Author

Calvin Smythe on Apr 19, 2008

Race name: Menomonee Falls Criterium Race date: Saturday, Apr 19, 2008

Menomonee Falls Criterium: great venue, awesome turnout, fast course equals one fun day.

Loukas and I entered into the 4/5 race early in the day with the attitude of making things happen in the race. For a team of two, I think we did that quite effectively. We attacked off the front, stayed in the top 20 and finished well for the race that had 53 4s and 5s squirrelling their way through the course.

The course was a winding loop with one sharp 90 degree turn about 200 meters from the finish. Great, fast course, with two bumps in elevation that seemed to prove decisive in splitting the 4/5 field down from 53 to about 30 in 2 laps.

Loukas had a great race. He was always in the front group, stayed away from trouble riders, and rode hard. Me, I was just stronger and was able to make up for my mistakes. I was caught behind a crash that happened with 3 laps to go and had to chase back on, moved up through the wind instead of waiting or doing so on the leeward side of the pack, and was at the pack of the finishing pack with 1/4 of a mile to go. This was not the way to win a race, but you race you learn, It's April, so it's better to make the mistakes now than when it really counts.