North Mankato Road Race

Today we raced the penultimate stage of the North Star Grand Prix which was a 97 mile road race in North Mankato. We did 4 laps of a flat 20 mile circuit that featured a 500 meter long narrow driveway of a climb that maxed out at around 18% at the end of the lap. After the laps we tackled a 3.5 mile circuit 5 times. The circuit also had a roughly one kilometer hill of about 5%. The goal for the day was to be aggressive and soften the field. For the first couple laps we cruised along in the field as a lot of guys did attacks that were going nowhere. The second time up the climb we set up Nic and Nolan, and they made a split of about 8-10 riders, but the field chased hard for about half a lap and brought the group back. The third time up the hill I was one of the first riders up, but the whole group was pretty much right on my wheel, so I did not see a need to drive the pace. Attacks flew like crazy on the final lap, and Oliver was able to make it into a move that had the most significant gap of the day. As we hit the hill the final time Nic went off the front but decided hold back then. A lot of riders were seeing stars at this point and one ran into me. This caused me to run into a curb and unclip. However, I didn't let this get me out of my rhythm and finished the hill near the front of the group. Over the top I went into a break with 4 other riders. A few kilometers later Evan Huffman bridged up and attacked with Joe Schmalz. This ended up being the winning move. Over the next couple laps Nolan and I pushed the pace in our group to keep Nic as close as possible to the lead riders. I was sure I was at my limit for the first lap, but somehow I kept ticking away. With a couple laps to go other teams started setting the pace, but I would still go to the front when the pace lessened. As we hit the hill on the circuit the final time Nic sailed up the hill away from the group. He didn't catch Huffman and Schmalz but took an 8 second lead on the riders in my group plus the time bonus for third place. This now moves him into 7th overall heading into the infamous Stillwater Crit, the final stage of the North Star Grand Prix. We rode really well as a team today. We all covered moves and were aggressive. Evan helped position me, Nolan, and Nic for the hill. Nolan and I were able to help Nic in the finale, and Nic sealed the deal with a podium on the day. It was a fantastic day for the Lupus Racing Team!