First of all, I have to apologize to Nick S. for letting him down in Vegas today. Sorry buddy, but they paid me off.
Second of all, I have to thank my teammate Chris Swan for an amazing lead out and support today in an effort to help get me some upgrade points.
Third of all, I have to thank the weather gods for the great weather.
Fourth of all, I have to thank the guy with the chain saw at the finish line for briefly stopping so we didn’t have to shout to hear each other while talking after the race.
Fifth of all, I have to thank that bee that stung the guy with the chain saw.
On to the race news.
I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a cough. I laid in bed listening to the rain coming down on the roof and sideways onto the window. Crap. This isn’t how I want to start the race season. So I went back to sleep to give it another try. And when I woke up the second time an hour and a half later, my sore throat and cough were diminishing and the rain water on the street was evaporating up into a clearing sky. That’s more like it.
My dad and I drove down to Corvallis, I got on the bike, I warmed up, I took a poop, I ate a cliff bar, I said hi to some people, and we began racing. The majority of the first lap was easy (for me). That’s because I had Chris’ wheel to follow, guaranteeing me a spot up front with little time spent in the wind. Then he got a flat and I was pretty much on my own. A break was up the flat and windy road (that’s windy like the wind blowing not the curve–they’re both spelled the same), so I chased er’ down part way and stopped when I saw the pack closing in on me. Most of the break was caught so I sat up near the front for a few more miles. A few more miles later, the break had gathered numbers and distance again and was lookin too strong, so after a couple guys took some hard pulls on the front, I sprung out and jumped the gap. I hate it when people do that to me (sitting on my wheel while I pull like a dog, then sprint by to get in the break while I go backwards). But the pack soon closed in after I got there and we all came together for the finale of the first lap. We went up the little hills at the finish line, then down the backside and began chasing down more stupid breaks that kept going off. And then, out of the gloriously gleaming clouds, a fierce golden light shone through as a thousand trumpets blew, beautiful women fainted, and the heavens opened their pearly gates as Chris emerged, faster and more powerful than before…Chris the White.
He had mackerelously (an amazing kind of fish) changed wheels and rode back onto the pack after flatting. Now there’s some strength.
But the task of chasing down breaks was too great for Chris to do alone, so I did my fair share this time around. At one point in the race, I brought back a devious-looking band of trouble makers in a pull that put my one minute power of the day at 666 watts. There you have it, Chris of the heavens and Kennett of hell. But our lordly powers combined couldn’t win the day.
The bunch was all together by the beginning of the climbs (roughly 2K to go). I rounded the corner going into the first hill sitting in 12th place or so, got boxed in a bit but moved over to the right as Chris and some others passed. I got in right behind Chris. We continued up the short climb at what felt like a deathly slow pace. Jacob Rathe and Greg Crawford Joel Wilson (I think it was Joel) went up the road at this point, but Chris and I were too boxed in to move.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I whispered into Chris’ ear, GO GO GO IM RIGHT HERE!! And we cut off to the far right edge of cement and passed the lolly gaggers in front of us as we crested the hill. I don’t know if anyone was sitting on us at that point because I didn’t look back, but I told Chris I was feeling good. “Chris, I’m feeling good,” I said. He looked like he was hurting as he continued to pull on the downhill false flat that lead to the base of the last little uphill sprint. “I’m feelin reeeeal good,” I told him as he chased the last two still up ahead. He took me around the final turn and BAM, I was off. I think I stepped on the gas a little too quickly. I made up ground on Jacob, who by this point had dropped Greg a while back, and I pulled right up beside him for the final few meters. But I simply had nothing left at that point, and he held me off to the line by a few feet to take the win. But I’m not too upset. I’m happy the first race is done and over with, like all of you probably are, and I’m also glad to have such an awesome teammate and team this year. Thanks again Chris, we’re gonna tear it up this year!!
If any of you who don’t have a blog (Mike and Will) would like to post your race report in a comment so we can hear about it, do it. I heard that Mike was an absolute monster today in the 3’s. And I heard that Will is an idiot and crashed a few days ago and now has a giant welt on his cheek.
KENNETT PETERSON 
Racing is AWESOME! I would say that this is true even if you crashed (I think there was only one of these on our team), but maybe not so much if some one crashes into you twice in a single race (and you don’t even end up with a cool set of scars ).
I hope you all liked it as much as I did. Today was a fantastic omen for our teams success this year. Not everyone achieved what they set out to do but that is what next weekend is for (and the next 10 weekends for that matter). That being said here is what I know of the weekend (sorry if I tell things wrong, make stuff up, or forget anything).
