# Midwest Race Week 1 and 2



## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

Two weeks by, and four events have passed. I was able to partake in 2 of them.

Last saturday, the Spring Fling Crit series in Lawrence kicked off to find a large number of local riders in good shape. Our team did well, but didnt get the win, but controlled the pack to deliver our boy in 2nd. 

Last sunday, I rode Froze Toes in Columbia, Missouri which was a big, big race for a February ride. There were 105 entrants in the freaking open 5 race!!!! That is big and there were a total of just under 300 racers that showed up for the windswept race that was relatively flat. My race.... wreck in the middle of the pack all of 5 miles into the race, followed by a turn into the wind strung the field out fierce. Covered one epic gap that opened 3 riders in front of me, only to have another open 6 riders up not long after that. That left me and a rider from Iowa hovering 50-75m off the back of the lead pack. We worked and worked and finally made the main pack after 20minutes into a blistering headwind. Note to others... dont use ksyriums in a crosswind. Upon rejoining, attacks started, field streched, and gap again opened 2 riders up, I was too late... wrong place wrong time, turn .... wind at my back, screamed at like 32-37 mph on the way back and didnt catch a soul from my group as everyone sailed on in. I got 15th or so. I was happy with the effort.

That same day in the KC area, Perry Lake #1 was underway under howling winds and driving rain. The winds there are a beast, a 5 mile loop that drops down a hill, goes across the top of the dam (where wind blows straight off the lake), then around and under the dam (where the wind comes down somehow faster than at the top), then around the back to a hill which is not too bad, but has a nice little grade increase at the top that really separates the men from the boyz. I wasnt at this one, but our main masters fella got in and placed well.

This past Saturday in the Spring Fling series, our boys had our heads up our butts and controlled the group, let one guy get away and the rest was just a complete and utter circus... didnt deliver the goods and for whatever reason our boy didnt come through and got whacked.

This sunday was Perry Lake #2 and it was nice weather, but insane winds again. Good turnout and we had good team representation, but we didnt deliver. I had no legs and had two mechanicals (due to a last minute wheel change), but had gear jumping all over when I stood up the first 3 times up the hill, and got gapped and it was all over, but I admit I didnt have the legs anyway. I ended up getting off and adjusting twice and finally got things straight and ended up about 16 out of 32 about 3 minutes behind the leader, but the wind was really really really bad... was a time trial practice after 2 laps.... blah. We did get our boy in the masters a win in the series, which was a positive despite the freaking Jayhawks beating the Tigers just after the race was over... *******s.


Chris


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## Vindicator (Feb 3, 2004)

funknuggets said:


> wreck in the middle of the pack all of 5 miles into the race


Chris, As you may have seen elsewhere on this site, I had the pleasure of going down in that wreck (7 miles in to be precise  ) I was riding near the left edge of the lead pack, but had a rider to my left. We were in the third or fourth "row" of riders, just cruising along. I felt good. I didn't see any water bottle, but reports from others who were behind me were that someone dropped one. Anyway, the guys on the right side of the pack start swerving left, each swerving a little more than the other, and one of them just takes out my front wheel despite my best attempts at evasive action. With a bent (but since repaired) frame, I was done for the day and mighty pissed. Lots of road rash, but (so I thought) nothing more serious. I've got some lingering pain in my arm, though, that didn't really bother me until this past weekend when I went fishing. If it doesn't go away, I think an x-ray or mri may be in order to look for some kind of hairline fracture or muscle tear.

Anyway, the ICCC guy who was the next guy behind you (you were 16th, him 17th) is a buddy of mine. He's stronger than me, so I'd have likely been another few spots back from the two of you had I not gone down. Here's another strange thing. The guy who finished 15th in the 3-4 field had about a .1 or .2 mph slower average speed on his 'puter than my buddy who took 17th in the 5s had on his. Assuming it isn't just computer error, perhaps this is because the field was so much bigger so there was more drafting?

And the guy in the Iowa jersey (I don't think there was more than one of them) won the race.

