ELKHART—Jacob Oyen led the Eddy Merckx category at the fourth edition of the Elkhart Time Trial Series with a time of 18:02.

Oyen rode his fastest time trial of the year, with an eight second improvement, on a night when conditions were near perfect. Averaging a blistering 24.8 mph for the 12 kilometer course, he was 1:21 faster than his closest competitor.

There is now an 11 point difference in the Eddy Merckx category between Oyen and the season-long leader, Jerome Rewerts (all9yards.com). The final edition of the race series in September should prove to be exciting as the two racers go head-to-head for the top spot in the category.

The race team is making their final preperations for the State Criterium Championships in Pella on Aug. 23. The race will mark the end of the Iowa road racing calendar.

OVERLAND PARK, KAN.—Jacob Oyen had three top 15 finishes at the three-day tour of Kansas City.  The tour, known for it’s challenging and technical courses, provided Oyen the opportunity to race in a large field.

Kansas City Kansas Criterium
The Friday night criterium in Kansas City kicked off the weekend of racing with a four corner crit. The course included a technical descent as well as some field splitting climbs. Oyen, riding without any teammates, spent most of the race staying out of trouble at the front of the pack in the smallest field of the weekend with only 54 riders.

As the race progressed, different teams tried to split up the race unsuccessfully. With the field together going into the last lap, Oyen started to move toward the front. As the sprint unfolded coming out of the last corner, the sea of riders parted as Oyen opened his “magical cloak” and surged to the finish taking fourth.

Cliff Drive Classic
The Saturday circuit race in this historic part of Kansas City also brought challenging weather conditions for the 20-mile race. With some heavy rain falling before the race, the 82 racers were unsure of the course conditions as they started.

As the riders eased into the racing action, the elements proved to be the deciding factor in the race. For the riders that stayed upright, the road conditions brought an additional challenge. Construction on the bottom side of the course reduced visibility and coated the riders with a layer of mud and grime.

With the race half-over, Oyen found himself off the front after leading the pack up the challenging goose-neck hill. After being caught, Oyen rested up for the final build up to the finish. With a massive acceleration up the final climb, Oyen placed himself in 12th for the finish.

Overland Park Grand Prix
The relatively flat and fast figure eight style course in the old part of Overland Park proved to be the most exciting race of the weekend. With an average speed around 25 mph, there was no room for error.

Shortly after the race started, two riders rolled off the front and put a considerable gap on the field. The peloton had a difficult time organizing themselves to chase which resulted in many crashes. The two leaders were also pushing the pace hard enough that one crashed out, leaving a solo rider off the front with only a few laps to go.

The field chased feverishly, but it proved to be unsucessful as the peloton was treated to a field sprint. As the riders setup for the sprint, Oyen lined himself up in the top 15 to make his move in the last two turns. As the sprint unfolded the tempo kept increasing before Oyen put the power down to come through in 11th.

The racers now have a two-week break before the Iowa racing season comes to a close with the State Criterium Championships on August 23 in Pella.

WEST BRANCH—Steve Reynolds brought home a bronze medal for taking third place at the Iowa State Road Race Championships.

Epic riding conditions greeted the racers from Pella for a much talked about 54 mile road race. The wind was out of the east, but it didn’t provide much relief from the temperatures that were in the low 90s at race time. The first 15 miles were pretty relaxed with the DICE team doing most of the work in the early miles.

With 20 miles behind the riders, a small break formed which included Reynolds. The peloton let the small group get almost a half mile lead before the peloton brought things back together. Doug Klahsen, playing the role of domestique for Reynolds and offered up a fresh bottle and a load of luck for the finish.

With 10 miles to go, Shawn Loomis (Colorbiotics) took a long pull off the front, but was unsuccessful at breaking things up. Within five miles of the finish everything was back together, setting the race up for a field sprint which was hotly contested. Reynolds came through in third just behind Michael Morrison (unattached) and Gerald Johnson (Rasmussen Death Squad 5000). Klahsen came through in 23rd. Dave Vander Horst and Lee Current placed 32nd and 33rd respectively.

The team will take a short break from the racing action next weekend to volunteer their time at the Dutchman half-ironman triathlon in Pella next weekend, while some will head south to compete in the Tour of Kansas City.  The team is also continuing their preparation for the Iowa Criterium Championships in Pella on August 23.

CLEAR LAKE—Kyle Fleener won both category five races at the Bicycle Blues and Barbecue festival and Steve Reynolds managed to take a close second place in the Saturday night crit race. These solid performances showcased the team’s ability to make a statement to the Iowa peloton.

Starting with the Saturday night crit, Fleener challenged his competition late in the category five race. Making his move with two to go, he pulled away from the field for a solo victory. This was only the beginning for the triathlete turned road racer as he challenged the field in the 42-mile road race on Sunday. Keeping things together for the first 20 miles, Fleener made his move and took one competitor with him. The two riders traded turns in the gusty winds all the way to the finish where Fleener pulled ahead and won in a sprint finish.

