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NSC Velodrome
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Thursday Night Lights Results
June 4, 2009
Another perfect Spring evening at the NSC Velodrome brought out 47 racers and over 160 spectators for the third race in the Thursday Night Lights series. It was a Devil's night as all the men's categories enjoyed a Miss & Out.
The Cat 3 racing action was dominated by Dan Casper (Grandstay), Gabe Masiulis (Gopher Wheelmen) and Lionel Space (Strada Racing).
Eleven Cat 3 riders started the race schedule with a 12-lap Tempo points race: 2 and 1 points for the first two riders across the line each lap, respectively. Steve Redelsperger (Bianci/GP) took off at the gun with Masiulis following. The two got a gap and held off the pack for 4 laps with Masiulis leading Redelsperger across the line each time. Redelsperger then eased off and was replaced by masters rider Space for the next 4 laps. By this time, Masiulis had taken first place points for eight laps and he eased off. Meanwhile Casper attacked and took the final four laps with Space following at a distance. With two laps to go, Casper lapped most of the other riders. Casper, Masiulis, Space, and Redelsperger were the only riders to score sprint points. In addition, Casper was awarded 20 points for lapping the field which gave him the win followed by Masiulis and Space.
In the miss and out, Redersperger went from the gun again and strung things out quickly. Charlie Anderson (Bianchi/GP) took a flyer early and stayed out for 6 elimination sprints. Casper then chased him down and kept on going, followed by Space, while riders continued to be eliminated off the back every 2 laps. Anderson tried to bridge to the two but didn't have enough time before he was eliminated in the second to last sprint. In the lead-up to the final sprint, Casper and Space played cat and mouse high on the track until Casper took off from the rail at the bell and stayed ahead of Space to the win the final sprint and the event.
A 50-lap scratch race closed out the evening for the Cat 3s. An early attack by Andrew Sherve (unattached) and Masiulis was neutralized with 40 laps to go. Dan Casper then took off followed by Space, Anderson, Jason Goldberg (rc13) and Masiulis. The five eventually gained nearly half a lap on the others. The torrid pace set by Casper and Masiulis was too fast for Goldberg then Anderson then Space who dropped off. Meanwhile the lead duo was lapping riders all through the field. By 14 laps to go all of the riders were back together in a single group with Casper and Masiulis at least a lap up on everyone else. With 10 laps to go the duo took off again. The field broke up in the last laps with Masiulis leading Casper over the finish line. Space hung in to take third and Anderson fourth.
Click here for the complete race report. Click here for race results. |
Sponsored Race Feature: Penn Cycle Points Race
The featured race of the evening was the 60-lap Penn Cycle Points Race (sprints every 10 laps) in the Cat 1/2 field. Ben Dubay (SpeedFix) attacked a few laps in followed by Spencer Haugh (Behind Bars/LGR). The attack was countered by Brian Crosby (Speedfix) who brought with him James Tainter (Silver Cycling), Dan Schueller (Gopher Wheelmen), and Adam Bergman (Texas Roadhouse); the order for the first sprint. Pat Lemieux (Texas Roadhouse) then bridged up to the lead group and the five got an 80 meter gap by the second sprint, won by Crosby sprinting over the top of the others followed by Bergman, Tainter, and Lemieux. The five got as much as half a lap gap on the field. Crosby took the third sprint over Bergman, Tainter and Lemieux again. With 27 laps to go Bergman attacked followed by Tainter and Crosby. Lemieux and Schueller were unable to respond. The three leaders got as much as an 80 meter gap. With two laps to go to the next sprint, Bergman soloed off the front leaving Crosby and Tainter behind. Bergman stayed out in front for the rest of the race. With 16 laps to go, Dubay and Andy Kruse (SpeedFix), bridged up to teammate Crosby to add their legs to the pursuit of Bergman. High drama ensued; could they catch him? They closed the gap from 75 meters to 40 meters over the last 13 laps but Bergman stayed away to the end taking the last three sprints. At the end, both Bergman and Crosby had won three sprints but Crosby's two seconds and a third beat Bergman's two seconds and a fourth by one point. Crosby wins followed by Bergman, Tainter and Schueller.
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Rider Profile: Gabe (G-Force) Masiulis
 Gabe has leaped into his second year as a Cat 3 racer, winning one race and standing on the podium two other times. 2009 marks Gabe's fourth year as a track racer. Gabe loves to go fast and finds the Miss & Out particularly well-suited to his racing style. In his first three years at the NSC Velodrome, he was undefeated in that race! Gabe has an odd and a little spooky souvenir from the track. During a warm-up sprint interval, another rider dropped down to start his own interval and come down right on Gabe at the black line. Gabe lost seven spokes on his front wheel, but both riders managed to stay upright! Gabe still has the curly-cue spoke that wrapped around his axle. Watch for Gabe in the blue and orange of the Gopher Wheelmen. He'll be the one playing the Devil. |
NSC Velodrome Racers Contest Nature Valley Grand Prix
Four local track racing standouts will test their skills against the best road cyclists in North America this week at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Starting June 10 in St. Paul and finishing June 14 on the brutal Chilkoot Hill in Stillwater, the two men and two women will add some gears and brakes to their bikes as they hit the streets and country roads that make this race one of the best in the US. Racers scheduled for Nature Valley Grand Prix starts:
- Adam Bergman, Texas Roadhouse Cycling
- Melissa Dahlmann, MBRC/Flanders
- Pat Lemieux, Texas Roadhouse Cycling
- Linda Sone, MBRC/Flanders
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Track Racing 101-Pursuit
This event covers four kilometers for men, three for women. Two riders start exactly opposite from each other on the track and literally chase or "pursue" each other around the track. A rider can win the race in one of two ways: by either catching his opponent or by recording the faster time. Times are posted when a rider reaches each half lap. The best riders follow a "schedule", generally announced track-side by their coach. The event may be run with riders qualifying through heats to a final round or as a time trial in which the rider recording the fastest time overall is declared the winner.
What to watch for: This race tests endurance and pacing of the rider's maximum effort. Watch for a rider to start out slowly, lulling their opponent into a false sense of security, and then come on strong at the end. Some riders will start out fast in an attempt to rattle their opponent and break their confidence, perhaps catching them. Training for this event consists of specialized track training as well as road training. Road racers cross over to this event very well. | |
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Upcoming Events Calendar
Thursday, June 11
Thursday Night Lights continues at 7 PM.
Featured Race: Salsa King of the Sprints.
Get the full race schedule here. |
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TROY Standings Through Week 3
Men
Brian Crosby 47
James Tainter 31
Adam Bergman 29
Women
Heidi Dahlmann 26
Melissa Dahlmann 20
Elena Dorr 19 |
2009 Introductory Track Classes
Session Three: June 30, July 7, 14, 28
Session Four: August 4, 11, 18, 25
Classes start at 6:30 pm |
Latest Track Updates
Call the track hotline at 763.785.5651 for the latest updates about the track, including any weather related delays or cancellations.
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