Elite Cat 3
Day 1: Wapello-Burlington Road Race
Sunny and warm. Wind from the south. Headwind. All systems go. Wheaton all lined up on the front taking in some last minute water and advice, watches the Pro 1/2 field fly by. It feels good to be part of the energy buzzing about for the start of this four-day race weekend. The team is excited to put in some quality race training together and see where our fitness levels are. Race plan: Attack for the first half, then, sit in for the sprint if nothing sticks. Outcome: Attacks went well, nothing took but we did our work. The final sprint was hectic to put in lightly. Looked like a cartoon swarm of bees about the envelope their honey thief. Our man Nick Frye rocked the swarm with a solid top 10.
We ended the day by hanging out and having dinner at Garrrets house. Garretts Mom put out a spagetti spread that some of the guys are still boasting about!! Coach Dave surprised us all with some cool new Clif Bar caps and some really nice Team Wheaton short sleeve shirts. Thanks again to the Team and Clif Bar!
Elite Cat 3
Day 2: Snake Alley Criterium
Wet, tough, and cobbled. If there were a real spring classic of the Midwest, the Snake Alley Criterium in Burlington, Iowa would surely be it.
The day started off beautiful, sunny, and just the right temperature for bike racing. With less than thirty minutes before the Category 3 race started, the clouds that had been slowly gathering above let out a warning shot of rain that was just enough to bring the oils to the surface of the pavement. As riders lined up, there was a collective feeling that the rain was not done yet. Nearly one hundred riders clipped in to one of the most hectic starts to a race ever and unfortunate where the many racers who failed to connect quickly with their pedals. The team came in knowing this well, with plenty of briefings from Coach Dave, and most importantly, very early registrations putting all of them in the first row. The first lap was not for ‘feeling it out’, or ‘getting comfortable’ with the course. It was for getting a gap, establishing a lead, and squeezing an advantage out of the bottle neck that the infamous Snake creates. Just several laps in, the rain picked up again for another fifteen-minute test drizzle.
Most riders did not appreciate this, and slipped tires on the cobbles, losing a pedal stroke here and there to the slick bricks. The wet conditions got the best of David Paquette, better known as Sarge in the last corner of the fast, twisting descent. Fortunately, Sarge escaped with minor road rash and minimal damage. Groupetto’s of five to seven slowly separated and defined themselves, leaving very little opportunity for riders to make significant moves, a phenomenon well known to those who sprinted hard from the start gun. The five remaining Wheaties worked hard to keep the rubber side down, less they opt to lose skin, and kept powering up the climb. ‘The Horse’, Mark Horstmeyer, stared down the snake, and despite putting in a very impressive performance the Snake bit back and he cramped on the climb and withdrew from the race.
A junior rider from Baraboo Sharks put in an impressive attack with just a few laps remaining which stuck, until the lead bunch reeled him back in within the last lap, followed by a solid attack by local Iowan Carson Christen. With the four remaining Wheaties finishing in the top twenty five, and Nicholas Frye sticking in with 6th place, the Wheaton Elite 3 squad displayed excellent skill in one of the most technically and physically difficult races in the Mid-West. Good work guys!
Elite Cat 3
Day 3: Melon City Criterium
Day 3 of the Memorial Day Weekend bike races saw Wheaton line up for the Melon City Criterium in Muscatine, Iowa. Four Wheaton riders, Garrett McAllister, David Paquette, Mark Horstmeyer and Nick Frye, rolled to the start line for the 18 mile race. With only four riders in the race, Wheaton decided to sit back and let the race unfold, rather than attack and ride aggressively as usual. The tempo was high most of the race, but a break never was established, leaving most of the field to fight it out over the last few laps. With roughly 3 laps to go, all four Wheaton riders found themselves at the front of the field, setting tempo. The goal was to set up David and Garrett for strong finishes, and that is exactly what happened. Nick and Mark worked hard on the last few laps and coming into the final climb, David and Garrett surged to position themselves in the top 10. However, the last lap was chaotic, and there were two crashes in the final 200 meters. Coming into the final hairpin turn, a rider went down right in front of Garrett and David, ending Garrett’s day and forcing David into the grass, spoiling his chance at a podium finish. David ended up 9th, and Mark came on strong at the end with a solid 15th place finish. Having already selflessly put in his work for the team, Nick also stopped short to help with Garrett’s crash.
Although the final results were a bit of a disappointment, the Team displayed excellent teamwork and we had the right plans for the day. We are already looking forward to this race in 2010!
Elite Cat 3
Day 4: Rock Island Criterium
The race day had an eerie feeling from the beginning, 50% chance of rain paired with gloomy skies. Coach Dave and the team discussed the weather, tire pressure and some of the concerns about the course. The weather had held out until about 10 minutes before the Cat 3 race, at which time it began to drizzle the roads. The roads were lightly dusted with rain, which didn’t wash off the oil on the road and made for quite an interesting race. Almost from the gun, a group formed at the front of the race and several racers tried several times to separate themselves from the pack. Many riders slid out on the slick roads during the first few laps creating further field splits and the front break began to attack harder. Bryan Folser, having the best positioning for the team, tried several bridging attempts before settling in for a solid pack sprint and a strong 7th place finish.
Weekend Summary and a Huge Thanks!!!
The 4 day experience of racing and traveling together as a unit was an awesome experience for the Cat 3 Development Team. All the support from our Sponsors, Team Wheaton Cycling and Coach Dave gave us the chance to get to know each other and challenge ourselves in some of the hardest and most popular race courses in the country. We came in to the series prepared and everything was super organized. Without all the support, the whole weekend would not have been possible. It was truly an honor to represent the team and our sponsors during the weekends racing. It’s a great start for the upcoming major races of the 2009 season!!
Thanks again,
Team Wheaton Franciscan Category 3 Development Team