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Louis Garneau Racing: Tour of Ohio Update!

The Louis Garneau Racing Team is back from a very successful campaign at the NRC Tour of Ohio. During the 8 day stage race, LG Racing went head to head with pro teams Jelly Belly, Sierra Nevada, Sharper-Image and amateur squads FiorDiFrutta, AG Edwards, CRCA-Sakonnet, Ridge Mortgage and many others that created the field of 130 riders. Throughout the week, an on-form Josh Dillon performed as the team GC rider, finishing up third in the overall competition.

One of the team's goals coming into this pro-am ‘up and coming new rider' prestigious race was for others to take notice of us at the national level. Up until this point in the year, the team has been racing in New England at both the local and NRC level and many teams in the area have ‘taken notice.' The Tour of Ohio was our chance to get this recognition at the national level. After our performance this week, we feel we have accomplished this goal. On many occasions while in Ohio, we had a number of racers, spectators, and team directors asking about our team: where we are located, how we got started, what our plans are in the race, how well we are racing together, how we actually wear our helmets before and after the race, and so on. This pleased the team enormously, as it was only 18 months ago that the team was established.

Josh and Andrew have been working on this moment of creating an amateur squad to be recognized on both the regional and national level for the last 18 months. It was during an e-mail exchange back in January of 2002 when they decided to form DK Cycling and pursue the goal of becoming one of the top amateur teams in the country. This week in Ohio, they reached that goal and made their mark on the National Racing Circuit.

While a portion of the LG team was racing in Ohio, other members of the team stayed in New England to contest another New England Classic. Alec Donahue put in another stellar performance, as he has all season, this past weekend to take the victory in the Veryfine Grand Prix in a packed field of New England's finest pros and amateurs. This continual success of the LG team has brought our podium appearances to over 50 for the season, something that was unimaginable at the beginning of the year!
The next question is, where do we go from here? Coming up this July 4th weekend, the full LG squad will be back together competing in the classic NRC Fitchbug-Longsjo Stage Race.

Tour of Ohio Results:
Stage 2: Wilkesville Road Race: Josh Dillon 1st place
Stage 3: Old Man's Cave Road Race: Josh Dillon 4th place
Stage 4: Roscoe Village Road Race: Josh Dillon 3rd place
Stage 5: Somerset Road Race: Josh Dillon 7th place
Stage 6: Granville Circuit Race: Josh Dillon 2nd place
Stage 7: Granville Time Trial: Andrew Knight 1st place, Josh Dillon 4th place
Stage 8: Chagrin Falls Criterium: Josh Dillon 8th place, Robbie King 10th place
Overall GC: Tour of Ohio: Josh Dillon 3rd place, Andrew Knight 7th place.

Below are 3 race reports by Jason Baer from the Tour of Ohio. You can read the full reports from all days online here

Tour of Ohio....Day 2
Day 2 at the Tour of Ohio. Monday, we should all be at work, instead we are racing at the Tour of Ohio, and what an awesome day it was. Much different from the day before that was crash-fest, unselected racing. Today started off with a long drive down to southern Ohio, Wilkesville, pop. 100. The race consisted of 70 mile road race on a clover leaf type of course, with progressively harder climbs and larger rollers coming back into town for the finish.

First 25 miles, not much excitiment, a few crashes occurred, mainly from the inexperienced moto-support, and a break of 6 or so went up the road. Jelly Belly was working hard to try and bring it back, eventually after a few more attacks from the main group, it all came back together. Next 25 miles and things started heating up. Louis Garneau was racing hard at the front, covering the moves, making the moves and making sure we were represented. Each of us were probably in a move or too, but nothing was sticking for more than a few miles.

10 miles to go in the race we were at the last KOM. Things started splitting up from behind, but not up front. Over the top there was still a large group of 25 riders. Down the backside and into the run in to the finish LG was putting the pressure on with some massive pulls and attacks from Ted King. 4km to go and Josh Dillon went hard over a little riser. Nobody went with him! He opened up the gap. 2.5km to go and Mike Dietrich from FiorDeFrutti bridged across with no one able to cover him. 1.5km to go and I was riding hard at the front covering any moves trying to discourage any sort of chase. Surprising a solo rider with no team support, and former roomate and teammate of mine decided he was going to try and bring it back solo, and then win the sprint? He hit it hard on the descent and up the next riser with 1km to go. I went ballistic and eventually he sat up as well as the rest of the pack listening to the argument. This is excatly what we needed. Josh was still off the front and turned it up out of the final turn and stuck it to the finish! Taking the win! Josh Dillon taking an NRC race win in his first season of racing in the Pro/1/2 field! Amazing!

The rest of us rolled in with the front group keeping not losing any time. Josh is currently sitting in 3rd place overall! Next up is Day 3, 80 mile road race with some good climbs and a rolling finishing climb.

Tour of Ohio...Day 6
This is the day. This is what the Tour of Ohio is known for. Granville Circuit Race! Today's event consisted of 20 loops of the short course followed by 10 loops of the long course, total distance 50 miles. The short course is just over a mile, consisting of 6 turns, 1 U-turn, a small cobbled wall section, and someone's driveway for 200 meters. The long course consisted of the same short course plus another cobbled climb and 2 switchbacks for a 800 meter climb, another 15 turns or so through Dension University, another climb, and a descent down someone's backyard with 2 jumps in it before hitting the town again with an off camber turn, another brick section and then back onto Main Street. No kidding this was the course!