More teamwork helps Reynolds to second and Klahsen to third
While Fleener took two victories in the category five races, the rest of the team was racing in the category four races. The action started early in the Saturday night crit with Doug Klahsen pulling away from the field on the first two laps. Once he was caught, Lee Current took his turn off the front but was quickly chased down. Jacob Oyen launched a dangerous break with Jerome Rewerts (all9yards.com) which was brought back after a lap.

The final attack proved to be the decisive move of the race. Klahsen and Reynolds developed a break that also included Rewerts, Tim Putnam (North Iowa Spin) and Shawn Loomis (Colorbiotics) that was allowed to roll of the front by Oyen and Current controlling the main peloton. Klahsen, Reynolds and Rewerts kept the pace high enough to shell Shawn Loomis off the back of their group and keep Putnam at bay.

The small break of four riders traded turns on the front until the last lap where Klahsen set up a sprint between Rewerts and Reynolds. The sprint came down to a photo finish where Reynolds was edged out by a narrow margin of just six inches. Klahsen rolled home in third while Oyen and Current finished 9th and 13th in the main group.

A windy road race
With two on the podium in the crit, the team had high hopes for the road race on the following day. A strong wind out of the west greeted the riders when they started the day. As the riders rode along Clear Lake, an easy tempo kept things together for the first 30 miles of the race. When the racers made the final turn to the north, the race began to string out and whittled the field down.

On the four mile long finishing stretch the action and the tempo kicked up. Starting the charge was Klahsen, who kicked the speeds up to almost 30 mph with the wind behind the field. Once he pulled through a second smaller group start to form off the front that included 10 riders. With 300 meters to go, the pace kicked up even higher, but Oyen and Reynolds couldn’t react quick enough and came through in 9th and 10th places respectively. Klahsen and Current finished in the main group in 12th and 18th.

The team takes a short break before heading to West Branch for the state road race on Aug. 2. Preperations have also begun for the Iowa State Criterium Championships in Pella on August 23.

ELKHART—The third edition of the Elkhart time trial series proved to be difficult with a stiff south wind. With the wind in their faces, Doug Klahsen and Jacob Oyen toed the line to race the clock.

Klahsen was the first racer for the team to go off, putting down a time of 18:47, placing him fourth in the category. Oyen followed almost 15 minutes later and rode a time of 18:36, placing him third. Both racers competed in the Eddy Merckx category which doesn’t allow the racers to use any aerodynamic equipment.

As the results are tallied, Oyen will move into second place for the series in the Eddy Merckx category placing him 28 points behind Jerome Rewerts (all9yards.com).

The racers are headed to Clear Lake for the Bicycle Blues and BBQ criterium and road race. While the criterium is a new race, never before run, the road race provides a unique challenge and a typically windy day on the bike.

NORTHFIELD, MINN.—Well executed team tactics and an outstanding lead out helped Jacob Oyen to place second in the 4/5 race at the Northfield Crit on Independence day. The six corner course allowed the racing fireworks to fly all day in multiple races.

The first race of the day was the Masters 3/4 race. Doug Klahsen and Steve Reynolds toed the line for the race. While the pace was quick, it wasn’t fast enough to chase down a two man break that included Jerome Rewerts (All9Yards) that was established halfway through the race. Reynolds contested the sprint placing fifth while Klahsen rolled through in 17th.

Kyle Fleener, in his first criterium race of the year, shot off the the first firecracker in the 4/5 race with a pre-race mechanical. Thanks to the great guys at onSupport, they had Fleener up and running in time to toe the line with a neutral service bike.

Oyen and his teammates controlled the 4/5 field right from the start of the race by pacing the field through the first few laps in the top three positions. A break tried to develop early but was unsuccessful and brought back quickly. Oyen then took a flyer off the front to test the waters lasting only a lap off the front of the field. After a few laps, Fleener tested the waters again but was unsuccessful at getting away from the field.

After a lap prime, Klahsen and four other riders attempted to establish a break. Reynolds and the rest of the team helped to slow the peloton but proved to be unsuccessful. With three laps to go, Fleener took another flyer off the front this time staying away for two laps. Klahsen, Reynolds and Oyen took this chance to rest for the upcoming sprint finish.

With one lap to go Fleener was caught and the grand finale began. Going into turn one there was a crash that separated the field. Oyen, Reynolds and Fleener made it through unscathed to contest the sprint. Reynolds lined things up for Oyen setting up the lead out from third place. Coming out of the final turn, Oyen turned on the gas to capture second place while Reynolds placed fifth. Fleener and Klahsen rolled through in 15th and 21st places respectively.

After a two hour break, Klahsen rolled up to the line for his third race of the day and was joined by Oyen in his second race of the day. The 3/4 race started with a high pace which never let up. The riders, while tired, did their best to stay well positioned in the pack. As the day went on the pace proved to be too high for Klahsen in his third race as he called it a day early. Oyen continued on with the field and finished in the group in 20th.

