Blog

Written by Andrew Einspanier

As part of the UW contingent, I have been busy racing all spring for the #WiscoShredSquad, but

now that collegiate season is over I am excited to join my KS Energy teammates for some WCA

racing! This weekend Brian, Spencer, and I decided to tackle the NEW Omnium in Menasha

which featured a time trial and two criteriums.

First up was the 8:00am time trial which was a flat course with some headwind sections and a 30

second uphill finish. I put my head down and accepted my fate as a suffer zombie for the next

17.5 minutes. I pushed hard on the hills and headwind sections, using the slight downhills to

recover. My time was good enough for a 1st place finish, putting me in the lead for the overall

category 3/4 weekend omnium.

Saturday’s criterium was a tight, technical 6-corner course with a downhill final turn and a

tailwind sprint finish. As a newer racer, I have moments where I surprise myself with my own

idiocy. For some reason, I decided that I was going to sprint for every single preme. This was a

stupid idea because it tired me out for the final portion of the race and was not a good use of my

energy considering that I was racing for the omnium win. Luckily, I came away with the omnium

points preme however was not successful in any of the other preme sprints. Every sprint played

out in a similar pattern that I was somehow not able to recognize until after the race – someone

would attack on the downhill section, go into the final turn with more speed than me, and I

wouldn’t be able to close the gap. However, other racers were able to realize this tactic and used

it in the final sprint. The eventual winner attacked on the downhill and I put myself in a position

where I was not able to cover him. I came in 3rd for the race and was tied for 1st in the overall

omnium.

However, the advantage of being a category 3 moron is that sometimes you get to race twice in

one day. This gave me the opportunity to employ what I had learned in the earlier race to help

Spencer and Brian in the 1/2/3 crit. After a few initial attacks within the first 20 minutes of the

race, Eric Hill and Dan Teaters eventually broke away. Brian had done a lot of work in the first

part of the race and did not feel very good, so he was unable to continue the race after the first

chaotic portion. With only Spencer, I, and a disorganized peloton to chase, we decided that since

neither Dan or Eric were participating in the omnium competition that we should conserve our

energy for the rest of the race and race for the omnium win. Plus, Eric and Dan were really

throttling the gas and working really well together so we probably couldn’t have pulled them

back anyways. Eventually, the two of them lapped the field and I stuck on Eric’s wheel for the

final sprint with Spencer lined up on my wheel. Spencer came around me and we finished 3rd and

4th on the day! Spencer finished the day 2nd in the omnium by 1 point to David Blodgett.

 

Sunday’s criterium was a flat, windy course with 2 corners and 1 sweeping turn. I went into the

race tied for 1st place in the omnium. Having learned from my mistakes in Saturday’s crit, I

decided that I was only going to go for the omnium points sprint so that I could be fresh for the

finish. In the points preme, I came in 2nd to the rider I was tied with for the overall omnium,

which pushed me back to 2nd overall in the omnium. After reeling in a late-race breakaway, it

was clear that the finish was going to come down to a field sprint. I jumped early in a crosswind

section, but was overtaken in the final turn by the eventual winner and I finished 2nd in the race.

Luckily, I beat my omnium competitor in the finish and was able to secure the overall omnium

win!

With Spencer 1 point down from David Blodgett in the overall omnium competition, Brian and I

had 1 job: Deliver Spencer to the final corner in a good position for the points sprint and the race

finish. After leading out Spencer for the initial points sprint, Brian and I were unable to catch

back onto the group as the 5 sprint contenders began working very well together to form a

breakaway. Brian and I were both very tired from the weekend’s events and it was clear that we

did not have enough energy to catch back onto the group, so we rode tempo with another rider

and hoped for the break to lap us so that we could help Spencer in the final part of the race.

Lucky for us, the break lapped up with 2 to go and Brian went to the front to established a pace

high enough to keep organization within the group. I took to the front at the 2nd-to-last corner and

emptied myself out for Spencer in a headwind section, delivering the him to the final corner in a

good position. Spencer came in 2nd for the sprint and got the overall omnium win!

May 29, 2017