USPRO Crit Champs:

This turned out to be a bit of a let down for team Health Net. It seems we have hit some bad luck over the last couple of weeks...wrong direction in tour de toona...team crashing out in Charlotte...i guess the bad luck happens in 3's. So it does.

On the Saturday night before the Champs there is a Pro/Am race. Half the Pro distance on the same circuit and twice the number of riders. Its always crazy fast this race because the safest place in this race is at the front. 200 odd riders line up.

I was given a free range for this race and allowed to go on the attack. And I did exactly this. I had great legs. I found myself solo for a couple of laps then in the only very serious break of the night. I was so hopeful of this move sticking that I was lapping through so hard that I was blowing the break to bits. Whoops...I have to remember when in a move only do your share because if the move is destined to stay away it will do so if every team is happy with the combination. As it turned out I was the fastest guy in the break and a number of teams were not happy about their rider going against me to the line...so it all came together.
Team Health Net took control of the race about 3 laps out (3miles). It was the best leadout we have done all year. It was so fast that no other team could even come beside us. I was a little gassed from being up the road all night so elected to be the last guy in the leadout for Karl. I hit it about 600m from the line and delivered what I thought was Karl to 100m before the last corner...unfortunately Ivan Dominguez had grapped my wheel off Karl and he took the win. Karl rocked up for the bronze.
Ivan even came up to me after the race and said thankyou for a text book leadout....haha....just like we did last year but racing on the same team....whoops!

Race Day Sunday...

This is Pro only...10x safer and 100k. We had in the back of minds of trying to get the stars and stripes jersey for our team next year. We had a great chance in this with Kirk Obee in a small break or the young fulla Kyle Gritters in a bunch kick.
The race was pretty tame till half way. Again I could not believe how good my legs were...It seemed like a super easy race to me but after talking to people afterwards it was anything but. I looked after myself most of the race and started following a few moves late in the piece. Nothing was sticking. Kirk was having a blinder and was in every move that went...and if they didnt go...he did...solo. Unfortunatley for him nothing stuck and it came down to a traditional bunch kick. Kyle and I were good to go. Coming into the last lap we had great position thanks to Mike Sayers. Kyle was pinned to my wheel and no one was moving him off it. 500m to go and he yells go...I hit it down the inside from about 6th wheel. I delivered the young fulla to prime real estate entering the last corner. He was 3 or 4th wheel with speed...then disaster...boof down! I heard the crowd go ohhhhhh....i just prayed it wasnt Kyle....no such luck for us. The poor guy went straight over the hay bails. What can you do...he was close....so close to the win...but no such luck. I really believe with the form he has had of late that he would have gone very close to pulling on the US Pro Champion Jersey. I know he will do in the future. He is so young and so talented.

Speaking about someone so young and talented I would like to take this opportunity to wish Gord Fraser a happy retirement. Not so young anymore but always very talented I have raced with Gord for 3 years now and learnt so much from him. One of the most professional athletes on and off the bike and always presents himself fit and healthy and reliable to race.
US Pro was his last race...we had a wee tribute to him the night before the race and he had a large tribute to himself the night after the race...well deserved!
Cheers Gord...Ill be seeing you around no doubt you will sidetrack me at some race for a beer or two.

Next up for this guy will be a race report about my going away party in boulder...then I hit the big bird to fly back to the arms of possum...