Three of our elite team members raced up to the Pro adult categories mainly to have some very challenging racing as training for Nationals down in Augusta, GA next week. In Pro women, Erin Donohue stomped to a great 5th place finish and, then, in the whopping 82 mile Pro mens race, Brendan Rhim tore up the Whiteface climb for an incredible 3rd place podium spot with Ansel Dickey not far behind (a race like this is utter torture for a field sprinter by the way) in 6th. Everyone that beat both B and A in this race was either a pro or Cat 1 top level mens racer and both B and A are still Cat 3!
Then it was off to the Saranac Lake Crit on Sunday. Turner and Carlyle killed it in the Girls 10-12 with 1st and 2nd and Eli and Carl with 4th and 5th in the Boys. In the Boys 13-14, Ian won with a blazing field sprint to the line. In the combined field Boys 15-16 and 17-18, Ansel took off early in a solo break, Peter, Jr. joined him shortly thereafter and, with Brendan and Kenny blocking in the chase group, they lapped the field just before the finish winning both the 15-16 and the 17-18 races. Brendan and Kenny went on to sweep the podium in the 17-18 with John Ramsay in 5th as well and Alden was 4th in the 15-16. In the 15-18 girls, Erin and Dominique were 2nd and 4th. Finally, in the Cat 3/4 Mens race, Brendan and Ansel tag team attacked early and B's move stuck so he soloed for the win with Ansel sitting in for the field sprint for 2nd which he handily won. Yes, yes, these guys will both be moving up to Cat 2 after nationals. In the pro women, Erin took a very solid 5th place giving her some very hard racing in her legs for jr. nats next week. And, lastly, not having raced all year and loving this crit course with its river crossings and blazing fast final turn onto the Main St. downtown homestretch, Coach succumbed and registered at the last second and ended up winning the combined 35/45 masters. Great weekend all around!
