Priority Weekend

Awesome. Just awesome.

That is the best way to describe these races. I cannot wait untill next year, I am going to peak for these races. Colton, you need to come back here for these races next year.

GRAND RAPIDS
This race started with something like 60-70 riders. All Cat2/3 so we knew it was going to be a hard race. My goal for this race was to finish. The course was not all that technical, there were two brick sections that were not smooth, but not rough ennough to keep me from using my carbon wheels. The venue was awesome too. Last 200m baricaded with sponsors logos lining the street. A nice big start/finish line and a two story podium that housed the announcers, officials and winners podium.

I lined up at the very back of the group because I was doing a warmup lap when the riders were called to the line. The race started fast. A break was established for a while and I did what I could to help the team. My goal was to get to the front and do at least one pull through the start/finish line and get my name out there. So I started working my way to the front and man was it HARD! The feild was moving so fast that I had to expend most of my energy just to get around a few guys. At one point Big Ray went by me and I jumped in his draft. I finially got up to the front and sat on a West Coast Riders wheel for about half a lap. Then around the 200m to go sign I pulled through. That was a great feeling pulling the entire peloton across the brick streets.

After that I pretty much sat at the back. I used way too much energy and just wanted to stay with the group. So I dodged the dropped riders and managed to hold on. With about 2-3 laps to go, there was a crash. Darrell had been pushed into another rider and 4-5 guys went flying to the pavement. I was so far back that I had no trouble getting around the mess.

On the last lap I just held my position and finished with Alan A. and Brent D. I ended up 28th. Not bad for my first Cat 2 caliber race.

After the race I stayed and got footage of the Pro Mens and Pro Womens races. I have about 4 hours of video to get through, so I will post when I have time to edit.

ANN ARBOR
Rain started the day off gloomy. And it was the cause of some crashes in the early races. By the time our race started the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to peak out from around the clounds.

It was nice having a race nice and close. I had 7 of my freinds, my parents two of my brothers all show up to watch me race. Most of them have never seen a race like this, and deffinitly not a this caliber. So I was exited to have a fan base and wated to ride well.

This course was beautiful. I loved it. Techincal and fast with some "climbing." It was a tough tough course with only 1-2 spots that allowed you to move up in the peloton. We thought the feild was going to split for sure.

The race started and I went immeditatly to the front. I didnt want to go down on the first lap in some of the technical corners. We started with 55-60ish riders again today. On the last hill before the finish, I went to the front to pull. No one was interested in matching my speed, so I said what the heck and went for an early break. It was good publicity for me and the team. I did a 2 lap solo breakaway and then sat for a while in the feild.

For the next several minutes I just stayed in the draft, moved up on the hills and held a good line through the turns. However, Nathaniel Williams got off the front and had a signifigant gap. Thats when the pace just skyrocketed. Riders were dropping off the back like flies, they were all abandoning or getting pulled at the line.

I worked as hard as I could to stay with the feild, and trust me, there are times I almost quit. But I didnt want to dissapoint my freinds so I stayed in there. With about 3 laps to go, we realized we picked up the chase WAY too late. The course was too technical for the peloton to close the gap.

With 3 laps to go, they called a prime. I had no intention of going for it at all. But as we rounded the second to last corner at the bottom of the hill, I was sitting 4th wheel. It was for $50. So I took off on the hill. I thought that if I had a big enough gap on the hill, I could hold it to the finish. I was almost right. I looked back with about 100m to go and saw Brendon Benson comming after me. I used everything I had to get to the line first...but he is a great sprinter. Needless to say, I didnt win it. I lost it by about this [ ]much.

After that, Brendon and I both tried to get on the back of the feild. But it was useless. We both used all of our energy in the prime and rode in behind the pack. I finished dead last....but I finished. Remember I said we started with 60 riders. I placed 24th. We lost 2/3 of the peloton to an awesome race!

After the race I went to eat at BDs with my family. I then took footage of the Mens Pro race which included Frankie Andreu.

Congrats to Eric Chris and Scott who rode well this weekend. Eric managed 4th on both days. Chris was 5th in Ann Arbor. Scott was 9th in Grand Rapids and 14th in Ann Arbor.

It was a great race and I cant wait untill next year. THANK YOU PRIORITY HEALTH!