USA Cycling Cyclocross Junior Development Camp Recap

Jordan had a blast at Geoff Proctor's 1st ever Cyclocross Camp this past week in Helena, MT. Great input from the Camp on his preparation for this Cross season. He did crash hard, but he's OK.

Excerpt from the Helena Independent Record Newspaper:

Jordan Cullen, a 16-year-old from Hudson, Wisc., was nursing some injuries suffered in a crash Wednesday and sat out Thursday’s Cox Lake training session, but the scrapes and bruises didn’t seem to curb his enthusiasm.

Cullen (sixth place) was one eight Helena campers who placed among the top 20 at last year’s cyclocross 15-16 national championships — the others being Spence Peterson (third, Mill Valley, Calif.), Curtis White (fifth, Delanson, N.Y.), Ian Haupt (seventh, Whitefish Bay, Wisc.), Stephen Bassett (ninth, Knoxville, Tenn.), Spencer Downing (10th, Boulder, Colo.), Beckner (17th) and Lionel Rocheleau (18th, Waukesha, Wisc.).

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Cullen, who rides for Minneapolis Bicycle Racing Club-Flanders. “This whole week was super fun. I learned some new skills and the riding here is awesome. This is an awesome group of guys and we really all got along.”

Click here for the full article.

Back from Quebec, on to Montana.

Jordan will be home from Rimouski less than a week, before he boards a plane bound for Helena, MT for an exclusive USA Cycling Cyclocross Camp. Below is an excerpt from USA Cycling about the camp:

From July 25-28 at Carroll College in Helena, Mont., Geoff Proctor will hold a Cyclo-cross development camp for selected riders. The camp is designed to work on skills, technique, training and set short-term as well as long-range goals.

Proctor is a top-level coach and a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale Cyclo-cross commission who served as coach for U23 and Junior World Championship teams from 2002-11.

"This camp is designed to provide transitional training and mental refreshment in a non-competitive, but focused environment," Proctor said. "We will start the day with early morning conditioning, then move to morning cyclo-cross skill development, and follow up with afternoon training group rides. We will be doing some beautiful rides in and around the Continental Divide in addition to our drills on a scenic cyclo-cross circuit in the foothills above Helena.

"At this summer camp, we will not be doing formal testing or racing. Other than the friendly contests that come out of our training together, our emphasis will be on the big picture."

The riders expected to attend the camp are:

Stephen Bassett (Knoxville, Tenn./Micro Metals-Bike Zoo-Sunspot)
Landen Beckner (Helena, Mont./Montana Velo)
Tyler Coplea (Fountain, Ariz./AZ Devo)
Jordan Cullen (Hudson, Wisc./Minneapolis Bicycle Racing Club-Flanders)
Drew Dillman (Fairdale, Ky./Red Zone Cycling)
Spencer Downing (Boulder, Colo./Horizon Organic-Panache Elite Cycling)
John Francisco (Louisville, Ky./Red Zone Cycling)
Zane Godby (Louisville, Colo./Clif Bar Development Cross Team)
Cypress Gorry (Payson, Ariz./AZ Devo)
Luke Haley (Louisville, Ky./Prochain Cycling)
Ian Haupt (Whitefish Bay, Wisc./Planet Bike)
Sam O'Keefe (Baltimore, Md./Charm City Cycling)
Spence Peterson (Mill Valley, Calif./Above Category Racing)
Lionel Rocheleau (Waukesha, Wisc./Team Geargrinder)
Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Bay Hill Capital-CLNoonan p/b Corner Cycle Cycling Club)

Americans Dominate Final Stage of Tour of Rimouski

Jordan receives congratulations for winning with Polka Dot climbers jersey. All tolled, he scored 27 points, with his closest competition scoring only 9 points.
Jordan leading in Stage 6

The American teams of Borah Development and Chipotle Development put their final stamp of authority on the Tour of Rimouski in the tough 6th and final stage.

Borah development kept their 2nd place on Team GC. Evan Hartig slipped just 1 spot to 4th on individual GC, and Jordan Cullen handily won the Polka Dot climber's jersey. It was really great to hear how this composite team of 16 year olds, from all across the midwest, came together, and formed a cohesive unit on and off the bike.

