Bloomfield Bicycle Race

[OhSoFast]

As next weekend is empty on the Ontario racing scene (besides P-A), there is a race in Bloomfield NY that looks decent. It's about 4 hours from London crossing the border at Buffalo. With the weather looking like it should improve I'm heading over to race it. If your interested the website is:

http://gvcc.11net.com/docs/GVCC%20Classic%202007.htm

OSF

[OhSoFast]

Jason Valenti and Vince De Jong from the CoachChris.ca/Ted Velikonja elite mens squad, plus junor Steven Meyer borrowed from the development team all put in a strong showing in the Pro/1/2 men's race at the Bloomfield Bicycle Race in New York today.

Taking the start for the 111km road race under perfect conditions of 25 degrees and a light wind were 55 riders. Early in the 6 lap race things started slow after the neutral start. Nobody pushed the pace up the fist few climbs (there were about 7 climbs the height of Effingham though not as steep) but the pace was wound up going into the first corner for the headwind section. For the next two laps things stayed together with a few attacks going but being chased down.

However after 3 laps were completed the gloves came off and a group of 5 riders leaped off the front, aided by their 10 teammates blocking on the front. Thorben Weiditz of Ital Pasta would have non of it and quickly moved to the front and drilled the pace. Junior Steve Meyers showed fantastic pack reading skills and quickly moved up about ten spots with Valenti and De Jong glued to his wheel. It was just in time as a huge split occured that sent more than half the pack home early for dinner.

At the same time Thorben put in a huge effort to bridge accross to the breakaway. With all three coachchris riders making the split we had some cards to play and De Jong went to the front in an effort to bring back Weiditz and/or the breakaway. Unfortunately other riders were in no shape to help and were not working together cohesively. After a mild temper tantrum De Jong settled back in the pack.

A few more moves went that our team covered but nothing serious. Meanwhile the 6 escapees had built a 3 minute lead, and our "peloton" had dwindled to a measly 12 or 13 riders under the relentless climbing and headwind that had picked up. The total climbing for the race was almost 1700m, or about 3 times up Caesar's Head.

With a lap and a half (25km) to go De Jong again went to the front, but this time nobody stayed on his wheel. Valenti and Meyer immediately started some blocking maneuvers which helped De Jong get close to a minute at one point. Unfortunately the pack, now at 6 riders, wound things up a little bit in the final kilometers of the race and caught De Jong with about 1 km to go, all uphill. Meyer got popped about a km before so 5 riders, after the breakaway, were left to contest the uphill finish. With some great strength Valenti was able to claim second in the sprint, 8th overall in the race and pick up some cash for his efforts. De Jong came in about 30 seconds behind, and Meyer another minute back for 12th and 13th. Strong riding for the team after a long day in the saddle.

You can find members of the elite team next competing at the Calabogie Road Classic on Saturday, ZigZaging by some lake next Sunday, and then at London's own Springbank Criterium on May 6th. Also don't forget the anniversary of the velodrome this Saturday, come on out to eat some cake that we don't need and watch some racing!!

OSF

[Greg]

Congrats on a great race! It sounds like you guys had fun.:)