#‎0of30‬ Volume 12 Issue 5: Riders to Watch

The 2nd Annual Buckley Slough Kermesse is Sunday July 24th. As you get ready to line up for 30 miles of suffering here are the top 3 riders to watch of the confirmed start list.

1. Ludo Max, current Cascadia Gravel Champion. Max has proven to be a gritty rider. Generally favoring a road bike laced up with Gatorskins his specialty has been to weather the attacks thrown down by riders using gravel-specific set-up and then take advantage of the extra speed his ride gives him in the last few laps.

2. Michael Brazel, current King off Sectors and 2013 Series Champion.Brazel is an aggressive rider who can sit in for the win but is more happy throwing a grenade into the field and seeing what shakes out. He will be rocking the red jersey of the current leader of the King of Sectors, our version of the most aggressive rider competition.

3. Alfredo Ramirez, current series leader. Ramirez is riding for the series win and he isn't afraid to let current series champion Pruitt know it. He has already provided the promoter with his jersey measurements and is racing to win. So far he's taken advantage of his superior sprinting ability to take points in every race.

Keep and eye out for these riders -- you probably don't want them in your group when you're coming into the finish.

Register for ‪#‎BSK‬ now at https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=74714&owner=1

USAC Points: Now with more category-ness

USAC has confirmed that Kermesse races will count for upgrades across the board.   Here is how they will apply:

·         Cat 4/5s will receive upgrade points based on the road race points schedule.  Full stop.

·         Cat 3 riders will receive upgrade points based on the road race points schedule for their placing relative to other Cat 3s.   This means if you get 5^th in the 1/2/3 race but are the 1^st placed Cat 3 you get points for a 1^st Place finish.   Boosh (and/or Ka-Kow).

·         Cat 1 / 2 riders will receive upgrade points based on the Criterium points schedule for their overall placing.   This means if you get 5^th in the 1/2/3 race but are the 1^st placed Cat 2 you get points for a 5^th Place finish.   So don’t let any Cat 3’s beat you.

Do I have to say it?  Go register!  https://www.usacycling.org/events/flyer.php?permit=2014-1781 and get those sweet sweet points.

Kermesse: What's in a name?

Wednesday history lesson: Why the name Kermesse? kermesse (pronounced Ker-mess) literally means "fair" (as in street fair) and refers to circuit races of approx 60-80 miles in length that run through the streets of Europe. Kermesse (pronounced Ker-mease) is the mispronounced version of the word used by the young racers on my first team that went to Belgium and returned with tales of short circuits of mixed quickly alternating pavement, dirt & cobbles. Kermesses are those mythical and exaggerated races come to life.

I'm so confused: a Northwest Kermesse FAQ

We are now less than 4 weeks out from the NW Kermesse season opener the Sumner Buckley Kermesse on June 21st. Many have expressed both a desire and fear of trying this unique style of racing. To help push you off that fence here is a handy FAQ to reduce and/or increase your anxieties:

Question: I'm so confused. Is this a road race or a cross race?

Answer: A defining feature of NW Kermesse races is that they run on short, non-technical circuits so that transition between road and ribinou (dirt) happen quickly. The field usually splits into smaller groups early. The main challenge of a NW Kermesse race becomes finding the right group and managing your effort. As a result racing stays dynamic for everyone as each placing is hotly contested.  Drafting and pacing make a bigger difference than in cyclocross and riders are almost always better riding in a group. NW Kermesses are unique in that it is extremely common for riders to move *forward* by jumping one group to the next. So while it's neither a road or a cross race it has what we consider the best traits of both.

Question:   I'm only 78 points away from my Cat 1 upgrade and need points.   Is it technically a road or cross race?

Answer: #SBK is sanctioned as a road race so upgrade points count for road.

Question:  Do these races meet the minimum length for upgrade points?

Answer:  The Cat 4/5 and Cat 1/2/3 races meet the minimum length for upgrades from Cat 5 to Cat 4 and Cat 4 to Cat 3.  Sadly, Andrew Martin cannot use these to upgrade to Cat 1*.