Chipotle went a perfect 6 for 6 in stage wins, and went 1st and 3rd on Team GC. Danny Parks won the Yellow Jersey for individual overall GC, and Jonathon Schilling won the Green sprinter's jersey. Below is an recap of the final stage from Canadian Cycling Magazine:

"The cadet boys race was dominated in many ways by the Polka Dot Jersey holder Jordan Cullen, who took three of the five Mountain Points sprints. A strong headwind off the top of the climb made it impossible for any of the breakaways off the top to stick, though, so the race quickly became one of a battle of attrition. Heading into the final lap there was a group of eight that had got clear, but the Borah Development and Chipotle teams quickly went to the front to slow things down so that the chase group of seven could join in.

That left a group of 15 to duke things out over the final lap. As has been the norm this week, Chipotle dominated the sprint. Today it was Michael Dessau’s turn to win a stage. His teammates wearing the Yellow and Green Jersey’s finished in the group at the front, which meant that Jonathan Schilling (who finished third) took the points title while Daniel Parks kept the Yellow Jersey."

Results Summary for Team Borah Cadet Men:

Stage 6:
12th - Jordan Cullen - 0:16 back
17th - Evan Hartig - 0:47 back
25th - Rudy Peterson - 3:04 back
30th - Trevor Rolette - 5:19 back

Final individual GC:
4th - Evan Hartig - 1:33 back
6th - Jordan Cullen - 1:39 back
21st - Rudy Peterson - 4:41 back
29th - Trevor Rolette - 7:40 back

Final Team GC:
2nd - Borah Development - 5:18 back

Stage 6 and final overall results can be found here.

Jordan Cullen wins the Polka Dot Climber's Jersey at the Tour of Rimouski

America invades Canada

Call-ups for the stage 5 criterium: Evan Hartig 3rd on GC, Jordan Cullen King of the Mountains.
All 12 Midwest Juniors racing the Tour of Rimouski.
Team Borah Development at the Tour of Rimouski, 15-16 boys, and 17-18 girls.
The kids pick up their gear for the stage 4 Time-trial. Larry Martin and his crew are working so hard for these kids.

The American cadet (15-16 boys) teams of Borah Development and Chipotle Development have put the 20 Canadian teams on notice at the Tour of Rimouski. These American riders have won every stage, hold the Leader's Yellow Jersey, Sprinter's Green Jersey, and Climber's Polka Dot Jersey, and sit 1st and 2nd on team general classification.

Today was another great day for Borah Development 15-16 boys. Jordan finished 2nd in the stage 4 time-trial, 16 seconds behind the stage winner. Evan Hartig finished 7th, Rudy Peterson 11th, and Trevor Rolette 47th.

In the stage 5 criterium, all 4 of the Borah Development riders finished in the same time as the winner, with Rudy 6th, Trevor 7th, Evan 16th, and Jordan 24th.

After stage 5, Evan sits 3rd on GC, Jordan 6th, Rudy 12th, and Trevor 37th. They are 2nd on the Team GC. Jordan continues to lead the climbers competition for the Polka Dot Jersey.

The Chipotle Development Team continues their domination. In fact, they have won each of the 5 stages, and lead both the individual and team GC. The also have a lead in the sprint competion for the Green Jersey.

As strong as the Chipotle team is, word from the Borah Development enclave is that Evan, Jordan, Rudy, and Trevor have become a very tight group, and are willing to give it up for each other. This is sure to be a big factor in the tough final stage.

Tomorrow's final stage 6, features 5 laps on a 7 mile circuit with a brutal mile long steep climb each lap. It will be an opportunity for both American teams to showcase their talent, and beat the canadians on their home turf.

All stage results can be found by clicking here.

