July 11, 2011 (Detroit, Michigan) – The Jet Fuel/La Bicicletta team made the trek down to Windsor so we could be compete at the inaugural Criterium Detroit .
This was my first time to Detroit and after all the jokes about carrying a Glock and wearing a bullet proof vest I must say I felt safe and would go back and check this place out again for sure. First off the race course was amazing and wide open.
The race was held right downtown around Comerica park and the Ford stadium where the Detroit Lions play. Sean Kelly our team director has us all together before the start with some directions to go easy in the first 15 minutes and not initiate any attacks only cover. This was tough for me but I’m a team player and did what I was told.
I thought things might be a little different with a few new faces and a few Americans in the mix but right away we were racing the same Ontario boys from back home. Mazur had a few guys and so did Garneau. I don’t know how many locals made it down but it sure seemed like we were back home.
The pace was quick and the course was fast so it was hard to get off and stay off the front. Late in the race Derrek Ivey and his team mate Brandon Spencer from (Kallisto Wheels of Bloor) attacked right at the same time and Dave Byer my teammate on Jet Fuel jumped on them right away to cover the move. These guys got a good gap on the field right away and everyone seemed content to just roll on the front.
In our pre-race talk we had gone over the match ups we were looking for and the scenarios we didn’t want. Having one of our guys against two from another team up the road wasn’t ideal. The other guys in the race were keeping the pace high and then Chris Balistrini from Garneau got to the front and started driving things to keep his teammate Jeff Schiller close to the break.
We decided to do the same and organized ourselves at the front and had the boys keep the chase up to set me up for the sprint. We had all agreed that the first guy into the last corner would win the sprint and it was decided Pete Morse was the guy to do the job. With five to go we slowly made a bit of ground on the three leaders. Our guys took turns on the front keeping the pace at the perfect tempo.
With one to go it was pretty hairy. Riders were trying to jump into the train and there were a few guys who were in the mix that had no right being there. The leaders were now super close and I was very confident we were going to blow right by them. Coming down the back stretch into the wind Pete and I get separated. He went inside around a few slow riders and I went outside.
We now had a few people in between our lead out guys and Pete and myself. Into the second last corner I took a very inside line and got back to the front and see it’s Schiller who I need to cut going into the last corner to get into it first. I dive bomb it as he goes wide and then cuts in right to the curb and shuts the door.
We go through it close to each other but I get out of the corner late on the gas have to make up a ton of space on him. I come at him hard and close the gap and go to make a move around him and I don’t make up a single inch. We are now both at top speed and I sit beside him right to the line.
We knew the first guy into the corner would win and we just didn’t get ourselves into position like we’d planned. Jeff held me off and I went home with another close 2nd place.
Ed Veal