Minnesota Nature Valley Grand Prix - June

[artifice]

Gotta plug my hometown... the website (http://www.minnbikefestival.com) (ps NEW site launching this week... super exciting.)

Anyone riding here this year? Visiting? Dropping by to check it out? You should! This is my second year working for a company that volunteers for it (on the marketing side of things)... would love to keep an eye out for any fellow BFers riding and cheer you all on!

I'll definitely be spectating at Mpls for sure, but may also be loitering at St Paul or Stillwater.

[CastIron]

I'll be in the fold somehow, sometime, somewhere.

[John Wilke]

I was just putting together my calendar for the rest of the season and there was a blank on June 15th. No race, and I wasn't working ... but WAIT! The Stillwater Criterium in on the 15th? The toughest criterium in the USA?

I'm so there. :thumb:

[artifice]

Wow, not much of a raging response to this thread- I'm surprised, its usually a pretty big deal!?

[Snirp]

...at the Downtown crit for sure. Maybe Stillwater as well. I'll be one of the volunteer wheaties embassadors downtown explaining bike racing to the masses etc. If that's your pic in your avatar, I do hope to run into you! :love: Just kidding, I probably wouldn't have the nerve to talk to you if you looked that good anyway! And if you're a dude, don't destroy my delusions!

Seriously though, it is a great event and there's always super people (with nice bods) watching for either sex.

[John Wilke]

There doesn't seem to be much MN presence here. Some, but not like here: bikethrow.com/ (http://www.bikethrow.com/)

I suspect lots of whoopla on that site. :)

PS - I really like their podcasts!

[CastIron]

I'm planning on racing Mankato and observing Stillwater. But Father's day is the wrench in the works. But their website is, again this year, exceptionally difficult to navigate. That and the e-mail asking me to volunteer from someone who stated they don't care about racing. WTF?

[artifice]

Nope, no guy here. Just me and my avatar... yeah, should be a good time. Hope to see a big crowd again this year!

I'm also on the volunteer end of things, will be loitering with some of the sponsors as the company I work for has been lending a helping hand.

[De Fietser]

And if you're a dude, don't destroy my delusions!A dude? Obviously you haven't seen her in an ear-flap hat and drinking a Miller Lite-sicle.

Now that's HOT....

[dannwilliams]

I have not been to any of the races in years past, but this year I will make it. The first race is WED evening in downtown St Paul.
http://http://www.minnbikefestival.com/NatureValleyGrandPrix/EventSchedule/SaintPaulLowertownCriterium/tabid/84/Default.aspx
One hour Crit at 5:20 for the ladies and 7:05 for the men.
Sunday is the Stillwater Crit,
http://www.minnbikefestival.com/NatureValleyGrandPrix/EventSchedule/StillwaterCriterium/tabid/89/Default.aspx "The Stillwater course features a trek up Chilkoot Hill every lap. This lung-busting hill climb along with the heart stopping downhill turns that will stretch the riders’ bike handling skills to their limits combine to give this criterium an international reputation as the hardest in North America." Now that will be fun to watch! Wonder how they gear their bikes for the hill? I'll try and get some pictures posted, too.
Dann

[otismedina]

Definately will be at the St. Paul Crit and the St. Paul TT, maybe the MPLS crit. I can't wait to watch those TT bikes climb Ohio...

[Frunkin]

My team got invited to do the pro race. I'll be watching from my computer screen. :(

[John Wilke]

Nice that video is offered on their page HERE (http://www.minnbikefestival.com/dev/Gallery/Videos/VideoPlayer/tabid/143/VideoId/8/Nature-Valley-Grand-Prix-Stage-2.aspx) , BUT I'm having trouble with the player. It's so choppy that I'm missing more than half the frames. :(

[artifice]

argh, I know isn't it frustrating? Hopefully things will be in better line next year. It is a volunteer effort to put the entire festival on, so that excuses some of it. I'll be out at (watching) mpls tonight, and stillwater sunday, looks like we're in for decent weather!!

[wez312]

Nobody's gonna be out at Mankato?

[John Wilke]

I'm still planning on Stillwater. Gonna be life on the road this weekend, but that's okay since I have to work all next weekend.

[efolsom]

Mankato was interesting today,

Armstrong is from another planet

The mens was a repeat of last year

The 2-3 crit was good

[artifice]

>> update & some pics here (http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm51/artifice4/bike%20fest%2008/aIMG_1075.jpg).

I'll be out at stillwater tomorrow! biking around on my little trek looking like a fool, but having a good time :)

[John Wilke]

Can't wait. Looking forward to it!

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/4410.jpg

(from today's race in Ripon)

[dannwilliams]

Fantastic day for the race! I rode my touring bike up to Stillwater to watch, (I was wearing my Leinies Honeyweiss jersey.)

