Author: Chris Kroll

This past weekend Vic, Karim and I participated in the nationals at Downers.  For me, this was a first time experience.  One word summation – Wow.  An incredible event put on in perfect fashion in a beautiful suburb of Chicago.  And the weather?  Equally perfect.  Big crowds, festive atmosphere, real barricades along the whole start/finish stretch – big time event, for sure.

Vic and I started the weekend with schedule racing on Saturday, he in the Pro-Am Cat 1/2 event, I in the Masters 30+, 40+ Cat 1/2/3.  My race had 135+ riders and was silly fast – the HRM clocked an average of 27.9 mph.  I’m glad the race was just 40 mins in length.  I had a good starting position and was able to maintain a top 10 position throughout most of the race.  Although it was easy to lose 20-30 places in a turn, I found it could be made up as easily in the turns and straights.  With 2 laps to go, I found myself lying in 3rd as we crossed the line (surprising my teammates for some reason!).  Alas, I was unable to hold that position as we continued and on the last lap I was gapped from the front 20 due to a crash that diverted my attention, but should not have slowed me down.  I crossed the finish in 26th place – I’ll take it for my debut Downers event.  Vic’s Pro-Am event?  I didn’t stick around for the finish (and neither did he), but I saw enough to know that it was used by many pros as a tuner for the next days national championship event and it was ridiculously fast.

Sunday brought the Cat 2 Challenge for Vic & I, and the Elite National Amateur Championship event for Karim.  The Cat 2 race was first in order for the day and had 100+ riders.  We had good starting positions and maintained this throughout the first half of the event, but our concerns of tired legs in the warm up came true as we faded toward the end.  A clean (no crashes), fast race that came to a bunch sprint with I in 40th and Vic in 60th.  My objectives were met – stay upright, finish, and have a good time.  Next year will be different.

The elite mens amateur event had a huge field of 180 riders.  A call up of past winners and former pros prior to the start had me more nervous then my teammate who was in the race.  Man, this thing was going to be sick fast and long (80KM).  Karim had a good start position, considering the numbers, and rode conservatively during the first half of the race, checking out the competition’s back 90 riders.  Some fortuitous crashes and veteran nerve saw him quickly move up into top 25 during the 2nd half of the race.  I had a chance to walk the entire course during the event and was literally blown away by the field going by.  The amount of turbulence that 180 riders going by at 30+ mph UPHILL is amazing.  With 8 laps to go, six Team Bianchi/Grandperformance riders went miraculously from tail-gunning the entire race to lead out train, ramping the speeds to a blur, but unable to hold it for their sprint man.  Some dude covered in tatoos won (never heard of him) by handily beating ex-pro Steve Tilford (46yrs old!) and one of the remaining Bianchi guys.  Our guy Karim ended up 50th.  Not bad, I’d say, given the speed, crashes every other lap near the end, and having a gazillion riders in the field.

All in all, a great weekend and one to certainly put on the calendar, either as a participant or spectator.  See you there next year, for sure!

 – Chris

What a great venue Madison provides for a welcomed Crit by riders itching to race during this typical slow time of the season here in the Midwest.  The 6-turn course winds it’s way through the historic side of town, down along the river for a perfect finish next to the community park and pool.  A good sized crowd turned out to watch the racing and the weather was close to ideal.  Enough of the set up…on to the racing.

Sean Bauer and I travelled down from B-ton to race both the Masters 35+ and Cat 1/2 events.  Training, we said, as we prepare for some upcoming events of the Bacardi Nuvo/Tortuga BB series.  The Masters race fielded a quality group, including Masters National Champs Tolson & Spanbauer, along with a good sized contingent of Papa Johns and Barbasol racers, plus the Heros and Masters from Indy.  I good time to mention that all proceeds from the entire event went to the Bret Neylon support fund.  Nice touch.  Okay, back to the racing – Several laps in and I initiated a break up the one climb of the course, taking along Barbasol rider Jack Sells, plus Curtis Tolson, Steve Spanbauer, and PJ teammate Mike McShane.  We worked well, lapping the field and continuing on while Sells was dropped back to the pack.    Within my group, I came up with the crazy idea of attacking up the climb, not a good idea considering the company, but just wanted to see where everyone was at…I found out; one lap later Tolson puts down a wicked attack up the climb and Spanbauer follows, leaving McShane and I to do battle.  A few laps later Mcshane attacks after I have pulled up the climb and he is able to get away.  Do I chase hard and risk total blow up?  Or do I recover and wait for the break?  I wait.  When I’m caught, Sells and PJ Bob Bobrow plus a few others attack and I stay with mate Sean who has done great work to control things in the field.  Not only do Tolson and Spanbauer lap again the field, but the other group with Sells and Bobrow lap back and place me on same lap as they…Through all this McShane has locked up third place with his solo effort, so the race is on for 4th as we near the end.  On the last lap Sean gets up front and ratchets up the pace on the final turns while I mark Bobrow and Sells.  Into the last turn and we jam on the pedals toward the finish.  I pass Bobrow and pull up to Sells as we near the line.  It’s a close, close finish as I just get a tire width in front of Jack to win the sprint and take 4th.  The win goes to Spanbauer as he was able to gap Tolson and pull ahead.  A nice event for all.

