For all of you who do not know, I’ll summarize my first day on the track this season first and get into the new developments in the story following that. The Creamed Corn Cup Series is a preseason race series at the local 7-11 Velodrome. I missed the first one due to the Chalk Creek Stampede but came back the next weekend to participate in the days activities. I managed decent finishes in the first three races, nothing spectacular but towards the front of the field in every race. It was the final race of the day, the points race, where my day took a slight turn for the worse. While coming to the back of the field with only 2 laps to go, I managed to clip the last guy in the echelons rear wheel with my front. This sent me barreling towards the mighty gray concrete with 35degree banking. A couple seconds later I found myself walking around the apron with some good road rash all along my left side. The casualties of the carnage included the following: 1 ProCycling team skinsuit, 1 Giro Atmos helmet, 1 pair of Nike track gloves and some bar tape. Come with me on this little tale to three weeks later and the casualty count will rise.
After finally removing my final bandages for the last time on Thursday, Dan Le and I decided that it would be a great idea to head to Denver for the City Park Criterium. The course is extremely flat but has some very hairy turns, two of them being through some tight roundabouts. 92 men took to the line in the race. After settling in for some fast paced laps where the sweet sound of metal hitting asphalt seemed to echo out of every corner, I decided to talk a flier to try win a prime lap. Coming into the last roundabout, I had a good gap but a lapped rider stood in my way. I yelled “leader up” which apparently means “dive to the inside of the turn.” It pinched me within 6 inches of the curb but I got through. The problem was that I was carrying to much speed to make the backside of the turn due to the line and I was forced to take and the tires couldn’t hold on. As I slid across the asphalt on my hip holding my Orca with a tight grip as to not let it get hurt, the pack came barreling around the turn. I managed to get back up and in with the field. A couple of failed breakaway attempts later and I was content to stay in the field until the last lap. I took off solo with about a mile to go and just didn’t have the juice. I died out with 200 yards to go and watched as the field barreled around me through the same turn that had taken some of my skin earlier. Dan finished with the field and I came in sulking just behind. The casualties of this day were close to what the track took from me. They were as follows: 1 ProCycling team bib short, 1 pair of Fox full finger gloves, possibly the buckle off my Nike road shoes (haven’t gotten it to work yet but I’m still trying) and another round of bar tape.
After all of this, I would like to start Michael Giem Kit Fund. Please send cash, check or money order to:
Michael Giem Kit Fund
3630 Catalpa Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Another weekend of races in the books and another two wins to go with it. Chalk Creek is my XC race of the year. I know a lot of you strongly disagree with me on how wonderful the course is. You also come in at 140lbs soak and wet. Carry another 50lbs and you’ll understand why. This course lacks all the climbing of the typical resort races that we face every other weekend on the MSC calendar.
Saturday brought on the XC with beautiful weather for the Sport racers. No wind along the fence line was something I’d never experienced. I took off from the gun in the race and built up a decent lead. One lone chaser finally caught me on the “climb” and we traded the lead for the next 2 laps. It was a lot of fun pushing that hard for so long. Finally on the last decent we got caught up behind a Durango Devo girl on the descent. She was moving so slow it caused the guy from Adventure Racing to wreck. I took that opportunity to pass and never looked back. He couldn’t keep with me down by the creek and I cruised in with a 4 second win.
Sunday’s short track was brought a lot of excitement for me. I lead out from the start and pushed the pace the whole time. With 2 ½ laps to go, Ryan from CoMotion Sports (my old team) tried making a pass just before the mountain cross section of the course. He burned a corner too fast and slid out in front of me. I ran him over and went sailing through the air. I scrambled to grab my Yeti and took off running. That crash gave me a gap that I held for the rest of the race for my second victory of the weekend.
Holding up with the CoMotion wrecking Procycling riders…Dan Le was racing the race following mine. 100 yards into the event, a CoMotion rider went down right in front of him. Their bikes got tangled and he spent the whole of the race chasing in vein to catch the lead pack. It was a good effort but fruitless when two teammates get together off the front and drive the pace.
Congrats to everyone that made it out there to enjoy the weather. I got one hell of a red neck while spinning around the cow patties. No pics this time as I forgot to charge the battery for the camera.
Mike G
