The August Crits Begin

The Chicago area is a great place to be in August if your a rider. Every weekend there are great races with good money within an hour of home. We can just throw a bike in the car (sans overnight bag), race hard, either eat at a favorite local restaurants or have a home-cooked meal in our actual homes... and then sleep in our own bed. Heck, there's even time to catch up on some household chores (or update a blog...)

After making it through about seven Superweek races my fitness is coming around enough that I can have a good time and make a little money in these local events. There's still the occasional tenderness where they cut me and a sharp stab when I do sit-ups, but it's all pretty manageable.

Yesterday at the Grayslake Cycling Classic I played the aggressive card off the line long enough for Jeff to get in a break of eight guys with one of our "not-quite teammates", and from then on my job was pretty easy. Little accelerations in a little gear to cover moves, and then trying to set-up the guys for the win. A crash on the back side of the course foiled our plans and a shot at the win, but it was still a pretty good day as Jeff finished 4th and I won a prime for a $80 bottle of Benziger 2004 Tribute.


Of course, with the Elgin Cycling Classic today I decided let the wine age at least one more day.