Dave


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## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

*small world, dawg!!!*

you said: "Anyway, the ICCC guy who was the next guy behind you (you were 16th, him 17th) is a buddy of mine." I even referred to that guy in my race write up on my team website!!! (http://www.kcbike.com/index.cfm?type=blog_detail&blogID=20)... I called him a wheelsucker, but I think we were both toast from being isolated so long. As far as drafting, Im not sure where he was at, but outside of the first 12-15 guys, everyone else was pretty strung out, so who knows about those speeds, but they were healthy. In fact, I even asked your buddy what speeds we were hitting on the way back and he said 32 to 37 mph... Im just glad he didnt hang on and just outsprint me at the end, I would have been pis-sy. But I either finally rode him off or he sat up in gratitude in the last 200M. Thank goodness, after coming across 2 or 3 pretty big gaps, I was cooked.

As for that wreck... I was real close to you. The wreck happened exactly two riders in front of me, the guy in front of me braked hard, but ran into it and went down, I just got around the left side and I didnt see a bottle either. That sucks and I was sorry I didnt get to meet you. I put a pic of me at that race on the website, so maybe you recognize me.

I almost met bugman too, he was there, but I think went with the masters.... I think. He confused me and rode on a borrowed bike, I was looking for a Kestrel or a Look ridden by someone on Big Shark... but he borrowed a Cannondale, so I completely didnt find him. I did, however meet Dale Brigham!!! So, that sucks... I coulda met a total of three RBRers.

I probably wont be on that side of the state until either Apple Pie or Tour of St. Louis... depending. Not sure what your team is doing, but look towards the KCOI stage race in June 12-13 that we are sponsoring. It is gonna be a PHAT race as a part of that Maxxis Regional Cup series advertised in VeloNews.


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## Vindicator (Feb 3, 2004)

funknuggets said:


> you said: "Anyway, the ICCC guy who was the next guy behind you (you were 16th, him 17th) is a buddy of mine." I even referred to that guy in my race write up on my team website!!! (http://www.kcbike.com/index.cfm?type=blog_detail&blogID=20)... I called him a wheelsucker, but I think we were both toast from being isolated so long.


He was ahead of the crash so didn't get gapped then. What he told me was that he eventually found himself off the pack but was able to organize a group into a nicely rotating paceline to catch the lead group, but his legs were toast and he couldn't go with the attacks on the two hills before the turn into the tailwind. So I'm sure he was toast at the end and not just trying to poach you.



funknuggets said:


> As for that wreck... I was real close to you. The wreck happened exactly two riders in front of me, the guy in front of me braked hard, but ran into it and went down, I just got around the left side and I didnt see a bottle either.


I was the guy in the red jersey who went down first. Two guys landed on me - another buddy of mine, Shane (blue or grey jersey? - no team) and a big guy in a yellow Maplewood jersey. Neither of them is the guy who started all the swerving, nor is either of them the guy who took out my wheel. My recollection is more like yours posted on your team site. It looked to me like someone near the right edge of the pack tried to launch an attack from the middle of the pack (moving left toward the middle of the pack to do so) and he either didn't have room to go or the guy to his left didn't THINK he had room to go, so he swerved, and the next guy swerved, etc. I think the guy who took me out was either the second or third swerver. Not sure which of them was the "idiot in the blue Primal jersey." But Shane thought someone dropped a water bottle and that started the swerving. In any event, what I wouldn't give for a slo-mo videotape of it and a voodoo doll of certain riders!



funknuggets said:


> I was sorry I didnt get to meet you. I put a pic of me at that race on the website, so maybe you recognize me. I almost met bugman too, he was there, but I think went with the masters.... I did, however meet Dale Brigham!!!


I'm bummed I didn't meet any of you! The pic on your team site doesn't ring a bell, in fact I don't remember seeing any KCOI jerseys. Of course, I was only in the race for 7 miles.  

In this photo (see link below), I'm the guy in the red/white/blue helmet and you can see my head looking as if it's just "below" the truck's passenger side mirror, but my body is obscured. Your "wheelsucker" is the third visible guy from the left, in the orange. Shane is obscured, but the big Maplewood guy who landed on me is riding up against the yellow line, with his right side obscured and a full length yellow arm warmer on his left arm - he's behind a Dogfish guy. Doesn't look like you're visible.

http://www.pbase.com/image/26508649



funknuggets said:


> I probably wont be on that side of the state until either Apple Pie or Tour of St. Louis... depending. Not sure what your team is doing


I plan on being at both of those races, depending on family schedules. I'm unattached and likely to stay that way, at least for this year, so "my team" is whatever wheel I can latch on to! Hope to meet you at one or both. I ride a dark blue Viner with Velomax wheels (and a triple chainring), if that helps ID me.

Dave


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