Stillwater Crit

Today was the final stage of the North Star Grand Prix. We tackled 23 laps on a 1.3 mile course that features a 200 meter climb that averages 13%. The plan for the day was to protect Nicolai and set him up for a late race move. The pace set off fast from the gun, and riders were getting shelled like peanuts each time up the climb. For the first 10 laps I stayed near Nicolai and looked after him. After 12 laps the field seemed soft, so I went with a move that ended up being the break of the day. I did no work in the move and figured it put us in a strong position if Nic bridged up late race. I was ready to drill it for him if this situation happened. Guys were attacking off the front of the break but were fading, and our gap on the field was huge. With 4 laps to go the break seemed to be fading, and I felt super. So I attacked with 3.5 laps to go and immediately got a 15 second gap on the break and had about 30 seconds on the field. About a minute later on the descent I got a rear flat, and my race was over. Sometimes things that are beyond your control happen in bike racing. That is the beauty of the sport. You can't get down about it, and you have to move on. Situations like this have happened to me before, and I am sure they will happen again. With about 2 laps to go the field caught the rest of the break, and Nic was positioned near the front. He came to the line with 5-10 riders and came in 4th on the stage. Tactically we raced a super race today. The North Star Grand Prix was super fun, and we killed it as a team.

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!

Uptown Minneapolis Crit

Last night we raced the Uptown Minneapolis Crit of the North Star Grand Prix. The Crit was 35 laps long on a 0.8 mile course with 6 turns. The plan for the day was to save energy and maybe go on the attack if a good opportunity presented itself. The roads were a lot smoother than the crit we did a couple nights before, so that was a nice thing. There was no forecast of rain, but there was some drizzle at the start. Since it appeared it may rain I ran some very low pressure in my tires. I started out near the front and wanted to just stay safe for the first few laps and get a feel for the course. I felt comfortable, and guys were attacking off the front. It appeared to be very difficult off the front as the field seemed motivated. Nothing ever really got a significant gap and the rain stopped. In my mind at this point I thought it was best to save energy. Evan, Nolan, Nic, and I were usually pretty close to each other throughout the race, and Evan got in a move for a couple laps around 20 laps to go. Other than that we were staying toward the front of the field and saving energy. With around 10 laps to go hard drizzle began that made the course wet. This changed my game plan to survive and stay near the front. With 7 laps to go there was a big crash that I was caught up in. I took a free lap and re-joined near Nic and Evan. While I was in the pit Carp told me to stay in front of any splits and not lose time. With about 4 laps to go I came around Nic, eased a little, and signaled for him to follow me. For the next four laps I went slow enough through the turns to keep it upright but was railing the straights full throttle. I never looked back, but Nic was on my wheel the whole time and finished right behind me. Both of us were able to stay in front of the splits and not lose time. This was a success because Nic moved up to 9th place in the GC heading into the hilly 97 mile North Mankato Road Race today.