The Leece boys started the racing season with a couple of races last weekend and have a stage race coming up this weekend. After putting in the base for the last few months, Steve started the year at the Poor College Kids RR in Los Olivos last Sat. The race started at the Chamberlin Ranch and went out Foxen Canyon road with an out and back 34 mile course. Steve lined up with the Cat 4's with a full field of 100. With only a short climb and a relatively short distance not much separation occurred in the race. There was a wild downhill sprint of about 25 at the end. Single lane finish with basically no where to move up. Steve finished 13th and got some good experience in a big field. Steve is 4th white helmet from the left. Guys over the centerline got DQ'd.
Next up was Mothballs Crit in Goleta on Sunday. I raced the 45+ race with a field of about 50. As usual fast from the start with several break attempts but nothing stuck. There was a guy wearing a rainbow jersey who was fast. No one knew who it was. He won the sprint and turns out he is the Masters World Champion on the track from Australia. Still recovering from a cold and was hacking through the race. Able to move up a little at the end and finished 14th.
Steve started his day with the Cat 4 group. About 60 in the field including a
couple of guys he knows from Cal Poly. They patrolled the front much of the race and Steve was active in the field. Fast race with average speed about 25.5mph. Steve got in good position for the sprint. Two UCSB guys led out and got a gap but Steve outsprinted the rest for 3rd overall. Great result.
I raced the 30+ 3/4 race and finished in the field and Steve finished his day with a 2nd in the Juniors race. We had a great day and the weather was perfect.
Our main early season goal is coming this weekend. Valley of the Sun stage race in Phoenix is a 3 day timed stage race. It is a Lance Armstrong Junior Qualifying race which allows Steve to qualify for a regional and possibly national camp this summer if he does well. I'll be racing the 40+ and he's in the Junior field. Looking forward to a great time of racing and being together. We'll be staying and racing with Craig N., Dillon and Aaron our other Rock Solid teammates who are going.
http://wmrc.org/vos/index.htm
Keep riding,
David
5 comments:
Nice!!!!
Sounds like a great time as father/son. It is fun watching you Jens.....I look forward to the days where I can share times like those with my little man.
Pretty amazing how fast Steve has excelled. The Lord has blessed him with true talent there for sure.
Have fun and good luck!
Levi
Doc - how old is Steve?
Steve turned 17 in November. Racing age for the whole year is determined by your age on 12/31 of the year you are racing. So his racing age this year is 18.
That's partly why were trying to fill in the Junior calendar as much as we can this year.
Thanks for the reports. Love hearing how well the boys are doing. Best of luck in the stage race and keep us posted.
Good stuff! Jens, you should see a doctor about that cough!!!!!
I know a guy.......
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