Tour of Utah 5.0: You Call That a Crit?

I've probably raced one-hundred crits. I know what they're like. I know one when I see one, and I really know one when I race one.

Lord in heaven, believe me when I tell you -- whatever we did on Saturday was NOT a crit. Here's how I know:

When you see really good pros jettisoned out the back of the race before the end of lap number one....IT'S NOT A CRIT!
Paddy Bevin, an excellent crit racer (he's won like seven crits within the last year) got shelled at the base of the climb at the end of the first lap. 


When over thirty guys, including half the Jamis-Sutter Home team (Dominguez, Borrajo, etc.) fail to make the time cut......IT'S NOT A CRIT!
We lost a lot of good men in that race, but so did just about everybody. At one point someone heckled me by saying "oh look -- an amateur who's still in the race!"

When you climb 3,000 feet in seventy-five minutes.....IT'S NOT A CRIT!
Did I mention the lowest part of the course was at 7,100 feet above sea level? 

When the race finishes with an all-out showdown between Tour legends Mancebo and Leipheimer....IT'S NOT A CRIT!
But it sure was cool to see Mancebo attack the tar out of Levi. 


I rode my brains out, and somehow made it to the half-way mark before getting lapped. Hardest 37.5 minutes of my life.