Race Report Catch Up

Well since I am pretty behind on race reports let me get you caught up quickly and concisely.

Tour De Champaign

This P1/2 race by the looks of the start sheet would qualify as a regional level race, which means the region’s top domestic pro/amateur teams show up to duke it out as the local and amateur teams try to work in and steal away some placing’s. Flat 4 corner course that was FAST, averaging 27MPH. I made a hard effort to bridge into a break that looked strong but it didn’t stick more than a few laps. After the failed break attempt I decided to stay in the pack and continue working on staying relaxed and efficient in the pack especially in the corners. In the end I was 20th of 50 and enjoyed every minute of it.

Urbana Criterium

Of the two races this weekend I knew this one would be the more challenging for me. Held in downtown Urbana this crit course was a fast and technical 8 corner playground of pain. Being this was an IL Cup Race and I am still leading the P1/2 series I was called to the line first (slightly embarrassing, considering the talent stacked up behind me). After the shot I settled in mid pack for the first 30 so minutes again trying to get as comfortable as possible in the turns. With about 45min to go I moved my way up to the front of the group in hopes to bridge up to a couple strong men off the front. With Dustin laying down a really hot lap for me I seriously did my best to get off the front but without much effort the blocking teams on the front brought me back into the fold. Now being totally spent from my pathetic bridge attempt I was starting to feel the course and not in a good way. With about 25 min to go I was doing everything I could to hold wheels when I jumped my chain clear off my big ring thru some rough pavement. If I hadn’t been so oxygen deprived I would have thought to walk back to the pit and get my free lap but instead I lost my edge mentally and pulled out of the race.

Big thanks to Mark Swartzendruber for promoting and putting on a great weekend of racing.

Monsters of the Midway

This will be my 3^rd year competing at MOM, and let me just say that this course should play to my strengths however, historically this race loves to spite me in new and creative way each year. For example, consistently bad weather, multiple tubie flats and stupid crashes. I truly don’t know what it is about this course its a pretty straight forward 4 corner and two long straight track. Why riders leave their self-control and good judgment on the side lines is beyond me. Unfortunately, this year would be no exception to my bad luck. Once again in the rain this IL Cup race gets going at a decent clip and we ride away the first half of the race mostly together. With 9 or so laps left two are off the front both with team mates who know how to block at the front of the group so I go off the front only taking a xXx wheel sucker with me. 2 laps and a match book later I am within 20 yards of the two but looking back and seeing the group chasing hard I decided to pull the plug and rest up for the now very likely bunch sprint. All together now on the bell lap Enzo’s squad was organizing at the front to lead out their sprinter. 

Coming out of turn 2 I managed to glue myself to the Enzo’s train and I remained determined to defend my position into the finishing straight. About half way down the back side I noticed a slow in the pace, and for any of you that have participated in a lead out you know that a slow in pace is a kiss of death. Before the pace could quicken or I could think of what to do our lead out got over taken on the inside and in the process of this acceleration an un-named rider freaked out and came careening over into the Enzo’s rider just in front of me. Despite his best effort the Enzo’s rider and un-named idiot hit the deck hard. Seeing this happen in the blink of an eye I was able to scrub some speed before smashing into the mess of bodies and bikes. I went over the handlebars and did very well to avoid any road rash, however, once the dust had settled I quickly noticed the wicked pain in my chest and the immediate shortness of breath. 

Not all was lost with a podium appearance from Sean who avoided the crash and kicked hard to a great sprint. Being that I was leaving for Asia in less than 24 hours my loving wife convinced me to get checked out at the hospital. After assuring Corie that I had just bruised some ribs and that everything was fine the nurse delivered the results of the CT scan… fractured 10^th rib. Besides justifying the pain and recovery time nothing much can be done for a broken rib. Fortunately, I was cleared to fly and with pain killers in hand headed to Singapore.

Thanks to all who prayed against the suspected internal bleeding and for the speedy recovery.

Lake Bluff Twilight Crit.

Using my highly advanced cyclist brain I decided to apply for entry into the Pro/Cat1 Lake Bluff Criterium in order to ease myself back into racing post injury and travel. Fortunately, only a hand full of the top point’s leaders in the National Pro Criterium series showed up and brought along 90 of their pro/cat1 friends. After being granted entry to this death wish I did the dumbest thing possible, I showed up…

After soaking in the fun of staging with some of the best domestic pro’s in the country at a race with huge crowds and exhilarating energy it was time to put my big boy pants on and hang tight. This would be 90 min of a vertical learning curve. During my warm up I had noticed some strange skipping going on in my drive train but didn’t think too much of it once the Sram guys took a look and cleared it. Immediately the race started and I knew I was in for it, the gear issue I was having during my warm up was multiplied by ten during the race, every time I accelerated with any force my chain was skipping over my cassette and getting me nowhere. 

After three laps of just holding onto the back of the pack I rolled out to the pit to have the Sram mechanic take another look, (since this issue was my own dumb fault I did not get a free lap). Once the Sram tech started asking me about the chain/cassette age it struck me I committed a carnal bike sin. After the MOM crash our team mechanic (John) was nice enough to replace my chain and worn cassette. However, for this race I had grabbed my tubie wheels that had an old cassette on it and the combination of a worn cassette and new chain is that it will skip. Stupidly I didn’t ask for another wheel in the pit so I would have a chance at finishing the race; instead I let them push me back into a gun fight wielding chop sticks. Needless to say this would be my third DNF in a row. 

For the record I HATE DNF’s!

Glencoe GP (State Crit Championship)

After the rookie mistake the night before I was determined to finish this race no matter what. Having landed on the podium last year (notice whenever someone says “I made the podium” 90% of the time it means they took third? Just an observation) I was optimistic I could hold tight and if things played well I could have a chance at a high finish. I tried to get as good of a starting position as possible knowing that staying at the sharp end of this race was going to be key especially with my current lack of race fitness and 90+ man field. I managed to pick the one guy in the field that temporarily forgot how to clip in and immediately I was at the back of the large field. Dang! Not how I wanted to start. Three laps in the inevitable crashes started on this very tight and technical course. I managed to navigate around a few quickly gaining some position in the pack. 

Two laps later a big crash right in front of me brought me to a dead stop both feet down and now chasing hard to get back on. I traded pulls with one other rider for two laps before we made contact back with the pack. Finally able to recover from the chase with 10 laps left I am following a wheel hot into the only left hand turn on the course and I swear this guy got sniped. All by himself in the apex of the corner he loses it and goes down right in front of me, I touch the brakes and down I go. 

Quickly taking stock I was ok, just some road rash on the left leg and a bum rear wheel. I was actually proud of myself, I stopped and rationally though thru my next move. I calmly walked back to the secondary pit and asked for rear wheel and bike check knowing that I would be placed back in mostly the position I was in before the shooting.

While the mechanic was sorting out my bike I was thinking to myself that in the last 24 hours I have spent more time in the neutral support tent that in my first 3 years of racing, hmmm… Holding tight to my goal of finishing, I was pushed back out into the race with 8ish laps left (really nice to have a good shuv by the way, it helps you get up to speed and back into the mix of a quickly moving pack). I had recovered a couple matches by sitting out two laps but I knew my legs would not be happy with the quick start stop. 3 laps left I knew it was now or never so I took advantage of a slight slow up and moved to the front of the pack only to get snapped back after a hard acceleration by the leaders. 
I simply didn’t have the legs to get myself into contention and stay there. I finished 30^th out of 100+ starters and honestly was pleased with my effort and state of mind but all too aware of my lacking race fitness.