For those of you who don't want to sort through all the data, here is a summary for all 4 Team Borah Cadets:

Stage 4 Time-Trial (all times are to the stage winner):
2nd - Jordan Cullen - 0:16 back
7th - Evan Hartig - 0:36 back
11th - Rudy Peterson - 0:40 back
47th - Trevor Rolette - 1:14 back

Stage 5 Criterium (all riders finished at the same time as the winner):
6th - Rudy Peterson
7th - Trevor Rolette
16th - Evan Hartig
24th - Jordan Cullen

Overall GC after stage 5 (all times are to the GC Leader):
3rd - Evan Hartig - 0:46 back
6th - Jordan Cullen - 1:23 back
12th - Rudy Peterson - 1:45 back
37th - Trevor Rolette - 2:21 back

Team GC:
2nd - Team Borah Development - 1:58 back

Jordan Cullen is in Polka Dots at the Tour of Rimouski

Jordan resplendent in his Polka Dot jersey for Best Climber in the Tour of Rimouski
Evan Hartig - 2nd place - Stage 3
Warming up for the Team Time Trial
All 12 Tour of Rimouski Racers - 4 15-16 Boys, 4 15-16 Girls, and 4 17-18 Girls.

Jordan has ridden his way into the Polka Dot Jersey signifying the best climber at the 2011 Tour of Rimouski held in Quebec, Canada. There are sprints at the top of the climbs during each stage, where riders earn points towards the climbing competition. The leader of the competition wears the Polka Dot jersey during the race.

The Tour of Rimouski is a stage race, exclusively for Cadets (juniors age 15-16). It started last year, and is already drawing the best junior racers in North America. Jordan is racing on a composite team put together by USA Cycling Regional Coordinator, Larry Martin, riding for Team Borah Junior Development. It includes Rudyard Peterson from Michigan, Trevor Rolette from Illinois, and Evan Hartig from Iowa.

Jordan got 2nd in the climber's sprint on the first of two climbs of stage 1, held Thursday. Stage 2 was a Team Time Trial on Thursday afternoon, where no climbers points were awarded. It was in stage 3 where Jordan won maximum points at the top of the 1st climb to earn the Polka Dot leaders jersey, which he will wear in tomorrow's stage 4.

Jordan's Team Borah finished 4th out of 23 teams in the Team Time Trial (stage 2), 16 seconds behind the winning team. After Friday's stage 3, Team Borah sits in 3rd place, 1:17 down on the leading team.

Teammate Evan Hartig made the winning break in Stage 3, finishing 2nd, moving him into 3rd place overall, 10 seconds down on the leader. Rudy sits in 8th overall - 1:05 down, Trevor sits 25th overall - 1:07 down, and Jordan is 33 overall - 1:07 down.

Team Borah Development definitely have their hands full with Chipotle Junior Development. There are 8 riders for that team, including all 3 national champions (Time Trial, Criterium, and Road Race) from US Junior Nationals this year.

Stages 4 and 5 are held Saturday. Stage 4 is a 6K individual Time Trial. Stage 5 is a Criterium. No mountain points are available for either stage, so Jordan will keep his Polka Dot jersey, and wear it for Sunday's final stage 6. Stage 6 is the toughest stage of the race, with 5 laps on a 11.5k circuit, featuring a climbers sprint each lap at the top of Cathedrale Hill (5-10% grade for 1.5k).

Race results can be found by clicking here.

Hopkins Raspberry Crit Recap

Cat 1/2/3 Podium (L-R): Michael Woell - 4th, Micah Moran - 3rd, Tim Mulrooney - 1st, Nick Kimpton - 2nd, Brandon Krawczyk - 5th

Overnight and morning rains turned to hot and sunny skies for the 2011 Hopkins Raspberry Criterium. Tim Mulrooney of Synergy Racing won the Men Cat 1/2/3 race, from a 3-man breakaway which led most of the race. Breakaway companion Nick Kimpton of MBRC/Flanders was 2nd, with Micah Moran of GrandStay Hotels 3rd.

The 3-man break formed before the midpoint of the race, and with 3 of the strongest teams represented, there were few left to chase, as the gap drifted between 15-30 seconds for most of the race. Mulrooney, Kimpton, and Moran were sharing the work equally as a few riders tried unsuccessfully to bridge the gap solo. With a few laps left, Michael Woell of MBRC/Flanders made his bid for the leading trio. He closed the gap to 5 seconds, but the bell lap came too soon, and he was left to ride in solo for 4th place, as Timmer easily won the sprint. Brandon Krawczyk of GrandStay Hotels won the field sprint for 5th, followed by Derek Goerke of Bianchi/Grand Performance.

