Twilight/Roswell Double Weekend

     After 5 straight weeks of racing, it was finally a weekend off for Easter. I may have been off the bike, but we still traveled. Shannon and I took our friend Pat down to Atlanta to take a tour of the newly renovated Atlanta LDS temple. It was sweet to finally get to see inside one. They only do these tours before the temple is dedicated and the Saturday before Easter was the last day of tours before the dedication. It was so nice inside. I'm not even sure how to describe it. Shannon and I love it, finding that it strengthened our feelings on an important topic we had been thinking about for a while. They don't allow cameras inside, but they did publish these pictures of some of the rooms we toured.

The baptistry

Celestial Room

My current favorite room, the Sealing Room

    We had a good trip and got home in time to take a ride on the greenway in Ashland City. It was Shannon's first time riding with me and we had a lot of fun. I'm so happy she has taken a little interest in riding. Bikes are so fun. People that never try riding are really missing out.

Looking down the greenway in Ashland City

Shannon

Shannon crossing the bridge over Sycamore Creek

     My parents were out of town and Shannon's family lives way up in Indiana, so we had Easter dinner with a family from church instead. Then we squeezed in another bike ride between rain showers. Spring weather always brings out the wildlife on rides, especially the turtles.

Snapping turtle in the road

     Next up on the race agenda was Speed Week. I was uanble to take off all week from work, so I couldn't catch all 7 races, but I did manage to get pre-registered for 5 of them. The week started off in Athens, GA with the legendary Athens Twilight. I was unable to get registered for the Pro/1 race so I had to do the morning qualifier to try and make the Amateur Finals Saturday night. I am not a fan of the qualifier course. It's similar to Anniston with the way it always seem to slow down along the backside and holding your position is near impossible. The course rolls around the Oconee River Greenway Park. It starts downhill to turn 1 and 2, then flat along the back to turns 3 and 4, then uphill to the finish. Like the Sunday STL crit and the Twilight night course, all right turns and the basic shape of a rectangle. This course was long though, a good mile in length.

Athens AM Qualifier race course along the Oconee River Greenway

     The Pro/1/2 race was fast at times, but overall it wasn't bad. I sat in the group just waiting for the end. My legs were not there today and I knew it, so I conserved everything during the race. I was right where I needed to be with 2 to go, but I picked the wrong line up the hill to the bell and fell back outside the top 20. Only 35 qualified for the night race, so I didn't want to get too far back and chance not making it in. There was a crash on the backstretch the final lap and that impeded my ability to move up. I had to take to the gutter and somehow managed to squeeze my way to about 7th entering turn 3. I was good with that position, but the rider to my outside cut down on me and I had to go into the ditch, losing a good 15 spots before turn 4. I pulled out of line and started my sprint way early just to ensure I was in the top 35. Another rider shot into me and I had to back off to avoid crashing. The legs just didn't have it to get back up to speed and I lost a lot of spots before the line. I thought that I missed the top 35. It was a disappointing few minutes until results were posted and I saw that I just got in with 28th place. Whew!! Average speed for the 50 minute race was 26.1 mph.

Me in turn 2 during the Pro/1/2 morning qualifier

     We had some time between the qualifier and the finals, so we went to check out the rest of the Twilight festivities. They had a cool BMX flatland and ramp contest going on. Those flatland guys are amazing with the control and skill they have.

Loved the giant shark inflatable slide for the kids

     The weather was perfect for the finals. We had clear skies and the temp around 80 with a very gentle breeze. We had been told to line up in turn 3 and that anyone who lined up at the start/finish would be put in the back for the start. We were parked at turn 3 so I did my warm-up on the trainer and then rolled to the spot we were told to go. It looked like I would get a front row start as there were not many people down there. The start is super important here. There's 95 starters and with the high speeds and carnage that comes with Athens, you want to be up front and out of the mess. I started in the back last year and that was a nightmare. I wanted to keep that from happening again. Well, the officials changed their minds without telling anyone and the freaks that line up at the start/finish were allowed to stay while all of us that followed the rules had to start in the back.

Athens Twilight crit. course from my GPS

Riders on the start line for the Amateur Finals. You can see me at the very back in my Maxxis skinsuit.

     I was so pissed to be on the last row again this year and left the start line like a bat out of hell. I may have started 93rd, but I was probably in the top 60 after lap 1. My legs were so much better than in the qualifier. I was able to close down the gaps and get onto the back of the lead group of 40 after 5 laps. I dodged 2 crashes on lap 6, then flatted on the backstretch after running over a screw.