The Cat 1/23 event was just an hour after the Masters event, so recovery was tough.  After much cajoling by Sean, we lined up with mates Emond and Delisle and riders from Roadhouse, Barbasol, Papa Johns and smattering of others.  The pace was reasonable the first few laps with Vic and Patrick up front at all times.  As the faux attacks began and were quickly brought back, a large gap occured at the top of the climb and ensuing turn with Vic and Patrick up in the group while Sean literally put the brakes on the field to create the distance.  The group proved to be the winning break with all teams represented.  Later, Vic did return back to the group and remained in the front to help control things.  Patrick stayed out and we awaited the inevitable lapping by he and the 8 other break members.  It never happened.  With the last laps unfolding, we settled in for the sprint finish for 10th.  Not much left in my legs after 130 mins of total racing, so taking 15th will have to do.  Vic a couple in front and Sean a couple in back.  Good work by all.  And Patrick? – a great ride with a 6th place finish. 

A good day for everyone at a great venue.  I recommend putting this one on your calendar for next year! 

 – Chris

DaVinci Crit – Saturday

This weekend was the opening of “The DaVinci Code” movie. On Saturday night my son Stephen and I went to it and had a grand time. Earlier in the day I had another “DaVinci” experience down in New Albany, IN. A not so grand time…

Tortuga fielded 5 for the Cat 1/2/3 race at the DaVinci Criterium on the downtown streets of this riverside community across from Louisville. Had the bridge crossing the Ohio had a draw to it, we should have hoisted it up, as the Huns from Louisville came across to Indiana and smacked us around silly. Texas Roadhouse reminded everyone that they are the force to be reckoned with in our racing world, as they swept 3 of the top 5 spots in the main event. POD led the way towing 2 of his own along with 2 Dogfish, 1 Nuvo, and others I cannot remember in an attack just several laps into the race. Steve Spanbauer bridged to make it that much more formidable. The break that formed from POD’s charge lapped the field with plenty left on the clock. In typical O’Donnell fashion, Patrick attacked the break as they integrated into the pack. A hard effort by Spanbauer and his Papa Johns mates brought back the attack and things stayed put to the end. The end, of course, was POD winning with Harry Clark in 4th and CT in 5th. Geez, I feel like I’m doing a race report for TRH…

Tortuga? The top turtle was yours truly in 17th place… Ugly, plain ugly…For those number crunchers out there, my HRM data showed an average speed of 25.5 mph on this 8 turn, 0.7 mile course – and that’s me hanging on in the 2nd group that had been lapped…BTW – 40 started, 20 finished. Tough race, folks.

I know my mates are disappointed in their own and the team’s performance. Perhaps the silver lining in the cloud would be that it’s used as a motivator. Most will tell you that a course such as DaVinci can give even the best rider a bad day…Easy said by someone who finished 17th…

Monrovia TT – Sunday

Clearly feeling the need to punish myself for Saturday’s misdeeds (no excuse for us not being in the break), I ventured to Monrovia to do my first 40K TT this season. Like a surfer searching for the perfect wave, a quick check of the weather Saturday night showed that conditions for Sunday morning’s event were quite promising. Getting up early was easier knowing the drive was a mere 40 mins vs. 2 hrs to my alternative event, the DaVinci RR. Arriving at Monrovia HS there were far less riders than I expected. I believe 15 in total took part, including Tortuga Cat 3 Adam Fryska. Friskie’s virgin ride in the Monrovia series earned him a nice sub hour time of 59:56(?), just sneaking in for an IRS t-shirt. Nice job, Adam! Low time of the day went to Kurt Spoerle, who put in a PR and the fastest time in a good couple of years at 52:54. Man, that’s fast. I ended up with a 56:15 – I’ll take it considering the efforts from Saturday’s race and the sneaking wind that showed up right at the start. I’ll continue to search for the perfect wave…

– CJK