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.

DUBUQUE — Jacob Oyen made a three hour trek to Dubuque for the Eagle Point Criterium on Sunday and finished fifth overall. The race, previously part of the Iowa Cup, had smaller fields than years past despite the great weather.

The race had a small five man break early which cut the field in half. Halfway through the race, a rider from HBA rolled off the front only to be brought back on the final lap. A sprint finish completed the day with Oyen taking fifth in the sprint.

“I always enjoy coming to Eagle Point to race,” Oyen said. “The course is technical and challenging for all riders. It also gives us that first taste of criterium style racing early in the season.”

The Pella Bike Racing team is headed to Iowa City area next weekend for the Iowa City Road Race and the Old Capital Criterium.

TIFFIN — Doug Klahsen took a seventh place category finish in the Kent Park Classic on Saturday. Klahsen led his Iowa Orthopaedic teammates finishing 26th in the overall race standings.

The Kent Park classic is often used to gauge early season fitness and the race lived up to its usual challenging standards. A fast start, and a large pack allowed racers to get a good taste of what is to come for the 2008 racing season.

Steve Reynolds, Jacob Oyen and Lee Current lost the main pack early but finished in strong packs. Reynolds and Oyen were 16th and 17th respectively in the category standings with Current placing 24th.

The team is headed to the Altoona Road Race next weekend, a grueling 54 miler outside of Pleasant Hill.

Members of the Pella Bike Racing team have been training all winter long to get ready for a rigorous 2008 season. Every Thursday night for the past three months, the team has met in Rick Gritter’s shop to do some training together.

The team will be opening the season at the Kent Park Classic, a 24-mile circuit race northwest of Iowa City, on March 30.

The Pella Bike Racing team is proud to announce it’s 2008 roster and sponsors. Based in Pella, Iowa the racing team will compete primarily in road racing events throughout the state of Iowa and the Midwest. Along with a full season of racing, the Pella Bike Racing team will also host the Iowa State Criterium Championships, Aug. 23 in Pella, Iowa. More information can be found on the team’s Web site: www.pellabikeracing.com.

Iowa Orthopaedic is the title sponsor for the Pella Bike Racing team. Digital Solutions Inc. and Iowa Bike and Fitness, are also sponsoring the team’s 2008 campaign. The race team would like to thank all of the sponsors for their support.

Pella Bike Racing’s 2008 roster includes the following racers:
Lee Current
Kyle Fleener
Rick Gritters
Doug Klahsen
Jacob Oyen
Steve Reynolds
Todd Toom
Zach Vander Horst