Weekend of Hardship

DNF. That sums up my weekend. Rockford. State TT. DNF.

-ROCKFORD-

Saturday at noon, I met Chris in the Best Buy parking lot. We carpooled (along with Cat) to Rockford for the race. While on the way, about 20 minutes from Rockford, I look out my rear view window and what do I see? Chris's front wheel had come loose and flew off the rack. It went bouncing down the highway avoiding cars and landed way off the side of the highway.

Cat Chris and I all got out of the car ans start searching. After about 15 minutes, Cat found it hidden in some high grass. You couldn't tell it had just been thrown at 75mph. It was actually more true than when we put it on the roof.

Once we got to the course, we wamred up and prepped to race. Chris, Dominick, Scott, Joe, Tony and me all lined up for the start. Minnema, Antonuk, Martinez, DelRosario and Kroske were all there too.

The race was fast. Everyone was hurting, but I felt like crap from the start. Everytime we hit the hill I would move back, I would pick up some places in the corners, but then I had to tuck tight behind someone becasuse the longest section of road had a direct, 30+mph headwind. (Bad for me because I am so light) Tony and Chris were doing a wonderful job on the front, relay attacking the first half of the race. Then Joe moved up and took a prime. Scott was sitting safely, just waiting for the right moment, and conserving. Dominick and I were nowhere to be found, just chilling at the back, trying to hang on.

About 15-20 minutes into the race, the winning break got up the road. Minnema, Antonuk, Chris Aten and a Spout rider. The pace picked up at this point, to pull them back in. People started getting twitchy, then it happened. Someone made a Cat 5 mistake, moving over into another line without looking back. The result? 3 guys hitting the ground, I dont know who the first guy was, but there was a Wolverine down, and Tony his hard too. The problem was that it happened on that long headwind straightaway. So I heard the crash before I saw anything. The guy I was tucked behind moved at the last second, and there was Tony lying on the ground in front of me. I had about a half second to react, so I did what people have told me was quite and impressive bunny hop, and jumped over Tony.

Now I have about a 50 meter gap and a 30 mph headwind. I rode hard untill the hill, then I had enough. I figured I wouldnt catch the peloton and could conserve for the time trial. I looked over at Brent who was next to me, and we both called it quits at the same time. We both rode over to our teamates and tended to their injuries. By this point, the break had about 40 seconds on the peloton. In the finale, Antonuk picked Chris at the line, and the Spout guy took Minnema by a hair for 3rd.

-STATE TT-

Again, Cat accompanied David and me on race day. Nick was supposed to go, but bailed last minute, so I had room to stick the tent in my car. We got to the course and picked up our numbers. We set up camp next to the car under the tent to keep out of the rain.

Originally the course was shortened due to flooding. But by racetime, it was back to the full length.

Time trials dont get much to report. I warmed up and started my race. Minnema was one minute behind me, and David at 2. It was 40k, two laps. By the first turnaround at 10k, Minnema overtook me. By the second turnaround at 20k, he was long gone, but I still had about 90 seconds on David.

I have been told the turnarounds were slick and people were slipping, but I had no problem. John Burrows crashed in one of the corners, destroyed his glasses and still managed to get under an hour. (Which was my goal too)

Well about 1.5k into my second lap my rear tubular flatted. I was mad....really mad. I am fine now, but any Roadie understands the feeling. You work so hard, invest so much money...then something you can't controll ruins it all. I was on my way to about a 59 minute 40k too. O well.

Darrell won. Beat Minnema by 35 seconds!

BB got jipped. They never told him the course was back to full length, so he turned around early and had to take a restart. The problem, restarts get DQd. So he did TWO 20k TTs AT FULL EFFORT AND STILL WON in his category. But was relegated to the back.

The course was muddy.

Photos by Cat.

Tigers Game

So I went to the Tigers game last night.

It was wet.

