Adrenaline rush, exciting, dramatic, intense… As always the Red Hook Crit brings an athletic and emotional load that is not of this planet. The third edition of the Barcelona RHC has been the perfect representation of the great show that provides the new top level contemporary cycling discipline:  the fixed-gear Criteriums

RACEDAY

This year the circuit had modifications in its layout, with the idea to bring the race closer to the public, the organization designed a path without areas that were isolated to the spectators, which has increased the attractiveness of the appointment for the hundreds of curious and crazy fans about RHC Series, which were distributed by the 1,25km of a faster circuit than in previous editions and that provided thrills throughout the day

Once more the riders have shown that this discipline every year is growing up. The times recorded in the qualifying rounds, started at 12 in the morning, are a good example of the stratospheric level that has reached this cycling variant.

Once the rankings of the 320 registered were defined, women and men all together, it was the time for the show.

WOMEN’S RACE

It was crazy! In little more than one year since the first Red Hook Crit with a specific category of women, we have 46 braves in the starting line ready to break their back on the circuit turns. Amazing!

There are many familiar faces as Ainara Elbusto, Ash Duban, Kacey Lloyd, Fleure Faure and many new participants who will make this Red Hook Crit Barcelona Nº.3 the most competitive to date in the women’s category.

Go! Go! The race starts strong, a compact group rides lap after lap alternating several athletes in first position, Ash, Ainara, Fleur… Up to form two groups, one head of 7/8 riders and a second slightly more distanced. At half of race a fall happened that involved several riders, including Fleur Faure, Carla Nafria, Francisca Campos, obliges the Marshalls to remove red flag and stop the race (we will see that the red flags have been protagonists all over the night).

Reset! The last part of race is a duel to keep the position, Ash Duban who was well placed, has to forget her podium goal due to a fall a couple of laps from the end, same destination for Vittoria Reati.

Kacey Lloyd plays her winning card on the last lap, out of the hairpin, gets some advantage over Ainara Elbusto and Grenchen Sturmhofer meters which will be decisive in the final sprint. Kacey Lloyd the woman, who won the first edition of all the RHC of history, became the winner after an agonizing sprint with the rider from Navarra.

Outstanding race of Fleur Faure (Top Antagonist) and Carla Nafria, who, despite the fall they were able to keep in cold blood and head focused on the race, finishing respectively in 10th and 8th position.

And Ainara Elbusto Arteaga maintains the leading of the general ranking, with 115 points only Kacey Lloyd can threaten her reign, in case of Ainara won’t score in Milan.

MEN’S RACE

While the women were finishing the most spectacular race of RHC Series seen so far, the men didn’t lose any second to prepare the final. Without removing all other races prestige, 5 minutes before the main race a religious silence falls on the “Parc del Forum” in Barcelona. During the sighting lap you listen only the sound of the profiled wheels and pedals clips, there is no time for jokes. The fighters are already prepared on the grill. It’s time for a serious business! After Brooklyn and London, Barcelona for many teams and riders, has represented a crucial race for the season.

The first part of the race is “quiet”, and quiet in a RHC final is only a caricature of the meaning of this word, an amazing rate, the Favorites for the top ten alternate at the head of the main group: Safa Brian, Bravini, Callegarin, Ravaioli, Guzmán, Paz Duke… the pace of the bunch is awesome and from many of the protagonists from the inside… advance was not an easy matter.

The race follows the script set up the hit of Mario Paz Duque trying to break the race with 7 laps ahead, is he crazy? Probably yes … but the young rider of IRIDE has it very clear. Ivan Ravaioli, leader of the general ranking and an attentive and implacable rider imagines what Mario Paz Duque wants to do and he doesn’t lose the sight of him. These two start a suicidal escape, getting up to 20 seconds ahead of the chasing group. Only David Santos and Raffaele Maccari manage to make a persecutor duet and get on the track of these two escaped.

It seems the typical unsuccessful escape and in turn not … Mario and Ivan lap after lap race strongly, the gap group is increasing. Adrenaline doesn’t stop … last two laps! But suddenly everyone gets the frozen blood, the red flag reappears on the track. A Marshall warns of a dangerous fall right off Turn 2, the organizers decided to stop the race leaving two laps to the end.

By opinion of several riders  no need to stop the race, the situation was not so bad but on the other hand, it is understandable that the organizational priority is the safety of riders and, sometimes, you have to take important decisions in a few seconds.

General break is chaos, some riders by nerves and adrenaline going to the organizers, people shouting and there are moments of tension on the finish line.

With some minute break everything relaxes a bit and the race resumed. Mario Paz Duque and Ivan Ravaioli out with 20 seconds advantage over the group, a race one to one, all or nothing, two extremely stressed last laps … is a drama limit show, the two reach the last curve very closed together, Mario launches the sprint of his life, but Ravaioli this time is better than him due to his gear ratio and experience in the last meters, and get across the finish line in first position. We will never know what would have happened if that dam red flag had not appeared.

CRITWEEK

As in previous years, or perhaps even more, Barcelona has been invaded by an incredible amount of riders, crews and people who gravitate around the fixed-gear galaxy, many of which take advantage of the race to extend a weekend in a fantastic and hospitable city as it is Barcelona.

It’s amazing ride in our city and see groups of people from all over the world with their bikes. The week has been full of activities and bike tours where you could ride with urban cycling legends like Alfred Bobé Jr., Chas or Fish. Unbelievable!

On Thursday, thanks to the Club Pista Barcelona, the riders had access to “Velodrom d’Horta”, newly refurbished. A real show and as the latest years a great privilege for the RHC riders.

This race is the culmination of a movement that interweaves a network of incredible people, riders, teams, photographers, filmmakers, bloggers and fans who have acquired an identity in recent years. It’s a world where everyone knows everyone and where it is amazing to see in each event always the same positive energy. That’s the true essence of this.

Maybe a bit politically incorrect but “the best of Red Hook, are the people of Red Hook“.