Gastown

Race report from Canada -eh?

The boys in orange are up in Canada for the remainder of the BC Superweek. The forcast, rain with possible showers mixed in -nice. Ever try riding over wet cobbles at 30 mphs and with a hairpin corner?

Tonight, was the Gastown criterium - 136 guys started maybe 30 finished the 50 lap event. 10 laps into the event, some 20 to 30 guys or so who started on the back where gone. Dougie O was in a 5 man break with Oleg Grishkin of Navigators, Svein Tuft of symmetrics and someone else whos names escapes me. Tuckerman bridge up to the break for the EB. The six worked semi well together, a few of the guys where skipping pulls and I think Dougie noticed that and attacked the group, but was caught, Aaron counters. This split the break group in half. Aaron, Oleg and rider X went up the road while the others where absorbed by the hard chasing bunch.

This break was moving, Aaron was take some long pulls and charging up finishing straight incline driving the break as again one of the break riders was not doing his share of the work. Back in the bunch, Kirk had gone down on the wet slipper course and was making his way to the pits as the field continued to drop guys right and left as the bunch was dead set on bring back the break that was a about 20 seconds up.

As more laps went bys so did more guys mading their way into the pit with torn numbers, flat tires and scuffed equipment from doing the Gastown slip and slide.

Aaron's break was finally caught after a couple of laps, Tuckerman attacked, once caught, Kirk O'Bee countered, that was it - game over, that was the break that would stay; Kirk O'Bee, Svein Tuft and Oleg Griskin. Kirk did a couple more slip and slides -poor guy. The break hit 30 second mark, the hard charging bunch could make time on them . . Brad Fairall, however was able to jump out of the bunch and start making time on the break. After 10 laps or so, he caught them! Now that was impressive.

With 6 laps to go and no more free laps after 5; Svein Tuff crashes out of the break. He was dang lucky that he did it on lap 6 and got back into the race . . . .Tuckerman, not so lucky. With 2 laps to go, his rear wheel went and the pit guys wouldn't give him get a wheel change to finiish. Dang! With so little guys finishing at least he could have placed, even at a lap down do to the "no more free lap rule." -oh well, you win some, you lose some.

After crashing a few times, Kirk hung in there and finished 17th. It was a tough race with the rain and wind so hats off to all NW guys who showed up to race Gastown - Dougie, EvanElken, Johnny Sundt, Chad Nichols, Morgan Schmitt, Brad Payne, Dan Harm, Logan Hunn, Aaron Tuckerman and Kirk Carlsen.

Maybe it will be sunny for the Giro de Burnaby? - One can only hope . . . .now it's off to bed, I have 5 bikes to wash tomorrow.

Cascade saturday and sunday

coming soon

Cascade Crit

So Reeb started it all off with Tree Farm and Dougie. Stayed with them for maybe 7 laps? But Doug and Ryan stayed off the front for almost the entire race collecting A LOT of money. It seemed to be $100 every other lap. Very cool, the crowd was great and making a lot of noise cheering for the 2. Olson and a BMC guy bridged but they were caught with 4 laps to go. Dominguez one the sprint for the W.

Brad had a good ride until he was caught in a crash. Everything came out ok except for the mistory bike blues which went away after a few laps.

Aaron crashed, flatted, and "Crashed" one last time. He was also fighting a bad case of the CBF


Dan's front flatted right in a corner. Needless to say he lost some skin but got back in there on a redline bmx bike and made if a few more laps.


Birthday boy Logan, had a great ride hanging in there till the end.

Really cool to see the Local heros Dougie and Ryan getting the lime light. Look for Ryan to be in the EB tomorrow with Olson, Dougie, and maybe a few more local guys.



Now it is off to cleaning bikes and laundry. DG

Kirk update

This kid is going to give me grey hairs!

Kirk placed 21st today in the road race at US Nationals Championships in the U23 division. That’s two days after being release from the hospital for having a torn lung! He can’t breath deep but everything else is feeling good no sever aches and pains from the door impalement he received on Monday.

Kirk attacked the field and was off the front for a lap when he was brought back to the pack. Kirk spent most of the time on the front of the field driving the pace then a break went and Kirk bridged the two minutes to make it a ten-man breakaway; containing Jenkins, Nordblom, Monteleone, Barton, Peter Salon, Graham Howard (Priority Health), Kirk Carlsen (Rubicon), Alex Welch (Mercy-Specialized), Andrew Dahlheim, and Jim Camut (Cycling Center Power). He was dropped on the final climb and finished 21st. That’s a great finish considering what happened to him on Monday.

He will lay low (right, Kirk) and race the US National Crit Champs on Sunday, where both he and his lung should be feeling 10,000 times better then. He also asked if there was anyone out there who would be willing to take out some stitches for him on Monday, as he will be back in P-Town Monday. Any takers?

Here is our new team van.

State RR and Monday

Sunday
Aaron "acidently got into the EB" again but got schangied by the pink monster. Logan did some damage on the field and Brad cleaned up the pieces. We stopped at ihop on the way home.

Monday
I won the gelato ride by avoiding the double scoop of can't go up hill goodness. Here is an excerpt from Casey and Jamie's adventures at Old Guy PIR.
"Had a rough monday at work..... took it out on the poor guys that thought they could out sprint me.

Jamie is getting fitter by the week!!! He was my leadout machine last night.

Casey"

Brad says I am in the EB today..... we will see about that.
cheers for now.

End of week post

Elk Horn wrap up. road stage 1, 1st Aaron, Kirk 3rd
Time trail. Aaron 2nd
Crit, Brad 2nd
Road Race, Kirk 1st, Aaron 2nd

Brad was nice enough to give me a report on the weedend's racing.

Elkhorn was a good weekend racing for the team, we went there with a few
differnt goals and in the end we got most of them, we picked some good stage
wins and the overall GC, we all rode well as a team helping each other to
get the result they wanted, and each result we got was set up by another
team member, the last stage was good for us as we wnted danger in the EB and
it took a while to go but he was in there and was the strongest in there by
far as they hit the climb he attacked from the bottom and got caught by the
small group left in the bunch with 1 k to go, but we still got 1st and 2nd
but would ob been good if he got the win for 160k out in the front, but we
all drove home happy and tired.

Tuesday. Brad and Dougy spent the day off the front at pir. Brad just got Doug at the line for the w. Not that it matters much but I am sure both of them had done some riding earlier in the day. Brad finished up 190K day. Check out Dougy's stat's on the day.Thanks for tracking that down K.

Wednesday. at this point I kind of feel bad for Dougy. Aaron just barely nipped him at the line for the win. I think that secures the series for him too.

Friday. Dean rides a 10.6 in C-Springs. and is apparently missing some of portland's finest.

Kirk gets 2nd at Fitchburg. and is 12th on gc at the moment. With out any one dominat team (VMG is there with 12 riders) it should be a crap shoot for tomorrow's 100+ hilly day.