With myself and Neil being the only two Primal guys in the Cat 5 race we wanted to make sure to try and set the tone. Right from the start we tried to stay towards the front and push the pace a little, in hopes of splintering the group. The pack was whittled down to about 6-8 guys including myself and Neil. After a few hard efforts to break away we realized it would probably come down to the last couple of laps. On the last lap I pushed hard on the descent to try and break away (descents are much easier when you weigh as much as I do). Neil was controlling the pace in the chase pack and did a great job at maintaining a contending position for the final effort on the uphill. Once we hit the hill I threw down whatever I had left to get to the top and Neil fought it out for an incredibly close third place. 

Aaron Calhoun

We only had three Primal riders in the field – Eric Welch, Troy Westergren, and myself.  Other teams brought a healthy amount of support.  Mod Market had 10 and Palmares had 5.  These teams controlled the front for a majority of the race.  Because we didn’t have the numbers, our (my) plan was to stay near the front and let things play out.

The big teams kept the pace high while letting a few attacks go, but always reeled them in.  With 7 laps to go and riders getting antsy, one rider from Lee’s Cyclery attacked.  Four of us followed.  I wasn’t too concerned with anyone bridging – as we had a riders from both Mod Market and Palmares in the break.  Kudos to those teams for continuing to control behind us.  Our gap was 24 seconds on the bell lap.  At the line, I was edged out by .03 seconds for the top spot.  

I’m stoked with how things turned out.  Frankly, my expectations were low going in, and I just wanted to survive my first ever crit.  Glad everyone on Primal was able to stay safe.

• Gary Wiese 

Welcome to the new home of the Primal-Audi Denver cycling team. While we feel that heart, guts and spirit are important ingredients to a successful life, so is keeping a well maintained social media profile that fills others with jealousy. The new site promises to do just that by giving you an inside look into the team and celebrating all of our members...angled, over filtered selfies and all. Check back for team news, race reports, and to keep up with our general shenanigans.

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