The Women's Open race was dominated by MBRC/Flanders racer Teresa Moriarty, who chased down a late race solo move, then attacked the field with a few laps left. Only Bianchi/Grand Performance's Zoe Reker was able to follow Teresa, with the two of them sharing the work for the final few laps. Teresa out sprinted Zoe for the win, with Zoe taking 2nd. The field sprint was won by Patricia Black.

The Masters 35+ race was beset by a 1st lap crash. A minivan went around a barrier blocking a parking lot exit, pulling right in front of the field as the riders exited the final turn to the finish line. Several riders piled into the side of the van, with MCT/Freewheel's Kevin Lennon getting the worst of it, crashing hard on the pavement. Everyone was able to restart, except for Kevin, after a short delay. The race came down to a field sprint, with ISCorp's Phillip Godkin taking the victory, followed by Lazlo Alberti, and Chad Wiesgram.

The Men's 3/4 race saw 3 separate solo breakaways, first by Peter Hagerty of Bianchi/Grand Performance, then Ben Schinke of Balance Fitness/Erik's, then Seth Iverson of Omnium Racing. However, each was reeled in, leaving it to a field sprint, with Brady Prenzlow of Balance Fitness/Erik's Bike Shop taking the win. Andy Frye of Wilier BikeThrow Racing was 2nd, and Peter Hagerty 3rd.

Jordan Cullen takes 2nd in the Cat 1/2 Northfield Crit

The winning 5-man break formed late in the race.
The finishing Sprint
Northfield Cat 1/2 Podium (L-R) Dylan Knutson - 3rd, Pat Lemieux - 1st, Jordan Cullen - 2nd

We made the 7 hour drive home from Lawrence, KS this morning to make the annual Northfield Crit was well worth it. A great event, not to be missed. Jordan's Grandma, Papa, and Carla met us there to watch.

The Cat 1/2 race was fast and furious, with move after move. Some looked like they would stick, only to be brought back. Jordan and his MBRC/Flanders team were very aggressive.

The winning move came with less than 10 laps to go, when Dylan Knutson attacked on the finishing stretch, and was quickly joined by Pat Lemieux, and Dan Casper. A short time later, Jordan Cullen bridged up. Finally, Flanders teammate Michael Woell bridged the gap making them 5 strong.

The gap to the field was never huge, between 10-15 seconds as the laps ticked by, and Grand Performance led the chase at the front of the field.

On the final lap, Jordan led up the climb, then Woell attacked. Lemieux gave chase, with Jordan on his wheel, followed by Knutson, then Casper. They went into the final turn in that order. Lemieux easily won the slightly downhill, tailwind sprint. Jordan and his 52x14 junior gearing could hold Pat's wheel, but couldn't come around. Dylan Knutson finished 3rd, Woell 4th, Casper 5th. Gregg Brandt won the field sprint for 6th.

Flanders teammates: Adam Gorski was 9th, Toby Henkels 10th, and Merrill Lutsky 11th. Great job MBRC!

Is it a coincidence that the top 3 (Pat, Jordan, and Dylan) had all raced at the Tour of Lawrence, and made the 7 hour drive this morning?

Tour of Lawrence

Jordan win's a $100 prime with 2 to go in the Pro/1/2 Crit.

Our trip to Lawrence, KS was worth it. Jordan finished 14th out of 72 starters in the tough Pro/1/2 Circuit race on the KU campus. 14 laps on a 4 mile circuit with 400ft of climbing per lap. Jordan said it was the toughest race he's ever done.

Jordan rode well in the Crit too. He won a $50 prime, and then a $100 prime with 2 laps remaining. He actually thought it was $500, which explains the expression on his face in the above photo.

We head home in the morning for the Northfield Crit.

Top 10

Criterium Photo compliments of Candisnaps.com

Jordan scored a pair of top 10 finishes in both the 15-16 Junior Boys Criterium and Road Race. 8th in the Criterium, and 10th in the Road Race.

The temperature during the Crit was a muggy 95deg with 80 starters on a rectangular course. The Chipotle Development team was very dominant in the race. In particular, Chipotle's Danny Parks was very aggressive, launching several attacks, including the final winning move, winning solo. Jordan took charge late in the race, chasing down a 2-person break with Parks and Logan Owen. Jordan finished a strong 7th in the field sprint, giving him 8th place.