Bullseye! Good way to destroy my new Maxxis Columbiere tire.

It was a nice 2.5" deck screw right through my tire.

     I took my free lap and was back in the race. They actually put me in very close to where I was when I flatted. There were now less than 40 in the front group. The pace was still super high and gaps kept opening. I really had to work hard for 3 laps to move up and get off the back. I finally got a chance to catch my breath for a few laps and then worked my way up into the top 10 with 3 laps to go. I was feeling good about my chances in a sprint, hoping for maybe a top 5 finish.

Me in the group after my flat. Notice the pimpin' Zipp on the rear.

     Then with 2 laps to go there was a huge crash in turn 1. It started on my inside and came across the course and somehow I managed to get through without going down. Brent Mahan wasn't so fortunate and flipped into the barriers, breaking his new frame and possibly a few ribs. I checked up as the crash was happening and was plowed from behind. That hit knocked me through a hole between falling riders and got me out of danger. The crash left a huge gap in the group. I drilled it to close the gap and managed to get on the back of the leaders in turn 1 with a lap to go. Then there was another crash and I was unable to close the gap again. I had nothing left in the sprint and lost several spots, fading to 23rd. What a crazy race! Always fast, and always sphincter-clinching. That's why I love Athens! Our race average was 27.4 mph, my second fastest average ever. Race time for 20 laps was 26 minutes even.

Pro Women go up the hill on the backstretch

The Pro Women raced right at sunset.

Pro Men roll into Turn 3 under the lights of Athens.

Pro Men go through turn 3 on the final lap at Athens Twilight

     Sunday it was on to Roswell, a small, historic town north of Atlanta. I did a little damage to my Reynolds wheel the night before with the flat, so I was on the Cosmic Carbones for this race. The Cat. 2/3 race was a full hour long today. I liked the course. It featured 5 left turns with a gradual uphill on the backstretch, a downhill into turns 4 and 5, and a flat finish. Turn 5 was a little tricky as it was tighter than 90 degrees and had a few cobbles in the crosswalks. We had a big field of over 80 riders. Again there was a lot of confusion with staging. I got up there early, was on the front, then got asked to clear the road for an EMT. Next thing I know I'm starting last. Some days it just doesn't pay to try.

Roswell was full of bike art. Not sure what this is.

Cat. 5s

Masters group climbing the small hill on the backside of the course.

My Shannon was there watching the races with me and supporting me during my race.

   
     My crazy luck from Athens continued with a flat tire about 10 seconds after the start. The front blew out like a shotgun blast. It was a very long front straightaway and the pit was way down at the other end. I jogged back to the pit. People were yelling at me to calm down and just walk, but it was a long way and you only get 3 laps to get serviced. I just settled into a nice jog thinking "It's ok...I'm a triathlete!" every time someone told me to stop running. I got back to the SRAM pit and took another of those sexy Zipp wheels they were handing out. They put me back in at the end of the line after 3 laps. What a way to start the day!

     I didn't panic. It was an hour race, so I had more than enough time to work my way up. The pace was fast, but I settled in and picked my way through the group, getting to the front about 25 minutes in. I was feeling good, but again it was hard to hold your position. The pace slowed drastically every lap on the backside and everyone at the front would get swarmed. I rode the yo-yo the rest of the race, staying in the top 20 and out of trouble. We had two nasty crashes, with a rider getting carted off on a backboard in each one.

     A little breakaway escaped in the final laps and we were left to fight for 4th in the sprint. I was a little too far back with a lap to go and I had to work hard through the first 3 turns to move up. It slowed down up the hill and I got blocked over on the left side. I entered turn 4 in about 10th. The rider ahead of me got sideways and I had to check-up to keep from hitting him, losing a spot before turn 5. There was yet another near crash in the last corner that held me up considerably and cost me a lot of spots. Again, my sprint was not the best and I didn't make up many positions before the line, winding up in 15th. It sucks that I keep getting held up by crashes in the final laps of these races, but I am very grateful that I was not involved in any of them. I forgot to charge the GPS and it died early in the race so I have no data for this one.

