Drove up to Burlington Iowa for the Friday afternoon road race. It is always nice to be able to race on weekdays. The 80 mile road race is a nice way to get over the 7 hour drive. The race goes North out of Burlington and parallels the Mississippi River up to a small town, Wapello, and the back with a small diversion to Mediapolis and back to a super fast downhill finish in Burlington. Pretty flat. Historically this race is pretty breezy. Friday it was almost calm. This race had field sprint written all over it.

Then a break of 6 got away after about 25 miles. We had two guys, Bill and Chris Hall in the move. So I did everything I could to slow the field down. They got out of sight after a while and it looked like it had a chance. Eventually, a group of strong guys got rotating at the front. Not one time in particular. Just one or two guys from a lot of different teams. They were rolling pretty good. 28-30 mph for the next hour. The break had 1:30 with 20 miles to go. Then they were in sight. We were coming up on them pretty good with 6 miles to go, but a then a couple guys jumped from the field and with the new blood, Bill and 3 others kept a gap. The finish is up a small hill, 800 meters of flat and then 500 meters downhill. They still had 100 meters going up the hill, but the Texas Roadhouse guys, with something like a million riders, lined up and started their leadout (even though they had one rider in a 4 man group). They did have he fastest guy in a downhill sprint, John Puffer. He was the wheel I was going to start on. I can’t go around him unless he screws up and goes too early. At least I never have. Bill jumped and was away, but we caught him with 700 meters to go. I started over the top of the hill in good position and then it went to shit. There were 5 or 6 Texas Roadhouse guys in the front and Kirk Albers decided to jump instead of leading Puffer out. Then the rest sat up. Chad Hartley went for Albers. I started for Hartley and then thought I should stay on Puffer. By then everyone was in the wind in a 45 mph downhill sprint. I was buried. Chad Hartely won with Puffer 2nd and Josh Carter 3rd. The fastest three guys for sure, but Puffer should of won the race if the leadout would of been executed correctly.

Anyway, no one crashed and it was fast and fun as usual. Snake Alley was the next day, so no one wanted to kill themselves.

This is a epic race. One of the best races I do all year for sure. 20 laps on a .9 mile course up a switch backed, brick climb and down a screaming descent. This year, add water in the form of rain. I won the race the only other time I’ve raced it in the rain, but this wasn’t to be. I’ve been riding pretty mediocre for the past week. I didn’t confirm the feeling until Burlington Road Race. Just flat. When it started raining before the start, I got a little more motivated/nervous, but still didn’t have any confidence. 107 guys started. It is a cluster f*** at the back the first time up the Snake. Alot of walking for sure.

Long story short, I started fast and was gone immediately. At the bottom of the descent I couldn’t see anyone behind me. For a minute I though, just maybe. Then, Paul Martin for the Panther Team was coming up. I waited, but on the next climb he came off and lost more time on the descent. Then he motored up on the flats again. Eventually, Brian Jensen for Tradewind Energy and a few others got a small group formed. But, I was flat. Brian rode away and I rode up the climb slow. But he never got a huge gap. Then Adam Bergman, Texas Roadhouse went up the climb pretty hard and that was all she wrote. He rode away and the rest of us screwed around. I was feeling weird. Sometimes up the climb I felt super and then the next lap I was done 3 switch backs from the top. I could always get back on on the descent. It was wet with 3 super fast 90 degree corners. With 9 to go I felt okay and thought I’d try to catch Adam. I rode two laps pretty hard off the front of the chase group and barely took 8 seconds out of him. Then I fell apart, sort of. Well, lost motivation for sure. I realized that first was gone. Our group split into ones and twos. I was at the back. Ended up finishing 8th. I didn’t really care. If it would of been dry, I would of been buried.

Brian finished right behind me in 9th and Chris Hall came from lining up 103th to 13th. He had the ride of the day for our team. It was nice to see Iowa local, Amanda Miller win the women’s race handily. She should of won last year except for some mechanical problems. It is a classic race and it’s nice for her to win it so close to home. Today is Muscatine Criterium at 4 pm and then Rock Island Monday afternoon. It is a pretty nice way to spend Memorial Day Weekend.

Our new kits. Me & Dewy. He had a good race finishing 4th

Early when I had power.

They don't make streets like this anymore.

Amanda Miller rode a perfect race and won on her own.