The temperature during the road race was in the 80's, contested over 3 laps of a 15 mile rolling course. The race stayed together for the first lap, then Jordan and Logan Owen started attacking. There were at least 3 big crashes, one of which took out one of the race favorites Phillip O'Donnell. Jordan was lucky to avoid all of them. Rudy Peterson broke away solo to a 2 minute gap with 1 lap to go. The field caught Rudy, and then another rider, Jake Silverberg, made the winning move with a couple miles to go. He soloed into the finish, a few seconds in front of the field. Jordan finished 9th in the field sprint, giving him 10th place.

I'm so proud of Jordan and all the racers competing here in Augusta. These are a great bunch of kids, and it's great to see the maturity they have, and the respect they give each other, at such a young age. Congrats to everyone!

Jordan Cullen 2nd in the Junior 15-16 Nationals Time Trial

(L-R: 5th - Michael Dessau, 3rd - Danny Parks, 1st - Jonathon Schilling, 2nd - Jordan Cullen, 4th - Phillip O'Donnell)

Jordan rode his way to a silver medal today in the 15-16 USA Cycling Nationals Time Trial. His average speed was 28.3mph over the 19Km course. Jonathon Schilling was the winner, 9 seconds faster than Jordan. 3rd place Daniel Parks was less than 2 seconds behind Jordan.

The weather was very unpredictable today. It was 95 degrees as we drove up to the course, when a front moved in, the temp dropped 20deg, and it started pouring. Jordan was last to start in his group, and it was 77deg, dry, and calm. It started raining while he was on course, and the wind picked up too. He considers himself lucky, as he slid on the wet road at the turn around, just saving it.

The last few kids to start (riders start alone, every 30 secs), were seeded such that they were the fastest of the bunch. The only exception was Logan Owen, who sat on the hot seat of race leader, starting 3rd out of over 80 15-16 yr old boys. In fact, it was 5 of the last 6 riders to start that pushed Logan all the way from the hot seat, to his final position of 6th place.

The starting order for the last 6 was:
Daniel Parks
Phillip O'Donnell
Michael Dessau
Curtis White
Jonathon Schilling
Jordan Cullen

Their finish order was:
1. Jonathan Schilling
2. Jordan Cullen
3. Daniel Parks
4. Phillip O'Donnell
5. Michael Dessau

A huge congrats to all the riders today. These kids work so hard, and sacrifice a lot. Each one of them is a winner in my book!

Sizzling in Georgia

We hit the road bound for Augusta, GA for USA Cycling Junior Nationals this past Saturday morning, after a successful Grad Party for Maren Friday night. The original plan was for Adam Bergman and Lisha Herold to go with, but Adam bailed on us, leaving us a party of 3.

Stopped overnight in Nashville, TN. Amazingly, we stopped in Atlanta for a bite to eat, and ran into Mario Macaruso, from MN, who was headed the opposite direction. What are the odds?

Arrived in Augusta at 4PM, and it was 101degF. We rode from our hotel up to the TT course and back with Sarah Huang. Monday, we did recon on the TT course, and today we did recon on the RR and crit courses. It is hot, but not that bad when your riding, just when you stop.

The TT course starts on the South Carolina side of a large Dam and heads west into Georgia on a rolling, tree lined course. The pavement is smooth, and the road will be closed for the TT. Very nice!

The Road Race course is on the Fort Gordon military base. It is a 15 mile scenic loop with rolling climbs. Pavement is pretty good, and I assume the road will be closed on race day. This course definitely gets an "A".

The crit course is downtown, in a typical rectangular clockwise layout. Should be fun to race, and watch.

We do miss the bike friendly town of Bend, OR this year. Even though the courses here are grade "A", the riding around town is very bad. Lots of traffic, stop lights, and no bike lanes. Makes me realize how awesome those roundabouts were in Bend.

Jordan and Lisha race the TT on Thursday, Crit on Friday, and Road Race on Sunday. Good luck to both!

We are staying at the Staybridge Suites. Our room is awesome, with a kitchenette, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 3 flat screen TV's. We have yet to eat out since we got here.