Cat, my dad and I left Jackson about 3pm and met up with my cousins in Detroit. We got on the 'People Mover' (creative name....not) and went to Greektown. We went to a pastry shop and I got a chocolate concoction. We then walked to Cheli's and had dinner.

From there it was to the stadium. After five ish innings, the rain came down. We stayed untill 10:30 then left. My dad had to be at work at 6am.

It was fun despite the fact that it is the most boring game on the planet.

I don't like baseball.

Dumb Websites

Anyone else hate Active.com? Because I really hate Active.com.

71 miles in 4 hours

Fun ride today. I hate wind!

Update

So this week has been pretty boring. I have just been hanging out with freinds, watching movies and eating ice cream. I realized last night that 'Miracle' is one of my favorite movies.

Yesterday I went out for just over two hours doing intervals. I rode from Jackson to Brooklyn, back into town and around Ella Sharp Park 3 times. An awesome thing came out of my ride. A freind I have not seen in over a year, or talked to in a few months texted me asking if I was riding. In short...we ended up hanging out in the park for a while. Its good to see old freinds.

Today I have to get in 4 hours. I am thinking about riding to Chelsea. I will probably head out around 11 ish.

No Superior Bike Fest for me this weekend. Next year I would like to get a group to go.

August 16th - 17th (i think) I am planning on racing the National Criterium Championships in Chicago with a few teamates.

Here is a list of songs running through my head on yesterdays ride...
-Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts)
-Instanbul not Constantinople (We Might be Giants)
-The Adventure (Angels and Airwaves)
-Sing Sing Sing (Some Jazz Band)
-Don't Stop Believing (Journey)
-Keg in the Closet (Kenny Chesney)
-Better as Memory (Kenny Chesney)
-Malaguena (Blast!)
-Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
-Red Dirt Road (Brooks and Dunn)

Yeah I know....kind of a random list.

Allen Park

Sorry Doug that I am not lightning quick to post about the race. Keep in mind that I was working at MIS this weekend. So after the race I went home, unloaded, changed and went to the track and worked all day Sunday, where there is very limited computer usage. (1 computer to 50 medical staff)

Anyways....the race.

I showed up about 6.5 hours before my race. My friend Nick who has been helping the team decided he would try to race. He ended up not finishing and waiting with a rider who crashed and broke his hip. He told me later that this sport was harder than he originaly thought.

After his race a sat around for a bit. Then I asked John as he was getting ready for the 1/2 race if I could have a radio. (The team was using radios to talk to each other) My job was to give out time gaps and encouragement. It also helped me quickly get John a new back wheel after he flatted. That race resulted in a breakaway lapping the peloton, so the peloton got pulled. John Z. was the only SLC rider left in the group so I annoyed the heck out of him by constantly yelling "go! go! go! come on! push it!" in the radio.

After I assited in the kids race that followed the 1/2 race, I kitted up and warmed up for our race. At the line, SLC lined up with 9 guys including Chris, Darrell, DMO, Dominick, Eric, Joe, Scott, Steve and me.

We rode a very aggressive race. Darrell took off the front from the gun. From that point forth, any break that tried to form had at least one SLC rider in it. Dominick made a monster move up to a strong break in the middle of the race. It stayed away for a few laps but was eventually swollowed up by the group. I put in an attack or two of my own, but I am not a strong rider so no one ever chases me. The wind was too much for me, so I sat up and ate a powerbar as I waited for the peloton.

Once I got back in the group, I found Jimi and locked myself to his wheel. If he took a drink, so did I. Anytime he would move up and pass Scott Eric or Darrell, I got their attention and let them sit on his wheel in case he made a move. This ended up working out perfectly, because Minnema took off and when he looked over his shoulder, what did he see? 5 South Lyon guys in a train behind him. He was a marked man. When I wasn't on Minnema's wheel, I was on Martinez's wheel.

