Throwing Down at the Lakewood Criterium

I almost always look forward to racing my bike, and you’d think that as a Lakewood resident, member of Team Spin, and employee of the shop, I’d be all about throwing down at the 2nd annual Lakewood Criterium.

Truth is though, I’m really not all that up for it. I haven’t been riding very well the last couple of weeks, and it seems like everyone else I know is having more fun spectating/tailgating the event than I’m going to have getting my arse kicked in it.

It’s our party though, so I pay my money and pin my number to have a crack at it. I haven’t done a ton of criterium racing so far in my bike racing career, but after getting a taste of how hard it can be earlier in the season, I make a few adjustments to my pre-race (like not eating spaghetti 3 hours prior to a really hard crit), and get a long warm-up in.

Roll up, call ups, and the whistle; we’re away. The first couple of laps always seem to be a formality to me, and maybe that’s a mistake because sometimes it’s fast from the gun and I find myself in the back. This isn’t too bad though, and the sweeping corners of the course kept the pace high. Steiner leads out the first lap before having a mechanical problem that forces him to the back, and I follow wheels for a while to see what’s what. Not long after I see a Panther rider and an RGF rider off the front and riding, and decide to try and jump across. I make the bridge, but the move didn’t work out; I’m pretty sure I got played.

We come back, and the counters follow. I go with what I can, and see Mark Gori (Team Spin) up front trying to get into some trouble. A few guys attack and quickly have the mix of a good break. I yell to Mark to jump as I try to get on terms myself. After the dust settles I count three Panther, two RGF, Batke (Carbon), and one other rider in the break (Kevin Henchel I find out after).

We ride, I’m feeling how I thought I would, and take my lumps as best I can. In the end, though, Seitz (Panther) solos, Panther completes the podium, and I’m fifth. Hard race for me, but a better result than I expected to be honest. Showed the gap I need to close, too.

Capped the event on my mate’s lawn post-race with a good beer and better friends. Thanks to Brian and MelissaLimkemann for all their hard work, as well as all the volunteers who donated their time. It was awesome to see the city turn out in support of the event. Lakewood is a pretty good town.