Twin Bing Classic

Contributed by Travis Jass

Just checking in with a quick race report from the Twin Bing Classic on Saturday. Ben Acree, Eric Knox, and myself made the journey to Climbing Hill (kinda intimidating namesake) where we opened the 09 outdoor race season.

We rolled off the start line and in about 1/2 mile my chain dropped on a little to big ring shift. Not a good way to open the season. I tacked onto the back pretty quickly and basically sucked wheel for the first half of the first lap. A few riders popped out the back here and there and I could see ahead that Eric was on the front.

I worked up in the pack to Ben and not long after reaching him he cramped and advised me to go on ahead. I prowled around the back of the main field into the second lap before totally bombin it on one of the downhills all the way up to the front with Eric. He said he was feeling ok (even though it looked to me as if he had been doing the lion's share of the work) so I wound the pace up hoping he could just sit in long enough to recover to be able to make a move at the end.

We turned into the wind southbound about 4 miles north of town and the pace just fell flat on it's face. What was left of the main group stuck together until we turned to go thru town one last time en route to the uphill finish. A handful of riders spun it up and there was little I could do but watch them ride away.

I gave it everything I had left but got around only one rider on the finishing hill. Ended up 6th, Eric 8th, full results here. We're really happy with a couple top tens this early in the season. I remember the last two years opening two weeks later at Altoona, and never having this good of result or feeling as good afterwards as I did this weekend. Maybe all the mundane hours on Kreitlers this winter really worked. Only time will tell later on this season, gonna be a fun summer.....Travis