3 man break up the hill
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/2581473409_eac87693af.jpg

Team Healthnet/Maxxis leads peloton on the chase
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2581474867_5c1d346365.jpg

Kristin Armstrong blew the field away!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/2582299584_75a9afae18.jpg

My first time to a bike race. I was in awe at the speed they crested this hill for 15 laps women, 18 laps men. Heard over someones radio the mens speed on the downhill side, lap 1-38 mph, lap 2-39 mph, and 40 on lap 3. The lap is only 1.5 miles long and the men did it in 3:30, that's flying!

Dann

[artifice]

Nice shots dann! I'm pretty sure I didn't see you would have remembered a leinie's jersey! I was over at the turn of the downhill for most of the races - did meander over to see the uphill scene, but it was way crowded.

Saw a bit of carnage as some of the amateurs wiped out- yikes!

Any idea what happened with Stevic today? I was expecting him to do better after last year's win.

[Nickel]

KA was awesome and totally insane. Her speed up that hill was increasing as the race went on and I've never seen someone look so happy to be climbing a hill.

I think I saw Artifice's bike.

[John Wilke]

Those ARE nice shots. Where did you find room to shoot? The crowd was huge and that was the SICKEST climb I have ever seen ... bar none.


Simply wicked.

Report tomorrow ... pix and video. http://www.freedomcrowsnest.org/forum/images/smiles/drool.gif

[artifice]

KA was awesome and totally insane. Her speed up that hill was increasing as the race went on and I've never seen someone look so happy to be climbing a hill.

I think I saw Artifice's bike.
bike's not all that unique- but if it was being piloted by a shorty in a red jersey, followed by a young fred on a giant it could have been me!

I biked a few of the hills round stillwater area yesterday. death to my quads! those racers were unbelieveable!

[dannwilliams]

Where did you find room to shoot?

That's what elbows are for! ;) No, really wasn't hard to get in front of people stooped down out of their way, then back up a little to let the bikes pass. At the top of the hill you could catch 'em coming back for the downhill, too. Kinda double the action.

[John Wilke]

Yeah ... I was shooting from the 3rd row back ... fortunately I'm tall. ;)

20 more minutes and I'll have my pics uploaded ... then I'll give my full report.

[John Wilke]

Okay ... now supposedly this was not the biggest race in the country on Sunday, but you could have fooled me. This was ... the most intense bike race I have EVER seen ... BAR NONE! (that covers 30 years, folks). I've seen some National Championships, Downer's Grove is big, some of the Superweek races are real big ... Moline, IL gets crazy with the spectators whacking you on the head when you go by the beer tents ... but nope, THIS RACE IS IT. It is the S**T !

Okay, it's a 1.1 mile course, but the action in on Chilkoot Hill ... a mere 1/8 mile climb peaking at 24% gradient. After catching my breath from walking _uphill_ to get to the bottom of the climb, my jaw just dropped. THis is probably the most wicked climb I have ever seen.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW6094.jpg

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW5361.jpg

I know Snake Alley is steep, I've left some of my lungs on that one ... but this is just a brute. No grass ... no gutters ... just dirt, tree roots, and rock. On top of that ... there are no curbs for the spectators to stay behind ... no crowd barriers ... it's Alp D'Huez ... Minnesota version.


http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW5961.jpg

Fortunately they had some 6 ft bruisers with loud whistles and big flag sticks to push you out of the way when the pack comes through and there must have been 1,000 people on that hill. It was LOUD.

Rock Racing was there with their "B" team.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW5796.jpg

Tyler Hamilton and the boys were racing in Harlem (New York)(Check out the pictures on Velonews from that race!!) ... but I was happy to see Rock Racing in person. I probably won't see them again until Downer's Grove, unless they show for Superweek. (?)

MY drive up there was long - 6 hours on the up trip due to all the flooding down here ... I rolled into town just in time to see the women race ...

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW4704.jpg

... but in my haste, I just grabbed two cameras and didn't bring my bag of goodies, so my lens was too long for working the mosh pit on the hill (unlike these guys who had a primo spot just to themselves)

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW5152.jpg

But, I got some good stuff anyway ...

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/cycling/June%2015%20Stillwater/SW6092.jpg

... and you can see it all HERE (http://peloton-pix.smugmug.com/Road%20Racing/537857).

I wasn't planning on shooting video ... I left that camera in the car (I literally parked the car without paying and ran to the course) ... BUT I did use my point-and-shoot camera to take some video since my big lens wasn't working well in the close quarters.

The Women's video is HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3O9JWn6qjo). Men's video will be up tomorrow morning.

What a race :roflmao2: ... I'm going back next year for SURE!!

[John Wilke]

Men's video: HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzSAnT4UxT4)

[artifice]

great shots john! thanks for sharing.