With about 15 minutes left in the race, the offical annonced that we had 5 laps left. They cut our race 10 minutes short! Seeing as there was not much time left, I worked my way to the front, and with 3 laps left, I was on the front of the South Lyon Cycle Train that was leading the peloton. Darrell yelled "hold up" so I let up a little. I look over my left soulder and DMO just rocketed up the road. Now we were in a pickle. Do we continue the leadout? or do we let DMO go for the gold?

The leadout failed because we all thought DMO would make it to the line. But at the start of the last lap he was caught. I was sitting mid-peloton and couldn't move up, so I knew I was not going to have a good finish. As we rounded the last corner Martinez, who was the first guy through the corner, came upclipped. He then moved right, in front of the peloton, slowing everyone down. Brinkman got around him before he swerved, and got a nice gap for the win. As I came up by Lupe, I saw his chain was off too. Thats when it happened...Martinez lost controll and was catapulted off his bike, landing on his face. As I turned and looked, Doug from the Wolverines went down too and left in an ambluance. I am pretty sure he is alright.

That crash was very close to me, I am lucky I stayed upright. I am sorry for Doug, I hope he is alright.

Kudos to Christy Keely who won the womans 1/2/3 race and finished with the mens cat 3 feild after getting her front wheel taken out by someone who was not paying attention. She rolled across the road and was back mixing it up with us a few laps later.

Congrats to Joe! This was a fast race, and Joe was there on the front with 3 laps to go and finished with the feild!

Cedar Creek State Championships

Epic. Biblical. Legendary. Majestic. These are some of the words used to describe the race yesterday.

5 laps, 85 miles. The Cat 3 feild started with 33 riders. Heavy hitters including Jimi Minnema, Lupe Martinez and Peter Beels. The race started under sunny skies. The first few laps were pretty relaxed. No one was in a rush to hammer for 85 miles. But eventually someone started the game and we had to chase.

On lap three the race really started. One Spout rider attacked at the start of the lap through the feed zone. Once the peloton caught up to him, a few people told him that was not a wise move and a bit unethical. The pace then got driven for a while by Greg Battista to the bottom of the hill where Minnema and Antonuk gapped the peloton and just kept going.

With Jimi up the road in a move similar to that of Frankemuth, the SLC team knew we had to close that gap down. We all went to the front to pull. We even got close a few times. The problem was that no one else wanted to work. I think we had 4 SLC guys and 2 other people helping chase. Riders who were not seen at the front untill the end of lap 4 or lap 5 were the PH boys, the Spout riders and the Wolverine guys. Me thinks they will help chase next time.

Because no one would help, I was getting frustrated. That is why I got in 4 different breakaways to try and bridge up the Minnema. I did this with two goals in mind. 1) Make it to the breakaway and get 3rd. or 2) Get the feild to chase me and catch the breakaway. Both failed.

Once I got back to the pack I told everyone that we were going to be sprinting for 3rd place, but everyone told me to be quiet and worry about my own race. Well with 10 miles to go, a lot of riders realized we were not going to catch them and started apologizing to me and told me they should have listened.

With about 7 miles left, the sky started leaking and little drops of water started comming down. About a mile later as we crested the hill the sky opened up completely. Rain POURED down on us. You couldn't see more than 15 feet in front of you. To make it more epic, there was a lightning storm too. I had to take my glasses off because they were fogging up, but this didnt help much because I couldn't see with the rain in my eyes. Someone I made it to the finish. I couldn't break either becuase I was on carbon wheels.

As the feild approached the line and made the final acceleration, I couldn't go with them. My legs were dead from the breakaway attempts. I ended up 20th overall. I probably could have gotten 3rd if I had conserved through the race.

Overall it was a successful race. I was very disapointed with the other teams that would not chase when we had the chance to catch Jimi. Hopefully they learned.

A HUGE THANK YOU to my mom, Nick, Mr. Wieczorek, Mrs. Iser and Mark for handing off bottles for the team.

[Photos by Joe Lekovish]

MS 150, Day 2

75 miles. Really hot. I wore sunscreen. We passed 420 riders. Went home.