With Fitchburg fading fast behind the peloton, this weekend offered an opportunity for New England riders to return to the tradition of post Fitchburg local crits. With 3 riders toeing the line in a field of 75, one might think it would be hard for the MetLife boys to leave their mark, but nothing could have been further from the truth. MetLife put one or two riders in every break of the 60 lap race. The final move numbered a robust 24 riders at one point near mid race until attacks and attrition whittled it down to a manageable nine riders. Bell, along with representatives from all of the major teams; Amos Brumble of CCB, Ernest Tautkus of CCNS, Emerson Oronte of IF p/b Ora, Colin Murphy of Emborcation, Josh Lipka of BCA, as well as Matt Mainer and Adam Sullivan of Wheelhouse, began to roll in earnest. With Masson and Coutu patrolling the front of the peleton behind, the stage was set.

With three laps to go Lipka rolled off the front of the group for a solo bid. Back in the break, reaction was delayed. Despite several strong bids to make it up to the lone leader, no one rider was able to break the grasp of the breakaway. With the sprint looming, Brumble made a strong early jump into the last corner, slightly delayed, Bell followed with Tautkus, but neither were able to catch the CCB rider before the line. With a strong team performance, and a solid fourth place result, look for the MetLife team to build some momentum during this crucial part of the season.