Monday, May 17, 2010

Wheels on Willy 2010 Recap

Jordan amongst the over 100 starters in the Pro/1/2/3 Men Race

Jordan and Dan Casper on the last lap of the Pro/1/2/3 Race

Jordan on the attack in the Junior 15-18 Race

Finally made it down to the legendary Wheels on Willy Criterium in Madison, WI. We've been intending to make the trek the past few years, but always opted for racing in MN. Another beautiful day in Madison. Partly sunny with light winds. The 4-corner rectangular course is in a cool residential neighborhood, with a couple bike shops and small cafes. The finish stretch is a light uphill grade, and the course is relatively narrow, with some tough to avoid potholes.

Junior 15-18 Recap:
A nice big and strong group of 20+ older juniors towed the line for Jordan's first race. He played it cool in the beginning of the race, and got more aggressive as the race wore on. Lots of attacks, but nothing stuck, until Spenser Oswald (Baraboo Sharks) made a strong move with no reaction from the field. IScorp and Geargrinder had the biggest numbers in the race, but didn't seem intent on chasing. This gave Spencer the gap he needed for the easy win. Jordan rode a smart race, and won the field sprint, taking a strong 2nd place, in front of Thompson Remo and Darrell Kohli. Well done Jordan! Average speed 25.5mph.

Masters 1/2/3 Recap:
I started in the back, and was stuck in the back for the entire race. My legs were flat, and every time I moved up, I drifted to the back again. I resigned my self to tail gunner, and watched to make sure I didn't get gapped off the back by tired riders. I finished at the back of the field, which came down to a field sprint of over 60 riders. Average speed 27mph.

Pro/1/2/3 Recap:
Jordan was excited to race with the big boys, so he opted for the this race instead of the Cat 3's. He started near the front of the 100+ rider field, with the intention of staying out of trouble. He did just that. He came up with a strategy of marking a couple riders, and making sure he never went too far forward or back in the field. His plan worked to perfection, and he made it all the way to the end, which was a field sprint of over 60 riders. He finished a respectable 39th. Adam Bergman and Texas Roadhouse gave Colton Barrett the perfect lead out for the win. Average speed 28.5mph.

During the race, Pat Lemieux (Texas Roadhouse, Nick Vetter (SPBRC), and an IScorp rider got in a break which looked pretty good. The IScorp rider flatted, resulting in Pat and Nick almost being caught, but he returned after a free lap, and the gap grew again. Unfortunately, the IScorp rider rolled his front tubular and crashed out of the break. This resulted in the ultimate capture of the break and resulting field sprint.

Results Posted

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