Tour le Fleur (Jackson, Miss.)

Saturday 4/8/06

Crit (Saturday) 45 minutes

This was an interesting and fairly fast crit (23 mph average). About 40 lined up at the start. The course wove up and down some rolling hills before doing a hairpin right turn....then up another small hlll around some corners before going up a long 3/4 mile grade. Generally I felt really good and enjoyed this course. (I might be finding some form again!!) About half the field was shelled on this course. I ended up back of the pack on the up hill sprint in 23rd. I am actually pretty happy about that. I did all the correct things, but just couldn't get up that hill quick enough. ....good day, great weather, fun course. (The day was nearly mared due to a nasty sounding crash in the 35+/45+ race previous. John Schmidt from Memphis got tangled up in a crash coming out of the hairpin and was ambulanced out. He is okay, just a bit tore up....but we did not know the whole story until post-race).

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Sunday 4/9/06

Road Race (Sunday) -40miles / 2laps

Flat, flat, flat. There actually were a few hills, but they were all long grades more than anything. My race was cut short due to a broken spoke at mile 10 or so.. I rode on it until the wheel truck came up behind the field again, took a change, and was unable to chase back on. I chased like hell, but just couldn't close it. I found out later that right where I took the wheel change the field kicked it up to 30mph....no wonder I couldn't catch them!

It probably was a good thing because the 2nd lap was a diasaster. Talking to the Memphis Velo guys there was repeated and blatent violations of the yellow line rule. And the officials did zip about it. (there was an official on a moto behind the field). Nothing got up the road, so the field finished 40+ strong..... There was crash at 1/2 mile that took out 4-5 guys at the back of the field (including 1 from Memphis) and another at 50m that felled two others (both from Memphis). The lack of speed on lap two allowed too many to come into the finish. I heard they were going <20mph at one mile out. Crazy!