Tour of Walla Walla AKA: THE CRUCIBLE

There are a few exceptionally hard races in the NW, and the TOUR OF WALLA WALLA is one of them. In a tough race, you either rely on your teammates, or you get shot out the back.

Here are a couple accounts and tid-bits from racers who made their marks on this year’s Tour of Walla Walla…

ADAM JABLONSKI

So the Friday road race was pretty brutal, rivet from the gun, 100 guys struuuuung out. Randy and I made the first group for most of the race, but he was the only one to stay with it to the finish. Props to him as he busted his butt to keep me there twice and then was still able to hang when I popped.

TT this morning, good course that went up the first half and down the second. Randygot his same place on GC from Friday (38th, which was the size of the front group) to stay within shouting distance.

BRIAN “ROOKIE” WACHLARZ

My favorite stage was the 8 corner Crit at 9:15 Saturday evening.  About 30 seconds in, amongst shadows and wildly nervous cyclist drilling it to a poorly lit corner 1 I heard someone shout “I can’t see anything!”.  And so it went, for 40 minutes.  

Rolling through equal portions down town Walla Walla and a party-strewn Whitman college that represented itself well with a large attendance and many cow bells.  Props to AJ who continually attacked the field and walked away with a sweet preme.  

The hard man award goes out to Randy “Il Pirata” Salamon.  An appropriate name I think with his affinity to pirates, earring,  and apparently his ability to climb with the best cat 3′s the Northwest and Canada has to offer.

RANDY SALAMON

I had a good ride because of the awesome
teammates I had with me. Smoothy was in the right break at the
perfect time.

Dirty Brown and Turtle did the greatest job on the
front of the group on Sunday. Anything that moved or tried to get
away after the break went was met with the blue and gold on it s
wheel. 

Best quote by Browner: “Sorry, I can’t pull through, I got a
teammate up front in the break and my GC guy is just behind us”.

That’s a team-mate.

The racing was HARD. Period and that is a non debatable point. I was
worked over on Friday and did the best I could in the TT. The crit
was dark, fast and crazy. The main goal was to finish in the head
group to stay on the same time as everyone else.

And Sunday, well like I said, awesome teammates all around. I kept
myself up front trying to expel as little energy as I needed
throughout the entire day. Going over climbs at 24-25mph is not fun.
Unfortunately Turtle got taken down at the base of the final climb but
i was able to stay up with lead group and finished 16th on the day
taking 19th in GC.

Teamwork is the only way I got it, and I thank all eight of you guys.

JOSH SIMPSON

The Cat4 Perspective:

Adam Kaufmanfinished 5th in GC, he had an excellent TT & Road Race. 

TT:
Awesome TT course, I hope they keep this part of the event unchanged!

Adam 6th (I think)
Josh 21st

Crit:
The Crit was fast and  scary even in the daylight, 96 people on the start line and I managed to miss my pedal twice quickly finding myself on the back of that race.  I spent the next 15 minutes trying to get my butt to the front, this is not an easy task when it is strung out for 2+ blocks.  Bumper bikes in the corners as people are diving on the inside of the turn,  people smashing pedals coming out of turns.  One guy road up next to me and congratulated me for keeping my bike upright….    MAN I LOVE CRIT RACING!!

Adam32nd
Josh22nd

Road Race:
Adam and I did notride like a team, he needed somone who could actually set the pace on the climbs which is frankly not something I am able to do.  My whole goal was to make it to the base of the last climb with the main pack, which I did.  Adam was setting the pace at the bottom of both the hard climbs, shredding  the field.  I had to chase after the first climb (thanks Adam), and I believe at least 15 people DNF-ed and the main pack was about 50, so we lost close to half the field by the time we made it to the base of the last climb.  It is a hard race.

Adam 6th
Josh 46th (I think)

Brad Lewis Memorial Criterium (Boat Street Crit)

Sunday marked the 10th edition of a race that has marked the beginning of the “Crit season” in the NW. The Brad Lewis Memorial Criterium (named for a teammate who passed tragically during the race)is roundly considered the toughest crit course in the region even when the weather co-operates.

Mother Nature was not so kind this year.(stupid rain…)

Even with the skies opening up the racing continued, and for the lucky folks that braved the rain, they were treated by fantastic racing by ALL the teams!

The Boys in Blue and Gold flew the flag in the Cat 4race with Adam “Junior” Kaufman striiiinging out the pack and causing the initial selection. Even after leading the pack for lap after lap, he still hung on for 7th place!

The fireworks were just getting started for our crew as the Cat 3men’s race lined up. The RCR crew put on a clinic on how to control the race, firing rider after rider off the front. Randy Salamon went, Brian “Rookie” Wachlarz went, Adam Jablonski went…

 Randy Salamon showed his skill in shutting down the pack to allow the escapees to get a gap. Steven Williams and Nick Adsero were there, chasing down attacks and sheltering recovering teammates.

Finally, Brian “Rookie” Wachlarz made a move that stuck with one other rider, and came home for a Second Placefinish with Randy Salamon taking 4th.

The Cat 1/2 race was epic in it’s own right with a breakaway LAPPING the field, and the winner, Hagens Berman’s Sam Johnson being presented with his trophy by Brad’s mother.

It was a day of racing Brad would have been proud of…

B. Rad