Cheq 40

Its been awhile since I posted a blog, but I thought that this one would be a good race to write about.

This year brought some top notch racers including 2 Tour De France racers. I never thought that I would be toeing the line with guys like Christian Vande Velde! The race starts out on a long blacktop stretch that brings some high speeds, I was sitting pretty close to the front and could see that 3 guys (I think Cole House, Jason Mccartney, and Steve Tillford) had already broke away from the group and were drafting the 4-wheeler, I new right then that it would be an interesting race for the leaders. The group of hundreds of riders was weaving back and forth on the hwy and eventually bridged back up before rosies field.

My race was pretty uneventful and seemed like the miles were just clicking away. I was in a good group which included Scott Cole, and ended up taking some good pulls without really killing myself, and always staying near the front of the pack. I new from last year that you want to be in at least the top 5 people in the group because the yo yo effect is huge with all the punchy climbs, and can easily get popped off the back.

We hit OO and I couldn't believe that we were already that far, but I new in the back of my mind that the pace would pick up and the hills were going to hurt. Not to long after this we hit a bumpy down hill section and when I got to the bottom I noticed my chain had fell of the big ring. I pedaled a few turns and it wouldn't go back on, I had to stop and fix it.... after I got it back on I just watched the group riding away... I thought for sure that I could bridge back up but with the high winds I just couldn't get there.

I ended up riding from there on to the last 5 miles by myself, picking off a few riders here and there. Then Ben S caught me out of nowhere, we rode together for a few miles I was doing to much work for him and he ended up attacking on a climb after I took a long pull and I couldn't respond. Then with close to 1 mile to go I could see another group of 4 riders gaining on me. I gave every last ounce of whatever I had left to sprint to the finish, I was hammering, looking over my left shoulder not knowing that there was someone on my right side and lost to him by a tenth of a second.

I learned a lot from this race, and am already looking forward to next year. I hope I get in again!

Not my weekend

Sitting in somewhere near the top 10 on the first lap, I was feeling pretty good. After a bumpy downhill section which lead to the first water station and some loose granite, my chain falls off the big ring. I get off put it back on loose 10 positions and try to get back into my groove. Then somewhere into the second lap I miss a turn and go back to get on the right course. Not soon after that I get to the same water station and my chain fell off again, this time I go to pedal, but with no chain there to make me go forward I go down pretty hard in the loose granite. Get up put my chain back on, but my rear wheel wouldn't spin... I looked it over quick but I couldn't figure out why. I figured that if I just loosen the rear brake brackets and just ride without a rear brake, but nope that didn't work either (and it probably wasn't a very good idea). So I walked back the the start/finish and handed in my back tag. First DNF of my career, I guess I can't complain since I've had pretty good luck leading up to this. Subaru PRO XCT is next and I will be sure to have everything in line!

Crystal Lake Classic WORS #2

I managed to pull out my best overall finish in my second year as an elite racer with a 10th overall!

With the Rasta Rally the weekend before, I got to know the course pretty good. Although it wasn't the same exact course, most of the trails are the same style.

The course was in perfect condition to start, everything was working out in my favor in the race. Except during warm-up when Jesse Shoemaker and I went into some single track and I cut my tubless tire, we tried to give it air but it wouldn't hold. Thankfully Al Jozwiak from Bikes-n-Boards was nearby and had a spare tube.

The lead out was a long section of gravel two track with a bunch of sharp corners which cause a yo yo effect. I managed to stay pretty close to the front without getting to close to the front, knowing that I shouldn't go out to hard. I think I was sitting in 12th or so on the first lap and hung in pretty good, sharing pulls with a group of 5 or so guys. I had some pretty good climbing legs and hit the hills pretty hard, this got me up to 8th or 9th going into the 3rd lap. The start of the 4th lap the weather turned. Lighting, thunder the first half and the rain hit the last 1/4 which is the slickest part of the course. I was riding with caution, I couldn't let myself crash and screw it up... two guys ended up passing my that last lap.

It was a good feeling to cross the line in the top ten.

Thanks Scott Cole for letting me use your Fork for the weekend!

Preferred Start

Rasta Rally

Today was the Rasta Rally in Rhinelander. Is is a great course and a lot of fun. I went into this race with the mentality to have fun and not worry at all about results. It turned out that I was feeling pretty strong and decided not to waste it. It started off with Ben K, Tyler G and Tom (not sure on last name). Ben and Tyler gaped Tom and I pretty early in the first lap. So it was just Tom and I, and he was slowing disappearing from my sight....

I reeled Tom back in right at the beginning of the 2nd lap. I pulled him through the Boyscout camp up a few hills and realized that I was out climbing him, but he was a better single track rider than me. So my plan was to attack every hill. I managed to pull away and get a good gap on him. I ended up 3rd overall just under 3 mins behind ben and tyler.

Thanks to the RASTA guys for putting on such a great race!

Mother's Day/Parents Anniversary

We celebrated Mother's Day and my parent's Anniversary by spending the weekend in Rhinelander pre-riding the Rasta Rally course. I even got my dad to pose his Bike Hub/Specialized jacket

WORS: Iola Bump & Jump

Here's a few pics of the race thanks to http://www.xtrphoto.com



This one ^ must be just after my crash... helmet is still crooked

WORS: Iola Bump & Jump Pre-Ride

http://www.thebikehubcyclingteam.com/2011/04/wors-iola-bump-jump-pre-ride.html#comments

Pre-ride at Iola Bump-N-Jump with Jesse Shoemaker, Scott Golomski and Ben Neubauer.

Tennessee Day 2

Nice view from the foothills parkway decent after climbing The Top of the World.

Origami

Reminder

Today is the last day to order your order in!

http://www.thebikehubcyclingteam.com/2011/03/2011-team-kit.html

Sundays Ride

Took my dads Pugs out for a long ride. Those bikes are awesome!

Design and Bikes

I have been realizing lately how much my life revolves around bikes and graphic design, which is not a bad thing at all. I go to work were I design all day, go home to ride my bike, when done biking I get back on my computer to design some more. It is a good life and I really enjoy it!

I started to design some posters for my "Speed Shop" in my basement and I ended up with this sweet blog header.

Delivery!

 Luna Coffee  and  The Recovery Sock 

Its been awhile

Ok, so I just realized that is has been a full month since I have updated my blog. I have been really busy with work, training and freelancing. Which is a good thing when you look at the economic problems and the people out there without a job. So I am grateful for all the work I have. And training has been going very good, thanks Scott!

In the past month I also realized that I haven't been outside on my bike since the last blog posting. So Sunday I went out for a ride outside. I went from looking at my computer screen watching episode after episode of The Office.

To looking at the snow covered back roads on my mountain bike. It was a good change of pace but I thought the roads were going to be plowed and I forgot how cold it is out there, my feet froze!

Another good thing that I have been working on is this www.justinpiontek.com. It has been something that I have been working on for a while but thinking about doing for months. It will be the place were I post all of my work as a Graphic Artist, there is also a blog on it to. I still have to try to figure out how to link to to, for now I will keep this one up to date. Stay tuned for The Bike Hub Specialized Cycling Team Kits that we have been working on for a while now, I'm pretty excited to get those in hand.

It has been a good month of base training, can't wait to get out on the trails!

Titletown New Years Ride

Had a good time with a fun group of people on the annual new years day ride. Even learned something new today....don't let go of your handle bars in 40 MPH winds, it will take you down! Coolest dismount I have ever done, never hit the ground, just kept on running.