Post date: Apr 06, 2011 1:28:8 AM
I almost didn’t go this weekend. I have a dumb achilles injury that has proven really hard to overcome, and I thought it would keep me off the bike. I’m glad I ended up racing, though. The crit course at Marian was really good. It was fast, technical, and challenging. Ian and I were mixing with the front pack for most of the race, cheering each other on and giving advice. I caught my breath long enough to scream “go faster!” just before he got second on one of the primes. I pulled for about a lap and a half of the total race, but I was feeling really good. Rounding the last few corners, Ian shouted from behind that I should accelerate. I sprinted down the descent and up the last climb, passing 8 or so riders, leaned the bike hard into the chicane, and crossed the finish line in first place, with a Marian rider firmly in second and Ian a few spaces back, in 6th. It was an incredible feeling, and I’m really glad I got a win under my bibs before graduating.
The team time trial and road race were the next day. There isn’t much to say about the TTT. There were a couple of killer hills, and a pretty gnarly headwind. We worked super hard, and with the help of an incredible sprint from Brian out of the last corner, we took first in the D category by 1.5 minutes.
The road race was pretty epic. The course had it all. There were steep climbs, fast descents, plenty of gravel and potholes, and a portion that combined all these elements with a direct 25mph headwind. It took a lot to pull, and we stayed away from the front. Peter, Ian, and I spent the first ¾ of the race with the lead pack, but fell off the back on the part of the course where the wind was the worst. At this point, Ian and I decided to chase the group, even though they were rapidly disappearing. We waited until the last descent to make a move, and did a full sprint down the hill and up the climb with just enough to grab back on to the rear of the pack. We even brought a Michigan rider with us. The finish was at the end of a mean uphill, and we fought for position. There are probably some really good photos out there of IIT pain face. I finished 9, Ian got 10 and Peter took 14th. It was an incredible weekend for Illinois Tech Cycling.