Four to go

It is late in the year, but there is still a lot of bike racing going on...regionally too. So here is the schedule:

September 7th, Priority Health Ann Arbor Classic Criterium
Race website
Next weekend should be pretty awesome. Usually trips up to see the wife's family involve too much food and lethargic activities. This coming weekend is going to be badass. Saturday we go see Michigan try to redeem itself against Miami of Ohio and then on Sunday I see how I measure up against the Midwest 2/3s in the crit. I was talking to teammate Andy (he's from Michigan) about the kind of talent up there and how they measure up to the Mid Atlantic, and it sounds like it is going to be a really tough race. The course looks challenging and any race with 2s in it is hard. We'll see how it goes. Fitness feels pretty good at this point. I figure I'll ride smart, yet aggressive, and see if I can sneak myself into a break that stays away...or set up for the sprint (which I wouldn't prefer as I'm discovering I'm not much of a sprinter). Really, just be around at the right times in the right place...isn't that the core rule of bike racing?

September 13th, Giro de Coppi Road Race
Coppi's website
I was on the waiting list for this one. Originally this race opened up when my arm was broken, and I thought the season was over, so I didn't sign up for it. When everything healed up and they moved the race back to September, I figured...well, maybe I will do it. Got on the wait list and then go in..sweet. This one is the Road Race championships...hmmm...how cool would that be, right? Problem there is the distance I think. Racing for 50 miles may be a bit much at this point. The only other road races I've done was Walkersville as a 5 two years ago and Jeff Cup as a 4 last race season...Walkersville was a joke as we rode around for 40 miles at 18mph and then sprinted the last 200 meters. Jeff Cup hurt me bad for some reason and left a mental block on road races that I don't think I've gotten over yet. Not sure why. I really like crits. I REALLY like them, but maybe I'd be into the longer stuff to if I tried again. We'll see after this one. We should have a pretty good team and have already started talking strategy...so for you other teams out there, be prepared because we don't want another Hagerstown again, do we?? ;)

September 14th, Turkey Day Circuit
Race Flyer
This race is a blast and I've had a lot of fun each year I do it. End of the season, everybody is having fun, and there are a bunch of flyers with a nice long sprint in the end. The course itself isn't anything to write home to mom about, but still fun...plus we'll have a lot of guys in it to cause aggravation for everybody else.

September 21st, Capital Criterium
Race website
First year criterium, dowtown DC, 1/2/3 race, and a technical course? This has all the makings of a super sufferfest. I was talking to Michael Githens (who by the way is an animal) and it sounds like the elite guys are doing the Pro race as opposed to the 1/2/3. The cool part about that is seeing our local boys giving it their all against the national pros that come into town. Seeing The Muscle banging it out at CSC against Magnus and the rest of the Elite pros was inspirational and made a lot of us proud to see one of our own doing so well at such an elite level. How cool a nickname is "The Muscle". I'll probably get something like "The Achilles", still awesome...but not nearly as cool. Anyway, this race I hope to finish and just be smart about placement...cause this is going to be one of those that if you're gapped, you're gone.

That's enough...cheers y'all.