Question:  What about field size requirements?  

Answer:  That's dependent on you guys but the Kermesse fields at #MNK and Ronde Ohop have met the minimums for Cat 5 to Cat 4 and Cat 4 to Cat 3 the last three years.  Again, Andrew Martin is out of luck for his Cat 1 upgrade*.  

For the rules around upgrades go here: http://www.usacycling.org/road-category-upgrade-guidelines.htm 

Question: Dudes! I love to watch Paris Roubaix and post on facebook about how hard I am.  Have you seen my quads?  But really I am a fragile roadie and I'm afraid of getting dropped. This still sounds a lot like a cyclocross race and I'm afraid of dirty corners and riding solo. Please explain this race to me!

Answer: I'm not sure there was an actual question in there (unless you really want to know if I have been checking out your quads?  No I have not.  But if I was I'd tell you they look nice).  Bottom line a bomb is going to go off in the field within the first two laps. The dirt section isn't technical -- it's pretty much a straight line from the entrance to exit. That said, you'll probably be at a slight disadvantage to the cross riders since you won't be used to the feel of riding dirt.  But the good news is the dirt section is short and then you'll be back onto more familiar territory and can either work with the group you're in or take a chance at bridging up to those cross guys who are now at your mercy.

Question: Wait. I'm a cross guy and now I'm worried. I was planning on just dropping all the soft roadies in the dirt (it's officially called ribinou now - ed) but I did Ronde Van Palouse/Gorge Roubaix/Ronde Matt Hill Roubaix Strada and got dropped on the road sections.

Answer: Those are great races. But they have much larger circuits. The big difference between a Roubaix or Ronde and a NW Kermesse is that the shorter circuits mean riders who struggle on the road will find themselves back on the ribionou quickly. And vice versa. 

Question:  I just realized you didn't really answer my question about whether it's a road race or a cyclocross race.


Answer:  I know.  You ask too many questions.  Just register and ride the darn thing: https://www.usacycling.org/events/flyer.php?permit=2014-1781


Want to stay up to date on the NW Kermesse schedule?  Regular updates will be cross posted at the NWKermesse Facebook page and right here at the extremely old and over-rated PruDogBlog

Update: Andrew Martin would like to make it clear he is a Cat 1 already.   PruDogBlog would apologize except it can't accept that Andrew is a Cat 1 when PruDog is only a Cat 2. 

Cheap SEO Grab: 2013 Mashel Nisqually Kermesse Edition

I am digging the whole Facebook events page approach except its extremely lame SEO.  So this post is a cynical and cheap way to get the 2013 Mashel Nisqually Kermesse indexed on google so you can find it.  #MNK.

Also too here's the page link:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northwest-Kermesse-Cup-Series/413705772059276

3 Questions: Kermesse QA w/ Benjamin Storrar.

Ben Storrar started racing Kermesses last year and ended up the Cat 1/2/3 Kermesse Series Champion.  How'd he do that?

What was your first Kermesse race and what was the biggest surprise about it?

My first kermesse was the Mashel Nisqually Kermesse in February 2012. The biggest surprise was how out of shape I had gotten during the Holidays, I’m sure mostly do to my love for any dip that has mayonnaise as the main ingredient. The second surprise was how well a road bike can ride through a small, muddy stream.

If you had one piece of advice you can give to someone trying a Kermesse for the first time, what would it be?

I have two things.

First, don’t get all wound up about your bike needs. You don’t need a special bike to do these races.  A road bike or cross bike with some large 25’s, or preferably a 28c, works just fine. Race whatever road-ish bike you have just put bigger tires on it.

Second, go fast. The faster you go the less bumpy it is. 

Why do you even do kermesse races?  I heard they are super hard!  Are you crazy?

I do them because it's fun to do something with a road bike that it wasn’t really designed to do.  I also think the kermesse series this year will be a great because it fits perfect between the road season winding down and the cyclocross season almost starting.  

Yes, they are hard.  All racing is hard if you do it right, but that’s not a reason to not to do it. And lastly, I hope not.