Northern Michigan played host to the 2nd Tour de Leelanau (TdL). Billed as a team event in the tradition of a classic European road race, the (TdL) is Michigan's premier road race event. There was incredible event support including a rolling road closure, feed zone and a race caravan including a three marshal vehicles, neutral mechanical support and broom wagon. The course wound it's way through the villages of Leland, Maple City, Empire, Glen Arbor, Homestead, Cedar, Lake Leelanau, Suttons Bay, Northport and Peshawbestown. After all that, the promoter saw fit to locate the finish line another 200 feet higher and 500 meters up the road at the Eagles Ridge Convention Center. One last nasty climb before calling it a day. One thing was for sure if you were invited to this shin dig, you better have a pair of climbing legs and a third lung. Here is how the action unfolded in this epic tour around Leelanau County............

Pro Cat 1 / 2 event:
A reported 160 racers took to the line for the men's event. Pro and Elite amateur teams traveled from Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada all boasting gobs of talent and the wattage to back it up. The race began to get interesting as the field hit the first couple of King of the Mountains (KOM) classified climbs. As racers began to get shelled off the back the pace remained high leaving small groups scattered on the picturesque, rural roads. The most notable point of the race came at mile 57 of this 110 mile tour. Racers were faced with long 6% grade, which turned skyward with a short steep, 20% grade and then "leveled" out to another 6% grade to the top! Bruce Rivera commented that he was going 6mph and spinning his rear wheel tackling this beast of a climb. Others zig zagged their way up as cheering fans lined the roads. This thinned the remaining remnants of the field. Still riding at the front Tom Petzold was hanging tough and Rivera was close behind. At about 105 miles Petzold made his move off the front. The odds were not in Tom's favor with two teammates from the Priority Health Pro Cycling team working against him. Petzold held on for an outstanding 4th place finish and Bruce Rivera just missed the top 10 with a strong kick to the line.  Congrats to all team members just finishing was a huge accomplishment. To the team's credit, the Essex Brass squad was one of only a few teams that finished the race with all team members in tact!

        Tom Petzold - 4th place (highest placed amateur racer in the men's event!!)
        Bruce Rivera - 11th place
        Jason Stephenson - 44th place
        Blair Dudley - 50th place
        David Mullins - 64th place
        Ed Reid - 80th place   

Women Cat 1 / 2 / 3 event:
The women raced on a slightly shortened course of 67 miles. However, they were not lucky enough to miss the miserable climbs that decimated the men's field. Dr. Lisa Meils had scouted the course a couple times prior to the event date, so she knew the suffering she would encounter. Lisa rode with the front group for most of the race (40 miles) before finding herself in a small group falling slightly off pace. After a time of recovery, back came the legs and Lisa shot off the front of her chase group and rode solo between the chase group and the leading group. It was time trial mode for the last several miles. Riding to 21st position among a very competitive field, it was an epic day. Excellent job Lisa way to cap off a remarkable year on the road!

        Lisa Meils - 21st place

The team promoted the Rochester Cycling Festival over the labor day weekend. The course was challenging and technical utilizing the old Tour de Michigan course layout. Many fans lined the streets cheering as the peloton muscled it's way up the Third Street "wall".  The weather was a bit overcast and the threat of sprinkles loomed over the venue, but the spirit of competition captured everyone's attention and the city welcomed the festivities.

This was a labor intensive endeavor. The team would like to offer a very special "THANK YOU" to:
The Essex Brass Corporation. 14 years of title sponsorship!!
Dwyer and Sons Subaru for providing a brand new Outback, B9 Tribeca and Baja for pace car duties and display.
American Cycle and Fitness for providing on site mechanical support, helping with the bike rodeo and offering test rides on the latest Trek/Bontrager products.

The City of Rochester, Police Department, City Council, Chamber of Commerce, Department of Planning, Photographic Services and the Special Programs Department.

bd's Mongolian Barbeque / Whole Foods / Coca-Cola Bottling Company / Dominicko Brick Paving and Landscaping / Panera Bread Company / Rochester Mills Brewery 

Pro Cat 1 / 2 event:
Four laps into the 60 minute event a massive surge in the field led to a seven man break. Blair Dudley made the move and begin to check out with his break away companions. The field tried to organize a chase, but was foiled by some strategic team riding. Jason Stephenson and Bruce Rivera policed the front of the field on their Trek Madone SL 5.9s and kept all serious efforts under wraps. The last lap saw the break fragment as the attacks began up the wall. Dudley rode an excellent break and claimed fourth position. Stephenson launched Bruce Rivera to second in the field sprint and 9th postion overall.

