July 11, 2011 (Detroit, Michigan) – The Jet Fuel/La Bicicletta team made the trek down to Windsor so we could be compete at the inaugural Criterium Detroit . We left fairly late and made a few pit stops along the way and didn’t arrive at our teammate, Danielle DeFranchesci’s place in Windsor, until after midnight.

One of the pit stops that held us up was the Domestique Cafe in Hamilton. Krys Hines opened the doors for us even though he was closed for business and we enjoyed a brilliant coffee on the house and checked out his sweet little set up.

I know you likely want to hear more about how the race went and less about our travels to get there, but there’s a reason I’m including these details. Today (June 9) we needed to get from Windsor to Detroit and cross the U.S border. I had the pleasure of travelling with a guest rider from Ireland that signed on for the week.

My advice to anyone out there who needs to cross the border with a guest rider from Ireland….is don’t do it! Man do we Canadians have it easy at the border. After our little delay and being treated to some of the most straight-faced non-personable people on the planet we were back on the road and making haste to arrive at the race on time.

This was my first time to Detroit and after all the jokes about carrying a Glock and wearing a bullet proof vest I must say I felt safe and would go back and check this place out again for sure. First off the race course was amazing and wide open.

They held it right downtown and we were racing around Comerica park and the Ford stadium where the Detroit Lions play. Sean Kelly our team director has us all together before the start with some directions to go easy in the first 15 minutes and not initiate any attacks only cover. This was tough for me but I’m a team player and did what I was told.

I thought things might be a little different with a few new faces and a few Americans in the mix but right away we were racing the same Ontario boys from back home. Mazur had a few guys and so did Garneau. I don’t know how many locals made it down but it sure seemed like we were back home.

The pace was quick and the course was fast so it was hard to get off and stay off the front. Late in the race Derrek Ivey and his team mate Brandon Spencer from (Kallisto Wheels of Bloor) attacked right at the same time and Dave Byer my teammate on Jet Fuel jumped on them right away to cover the move. These guys got a good gap on the field right away and everyone seemed content to just roll on the front.

In our pre-race talk we had gone over the match ups we were looking for and the scenarios we didn’t want. Having one of our guys against two from another team up the road wasn’t ideal. The other guys in the race were keeping the pace high and then Chris Balistrini from Garneau got to the front and started driving things to keep his teammate Jeff Schiller close to the break.

We decided to do the same and organized ourselves at the front and had the boys keep the chase up to set me up for the sprint. We had all agreed that the first guy into the last corner would win the sprint and it was decided Pete Morse was the guy to do the job. With five to go we slowly made a bit of ground on the three leaders. Our guys took turns on the front keeping the pace at the perfect tempo.

With one to go it was pretty hairy. Riders were trying to jump into the train and there were a few guys who were in the mix that had no right being there. The leaders were now super close and I was very confident we were going to blow right by them. Coming down the back stretch into the wind Pete and I get separated. He went inside around a few slow riders and I went outside.

We now had a few people in between our lead out guys and Pete and myself. Into the second last corner I took a very inside line and got back to the front and see it’s Schiller who I need to cut going into the last corner to get into it first. I dive bomb it as he goes wide and then cuts in right to the curb and shuts the door.

We go through it close to each other but I get out of the corner late on the gas have to make up a ton of space on him. I come at him hard and close the gap and go to make a move around him and I don’t make up a single inch. We are now both at top speed and I sit beside him right to the line.

We knew the first guy into the corner would win and we just didn’t get ourselves into position like we’d planned. Jeff held me off and I went home with another close 2nd place. It was a great race but one lousy mis-communication/mistake cost us the win.

Off to Windsor on Sunday for the Ciociaro Club Ontario Cup Crit to see if we can get things right.

