8 years ago
Aug 20, 2011
Eric Young wins USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship!
Eric Young capped off an incredible season that includes 2 NRC wins with a victory at the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship. He will be wearing the stars and bars at every crit he participates in next year. The race was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was actually stopped with a few laps left due to severe weather in the area. After a considerable break (reminiscent of the 2010 Little 5) the race resumed and 30 laps were put on the counter. The roads were still wet and several riders went down. BIssell took control and delivered Young to the win. He overtook Jelly Belly's Brad Huff at the line for his 4th National Championship (3 in Collegiate Track). Who knows what lies next? There are clearly big things ahead.
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The picture and video of the finish makes it look super close---but from where I was standing (about 75m before the line)---it didn't look that close. Just past the final corner it was obvious that it was a 2-man sprint and once Eric pulled around that guy it was obvious he was gonna kill him. I'm not sure that was the actual finish line in the photo/video? Looked like half a bike length at the banner to me.
you can see a very excited Hank on the left right on the barriers...i wonder how many deep he is at this point!
I think 9:14 am is right. It looks like they're still sprinting after that line (which looks more like a crosswalk) and in the live feed it looked like Eric got him by even more than half a bike length. I remember seeing another line before the finish line and being fooled, but I guess it makes for a better finish this way :P
I was excited because one of my best friends is the best criterium racer in America. Had nothing to do with how many beers deep I was but then again jackasses like big bad anonymous wouldn't know what having a special team bond is all about. But everyone knows that already; it's been pretty apparent the last 5 years during the Little 500.
As for the finish it wasn't as close as this photo makes it out to be. I was about 10m from the finish and I could clearly tell Eric had it in the bag before they past me. Awesome race, congrats Hazel!
If you watched the live feed you'd agree with Hank. It was obvious Eric won.
Looking closer at the pic you can see Eric's rear tire is just touching the line while Huff's front wheel has barely rolled over it. There's your half bike-length.
Way to go Hazel!!!
This is truly amazing! BVN has been a constant reporter of Eric's continuing success over past few years and he has been the topic of many of the most 'interesting' debates! Perhaps this has made us all a little blase about this achievements.
But really?? National Crit champ in the Crittiest Country on the globe! Wow! We all know due to a quirk of the L5 rules he was a Cat3 but 16 months ago but none of us could have imagined such an ascent! Where to from here? Will he graduate to Europe as did previous champ John Murphy or 'just' maintain as a Crit-force as has fellow IU-alum Rahsaan Bahati. Eric knows he has plenty to learn as a bike racer in order to make the transition across the pond but he's been a pro for just 6months so has plenty time on his hands! I'm excited to continue to monitor his development, where he heads at the end of 2012 and the effect some serious stage racing has had on the legs! Bissel is a little parochial in its outlook but there is enough hard US racing to do the job. The big unknowns are the toil that the culture shock can take when anyone heads overseas to race! I hope to have the opportunity to go and watch Eric race somewhere in Europe in the coming years!
Props as well to Mike Sherer who strongly finishing in the top20 as a difficult first year as a pro comes to an end. His 2011 has been a little lost in the sidelines due to Eric's amazing year but he's done a fine job of racing both Stateside and overseas. He has had the sort of racing experiences that Eric will need in the future to mould him as a bike-racer!
Bissell gets the US-Crit jersey back after 'The Hollywood' took it to KBS last year. There is more than a hint of irony that Eric has taken the jersey after taking a little heat from the 2010 champ at Gateway Cup last year! And Eric actually WON the race this year ;)
FOR GOD SAKES SOMEONE GET THIS BOY A WIKIPEDIA PAGE GOING PLEASE! Right now on Wikipedia "Eric Young" is some WWF wrestler :-D
just sayin'
after that, someone needs get get an ultra pro website setup up with some flash animation at the beginning where he takes his shirt off in slo-mo.
put some ad banners on there and it would be a gold mine for all the sorostitute web traffic!
Still think little 5 should be intramural event?
young wins another bike race!
9:53PM - What?
Gearing, looks like I won our debate! A shame we can't discuss further over a pint.
Auto correct sucks. Should have read Geraint, not Gearing
Thanks for the love GP. Congrats to Eric. He has had some stellar rides this year. You also get results when you are the sprinter of the team, rather than when you are a work horse. Just putting it out there. Its been a season of ups and downs for sure.
Lyle- Ha the details of the debate are a little hazy due to great Scholars Inn hospitality but I am happy to have (maybe) tied. However Rashaan and Eric now have 1-national PRO title each so not sure who's number 1 ;) Step it up Eric!
http://bloomingtonvelonews.blogspot.com/2011/02/best-non-l5-riders-2002-present.html
Eric makes the 3rd IU person to hold the title, the first being Benjamin Sharp. Eric sets himslf apart from the others as he achieved this milestone in his first year as a pro, actually in the 5 months of his pro career.
