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Downers Grove Revisited part 2

I've always fancied myself as one of those criterium racers. Simply put, I love going around corners really fast. Superweek was always one of my favorites since it was comprised mostly of crits. Lots of crits...for many days in a row. The schedule goes something like this: race starts at 6pm (most of the time the races started late), finishes around 8pm, pack the car and get back to wherever you are staying around 10pm, BS late into the night, sleep in, coffee ride in the a.m., race at 6pm that night. Now these races at Superweek always draw in some serious horsepower. The crits usually have over 100 racers and is nearly single file for the 100k of racing. By the third day of racing you love that you hate it because 25th still pays money.

Were am I going with this? These Superweek crits are probably some of the hardest crits in the nation. It draws the likes of many pro teams, and many riders from around the world...right there in Wisconsin. I would drive a few hours, race in some very difficult races, get results, but would never imagine that I would ever be able to be competitive at the national criterium championships. That all changed in 2000.

Downers Grove was not playing host to the USPRO Crit Champs, but this year is was playing host to the Elite National Criterium Championships. Whoa. Now I'm really screwed. Who am I to be pinning on a number at the championship race? I had no choice, I'm a cat 1 and was not about to miss racing at Downers! My plan was to stay in the back and out of everyone's way. But I can't do that, I had to get a taste. I finished 22nd in my first go at it in the National Championships.

Part 3. will cover what happened in 2002.

- P

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