     The Pro races were great. There were lots of crashes that slowed things down, but it was some of the best racing I've ever seen and we had a blast watching. United Healthcare showed they mean business and did a crazy leadout the last few laps to go 1-2 in the men's race. I was pumped watching because I already knew that I was allowed to race the Pro/1 races for the rest of the Speed Weeks races I was going to. I couldn't wait to get in there and get me some!

Pro Women go through turn 5

Pro Men roll off turn 5 at Roswell

Pro Men leaned over in the middle of turn 5

The Pro Men come out of turn 4

Pro Men's pack going between turns 4 and 5

Pro Men go through turn 4 at Roswell

Pro Men finish

Crit. Fever

     Tsali was followed by my first crit. of the year. Shannon and I made the trip to Anniston, AL for the Sunny King Criterium. It's always a well-attended event from both a rider and spectator point of view. The race is held alongside the Noble Street Festival, so a lot of the town comes out to watch. We were able to trek most of the way down on Friday night, stopping overnight in Hunstville to stay with some good friends, Chris and Julie Cundiff. I love them both and we don't get to hang out near enough. They are good peoples.

     I wanted to do the Pro/1 race since it was invitational for Cat. 2s, but I backed out as I was unsure of my form after the Tsali disaster and my lack of crit. racing this season. My choice was the Cat. 2/3 race where I was hoping to equal last year's effort of 16th place. I would've been very happy with a good pack finish.

    The course is a big rectangle with an uphill on the frontstretch to the finish and a downhill down the back. I am not a fan of courses like that because of the bunching effect that the downhill tends to have. It makes for crazy finishes where the last lap is not as fast as most races.

Sunny King race course from my Garmin 305

     I had a good race. My legs were not the best and I was unable to answer the bell every time I needed to, but I stayed near the front of the huge group that numbered over 120 riders on the start. We had a nice big pile-up in turn 4 about 15 minutes into the race that took out almost half the remaining riders, sending almost 50 riders to the pit for a free lap. It happened in front of me, but I was able to dodge the carnage and stop next to the fence without so much as even being touched by another rider.

Crash aftermath in turn 4. That's me over on the right, examining the scene as I head for the pit.

     The second half of the race was like riding a big yo-yo. The headwind on the back of the course made people not want to be on the front. We fanned out all over the road each lap as everyone avoided taking a pull. And every lap a whole line from the back would come charging by and send you back 20 spots before you could blink your eye. It was so hard to hold your postion. The only way to stay up front was to be on the front.

Me piloting my new Sette Forza out of a turn at Anniston

     I was in the top 10 with 5 to go. Somehow we managed to let 8 riders get away in the closing laps. They were all dangling off the front sperately. It was weird how the end played out. I got swarmed with 2 laps to go on the backstretch, dropping outside the top 20 coming to the bell lap. Looking back at it, I feel that I could've kept from getting blocked in and therefore swarmed, but I hesitated just for a second when the surge came and that was all it took to get me sent backwards.

    I made a big push towards the front on the final lap, but was out of steam by turn 3. The group caught all the riders off the front and it was a bunch sprint off the final corner. I had no sprint left in the legs after the effort I put in the first half of that lap. I was only able to pick off 2 guys in the final straight to give me 13th place. I was happy with my position, but knew I could've done better. I was far from fast enough to win it, but a top 5 was definately possible today. Hesitation took away that chance. We ended up averaging 24.6 mph for our 45 minute race.

     The Pro races were great to watch. Shannon was pretty impressed with the Pro Men and the speed of their large groups. I was foaming at the mouth just wanting to be out there. Here's a few pictures we took of the other races.

Masters rider on a solo break

Part of the Masters field

Colavita sent a rider off solo on lap 1 during the Pro Women's event

Pro Women roll into turn 2

Colavita rider soloing to victory

Pro Men raced at night in Anniston

Pro Men in turn 2

First lap of the Pro Men's race

     After Anniston, it was another weekend racing road. I made my first trip up to St. Louis, MO for the Tour of St. Louis. It is really a shame that I have waited so long to go to STL. It's not even 5 hours away, yet I always seem to skip an STL race over a race 6 hours away in Georgia. My Mom went along with me on this trip. She hasn't been to a bike race in a while so it seemed like a good chance for her to get a refresher course in crit. racing. It was also to be my first Pro/1/2 races since upgrading last year.

