Some highlights from the next two days of Iowa:

• » How does one top a victory at Snake Alley? How about wins at both Sunday’s Melon City Criterium and Monday’s Quad Cities Criterium? That’s what Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles) pulled off in the women’s 4’s. She now plans to upgrade, and with Devon Haskell and others waiting for her, Get a Grip could prove to be a formidable presence in the women’s open. Speaking of whom, Haskell did well this weekend as well: 5th at Melon City and 4th at Quad Cities.

• » How often do we see a women’s 2/3 field? Not that often. Kristen Meshberg made the most of it by coming in 2nd at Quad Cities.

• » Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek) has been steadily climbing the results tables and finally notched that elusive victory Monday in the Quad Cities 4’s race, this after getting 3rd Sunday at Melon City. Perhaps he, too, will be upgrading soon to join the rest of his team in the 3’s?

• » 14-year-old Chazz Martin (Smart Cycling) has also been making some appearances high in the results this year, and he finally pulled the trigger and sprinted to win in Melon City 4’s race. I believe it’s his first senior victory. James Bird (IS Corp) is another junior who had a great weekend: 5th in the 3’s at Melon City, then 9th in the 3’s and 3rd in the juniors at Quad Cities. John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) also pulled off multiple top 10’s: 9th in the 3’s at Melon City and 3rd in the 3’s at Quad Cities, getting 2nd in a field sprint that fell just meters sort of catching a solo breakaway, just ahead of Chicago Jeffrey Whiteman (Northbrook/Garner). (Check out Tomlinon’s podium ceremony.)

• » Other great results: Tomasz Boba (WDT-Allvoi) won the 3’s at Quad Cities. And Chicago Cuttin’ Crew pushed a lot of riders into the top 10, including Molly Godlewski, 4th in the women’s 4’s at Quad Cities; Adam Clark, 7th in the 4’s at Melon City; and Max Riordan and Ben Fietz, 4th and 8th at Melon City’s 5’s.

• » This isn’t something that gets said that often, but ABD/Geargrinder got shut out of the podium all weekend. I bring it up because it’s so unusual, but also as an excuse to note that that’s John Meyers in the nifty photo above, taken at Melon City by Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek).

• » Be sure to read Steve Tilford’s race report and sit in awe of how after hundreds if not thousands of races, bike racing still has the capacity to surprise and delight. “Kind of fun really.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Full Melon City Results. Full Quad Cities results.

Melon City photos
Shawn Delk
Matt Smith: W-4, W-1/2/3, 4, 3, P/1/2

Quad Cities photos
Shawn Delk: 30+, 4, P/1/2
Matt Smith: 50+, 30+ 4/5, W-2/3, W-4, 5, 4

Melon City race reports
Carson Christen (Unattached; 4): “Could have been another victory if I had been watching.”

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4): “Going over the bump, my move would be coming soon. I was on the inside, three riders back about halfway up the hill.  It was time. I jumped and it felt good.”

Nate Iden (Spider Monkey; 4): “The race was going to be won be the guy who got the hairpin at the top of the hill first.”

Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles; W-4): “This race was more representative of what real racing should be like. I have to give mad props to the women from Punk Rock Cycling. They’re strong and they were throwing attacks like mad.”

Amanda Miller (Mesa Cycles; W-1/2/3): “I took off at the bottom of the hill giving it everything I could. Sam was still on my wheel, telling me that I could keep going.”

Mike Sherer (Alderfer Bergen; P/1/2): “I luckily played the sprint well and picked the right move on the right side of the hill behind Andy Crater (Wheel & Sprocket). Ended up 6th, which I was extremely stoked about.”

Andy Skeen (ABD/Geargrinder; P/1/2): “I was able to bring not one, not two, but three teammates from the back third of the field to the top 10-15 in one trip up the hill.”

Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek; P/1/2): “I probably could of cut the apex and chopped Alex Boyd and Cole House and finished third, but I already felt a little bad about chopping them already once 50 meters before.”

Quad Cities race reports
Andreas Fischer (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3): “When I thought everyone else was just about to jump I went all out…..but had almost nothing left.”

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4): “It was so close and things seemed to slow down for an instant. I was thinking to myself, `Do not make the same mistake you did yesterday. Do not let up until you throw the bike.’ I lowered my head and pedaled as hard and as fast as I could.”

Nate Iden (Spider Monkey; 4): “t was either bomb the corner and come out in 4th with the possibility of taking half the field out, or let up and roll through in 10th or 12th.”

Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles; W-4): “Going into the last corner I had enough of a gap to breathe and take in what will probably be the last victory I’m going to get for a while.”

Amanda Miller (Mesa Cycles; W-2/3, W-open): “Eventually, we lapped the field. Things got a little crazy when we were mixed with the rest of the field.”

Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek; P/1/2): “In this sport, the strongest guy doesn’t always win. It’s an organism of its own. So many different variables in such a short period at the end of the races make it exciting and frustrating at the same time.”