The racers have a busy week ahead of them starting with the third edition of the Elkhart time trial series on Thursday. The racers then plan to head to Clear Lake for a double race weekend starting with the Bicycle Blues and BBQ Crit on Saturday and a road race on Sunday. The Clear Lake race weekend also marks the last opportunity for the team to earn Iowa Cup points.

JOHNSTON—Doug Klahsen placed second in the Green Days Criterium on Saturday helping the Pella Bike Racing team take three of the top five spots on the day.

Klahsen went hard right from the start, spending almost two laps in a two-man break as soon as the gun went off. Klahsen was reeled in and then his teammates, Steve Reynolds and Jacob Oyen went to work taking turns trying to split up the field with no success.

A late race prime was used to break up the field. Oyen came out of the pack to take the prime and continued off the front for two and a half laps, forcing the Colorbiotics team to chase and bring the field back together.

In the final laps Reynolds played a key role in controlling the tempo of the race. With a half lap to go, Klahsen surged out of the field to take a second place finish. Oyen and Reynolds came through in fourth and fifth place respectively to round out the top five.

“This race gave our team a chance to work on our race tactics. I think we learned a lot as a team and how we can ride better together.” Oyen said.

The race team will take a short break before heading north for the Fourth to race in the Northfield Criterium in Northfield, Minn.

ELKHART — The Pella Bike Racing team took two riders to the rain soaked fields south of Elkhart for the second edition of the Elkhart time trial series. The short but challenging 12 kilometer course provides the racers an opportunity to go all out against the clock. The series has five races.

Rick Gritters, riding his race recumbent, posted the fastest time of the evening with a 15:57, half a second quicker than Gerald Johnson (unattached). Gritters’ time converts to a 28 mph average speed which allowed him to win the recumbent category and earn 20 more points for the category title. Gritters had a 50 second improvement from last month.

Jacob Oyen posted a time of 18:10 for the evening which averaged out to 24.6 mph, a 35 second improvement from last month. Oyen placed fourth in the Eddy Merckx category, which mandates a stock road bike with no aero equipment.

Gritters will take a two-month hiatus from the Elkhart time trial series as he rides across the United States to raise money for the Reformed Church. The race team will visit Elkhart again on July 10 to race against the clock. The race team had also planned to head east this weekend for the Hummer Hammer Criterium however, due to the flooding in the region, the race was canceled. The team will race next at the Green Days Criterium in Ankeny on June 21.

O’FALLON, MO – The Pella bike racing team took two members and headed south for the Tour de Winghaven on Sunday. Situated in the western suburbs of St. Louis, the course consisted of two roundabouts and a few short climbs that provided some exciting racing.

A combined 3/4 field greeted Doug Klahsen and Jacob Oyen early Sunday afternoon. With almost 125 riders in the peloton, the race proved to be one of the largest the racers will see this year. With the temperature well into the 90s, hydration played a key role in the race. The high winds gusting down the finishing stretch helped to keep the peloton together for most of the race.

Klahsen rode smart by staying in the group and avoiding trouble. In doing so, he finished just behind the peloton in 66th. The heat affected Oyen severely and he was dropped out of the peloton with three laps to go. He continued on to finish as the last rider on the lead lap in 73rd.

The racers head east next weekend to Davenport for the Hummer Hammer Criterium.

ROCK ISLAND, ILL.–The Pella Bike Racing team headed east to race over the long Memorial Day weekend. The weekend marks the biggest race weekend in Iowa and includes competition from all over the Midwest.

Steve Reynolds began the weekend earlier than his teammates at Friday’s Burlington Road Race with a seventh place finish in the standings. Reynolds followed up the road race with a very challenging and competitive Snake Alley race on Saturday unfortunately resulting in a DNF.

Doug Klahsen and Jacob Oyen joined Reynolds for Sunday’s Melon City Criterium. The challenging course, which had high speeds and included a speed bump, saw over 62 competitors in the category four race. After 14 laps of hard racing with the peloton all together, Oyen led his teammates through the finish placing 14th. Reynolds placed 18th and Klahsen 29th.

The team completed the challenging weekend at the Quad Cities Criterium. The flat and fast hour glass course saw high speeds and challenging competition. Lee Current joined Klahsen and Reynolds in the Masters 30+ 4/5 race. The race proved challenging, with a late three man break going away. While the chase was fruitless, Reynolds used it to his advantage to place sixth overall earning a small but rewarding paycheck. Current and Klahsen finished 13th and 14th.

After completing the masters race, Reynolds joined Oyen in the category four race. The exceptionally large field consisted of almost 70 competitors and saw only 42 finishers because of the high pace. Reynolds’ exceptional fitness in his second race of the day was demonstrated by a 12th place finish while Oyen was shuffled farther back in 24th.

The racing in Iowa takes a natural break for the next few weeks and allows racers to recover from a long weekend of challenging racing. The team looks towards the Hummer Hammer Criterium as their next in-state race.