Session 3 the running of the bulls
Where to begin, I’m still getting deals on what happened last night session.
Lets start with the running of the bulls, or at least that’s what I call the kierin event as you have 200 plus guy going hell fast on carbon everything, then add to the mix Dean Tracy; I think he weights about 160 soaking wet.
First ride, Dean rode a conservative race and paid for it by placing third, top two go through. His second ride was much better, as it was a do or die situation and as luck would have it, he was racing guys that he had beaten before. Stephen Mclaughry got the jump on Dean, but Dean closed the gap and coming out of corner three, Mclaughry threw a little hook, which was enough to slow Dean down and McLaughry beat Dean by half a wheel. DAMN, I thought for sure Dean would make it into the finals so I went back to the hotel to go to bed, but that turned out to be the wrong decision.
What I missed was, right after Dean’s Kierin ride with McLaughry, McLaughry was called on the hook that he gave Dean and Dean moved through to the finals. Dean had little time to prepare as they called him to the line not more that five minutes after his last ride. Dean faced the SPIKE team and Adam Duvendeck. What I heard was it was fast ride; Dean hung out on Duvendeck’s wheel, the non-SPIKE rider and waited for him to go. He did, Dean followed, the SPIKE boys came in hard and by the last corner, carbon crunching sounds where heard everywhere as Dean went right on through. Dean placed fourth; three go through to the finals. Dean rode the 7-12th and placed 9th.
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Photos:
Rep ride against
Dean unaware that he made it through to the next round
Medals for U23 250 awards; Dean took 3rd with a 19.2 second ride
Next up, Steven’s scratch race. What I heard, this was another nail bitter. All the TIAA-CREF guys where there, J-Me Carney, Dave McCook and more. . . . Including Steven. The scratch race was the TIAA-CREF attack J-Me Carney show, and J-Me was able to bridge up to every attack TIAA-CREF launched. In the middle of the scratch race, a huge crash happened, sending one rider to the hospital and a race delay as volunteers patch the hole in the track.
In the end Dave McCook stole the win away from the TIAA-CREF, which where to busy focusing on J-Me, which in the end TIAA-CREF didn’t place a single rider in the top 5. Steven rode strong and stayed out of trouble during all the silliness and took 8th place.
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Photos
Steven pre-scratch race
Waiting for the track to be repaired
Patching the track
Tonight will be the kilo and men’s points race . . . .I’m staying for this one, just in case there's more drama.
