This past week the team and I took off the Fort Collins, Colorado once again for Collegiate Road Nationals. Glenn Silver and David Tupper returned as chaperones after a two year hiatus, reviving the atmosphere of the historical 2005 and 2006 national champion teams. In our prerace meeting last week we set some pretty high goals for ourselves, and now looking back, we meet almost every single one. Kendi went 6th in the road race and cleaned up in the criterium with 3 prim sprints and the victory, taking her to 2nd in the Women’s Omnium. All the girls finished in the top 20 in the road race and on Sunday decimated the field by over 1 minute in the Team Time Trial, despite numerous small hiccups along the way. Duncan attacked the main group and finished 9th in the road race, with Colin and Nick sprinting in out for 15 and 17th, getting three in the top 20! The guys did a ton of work to control the race in the criterium and I went 2nd in the bunch sprint for 4th. I really wanted to win the bunch sprint and I think it probably came down to the line I chose in the final corner. Nick and Duncan also came through in the top 25 after Nick did a great lead out. On Sunday, we kept it all very professional. I am really proud of our intensity all the way through the weekend and with the TTT last, we really did a great effort. Everyone did the maximum and we averaged over 28 mph for the 37 minutes. I felt quite good and since I didn’t contribute on Friday, I knew I had to do a big job. It was really fun to drive the pace at the front as we passed the Mesa State team, with our follow motor bike and a few other cars trailing closely. In the final two miles I went to the front and gave everything I could give. Once we got the finish in sight, Nick finished off a wicked long pull (which took us over the penultimate hill), I dug deep and delivered the guys to 600 metres to go. I knew we had given everything and left it all on the road, I came across the line smiling and laughing as I’d seen the three of them, Colin, Duncan and Nick, line up three abreast and charge up the 150 metre finishing climb together. At only 19 seconds behind Furman University, only 7 behind Princeton, both of which have pro riders, we took 3rd and claimed the unofficial men’s D2 Omnium, with 3rd place in the road race and 2nd in the criterium. Wow, I can’t believe this. The women’s team donated 265 points while the men’s side gave 235 to account to a 500 point total, absolute and utter domination, winning by 100 points! Everyone on the team, including our three chaperones: Zac Strode, Glenn Silver and David Tupper equally contributed to our success and should wear those stars and bars jerseys with great pride. Hell of a weekend. Let’s do it again next year!
We need to sign the flag and retire it. This weekend was a lot of firsts, and few lasts for our single senior, Nick Littman.
Women’s Team:
- Team Time Trial National Champions
- Women’s Team Omnium Champions
- National Criterium Champion – Kendi Thomas
Men’s Team:
- Team Time Trial - 3rd
- Men’s Team Omnium Champions
- Criterium – 4th – Ben Chaddock
Team Omnium – 3x National Champions
No comments:
Post a Comment