Yesterday marked the first day of the Sea Otter Classic at Laguna Seca race track in Monterey California. This is an event that combines all that cycling has to offer in one giant 4-day event. Today’s racing was limited to Criterium racing which is a new addition for the event this year. If you have never seen a Criterium race then you are missing out. These type of races feature a short course that usually involves some amount of tight technical turns and some wide open stretches. The course here utilized the back stretch of the race track in reverse, then it u-turned and went into the pits for the start/finish line. Criteriums run for a set amount of time instead of a set amount of laps.

All of the races today were intense but the Men’s Category 1/2 race proved to be especially adrenaline fueled. The first few laps were a total fight for dominance with the whole pack mostly staying together. After only a few more laps though three different groups formed. The lead group was comprised entirely of Team Bissell members Morgan Schmitt, Ben Jacques-Maynes, and Kirk Obee. Then there was a fairly large peleton and the largest group was the third. This didn’t account for all the riders though as at least one had mechanical problems and one rider crashed out in the hairpin u-turn into the pits. A few riders fought the whole race to move from the third pack up to the second one but were rebuffed by the strong winds. Drafting is allowed in Criterium and it is definitely used by the athletes working with teammates to their advantage. Once the bell rang signaling the final laps there was a strong push by all the athletes but the lead group stayed ahead of the peleton to take the win.

Written by Bryan Sheasby

Photo by Bryan & Jamie Sheasby