Quick Wrap-up
Too much to cover and a lot of work to do today.
We finally got our chance for cake during the last crit of Fall Fling. In the end, when you're a cat 4, cake is all that matters.
We went into the last crit with a formidable team. The fact that it was the last crit of the season and that we had a rider going for overall (Timmyquest) meant we could have some fun.
MJH2, RR, Myself, and Eric were to have all the fun we could. MJH and myself were to attack early and hard just for poops and giggles. If anyone burned some calories following us then so be it. If there were any primes it was MJH that was going to be the man.
Then RR, MJH and Myself were to block, cover moves, etc. as necessary in support.
Raviv and Justin were to protect Timmyquest. Raviv marked Whiple...and marked him hard. Justin rode for TQ - always within arms length.
Simply the races had been too slow in this series so far. Leading to too many people in the final sprint who didn't belong (myself included). We wanted to ratchet it up and shed some of the less fit in hopes of delivering TQ to the final sprint with hopefully a smaller crowd.
Eric was our hidden card. The guy has a engine. Typical "Try"-athlete in that he can sit alone off the front and just power all day long. It's hard as hell to hold his wheel. We talked before the race and deided to use him twice - First time about 15 minutes in. He would hit it hard and fast with the intent of coming back to the pack to recover then to launch again in another 10 mintues.
Well early on it was nice. I was 3rd or 4th wheel for the first lap or two. We had been going kind of hard and I could see people struggling. I was second wheel when the guy pulling pulled off shattered and everyone was hurting. I decided it was time for me to give it a go....so I did. I went coming out of the crosswind section when people were still getting a feel for the tailwind and the gearing to use. I nailed it and got a substantial gap. I looked down and was going something like 33-35 up into the traffic circle on the back side.
I just don't have the engine and everyone knows that but it was fun and it did keep the higher pace on in the pack. I didn't make it a lap.....meh
Next MJH nailed it when I got back. Great move and kept the pace up as people wanted to relax. Then there were a few other attacks. There had just been a big one that was coming back and everyone was hurting and still inthe headwind. I looked for Eric to go, but he held on. It was only 10 minutes in.
At the pre-decided time Eric went. Man he went. He ended up out there and looking good. Someon joined him then myself and RR and MJH took turns going to the front and either disrupting the pace or blocking. Nothing overt, hell I even told one guy flat out when he looked for me to pull through - "I gotta guy in the break. I'm not going to work."
He stayed away for a long time. A few riders bridged up to him, but as they kind of gave up the ghost in the break and started coming back Eric hit the gas again...attacking the break. Fabulous.
Keep your eye on Eric folks. He's a tremendous talent.
Well not too long after that they announced the cake prime. That had us written all over it. As we rolled around to the line I looked up to see Eric and those away coming back into the fold. We actually had a chance to sprint for the prime. As I was thinking that a guy behind me said, "someone has to sprint for this thing."
Like a douche I went. He jumped on my wheel and came around me easily. I didn't get the cake, and MJH says I ended up boxing him in - not my intent.
BTW - ABD - cake - great touch! I propose that there always be a cake prime in Cat 4 races. Let it be known that cat 4 is the cake cat.
Everything else worked out. Raviv had marked Whiple HARD. You'd have to ask him if it made a difference but I think it did. Raviv said Whiple ended up in the wind a ton because of it.
We served Tim up to the sprint and he took it over Whiple at the line winning the series and the final race. All were in agreement it was the most fun crit we have ever raced. It was definitely the best example we had of deploying team tactics.
i was off and in the car to dekalb. I changed and refueled along the way. When we pulled in I jumped out of the car and grabbed the bike offthe back. I rolled up and into the grid just in time for a good position. Perfect timing.
The start was great. I love physical racing. I got a decent one considering. Muscled a few guys out of the way and ran over at least one guy on the ground (his bike...not him). From there my legs just kind of looked at me with a big "FU" look. I was feeling the crit.
