Drove up to Cable Wisconsin to spend the week at Dennis Kruse’s compound. We buildt a garage/apartment up there a couple years ago and it is an awesome place to sleep. On Monday, it was only 54 degrees when we rode. Something close to 50 degrees cooler than the races a couple weeks ago in Oklahoma. I’m still riding like shit. But, that is all part of the territory I guess. It seems like this late spring, early summer slumps are becoming an annual thing. They seem to all start from difference causes, but the end result is the same. It is a course of mental tenacity. I might be flunking.

Sleeping at Dennis’s is awesome. The whole place is in tree cover. Plus, we put blankets over the windows. It is a den. Even my dog Bromont, an English Setter, can sleep until ten. He normally get up with the sun/birds. Pretty cool.

Bromont and I swam everyday in my favorite water place in the world. I can’t reveal where it is. Sorry. But, it is a wonderful spot. The water is so clear you can see your hand outstretched beneath you when you’re swimming. It’s kind of spooky. Plus, there are beavers, bald eagles, etc. making it their home. It’s as close to nature that I have ever came. The water is so refreshing. Right now, the top foot or so is kind of warmish. Then it gets colder in layers. When you’re treading water, your feet are pretty cold. My favorite thing is to swim down deep where it is super cold and dark, then float back to the top. When you get back up, the top layer feels like warm bath water, even though a few seconds earlier, it felt downright cold.

Riding up in Cable is great. There are no cars. Even compared to Kansas. We did a 2 hour ride on Tuesday and I swear we didn’t see one moving automobile. And we rode through town twice. Pretty unique.

Drove late yesterday down towards Milwaukee for a couple criteriums. One in Grafton, the other in Sheboygan Wisconsin. Night time with good prize lists. I have no idea of my form. Not an inkling. I hate that. Guess I’ll know in a few hours.

Drove up a little north of Milwaukee for a twilight criteriium in Grafton. It was a great course. About a mile in the downtown area with a slight uphill on the backstretch and slightly downhill on the finish stretch. 6 corners with a tight last corner to a long 500 meter wide open sprint.

The race was pretty active right from the start. Lots of small groups forming and getting reabsorbed. The last corner was so tight that it made the drag to the finish line a nightmare if you were more than 20 guys back. My max speed was 39 mph, which surprised me. It was barely downhill. I guess there was a lot of attrition. Over 100 riders started and I heard the group was pretty small at the end.

Garrett Peltonen, from Bissell, was the strongest of the day by miles. He never missed a move and could bridge to anything that looked dangerous. Grand Performance put their million guys at the front with 5 laps to go. They weren’t going anywhere nearly fast enough to keep it stung out. Garrett took off with 3 laps to go and got an immediate 15 second gap. It was a super move and should of worked. Not quite. He made it to maybe 50 meters from the line before being passed.

I got into pretty good position going into the last corner. Adam Bergman was leading it out with Chad Hartley behind him. I was right on Josh Carter, who I thought was the fastest. But, plans were spoiled. Eric Marcotte came into the corner super hot on my inside and strafed me off Josh’s wheel. He was at the wrong angle going the wrong speed. We ended up all the way across the road up against the curb. Needless to say, a bunch of guys went by. I was still on Eric, but going nowhere. Then I figured out that I was in a 12, not an 11. I shifted and passed a few guys back. Barely cracked the top ten with a 9th place finish. I was correct in picking Josh Carter. He was the only guy to get past Garrett. With Chad Hartley finishing 3rd. I felt pretty mediocre, but had enough to at least stay on Josh’s wheel. Bad luck.

My dog got sick last nite and I had to take him to the emergency vet at 12. Didn’t get to sleep until 3. I’m thinking of just going for a long ride and skipping the Sheboygan Criterium tonight. It’s a long drive and I need to head back to Kansas.