Who remembers this happening before? In Sunday’s Fall Fling criterium, Brian Hague (Team Tati) lapped the 4’s field -- by himself.

I can’t remember it happening in the 3’s or 4’s. I’ve seen P/1/2 breaks go up a lap, but usually when one team has a huge numerical advantage, and never solo.  Shoot, I’ve never even seen someone do this at Matteson or on the track. I can barely catch my nephew chasing him around the kitchen table.

I’m told that after lapping the field, Hague went straight to the front and pulled for several laps. This memorable performance from the reformed triathlete and cross-country runner -- he put in a 5-mile run between the citizens and 4’s races -- comes after two weekends of dominance during which he won three of the four citizens stages. It’s a shame the season is ending now, but I’m eager to see how he does in 2009.

That wasn’t the only success for Team Tati. In the women’s 4’s, Elena Dorr placed 2nd but more important put enough spots between her and GC rival Morgan Moon (Team Kenda Tire) to climb into the top spot overall.

Jessi Prinner (ABD) won the women’s open criterium Sunday to wrap up her third overall title in as many years. Of the nine mass-start Fall Fling races going back to 2006, she’s won eight. Dynasty, anyone?

A threesome got away in a wet 1/2/3’s race. Ryan White (ABD/Geargrinder) attacked to rejoin the field and go up a lap for the win. Meanwhile, GC contenders John Meyers (ABD/Geargrinder) and Greg Christian (Turin) were marking one another before slipping away themselves in the final moments. Meyers couldn’t shake Christian, however, allowing Christian to take the 1/2 title, an impressive feat given ABD/Geargrinder’s dominating numbers.

In the 3’s, Ryan Freund (IIT) swept the weekend to claim the overall ahead of Nathan Moorhouse (United South Shore) and Ricardo Otero (Team Mack). It should also be noted that Freund’s time trial was the second fastest on the day, just 16 seconds behind Meyers.

WDT-Allvoi had a successful weekend. In addition to strong 1/2 performances from professional duathlete David Polin and Tomasz Boba, Jayson Torres won the 4’s overall title, thanks largely to his consistency: He was the only rider to have placed in the top 10 in all four races, a sign of remarkable end-of-season parity in the 4’s.

The Fling’s tightest competition was in the 50+, where Tom Doughty (Amgen/Giant) and Jon Fleckenstein (Team Mack) duked it out only to finish tied. Fleckenstein took the title based on the tie-breaker of Sunday’s criterium finish, this after finishing 2nd in the 40+ overall to Delfino Parra (PYOC).

Time trial results. Overall results.

Race reports:
Patrick Brock (Team Extreme; 4): “I struggled to move up and kept sliding back further and further and finally within the last two laps the accordian effect took its toll and I was done.”

Robert Curtis (Bicycle Heaven; citizens): “When I came around the front I was out of the saddle nailing it. I looked over at the first guy in line and let out a primal scream.”

Ed Ekstrom (Tower Racing; 4): “He actually bumps me this time. I push back. Fortunately, he backs off this time and drifts back. I don’t like it when this kind of stuff happens.”

Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 1/2): “I did about fifteen minutes until I was convinced my constant shivering was not conducive to bike racing.”

Project 5 Racing (4): “With some heroic efforts Greg Nash and Scott Ouimette worked their plan to perfection with Scott winning the field sprint and moving into second overall in the final GC.”

Jared Rogers (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “Blew up with two laps to go, but I hung in there in what would be one of the fastest races I was in all season.”

Team Tati (4, 5, W-4): “The pack chased and chased and chased, but instead Brian put six seconds per lap on the field. And before you knew it, like Yertle the Turtle Brian made it all the way around the circuit.”

Photos
Team Tati
WDT-Allvoi