At the lineup you could tell people were antsy to go. 2 groups were staging, one where the officials asked us to stage and one 50 meters up at the start line. Eventually everyone decided that the one at the start line was the way to go. 5pm and the race was underway, 1st lap and things were strung out. You could tell this by the long single file line that was ahead of me, but also the single file line that was lined up going the other way behind me on the U-Turn section. 10 laps in and it seemed like everyone was deciding were they belonged in the pack. The front group of 20 riders seemed pretty content to stay were they were and then a long line behind them of single filed riders trying to get to the front. 15 laps in, 5 laps to go until the large Circuits and it seemed like it was down to 70 or so riders. Bell lap on the short circuits and it was game time. People were jockeying for position like it was the end of the race, but it wasn't even Â½ over.

1st time up the cobbled climb and a lead group of 30 riders had already formed. Behind the field was shattered. There were 3 of us still up front, myself, Andrew, and Josh, as well as all the real contenders. The next 4 laps and things were about the same, a few more guys fell of the back, (myself included, but I got back on) Then with 6 laps to go, the leaders decided it was time to start racing. Caleb from Jelly Belly the race leader hit it hard on the climb and tore the legs off the rest of us. I ended up in the 3rd group back of 6 riders, Andrew made it in the 2nd group back with 13 others, and Josh made the split with the top 7 to make the race! My group lasted until 2 to go; we then got pulled, still placing in a respective 22nd place. Andrew was crashed in the feed zone on the 2nd to last lap and had to get a wheel change and start chasing. He finished a few seconds off his group. Josh on the other hand stepped it up a notch, just like he has done all week. Up front with 5 laps to go, Caleb attacked the group and rode an impressive minute plus off the front to finish solo. 2 laps to go and Josh realized that Mike Dietrich sitting in 2nd place was vulnerable. Josh attacked hard from behind; he stuck it and finished nearly 45 seconds ahead of Mike to take 2nd for the day and moved up to 2nd overall in GC.

Another great day for Louis Garneau, Josh raced strong up front to defend his position, Andrew held on in the next group to not lose too much time before the time trial, and the rest of us came in respectively in the front part of the peloton. After the race it was off to aa "Baha Fresh" for some burrito's then back to the hotel for some chocolate chip pancakes and then off to bed, tomorrow's stage is early.

Tour of Ohio...Day 7
After yesterdays decisive stage we now knew what was going on in the Tour of Ohio. Who was in contention and who were just joking around thinking they were in contention. Today's stage was a 14 mile rolling time trial, 2 laps, riders going off at 1 minute intervals starting from 121st place up to 1st. Our first Louis Garneau riders came in with times just over 30 minutes. They gave us the scouting report on what to expect, where the wind was blowing, what to watch out for and how fast you can take the turns.

At 11:30am, I was off, sitting in 22nd place overall. I'm not known for being able to time trial very well, but today I was determined, I don't have the TT bike, but it's not all about the bike right? I wanted a good time, no letting up, stay focused; I'm still in contention for cracking the top 20 in GC. Well my TT went just like every other one that I've done in the past 3 years (oh yeah that's right, I've only done 3 TT's in the past 3 years) I was thinking, am I going hard enough, am I in a big enough gear, should I spin more, is the person in front of me really that fast, look at the pretty scenery, I'll go faster the 2nd lap, Andrew is starting 5 minutes behind me, can he catch me? Anyways that's how my TT went, but lets get to the real racing of the day.

Andrew Knight, the man who has been tearing it up on his TT bike, he's set records on 17 of the last 18 courses he's done in Vermont. He's done the calculations, he has his position dialed in, this is his event, and yes he did it! A few seconds over 28 minutes was his time, average speed 28 mph, he posted the fastest time so far of the day. There were 20 more riders to come in though, all the GC leaders. The next few riders and they weren't even close, then the top 5 came in, and they couldn't get within 30 seconds. Andrew Knight takes his first Pro/1/2 win of his career and to top that it is a NRC win, way to go Andrew! The other side of the news is the "D" part of the DK Cycling Team. Josh Dillon, in his 1st TT since Fitchburg 2 years ago, riding with no special bike, no disk wheel, and only clip-ons rode an impressive: 29:12, placing him in 4th for the day.

Another impressive day yet again for Louis Garneau, another day, another podium appearance, I'm thinking that the team has topped 50 for the year, is there a record? The GC has shaken up yet again at the Tour of Ohio, I am sitting in 25th, Andrew has moved up to 7th overall, and Josh is sitting in 3rd place, 8 seconds out of 2nd. Tomorrow's stage will thus be big! There are a few sprint time bonuses and a bonus for the victory, so it's game on between Louis Garneau and FiorDeFruitta to see if LG can get Josh those precious 9 seconds that he needs!

Thanks for reading again. Tonight is our last night in our Extended Stay America, and the Changes Day Spa. Tomorrow we are headed north to near Cleveland for the last day of the Tour of Ohio, and then it's back to the real world, and our primary "real-life" sponsors, Vermont Teddy Bear, Gardner's Supply, and IBM. This event could not have been done though without our Louis Garneau Cycling Team Sponsors. Thank you all again for your support in our quest to be the best on and off the bike!