Posted by Dan on 10. March 2010 02:53
The sequel to 2010's Snowball Crit was twice as exciting, twice as crashy and just as warm as the first. Our team showed up in full-force to help set-up the course and contest the C and B races.
Steve Monk (above), Justin, Frank and Dan Ranschaert all lined up for the C race composed of Cat 5s and Juniors. Stated goals prior to the start were as follows: Justin was going to attack from the line, Frank wanted to go after 3 or 4 laps, Steve was shooting for a pack finish and Dan opted not to share his goals, so they are assumed met. After a lap and a half, Justin couldn't wait anymore. He was really hoping for a faster pace so he set one. Frank hopped on his wheel and the two of them opened a healthy gap. The kind of gap that feeds on electrolytes and determination and leaves puddles of lactic acid and a frantic main field as it grows. The two were joined by another rider and possibly a fourth that was sent back to the pack. While changing and preparing for our warm-up, the three of them came sailing by, trying to make sense of the split times they were being given. Wick helpfully told them to "Stop trying to add and just GO GO GO!" And go they did. The three eventually lapped the field. Justin and their third rider moved to the front in preparation for the sprint. Justin took the sprint and Frank casually rolled across the line mid-pack, comfortable with 3rd place. Steve and Dan both finished with the pack. An outstanding race for all four.
Justin, Frank and company.
The B race was arguably less exciting until the bell lap. I've been losing sleep to whatever URI-crud is going around. My lungs feel as though they've been stuffed full of wet cotton that my diaphragm is diligently trying to expel with all its might (to no avail). Disregarding the finest medical training the Navy would give me, I suited up and raced anyway. Wick, Steve Knott and I headed off for 45 minutes of fun in the sun in the third race of the day. Despite my respiratory frailty, the pace seemed a bit slow and I found myself thinking of how to remodel the downstairs bathroom while coasting through the straights and braking in the turns. For the most part, it was your typical Cat 3/4 race - pretty quick, a little sketchy and no one got away. Wick and I chased down the one group that seemed like it had the legs to succeed, though reports from the sidelines indicated they'd broken up and weren't working well together. They were reigned in over the course of a few laps and the rest was pretty quiet. Even after over-exerting myself during the chase, my lungs still felt relatively good. On the bell lap, the jockeying for position began in earnest.
Photo by Kevin Horvath
While the final turn was about 300 meters from the line, the race would be won by one of the first ten people around that turn. In the middle of that turn, I recall being about 20 wheels back with Chris Dinsmore to my left on the outside. Wick was immediately behind him. Though I missed the inciting incident, I did see Chris's bike sit upright and continue to roll to the outside, right into Wick's line who was trying to get by on the outside. Chris was already on his way down and Wick soon joined him. Reports said as many as four went down, but Chris and Wick were the only two left when I made it back around following the sprint (which I completed somewhere in the top 15 - or so I choose to believe). As I made my way back to check on my fallen comrade, the coughing began and didn't quit until after I'd drank roughly 6 bottles of water while sitting in the ER. Wick needed 20 stitches to close up a sucking knee wound and a gaping hole in his elbowflesh.
Photo by Kevin Horvath
Monday, Wick boarded a plane bound for Colorado to go skiing over spring break. We wish him the best of luck and hope he doesn't end up the victim in his own sequel. The rest of Celerity Cycling p/b Fitness Together will be here training, taking advantage of the nice weather, getting ready for the first BAR event of the season - the Dismal Dash Time Trial.
UPDATE:
Lots of pictures uploaded to Flickr:
Lydia's pictures are here
Adam Leopold got a ton of shots of the Womens, Cat 5 and Cat 3/4 races.