Superior Morgual Classic Weekend

This past weekend was the Superior Morgual Classic, it was one stage less this year, but featured a hard crit on Saturday and the famous Morgual Bismark RR on Sunday.  We had guys racing in the 35 plus, the 45 plus and 55 plus fields.  The sum total for the weekend was 1 crit win, 1 RR win, a 1st overall, a 2nd overall and a 3rd overall.  Here are race reports from each team.

35 Plus Race Report

The 35 Plus men were ready to rumble after a strong team win the prior weekend.  They came with a big team for the crit and expected an aggressive race, but the strong teams (Vic's, Map My Ride, Rio, and Westside) combined with high winds made for a group finish. As a result the guys worked to set up Dan and he delivered the win, coming off of ex US Pro Champ Eddy Gragus's wheel, with plenty of time to pound his chest, with the announcer calling it a Gorilla pounding!  Matt Gates took 6th to score some good points and Marc took 11th as well to give the guys the team lead

The RR started well with Dan in the Pink Leader Jersey (looking just like Contador..........), but the pace got hot the very first time up the wall.  From there the make it or break it lap was the 3rd trip up the wall when strongmen Jeff Hartman, Westside, and Paul Espoiti, Map My Ride/Scion, put in a surge that few could follow.  Matt Gates went deep and made the 4 man front group which was a feat.  Unfortunately he did not fully recover and got dropped out of the winning move later in the lap.  As is too often the case once the winning move goes things got negative and all people wanted to do was chase everything down.  So the Matts and Marc eventually stopped trying to attack or chase and waited to the final time up the wall.  Matt Gates again rode strong and took 5th on the day to get 3rd overall for the weekend, with Matt Segur and Marc not too far behind.

45 Plus Race Report

The Masters 45+ team had some good stage placings at the crit and at the road race, enabling a Mix1 one rider to finish 2nd in the overall Omnium competition.

Teamwork at the crit on Saturday enabled Peter Ismert of Mix1 to sneak around the finishing pack for a 4th place finish.  Other Mix1 riders who worked hard during the race to bring in breakaways, or get into breaks,
finished well within the top 20 to earn team points for the weekend.  With a strong lead by teammate Henrik Pederson, Ismert was also able to win a points prime early in the crit, which boosted him to second overall in the Omnium after the crit.

At the road race on Sunday, teamwork again prevailed for a good finish.  The rider who had the highest points from the crit didn't race in the road race, leaving Ismert as the points leader at the start of the race.  The points were so close among the top 5 riders, getting a win at the road race was imperative for the overall Omnium victory.  The Mix1 team protected Ismert from the start to maintain good position for matching attacks and for going into the climbs.  Each time up "the Wall", Dennis Farrell from BCV-Scion easily led the race to the top.  Ismert new his best bet to win on the last climb was to rely on his teammates for help and to save his energy by allowing Farrell to cover attacks and hope other riders didn't get away.  In the end, Farrell proved too strong and won the drag race up "the Wall" to the finish. A strong Gary Sharp from Real ID-Amgen got second, with Ismert third.  Mix1's Chris Leggere finished a strong 8th and was there to pace Ismert up the "the Wall" on each lap.  With the team's efforts, Mix1 got Ismert in 2nd for the overall Omnium competition.

55 Plus Race Report (written by Bill Kelligher in the first hand)

In Saturday's criterium, there were many primes so I counter attacked each time there was a prime. It was a good idea, but nothing stuck.  There was some fun racing though including some full on handlebar bashing with a certain gladiator from Natural Grocers.  The Vic's guys prevailed in the end.  They got their field sprint and Steve Worley took the win.  Steve is coming into form for track nationals and he did a exceptional sprint, just holding off Glenn Winkle, and me about a length back in 3rd.  Steve B came in a creditable 9th after riding sweep for me in the lead-up to the sprint.  He did some handlebar banging of his own keeping that gladiator guy off of my wheel. 

The road race for us was only 2 laps, 3 times up the wall for 27 miles, so what for everyone else was an epic road race, for us, was once again a battle with the Vic's guys who were working for a field sprint.  For me, thinking I didn't have the form to dominate such a short race, I decided to more or less take what they would give me.  So the first lap, I just sat in and as a result, we just rode tempo around the course.  Once we got to Marshal Rd, Geoff Cooper one of the Pro Peloton guys launched, and since he didn't do so well in the crit

By the time we headed up the Wall the 2nd time, things got a little perkier.  Hard tempo pared the front group down to 9 guys.  Then I gave it a go on the Feed Hill.  I got away an built up a healthy 30 second lead by time we hit 93, but a determined chase by the Vic's guys brought me back about half way up Marshal Rd.  From that point on, there were lots of jumps and attempts to get away, but the Vic's guys were determined to bring everything back and we arrived at the base of the Wall with those same 9 or 10 guys.  There was a vicious surge up the first part of hill but from the past I knew you didn't want to launch your sprint too early so I waited and waited, and with about 70 meters to go I launched my sprint coming around the guy who had led us our form the base of the hill.  Just then I noticed that the rider up ahead going very slowly was none other than Geoff Cooper, our solo break-away.  Holy Smokes!! Dig, dig, dig, I think I can, I think I can, dig, dig, Grrrrr!  Got him!!!  Right on the line!  I won the race by about a foot.   Phew, sometimes you need a little luck.  Turns out Geoff had no idea that we were coming up from behind on him and was just cruising in to the finish. 

And speaking of luck, the other half of the team wasn't quite so lucky.  Steve flatted about halfway through the second lap. After riding the flat tire for several miles, he managed to beg a wheel from a spectator and still finished the race.