The first and final Grand Tour is underway and it was a blisteringly fast start to proceedings. A tidy group put down times Thursday night, but there were some stand-out solo performances as well.
On The Course
The 2017 Speed of Light course offers something of a very dry (and dusty) preview of the final 10km or so of this year’s Iceman Cometh Challenge route, which is slated to include the traditional Boonenberg/Anita Hill combination, plus Madeleine’s Trail. It’s a good sign, then, to have so many locals chipping away at top times on these segments and more ahead of the fall campaign.
The Power Section
As is so often the case, times from the Power Section offer a glimpse of how the race shook out. The top three on the day, Steffen Howard, Drew Cummins, and Max Meyer, put in 8:29 on the nearly 3-mile section, putting more than 20 seconds into the next fastest riders. Expect that to change next week; Patrick Cotant and his group of riders were slowed by a crash and will certainly threaten the 9-minute mark on this section in the weeks ahead.
Vuelta Competition Stage One Standings
Howard, Cummins, and Meyer take top points this week, with Howard and Meyer even on 14 after submitting an exact tie on time. Cummins is third, but he’ll be heading off to the University of Michigan before the Vuelta conclusion (best of luck, Drew!). That leaves room in the mix for Garrett Jenema, who will be instrumental in the drive to break the course KOM before Cummins takes off.
Further down, Cody Sovis benefitted from a monster pull on the Power Section from Wes Sovis and sneaked his way into 5th on the stage. Ryan “Mr. President” Kennedy is also head of the Cotant Flotilla, with Sara Sovis the only female finisher. She looks set to win her first ever Speed of Light Grand Tour!
What’s Next?
Stage Two is open for business Monday through Saturday, and if you want to get two laps in, we’ve got a ride planned. Join us for Double Up next Saturday at 7 am for two laps of the SOL course and get in a race-quality effort fo’ free. RSVP here.
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