Drops and Jumps -- Local Dirt Riding

From Ryan Deroche, Cycle Loft's Service Manager's, 2010 riding diary:

So I started my riding season with lots of riding and baby steps to big drops and jumps. At a local place that we have been riding this drop appeared out of nowhere. Some of my riding buddies had hit it already and the pressure was on. So one beautiful day we went up early. We started with some trail maintenance and then some riding to get me into my flow. I had shuttled the trail that goes to Serene 13 a couple of times to get the rhythm down. Each time riding up to the bridge and hitting the E-brake. Then I got focused and kept my hands off the brakes rolled to the bridge and kept going. Luckily one of the guys had a camera was able to take some footage.

Of course, after doing it once it was easy as pie. So we decided to roll out a train (multiple riders doing the same stunt right behind each other) to step up our game and difficulty.

After that the trails there got a bit boring and we stopped working on them. We wanted to do more riding than digging. So we decided to move on to bigger and better stuff. That's when we went to Highland Mountain Bike Park. I've been to Highland a lot since it they started building trails there. But this year is when I started going big. Even though Serene 13 wasn't my first big drop, it was certainly a milestone for me, I used it to progress and push myself. The Old Growth drop is one of my favorites.


I also did Reef drop but unfortunately no photos of that baby...yet. Now almost all the other drops there seem to flow like water. Gonna have to get a bit more used to the wall ride situation.

I am planning on getting back up there to ride the new Helion additions and progress some more.

--Ryan

Pictures from Night 6 Apeldoorn

Check the Apeldoorn site for pictures from "Dag 6":

#1 -- Jackie and Eric in a Madison exchange, image "6LIVE1012"

Thank you to the track side photographer, all rights reserved by the Apeldoorn Promotor.

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night Six -- The Finale

The Six Day is over.

The final of the night finished strongly and it came down to the last sprint between the two big Dutch teams of Van Bon and Stam. Van Bon took the final and solidified his win in the very first Six Day of Apeldoorn. Fantastic for him as he grew up here as a youngster racing the old outdoor track. He was with German Robert bartko and Pim Ligtarht, who gets his first Six Day win of his career.

As for our boys, we rode well on the whole tonight, but started out slow. The Points race was not ours tonight, and an early break went, that stole most of the points, and come the finale, there really wasn't any point in contesting it.

Eric Barlevav out did himself to go under 14 seconds in the Flying Lap. Another improvement here. He is feeling better (Bronchial wise) and has minimal track burn left.

The first Madison was good, and we didn't lose a lap at all. Jackie is still riding well, and Eric's exchanges are 100% better than they were. Jos Pronk, a seasoned Six Day rider, spent some time with him this evening during warm-up refining his technique. Daniele is doing well after the big crash. Healing up well and riding like he has not been phased. Great sportsmanship from him, and a pleasure to work with.

The Elimination was good and Eric rode at the back puting on a show and playing the Devil. He has done this twice before, and came close to being in the top 6. Tonight, the long race took it's toll and he was out 1 place before the final six.

The last 200 lap Madison was brutal, with Kiesse's team riding hard and the two Dutch teams driving the pace. The best crowd by far tonight was all cheers for Van Bon. The average RPM's were near 130 for the entire race. Great stuff. We managed to only lose 1 lap in 200, for our best ride yet, and afterwards a few guys came up to say good improvements.

While others ate and drove home, we sat in the middle of the velo packing bikes and tidying up. It is late and we haven't eaten. But we will be leaving for the airport in 4 hrs. Then the 7 hr flight back home. I am shot, and the riders are fried. It has been an interesting trip.

So we finish in last place where we started. But to be honest...it's expected. Just to finish your first Winter Six, when we didn't even know we were coming until 7 days before hand...it's a good thing. Not many Americans ride Sixes.

Thanks for following.

Look for a big wrap up later on the blog.
Kurt

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night Five

Night 5 is over and done with.

Again we started well and both Daniele and Jackie won sprints in the first points race of the night. With one sprint left, 3 teams were on 11 points, one of them being us. I was getting the wash cloths, caps and bottles ready for the podium presentation...and again...we were tag-teamed by the Czech's and the Polish teams...and....we finished 3rd AGAIN. Aaaaarggghhhhh!!!!!
Good for the crowds, and the Polish mechanic and I were in the pits, and mocked that we were going to throw spanners at each other. The other teams mechanics and managers were laughing.

The second to last night can be tense with attacks going to sort out the finale before tomorrow, but it was relaxed until the last Madison when the heat was dished out in ample doses. More later...

Barlevav went under 14 seconds for the first time this week in the flying lap. But still not good enough to finish in the points.

All other races were so so, and in the last Madison the guys were off the back by 3/4s of a lap, and they chased for 26 laps before getting back on. 26 laps in the wind at 32 mph is some serious work. They fought hard.

