Today was the Lakefront road race here on Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee. One of the longer stages at 150k (about 90 miles). It had 2 climbs on the course, one twisty descent, and one bike path jaunt.

Pretty cool course right up against the beaches of Lake Michigan. The start was very very slow. Plenty of relaxing time in the first couple of laps for Zack and I to make the entire group laugh as we screamed at one-another from opposite sides of the peloton. 2 or 3 laps in the attacks were taken seriously, and the leaders would gutter the entire field after the twisty descent, before the second climb. Like clockwork, everyone would sit up 400m before the climbs and everyone would catch back on, or so I thought. I kept assuming I was near the back, though I never heard the follow moto. When I did go to the back with only 2 laps left I was shocked to see we had a very very small pack. Did everyone quit when all the money rode away? No training?

I sat in most of the first half of the race. Joseph followed attacks like a mad-man. With 10 to go he was in a big chase group trying to close on the 13 leaders who would never be caught. Adam told me I was on. So on the descent, I tucked and zoomed up to the front, easily. Once I was there though, the easy-ness ceased. Attacks kept coming and I jumped on as much as I could. Another group developed between the 1st chase and the main pack and I was on the front of the pack motoring to the second chase group who had just a few seconds. The yellow and red jersey were both in that group. If you had told me 2 years ago (or even at the beginning of this year), that I would be on the front of the peloton at Superweek, guttering it and holding a group with the leader jerseys at bay, I would have told you that you're f'ing NUTS. Somehow both Monday and yesterday I started feeling good right around the hour and a half or 2 hour mark. So maybe I have better form than I think.

The two chase groups got swallowed up at the end of that lap. I sat in 10 guys back behind the Garnaeu guys. Tim Johnson (who was rocking his 'cross shoes and pedals!) attacked going off the bike path. Joseph was all over him and those two were clear. The red jersey leader, waved at me and yelled something in German as I sat up after he pulled off the front. I retorted with, "I aint chasin' that! Tim motha-f***'n Johnson is up there!" Plus Joseph, who I was really blocking for. I coasted on the front till we hit the first climb again, Menzies attacked, Cole House the red jersey, and a few others followed, and we all sat up. That was it. With 4 laps to go we chattin' it up. I was pretty blown from all the jumping I did in a 3 lap time frame so I was just happy to sit in till the finish. Of course Hack didn't want to just sit in, but I couldn't sprint him yesterday as I did not have my massive sprinter's stem on my bike, and I snap everything else so I just finished in the group.

It's been pouring all morning so we're debating to race or not to race today. IMAX sounds more appealing after yesterday.