Iowa City Cat 3 Report, 2003

by Jim Bruskewitz

Hickey was hurtin' - big time! It was likely a bad idea, but he did finish the race after bonking when the only point was to say "I didn't quit". I enjoyed the price he paid listening to the moans from the back seat on the way home until he fell into a deep sleep. After an hour or so I had my head jerked back from his screams - I thought his dog was eating his legs. Turns out a hamstring cramp woke him from his stupor. Once he straightened his knee he seemed pretty well-recovered and glib.

40+ road race treated Greg Andrews well with a fourth place finish. Picking the leeward side on the sprint may have put him higher on the money list. I was in the second group, a result of my bonehead tactics. We all had fun.

Reply by Gordon Winder

Wonderful weather!

Saturday was the Al Kreitler Memorial road race. The course was a 13 mile loop with rolling hills. The Cat 3 pack stayed together with the exception of 3 or 4 solo attemps that stayed away for 5-10 min. each. In retrospect, the best opportunity may have been to bridge to one of these breaks. The race finished in a field sprint, I was in the pack, Ed Hickey ran out of fuel on the 3rd lap.

Sunday was the Old Capitol/Chris Lillig Memorial Criterium. The course has 8 turns and one fast downhill with a dicey corner at the bottom, and a one block big-ring hill. I was the only BD in the 3's. The pace was fast throughout (for me!). I managed to hold a good position until about half way. But before drifting back I managed to snag a prime, and avoid a peleton-splitting crash on the downhill corner. After the crash I just managed to stay with the group the rest of the way. The race atmosphere in Iowa City was lively with Ben Neff on the mic on the front side of the course, Kim West et al. egging the racers to pop wheelies for beers on the back side of the course, and a wedding in the middle! The solo breakaway winner eventually did a wheely at the top of the hill, and Socks didn't break anything before his wedding night.