Dexter Crit

To start...I will post about camp when i have a little more time.

So anyways, Saturday was Le Tour de Dexter, State Criterium Championship. After a week of hard riding, i drove all day and just slept in my car in Dexter, because i wasnt going to want to drive from J-town. I felt pretty good warming up for the race. I was a little skeptical from the start due to the fact i was on my spare wheelset (i flatted my good set on the last day of camp) and my rerar shifter was acting up.

When i got there, i signed in at registration, put my number on, and found Scott and Ben. The three of us went out to Huron River Drive to warm up durring the Cat 5 race. We got back just in time to take off our LS Jerseys and Scott to get his spare wheelset in the pit. Then it was time to line up.

I took a spot along the right curb in the front of the pack. The whistle blew, and we all clipped in and went right into the 180 degree turn, then it was a slow rise to a right hander then the short one block hill that lasted around the next right hander. Then a fast decent with a right-left-right dangerous turn series. On the first downhill right hander, somone in the back hit the deck and took out two or three people. The race stayed together for a while, then on the hill Brent Del Rosario from the Wolverines took off. He finished 3rd at Allen Park, so i knew he was a strong rider. I quickly bridged the gap and was with him by the top of the hill. We already had a gap on the peloton and we agreed to work together. Well, it was short lived, because as soon as we hit the 180 degree turn, my bike went out from under me. I went a little too low in the corner. i quickly got up, grabbed my bike and moved to the side of the road so the peleton could get by without too much hassle. I jumped back on my bike and rode back to the start and asked for a 5mm allen wrench, my stem and wheel werent alligned. Once the peleton came back, i jumped back in and moved to the front. Then as fate would have it, around the right hander at the top of the low rise, i flatted. I then proceeded to cut back accross the course to the wheel pit and grabbed one of Scotts wheels. I jumped back in the peloton and sat in the middle for a little bit to recover. With only a few laps to go, two guys went off the front. I did my best to chase them down, i was on the front for a while, but i didn't catch them. On the last lap, they still had a gap. And i was sitting near the front. If memory serves, they beat us to the line. I held on for top 15 i think. Im really not sure. The officials might have me as DNF. We will find out when results come.

I talked to Brent after the race, after i touched base with the team and the paramedics. Brent said when he heard me go down "his heart sank". He was sure we would stay out for a while.

Despite feeling strong, it wasnt a good race for me. Sitting here now my shoulder is throbing in pain. I had Xrays taken yesterday and my Dad went down to the hospital to read them today. He thinks it could be a possible collar bone fracture. We will have to see. Well there is always next year. Right now, im going to go ice my shoulder.