The Season Finale

Well the "Priority Health Grand Classic" in downtown Grand Rapids was the last road race of the season. (excluding leelanau) And so we decided to go out on top. We didnt win, but we raced, thats for sure. At the line representing the AAVC, we had Me, Scott, Ben, Eric, Chris and James.

This is a beautiful race. You almost feel as if you are a pro when you are out there racing. The last 150m were barricaded, every 25-50m of the last 200m are marked with signs like the tour. There were TV crews set up, photographers at every corner, a lead and a follow car, a local TV helicopter getting some footage, but the coolest thing definitely had to be the Neutral Support. We had one of the SRAM Neutral Support vehicles on course. It came stock with Orbea bikes, and Zipp Carbon Wheels...Nice. I was ready to go and flat before the race started.

Scott James and I all lined up at the front, and MAN! were there a lot of riders. We raced in a combined 4/5 field, so i estimate about 70 riders in our group. From the start i was at the front, and thats pretty much where i would be for half the race. I led the first lap, so i was the first rider to complete the first lap, of this brand new, awesome race. After that, i went back to the middle of the group and sat for the first half of the race.

This course is technical. There are a lot of turns, one particularly rough corner, and two sections of "cobble" (rough brick) which made for an interesting race. Everyone seemed to slow down on the back brick section, which is where i would speed up, move up the peloton and make my attacks when it went ever-so-slightly uphill.

This race had WONDERFUL sponsors, i believe it was a $20000 purse. It seemed that ever other lap they were telling us "prime to the first two riders across the line on the next lap" and let me tell you, our team, the AAVC wanted those primes. There were 12 given out in our race, and we ended up with 8 of them, me getting one of them, if not the most expensive one. Every prime i saw one of our guys at or off the front going across the line. It was awesome.

I put in a few attacks. When i saw that they were slowing down, i didn't want the dropped riders to catch us, so i would go to the front and life the pace. This usually resulted in stringing out the peloton, and/or me getting a gap an forming my own breakaway. At one point when i went to the front, i heard a flurry of shouting and the sound of cracking carbon. There was a crash, and it was cause by our favorite rider, who ended up flatting, getting a ZIPP wheel, and finishing top 10....undeserved if you ask me. (if you read this enough, you know who I'm talking about.

ANYWAYS...somewhere in the race a made a move, this was my #1 move of the day. I got a large gap on the peloton, 10 seconds if i heard correctly, and i got myself a $100 'Priority health' jersey.

Coming down to the final 3 laps, i decided that i did not want to be in the field sprint. It was rough brick, and the peloton was sketchy as is. So with two laps to go, i went to the front....and i made them HURT! The guys behind me, i believe, thought that i would pull off soon, but i didn't. I kept the pace high for a lap and a half. Then with about 400 meters to go, i pulled off and let the peloton go by. It almost worked. Eric got 5th, and Scott got 14th after getting pinched out on a corner. Doug "Grand Master 'B'" and James "Bike Boy" Anderson, both passed me with about 200m to go. I was wiped.

Afterwards, i had a lot of people come up to me and say that i rode really well and that i looked strong out there. Thanks, that was my goal this season.....to be recognized. One Saturn guy came up to Scott and asked him if Scott was the guy who did the final 2 lap lead out, Scott said "No, that was my teammate" The Saturn guy said " I need to find him to say thanks." HA HA. Thats made my day.

I want to say CONGRATS...yet again to James Anderson. A young junior hanging tough in the Cat 4 field, finishing with the peloton on one of the more difficult courses this year. Mark my words.... "James Anderson is going to be a force to be reckoned with in a few years"

And with that i bring the season to a close....wait. I still need to do Labor Day race don't I? Give me a day.

This was a wonderful race and i am definitely coming back next year. And i encourage anyone reading this who didn't come, or doesn't race...to come to this race next year.