2011 Monson and Sons Pro/1/2 Road Race(BikesBluesBBQ)



2011 American Equity Team at the Surf Ballroom before the start of the Road Race - Chad Bishop, Paul Deninger,
Carson Christen, JJ Bailey, Lou Waugaman, Jeff Bradley, & Matt Zimmer



Rolling out to start the Men's Pro/1/2 event. The day was a bit dreary, as we headed off on our 81 mile journey,
but riders were excited to realize the experience.

Rounding one of the corners.  There wasn't much wind, so not too much concern each time we changed directions.
There was a small crash during the first turn, due to the wet roads early on, but otherwise smooth sailing.

The 'Early Morning Breakaway'...  This move doesn't usually work, but seems to be a given in most road races.  Sometime after this one was caught,  Domestic Pro Tom Zirbel rolled out on a solo breakaway that the group let dangle until the end of the race. His perspective is captured on his blog... very interesting.  I agree with him that the field was a bit timid, which made the race mostly uneventful ("Waiting and reacting rather than racing").   I think the group mentality for some of us, was to respect the strength of the Pros, therefore "waiting" for them to make the moves.

I truly do love road racing and the people you meet.  I personally know everyone in this picture and can say that they are
great people. This picture includes a nice cluster of Iowa riders from American Equity, Mercy-Specialized, Atlas, and
Bikes2You/World of Bikes. 

 

The finishing stretch started out just how I like it, with lots of strung out attacks and single file groups forming.
I got a good feeling about where I was going to end up, as I seemed to have a lot left in the tank.  Unfortunately, the group ended up hitting the brakes and this wall of riders formed.  I quickly found myself on the wrong side of the pack.
 I pedalled through, however, looking for any holes in the field that I could use to advance my result, which ended up being 25th out 56. 

 

UCI Domestic Pro Gregg Brandt of Kenda/5-Hour Energy won the sprint, with  Iowa Pro Nick Frey (Jamis Sutter Home) coming in third.  Jeff Bradley (American Equity) represented our team well with a 5th place finish.

This is always a pleasant race weekend and worth the extra effort necessary to attend.  Currently, I am enjoying training much more than racing, but I imagine that will change depending on the nature of the challenge.  2011 Monson & Sons Race Weekend Results (Pro/1/2). 

The American Equity Team had some nice results at the road race, with everyone except me placing in the money (Great job guys!).  I never really got to get off the bench, so-to-speak, which left me feeling a little empty as I headed for the car immediately after the event, and raced back to hang out with my son. After some insightful reflection, which included analyzing the results, I feel content with the experience and already preparing for the next event.

PRO/1/2 CRITERIUM
This event has grown over the years and is even starting to attract some domestic Pros.  While this is inspiring to some, my initial thoughts were something to the effect of "What did I get myself in to this time?" as I heard about some of the guys who I'd be racing against.  That's all she wrote for my race... once I psyche myself out, it's all over.  Luckily, I can hide from my SELF if the race circumstances are just right.  Flat 8 corner crits against regional pros are not one of those race circumstances.  Dang.

Great event, and well attended/organized. Teammate Paul Deninger was the star of the day for American Equity, with a very impressive 12th place finish (and a Bronze Medal!).  I also enjoyed watching 2 fellow Iowa riders from Bikes2You/WOB take on the Pros (Nick Frey,Zirbel, Brandt, Lemieux, etc.) as they made the breakaway and held on to the end taking the Gold and Silver Iowa State Crit Medals.  Last year's winner Brandon Krawczyk made the podium as well.