Originally I wasn’t planning on racing any of Superweek, especially after returning from Altoona with my legs in tatters, but coach Ebert had his say and Saturday I once again found myself on the streets of Milwalkee. His most convincing argument was that Jeannie was in need of assistance as she was currently tied for 3rd overall and in 2nd for the sprint competition. Not only that but it sounded like the team was in need of fresh legs as some of the others were spent after a week straight of racing.

The team kept emphasizing how stagnant the peloton had been the past week, with teams keeping lazily on the defensive and doing little work in developing breaks. So the first order of business was to make Downer’s Avenue aggressive and fast, use our sheer numbers to get a rider off the front, and if nothing else, wear down the field. I was stoked because this gave me permission to attack and ride like a maniac which is my default racing style. I feel repressed when I have to race conservatively.




Me, attacking.

Just seven laps into the race Kristen and I lined up at the front to deliver Jeannie into the points sprint, and I being the last one to peel off had the field blow by me and got to hang off the back for the next two laps.I think




I'm leading Jeannie out or something here.

It was game on from there as ABD punched the field with attack after attack, never allowing so much as 30 seconds of rest for the peloton. I remember the annoouncer declaring at one point how "ABD was dominating the race". Multiple other spectators commeted later how it was such an entertaining race. My life, your entertainment.




Kristen's solo prime lap

Kristen soloed for an entire lap with Stacy and Jeannie blocking at the front to win a $40 prime, but it was Stacy who finally delivered the knockout punch with 6 laps to go as she rode off the front to take a victory for ABD. Meanwhile I took it upon myself in the final few laps to keep the field together as I chased down every attempt to escape. Kristen and I finally came together with one lap to go to lead out Jeannie, which was a bit rocky to say the least. From my view way off the back in the final stretch I think I saw her get top ten, but it was a difficult sprint against the Hong Kong and Taiwan riders who are primarily track riders (that’s typically how Asian riders participate in the sport of cycling). I pretty much got 2nd to last place, but it doesn’t bother me since my performance was not manifested on the results sheet, but in the success of my teammates.




Stacy, victorious.