I took my warm-up lap and came to the start line with almost the entire field already at the line.  The entire front line except for Chris and Henry from Team Pegasus was made up of xXx riders.  I started about 2 bike lengths back and the guy in front of me had trouble clipping in.  Thankfully there was enough room to move right and pass him.  

We got going and xXx sent off 2 riders right away Leonard and Peter and there was another rider with them.  About halfway through the first lap, they had about a 150 meter gap on the field and they had a up front of the field blocking.  I was about 4 riders back from the blocker and decided I wanted to get up in the break and see what we can make of it.  Also, it has been one of my goals this season to get into a break and make it stick.  I jumped and I jumped hard and fast.  I made it to the lead 3 just after bend 3, looked back and saw that no one had jumped with me, turned forward again and yelled "We have a break.  Let's work to keep it."  At this point though, I felt gassed and wasn't sure I would be able to hold on and keep the pace up, but I dug deep and pushed myself a little harder.

We took turns pulling and then Leonard dropped off, but 4 other guys joined us.  Our break eventually reached 12 guys, Newt and another xXx rider, Nate and Alex from Spidermonkey, Dan from Mack, an Illinois Tech rider, a rider from Indiana (Terra Haute Cycles) and a few others.  I yelled, a lot, trying to get the group organized into a functioning group and pace line.  We had our moments of failed attempts, guys pulling too long, guys not pulling at all, but the majority of the time we had it going pretty well.  We functioned as a good unit 80% of the time, I would say.  However, this didn't stop me from yelling to keep things organized.  Nor did it stop another xXx rider from doing the same.   

We kept hearing our gap time and around 20 seconds, but this eventually grew to 30, and then 45 seconds.  I think the most amazing thing about that was I had overheard someone talking prior to the race saying that a break would never stick on this course.  To their surprise and mine, the break stuck and we worked it.  Part of it was from those of us in the break working it and the other part was from xXx doing some great blocking in the field, which I found out from Alberto after the race.   There were a few attacks in the lead group, mainly headed by xXx, but they were brought back by the group.

With 3 to go, we were still pushing the pace pretty hard.  Still taking turns at the front.  With 2 to go we were starting to get organized but the 3 xXx riders were at the front doing a lot of work.  I decided I would let them stay there and pull us around.  The bell sounds for the final lap and things calmed down until coming into turn 3.  I was about 3 back, but the Indiana rider was on my right off my front wheel, and Dan from Mack was directly to my right.  I kept yelling at both of them to move right as I was boxed in.  About half way through the 3rd straight, Indiana jumps, then Mack goes and I jump on Dan's wheel.  

The race is on.  Coming around turn 4, I thought I might be able to catch Dan, the line approaching very quickly.  Indiana won and the slow motion instant replay showed that about 1 foot separated 2nd from 4th, and about 11 inches separated Dan from me, and 1 inch separated me from Nate.  I thought I threw my bike, but the replay showed otherwise.   I ended up 3rd and Nate 4th.  

Overall it was a great day.  The break stuck from the start and it felt great to be in it.  We did a lot of work to keep it there with a lot of help from xXx in the field.  Great job to all today.  Great job to xXx for putting on a successful and fun race.