Muscatine (Melon City), Quad Cities (Rock Island)

IOWA: Muscatine - Melon City Criterium - RESULTS PHOTOS - The 34th annual Melon City Criterium, held in Weed Park, was held this past Saturday, May 27th, the 3rd day of racing in the 4 day series. There must be a rule that any race held within 10 miles of the Mississippi River is to be run on the side of a hill ... Week Park is no exception. It is a one mile loop that sends you downhill at 35mph, *over a jump*, around the turn, and then back up again to the finish. Joe Biker of The Best Bike Blog Ever describes it: Did I mention the bump? It isn't as much a bump as it is a speed hump - you know the ones you have to cross head to Ault Park (Cincinnati, OH) that you can't see and nearly eject you while you are warming up when you forget they are there? Now you have the picture. Every lap you are hitting these things at 35 mph, many folks are catching air, some folks are pumping over it, but no matter how you look at it, you are hitting this thing hoping your friend next to you is better at landing a jump than Evil Kneivel at the Grand Canyon. 

Photo: Chronis Vanias

It was a hot day in Iowa on Sunday, the official high temperature in Muscatine was 97 degrees and that forced many riders out early. In fact, the Pro 1/2 race had 145 starters, but just 87 finishers (58 DNFs, 40% of the field). Seemingly not bothered by the heat in the least was winner Alex Vanias (Bissel-ABG-Nuvo). - 3rd overall in the West Michigan Stage Race, 3rd in Saturday's Snake Alley, plus a win and a 2nd at Joe Martin, who's wallet is growing fatter by the day this summer.

Men - Pro/Cat 1/2 - Senior - 15--99
	Place		Name	City, State		USAC #		Team
	1		Alex Vanias (1 - Cat1)	Leroy, MI		291766		Bissell-ABG-NUVO/Indianapolis Cycling Club
	2		Luca Damiani (1 - Pro)	Macedonia, OH		256765		UCI CT: Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team
	3		John Grant (2 - Cat1)	Louisville, KY		193579		Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team P/B Motorex/Kentucky Flyers Cycling Inc
	4		Paul Martin (3 - Cat1)	North Royalton, OH		207549		Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist
	5		Oscar Clark (4 - Cat1)	Atlanta, GA		221975		Team United Healthcare Georgia/The 706 P/The 706 Project
	6		Zach Reed (5 - Cat1)	Edwardsville, IL		29400		Dogfish Racing Team
	7		Daniel Holt (6 - Cat1)	Atlanta, GA		63559		Team Type 1- Development
	8		Ryan Aitcheson			354334		Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist
	9		Michael Wilcox (7 - Cat1)	Salt Lake City, UT		78544		FFKR Architects Racing/Velosport Racing
	10		Chad Hartley (2 - Pro)	Fox Point, WI		126996		UCI CT: Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team

Women - Cat 1/2/3 - Senior - 15--99
	Place		Name	City, State		USAC #		Team
	1		Debbie Milne (1 - Cat1)	Belden, MS		84776		Absolute Racing Team
	2		Sarah Huang (1 - Cat2)	Kenosha, WI		225258		Exergy TWENTY12/Exergy Twenty12
	3		Briana Clark (2 - Cat1)	Carmel, IN		200504		Racing For Riley/KCV Cycling Club
	4		Jessica Prinner (2 - Cat2)	South Elgin, IL		225342		ABD Cycling Club
	5		Nicole Mertz (1 - Cat3)	Robbinsdale		367685
	6		Elizabeth Lauer (3 - Cat2)	Whitewater, WI		290993		Team Kenda presented by Geargrinder
	7		Hayley Giddens	Milwaukee, WI		380901		ISCorp Cycling Team
	8		Jennifer Rife (2 - Cat3)	Saint Paul, MN		345626		Birchwood/GIS
	9		Jeannie Kuhajek (4 - Cat2)	Crystal Lake, IL		316598		PSIMET Racing
	10		Andrea Pether (3 - Cat3)	Lake Geneva, WI		343188		ISCorp Cycling Team/Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc dba ISCorp Cycling Team

Photo: John Schultz / Quad City Times

ILLINOIS: Rock Island - Quad Cities Criterium - RESULTS PHOTOS - On Memorial Day, the circus moved north and across the Mississippi into Illinois for the 47th annual Quad Cities Criterium (HISTORY). 134 riders started this day in the Pro 1/2, and it was Chad Burdzilauskas (Texas Roadhouse) who took the win in a photo finish sprint over Kenda's Luca Damiani after a long lead out by Burdzilauskas' team mate, John Puffer.  (Video interview) The Quad City Times writes:  Moments after Burdzilauskas won Monday’s Quad-Cities Criterium, the skies let loose with a downpour. By the time he was ushered back street side for the podium presentation, less than two dozen were there to witness him accept his flowers and champagne.
“They take away from all our glory, right? I finally win a race and its been like all year. The next thing you know it rains,” Burdzilauskas joked. “I almost didn’t even get any kisses from the girls.”

