Bloomington Crit

So the Bloomington Crit has come and gone in a highly successful manner! As part of the organizing team BVN would like to thank each and every person who helped out in any manner in putting the race on. Without the volunteers who stop spectators walking haphazardly out in front of the riders this race would be impossible to stage! Although the prize list isn’t fantastic the quality of the venue brings out enough riders to make things interesting! So on to the racing-
All races aside from the Womens Open were decided in bunch sprints although not for the want of trying as each race was aggressive throughout. In the featured Pro/1/2 State champs the number of NUVO riders meant that the onus was on them to make the race and they stood up to the task well. Each breakaway that attempted to prise itself away from the field featured at least one NUVO rider, often time it was Eric Hamilton who featured in a particularly promising early move with Jason Fowler (ZIPP). However after 75minutes of racing no successful breakaways had formed so it was that NUVO took control of the front of the bunch with two laps to go. After Hamilton drilled it coming through the start-finish and up the Sample Gates as the bell sounded, Declan Doyle let a gap open that only Aaron Hubbell could move through. Hubbell then hit the front coming onto Kirkwood and that was all she wrote. Hubbell was State champ and his team placed 4 riders in the top 6 for a dominant days work!
Hubbell in full flight toward the line (picture- Kira Veley)
Hubbell wins, Hamilton celebrates 3rd place (Photo- Brian Drummy)

The Womens event was a tale of two breaks. The first two positions were decided on the first lap when teammates Bri Kovac and Louise Turner (Alderfer Bergen) attacked and were never seen again by the rest of the field. It appeared that third place would go to Katie Weber (Alderfer Bergen) as she had a built a handy lead over 3 chasers with a few laps to go. However sterling work from Nicole Borem (DRT) brought the group back together and in the sprint it was Lindsay Koren (Get-a-Grip Cycles) who came out on top by barely half a wheel.
The State Champs Cat3 and Cat4/5 races were all together as each of the respectively fields took the bell but the final sprints turned out very differently. In the Cat 3 race Paul Wood (MOB) put in a monster attack early in the final lap and had plenty time to celebrate his victory. In the consolation sprint Cody Hartley (Sustainable Cycling) beat out Ryan Kiel (Gray Goat Cycling). A full-blooded field sprint decided the Cat 4 race. Unofficial favorite Adam Mercer (Phi Psi Cycling) led out through the final few corners but it was Little 5 rival Steve Ziemba (ATO) who took the win and the State champs gold (colored) medal!
Bloomington in summer, a beautiful sight (photo- Brian Drummy)

Look out for some photos from VeloImage in the coming week. Results and photos are posted on Truesport.