Daniele is doing well with the wounds from the splinter. He is a hard buggar that's for sure. Tomorrow is the final night.

We have led the points race going into the 6th and final sprint, for the last two nights. Maybe tomorrow, we will get flowers!?!?!?

Till then.

Chop

Results from Dag 5 posted here.

Pictures from Night 3 Apeldoorn

(Sorry one day out of order)

Check the Apeldoorn site for pictures from "Dag 3":

#1 -- Jackie inline, upper left, image "3live1009"
#1 -- Eric on the cote d'azur during a Madison relief, image "3live2011"
#2 -- Kurt and Jack track side, image "3live2014"
#3 -- Jackie and Daniele in a Madison exchange, image "3live2016"

Thank you to the track side photographer, all rights reserved by the Apeldoorn Promotor.

Pictures from Day 4 Apeldoorn

Check the Apeldoorn site for pictures from "Dag 4":

#0 -- Jackie on the front, featured in "news flash"
#1 -- Daniele at the line, image "4live0141"
#2 -- Scoreboard: tied for 1st, image "4live017"
#3 -- Jackie driving it on the front, image "4live018"
#4 -- The Team being presented, image "4live1004"
#5 -- Jackie, Daniele, Eric, and Jack looking on, image "4live5005"

Thank you to the track side photographer, all rights reserved by the Apeldoorn Promotor.

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night Four

Sunday is a day program, so there was no update between 12pm and 10am this morning. Sorry.

Points race started out even better than before, and we were tied first going into the last sprint. Daniele actually won two sprints. One from 3 laps out!!! The crowd was behind us, and as mentioned previously...going into the final sprint we were tied. But it wasn't to be, and we were swarmed by two teammates on the final to get squeezed for the win. But that really set the tone for a good day. More points!!!

The flying lap again was nothing to write home about.

Then came the crunch...!!!

In the first Madison...Eric slammed into the back of a rider who was checking up on an exchange. This sent him crashing into the track, and his bike spun out in front of Daniele, who also went down. Eric was totally shaken and his left Dura-Ace pedal is completely broken. Front Reynolds wheel is in serious need of re-truing. Not much track burn, but he had the stuffing knocked out of him falling from mid way up the track...down side to the bottom.

Daniele was sitting calmly on the apron when I got to him...but had a 3 inch by 1/8 inch splinter burried deep into his forearm. It looked nasty. But in true Canadian style...he got up and walked to medical control where they took it out. He has a fair amount of track burn, and his shorts, are no longer.

With Eric disoriented and Daniele walking around with part of the track in his body, we were neutralized for the balance of the day. Jackie rode the rest of the races, and Daniele actually came back from Medical to ride the final elimination with him. He has ridden above expectation, and will represent Canada at the next World Cup. Good for him.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.
I'm tired. Three bikes...three riders....

Chop

Results from Dag 4 posted here.

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night Three

This started out much better than the previous two, with Jackie putting in a good performance in the points race. The flying lap was nothing to write home about, but the first Madison was good....up to 1/2 way. They rode the first 45 laps of the 100 like a full on Euro team. Even the other mechanics were saying that they were going better. They were in the top 4 teams all the time. Then the spacing went wrong and the pulls got longer...and the wheels came off. But flashes of brilliance were definitely shown.

The ellimination was great with both Daniele and Jackie finishing in the top 6 and us finally getting some points. Daniele rode hard to finish 6th, and Jackie dug deep for 3rd. both good rides.

The balance of the night was so/so...but we were stoked to be finally on the score board with points. Eric was riding well considering his sore throat, and his exchanges were tight. Some missed exchanges too by both Daniele and Eric, but still better...

Eric punctured in the last 30 laps when the chases really started to heat up, which put the other two riders into difficulty. Ultimately we went down more laps, but with Eric riding on 3/4 of a tank, and the mechanical...we couldn't expect any better.

Chop

Results from Dag 3 posted here.

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night Three PROVISIONAL

On this side of the Pond, we've yet to get the full scoop from Night Three from Kurt, though from some poking around seems that the Team did well to take a 3rd place in one of the Miss and Out races, as well as to take some points in one of the Madisons. We'll post a more detailed report when it comes through from Apeldoorn. Hoping that Night Four (tonight, Sunday) will build on last night's positive steps. Stay tuned.

In the Cabin on the Apeldoorn Infield

Pictures from Night 2 Apeldoorn

Check the Apeldoorn site for pictures from "Dag 2":

#1 -- Daniele riding high on the track, image "2live005"
#2 -- Jackie during one of the Madisons, image "2live2004"
#3 -- Jack Simes (far right) track side, image "2lve3013"

Thank you to the track side photographer, all rights reserved by the Apeldoorn Promotor.