I slowly lost every position I gained on the start. Pretty soon I was racing alone. That course was long. Too long if you ask me. I did poorly but to be honest I just don't feel like 30 minutes is a long enough race anymore. My engine just doesn't get going until about 20 minutes in. If I had another 10 minutes I might have picked up 1 or 2 riders but I would probably also had been lapped....
Totally poor performance from me, but about what was to be expected with all the racing I had done in the previous 2 days.
So....now it's cross all the time. I saw Slim_77 and Beverly Bob in the 4b's. Bob is sandbagging it for sure. He should be in the a's - suffering at the back with me. Slim_77 - if he gets addicted, should also be in the a's just simply due to his stellar fitness.
Supergirl made and appearance as well. The wrist is still not 100% and 'she' claims she can't race yet.....but I believe there was a sighting on the course during the 4b's. I could be mistaken though 
. Too bad part of being a superhero includes a secret identity.
I high-tailed it out of there and got back...ate some pizza and had 2 beers and passed out. Waking up in time to go to work this morning.
Tonight - wheels, running, weights. Tomorrow...cross ride.
Sherman….I heard he destroyed a bunch of stuff?
When you wake up at 4am to make a bike race but have a hard time getting up at 6am for work...that's when you know you're a roadie. Saturday marked just such an occassion. For the first time we 'burbers had to wake at the butt crack of dawn to slog our way into the city for a race. I had heard so many people complain about the neighborhood that the Sherman Park crit was in that I anticipated the worst. I was sadly disappointed. It was fine.
That same kind of talk kept a lot of people away from the Lansing cyclocross race last fall too. That's just sad. Oh well.
Under the calming blue flash of the light on top of the security camera I parked my car and began the process of pre-race routine - pick up my number, BS with everyone I see, engage in nervous chit-chat, visit the facilities about 5 times, suit up, pre-ride, discuss tactics doomed to failure in the heat of the moment, warm up, tell everyone I suck and am not ready, and then toe the line.
The Sherman Park Crit was a race put on by xXx. That would be the black and white armada of Chicago cycling. Pretty much in every race its usually xXx and everyone else. This being their race, in the city, etc it was fair to guess the fields would be slanted their way in terms of sheer numbers. How does of 50% of the field sound. Yup. *sigh* Thank God there are some pretty cool guys on the team. 
Our 5's toe'd the line looking like the crew out of Resevoir DOgs. http://chicagopersonalphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/8527131_zBZDY#563614020_g9Drd-XL-LB
We like to refer to ourselves as the fatest team in Chicago racing.
We watched the 5's rollout and then went to continue warming up. We got back in time to see TQ win in the sprint as I was putting my wheels in the pit. 2 wins and a 2nd in his last 3 races. Nice.
After that we rolled up. This was Joel's first USAC race as a 4. It was him, Riccio and myself. I was feeling VERY strong. Haven't been that confident in a while. As we were lined up we got a safety lecture in typical xXx fashion. It was a memorial race as well so we all took a moment of silence. I remember reading about the guy it was for when he died at Matteson last year. I took that time to think about my coworker who was killed while riding a few years back. That's when the rain started falling.
Fast, flat, no-corner crit protected from most of the wind....and it's raining...you KNEW there was going to be a wreck. We started out pretty gingerly. Nothing major. The pace of the race was really fairly easy for most of it but it became a race of position. As water started to pool and rooster tails started throwing sand and mud on you each lap got a little more dicey, a little colder, and a little faster.
I found I kept getting boxed in on the inside. I was always on someone's wheel when they popped and started floating back. It sucked. I had the juice but couldn't turn it loose. A couple of times I thought of attacking just so I could ride at my pace, but I knew that was suicide on this course.
