10-12 May 2013 Missouri Pro Cycling Series-Tour de Grove

 

After testing my fitness at Cat’s Hill, I stepped up my game a couple notches, heading east to race a challenging three-day weekend at the Missouri Pro Cycling Series. From NorCal I flew to Chicago to spend a few days with my parents in Crystal Lake before droving 5 hours south to St. Louis to join teammates Starla and Kate for a fun-filled weekend of racing in St. Louis.

St. Louis Gateway Arch at night.
 

As I approached the city I was greeted by the towering Gateway Arch, and an excellent opportunity for a bit of history. The arch was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, particularly President Jefferson, his aides Livingston and Monroe, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and the hunters, trappers, frontiersmen and pioneers who contributed to the territorial expansion and development of the US. The idea was born in late 1933, but with the country entering into the Great Depression, years of debate, land acquisitions, and initial preparations, construction on the arch did not begin until 1963. Currently, the Gateway Arch is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world with over four million visitors annually. At 630 feet (192 m), it is the tallest man-made monument in the United States

The field spread across the road under the lights in the Midtown GP. Photo by Dan Singer
 

With the Arch in the backdrop, the MOPro Series started with The Midtown Twilight Criterium on Friday evening, in the heart of the St. Louis entertainment district. This being my first night crit, I felt a bit tentative as racing kicked off under the dim light of street lamps. The 8-corner, figure-eight-shaped course was challenging in the long shadows; 20 minutes in, a rider hooked a handlebar on one of the barriers and several riders tumbled into a knot and bicycles and bodies. The crash caused a 20 minute delay while OPTUM rider Annie Swart was treated for injuries.
 

Damage in Midtown GP crash. Photo by Matt James (Copyright 2013)
 

Starla went down hard in the crash, badly bruising her hip. We struggled to keep warm in the evening chill as we awaited the restart. I rode conservatively, putting in a couple of chase efforts to test my legs but keeping my exertion in check. I felt pretty decent heading into the last few laps, but lost position with one to go. With the poor light, I didn’t feel comfortable pushing the corners and was content to roll-in midfield. Starla recovered well from her crash to finish 9^th with Kate just behind in 11^th.

Starla sprinting for points at the Tour de Grove. Photo by Matt James (Copyright 2013)
 

Saturday we headed to The Grove, one of the first residential subdivisions of the city, for the Tour de Grove. As an NCC event, the Tour de Grove attracted the largest field for the weekend with 57 top-notch riders. But a straight-forward course with long, wide-open straights, strong cross winds, and high stakes on the finish meant slow speeds in the corners with no team willing to take control. I put in a couple of attacks to help Starla grab some valuable NCC points, but the winds took a toll and the race pushed the limits of my fitness. I finished well out of the sprint with nothing left in my legs while Starla and Kate both got swamped in a messy finish to take a disappointing 18^th and 22^nd.
 

Lining up for the start at Dutchton. Photo by Matt James (Copyright 2013)

Sunday the racing moved to a very cool 6-corner course with a 150 m 5% climb to the start-finish in Dutchtown—or Deutschtown rather—a German settlement south of the city. Spent from the previous two days, I was able to do little more than observe the race from the back, my legs feeling strong but my body unwilling to go any harder. Four riders escaped the field early, working well together to finish in front of the bunch. The chase made for an exciting race, with Starla riding aggressively, making multiple efforts to bridge and then finally putting in a gutsy late attack only to get caught just on the line for 12^th. Kate, experiencing GI upset from something she ate the previous day, suffered through the race with a giant bloated belly that made for seriously uncomfortable riding but fortunately resolved the next day.

Dutchtown Crit. Photo by Dan Singer

 
Huge thanks to Mike Weiss, MO Pro Series race manager and the team at Big Shark for taking care of us with excellent accommodation, and for putting on a great weekend of racing. Also to Chris Kreidle from Smart Stop-Mt Khakis for looking after our bikes.

 

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