Family Alive

Here I am warming up at the Decatur Downtown Criterium while Kristine and Josiah stand nearby.
See more excellent photos in the slideshow here: http://decaturdaily.com/Palmer/bikes_to_web/index.html

Here I am mixing it up with the pros (front right a little blurry with orange glasses).
See more excellent photos in the slideshow here: http://decaturdaily.com/Palmer/bikes_to_web/index.html

This was my second weekend in a row of racing with the pro’s and elite amateurs in fields of 100+ riders. My results weren’t as good as I was hoping for, but it was still exciting racing, and I convinced myself that I could definitely race at this level with the pros. Some more hard racing and training this year and I should be ready for even better results next year! I’ve included my race reports below. We’ve got a few more pictures from our camera that I believe that Kristine is going to post with her take on the weekend in another post.

Sunny King Criterium, Anniston, AL – Saturday, May 5, 2007
Well, it wasn’t the night for me to finish well, but I almost won a $250 prime on the first lap. I attacked on the back side of the course and got a great gap but then came out of my right pedal in Turn 3. I had to coast through the turn with one foot out. I got my foot back in and still had a great gap on the field, but a jittery joe’s rider had bridged up to me. I laid it all out, but he was right on my wheel and came around me at the line for the prime. I got right on his wheel and drafted him around the course.  There was a $100 prime on the third lap and we were still away, but one other guy had bridged up and I ended up getting 2nd on that prime, too. Then I was getting tired but in great position at the front and I started to slide back gradually. Each time I slid back, I was thinking well I’ll just rest for a little bit longer — but pretty soon I was 2/3 of the way to the back of the field. On the backside of the course with the downhill, I was struggling to keep up the pace was between 35 and 37 mph on each lap down the hill and I would have to pedal fast to keep up. Then the pace would be fast up the hill through the start/finish and I just couldn’t find a place to rest on the course so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make it to the end and got dropped after about 30 minutes. Some good exposure for our sponsors, though, off the front and the announcer said my name once or twice.

Read the press release about the race here: http://www.noblestreetfestival.com/press_releases/pr_05062007.htm

Decatur Downtown Criterium, Decatur, AL – Sunday, May 6, 2007
I had a great starting position in the second row. I was in good position for almost the entire race, and I did have to battle somewhat to stay there. Michael Olheiser and a Successful Living.com rider attacked to sprint for the first prime ($250) and they never looked back. I could see them a couple times at the top of the start/finish stretch when we were turning onto the bottom. I was not going to go for any primes as I was focusing on saving up my energy for the finish.

Once they got away, several of the stronger teams tried to launch riders off the front to bridge up. None of these worked because there were just too many people watching each other. One classic example was Colavita Sutter Home. I was sitting in the top 15, and working to stay there when two Colavita riders came flying by on a corner. There was already one Colavita rider at the front so now there were three Colavita riders total at the front. They drove the pace hard across the top stretch and then sat up in Turn 2 as their front man attacked. The bunch didn’t react immediately but then several other teams tried to send riders, too. Abercrombie and Fitch, Jittery Joe’s, and somebody from the Kelly team attacked hard up the right. I thought this looked dangerous so I attacked, too, up the left. About 10 other guys had the same idea so my “attack” turned into a move required just to stay in great position at the front of the pack as we barreled into the downhill Turn 3 going somewhere between 35 and 40 mph.

This process repeated itself over and over in the race. I felt great because I was always able to get a rest on the back stretch of the course and I was also able to pass people consistently on the outside without a ton of effort. If anybody passed me on the hill or in the corners, I would swing wide on Turn 2 and pass them back on the downhill sheltered from the side-wind. I also attacked to stay at the front whenever the pace would start to slow through the start/finish. I made one small mistake, though, that cost me my great position going into the sprint. I was on the tail-end of the Abercombie & Fitch train sitting on Mark Hekman’s wheel with 10 laps to go when somebody at the front sat up. I thought, wow, this is an awesome position right here behind the current series leader so maybe I’ll get a rest and not attack to stay up front. Big mistake. The entire pack surged on either side of where I was sitting and I lost at least 30 positions maybe closer to 40 or 50 positions. It was crazy. On the wide course, there was room for three or four riders on either side and they just streamed on by going maybe 5mph faster than where I was boxed in. Somehow Mark made his way back to the front and still finished in the top 5 for the race, but I had difficulty finding room to pass very many people. I hung on and was able to move up a few positions to finish 45^th.

Crazy move of the day
The crazy move of the day went to a couple riders and a photographer with five laps to go. The whole pack was attacking trying to jockey for position going into Turn 3 at the bottom of the hill. Clearly, we were going way too fast and there just wasn’t enough room so two riders who knew they weren’t going to make it bunny-hopped the curb going 30+mph into the oncoming traffic lanes. There was a photographer standing on the curb that had to scramble out of the way. I think those riders were able to make it back into the race, but they would have been in terrible position by the time they made it around the barriers.

Fight of the day
The fight of the day came between two riders in front of me, also coming into Turn 3, who started out by bumping into each other to get position for the corner. This didn’t make either of them happy so one guy stuck his arm out and shoved the other one – who didn’t budge since he was already leaning into the other guy. He sticks his arm out and shoves back before people (including me) started yelling at them to quit. I thought for sure one or both of them were going to fall right in front of me.

Read the press release about the race here: http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/sports/070507/race.shtml