Pro/1/2 Men

1. Eric Marcotte(Bianchi/Grand Performance) 

Pro/1/2 Men

1. Dewey Dickey
2. Brian Jensen
3. Bryce Mead

The bubbling anticipation of the weeks leading up to Memorial Day racing makes for the most exciting time of the year for a bike racer in Iowa [and IL, MO, NE, MN too]. This year’s excitement has been heightened by the lack of recent local racing, as some races have been cancelled, and others have just disappeared from the racing calendar completely. There is nothing that focuses the local racing community like Memorial Day weekend. Everyone you encounter in the days before the events wants to talk to you about your itinerary. Which races will you do? Where will you sleep? How has your training been? Which pros are showing up this year?

Amateur and professional bike racing presents constant challenges. Week in and week out riders are forced to push themselves to their limit whether through training or racing. However, there is something additionally challenging about participating events where everyone, from the first time racer to the professional, is focused on providing their peak performance. It raises the pulse, and the nerves.

We have reached the halfway point of the Iowa Cup competition, and it is clear that this year’s format is not leaving any room for error in any of the categories. Consistent finishing in the state’s biggest races is something only achieved by the truly best racers in Iowa. Think you can miss a weekend of racing and still be in contention, think again.

Although the leader board is filled with familiar names, some of the teams may not be as familiar. Teams brand new to the Iowa racing scene find themselves all over the top five in many categories. Bikes to You, Punk Rock Cycling, and Colorbiotics each having multiple riders with more than a good chance to take victories in nearly every category.

Sean Walker(Bikes to You) leads the men’s Category 1/2 division with two strong performances in Iowa City, and if it hadn’t been for Jeff Barnes(Mercy/Specialized) spectacular performance in the break at the Old Capitol criterium, then Walker’s lead would most likely be even three points stronger over the field. Barnes’s first-Iowan finish at the Old Cap, also catapulted him into third place in the competition.

The leader of the Women’s open, Jane Reissen(Punk Rock Cycling), could not continue her winning ways from the first round of the Iowa Cup in Iowa City, but her continuing top five finishes have continued to cement her lead over everyone else. A strong group of women from Mercy/Specialized, Anne Meyer, Connie Inks, and Robin Williams, are the closest riders to leader, Reissen, however, they will need some victories this weekend to close the gap.