Thoren Heuval Kermesse

Thoren Heuval Kermesse is an epic name for someone who understands the dutch/german language. I don't know excactly what it stands for, but there must have been a fair going on earlier in history ( or maybe still going on). Arriving at Avon, it seemed to me the race organization lacked the most fundamental part being: organization. However, I got more or less used to this style of racing after being in competion in the US for a year almost. I do my fist cat 3 race in Minnesota and I am curious who the opponents are for the race. We start the race with around 40 competitors. All cat 3 and some cat 4 riders. The course is without any doubt the most beautifull 12,5 KM loop I have ridden so far in the US.

The race distance is only 60KM and that bugs me a little, I am afraid in 60 KM; the weaker riders will still hang on the better riders and it will be a nervewracking 2 hours. What I was afraid for became reality; I tried to attack three times in the race; but there was nobody who felt the same way I did about trying to break away. The whole peleton was more conservative during the whole race.
At the end of the 3th lap. ( We had to do 5 laps ) I attacked and they let me ride for a few hundred meters, but I did not want to go alone solo for more then 30 KM so I decided to stop the attempt since no one else was willing to join me in the break away.

After 60 KM of nervewracking racing the race ends when we need to pass a farm vehicle and we all get DQ'ed for that manouvre, except for 4 riders, who were probably compeletely somewhere else at that time. ( Meaning being minutes behind the peleton) The final sprint did not go so well for me, I was placed in 4th position but could not keep up with the best sprinters.

It seems to me that when a referee needs to DQ 90% of the field, there might be a bigger issue going on than the reckless driving of racers and the concern about their safety. I hope when cycling becomes more and more popular in the US, the organization will have more money to spend on people who are willing to organize races in more professional and more safe way (Closed to traffic loops). Until then I will have to try and keep myself on the right side of the centerline, which I almost succeeded in :)