Results

Pro 1-2-3 Women

1. Chloe Black (TriSports Cycling/Eclipse Racing) 41:13.0
2. Amy Stauffer (Priority Health Cycling Team) 0.03
3. Mackenzie Woodring (United States Paralympic Nation) 0.57
4. Alicia Trevino (Tri City Cyclists) 0.41
5. Arden Marchildon (The Bike Shop) 0.6
6. Aimee Allen (Maple Leaf Cycling Club) 0.05
7. Kimberly Thomas (Fusion Cycling Team/Fusion IT) 0.13
8. Laura Melendez (Priority Health Cycling Team) 1.85
9. Julie Marceau (Lapdogs) 0.55
10. Rachel O’Reilly (Stevens Racing p/b the Cyclery) 0.24
11. Sarah Demerly (ABD Cycle Club/ABD Cycling Team) 0.05
12. Abby Martin (Grand Rapids Bicycle Company) 0.63
13. Michele Howard (Hagerty Racing) 0.02
14. Colleen Brown (Wolverine Sports Club)
15. Adrian Fear (Wolverine Sports Club)
16. Rachel Decker (Hagerty Racing)
17. Susan Shaw (Fusion Cycling Team/Fusion IT)

Pro 1-2 Men

1. Jeff Schiller  (Garneau) 17:45.1
2. Ed Veal (Jetfuel Coffee/Labicicletta) 0.18
3. Jason Valenti  (Nine2Five Pro.com) 0.43
4. Robert Foshag (Midwest Cycling Group/Lathrup) 0.23
5. Sven Baumann (BMC Acholine) 0.08
6. Randall Rodd (Wolverine Sports Club) 0.04
7. Anton Varabei  0.63
8. Brendan Benson (Track Teams by WAHU) 0.01
9. Jason Karew (Cincinnati Velo Club Inc/Revolution) 0.12
10. Steven Broglio (Cycle-Smart Inc.) 0.16
11. Tim Finkel (Wolverine Sports Club) 0.1
12. Vincent Roberge (Midwest Cycling Group/Trails-Ed) 0.03
13. Todd Farrell (Williamscycling.com) 0.86
14. Daniel Lam (Bissell/ABG Cycling Club) 0.06
15. Rudyard Peterson (Flying Rhino Cycling Club) 0.02
16. Brandon Spencer (Kallisto Wheels of Bloor) 0.07
17. Cory Stange (Cyclefit Sports Club/CX Bones) 0.15
18. Brian Boyle (Beverly Bike/VeePak) 0.08
19. Kenneth Ng  0.2
20. Lucas Wall (Ann Arbor Velo Club) 0.35
21. Benjamin Whitehead (Bissell/ABG Cycling Club) 0
22. Derrek Ivey  (Kallisto Wheels of Bloor) 0.15
23. Carlo Capaldi  0.41
24. Daniel Yankus (Team Giant- Michigan) 0.13
25. William McLaughlin (Maumee Valley Wheelmen) 0.12
26. Justin Desilets (Evolution Cycling Club p/b Long) 0
27. Martin Vecchio (Track Teams by WAHU) 0.13
28. James Bruce (Midwest Cycling Group/Lathrup I) 0.63
29. Chris Balestrini (Garneau) 0.11
30. Peter Morse (Jetfuel Coffee/Labiciclette) 0
31. Collin Snyder (Midwest Cycling Group/Trails-Ed) 0.66
32. David Byer (Jetfuel Coffee/Labiciclette) 0.05
33. Branden Lyon (Ada Bike Club/East Hills Velo) 0.6
34. Michael Dega (Cadieux Bicycle Club/Team O2) 0.38
35. Kenneth Verner (Essex Brass) 3.12
36. Dylan Lanspeary  1.81
37. John Sammut (Wolverine Sports Club) 4.76
38. Rick Snow  1.56
39. Raymond Dybowski (Wolverine Sports Club) 0.5
40. Brian Adams (Midwest Cycling Group/Lathrup I) 0.82
41. Mark Bush (Ventus Cycling Team) 11.76
42. Anthony Walsh (Jetfuel Coffee/Labiciclette) 2.62