NVGP 5 & 6

So the crush-fest is finally over. For a change, the race winner's time in yesterday's sixth and last stage was for one below 28mph. This was mainly due to the fact that the Stillwater Criterium features a 21% steep climb where me and the other 110 remaining guys had to fight gravity.

But first, a little playback: After Friday night's Crit in downtown Minneapolis I rolled really quick back to the parking garage, put some "Friday Night" clothes on and together with Mike, Leslie, Eric + their British friend we went to the Brit's Pub in downtown. Just 30 minutes ago a screaming crowd cheered on some guys in spandex flying by at 30mph. I had a Portobello Mushroom Sandwich and one (!) local beer.

After some good sleep that night we headed out to Mankato for some road racing in Stage 5. I was a bit more excited since that Crit racing is just a "Must-do" for me and I don't enjoy it like racing on the road. We thought they might let some amateurs battle it out at the beginning but Steve Tilford, my track-friend Adrian and myself found out the opposite once our trio was chased down after just 3 miles in the early break. From there on, the racing was so negative and no break would stick and EVERY move would be counter-attacked until the the first feed-zone. It was not much fun at all. I just sat in after realizing there's "no-go" for me today.

On the way to the finishing circuits I flatted my second tubular in between a month time....But it was no big deal and until the finishing circuits we just chilled in the field. After doing somewhat OK here last year I thought I can repeat at least a Top 25 but my legs said "No" and so I ended up somewhere in between in 70ish position.
Everybody who has done the race at Stillwater knows what I'm talking about so don't read the next sentences. Basically, you go up one side really steep (21%) and pretty damn fast down at 46mph on the other side. Recovery is a vocabulary not appearing in this this race-profile. Once you're on top of the toughest part you go single-file to the very top and then it's all downhill with some 90 degree turns back to the start. Out of the 110 guys starting today only maybe 30 riders finished in the same lap and didn't get pulled. I came in 47th. Not too bad but less than what I was hoping for. I guess I have to go back to Tanglewood (Wichita Falls) and work on hill repeats? On a side note, I finished the 251.5miles of total racing distance in 8h and 50minutes which equals 28.5mph for the entire tour. That includes two road races of 65 and 85miles!

Mike Olheiser was again our best guy today, being off the front solo for a while and getting some TV time for VERSUS coverage airing on the screen in august. That guy has an engine! Here are some pics from the last couple of days of racing and enjoying MSP. David, Doug, Mike, JP, Paul, Tim - I had a great time!

(me, JP, and David)

(me and Mike, the diesel)