Somerville, NJ – MetLife showed up with a small squad but big hopes for
the annual Tour of Somerville.  The duo of Ryan Fleming and Austin Roach
joined 150 other riders on a beautiful Memorial Day holiday to compete
in this infamous 50-mile criterium.

The riders were pleased to find that the backstretch of the 1.3-mile
rectangular course had been recently repaved.  The roads may have been
improved, but with little other than crashes to make selections in this
race, staying out of trouble would still be the secret to success.

The race went off under rows of American flags along Main Street.  The
pace climbed quickly as the field barrelled down the backstretch to the
delight of the Somerville residents hosting Memorial Day barbecues on
their front lawns.

Without a dedicated sprinter in attendance, the MetLife boys decided
that their best chance at making an impact on the race was in a break.
Ryan and Austin launched themselves repeatedly off the front of the
field in an attempt to get away.  But the long straights of Somerville
aren’t kind to breakaways, and none would stay out for long.

As the lap cards began showing single digits, the mood in the field
shifted with every rider anticipating the certain field sprint.  With no
team willing to take charge and keep the pace high, the field swelled to
fill the entire road as senseless crashes from nervous riders began
dotting the course.

Ryan and Austin met up and began picking their way carefully through the
mayhem.  With two laps to go, it looked as if they would be well placed
for the sprint.  But their luck ran out a little more than half a lap
later.  The MetLife boys were on the wrong side of the field between
turns three and four and were caught behind a pileup.  By the time they
were able to get around the crash, dozens of riders had passed them by,
and the one remaining lap left them no time to move back up through the
field.

Austin finished 58th, with Ryan rolling in a few places back.  It was a
disappointing finish to an otherwise well-executed race.  But look for
the form displayed this weekend to add up to some top finishes as the
season progresses.