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Brooklyn No.9. The RHC Series continues growing up

On April 30 was the kick off of the Red Hook Crit Series 2016, as usual, starting with the first race in Brooklyn.

Every year you hear that the fixed fever is stagnating and every time there are less people, however, the ninth edition of the New York fixed-gear race, shows the opposite.

It came with many news and record numbers. A race that year after year continues to grow up and not only level assistance of riders, but also organizational, logistical level, diffusion, etc.

A new path was drawn at the pier in Red Hook district levels. A circuit with a new area of curves where the technique became a key point to be fast, but without losing the character of this kind of races which high speeds are reached and the level of demand is the maximum.

Record of women registration, with over 90 girls on the qualifying grid divided into two groups that were, including great riders like Ainara Elbusto, Fleur Faure, Jo Celso, Ash Duban, and many others…

In the men’s category, and despite the remarkable increase in price compared to the previous year, they continue running out in a time record. People from all over the world do not want to miss the greatest and unexampled fixed-gear show.

QUALIFY SESSIONS

One of the great innovations of this year was the new distribution of classification groups. On this occasion, and for the first time in the history of the RHC, could only have two riders from the same team in each group, this way they tried to give more opportunities to those riders who are alone and, why not, give more excitement to these qualifying rounds.

LAST CHANCE RACE

Possibly one of the fastest Last Chance race so far. From the beginning a high rate was imposed and at all times remained a large head bunch in which they struggled to get into the TOP 10 and to the final.

We would like to highlight the presence of riders such as Chas Christiansen (MASH SF), Jeremy Santucci (Chari&Co.) who had a dramatic fall during the race, or William Lewis (Dosnoventa) who did a great race and finally came in 4th position, obtaining a second chance in the men final.

WOMEN’s FINAL

We will never be tired to tell that the level of the women doesn’t stop growing and they aren’t anymore the “opening” of the men’s final, if not there is now, two big races to see.

There are more and more names, which take importance, in the women grid. Names like Ainara Elbusto, Ash Duban, Fleur Faure, Sammy Runnels, Francisca Campos, Vitoria Reatti… are accompanied by many others with many great teams committed to them.

Since the beginning of the women race a great path has been marked, leaded by the favourites.  The women riders from the brand new team LaClassica Racing Team (Vittoria and Fleur) battled it out, and the Whybenormal? was not less. The attack attempts are happening but Ainara was attentive and controlled the race all the time.

Finally, the podium was for unstoppable Ainara, followed by Ash and Vittoria.

Highlight to the performance of the new arrivals to the Championship, the sisters Usabiaga from Polo&Bike team, Virginia Cancellieri from the IRD Carrera Squadra Corse and, of course, Francisca Campo from RAW Santafixie Team who got a fantastic 11th position.

MEN’s FINAL

Try to transmit with words everything that somebody lives in a final of the RHC is a complicated task, and in this edition number 9 in Brooklyn, is especially difficult to describe.

Start to highlight the great classification that Addison Zawada from State Bicycle Co. Team did with a time of 01:25:74 and more than one second’s difference with the second classified, the Spanish Luis Junquera from Polo&Bike. Addison is doing a flawless season.

It comes the time to the most expected moment of the day, the race is about to begin, the riders are in their positions, silence becomes and David begins the countdown.

Everything pointed to that it would be a mind-blowing race, but what no one expected was what was going to happen just a few seconds after the start.

By human error, one of the bikes that head the bunch was stopped in the middle of the track. First riders were at time of dodge the terrible obstacle, but at the time were the first collision happened, the tragedy was insurmountable. A huge amount of riders exceeded the barrier that delimit the circuit, bikes and people are piled one on top of others, wheels flying, cries of pain… in short, a scenario in which no one would like to be. .

The Organization tried to react to such an incident but it was almost impossible to be prepared for something like this.

After a long stop, the teams came out once more to the track, with a rather strange feeling by everything that happened. 3, 2, 1… again started the final and riders started like rockets to get the Prime of the first round, but again, a fall (this time by the touch between several riders) obliges the Organization to stop the race for safety.

They say that the third time lucky, and so it was. Once more the riders were placed in the starting grid and David Trimble gave the countdown. On this occasion, it was able to complete the first round successfully and race didn’t stop anymore.

In spite of many riders were affected by the stops, the cold and the tension of the night, Colin Strickland (Allez Allez – Specialized) showed us his best by repeating the performance that he did in Milan last year. When there were still more than 10 laps to the end, he decides to launch an attack which allowed him to open a gap with head bunch and get to escape. Back to back he won time to the rest of the riders, reaching some baggy 30 seconds… To be honest, no words!

The last laps there was a great struggle to get in position of podium which ultimately took the Italian Ivan Ravaioli from Team Cinelli Chrome and Aldo Ino Ilesic also from the Allez Allez – Specialized. Obviously, at the top Colin Strickland from Texas.

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