Team Posts Great Wenatchee Omnium Results!

Keelan working hard!

Keelan Christensen - After a disappointing game in districts, I had an hour and a half to drive across Wenatchee to race the Wenatchee Omnium criterium. This being the first crit in my racing career, I had plenty of questions for Dave and Jake. However, looking pretty awesome in the new team kits, I managed to place first in my category and third overall in Junior A and B. My strategy was not the greatest, but this race was a great learning opportunity for me. After the first lap, two JL Velo kids and I had pulled away from the other juniors. I was out in front for the first 4 laps. These teammates then pulled away and began drafting off each other, and I was left in third place by myself to fight to catch up with them. On the final corner of the last lap, I managed to catch up and surprise them, however one of them blocked me and the other pulled away sprinting. Because of their strategic 

block, I lost the sprint. Still, I learned how fun crits are and some strategy for the next crit in Enumclaw.

The following day was a 20 mile road race in some of the hardest rain I've seen on this side of the Cascades. The two JL Velo kids from the crit, Jake, and I were the only juniors signed up. The course was a super steep climb with 2500 feet of elevation gain over 8 miles. Us four juniors stayed in a consistent pack for the entire duration of the climb. But I knew I had the advantage on the downhill. Because of junior gearing and the steep sustained decent, I lost them on the downhill - probably because I’m guessing I weigh 30-40 pounds heavier. After the decent was 4 miles of flat road to the finish. I won my category and also won junior overall! Next weekend consists of the Enumclaw Stage Race and then I joined a Ski to Sea team racing the road bike leg.

Keelan cornering in the crit

Dave Acheson - This was my fourth time participating in the Wenatchee Omnium.  It consists of a time trial and criterium on Saturday and a very challenging road race on Sunday.  Racers receive points based on their finishes in the individual events and the highest point total for the weekend wins.

The time trial in Wenatchee is usually a windy affair and this year was no exception.  In fact this year was the windiest that I have experienced.  As a bonus, it was cool and rainy too!  The 9.5 mile course is oriented in such a way that you blast out to the turnaround with a big tailwind and then battle the headwind all the way back to the finish.   With the wind at my back and my new Easton TT wheels (this was my maiden ride on them) I pushed past 40 mph a couple times on small descents during the outbound leg.  The return leg as you might expect was slower, at times I was down below 15 mph.  I was very pleased, however, with the stability of the wheels even with their deep cross section in the buffeting wind.  My time was good enough for 5^th in the Masters C category and got my weekend off to a good start.

I headed back to the hotel for a nap dreading a wet criterium that afternoon.  I was very happy to see the sun shining and dry pavement went I looked out the window after my nap.  I usually struggle with the speed of criteriums and this one was no different.  For the criterium and the road race the Masters C field would be combined with the Masters D field but be scored separately.  I survived about two-thirds of the race before being pulled out by the officials, but still managed an eighth place and a few more points towards my total.

Sunday morning brought the return of the rain.  It was going to be a soggy, challenging day on the bike.  The road course consisted primarily of a loop that featured a five plus mile long climb that is very steep in spots and would be completed twice.  Being a larger rider and not really a climber, this road race is always a case of riding my own pace up the climb trying to limit my losses and bombing the descent to the best of my ability to regain time.  I felt that I struggled a little more on the climbs than usual and maybe had a bad day, but still managed a seventh place in the weather induced small field.

Speaking of the weather, it’s not as fun to race in the rain, but on these miserable days, I always think of the volunteers and course marshals that make it possible for us to go racing.   As racers, we tell tales of battles in epic conditions, but the volunteers stand in the rain and cold for hours with no recognition or tales of glory.  I always make a point of thanking them as I pass by and I hope that the other racers appreciate them as well.

As for my final weekend placing, I ended up 6^th in the Masters C field.  A pretty good result, but I would have liked a faster time trial and to have felt better on the climbs.  Five days of recovery and I’ll do it all again at Enumclaw.

Chris Casey - Competing in what was probably the wettest conditions I have ever voluntarily/ or involuntarily ridden my bicycle, Dave A and I completed 44 miles of the road race course, which for the Masters C/D group, meant a group of 30 or so soggy riders working hard not to drink the spray from the rider in front. The new team kit was quite dashing- even when dripping wet and the wind jacket probably saved me from hypotherm

 

Starting with a 5 mile out and back, the course included 2 laps up a long (5 mile) and periodically quite steep climb. (Certainly by the second lap, the last pitch seemed much steeper than the first time around and it was a relief to see the top section eventually arrive.)  As usual, the pack splintered on the first part of the climb- 7 or 8 folks off the front then my group of 5 (most of whom were Masters D), which worked and stayed together through the whole race. We stayed clear of those behind, picked a few of the lead group off as they 'fell by the wayside', but never really came close to catching the faster guys. The descents were quite fast for the conditions (my max speed was 49.5mph, which in hindsight seems insane, but at the time I was just hanging on, trying to see ahead of me in the pouring rain and spray!) The last 8 miles of rolling and flats back to the finish were made easier by the 'train' I was in, but by the time we crossed the finish, I was pretty spent, managing only to out sprint one of the group for a 4th place finish in the Masters C division.

 

Overall, miserable conditions without doubt, but a good result for the first race of the year. Next week, Enumclaw for the Stage Race- hopefully the rain stays away for that one!

Thanks guys- love the team kit (the shorts rock!)

Pedaling hard into the wind!

Jake Harrop - The races on Saturday were really fun, not too rainy just some light rain here and there. I kicked off the day with the time trial and I felt good and rested, I felt like I had a really good TT it was slightly windy on the straights but fast in the curves. Later that day I had my crit, my crit was an awesome race, I was racing with keelan and we stuck together until I got dropped off the back and ended up riding my own race. I felt like I had a solid race though. Sunday I participated in 20 mile road race and it was absolutely RAINY. Even though it was hammering I still kept a can do attitude and stuck with it. I was riding with Keelan until about 6-7 miles into it when I got dropped. I placed 3rd in all three events, overall I think I raced a solid Omnium this year and I'm looking forward to improving for next year's event.

Jake pulling his group in the crit