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night Two

Night Two of the Apeldoorn Six Day has ended, and all the riders are pretty tired. The three man Madison format has made for an adjustment in racing, and added concentration is needed to keep the exchanges of equal distance apart on the Madisons. But it's getting smoother all the time.

The night started and Daniele Defranceschi and Jackie were in the Points race for us. Both riders worked hard to score points in the race, and we took two 4th places and a 3rd, in three sprints, but ultimately finished out of the top 6 and thus off the score board. Barlevav is struggling with a bronchial infection, and was designated to do the flying lap tonight. He started the night badly, but by the end of the 4th hour, was going pretty well.

The first Madison of the night was tough. The guys only lost one lap, as opposed to last night's two, but Barlevav missed an exchange, and Jackie was forced to ride a double. Tough thing to do at 35 miles an hour! Daniele was finding his legs as the night went on, and all three rode pretty well in the Miss and Out. Some confusion happened mid race as both Jackie and BBQ were near the back. The announcers called "USA - out", and both riders dropped without knowing who it was. Down the back straight, the pace increased before the next sprint, and it was too late for Jackie to get back in, and the race was done.

The Team Sprint was much better, and they finished 8th tonight compared to 13th last night. Good improvement, and given another night, might finish in the top 6. That would put some points on the board.

The final Madison was flying. The first crash of the Six happened about 40 laps into the 120 lap chase, and one of the young Dutch riders went down on the back straight. He got straight back into the event though, but their team was affected, and rode the remainder of the race on the tail. The CycleLoft/Parlee team stayed on lap, and all three riders did a good job of staying on the wheel in the heat of the exchange. It's very quick, and the leg speed is enormous. 120 plus RPM when you are in the race, and the relief is only about 40 seconds.

So, we are still pointless going into the third day, but we only lost two laps today instead of four yesterday. Small improvements.

The bikes are going well, and the jerseys look great. Our cabin on the in-field, is close to the edge where the public is, and an American dropped by to say hi. He came in from Amsterdam to watch the race. We're making small connections slowly, slowly, but it's like the Russians coming to play in the NHL. No one welcomes them with open arms, and you have to keep fighting to get noticed and to keep your place in the peleton. Otherwise you just get squeezed and pushed back. Tomorrow,....we go again.

Chop

Pictures from Night 1 Apeldoorn

Check the Apeldoorn site for pictures from "Dag 1":

#1 -- The team being presented to the crowd, image "apeldoornteken001"
#2 -- Daniele signing in on the big board, image "apeldoornteken002"
#3 -- Daniele and Barlevav on the apron, image "live2016"
#4 -- Jackie, Daniele, and BBQ on track's ramp, image "live 2025"
#5 -- Jackie throwing Daneile in from relief, image "live3012"

Thank you to the track side photographer, all rights reserved by the Apeldoorn Promotor.

Team Cycle Loft, Apeldoorn 6 -- Night One

The first night is over, and we are still up-right, but it's been a tough one. We're the only team that had to fly over 9 hrs to get here. All the others drove from around Europe. The lads are tired. Very tired. Barlevav has a Bronchial problem, and Daniele is stiff from the flight from Vancouver.

Jackie is going well, and will start to go by night #3. But it is difficult to go home after the first night being the only team who hasn't scored any points. On 4 different occasions in different races, both Barlevav (BBQ) and Jackie contested sprints and came in 5th and empty handed every time. It's difficult to sprint so hard and get nothing. It's like 4th place in the medal count. It means nothing.

Every night is the same program, starting with a points race, followed by a two man flying lap. Daniele actually broke the track record, but that was then broken several times after he went. The first 100 lap Madison of the night was very rough. They are three man Madisons, and there are alot of people with alot of exchanges going on. BBQ rubbed another rider high in turn one, and the wheels brushed for most of the turn, until they got untangled. It was a very close call. The wheels fell off with 10 laps to go, when they lost 2 laps in 10. 2 laps in ten is insane....but the race was on, and everyone was on the rivet.

Other races went so/so, and the final 120 lap Madison was better. Still went down another 2, but they rode better with better positioning. Kiesse won that, and Bartko and he, had an amazing mano-o-mano in the final of the elimination. Bartko took it, but it went to cameras.

It's cold, and snowing which is unusual here. Crowds were low compared to normal, because of the weather. But that's OK. It's the first night, and we would rather find our feet before the majority pack in on the weekend.

Jack and I had our hands busy changing out gears for Barlevav and Francheschi for the different events. Jackie has two bikes, so he is in the 53 x 16 for the bunch events, and the big meat for the timed events. None of our team did Dernies tonight, so tomorrow he'll get behind the motor. That should be good, as he has the legs right now, but the speeds on the big track are high.

