After working every day last week I decided to skip the festivities at Hyde Park and rest up for the Proctor Cycling Classic on Sunday in Peoria, IL. The race was a 90 minute affair with two very long straights. It was extremely windy. The wind almost took the 404's out. The plan was to do the exact opposite of what I usually do and be patient and not play my hand until the end. However, the IS Corps boys launched attack after attack from the gun. Eventually Kyle Jacobson got a sizable gap. Jeff Schroetlin decided to go after him and I thought he was way too dangerous to let him go up the road. I followed and we immediately got a nice margin and caught Jacobson. We soon dropped him but he was out in the wind for a couple laps before we got to him. Jeff and I continued to roll and opened up an insurmountable lead. Every time the gap started to come down he would go to the front and drill it. The guy is very strong. I have to give props to my Nuvo teammates for riding tempo in the field and covering attacks. Eventually Jeff and I almost lapped the main field which would have been nice seeing as I had teammates that could have helped. However, Jeff did not want to catch and I did not want to bury myself to get up there and have him ride away from me. I led out the last lap and was not sure how I was going to win. He jumped with two corners to go and I could not follow. I had some speed just not enough to overtake him. I finished 2nd again. Just call me Mr. 2nd place or top 5. I have to have faith that the W will come, but it is obviously something I am doing. I need to close one of these out. I keep putting myself in position to win but cannot be the first across the line when it matters the most. I feel awesome and have some legs I just have to get the job done!
Lots of racing coming up though with Superweek, Bloomington Crit, and the Tour D'Burg.
Here is a nice write up from the local Peoria newspaper.
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x931209964/This-time-first-is-first
Hopefully some pictures will follow shortly.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Race update and a little rant
I will start with the rant to grab some attention
Ok I understand that the Tour de France is the biggest bicycle race in the world and arguably the toughest sporting event ever devised by man. However, last time I checked I lived in the United States, where we happen to speak English and not French. Therefore, I wish to beg race promoters to call the events the Tour OF _________ vs. the Tour de _________. I may just be weird but it really bugs me when people call their race the Tour de ________. And not just one person is guilty. Several race promoters , if not all, are guilty. Here in America....we speak English. I really think that people do not even realize that "de" means of. Just something to think about.
On the other hand I have also been racing. On Saturday I raced the Tour de Olmstead. It was the most fun I have ever had on a race course. With a gradual, twisting, uphill and an awesome technical descent the course at Iroquois Park in Louisville was incredible. The race started normally with the usual attacks. It worked out that I found myself off the front with the always present Kevin Atkisson from Roadhouse and Juan Pablo from the Aerocat team. Our break was very close to being caught. I attacked on the last hill of the course but could not stay away with Atkisson and Juan Pablo dueling it out in the sprint, with Pablo taking the W. I thought I had comfortably taken third only to hear someone yell my name and turn around and see the hard charging peloton. I threw down my mediocre sprint and held on for third. Another nice result but not that coveted "W",it will come though I am confident of that.
The next day was a crit in Richmond. The field was very small and dominated by Roadhouse and the Aerocat professional team. I found myself in a break of nine with 3 of each of the above teams represented. I followed as many moves as I could until the legs gave out. We eventually lapped the field and John Grant of Roadhouse and Emile of Aerocat slipped off of the front. I ended up sixth, another good result. I want to thank Atkisson from Roadhouse and Emile from Aerocat for their advice after the race. I am relatively new at this and any help is greatly appreciated. I am going to keep going and get my "vee" before this season wraps up....so everyone better be on the look out!
Ok I understand that the Tour de France is the biggest bicycle race in the world and arguably the toughest sporting event ever devised by man. However, last time I checked I lived in the United States, where we happen to speak English and not French. Therefore, I wish to beg race promoters to call the events the Tour OF _________ vs. the Tour de _________. I may just be weird but it really bugs me when people call their race the Tour de ________. And not just one person is guilty. Several race promoters , if not all, are guilty. Here in America....we speak English. I really think that people do not even realize that "de" means of. Just something to think about.
On the other hand I have also been racing. On Saturday I raced the Tour de Olmstead. It was the most fun I have ever had on a race course. With a gradual, twisting, uphill and an awesome technical descent the course at Iroquois Park in Louisville was incredible. The race started normally with the usual attacks. It worked out that I found myself off the front with the always present Kevin Atkisson from Roadhouse and Juan Pablo from the Aerocat team. Our break was very close to being caught. I attacked on the last hill of the course but could not stay away with Atkisson and Juan Pablo dueling it out in the sprint, with Pablo taking the W. I thought I had comfortably taken third only to hear someone yell my name and turn around and see the hard charging peloton. I threw down my mediocre sprint and held on for third. Another nice result but not that coveted "W",it will come though I am confident of that.
The next day was a crit in Richmond. The field was very small and dominated by Roadhouse and the Aerocat professional team. I found myself in a break of nine with 3 of each of the above teams represented. I followed as many moves as I could until the legs gave out. We eventually lapped the field and John Grant of Roadhouse and Emile of Aerocat slipped off of the front. I ended up sixth, another good result. I want to thank Atkisson from Roadhouse and Emile from Aerocat for their advice after the race. I am relatively new at this and any help is greatly appreciated. I am going to keep going and get my "vee" before this season wraps up....so everyone better be on the look out!
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