Cat 5 Men: AZULLLLLLL!!!!! Our new powerhouse in the fives has exposed himself today! Riding with the pack most of the day, Big A decided he didn’t like the pack and rode away from them with 1k to go at the top of the first climb. Never looking back, he was the first to cross the line after the two man break for a sweet podium finish. David Montes, Tyler Mangum, Austin Summerfield, and Even Piperdink (Sorry that isn’t even close) had an eventful day sitting on the front and leading the pack in the wrong direction (not just once either D’oh). After having to chase back on multiple times they all finished strong and ended up with multiple top 10 places! Jeremy was the lone UO rider in the 5b field and rode to a top 10 finish (sorry if this is short but thats what you get for ignoring me in-favor of the team beer guys… )
Cat 4 Women: Kristin and Kat lead the women in today with a very strong finishes (top 10). Sonia launched a ballsy attack with two miles to go but unfortunately got caught on the final climb, ouch. Jen, apparently a bad luck magnet, had people crash in front of her TWICE! Unfortunately she has no wounds with which to remember this race and will have to try harder next time to really go down hard (I do it with no one around me and nothing to fall over).
Cat 4 Men: Larry Linebaugh and Greg (Levi’s Father-in-law) killed it today and didn’t let a single break get away from a seemingly uninterested field. Larry finished 8th with Greg close behind after being caught behind a sketch-ball climbing up the hill.
Cat 1,2,3 Women: LISSSAAA!!!! / KAREYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! Karey gave me her cherry pie so I have to be extra excited about her finish! After a first lap filled with very faced pace riding and many attacks, 3 Therapeutic associates riders (lisa and karey’s team), along with 3 other riders rode away from the pack. After an eventful time with the break they took 1st, 3rd and 5th in the strongest finish by a team today. Rachelle was another victim of sketchiness on the roads. After avoiding the danger she got back to a pack that had been shattered and soloed it in.
Cat 3 Men: Mike and Lenny Freaking killed it today. Getting in almost 786 breaks between the two of them they worked the 3 field today. Unfortunately a flat course and some crashes made it a day that was destined to finish together. Mike and myself almost got hit by a car, a very nerve wracking event, when another ride started leaning on mike’s back wheel as a car was coming in the other lane. Make held it up and the other guy went down, causing me and the rest of the field to go around him right towards the oncoming car, coming within several inches of each other. On the second lap, again a rider ran into mikes back wheel as he was making a turn that the rider some how missed (????). The rider was sent off the road into some spectators that looked like they had Hutch’s kits on (some one should check to see if they are ok). Also, Lenny had some spokes put into his deraileur which is always fun. After pulling all day mike and Lenny finished strong and are looking forward to killing it with will next weekend. As for me, in a turn of events unprecedented by last years races, I sat at the back for the entire race and kept the rubber side down! I worked maybe twice to bridge gaps but did not crack the front 10 but once or twice. I unwisely put myself too far back by the time we reached the finishing hill and ended up having to weave through time-trialists and Crit riders and ended up getting 9th. NEXT WEEK Watch out, no more sitting at the back for me. (A side note for those that do CSC rides: Andrew (the 16 year old kid with the white specialized) won on a ballzy break with five miles to go that lenny thought “was definitely going to come back.”)
Cat 1,2: Chris is a scary man. After getting a flat after turning back south on the first lap spent 20 mins pushing nearly 700 watts to catch back onto a pack that was doing it best to drop him. He then had to sprint up the hill without any rest. And if that wasn’t enough, he did a nearly perfect job of leading Kennett out at the finish. Kennett did not help Chris get back onto the pack at all and was in general a terrible team mate. He also ended up getting second to a junior (a REALLY good junior) but would have had him if he had had 10 more feet.
We had several other NWCCC teams show up for the race today: OSU, PSU, Whitman, and Willamette. Although they are all looking strong and are really great riders to get to know and race with, you are all going to DESTROY them. And thats all there is to it.
Again, sorry if I forgot anyone, lied, or am just ugly. Great job everyone.
Nice job yesterday.
Awesome job Kennett!
You da man!
Good ride Kennett & nice report. For the record it was Greg Crawford taking the flier there at the end, not me. I was lollygiggin for a mackerel from the back of the pack.
So what’s this “teammate” business w/ Chris? You riding for Z, is he riding for Lifecycle?
Dude, Vegas doesn’t recognize juniors, cuz they’re all ‘underage’ and what not. So, even though you got second in the results, in the Vegas world, you won!!! You were totally the first adult to cross the line. I totally cashed in on you big time :)
Hows you’re sprint? Should I double up on you at the Banana Belts?
That’s good to hear, Nick. My sprint isn’t top notch, though. But it shouldn’t matter because I plan on breakaways for all three Banana Belts.
Chris and I (as well as Brian Marcroft who was racing with us and also in a different kit) are all riding for Team Oregon. The kits just aren’t in yet. Life Cycle is merging with Team Oregon also. So it will be Team Oregon–Life Cycle (or something like that I think).
Kennett,
your writings still amaze me with your peculiar style.
keep it up…. or something…..