Ohio State Criterium Championships

It was a sweet course and it was DRY to any one who did not go, e em other women, there were only three women who showed but one of them was a 2 she was very nice and fast she tryed to lose me in the men but i just followed her. We tucked in with the men 3's and rode there for about 12 laps then she got tired droped off the pack bringing me with her so we rode togeter (me and lou ann)and rotated pulls then the guys came up agin we got on and rode to the finish at the end it was cool i won by like 50 meters and got her at the end she was great and very nice. Thanks guys in the group you saved me you did great and josph you did ausome. Guys you are beasts nice job

3rd officially anyway. I'm not convinced as there were 3 40+ guys ahead of me in a break which included John O'D. So actually probably 5th?? in my age group. Actually made a bridge up to John's group barely hanging on by a thread as I made contact. I was there maybe 10" and Mr. Braumberger saw the need to attack which was the end of me : ) Personally I was thinking it'd be a good time to rest a little; ) In hindsight maybe I should have gone straight to the front to fool the big dog. Anyway, after being picked back up by the (re)main(ing) group, I was able to win the field sprint for 7th?-8th? overall. Entered the 1/2/3 race but lasted all of maybe 3 laps. No zip left in the legs and perhaps lacking the motivation to persist. Sorry Ryan would've liked to be more help. Racing is definitely becoming a lot more fun. Thanks Jeff Yenchar and family for coming out in support of SavageHill today.

After some ugly weather in the morning, it turned out to be a great day to race.

With Torelli on the line, there were actually two races going on: theirs and the one for the rest of us. And I’ve learned: don’t get too caught up in their race or I’ll have nothing left for mine. Seems the field had learned that lesson, too, as a couple Torelli’s strolled away early with nary a response from the field. We just rolled around while O’Brien Forbes lapped the field, then blew by again. Worried the whole race would be like this, I took off to get things going. No response. Cripes. I let the field catch me, then did the same thing a lap later. Aha! A group of four caught me with the field strung out behind them. Shortly, Jeff Braumberger went and the race was on.

Only four of us held Braumberger’s wheel while he chased down O’B, then the attacks began. Natch, Jeff got away, then O’B, so the four of us kept things steady to hold off the field. We caught O’B (okay, he sat up…) and the two leading women, including Brooke. That was a sight: O’B sitting on the back of our group with Brooke behind him (marking his every move, no doubt!).

At that point it was O’B leading; Jeff B. and the other Torelli (?) half a lap down; our group of four (riding with O’B) one lap down; and Jay’s group (who Jeff had caught) at a lap and a half down; It was getting more complicated than a NASCAR short-track race.

In our four man sprint I ended up 3rd which put me either 3rd or 4th in the 40+, depending on the age of the Unizan who out-sprinted me. I mentioned that to the official after the race, but he was adamant that I had things wrong. I guess that is the only advantage of paying full price for a race with no prize money: I didn’t much care what my final placing was.

After all, it was a fun race and that’s what I was there for.