I saw Joel wanting to jump on a few moves. I told him before the race to sit in. Nothing was going to get away. He knew that already but his instinct is to pounce. I yelled his name once when I saw him move for the kill and he sat up. The move came back a few seconds later too. I don't really like giving Joel advice much anymore because only he knows what he can and can't do...and right now there isn't much he can't do. I just get frustrated when I see him waste energy he doesn't need to waste...and yet it hasn't affected his riding yet.
Due to poor positioning I was always about 5 riders behind Joel. Riccio was always behind or next to me as well. I saw Joel sit up and start coasting back. As soon as the rain started to really dump on us the flats started. Joel had one. I floated back with him to talk to him. He looked ready to throw in the towell. I told him to get to the pit, take a lap and use my wheels - I brought them for the team. I said I would pace him back up....
....yeah....fog of race there. It took me a bit to realize that with a free lap he didn't need pacing back up. Now I was OTB for no good reason. Ooops. I quickly chased back on and was fine. I yelled to our guys in the crowd that Joel had a flat in hopes they would watch over him in the pit and yell advice if he needed it.
Next thing I knew he was back in the mix. Mission accomplished.
After that I found that I was getting covered in sand. Especially in my eyes. It was horrible. I couldn't see crap. At times your were riding by feel. You could sense where the other riders were and just tried to maintain your position with respect to them. We could have ridden off the course and into the lake and no one would have stopped it. The yelling slowed as everyone got colder and more miserable.
I got sick of my position and finally got a couple of good looks outside as the pace finally picked up. I used it as an opportunity to ride to the front. I would get on Joel's wheel and then next thing you know I would be back in the middle of the pack again. Suck.
I finally heard "2 to go" as we came over the line. Up to then I couldn't see the cards - wasn't looking honestly - and couldn't see my timer. i was shocked that was all we had left. I had the gas so now I was looking for position. I didn't want to push anything in these conditions so I was kind of waiting for some opportunities.
As we came around - heading towards the line to take the bell it happened. It was a chain reaction. Two guys pinched each other out. They hit and the sound of them hitting set it off. It was like everyone was waiting for the wreck to happen so when they heard it they freaked, hit the breaks, and all hell broke loose.
I have found that when I get into these situations I have this weird sixth sense that allows me to get through. I don't think much about it my body just does stuff. I made it all the way through everything - and it was ugly. I was thinking I was going over the bars for sure. I was just about clear when a rider on the ground slid into my line. I rode up and over the bike t-boning his chainring with my front tire. *PSSSSSsssssss*!! SUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCKKK!
I was out for sure. No injuries - for that I was happy. I surveyed the mass of bodies on the deck. The yelling, swearing, walking wounded, bike throwing, etc. I almost wanted to laugh at how serious some of us cat 4's take this stuff. It's bike racing. I yelled, "everyone who can get up - do it and get off the course. they'll be coming through again. Fast." I then thought I could get back into it because I had wheels in the pit. I rode my flat clincher (don't ask) all the way back. Before hitting the pit I realized that on the bell lap that pit was going to be closed. Oh well. Turns out joel had taken my front wheel anyway.
"Is the wheel pit still open?"
"Sunnuva..." - check out the flat front...
Riccio came in after me. Covered in head to toe in mulch and mud. he looked like he had just stepped out of Paris-Roubaix. Turns out he went cyclocrossing and was clear until the last second when someone smacked him at full speed from behind. Then he hit a tree. Ouch.
We were able to watch the end from the pit. We looked up in time to see Joel outsprint Slim_77 for the win. NIIIIIIiiice. Joel won't be long for the 4's. I told him when he started he was only going to be limited by the time he was able to put into this sport. I still stand by that.
So....we won both of the first races. I was registered for the Masters but honestly I felt like I had already pressed my luck and torn up enough equipment. I was anxious to head home and kiss the family. The two winners hit the town and lit up my phone with drunk text messages all night. You lightweights.
Still....we're the working man's team. The fatest team in Chicago racing. ...can't wait until cross.
-pictures from Mark Keller