Smithers MINNEAPOLIS

From zero to top speed as quickly as possible. For some riders 250 meter of track is not even enough distance to get up to full speed. Gear choice is critical as well as the starting technique. Everything must be perfect for success in the 250m TT.

21.539 Colleen Hayduk, Kutztown Inn/Bicycling World

21.998 Cari Higgins, America’s Dairyland

22.164 Karen Claeys, Avanti

22.520 Elena Dorr, Speedfix

22.590 Veronica Martinez, JVR Sports/Argentinean National Team

Men’s Flying 200 Meter TT

A three lap event. Two laps to get up to speed with the rider taking advantage of the 43 degree banking to drop into the final 200 meter drag race to the finish line. Knowing how to take full advantage of the track banking to maximize the riders speed take practice and the results showed who were the experts and this technical discipline.

10.575 Roberto Chiappa, Gruppo Sportivo Forestale

10.897 Ben Barczewski, Alliance Environmental Systems

11.203 Taylor Olson, Speedfix

11.433 Eugene Chacherine, EVO Pro Cycling

11.732 Emile Abraham, Trinidad/Tobago National Team / Team Type 1

Men’s Chariot Race

A two lap sprint event, Roberto Chiappa of the Gruppo Sportivo Forestale team started the final event as if he was shot from a cannon. Chiappa lead from the moment the race started, through both laps and across the finish line with no serious challenger. A radar gun along the straight away clocked Chiappa at 40mph during his finishing sprint.

Women’s Miss and Out

A unique event on the track that the riders either love or hate. Also called “Devil Take the Hindmost”, the last rider across the finish line is pulled out of the race on every other lap reducing the size of the field. The group is reduced all the way down to the final two riders and those two make once final dash to the finish to determine the winner. Strategy is critical in the Miss and Out. It’s tempting to stay at the front to reduce the risk of elimination but this means a lot of extra work since there is no benefit of the other rider’s draft. Experienced riders will hover near the back of the field taking advantage of the draft from the entire field to save their energy for the final laps of the race. But riders have to stay attentive. A lapse in concentration and they can find themselves last across the line and out of the race! The longer the race goes on the harder it gets as riders find it more difficult to avoid elimination as the size of the field is reduced. The final 5 elimination laps turn into consecutive drag races as fight each other to keep from being pulled from the race.

In the women’s event the second to last elimination lap came down to Cari Higgins of the America’s Dairyland team, Jennifer Triplett of the Broadmark team and Annette Williams of the Avanti team. Triplett found herself out of position and in desperation moved down on the apron of the track surface. Using this part of the track is not legal in the Miss and Out. While Higgins was first across the line, Triplett was able to use the apron to advance position and beat Williams in the sprint. As Higgins and Triplett were getting prepared for their final effort the officials announced the relegation to third place of Triplett for her illegal move and awarded the race win to Higgins and second place to Williams.

Men’s Points Race, 50 laps

In points races it’s not the first rider across the finish line at the end of the race who wins, it’s the rider with the most points at the end of the race. Points are collected by riders during sprint laps spaced evenly throughout the duration of the race. Points races are very fast and every hard with very little chance at rest or recovery during the course of the event. The men would race 50 laps with points available every 10 laps.