Quad Cities Online covers the race superbly (great article and some awesome photos):  

So Puffer led Burdzilauskas around the next four laps, allowing his teammate to break the 20 mph winds behind him.

"Then, with two (laps) to go, Panther Racing took over the lead," Burdzilauskas said. "Paul Martin just drilled it as hard as he could. That's when I jumped on his wheel to sit in fourth or fifth.

"I was biding my time until the backstretch. Don't tell anyone this, but you want to be first on that second to last turn if you want to win here."

Men: Cat 1/2/Pro
Place	Bib	Name	Age	City	St	Team
1	43	Chad Burdzilauskas	34	Indianapolis	IN	Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team P/B Motorex
2	115	Luca Damiani
3	11	Ryan Aitcheson
4	57	Daniel Holt	31	Atlanta	GA	Team Type 1- Development
5	85	Oscar Clark	23	Atlanta	GA	Team United Healthcare Georgia/The 706 P
6	86	Ryan Sullivan	28	Nashville	TN	Team United Healthcare Georgia/The 706 P
7	87	Ryan Knapp	28	Columbus	IN	Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist
8	32	Andre Vandenberg	22	Boone	NC	Astella Oncology p/b ABD Cycling
9	37	Erik Meier	22	Baraboo	WI	Team Wheel & Sprocket
10	123	Bryan Fosler	25	Madison	WI	KS Energy Services / Team Wisconsin
11	102	James Baldesare	42	Kent	OH	Cleveland Clinic Sports Health - RGF pb Felt Bicycles
12	30	Jacob Rytlewski	30	Brownsburg	IN	Astella Oncology p/b ABD Cycling
13	13	Matthew Brandt	24	St Charles	MO	Gateway Harley-Davidson
14	26	Brandon Feehery	20	Homewood	IL	Astella Oncology p/b ABD Cycling
15	122	Robert White	35	Brown Deer	WI	RACC pb GG
16	117	Jeff Bradley	51	Davenport	IA	Velosport Iowa /American Equity

Photo: Cathy Frampton

Quad Cities Online again gives a great recap of the women's race (and awesome photos):

In a real win-win situation for both, an out-of-gas Milne bargained for that spot with Prinner to assure the two would avoid a final-lap scramble for prize money by the pack.

Unknown to Milne until after the chase, the in-race negotiation allowed the 43-year-old to rank as the big winner of a holiday weekend full of racing in the region.

Milne exited The District of downtown Rock Island as the Nature Valley Pro Chase winner, earning an all-expenses-paid trip to this summer's Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Milne won Muscatine's Melon City Criterium on Sunday and finished fifth in downriver Burlington's Snake Alley Criterium on Saturday.

"This is an awesome opportunity. I'm really excited," Milne said.

Ditto for Prinner after earning the $417 top women's winner's check during the annual Memorial Day bike races.

"I hope this is a stepping stone to bigger and better things," Prinner said.

(Video interview from the Quad City Times)


Women: Cat 1/2/3/Pro

Place	Bib	Name	Age	City	St	Team
1	23	Jessica Prinner	20	South Elgin	IL	ABD Cycling Club
2	27	Debbie Milne	43	Belden	MS	Absolute Racing Team
3	21	Hayley Giddens
4	3	Kristen Meshberg	42	Lyons	IL	Spidermonkey Cycling
5	24	Katie Spittlehouse
6	6	Briana Clark	30	Carmel	IN	Racing For Riley
7	18	Terra James	32	Minneapolis	MN	Angie's Kettle Corn/Angry Catfish Bicycl
8	19	Emma Bast	26	Minneapolis	MN	Speedfix Racing p/b Zubaz
9	4	Zoe Reker	20	Littlecanada	MN	ISCorp Cycling Team
10	7	Jeannie Kuhajek	39	Crystal Lake	IL	PSIMET Racing