MAY 27, 2010 RACE SUMMARIES
Full Race Results
Women
Six women started the program with a 10-lap scratch race. The field went off at a moderate pace. Three laps in, the pace quickened and racers started looking at each other to see who would go. First was Jennifer Greenberg (Kenda Tire) but Elena Dorr (Verve) reeled her back. Then Bianca Bergman (Texas Road House) and Tara James (behind bars/LGR) upped the pace. With 2 laps to go, Bergman attacked and gained a 15 meter gap. At the bell, Dorr was closing and they were neck and neck through the final turn. Dorr pipped Bergman at the line with James and Emma Bast (GP/Bianchi) bringing up the rest.
The first ArtJersey Queen of the Sprint (QOS) competition for 2010 was a Keirin. Jennifer Greenberg drew the pole position and, when the motor went off at 2½ laps to go, led the field to the bell before succumbing to Dorr’s attack. Dorr’s effort drew Linsey Hamilton (Synergy) and James into the fray with a lap to go. Dorr barely held off Hamilton at the line for the win with James closely following.
A 30-lap scratch race closed the evening for the women. It was a spirited affair for the first half as riders pursued the prime on offer ($60 to the first woman to take a lap). Greenberg and Dorr took off early to test the waters. The field reeled them in quickly, however. Bergman tried with 27 to go and got a 20 meter gap for 3 laps, but no more. Greenberg brought her back into the field. With 22 to go, Hamilton gave it all she had and gained a 20 meter gap for 2 laps but was captured - her strength waning after having just completed the 60-lap Cat 3 Madison. After this last effort, riders settled in for the final sprint. At the bell, Dorr attacked, got 5 meters, and maintained the gap to the line followed by Bergman, Greenberg and Bast.
Cat 1/2
The sixteen Cat 1/2 racers started with a 15-lap scratch race. The early pace was moderate. The lead changed several times with half the field content to ride the paceline. Dan Schueller (Gopher Wheelmen), Colton Barrett (Texas Road House) and Adam Bergman (Texas Road House) pushed the issue early. With 7 laps to go, other riders asserted themselves including Tom Hagerty (behind bars/LGR), James Tainter (Silver Cycling), Joe Hamlin (Bianchi/GP) and Dan Casper (Grandstay). With 2 to go, the field was bunched. Bergman attacked at the bell and maintained a gap to the finish. Dan Currell (Bianchi/GP) rode over Barrett and Brian Crosby (Speedfix) in the last lap to take 2nd.
Next up, the big field contested a long miss-and-out. Casper attacked at the gun and everyone scrambled to keep him from getting too large a gap. The pace stayed fast with many riders falling off the back of the bus. With five riders remaining, Pat Lemieux (Texas Roadhouse) attacked taking Crosby and Barrett but Lemiuex was spent at the next sprint and was eliminated. Bergman then sat up and took himself out of contention. Tainter tried to keep pace with Crosby and Barrett but they eliminated him going away. Crosby and Barrett match sprinted the final two laps with Barrett leading out a fast last lap in which he was able to hold off Crosby for the win.
The last race of the evening was a 60-lap scratch race in which the Cat 1/2s were joined by 5 Cat 3 racers who didn’t race the Cat 3 Madison. Sprinter Rob Lindstrom took a flyer off the front at the gun but lasted only 2 laps before flaming out. The field anticipated this and didn’t chase. The first serious attack came with 49 to go when Tim Mulrooney (Synergy) took a flyer and got a gap which maxed out at 1/3 lap. After 5 laps he was slowing and Crosby attacked out of the field to bridge up. Crosby and Mulrooney then kept up a 50 meter gap for 3 laps but were reeled in by Barrett and Lemieux. At 34 laps to go, Andy Kruse (Speedfix), Barrett and Lemieux rode off the front and got a 50 meter gap. Kruse faded off the pace and Crosby bridged with Barrett attacking off the front as soon as the trio formed. Barrett quickly got a 40 meter gap to Crosby/Lemieux who had a 130 meter gap on the field. Lemieux appeared reluctant to help Crosby catch Barrett, Lemieux’s Texas Roadhouse team mate. Barrett rode hard to get a lap on the field with 27 to go. Crosby and Lemieux stayed out for another 10 laps but were eventually reabsorbed by the field led by Casper and Tainter. At this point, Bergman took the field in tow at a high pace with Barrett immediately behind him. If Bergman was content to lead the field, the others were content to sit in the pace line and eat up the remaining laps. With 3 laps to go, the fast finishers started coming to the fore and the strongest attack was launched by Crosby with 2 to go with Tainter and Krawczyk right behind him. At the bell, Barrett rode through the trio and stayed ahead to cross the line first (in addition to being a lap ahead) with Crosby, Tainter, and Krawczyk taking the remaining positions in front of the field.
Cat 3
The fourteen Cat 3s started with a 12-lap tempo race. The field went off fast with Mark Stewart (unattached) leading Brandon Krawczyk (Speedfix) over the line for the first lap. Krawczyk then took over the race, getting first place points for the remaining 11 laps. Second place points were gained by four riders until Conrad Thomas (Lakeside Velo) attached himself to Krawczyk to take 2nd place points for the last 7 laps. In the process, the duo lapped the field. The result was Krawczyk then Thomas with Mark Stewart’s 2 points on the first lap good enough for 3rd. Mike Smith (Gopher Wheelmen) picked up 4th by position in the final sprint.