Local rider Brian Crosby of the Speedfix team attempted to make something happen just 3 laps into the race and was followed by Andrew LaCorte of the Sommerville Sports World Team, David Byer of the JetFuel Coffee team, Adrian Hegyvary of the Broadmark Capital Track team. They were 20 meters off the front of the field before the group got motivated and quickly brought them back. At the first sprint it was Emile Abraham of the Trinidad/Tobago National Team/Team Type 1 who collected maximum points by being first across the line followed by local rider Andrew Kruse of Speedfix, Daniele DeFranceschi of the JetFuel Coffee team and Brian Crosby, also of Speedfix. The big move of the event was made by Andrew Armstrong of the Matrix/RBM team when he attacked the group on the back straight of the track with 34 laps to go in the race. Within just two laps Armstrong had a lead of 125 meters on the group and easily won the second sprint. Armstrong would stay off the front for the next 12 laps when, joined by Dan Harm of the Broadmark Capital Track Team, he would lap the field and collect a 20 point bonus. David Byer of the JerFuel Coffee team was also off the front and he would lap the field and collect his 20 point bonus just before the third sprint. Local rider Adam Bergman of the Texas RoadHouse team would win this sprint and then, with 17 laps to go in the race, attempted to attack the group. His move was nullified within one lap by the fast moving group. With only two sprints left for points in the race riders were getting desperate and, due to the incredible pace of the race fatigue was setting in. A crash with 12 laps to go brought down Kruse and Byer and the resulting pandemonium allowed Kenny Williams of the First Rate mortgage team to take maximum points two laps later for sprint four. Armstrong, who had been active the entire race, began to pay for his efforts and was dropped off the back of the field. He needed to dig deep to stay close so as not to lose his 20 point bonus from earlier in the race. On the last lap it was Emile Abraham who collected sprint five followed by DeFranceschi and Williams. Once the points were calculated the results of the points race were Armstrong in first, Dan Harm of the Broadmark Capital Track team in second and Abraham in third place.

250 Meter One Lap Record

Four riders attempted the break the track one lap record.

Andrew LaCorte of the Sommerville Sports World Team, Taylor Olson of the Twin Cities based Speedfix team and Ben Barczewski of the Alliance Environmental Systems team each posted fast times. But it was Italian Roberto Chiappa, turning over a huge gear, who blasted around the track in an impressive lap that lasted just 13.17 seconds, a new record!

Women’s Keirin

The Keirin is another unique event in which a motorcycle is used to pace 6 riders up to speed. For the first 5 and a half laps the motorcycle brings the riders gradually up to a speed of 31 miles per hour. At this point the motorcycle comes off the track and the riders battle another 2 and a half laps to the finish. The keirin is a fast race and riders need a lot of experience and a good strategy for success.

Jennifer Triplett of the Broadmark team, Cari Higgins of the America’s Dairyland team and Veronica Martinez of the JVR Sports/Argentinean National Team advanced through the first round of qualifying. They met second round qualifiers Colleen Hayduk, Calre Vlahopoulos of the America’s Dairyland team and Annette Williams of the Avanti team in the finals. Hayduk won the final with Triplett and Higgins finishing second and third.

Men’s Miss and Out

The final of the men’s race came down to Emile Abraham and Ben Barczewski. With one lap to go Barczewski dropped his head and took his eyes off the track. He seemed to be gathering himself for the big final effort to come. Unfortunately for Barczewski, the experienced Abraham, who was riding just behind his adversary, was watching him like a hawk. As soon as Barczewski dropped his head Abraham attacked. By the time Barczewski lifted his head Abraham had a 10 meter gap. Barczewski tried to shut down the gap but there was not enough of the race to make a difference and Abraham cruised to the win.

Men’s Scratch Race, 12 kilometers – 48 laps

The Scratch Race is the easiest race to follow. No points, no eliminations, just the entire group on the track and a final sprint on the last lap to determine the winner. This was no easy race however! Numerous rider attacks off the front of the group caused the group to quickly shrink in size as competitors began to feel the effects of a long evening of racing. With two laps to go Kenny Williams of the First Rate Mortgage team shot off the front and was able to hold his lead over the finish line for the win. Daniele DeFranceschi of the JetFuel Coffee team and Emile Abraham took the second and third place spots.

Women’s Points Race, 10 kilometers – 40 laps

As opposed to the earlier men’s points race, the women’s race stayed together for the most part. This is not to say that the women’s event was by any means easier! More likely that the women were more evenly matched and this prevented any attacks from being successful. The four sprints were hard fought and the final result was America’s Dairyland Rider Cari Higgins in first place, Annette Williams in second and Veronica Martinez of the JVR Sports/Argentinean National Team in third place.

Some other stuff happened last night too but I stayed up past 3am just writing this report. I was not able to attend the event today since the Smithers kids awoke at 6:30am and I am devoid of time and energy.

if you have some time you should make sure and catch some of the NVGP events this coming week.