First, another chance to do some good. We whipped up this special edition Slava Ukraine coffee mug. All proceeds will be donated to Save the Children, a non-profit already doing incredible work on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries. The organization is attempting to feed, clothe, and house as many of the 2 million displaced Ukrainians who have fled the country as well as those who have remained in their homes.
TC Eye is going even further. Brad is matching up to $1,000 in mug sales and donating to Save the Children. This gives kolo t.c., DIRT, and the whole cycling community a great opportunity to make a real difference.
We hope you’ll consider ordering a mug and maybe grabbing one for a friend, too.
Previously, On Clash of Clans
DIRTy Mitten used their brains and their minds to take top points on Stage 1 and Stage 2. Now, the other squads are hip to their jive…but can they do anything about it?
The race comes home to ‘Murica for a day in Richmond that is positively stacked with points. 6 KOM points, 6 sprint points, plus points on the line means there’s plenty to scrap for even if riders aren’t in the front group. In fact, the success or failure of teams might come down to how they balance stage honors with tasking their best sprinters and climbs to focus on segment points instead of a high finish on the day.
The Imperial Race
The many short, sharp hills of Richmond took their toll early in the Imperial race, with Craig (just Craig, like Rhianna) going clear the first time through and, someone would miraculously, staying clear for the rest of the day. That also meant he swept up a record 620 points for DnD, quite the haul.
A Race
In the chase, Mitten and EAT were both in full Mathletes mode, constantly counting and recounting the composition of the groups’ As, Bs, and Cs at every climb and through every sprint. EAT had the numbers in the As, though it was Dan Yankus putting in another Herculean effort to nab 539 points. EAT stacked up the third and fourth most points in A, however, and had four riders in the top ten.
B+ Race
Once again, Jeb Stone came up with the good for Mitten with the B+ win and a strong 599 points. Rascals put riders in second and third in the points haul thanks to Brandon Peterson and Yousif Alhajery. Drew Cummins came up big for Mitten, as did a battle Chris Ostberg who narrowly stayed clear of a chasing pack for 6th in B.
C+ Race
Looking at Kent McNeil’s last place finish in B+ doesn’t do his day justice. For the second week, Kent put his own ride (and ego) on the backburner and rode a brilliant race to help Jesse Brennan and Wes Stocker in the C+ race. Kent’s selfless riding nabbed another win for Brennan and a huge haul of 605 points, with WATTZ’s David Veeneman pocketing 604.
D+ Race
When it was all said and done, EAT’s unopposed 1-2-3 in D+ probably gave them the stage and opens up a whole world of scenarios for next week’s finale. You can’t fault Ed Saxton, Ayo Lawson, and Dan Gassert; they beat everybody who showed up. Good work, guys.
Check out the Imperial Race Results.
The Session Race
The B Race
After strong rides from Jaden Drews in the first two stages, Mitten was without its talismanic pilot. EAT took advantage and ranks up points with Pete Keller, who topped the points tally despite finishing second on the stage. Mitten stayed unbeaten in Bs thanks to Joel Teichman, with his teammate and last week’s winner, Spencer Mendel, third. WATTS put Baris Key and Hall Harrington in the top 5, with Brad Hochstetler and Wes Sovis giving Mitten four riders in the top ten.
The C Race
Travis McD gave Rascals the win in Cs, though it was “Loco” Jake Lococo from Wattz who picked up the most points with 587. Luke Caisley was second on the line and on points, with a good haul for EAT coming from Eric Felz with 484.
D Race
If EAT went for the Las Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet in D+, Wattz lined their pockets with Zip-Loc bags and stuffed themselves in the D race, stuffing 618 points from Tom Vannoy and 613 from Bolt, their highest scorers of the day.
Check out the Session results.
What’s Next
It’s the Queen Stage. The finale is certainly grand, with a custom 50km race on Petite Boucle. Combining a few trips up the Aquaduct and two ascents of the Petite KOM, it’s the hilliest stage of the series and the longest as well.
There is plenty to play for, too. Mitten holds a one-point lead over WATTZ. In the event of a tie, it’ll be the highest point total from a single rider of each time, the digital version of one-on-one combat.
Thanks for racing and we’ll see you next week!
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