Let me tell you, there isn't a much better feeling than beating Jeff Nordquist in a sprint finish! Jeff was one of the key people that got me started in cycling all those years ago, and I must say, I think I am just as fast as he is on a bike! Not quite halfway through the race, a 4 man break formed, and I was in it! Yes! Finally I've found myself in a break with some of the strongest riders I know, Mike Jones, Jeff Nordquist, and Shane Thellman. The four of us worked very well together, going up more than a half a lap on the rest of the field, it was very fun to be a part of something that worked so well. Coming around the last lap, I pulled off about half way around the course, just long enough that I wouldn't have to make another pull, so basically I set it up perfectly for Jeff, the only person in the break that was in the 'B' race with me, to lead me out. Jeff and I came flying around the last corner and just as it started to become straight again, I took off and beat Jeff by about 1.5 bike lengths, it was wonderful!
4/22 Notre Dame Crit, South Bend, IN 12th Cat 4/5 (29)
4/29 Ann Arbor Spring Training Series Ann Arbor, MI 22nd Cat 4/5 (40)
5/6 Kalamazoo Half Marathon Kalamazoo, MI 13th (27) AG (M 19-24) / 249th (1392) Overall
5/7 131 Racing Series, Martin, MI 1st 'B race' (9)
5/12 Tiger Lane Crit, Memphis, TN DNF Cat 3/4
5/20 Ann Arbor Spring Training Series Ann Arbor, MI 6th Cat 4/5 (25)
5/28 Waterford Hills Circuit Race, Clarkston, MI 13th Cat 4/5 (38)
6/3 Cobb Park Crit, Kankakee, IL 18th Cat 4/5 (36)
6/4 131 Racing Series, Matin, MI 2nd 'B race' (6)
6/9 BTR Crit, Kalamazoo, MI 8th Cat 4 (16) 20th Cat 3/4 (32) $30
6/10 Race for Wishes, Lawton, MI DNS
6/15 Zeeland Crit, Zeeland, MI 26th Cat 3/4 (43)
6/18 131 Racing Series, Martin, MI 1st 'B race' (9)
6/24 131 Racing Series, Martin, MI 1st 'B race' (10)
7/1 Great Lakes State Classic, Marne, MI 4th Cat 4/5 (11)
7/9 131 Racing Series, Martin, MI 1st 'B race' (7)
7/14 Detroit Cycling Championship, Detroit, MI
7/15 Corktown Crit, Detroit, MI
7/21 Whiskey City Twilight Challenge, Lawrenceburg, IN
7/22 Tour of Port Sheldon, West Olive, MI
7/29 Muncie Grand Prix, Muncie, IN
8/19 Gaslight Crit, Grand Rapids, MI
8/26 54th Annual Debaets-Devos Pro-Am, Detroit, MI
Next up, on my annual review so far, I went over to the east side of the state for the Waterford Hills Circuit race on Memorial Day. It was so very hot, I didn't have much of a warm up, which thankfully I don't do that anymore, not have a good warm up I mean. The race started fast and continued to be fast, and this course was actually on a race track, something similar to Kalamazoo speedway, which was very cool indeed. There were a couple little hills on this course, something we all know I struggle with. There ended up being a break of about 6 people I think that stuck until the end, so I was in the bunch sprint at the end of the race. I had a poor sprint even though I was second wheel coming around the last sweeping corner into the uphill finish. I never really had a sprint I imagine, just sort of cruised over the line, something I have improved on greatly the rest of this year. Again, this race was very very warm, I'm glad it is over with!
I drove down to Kankakee, IL the next weekend, and it was strange driving down there! I just hit Chicago traffic, took an exit on the highway and started heading south. When I got off the highway I drove through a town that almost seemed to be completely deserted, it was strange. Anyway, this race was fast, I warmed up on my trainer which was good, but I was put out by the speed of the race. I hung with the main group all the way through the race, which had a fair number of turns, something I wasn't quite expecting with such a large and fast group. Coming around the back stretch which was downhill on the last lap it was time to make my move towards the front of the pack, I just never/couldn't do it and I happily came home for a mid-pack finish after a big 180 degree turn before the final short stretch along the Kankakee river to the finish!
