SBSB CRIT - PART I

STANDERT BICYCLES AND STONE BREWING BERLIN PRESENT THE SBSB CRIT.

The SBSB Crit started on Saturday already. With our partner Stone Brewing Berlin we set up a pasta party for all the riders and volunteers to fuel for the action on the next day. Starting at Standert Bicycles we rode to the Marienpark where we met up with other riders and had a great evening with pasta, beer and conversations on how to possibly win the next day’s race.

Rain, grey sky and some more rain. The morning of the SBSB Crit looked promising - promising to not be boring. The weather gods really weren’t on our side but as the day went on they changed their minds and at least made the second half of the day surprisingly sunny. But first things first.

When the first brave riders and spectators arrived it was raining for hours already and didn’t seem to stop. The tents of Stone Brewing and our partners in the Expo Area were the perfect hiding spots. More and more riders left their hideaways and entered the course as the open training and course recon was started. First laps were taken to test the limits in the slippery turns, find the perfect line on the cobbles and adjust the tire pressure.

Three o’clock. Time for the first race of the day.

The women’s road race. The Maloja Pushbikers FEM were represented with three riders and directly put the pressure on the rest of the field and soon formed a breakaway with teammates Lena and Sofie. The field further fell apart as Juliane attacked for a solo chase of the leading duo. But the Pushbiker ladies were not meant to be caught again. In the end it was Sofie who finished first, Lena second and Juliane third. Great performances by all the racers in these conditions!

Race number two was about to start. Ready to go was a field of heavy hitters ready to put the hurt on each other.

The pace was high as the front of the race was a mix of experienced racers like Erik Köhler and hungry young talents like Poul Rudolph and Pepe Voss. In lap five Erik used his power and skills and attacked on the cobbles. With an instant gap he kept putting the pressure on the pedals and like that on his opponents. The young guns were relentlessly chasing - but Erik was gone. With the lead he had he could even allow himself a small tumble into the grass in turn two. He got back up again and kept going for the win. The chasers fought it out for the podium spots that were left. An impressive performance by all of the riders.

Still we want to point out the talent of the chasers Poul (U23) and Pepe (U19) and can’t wait to see them on the big stages of cycling.

After the road races we decided to do the podiums directly as everybody was wet and cold and we didn’t want anybody to get sick. Just in that moment it was when the weather decided to change. So we celebrated the road race podiums in sunshine. And the sun was there to stay.

THE REST OF THE ACTION PACKED DAY COMING SOON IN SBSB CRIT - PART II...