Impressive Sir!
Tom
there have only been two...bahati and eric. Sharp won the amateur title in 2001, not the professional title
Thanks for the support, everybody! I really appreciate it.
hope this inspires all you IU/little 5 kids to ride year round, even in the horrible indiana winter....
Lol - 3 months out of school and you're referring to IU students as "kids". You'll fit right in with us at Nick's on Friday before the race.
easy dude, sherer's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He's doing his thing and going hard and had a pretty damn good season. It takes a lot of natural talent for anyone to reach his level, combine that with his work ethic and you've got a hell of a rider. Everyone's entitled to their opinion but keep that to yourself and maybe try talking to the guy
The other guys on this podium don't look too happy...because EY just crushed their dreams!
As tempted as I am to say derogatory things about Anonymous 10:25pm, I'll just say this:
I've known Sherer for quite a few years now and he's no spoiled rich kid, he works hard- no doubt about that. He's one of the nicest guys I know, a talented athlete, and he's helped me out plenty over the past few years. He's gotten to where he is with hard (and ironically unstructured) training and maybe a little good luck. But he's had to live at home to save money and couch surf some when traveling just like the rest of us. Mike's just a rad dude who loves riding his bike. I'll stick up for him any day.
-RJ
"there have only been two...bahati and eric. Sharp won the amateur title in 2001, not the professional title"
oops, Sorry...
Tom
"You also get results when you are the sprinter of the team, rather than when you are a work horse." - Sherer
While I agree with everyone that Sherer is a great racer, this statement is not pro. Be humble about your role on the team, not use it as an excuse for not winning. I'm sure Eric would be the first to say that there's no way he would have won without his team. So Sherer, let your team speak of your contribution. All riders understand that sprinters would be nothing without their team.
Why so much hate on this freaking blog. Thank you RJ and others for sticking up for me. Many of you just don't get it and that's sad. Is Eric a rich spoiled kid too because he races for a Pro team and doesn't get paid either? Its how people start there racing careers.
PS. learn how to spell peoples name correctly.
STOP THE HATE!
Mike's, a cool dude in my book & works his tail off. Alot of people on this board think they know everything about cycling just because they have ridden Little 5 for a year. Take that focus you might have had for the month of April & multiply it by 12 & you'll have a *small* glimpse of what he & pro's go thru.
I rarely get on this site anymore because of the negativity & thought I'd be safe reading these comments since it's "the off-season" - I guess not. Grow up fratstars.
Mike is the kind of guy that I'd tackle onto concrete and then go mess up his couch - that's how cool he is.
Tom,
I'm a little confused by your quote and one made by Eric after his very impressive win.
You said, "Eric sets himslf apart from the others as he achieved this milestone in his first year as a pro, actually in the (first)5months of his pro career."
However, Eric says, "In camp in February our directeur Omer [Kem] pinpointed this race for me and a couple of guys, we really wanted to win it. I didn't really believe that was in the cards for me but it's been an incredible year..."
Based on Eric's words hasn't he been a pro for more like 7 or 8 months?
But then I'm really confused, because if he and the Bissell director targeted this race for him in February then that means he was a pro while racing Little 5?
Surely Eric has his dates confused? Tom can you clarify why a professional cyclists was allowed to race Little 5?
thanks,
Old Timer
If the correlation between joblessness and go fast-ness were as positive as we're led to believe, the US would be a cycling power house.
Old Timer -
You're living in the past. There's another race in April.
Mike -
Eric wasn't handed the keys to the Bissell train without earning them. You've had some awesome results and everyone on here knows that. There's no need to even respond to those who say otherwise.
Ok, I don’t make nor do I enforce the rules. IUSF does that and they decided that Eric was not a pro until he signed a contract and that happened after the race; it is their race and their call. What I do know is the there is a certain elasticity to many of the Little 500 rules, That elasticity is best discussed with Dana Cummings and/or Jordan Bailey. Why don’t you do that and get back to all of us here and let us know how the discussed went.
Adam, that is the funniest thing I read all day!
Tom
And Adam, this is the funniest thing I read today...
"Anytime someone dares me to walk a mile in their shoes I do it! Because, hey free shoes and I am now a mile away from that person!"
Tom
I wouldn't say I've known or do know Mike very well but in the interactions that we've had and watching him race I have the upmost respect for him. While he was training and living at Eric's for a few months he was always very helpful to our team as riders and friends offering advice and often giving mechanical issues a look at. He's had some decent results as a PRO as well. Of course his role is different than Eric's is with the Bissell team. One thing is absolutely clear here that has no bearing on Mike: Eric is a freak of nature. He has outstanding "pop" in his legs as a sprinter. Don't let his success cloud what others are doing for the Bloomington cycling community. Also Mike did break his clavicle no more than a month ago...great job Mike in Grand Rapids I enjoyed watching you race. KBS and Bissell were making the race and you came out the gates charging. Facetime!
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