We are pretty knackered. Started at 7pm, and had a couple 15 minute breaks, but pretty much had someone in the race until 11:30pm. Busy down in the cabins, preping riders, but then also changing gears, and preping bikes.

Will send more update tomorrow. Check the UIV site and the Apeldoorn site for updates. needles to say, we in 13th place out of 13 teams. Hey,.....we're consistent!

In closing,...the bikes are good, the wheels are fantastic, and morale isn't bad, all things considered. Most of the Euros are watching us from a distance, with wry smiles. You can tell what they're thinking..."Man...75 years ago you guys were the kings of this shit...what the flock of pigeons happened?"

We'll win them over one by one over the next few nights.
Till tomorrow,
Chop.

Team Arrives in Apeldoorn, Holland Day 0

After some long journeys, Eric from LA, Daniele from Vancouver, and Jackie from PA, all of the riders and their support team of Jack Simes III and Kurt Begemann arrived in Amersterdam early in the morning Wednesday. After being picked up by one of the most famous motor pacing drivers in 6 Day history, Bruno Walrave. (He's driven 400 6-Days and has 15 world championship jerseys.) Bruno took the team on an hour long drive along smooth roads to the velo to drop off bikes; the track was closed due to race prep, so riding yet. After a couple of emails, and a light dinner, the group settled down for a good night's sleep with the expectation of Thursday ahead--the beginning of 6 Days of hard racing.

This is the Apeldoorn website where you will be able to follow the race. Cycle Loft Team is # 13.

Two good short videos here. The second one is a great example of the Madison Race at Gent, Belgium.

Two great 6 Day Clips are here, that will give you a 5 minute intro into the circus of 6 Day racing. On the first link, click on movie when the page opens. All the others should take you straight to the videos.

Cycle Loft US 6Day Team rides Winter Six

North American Team to ride inaugural Six-Days of Apeldoorn

The Six Days of Apeldoorn, Holland makes it’s debut on the UIV calendar this week, beginning December 17th to 22nd. Along with it, comes the American Team of Jackie Simes IV and Eric Barlevav riding their first professional Winter Six-Day contract. Joining them is multi Canadian National Champion, Daniele DeFranceschi, also riding his first pro Winter Six.

The three raced against each other at the Six-Days of Fiorenzuola back in July 2009 and again at the ‘09 Detroit 3-Day international, won by Simes and Barlevav. They know each other well, and will unite to form a three man team for the Apeldoorn Six. The event held at the Omnisport Arena, is one of only a few Sixes held on a 250 meter Track, similar to the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, California.

While many Americans may follow the Six-Day season on the World Wide Web, and some indeed travel to Europe to experience the circus that was once Americas’ premier sport, there may be more reasons to follow this particular story. Jackie Simes IV, who hails from the legendary Valley Preferred Cycling Center (formerly the Lehigh Valley Velodrome), is the first rider to have graduated from it’s Pee Wee Pedaler program to the professional Six-Day Circuit. The program for 5 – 8 year olds was founded (and is still taught) by Jimmy Alvord, and has been going for more than 25 years.

At the recent Fall Flea Market at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, an emotional Alvord smiled with watery eyes and said, “It’s amazing to see where Jackie has taken this. I remember when Jack Simes III brought him to his very first Pee Wee Pedalers class, like it was yesterday. I thought to myself…’Oh man…Jack’s watching me coach his kid!’ It’s an amazing feeling for me to see Jackie achieve this. From the Pee Wee Pedalers program in Pennsylvania, to the boards of the European Sixes. It’s very emotional.”

Other Pro Six-Day riders such as Tommy Armstrong, Marty Nothstein, Ryan Oelkers, Jamey Carney and Bobby Lea, have all come out of the Lehigh Valley, but none of them began their cycling journey as a Pee Wee Pedaler. Jackie Simes IV may be the first of many Alvord’s graduates to go all the way.

Another side to this story making its own milestone in History is the fact that this will be the first North American Team backed by an American sponsor to race a European Six in over 50 years. Cycle Loft, a premier bicycle retailer, located in Burlington, Massachusetts is supporting the team on its journey to Holland. “Along with Parlee Cycles, we sponsor both Jackie and Eric on the domestic Track scene,” said Jeff Palter, owner of Cycle Loft. “So it was a natural progression to support them in their first Winter Six. I don’t think too many American bike shops can say they have sponsored a professional Six-Day team in Europe. In-fact, we may be the first.” Simes, Barlevav and DeFranceschi will ride in a Stars and Stripes themed jersey, adorned with American Sponsors. “The lads are racing for more than a contract here,” said Palter. “There’s a little American pride here too! North American Riders, racing on American Product, and backed by an American Sponsor. Yeah…we’re excited!”

The three riders leave on Tuesday December 15, 2009.