SBF The SAGA Continues

So Superior Bike Fest went down again and it was just as action packed as last year! Not quite as much road rash and blood and not quite as much prize money won, but we still did pretty good. The main characters making a return include:

Brian (no mullet this year) Matter, Andrea (Nurse Mom) Matter and Elicia (ER) Hildebrand

New to this years edition were

Tristan & Jamie (we just got hitched) Schouten

It started off really bad as I was two miles from the cabin we rented for the weekend and the 5.0 was rolling behind me....luckily the officer let me go with a warning....

Then the real speeding began as the Twilight Criterium was off in full force. The first 3 laps were possibly the hardest effort of my life as my lungs were crying for relief and I thought the break would go...but it didn't. A few more hard solo efforts off the front and I was rewarded with 6th place(one spot out of the money). Tristan was 9th. ER used her mad skills and didn't high side it like last year . She pulled off a top 5.

The night went south when at 12:00am the 5.0 was rollin' again! This time it was 62 in a 45 and there was no respite. $100 down the drain and its a loosing money day. We went even further South when we missed our turn and started driving back towards Sheboygan. Now it was really late and I was a little bummed. 100 miles was sounding like pain the next morning!

Bring the pain was the motto for Saturdays race. Elicia brought too much and ended up back at the ER after a bad crash took out half the womens field. She was able to get up and finish 5th, but after seeing a local chiropracter decided to head in for some X-Rays. Sore neck and bloody elbow didn't allow her to race on Sunday. Tristan and I missed out on the road race when a group of 6 rolled away on the first climb and it was game over...lame road racing tactics were the name of the game for the rest of the race as 2 and three riders skirted away at a time. Tristan was 9th and I was 13th. Andrea and Jamie spent the day cooking, handing up bottles, looking good, and getting ready for day #3!

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY: The day to bring the pain....

And the pain started when I stepped out of bed...

After breakfast we loaded up the road bikes and the mtn bikes and headed to MQT Mtn..the home of the best trails in the Midwest. We started and it was pretty much a three man race. Mike Anderson, Tristan and I. Half way through I launched an attack that I thought was sure to win me the race, but Mike was ablbe to gain time using my old Fuel on the long technical descents while I was aboard the rigid Superfly. It came down to a sprint and Mike got me on the line...breaking the one rule I had when I sold him the bike....

We waited about 10 minutes to watch Andrea come in for her first victory of the year and then it was off to race number 2. The SBF Circuit race. I was nice and warmed up from the MTB race so I launched on corner 1 of the race and drove the break for the first lap. 6 or 7 guys made the group and the gap was instantly huge. With 3 to go the moves started coming and people stopped cooperating in the break...so it was time to check out...along with a Priority Health rider we rode away with 3 laps to go and split a $100 prime. He was stronger and took the win...I was content with another 2nd. With the result I moved up the 5th overall in the omnium.

We tossed around the idea of heading home to Sheboygan for the trifecta, but passed as soon as the pain settled in...we finished off the weekend with a Lk Superior Ice Bath and a relaxing drive home.

Once again Andrea showed up the rest of us with the big W. Thanks again to all the folks who helped...Oakley, Trek, Gear Grinder, Hyundai, Crank Bros...and huge thanks to the Superior Bike Fest and the people of Marquette....and of course Ishpeming...those sandwiches were good!