Norlund Crit Race Reports

Norlund Construction Criterium
February 17, 2008

Joey Nygaard
1st place, 10-14 year olds
In the freezing half light of the morning the race started at a slow easy pace. Three of my teammates and I started a pace-line, but after a couple laps one of the other racers that was not on Team Swift came up behind us and attempted to continue right past us. We immediately got on his wheel. On the last lap my teammate Stanley attacked before the last turn and I got on his wheel, but our other two teammates got dropped. Stanley led into the sprint, and I came past
Stanley and took the win.

After the race we stuck around to watch the 15-18 race and to hang out with other Swifties. Team Swift won all the juniors races and claimed the first three places of the 10-12 age group, and the 15-16 division. Good racing Swifties!!! Then we left to go watch the Tour of California prologue in Palo Alto.
Joey Nygaard

Nick Kinney
3rd Place, 17-18 year olds
The race started with a pretty small field. As soon as the whistle was blown Tyler hit the front and ramped up the pace. Maybe 10 minutes in Tyler attacked and blew apart the field of 6. Ethan and Ryan bridged across and Brentley, Greg from Colavita and me began taking turns at the front. At one point the gap was less than 10 seconds at which time Brentley and I stopped working not wanting to give Greg opportunity to bridge up. Brentley then attacked trying to bridge up but looked back to see Greg on his wheel and I on Greg's. A few laps later Greg all but gave up the chase resolved to fighting it out for 4th overall and 3rd in the 17/18. Ethan, Tyler and Ryan soon came and lapped us with maybe 4 laps to go and Greg, Brentley and I latched on. After taking a pull Brentley fell off the back and on the last lap I was on Greg's wheel waiting for the sprint. Around the final corner Ryan sprinted to the front taking the win ahead of Ethan and Tyler. In the sprint I out kicked Greg. Team Swift swept the 17/18 podium and took 1st and second in the 15/16.
Nick Kinney

Christian Villasana
Juniors 10-14
It was a misty morning in Santa Rosa, but I got a good warm up. I had been on the trainer for 30min. and I was ready to go. There were a total of seven riders at the line that included my teammates Joey, Ryan, and Stanley. When we started I was able to clip in quickly and so did the other Swifties. Wed started a pace line and after a couple laps we had dropped three people. But one was able to bridge back to us. And he went straight to the front. And we were happy to let him work. He pulled for virtually the whole race. On the bell lap, the kid attacked and I bridged back to him and Stanley, Joey, and Ryan were behind me. Right before the last corner Joey and Stanley planned to attack and they did. When they jumped they got a gap and I couldn’t catch them. At the finish it was Joey, Stanley, me, and the kid managed to beat Ryan at the line. It was too bad because it would have been cool to have 1-4 all Swifties.

Christina Villasana
Elite 5
The plan was for me to stick on the back for as long as I could. So I lined up in the back of the group. But then they called juniors to the front for rollout so I took a spot at the front. The race started and I made the mistake of letting the group go by me to get to the back. By the time I realized that the group passed me, I was already chasing. So the lesson was that I should the group gradually pass me. I stayed in the race for another three or four laps before I got pulled. But when I looked at the results they had me at 38th place. Which was cool, no DNF for me. Next fives race I plan to stay with the group for one whole lap.

Check out these photos.