2009 Iowa Bike Racing Schedule

If you haven't noticed, the 2009 Bike racing schedule is posted, check it out:
Bike Iowa Schedule

Some positives:

1) Iowa City Time Trial Series. Barry Carter is putting on 3 TT's, one a month. Awesome, that will be great motivation for me to continue where I left off with last season's successuful TT racing.

2) Rasmussen's Death Squad is putting on a race weekend in Des Moines. Not sure I will make the drive, but good to see that team putting together some racing this year.

3) Cedar Rapids Criterium. Cool, a great town, centrally located, that could end up being a very well recieved event.

4) No Single Speed Championships listed... I don't race that, not sure what it is or why it exists, so won't have to miss out on more medal opportunities. I noticed that most single speed racers at last years champs were bike shop owners and/or employees... hmm, interesting?

5) Gravel Road Race Championships... Ok, I don't know what that is either, but I imagine I can just hop on my cyclocross bike, slip around on back county roads and win some sort of medal. I would much rather have a RR in early september, but maybe racing on gravel is similar enough to still make my racing calendar.

Some negatives:

1) The roller races are all in Central or North Iowa except for Muscatine and Cedar Rapids. I miss the Quad Cities and Iowa City options. Oh well, I will still go to at least three, otherwise it is a long, raceless winter.

2) DICE Road/Circuit races gone... Crap! Doesn't look like we will have the Scott Co. Park series or Hummer Hammer this year. There is still time guys, come on, somebody step up and fill Mike Z.'s shoes. Luckily, I know they put on two TT's and one RR in Illinois, just across the river thanks to Donnie Miller, but perhaps they can still be persuaded to do an Iowa circuit race or two?

3) Two Bee Racing... Yep, it's over, Conn is putting on kent park but the rest of the races aren't listed. That means about 30 or 40 races aren't on this year's calendar. That will definately make it harder for me to be competitive, since I relied on those as 'training races' and a source of michelob ultra and brownies.

4) Iowa City Criterium Champs... No one has stepped up to take that over from the former Pella team. I hope that doesn't end up in Des Moines or west Iowa. With Two Bee races gone and DICE racing limited, my race calendar is getting more and more travel oriented. Maybe I can put on a criterium in August? QC has a crit in Illinois, but how great would it be to have the State Champ Crit in Davenport or Bettendor Iowa? Maybe that Hummer Hammer race?

Actually, I imagine the 2009 calendar is still tentative, as spring fever is bound to inspire a few more races. No DICE cyclocross races are even listed, so unless that team is disbanding, I imagine they are still yet to plan their 2009 race calendar. In the meantime they are putting on an awesome series of races this fall, good job.

Heading to bettenforf, hopefully twice this weekend to race cyclocross. My fitness slips just a bit each week, so luckily there are only two more weeks left. I am at a severe disadvantage toward the end of the racing season, because I don't ride outside at all, except to race. Doesn't mean I am not in good shape, just means I have to keep my goals realistic for late fall racing.