GamJams Racing

GamJams Squads Compete "Everywhere" in "Every Discipline"

Members of both GamJams Gruppo Sportivo (GS) and GamJams Racing/Pre-Reg.com p/b Cutaway Clothing entered events throughout MABRA and the Virginia Cycling Association.    With omnium racing, time trialing, and technical crits on the menu, the racers proved themselves to be hungry for even more in the upcoming weeks as racing season continued heating up.

Eric Puffenbarger of the GS Squad made the trip down to the New River Valley Omnium.  Though the fields were small, he found the race to be well run and one that he hopes draws a bigger crowd next year.  Solid placings in the early events had him sitting in third overall on GC going into the final criterium.  Unfortunately for Puffenbarger, the final event was dominated by the racers from Rogues Racing and he, working solo, just couldn't hold off the attacks from their six-man squad.  He conceded the podium in this event but is already plotting his return next year and, as every racer knows, that's the sort of thing that makes it easy to train in the cold winter months.

Another member of the GS Squad, Nate Hakken, tested his legs and his brand new TT set-up at the Deep Blue TT.  Though he admits that "time trialing does not make for good prose," his results tell a different story: new TT set-up, no TT practice, 30 mph wind gusts, and 4th out of a relatively large Cat 4 feld.  To celebrate his achievement, Hakken decided to "double up" and enter the TTT event with a former teammate who rode the event "Merckx Style."  Though the results were not what they wanted, Hakken had enough strength left to call the weekend a "rewarding" one.  

Several members of the GamJams Racing and GS Squads fought the winds at the Fort Ritchie Criterium and came away less than satisfied with their efforts.  David Kirkpatrick, Mike May, and Gus Grissom all entered the Cat 3 event, while others such as Nate Hakken and Paul Rades rolled in the Cat 4 and Masters' events.  Though he doubled up on the day, also racing a masters' event, Kirkpatrick had the highest placing on the GJ Racing squad.  He found himself in a "spot of bother" right as the eventual winning break established itself and then became part of the battle for survival as, in his words, the "every man for himself flag went out" in the rapidly dwindling peloton.  Though he never wants to hear the phrase "inside line!" again, Kirkpatrick was pleased with his effort and looking forward to the upcoming technical crits on this year's racing calendar.

Overall it was a solid weekend of racing for both squads.  As the season progresses, the riders from these two small, but growing, squads continue to learn to work together in an attempt to understand and employ team tactics.  Though the desired results were not achieved this week, success can be measured in other ways and it is only a matter of time before the real warriors of this weekend, guys like Hakken and Puffenbarger, stand on the podium for their team.

RGS Title Chantilly Crit: Cat 4 & 3/4 35+

by Nate Hakken

Saturday, I lined up for two races in chantilly.

The cat 4 race was pretty standard  fare, the field was so large that there were no real attacks until the last laps. I tried to get away with 3 to go, but found that the only rider that had followed was an ncvc junior rider who wasn't going to be much good in the battering headwind. We got swarmed on the next lap and finished with the pack.

The 3/4 35+ was a little more dynamic with a whole wheel rider trying to escape pretty early on. He stayed away for a few laps. The smaller field meant that there were more opportunities to move up, but also a greater chance of getting caught in the wind. People were continually trying to escape it was hard to keep track of who was up the road. With two to go it seemed everything came back together and the pack slowed slightly. I jumped, and found that pete warner from whole wheel was on my wheel. I kept pulling, he gave me a slight rest in the wind, but seemed pretty gassed. I'm not sure how far up the road we were I just wanted to stay away so I kept pulling. He came around me on the last turn. So I thought I had second, but found out two riders had been up the road, one of them from whole wheel. So fourth. 

RGS Title cat 34 35+, last 3 laps from Brian on Vimeo.

Overall, a good day of racing.