Welcome To the A Category

With an average of 27 mph, the 75 minute Regionals criterium was not a joke. This race was fast and furious. The course seemed to eat right through people's tubes as I heard the sharp hiss of a wheel flatting on each lap. Gouges highlighted in florescent chalk could be seen the length of the straight aways. This didn't stop any of us from riding over them. The fast pace mixed with the angled ride across them seemed to protect some of our tubes. As one person flatted, he threw his hand up, directing people around him. One rider between me and the rider escaping the peloton swerved into me, locking his bike to mine by the handlebars. As I held my position, he untangled and turned his front wheel into my front wheel, slicing two of my spokes with his skewer. It was my turn to throw a hand up.

After being pushed back in to the peloton, I was back at it. Most laps I marked Bennet vanderGenugten's wheel. I had seen his mean potential to propel unstoppable break aways. But he was also hanging back. The little breaks that went were futile. Eventually, I too caught one of the gouges in the road. My hand went up for a second time. I ran over to the wheel pit hoping there was at least one more wheel for me to use since I already saw Cory Dubrish grab three wheels from our stash. There was one last back wheel.

As the last lap came, I knew I was in good position. I was the second wheel at the front of the pack. Crossing the start/finish line, adrenaline rushed over my body as the masses of people lining the street cheered. The lead rider peeled off of the front leaving me in the wind and unprepared. I had planned on being in the top five for the last lap but I never planned on being the lead rider. I was caught 0ff guard--I jumped.

Pedaling only about 20 feet off of the front of the peloton, I looked back to see many guys chasing. What the heck was I doing. I ended up slowing down on the hill as I approached the second to last corner. The pack swarmed me and I jumped again to stay with the front half. I ended up getting past a few people but sprinting in the pack to a 23rd place out of 60 riders. Cory Dubrish came out of no where and sprinted for a 4th place. The winner was an old South Lyon Cycle rider, Chris Uberti, who is now with Turin Elite Pro-Development team. What a race.
(check the results page to see other UofM riders' results )