Pretty quick crit tonight. At least I felt it was. Jackson and Sayers spent some time off the front, I chilled all night and tried to have a crack at the sprint but played bumper pool on the barriers and a few guys. I was getting to where I need to be but not fast enough so I didn’t get the job done. Sayers won the most aggressive rider for the night so he we be in the black jersey tomorrow.

3rd
Big thanks goes to the Sayers and the guys for dragging back the break and giving me a shot at the win. I was good with about 1k to go then got swarmed a bit. In the end I had to hit out way to early to get position back and just went for it. I had it hot but halfway up the hill to the line I blew going from 100rpms to about 60 and limped to the line getting passed by Martin Gilbert and Kirk Obee.

We did a 60 minute crit with a fair bit of bang bang tonight. That’s is there were a fair amount of guys going bang bang on the ground. I was going ok and was good most the night until about 7 to go when someone fell off in the downhill right hand turn. I went messenger style and hop the curb, dodged some spectators ziz-zagged around a hay bale and hoped back on the course about 10 guys back from where I was. I was still feeling ok about my chances in the kick and planned to hop up to Jackson. The next time around as I stepped off the wheel to move up the pushed about 30 guys in that stopped from the crash so then I was 50 back and my race was done so I followed the wheel in front of me to the line.

I was feeling pretty beat last night and the 10 hours of sleep confirmed just how cooked I was. Traveled to Sac Thursday night, raced hard Friday at 6500 feet, raced harder Saturday, after 4 hours sleep I flew home and finished the weekend with a local crit in Denver last night.

I am all about the tour de nez, last time I was there I was sick and not having a good time. This time being healthy it was much more fun and provided a great tune up before Nature Valley. The local race last night was nice also. It was a 1k 5 corner crit with a good size field. I tried to get away most the day without success. With a few laps to go Kelly Ruddick and Wes Hartman got away and the road block was set. There were probably 15 guys between two teams plus the rest of the field that missed the move so I figured the would try and bring it back but the road block was up and they put time on the field. I made a late effort at the bell to try and get there but couldn’t bring back all the time and settled for 3rd.

Easy day today then off to Minneapolis tomorrow for Nature Valley.

This is what it looks like from seat 7f when you are in denver waiting

for your gate.

The tour de nez was great, both days were tough and we yesterday in Reno

Mike Sayers took the win over a columbian guy. I think there were only

25 finishers on the day and I took what was left of the field sprint.

the race was aggressive from the word go and stayed that way till the

columbian guys decided to ride tempo on the front for a while. It seemed

they liked their chance in a field sprint but ac had other idea and

toward the end went over the top and blew them to bits. the next halp

lap was carnage with a group of 8 guys or so getting away. I was just

about to go on the hill and had the goods to get there when some

columbian shrapnle stacked it and split the group. The break went away

fast and the rest of us just rode till the end.

-Dan Schmatz

Via Handheld SK3.