A win's a win

The Indiana Stage Race 2009 was a little different this year than years past. Usually it's road race and time trail Saturday, then criterium Sunday. This year it was crit/TT Sat, then RR Sunday. Not only that, but it was different crit than usual too. the crit was what's known as the Eagle Creek "Fast" crit so called because it's held on a ~.5mile circuit (in Ealge Creek Park) that literally has ~5' of elevation change per lap. This makes for average speeds in the 26-30mph range; "fast crit." This also means to win you either have to breakaway form the field and ride 30+mph, or be in perfect position in the final 5or so seconds of the race. I can't ride 30+mph, and I'm not a burly bunch sprinter, so my plan was to stay in touch w/ the group, cover breakaway attempts, and ~try to~ pick off a few riders at the finish. I wove my way through a couple of holes at the line for 16th place. But it finished all together. The stag race was based on points though, not time, so place was all that mattered.
The time trial was an hour or so after the finish of the crit. It was a course I had never ridden and I would consider it semi technical. I believe there were 6 90* turns and it was only a 9k (5.6mile) point-to-point course. The course previously used for the stage race tt was a dead flat out-and-back, so this was much different. Other than the turns, the course was straight, flat and fast. But it had a nasty little climb right at the end. Nothing huge, but (according to my watch) ~50' in ~1/5 of a mile enough to slow you down and hurt.
Anywho, I felt really good on the TT and felt like I was absolutely flying. Results took too long to figure, so I left not knowing how I had done, but w/ the feeling I had done well. I won. My first "W" of the year and my first outright "W" as a 3 (I say outright because as you may recall last year I tied for the win in the TT at this same race, but on a different course). Not exactly how I would have liked to have won (no arms-in-air-salute or anything, I didn't find out I won until the following day), but a win's a win. And it's worth noting, for my ego's sake, that 2nd was ~15-20seconds back of me, and that's a sizable time gap on such a short course.
So Sunday left the road race at Ft. Benjamin Harrison St Park. I've raced this course a few times and know it pretty well. It is a ~2.5mile loop with a good sized climb, and rolls a little too on the back section. There were a lot of breakaway attempts and I was dedicating myself to making sure they didn't stick, except a teammate of mine (Cody Woods) would get up the road, then I'd try to slow the pack to get him a gap. Nothing stuck though. Until one. One guy took off and I attacked the field hard on the climb to bring him back. Turns out that only a few came w/ me and that was the break that made it. It started off 4, then 2 more bridged up for 6. We increased our lead over 5 or so laps and stayed off. I finished 6th out of the break. I tried to go early on the back rollers knowing I have no real sprint and if it all went to the line I'd be busted. Turns out I was busted anyway by going too early. Oh well, at least our break made it; a break has never made it in the years I've done this race, so it was a good feeling.
I ended up 7th overall and in the money. Sweet deal. Though, if the overall had been based on time instead of points, I would have won. My TT time, finishing the RR in a break and everyone finishing the crit together gave me the lowest accumulated time, but that's not how this one works...
John Bennett was out in force, so pics will follow soon.
I'll leave you with this photo of the bee sting I received this morning (Monday) while on an easy recovery ride on the cross bike:

Ouch. Cross bike rode fine though. Position is sooo different from road. CX is now 6weeks away.