Countdown to US Jr Nationals

Jordan continues to be on a hot streak. His dominance in the Cat 3's at the NSC Velodrome prompted Bob Williams to upgrade him to a Cat 2. Last Thursday Night Lights was his first Cat 1/2 track omnium, where he placed 2nd in the miss-and-out, 5th in the point-a-lap, and 1st in the 10mi Scratch race. In fact, he lapped the entire field solo in the scratch race. Way to go Jordan!

This past weekend was low key, with no racing on the schedule.

Last night was the 2nd State Fair Crit. It was pouring during the Cat 1/2/3 race, so turnout was light. 33 crazy racers started the race, and Flanders had strong representation. Jordan attacked with 5 of 30 laps complete, and got away solo for the remainder of the race. He was out of sight most of the race, but the field closed in during the final laps. Jordan rolled across the line in victory just feet in front of the hard charging field, led by Will Mayavski, and Tim Mulrooney. Flanders did an excellent job of covering the front of the field during Jordan's break. Jordan is rewarding his teammates with the 4 Rock Bottom Brewery Growlers from all the ninja primes he won.

Tonight is Farm Dog TT #2, then we head to Augusta, GA on Saturday with Adam Bergman and Lisha Herold. All 3 of them are racing at nationals, with me there for support. Their first event in the Time-trial which is on Thursday, 6/24.

I do want to give a shout out to the local cycling community for all their support for Jordan. He is inspired by all of you, and we really appreciate all your positive feedback.

Jordan Cullen is WI State Road Race Cat 1/2 Champion at 15!

Jordan's expression says it all

Jordan took, by far, his biggest victory ever Sunday, winning the Cat 1/2 WI State Road Race. He broke away solo on the last of 10 laps to win by several seconds over Tristan Schouten of ISCorp.

Our weekend started with the MN State TT in St. Peter, MN on Saturday. Jordan rode his fastest ever 20K in a time of 26:16, averaging 28mph. That alone was worth celebrating!

After the drubbing the MN Cat 1/2's took at the Durand Road Race earlier this year, Jordan was ready to be "ISCorp'ed" in the Cat 1/2 WI State RR. He was up to the challenge. The course is a 10 laps on a 6.5mi hilly loop, with 400ft of climbing per lap.

ISCorp was 6 strong, with Great Dane Velo, KS Energy/Team WI, and Wheel & Sprocket fielding strong teams as well. Jordan was flying solo, and with junior gears to boot. Right from the gun, the 2010 WI State RR champ, Kip Spaude goes in a 3 man break with Dan Ajer of GDVC, and a KS Energy/Team WI rider. This is the same thing that happened last year, and it was the winning move.

Jordan stayed patient, while various chasers kept the break at around 1 minute for much of the race. Lap 7 saw 3 more riders bridge to the break, making them 6 strong. The 9th lap proved to be very decisive, as the break was caught by a small group of chasers at the base of the finish climb, leading into the bell lap.

Tristan attacked the group on the climb, and only Jordan could follow him. The two punched it over the top, and never looked back. The 2 leaders rode hard, and worked together to successfully seal the fate of the chasers.

On the backside, Jordan attacked on the final climb, and opened a gap. He ride his heart out, and stormed to a solo victory. Tristan charged in a few seconds later. The sprint for third followed another few seconds later. Congrats to everyone on a great race!

A heartfelt thanks to Flanders Cycles, Ridley Bikes, HED Wheels, Lazer Sport, and Coach Gordy Paulson for all their support. Jordan couldn't have done it without you!

Jay Richards SkinnySki Interview with Jordan

Jordan talks to Jay Richards about his first MTB race ever, the Freewheel Frolic.

Farm Dog #1 - Flanders Domination

Farm Dog #1 was dominated by Flanders riders, with a total of 5 category wins, including the fastest overall times in both the Men and Women's divisions. Well done team!

Nick Kimpton - Men Open Winner
Jordan Cullen - Junior Winner
Jim Cullen - Masters 35+ Winner
Teresa Moriarty - Women Open Winner
Teresa Moriarty - Women Stock Winner

Fastest Overall Times:
Nick Kimpton - 18:06
Jordan Cullen - 18:16
John Shishilla - 18:31
Jim Cullen - 18:54
Jeff Lombardo - 18:59

Melon City and Quad Cities Crit Recap

I finally got back in the saddle for the Masters races at Melon City and Quad Cities Crits over Memorial Day Weekend. A nasty thunderstorm resulted in a 2 hour delay, plus a wet race at the Melon City Crit. My legs were not really there, but I managed an 8th place to win my entry fee back. Dan Casper soloed to an impressive win in that race. Congrats Dan!

