There were two forces that played major roles in shaping this race. One was the Pepin County Highway Dept.  The week of the race they pea graveled much of the course. This is a big deal, but one which could be remedied, or so we thought. A call for help brought out the sweeping equipment and the course was ready to go. But there was something in the nature of the pea gravel used that provoked a rash of flats, making this a day for cheap tires.

The other force was the weather gods. Some days the weather gods smile upon you. Some days they smile as they drop some loose change on the sidewalk, waiting for some sucker to bend over to pick it up before winding up to deliver their true verdict. This race took place under the latter conditions.

The sky was clear and the temperature moderate as riders prepared for the race. As the racers lined up for their starts it was overcast, but there was certainly no cause for concern. This was reflected in the pace of the 1/2/3 race, as Pete Hanna and Andy Powell rocketed off the front of a seemingly unconcerned peloton. Hanna picked up the first lap prime of the day, and some time later the packed strolled through.

The first race to finish was the Cat 5/Citizen race where David Zimmerman and Paul Harless separated themselves from the group to battle for the win.

1. David Zimmerman
2. Paul Harless - Scheels
3. Laine Opgrand - Scheels
4. Zachary Mohr
5. Mark Johnson - Flat City
6. William Gilgenbach
7. Joe Fritsch
8. Earon Lange

Theresa Moriarity was the class of a sparse Women's field by a large margin.

1. Theresa Moriarity - Flanders
2. Rebecca Davis - FCCC
3. Cynthia Fritsch

As the skies darkened Hanna and Powell came through together again, with Hanna again taking the lap prime. This time they were followed by a group more intent on making the race. The gap was still there to the leaders, but it was falling. The temperatures were falling as well, and a long rumble of thunder was unsettling.

The Masters 45+ racers stuck together until the finish, preferring to take their chances in the sprint. And if you were anyone other than Greg Pautsch, that was the wrong tactic to adopt.

1. Greg Pautsch - CVCC
2. John Stamm - Loon State
3. Brian Abrey - Silver Cycling
4. Bruce Beattie - L'Etoile du Nord

The Masters 35+ 4/5 race came down to two riders very early, as Brian Holmgren and Bruce Breitrick got up and left during the opening lap. The two of them opened up a significant gap before Holmgren smoked Breitrick in the sprint. It should be noted that a couple of younger riders  were mistakenly entered in this field but were allowed by the other racers to continue in the spirit of competition.

1. Brian Holmgren - Nature Valley
2. Bruce Breitrick - Brings
3. Sean Bujold - Grand Performance
4. James Peterson - Loon State
5. Terry Esau
6. Ted Siefkes - Silver Cycling
7. Don Gerhart - RASC
8. Gary Morrison - Silver Cycling

By this time the 1/2/3 pack was coming together, but not before Pete Hanna claimed a third consecutive lap prime as rain began to fall. Joined by Dewey Dickey, Dale Sedgewick, Paul Ellis, Jeremy Sartain and Terry Beenken they formed a 6 rider lead group with an alarmed chase group not far behind.

Three riders made a break as the conditions worsened, Beenken, Ellis, and Sartain, with Sartain hitting the gas to take the 4th lap prime. By this time riders were getting soaked and beginning to feel a chill due to the falling temperatures, conditions that were exacerbated by the fact that no one had anticipated the current conditions under the sunny skies of the start. As a result, a number of the chasers decided to deviate from the prescribed course to proceed to the warmth of their cars. This, coupled with the numerous flats and earlier abandons left only three additional riders to contest the rest of the race. These six hard men faced two more laps with skin that was slowing changing hue to match the jerseys that some of them were wearing.

The 3/4 race came charging through next with a large group of riders that no doubt were in a hurry to get the race over with. Brent Binkowski charged fastest and hardest.

1. Brent Binkowski - GIS
2. Jeff Bailey - Croll
3. Blake Longacre - Grosso Sport
4. Jared Roy - GIS
5. Jonah Ritter - Nature Valley

This left the roads mostly empty. Does being a hard man take a soft brain? One could certainly wonder about diminished intellectual capacity in anyone riding in these conditions. With proper preparation the day would have been unpleasant but not threatening. But no one was properly prepared. So it was with a certain amount of morbid fascination that the few remaining spectators watched Paul Ellis take the final lap prime and head out one more time.

Ellis and Sartain used what was left of the challenging course to dispatch Beenken well before the finish. Sartain delivered the win over a clearly drained Ellis to take the day. Fred Feirn outlasted William Morice while Jim Sokup changed the focus of his race to battling issues with core body temperature. Congratulations to all the finishers.

1. Jeremy Sartain - Grand Performance/Turkey Farm
2. Paul Ellis - Cityscape
3. Terry Beenken - Nature Valley
4. Fred Feirn - Croll
5. William Morice - Flanders
6. Jim Sokup - CVCC