Their second race was an unknown distance race which turned out to be 7 laps. The race began at an easy pace with riders exchanging leads in a pace line. When the gun fired indicating 1½ laps to go, Krawczyk was well-placed to take off followed by Charlie Anderson (Bianchi/GP) and Rob Danniker (Synergy). Krawczyk got a 20 meter gap which he maintained to the finish. Anderson, Danniker, and Steve Redelsperger (Bianchi/GP) crossed the line together in that order to take 2nd to 4th.
Cat 3 Madison riders were joined by a few Masters 35+ and Cat 4 riders to form 7 pairs contesting a 60-lap Madison. Riders established a moderate pace with the teams feeling their way through the first few exchanges. After about 15 laps, it was fairly clear that the race would be between the gray team of Krawczyk and Sean Vig (Speedfix) and the orange team of Dan Schueller/Rich Bergstrom (both Gopher Wheelmen). These two teams attacked each other throughout the remainder of the race. The other teams were working hard to hang on, occasionally putting riders into contention for sprints. The first sprint at 40 laps to go was won by Schueller/Bergstrom holding off Krawczyk/Vig with Tom Hagerty /Mike Hall (both of behind bars/LGR) and Linsey Hamilton (Synergy)/Joe Hamlin (GP/Bianchi) 3rd and 4th. Things then got wild with teams attacking, responding, dropping, clawing back, all with no discernable field. Vig and Krawczyk missed consecutive exchanges (a mistake which other teams also made) and, at the 20 to go sprint, Hagerty/Hall, having gone down a lap, were able to outsprint a tiring Krawczyk followed by Schueller/Bergstrom. The mayhem continued to the end of the race, with Krawczyk/Vig and Schueller/Bergstrom duking it out and taking at least one lap on every other team. The final sprint saw Krawczyk attacking Bergstrom with 1½ laps to go. An exchange between Bergstrom and Schueller in the last lap let him get away and take the 1st place points at the finish followed by Bergstrom/Schueller, Hagerty/Hall, and Hamilton/Hamelin. The last sprint put Krawczyk/Vig over Schuller/Bergstrom by one point for the race win. Hagerty/Hall, down only one lap took 3rd. Hamilton/Hamlin, down 2 laps took 4th. the remaining teams were down 3 laps or more.
Cat 4/5
The thirteen Cat 4/5 riders started their 10-lap scratch race at a leisurely pace. Rich Bergstrom (Gopher Wheelmen) tried to get things going but couldn’t find anyone to work with him. With 3 to go, Peter Stewart (unattached) upped the pace and strung things out. With 2 to go, Sean Vig (Speedfix) attacked and got a quick 15 meter gap. Dave Brosnahan (Gopher Wheelmen) and Nate Brennaman (Birchwood) took off in pursuit but couldn’t catch him. Mark Lepke (behind bars/LGR) brought the pack across the line for 4th.
The Cat 4/5 miss-and-out had an odd ending. At the gun, Allen Bellas (unattached) took off and the field responded. He flamed out, however, and was eliminated at the 2nd sprint. The speed stayed moderately high and several riders were eliminated just because their sprint wasn’t sufficient to advance at the higher pace. Bergstrom faded off the pace to take 5th place in the race. Ditto for Brosnahan to take 4th. Vig faded immediately after the sprint that eliminated Brosnahan, and Brennaman/Derek Virta (Gopher Wheelmen), the two riders in front convinced themselves that they were the only riders left in the race and sprinted hard for the line when Vig was in the back stretch. Vig was eliminated, but the other two thought the race was over. Brennaman rode off to the infield but Virta got the message and stayed on the track to cross the line for the win.
A 40-lap points race closed out their night of racing. Early attacks were quickly neutralized until the first sprint at 30 to go. Vig, Virta, and Brenneman attacked at the bell and got a 15 meter gap which held to the line taking points in that order. Lepke brought the field across. A front group of 6 riders picked up lapped riders and grew to 9 with 23 laps to go when Vig/Bergstrom started a long lead-out for the sprint. At the bell, Virta came to the front and led Lepke, Brosnahan and Vig around to the points. A bunch of 10 reformed after the sprint. Aaron Kohler (Flat City) attacked with 14 to go and got as much s 30 meters. The bunch let him dangle in front for 3 laps and then closed at the bell for the 3rd sprint at which point Vig attacked first but was overtaken by Virta and Brennaman and Bergstrom. With 6 to go Bergstrom/Virta tried to get away but were reeled in. Ditto for Vig/Brosnahan at 4 to go. At two to go Vig led a fast pace line followed by Eric Ware (NCT), Brosnahan, and Virta. At the bell, Virta went around the others taking Bergstrom and they crossed in that order. The final tally showed Virta with 18 points, Vig with 9 points, and Bergstrom/Brennaman with 5 each. Bergstrom gets 3rd place by beating Brennaman in the final sprint.