2014 ZANCONATO TEAM KIT is LIVE!

Click    HERE    to purchase the new 2014 Zanconato Racing Team Kit.

...Pictures can be seen here (the ordering site doesn't have the higer resolution pics yet)

R.O.U.S. – Raccoon of Unexpected Speed

Last Tuesday at 4:30am we gathered, by what can only be attributed to the Svengali-like power of Mark O., to ride as many hard miles (65-70) as possible before work.  For those who had extra time, this would include ascending Emigration Canyon, east of the University of Utah.

Four of us departed along the Legacy Parkway bike trail: Mark O., Derrick W., Dave B. (myself), and Colt F. from America First CU Racing.  No more than twenty minutes in, while Mark was pushing the pace in front, he noticed something on the side of the path.  As the pre-dawn brain cells attempted to identify the object, and just as Mark considered the idea of slowing down, a large (and surprisingly swift) raccoon darted across the trail and in front of Mark’s tire.

Like the R.O.U.S. (Rodents of Unusual Size) attack in “The Princess Bride”, Mark was unceremoniously knocked to the ground, while peril ensued.  Amid the chaos, I either heard or said an expletive.  Somehow the rest of us were able to brake, weave or skid past the pile of man and machine.

The first order of business was to inspect Mark.  With the use of our headlights, it was clear he had some serious road rash and bruising on his hip and forearm, yet the team kit remained remarkably intact (Go TEXmarketUSA!).* Fortunately, his full-finger gloves took the brunt of what would have been some major lacerations to the back of his hand.

The next order of business was to tend to the Zanconato.  Maybe we should have done this first.  Anyway, aside from a scraped up saddle and bar tape, and a tiny tweak of the derailleur, the steed was in great shape (Go Zank!).

Once Mark collected himself, we were riding again.  After just one rotation of the paceline, Mark was back up front, pushing a big gear as usual.  When we reached Emigration Canyon, Mark faced it like Inigo Montoya vs. the six-fingered man (Go Mark!).

And thus the pronouncement: “Raccoons make lousy speed-bumps!” Indeed they do.

*It should be noted I believe this retelling is in compliance with Rule #81, since after the ride Mark went to InstaCare to have his wounds scrubbed and treated.  Also, no selfies of the injuries will be posted; otherwise, Mark may be accused of being a Congressman.  I’ve seen the pictures - definitely not safe for work.

Ride on,
Dave

TOUR DEL SOL STAGE RACE: Another amazing result for the team / 2014 Kit is almost here!

Zanconato Racing leaves a big mark in the Southern Utah red rock country with a  1st overall by Derek in the Cat4 race! (scroll down for complete results).  Another great development: The 2014 Zanconato Racing team kit is almost here. Stay tuned for links to order. Anyone who has last year's kit knows that Tex-Market gear is top notch - they supply many of the kits in the pro peloton. This year's getup is no different, and the new design is killer! Here's the final design for a few pieces - we'll have arm warmers, hats, etc, as well.

TOUR DEL SOL STAGE RACE RESULTS

Congratulations Derek! Zanconato Racing establishes an early season presence in Southern Utah

 

Overall
1st Place Cat4: Derek Edwards (8th overall Cat3/4)    GC Time: 3:58:52

20km Time Trial - Saturday 3/29, 7AM

 2nd Place Cat4: Derek Edwards (17th overall Cat3/4)    Time: 26:51

Criterium - Saturday 3/29 2PM

3rd Place Cat4: Derek Edwards (20th overall Cat3/4)    Time: 45:21

60 Mile Road Race - Sunday 3/30 8AM 

2nd Place Cat4: Derek Edwards (12th overall Cat3/4)    Time: 2:46:40 



Race report from Derek:

Very competitive and large cat 3-4 group (60 plus dudes).  Big team turnout from Intermountain LiveWell (Imagine that) and Las Vegas cyclery.  These two teams had big advantages with strong riders and planned out tactics.

Time trial was a great course with 1st half slight downhill and the 2nd half slight uphill (15ish miles).  Definite advantage with TT bike for downhill portion, but road bikes had a slight advantage coming back up.

The Crit race was a 1.1 mile course that took place on the old airport runway in St. George.  NOBODY out of our huge group dropped out of the race because they couldn't hold onto the peleton.  The corners were fast and smooth.  We hit max speeds just under 40 MPH in some laps and averaged 28 MPH!  I got a few great breaks but couldn't stay ahead of this strong group.  The final sprint entailed team tactics that lasted over a half mile.  OUCH!

The road race was just under 60 miles.  It started in Ivins, UT and climbed up old HWY 91 where we were greeted with a small rain storm.  We turned around at the top and then peeled off towards Gunlock reservoir at the bottom and started climbing again.  Just before the town of Veyo, there is a steep 3/4 - 1 mile climb that broke off more than half the group.  I couldn't hang on to the aggressive climbers, but was able to catch up with the group after the climb a few miles down the road.  The terrain out of Veyo I actually pulled away from the lead group for several miles but they reeled me in with 10ish miles to go.  The major decent out of Snow Canyon had a massive crosswind.  We all had to slow down our pace considerably to stay on the road.  The last few miles entailed a brutal headwind.  Our group of 13 then became very 'lazy' and nobody wanted to work out in the wind so I spent a lot of time out front.  But of course, the last kilometer, things heated up, and I popped on the last slight incline combined with headwind.  Felt like I was pushing some major power but wasn't able to move very fast!