Race Previews

In Search of Epistolary Performances...

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 06:00

Matt Priess (L - we don't have a picture of him yet) is anxious to race at the Graniteman Triathlon this Sunday. So much so that he'll probably pee a gazillion times between now and then.

Why is Mr. Priess so goshdarn anxious?

He thinks that he can win on Sunday. If he does, it would be his first career victory.

Good luck, Matthew! We think you have a legitimate chance to make your bladder-stimulating dream come true. Certainly your 3rd place finish at RochesterFest Sprint last month suggests that you're...

racing is going in the right direction.

In order for the 27-year-old Blaine resident to win at GM VII, he'll have to out-race some pretty talented guys.

Who?

Troy Anderson, for one. Troy's won the last two editions of the Buffalo Sprint and was 3rd at Liberty Olympic last month. On paper, Mr. Anderson is probably the prohibitive guys' favorite.

Jim Graif will also be gunning for a win on Sunday. The talented master--he's 48--from Elk River was 2nd at last year's Graniteman. His 7th at Buffalo Sprint on June 6 was NOT representative of his abilities. We'll note here that Jim cracked the overall Top 5 in five of the eight tris he competed in last season. Good stuff.

We also expect Richfield youngster Lucas Pedersen to be a factor. The 22-year-old is a cool kid with a cool dad who goes to all of his son's races. He--the son, not the dad--picked up his first career win in a quasi-apocolyptic downpour at the Green Lake Duathlon in May.

As a wildcard, lets toss Tag Downare into the mix. His name is really Taggart, but Daryl Stevens calls him "Tag," so we will, too. It is an unauthorized and perhaps inappropriately familiar use of his moniker. We hope he doesn't mind.

TAG almost "burst" on the the tri scene in 2009. It was a quiet bursting, but a bursting nonetheless. TAG's 15th at Lakes Country was nothing to write home about, but TAG's 3rd at Square Lake (Short Course) and his 4th at Northwoods were somewhat more epistolary, as was TAG's 10th at the Minneapolis Du.

TAG raced at Lake Waconia on June 27 and finished 27th among a hombre's field that was almost as deep as the Laurentian Abyss. Now that the rust has been knocked off, THE TAGSTER (too familar?) is ready for the podium.

Once again, good luck Matthew.

Two-time champ Michelle Andres (L -we don't have a picture of Michelle, either), who loves to shop--which is why we chose this artwork--is scheduled to come out of her self-imposed exile and race on Sunday. She left the tri scene last year in order to concentrate on raising her many, many children, most of whom probably play soccer. Her plan was to return to the sport after each of her many, many offspring graduate from pricey private colleges.

If Michelle, who is one of the coolest and classiest people you'll ever meet, does show up on Sunday, we believe that she will win, as she did here in 2008 and 2006. The former Rookie of the Year (2004) and Most Improved (2008) nominee owns the event's "old" course record and the gulf between her time and the 2nd-fastest women's clocking is substantial, bordering on elephantine. This year's event will be staged at a new, and according to the totally cool triumvirate of directors--Jen, Bill and Austin--vastly improved venue.

Warner Lake Park near Clearwater replaces the Rockville site, which served the event well for six years.

We hope you'll be there on Sunday, Michelle.

Who will fill out the women's podium?

We think that charming-and-soon-to-be-married-Sartell-based-triathlete-slash-pedagogue Nikki Bergh will repeat her runner-up effort of 2009. Bergh was awesome at The Apple (7th!) on May 29. We reserve the final step for Veronica Bond, who placed 3rd at her hometown tri--RochesterFest Olympic--earlier this season.

For post-race calories, we recommend D & L Taco Gringo in Clearwater. No, we've never been there but the reviews are good. REVIEWS

As they say here in Minnesota: "You could do a lot worse."