Blair Dudley - 4th place
Bruce Rivera - 9th place
Jason Stephenson - 16th place

Masters 30+ event:
The pace was pretty high for this event as the field was forced to chase a solo racer who had slipped off the front. Paul Rivera was a bit under the weather but hung in there to land himself a sixth place finish in this competitive field.

Paul Rivera - 6th place

Masters 40+ event:
Ed Reid (57) didn't seem to mind dancing up the Third Street "wall" and gapping the younger competition. Reid rode near the front of the field and when the time was right he launched his sprint to capture a hard earned sixth place finish.

Ed Reid - 6th place

Women's Cat 1/2/3 event:
This field was combined with other fields, so Dr. Lisa had to pay attention to more wheels than usual. Didn't seem to phase Lisa as she marked her competition. In the end, Lisa got a little "boxed in" during the sprint for the line, but still claimed the second step of the podium in her field.

Lisa Meils - 2nd place

September 4th - Auburn Hills, MI
The Rock City Criterium was held at the Palace of Auburn Hills and was the final stop on the Michigan Challenge Points Series calendar. The course was essentially a .88 mile rectangle that surrounded the home of the Detroit Pistons. Nearly half the course was a grade and into a stiff head wind. As you can guess the other half was a 39mph, brake burner. Spectators were treated with great weather and outstanding competition as elite racers from the Midwest, Canada and even a couple of past National Champions took to the line. On to the action.............................

Pro Cat 1 / 2 event:
It didn't take long for the first break to form as eight rolled off the front and forced a chase that lasted several minutes before a motivated field gobbled them up. After a couple more of these six and seven man breaks slipped off the front only to be hunted down by the field, a serious move went up the road with seven men, heads down and tails up giving it the gas. This looked like it could be the winning move as six different teams were represented. The Essex Brass duo of David Mullins and Jason Stephenson made an absolute heroic effort in organizing and pulling back the riders up the road. As the field came together with three laps to go, a solo racer counter attacked. The bunch timed the catch perfectly and left themselves 700 meters for the uphill sprint to the line. Blair Dudley and Bruce Rivera were in perfect postion for the bunch gallop. Rivera went left and Dudley went right. Dudley's lane closed up causing him to touch the brakes, but Rivera's lane was golden as he charged to a second place finish, narrowly missing the victory.

Bruce Rivera - 2nd place
Blair Dudley - 10th place
Jason Stephenson - 25th place
David Mullins - 31st place

Masters 35+ event:
This event turned into a time trial as the field chased nose to tail after a group of three up the road. Paul Rivera was appreciating the light weight Trek Madone SL 5.9 as the field hammered the grade lap after lap. The group of three would stay away for the duration, leaving the field to sort itself out in a bunch sprint for fourth. On the last lap Paul Rivera carved his way through the bunch and positioned himself for take off. Coming out of the last corner Rivera lit it up to grab 14th position.

Paul Rivera - 14th place

Masters 45+ event:
Jamie Smith read this one right as the attacks, wind and hill cause the field to fragment into little groups of racers along the course. Smith found himself in a seven man break up the road and leaving the others for dead. The race came to the end, the group began to test one another, sorting out who was strong. Jamie rode to a fine seventh place finish.

Jamie Smith - 7th place

Masters 55+ event:
The field stayed together for the majority of this event. The serious attacks were saved until the end when Ed Reid shot off the front and soloed to victory, leaving the others to pound their bars in disappointment. Chalk up another win for Essex Brass and the strongman Ed Reid.

Ed Reid - 1st place

Women's Cat 1/2/3 event:
Dr. Lisa Meils hit the gas from the starting whistle as the field began to break almost immediately. Lisa stayed in contact with the leaders trying to limit her time in the wind. As a prime was called, the front group began to stretch nearly shedding three. These women kept each other in check for the remainder of the race and it came down to a field sprint. Lisa charged to an excellent sixth place finish.

Lisa Meils - 6th place