The Quad Cities Crit was hot and windy. I went from the gun, taking another rider with me for 6 laps or so. Teammate Woell made the winning break after that, and I tail gunned the rest of the race, with one final attack with 2 to go, which didn't stick. Woell finished 4th.

Jordan race Pro/1/2's both days. He was riding near the front all race at the Melon City Crit, including making a late race breakaway. He was gunning for a top 10 finish, only to have his dreams dashed when a rider in front of him touched wheels on the downhill at 40mph, causing a big pile up which brought Jordan down. Luckily, he landed in the grass, and was not injured, but his bike had enough damage to force him to borrow a bike for Monday.

Pete Davis of ISCorp, was generous enough to load Jordan his bike for the Pro/1/2 race at Quad Cities. Because of his last row start, plus less than stellar legs, by the time he made it to the front of the group, the winning break of 20 riders was gone. He tried to bridge, but didn't make it. He hung in there, and finished 27th, just 2 spots out of the money. Well done Jordan, and a big thanks to Pete Davis!

The Snake Charmer

Juniors 15-18 Podium: Jordan Cullen (2nd), Drew Dillman (1st), Lionel Rocheleau (3rd)
Jordan leads the Pro/1/2 field up the Snake

Memorial Day Weekend brings our 3rd annual pilgrimage to the Quad Cities of Iowa for the Snake Alley Criterium, Melon City Criterium, and Quad Cities Criterium.

Saturday was the famous Snake Alley Criterium. Jordan raced twice. First Juniors, then Pro/1/2. Jordan finished a strong 2nd in the juniors, after a race long battle with a strong Prochain/Turner team.

Jordan really shined in the pro/1/2 race. He rode an amazing race, leading the field up the snake several times, and chasing down breakaways. He finished 14th. Definitely the most impressed I've ever been with his riding. Way to go Jordan!

Tuesday Night Time Trial #2

Photo courtesy of Memories by Dee and Twin Cities IC3

Cooler temps, moderate winds, and dry roads made for a much more enjoyable TNT Time Trial than 2 weeks ago. These good conditions plus no Opus brought record turnout of 96 racers.

Jordan broke the coveted 24 minute barrier, clocking a PR of 23:55, over 30 seconds faster than last time. His time was just fast enough to beat Timmer, definitely a major milestone for Jordan!

I played rabbit again for Jordan, starting a minute before him. He still caught me, but I was satisfied, clocking a 25:09 for 15th place.

Toftoy continued his domination, clocking a course record 22:16, nearing 30mph ave. Ian Stanford was best of the rest almost a minute back, followed by Casper, Roeser, and Kimpton.

I have to say Twin Cities Spoke IC3 have raised their game this year, and are putting on an incredible Tuesday night event in Medina. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to race the clock and a challenging 11 mile course.

Freewheel Frolic MTB Race - Jordan wins his first MTB race

Jordan's first ever MTB race was a muddy one
Someone needs to be hosed down

Jordan made his debut in Mountain Biking today at the MN Season Opener, the Freewheel Frolic. Soaking rain made for a muddy race, but Jordan prevailed, winning the Comp class overall by 3.5 minutes.

Jordan did 4 laps on the soggy course, spending most of the first lap picking his way to the front of the Comp field, which is staggered in waves, with Jordan starting in the 2nd wave. The muddy conditions wreaked havoc on people drive trains, leaving many to call it a day early.

On the 3rd lap, Jordan over shot a turn, and piled into a barbed wire fence. He cut up his leg, but that didn't stop him. He remounted, and carried on. That's the kind of toughness it takes to be a winner! He finished first in the Comp class, and caught may of the elite field as well, who started a full 7 minutes in front of him.

Halfway through the race, the sun came out, which was not a good thing for the riders. This dried the course, making the mud stickier, and accumulating on the bike. Jordan's bike must have weighed twice it's normal weight by the finish.

The event was a lot of fun, and I was very impressed with the organization. We will be back.