 

Our Jerseys!

For our first season as a team we are being sponsored by the generous support of the below brands...


 Real Estate Rescue LLC- A real estate investment company based out of Clifton, NJ  http://realestaterescuenj.com/Welcome.html


TD Installations- A do-all contractor based out of Butler, NJ


Endurance Guru Coaching- An ex-pro cyclist, Geoff Clark, who rode for Team Alpha Romeo. 

	http://www.enduranceguru.com/

Getaway Cycle Center- A bike shop based out of Bloomingdale, NJ   
http://www.getawaycyclecenter.com/


Rudy Project- Sunglasses and Helmet company  
http://www.rudyproject.com/


Yakkity Yak- An upstart alternative T-shirt and apparel design company based out of New Jersey
http://www.facebook.com/yakity.yak#!/pages/Yakitty-Yak/155309231146959

The Sneaker Factory Running Centers
http://www.sneakerfactory.com/

All of our sponsors have been great in supporting the Real Estate Rescue Cycling Team as we progress through the winter and into the racing season during our inaugural year.  Joe, Paul, Jeff and I are all very grateful for everything.

-PJ