Posted Tuesday, April 15, 2014 by Thomas Craven
After Redlands, the team set its sights on the Subaru Sea Otter Classic, a race that would help the guys continue building their racing legs.
The first day's criterium did not go well. Joey was suffering from an illness which left just Joe Schmalz, Ty Magner, Oscar Clark and Toms Skujins to fight for the victory. The tough crit circuit could almost be described as a hot dog with a Dragon tale end. The Canadian Team Québecor stomped it in the race and showed that they are a team to watch in a sprint.
The next day's 70 mile road race was another tough course. Both Ty and Joey were out sick, taking some time to recover. Only Toms, Joe and Oscar were able to represent the team in the race, but the three guys were up to the challenge. The field rode aggressively during the race with our own Joe Schmalz putting in an attack with 2KM to go. He held off the field on the final climb and rolled across the line solo.
The final race of the Sea Otter Classic was on the actual Laguna Seca Race Track Circuit. The boys were finally on the mend, allowing the full squad to participate in the race. After several days off, Joey was anxious to open up the legs again and he animated the race with his hard efforts. His efforts paid off, putting three of our guys in the front group of racers and two in the second group. In the final sprint from the escape group, Ty blasted past Jake Keough for his first sprint win since last season's Cascade Classic.
Up next is the Winston-Salem Classic in North Carolina. This race is now a UCI race and right in our own backyard. And we're ready to put on a good show for our neighbors.
