April 01, 2003

The FiordiFrutta/Wheelworks boys have been busy racing and winning in all parts of the US, before the team comes together for the bigger spring races. Johs Huseby writes an update from the Boston Beanpot Tufts Criterium, which was won by teammate Mike Dietrich, and Josh Gewirtz checks in from Colorado where he won a collegiate race. Oliver Stiler-Cote is racing with the National Team in Europe and gives us his update from Belgium.

Dietrich Wins Tuft Criterium, March 29th

It was a beautiful day, a little overcast and I had a nice waffle breakfast and rolled the 1 ½ minutes from my house to registration. I noticed a nice car was the pace car - a brand new Maserati. I went for a good warm up and then saw Mike D as I returned and he had just showed up. There were about 30 of us on the line as we started. The course was a 6-turn criterium with a few short climbs that would surely tire a few. The race started off fast and I went to the front. A Community Bike rider put in a big effort and I followed close to his wheel. This immediately strung out the field. After 2 laps the pace eased and Micah Thompson (Excel Sports) attacked and Mike D followed. I sat up and let the gap open up. The duo immediately put some time into the field. I rode at the front chasing down any pursuers and shortly Mike D and Micah had 30 seconds on us. After probably 6 laps, I attacked on the larger of the two climbs and dragged along Ken Dille of ECV. He made a few pulls over the next several laps, but was unable to continue to help in our joint effort. We still had 35 laps to go, so we would be out there for a considerable period of time. We soon also had 30 seconds on the field and I knew there was an opportunity to stay away. I now was doing the majority of the work and not long after we heard Mike D and Micah had lapped the field. Nice! We kept a steady pace and I made Ken pull through several times as it was difficult and not to my liking to tow this guy around for the whole race. With about 5 laps to go we were in the clear and knew we had 3rd and 4th wrapped up. Mike D pulled off the win from out of the field - a beautiful victory and I came through in 3rd. A good day for the boys in Red.

Gewirtz Wins Colorado State University Criterium, April 29th

The second collegiate race of the season was hosted by Colorado State University and all the major teams were in attendance, including Fort Lewis, University of Colorado, and University of Arizona. The race started with a flurry of attacks with nothing really going clear. With about 8 laps to go I kept on attacking for about three laps really not letting up. With four laps to go I found myself in a five man break with 2 Fort Lewis riders, 1 rider from Boulder another from Colorado State University and myself. I attacked twice with 2 laps to go to soften up the break but was pulled in by a very on form Andy Guptill. With one lap to go I positioned myself behing the Fort Lewis lead out and jumped with about 300 meters to go and won by a bike length. I was very pleased with my win and wasn't sure how my legs would be as I had taken the week before very easy. I'm enjoying collegiate racing and looking forward to my next big target, the Boulder Roubaix.

Ollie Races GP Waragem, March 26

March 26 was a day of tough luck for the US national Espoir team, several lads crashed, some stopped due to injuries while I, personally, was sent to school (or was it a surfacing anti-Americanism.....???) by some Quick-Steppies and the Italian Vellutex squads in a gnarly finishing sprint. We took part in the GP de Waregem at nearly our home course, by this I mean we often ride some of the same roads in training- they are the short steep and sometimes cobbled climbs of Flanders.

Since I was the only finisher from the team somebody around the house elected me to write the race report and amazingly every single rider unanimously agreed. So I will tell the story of the race as I knew it.

There was a nervous first hour of racing, I fought to stay in the first 30 riders or so like every week in hope that I wouldn't fall fate to any crashes or miss any moves "gonna race with everything i got till i cant stay up there anymore" was my motto today and since it was a fairly short race over here, just 147km, it seemed a decent tactic for the day. Not long after the climbs started I knew something was amuck.

By the first feed zone at 70k I was in a front group of some 60 or so riders. We got on some big roads and I’m looking around to see who from my team is the group with me..........hmmm...that’s funny I can’t see any other American jerseys. Yes, something uniquely terrible had happened to all seven of the other natty team boys- I was indeed alone. Later I found out it was crashes, crashes, punctures, knee injuries, just a lot of BAD luck. Jon Retseck told me about his accident- while trying to avoid a massive pileup, his bike went out from under him and he was catapulted into the air and flew down a twenty foot cliff. The poor guy had to crawl out with two taco'ed wheels, a busted frame and some shell shock he'll surely be nursing for a few days.

The tricky part of the race came and went, I ground my way over some cobbled bergs and managed to get through clear of the big group and up front with more mellow 25. After another 50km of attacks and in my case closing gaps, we came into the finish in Waregem for a group finish.

I tried to get myself up near the front of the group within the last kilometer, and I was getting up there. I was on the wheel of the Italian lead out and things were looking good. Evidently one of the quickstep guys learned how to sprint somewhere different than me because shortly thereafter I felt a firm and aggressive hand shove my rear end out from behind the Italian. I had no reaction and was in the wind and going backwards before I knew it. I tried to get on the train again but as I attempted (obviously not assertively enough) I was thrown out into the wind again. It was all over, I had blown it, the finish came and I followed the group across the line only beating 4 guys in my group. It all happened really fast and I definitely learned a thing or two about sprinting. It's a sport where education and experience is supremely valuable so I’m hoping by getting tossed around like a junior today, I will be more familiar and confident in the finale of my next race.