    The Tour of St. Louis consisted of a circuit race and time trial on Saturday and a crit. on Sunday. The circuit race was a very short loop at just 1.3 miles, making it more like a crit. It was around the very nice Carondelet Park. The course was super fast with an uphill into the wind on the backside of the course and then an uphill finish. The weather was a bit crazy. It rained most of the morning, but then dried out for the races. The temp was in the low-40s with a 30+ mph wind.

Carondelet Park

Circuit Race course

     The race was really fast from the gun. There were attacks going on both hills every lap for the first 15 minutes until the pace and wind finally split the pack. Tweleve riders were able to slip away. I tried to bridge across, but didn't make it. Then numerous attacks came from our group to establish a chase. I was hurting bad after my bridge attempt and missed a chase group of 6 that got off the front. There were still 30 riders in the main group and I waited until I recovered enough to put in a good effort and then I attacked hard, bridging to the chase group. I took one rider with me, making it 8 chasing 12 up front. The leaders had 40 seconds on us, but we worked hard to pull back time and got it down to less than 10 seconds at one point. Then everybody wanted to be a solo hero and bridge alone. We lost our cooperation and the group ahead sped up, leaving us 30 seconds behind again with 20 minutes still to go in the 70 minute race.

     We never made it across the gap. The lead 12 lapped the main field and then sprinted for 3rd after two riders slipped off the front to take the top two finish positions. We caught a few stragglers from the peloton, a few of them being Mercy Cycling Team riders. They now had 3 in our group and tried to do a leadout in the closing laps. There were a few attacks that went off, but Mercy controlled them. I managed to get myself in the middle of their leadout and was positioned second wheel and ahead of their sprinter going into the final turn. There was one rider off the front, but we ate him up in the sprint. I jumped first and easily took the sprint up the hill, giving myself 13th finishing spot and making my first $ of the year.

Me getting the sprint for 13th

     I was not concernced with the overall, so being the horrible time trialist I am, I decided it was best to skip the TT and save my strength for the crit. on Sunday. We had plenty of time to go exploring Sunday morning. I think it's mandatory that you go by the Arch on your first trip to STL. So we did. It's a nice park and a really cool structure. The line was super long so we didn't have time to go up in it, but we did get to check it out and snap a few pictures.

One of the sidewalks around the Arch park

     Sunday's crit. course was about 0.8 miles long. It was a big rectangle with all right turns. The backstretch was super rough, full of deep holes. It definately kept you on your toes every lap. There was also a parked car before turn 2 just to make things interesting. It was also much warmer than yesterday. The sun was out bringing the temp into the upper-60s with a 5-10 mph wind blowing down the front straight.

Parked car going into turn 2

Lovely sidewalks lined the course

     The Pro/1/2 race was 70 minutes again today. We had a stacked field of more than 50 riders, complete with several Pros including Jelly Belly's Brad Huff. I got a front row start and was able to get the lead rather easily and get through the first two turns cleanly. I love being a mountain biker when it comes to starts. Road starts are so slow compared to the mad dash that comes at the start of an XC. It was really fast the first few laps. There was a gradual climb back to the finish line and that was the site of attacks every single lap. It was the fastest race I have ever been in. We had a 27.4 mph avg speed after 40 minutes. I stayed in the pack the first 30 minutes, then went into a break with Huff and 4 others. I knew Huff was strong and when he went it would definately be worth following him. We got a nice gap, but once the group decided to chase they shut us down in one lap.

     The pace stayed high late in the race and the group nearly split with 10 to go. I bridged the gap, but it ended up coming back together a lap later. Huff and another Pro were able to slip off the front in the final minutes. They really rode strong as we were running 30 mph and they pulled away quickly, leaving us to sprint for 3rd. I was aggressive the last few laps and stayed near the front. I was sitting about 10th with one to go. A big surge came on the backstretch and it was chaos as we all tried to move up. The group was splitting around the potholes and I was able to skim across the edge of the holes and go through the gap, finiding myself in 4th wheel going into the last turn. We were rolling 33 mph as we came off the turn and I just didn't have much of a sprint left. I dropped 2 spots before the line and wound up 8th. I was hoping for a better sprint, but I was thrilled with a top 10 in just my second Pro/1/2 race! We wound up with my fastest average speed ever at 27.5 mph for 75 minutes of racing. It was definately my best performance this season. It was good to see my speed coming along with Athens Twilight and Speed Week just around the corner.

Masters come off Turn 4

Masters pack rolls down the front stretch toward the start/finish area

Masters sprint finish