Derailleur, Shmerilluer, who needs a rear one!

If you missed the high Unitas, don't next year. Here are a few of the things you may have missed that were pretty rad.

To all familiar with the Evanston downtown crit, it was the same tried and true course going up the steep divided hill, then cornering fast three times before the finish area totaling 1.3 miles for the circuit. There was a nasty wind in the home stretch and up the hill making it hard.

It wasn't hard enough for Bryson Perry. He kinda felt like, what the hell, lets make it even harder- so he broke his rear derailleur. Rendering him only his 34 X 11 and 52 x 11. So what does the man wearing white do? He tells Sandy, hey Sandros get to the front, control the pace and let me go, "cause I can't do this stop and go stuff, I only have two $#%^&*! gears man. Sandy says "horray for beer, no prob, can do." So Bryson goes, and goes and goes, it was really bizarre watching him hold off the group while going really fast into the wind turning this moster der Kaiser TT gear, head and body corked into the wind. He did this from about lap 2 or 3 for the next 15. The "Red Demon," Ben D'Hulst makes a valliant effort to bridge for several laps mimicking Bryson's technique only to come a bit short. Then Louder and Swindlehurst go nuts, catch Bryson with about 2 or 3 to go,and even after the huge effort with the single speed two-ringer, Bryson is right in the sprint out. HOLY COW that was amazing. Bryson hope you ate a lot of pizza bra, because you certainly earned it. You get your name in the Hornet Hall of Fame for that one. Great job!

Hardman- Hardman had AJ working his tail off to set him up- keeping the pace high. So what does DH do, he comes around the corner in first postion with the strong men on his wheels going into the heafty wind waiting to counter, only the task master creates a gap and gets 4th. That was sheer determination, that he simply wasn't gonna let anyone past. Donna gave him a big dad day hug for that one. Way to go!

Several dudes really wanted the TT. We had the "crazy goods" there in Louder, the only sub 20 min. into a heavy wind, and Swindlehurst who lit it up. Then the local bad boys Sandy, Norm etc. who were pretty close. Then we had a couple of old guys from Canyon that wanted to let everyone know, "hey don't put us in pine box 8ft deep yet man!"

Let's talk about Stormin, saw him after my last of 12 nature breaks at the porta's (Hornet likes coffee and Red Bull before the TT to get a buzz on (pun intended). So anyway Norm just starts WWF'ing me, he was so pumped. The little guy looked like the punisher, almost dislodged my stinger. Anyway it was awesome to see. He then lit it up and moved from 14th to 4th overall going into the crit. Outstanding Norm!

Here is where Claw comes in. Claw was sitting well going in on the GC, but had a couple of things happen the day before. So he decides that this was going to be his race. No drafting, no attacks just sheer watts to the pedals. He gets up, puts the serious mask on his face, focuses like he is doing some seriously dangerous atom splitting, does his secret weapon warm up, then lays it down for the 45+ win. It's one thing to say it, its another to do it.

Finally Dr Jon G. shows up for the 35+ fest. He has had some time constraint issues with road race training yet has scored two top 5 this year with some serious competition. His gig is the TT. He has the Power Cranks the Velotron, the Velotron with the Power Cranks, he has the O2 tent and probably has a wind tunnel (if not, he will soon). Ok maybe I exaggerated a bit. Anyway, we had lot's of TT guys- let's see anyone know M.S. (Mark Schaeffer)? How 'bout Louie Amelburu (two national TT champs), Scott Allen, Gary Porter, Zan Treasure (another national champ), John Mckone (probably a national champ, if not he should just go back this year, the way he is riding) Kris Henthorn, and a bunch of out of staters from Boston, Arkansas, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico) you get the picture. Dr Jon wastes eryone of 'em for the win and in impression fashion, I know I got to see him from behind.

So next year, show up, race and who know's you might lay down the law!