Jude Clark Criterium - Win!!!

The first annual Jude Clark Memorial Criterium went off with a bang, a couple of wins and several podium finishes for Scheller's Fitness and Cycling Team!

The Crit is in honor of our late teammate Jude Clark, who passed away Friday January 28th, 2010. Jude bravely battled Systemic Amyloidosis, a condition that caused his heart walls to thicken. He received extensive chemo and stem cell transplant therapies at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. We and the entire Louisville, KY cycling community were stunned at the loss. Just the day before he died, he posted on CaringBridge that he was being release from Mayo, with a good prognosis. He was on his way home with his wife Shannon, when he lost consciousness and was unable to be resuscitated.

His teammates were pallbearers and the Louisville Cycling community was there by the thousands at his visitation. Jude was well known and respected as a Husband and Father, Lawyer, Cyclist and human being. We miss him.

We have and are taking all of the steps necessary to make this part of the Kentucky Derby Festival event calendar for years to come. They were very supportive and through assistance from Jude's Law Firm Frost, Brown and Todd, as well as Gregg Scheller and team, we made the inaugural event a real even to remember. Additionally, we were able to donate $2,000 to the Lance Armstrong Cancer Foundation!

So, the race, scheduled months in advance, was held on an iffy day, with tons of threatening weather including severe rain and potential for hail and lightning. We made the best of it, working Friday and Saturday morning to set up the course, sweeping the gravel and glass off of the road in Shawnee park. Getting there at 6:00am Saturday morning, we put the hay bales down and made the final touches before racing went off at 9:00am starting with the Cat 5 / Citizens. Despite wet roads early, the day improved and even dried out completely for most of the races. Nice! Unfortunately, the last race of the day, the Cat 1/2 race had to be cancelled at 3pm because of lightning. But all in all, we have a great event!

I race in the Master's 40+ races, which is the Race I would have shared with Jude. Knowing that this was in his honor made our team, consisting of Rich MacInnes, Keith Lucas and myself super motivated. I may have gotten a bit obnoxious as I kept telling teammates and other races, that nobody was getting away from us, without one of the Scheller's teammates in the breakaway. Rich, Keith and I busted it from the gun, closed at least 20 break attempts and went with everything that moved. Strange for me as more of a pure sprinter, I was at the front for most of the race, super attentive and highly motivated. Rich and Keith were all over everything. The Papa John's team had 4 or 5 riders in the race, with 2-time national TT champion Steve Spanbauer, pocket rocket Mike McShane, the good doc and hard working John Mandrola and super strong Dr. Scott Kuiper. Lots of super strong guys from McDonalds and individual racers made every effort to split the group, but ultimately, everything stayed together and the sprint finish came fast and tight.

Coming into the last couple of corners, I made the move to the front 7 or 8 riders, got gapped by a couple guys sitting up and had to bridge to the 5 guys gapping the field and making the last turn into the finish line. I was a bit worried that I used too much to get there, on Mike McShane's wheel, but about 150 meters to go, he came out of the draft to the left of the Nuvo and McDonald's riders and so I went right to get clear and went as hard as I could, winning by a couple of bike lengths. It was an awesome win, in honor of my friend and teammate.

This isn't my first win, but was without a doubt my favorite and most meaningful! Jude's wife Shannon and sons Cullen and Brennan got to share the day with his teammates and community. We had a moment of silence before the race that touched me very deeply.

So for those of you who are racers or love to watch racers go at it, look for an even bigger event next year at Shawnee Park. I'll post a date once we set it.

Thanks for reading!

Darrin