How much money would it take to persuade people to chase John Meyers (ABD/Geargrinder)? Apparently more than $350, as that was the astounding amount raised in a crowd prime for the rider who could catch Meyer’s long, solo breakaway (above). None succeeded — some tell me they couldn’t hear the stakes as the pack screamed by the announcer’s stage — so the windfall went to Meyers, along with the convincing 1/2/3 victory.

I’ve been hearing compliments about this year’s race, and I’m sorry to have missed out. The crowd prime sounds like an inspired idea, and I understand UCVC did a nice MacGyver job to safely patch a hole on the back stretch. “Last year there were under 20 starters in the 50+ race; this year over 30,” Barry Taerbaum (Alberto’s) tells me. “Clearly the word has spread about what a fantastic event the UCVC has been putting on year after year.”

In last week’s preview I noted that breaks were nigh impossible in the larger races. Leave it to Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus) to make me a liar: With three laps left in the 4’s, he struck out on his own and time-trialed to an impressive victory. Teammate Henry Loud took 3rd in the sprint, not the first time that Pegasus have reaped dividends from the formidable combination of Padfield’s endurance and Loud’s sprint.

Speaking of Loud, he also wins Flatlandia’s Moustaches of the Midway competition

— by a hair. “Mike Jones (MetCycling) was in the running with a moustache that made him look like a pub bouncer,” says moustache commissaire Jason Meshberg, “but Henry Loud has a very handsome looking ‘stache and picked up an impressive 3rd while working his tail off in defense of his teammate who was off the front.  Moustaches are for hard workers.  The Monsters Moustache is for the lunch-pail type of worker, not for the glory seekers.  Thus we give it to Loud.” For his efforts, Loud took home this five-dollar bill and a Clif Bar.

Photo by John Wilke

The gentlemen of Vitaminwater-Trek and XXX Racing-AthletiCo have been monsters on the Midway for years, so it was no surprise that the Cat 3 race came down to a drag race between Jeff Wat (Vitaminwater-Trek) and Shane Winn (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), with Wat taking the win over his former teammate (above). Tomasz Boba (WDT-Allvoi) and John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) continued their hot streaks by coming in 3rd and 4th.

I’m happy to see Ansgar Graw (MetCycling) once again at the top of the 40+ standings, especially after the frightening spill he took in a field sprint at the 2007 Monsters. No longer content to relax in the sprinters lounge, Graw formed a four-person break, out of which he attacked with enough dominance to afford himself a nice post-up

Results aren’t up yet so I don’t have any observations to make on the other races, including the juniors, women’s and other masters races. I’ll update this post later, and I’ll have another post for the great weekend some people had in Wisconsin and Indiana.

Photos:
Amanda Barbato
Grant Davis
Carolyn Golz
Renata Graw
KHM73
Vitaminwater-Trek

Race reports
Kevin Clark (Half Acre; 5): “It was a humbling half hour.”

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-40+, W-3): “I expanded my lead to a half lap and WON. And this time I posted up.”

Andy Daley (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+): “I tried some end of the race nonsense with three laps to go and bridged to a group of three riders who were dangling off the front.”

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3, 4, 1/2/3): “He was close enough that I thought I might be able to close the gap but then it was too late.”

Ed Hernandez (North Branch; 40+, 3, 4): “This was bike racing as it was meant to be enjoyed.”

Emir Jaganjac (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): “I had trouble clipping in but that wasn’t the problem as was some sketchy cornering being done by true citizens in this race.”

Tim Keeley (ABD; 3): “Fast race, fun race, easy race when you could stay tucked behind the big guys.”

Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles; W-3, W-4): “I went for the inside line again and grabbed the wheel of the only other girl who seemed to understand how to work the wind.”

John Meyers (ABD/Geargrinder; 1/2/3): “I gotta say though, there are less painful ways to win races!”

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4): “I glanced back and I was all alone now as the other guy couldn’t hold on. By now I was in faux time trial position and looking oh so PRO.”


Andy Skeen (ABD/Geargrinder; P/1/2/3): “Clark Priebe (Team Mack) launched a last ditch effort at the start of the last lap, and I not only caught him, but put a lot of other would-be attackers in the hurt box, simply by making them chase me down.”

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+, 3, 1/2/3): “I thought I might actually have a chance…until I felt my legs turn to mush in that long straightaway. “

Jeff Wat (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3): “I found just enough energy to click one more gear and surged and threw for the win.”