I rode the Vikings A-B-C combined criterium on Thursday night, together with Brandie on a tandem, and an old 3FIDI member Steve Isbel, was there riding tandem with Paul Kennedy.
The crit was seriously hard work, even though my data says Brandie and I were half a k slower compared to the week before.
Two GreenEdge girls, Tiffany Cromwell and Loes Gunnewijk, were there pushing the pace with a few more A-graders in the mix.
Brandie and I mixed it up the front early in the race but then started struggling a little around the 30 minute mark, then Paul & Steve went on the front and we followed their wheel, then we put the brakes on slightly to slow the bunch from their wheel.
That seemed to work quite well and by the time the bunch realised only a few top riders managed to jump across, including the GreenEdge girls, then they were off the front for the rest of the race.
A second breakaway bunch formed but we missed the jump and could not bridge the gap and after 3 or 4 laps in no-man’s land on our own we decided to fall back to the remainder of the peleton.
Catching our breath to have a go at the final sprint where we held of the peleton remainders except for the 1st B-grader – Steve Jones who pipped us on the line.

Paul & Steve managed to stay and drive the front bunch and all attempts to NOT be lapped by them failed us with about 7 minutes left to race, they blew passed together with Tiffany and another A-grader.
On the last lap the single bikes managed to get the better of Paul & Steve, who finished an awsome 3rd overall and 2nd in Men’s A-grade.
Brandie & I finished 1st Men’s C-grade… which was about 9th overall.

Woow, go GreenEdge… the girls were strong as! Although apparently missing the TDU selection but in town for a camp and then heading to the Tour of Qatar… goodluck!