Ah, the only time I haven't won the 'B race' up in Martin. There was a new cat from GR doing the race this week, I don't remember much at all of this one, but he made a move around the last corner where I usually do and I just couldn't match him. Oh yes, I did all the pulling on the back stretch into the wind which sort of burned the rest of the matches I had for the sprint, a mistake I haven't made since! It is vital to be in a good position on the back stretch on this course, as the wind is ripping the field apart, it is very important to be protected before the 180 degree turn to the finish! I was punished for pulling the last part of the race, but no one wanted to do the work in front because it was so windy, so the race got very slow and I didn't know what to do, so I just went, but didn't go enough to actually have a gap between myself and the field, rolling home to a second place!
BTR! I won some money this race, my first ever check from riding bikes, it was only $30 but it felt very good to be getting paid for what I love to do! This race was very large and fast as well. I hung with the group just fine, probably a little too far towards the back so I was doing a lot of work trying to get back on after turns and what not. There was a break in this race which stuck until the end. Knowing what I know now, in Crits I am going to start on the start line in the front and just stay on wheels in the front of the pack, I won't let people just pass me at the beginning of races, this is setting me up for failure.
The next day in Lawton it was raining very heavily, I got to the race 3 hours early so I stood in the rain for about a hour and a half before I decided to leave. I figured the misery and danger of racing in the rain wasn't worth the risk. If I had crashed and gotten hurt, I wouldn't want to race any more this year and my mother wouldn't let me. I decided to drive home, and leave Race for Wishes glory for the next year!
Zeeland was the fastest race I've ever done by far. There were a lot of people in this race as well, my warm up wasn't as good as it should have been, and I did the same thing I've done in every crit so far, let everyone pass me on the first lap! We averaged over 27 mph for the 45 minute race, and around every corner I was just trying to get back on the main field. I finished with the pack but I was never in contention at all, which was very disappointing. Zeeland was a very cool race though, the course was right through downtown Zeeland, and there were a lot of people watching, I felt pretty pro!
The next two weeks are pretty similar, and I must say I don't remember a lot from either race at Martin. I got first both weeks thanks to the ride I did earlier in the week after Zeeland with Mike Jones. Mike taught me a lot about both racing in crits and sprinting, the things he taught me have made me a much better rider. I also won some donuts in these races, which is the true prize of the season, I love racing at Martin every Monday (maybe only because I win almost every week).
The Great Lakes race was the first road race I've done this year and it took a toll. My heart rate hit a new high because of the effort and the heat, 208 bpm!!! The first lap was calm until we took a right and started heading slightly downhill. The pace really picked up and I just held onto the wheel ahead of me. I had talked to Ryan before the race and he had said there wasn't really much elevation or much wind. He was right about the elevation but the wind was howling! out of the Southwest-ish. After that downhill section we took a right and I found myself in front. Not knowing what to do besides take off, I pushed the pace up the largest hill and split up the pack. Now there were only about 6 of us in the lead group and we rode together the rest of the first lap and the second lap. There were a couple moments on the second lap where people tried to attack, including myself, but nothing stuck and we were all together on the final stretch of the course before we turned into the fairgrounds. We were heading back East and the Southerly wind was absolutely ripping up apart. However, I found myself in the perfect position, sat about 4th wheel on the left of another person, I was perfectly protected from the wind. The guy I was next to said to me as we were getting towards the fairgrounds and the finish, "it looks like you know exactly what you are doing." We turned into the fairgrounds and I was in the front now, pretty much just where I wanted to be. The course was not well marked and I went some people go around me because I wasn't sure where to go. We turned onto the track to do half a lap before the finish, I was fourth onto the track and I finished fourth. I never really had a sprint as all 3 of the guys ahead of me took off before we got to the track through the fairgrounds and I was probably a little too cautious. If I could do this one again, as soon as someone came around me I would have jumped on his wheel and had a go at him at the end!
This next weekend, I head over to Detroit both Saturday and Sunday to race. These races I feel are very important as they are very big, its getting towards the back end of the season, and I still haven't had a result I can hang my hat on. On USA cycling's website my point total is predicted to do very well on both days, so I'm hoping I can use what I've learned in these races to finish towards the top. I don't want to talk about these races too much, I just need to get a result!
That's all for the 2018 recap, I've hoped everyone has enjoyed reading this as I have writing about it. I look forward to going back at the end of the year and the beginning of the next season and reading all my posts, I think it will be very cool. Big things are still happening in my life, I feel happy and at peace, everything always works out!
Cheers! CE
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