This is not a Finkelstein Kensington Race Report
I am not going to discuss the poor choices I made in this race.
I’m not going to talk about how I missed all the successful breaks and how I was asleep at the wheel the entire first half of the race.
I certainly am not going to go into detail of how I was racing on pure frustration the entire race and how at one point I was the 5th group back!
I won’t bring up the fact that ever since I found out this race was extended to 97 miles this year (in all actuality it was 102 miles) I aspired to place high in it.
I’m not going to speak of my goal, which was top 15.
I won’t mention that I made a successful move at the end of the race which enabled me to pick up the spoils (securing a 14th place finish).
And I won’t wine and moan that although I did achieve my goal, I am not completely satisfied with my result.
However, what I do want to speak of is my extreme elation I have for the success of my teammates!
Let’s first start with Alan Smith. I’m not sure when exactly it happened, but somehow Alan has recently got an intensely burning fire lit under his ass. After arguably his most notable result to date, which was 2nd place, in this past Thursday’s Waterford soirée, Alan was able to snag a victory on Kensington soil this year in the Cat. 3 race. Essentially, he was able to make the right move and make it count. He went on a late flyer with fellow teammate John Coates, caught the field with their pants down, and in true champion form rode in for the big W! I’m not sure if there is a more deserving person to receive this win and this overall successful week. I'm now eagerly awaiting Alan to join the ranks of the elite team and look forward to having another talented racer in our arsenal. Also, big props to John for working hard to keep Alan up the road.
Secondly, let’s move onto Dan Klein. DK was attentive early on and was perceptive enough to know that when he saw the group roll of the front in the first mile he had to put himself in it. The group rolled away and quickly established the firm foundation to be the winning break. From there on, it was a mental and physical battle of attrition. Danny was able to keep his head in the game, be patient, and stay with the leading group which eventually whittled down to 4. Danny ended up fourth overall in a field of several notable talents. While Danny’s racing age may be getting up there, he certainly does not seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.
So without further ado, lets all raise our helmets to Danny and Alan, you are this weeks well-deserving recipients of the illustrious Who Cares I’m Flying Award!
Additionally it is worth noting that DK is the first racer ever to receive this prestigious award on two occasions.
