Snake Alley Criterium analysis; Event goes off without a hitch after two-year hiatus

It had been three years since the last Snake Alley Criterium, canceled the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a new course, plenty of new riders and some new volunteers, the 2022 Snake Alley Criterium went off without a hitch Friday and Saturday in downtown Burlington.

A total of 16 champions were crowned on Saturday, not including the Cobblestone Climb.

Not even a two-year pandemic could stop the Snake Alley Criterium from returning with a bang, and it all started with a brand-new event on Friday.

Friday Night Fever Criterium

Due to road construction, the Road Races were scrapped this year in favor of a 1.024-mile race around downtown Burlington on Friday night.

Adding a little flare to the proceedings was the final race of the night, the Men's Cat 1-2 Pro race, was completed in darkness, only streetlights and a set of lights at each of the four curves to light the way for racers.

By the time all was said and done Cade Bickmore won the Men's Cat 1-2 Pro race, while Maddy Ward won the Women's Cat 1-2 Pro race.

Those two would be heard from in a big way on Saturday.

“I think it was a good preview for (Saturday). I know we went backwards from what we are doing (Saturday). I like to climb. I like the steady climb here," Ward said. “I wouldn't say it was easy. The sweat running down my glasses showed that I was going hard. Rylee (McMullan) and I switched off on half-attacks to see how the field was going to react. Rylee went and then I countered her move. I got away. I was holding 30 seconds for a while and then I got up to 45 and then a minute, 15. I was like, “All right. I’ve got this one in the bag.’ Rylee was countering every move of the people who were trying to attack and chase me down. I felt pretty in control of the race. That’s a good feeling.”

“It’s super exciting. You feel so alive. It’s amazing. There is nothing else like it," Bickmore said. “(Sam Morris) made a late move on the backstretch coming into the last two corners. I knew it was going to be really tight through those corners. This finish is so short around the last corner. I knew my only shot was to carry more speed through that last corner. I got right in the gutter on the right-hand side and took the widest line I could with a little bit of space between him and I so I could bring some speed through the corner and get up to him. I was able to swing all the way to the other curve and then swing up to his inside and carry just enough speed. I thought maybe I was just a little late. It was such a great finish. It came right down to the photo. I’m happy to come away with it.”

Climbing Cobblestone Alley

The annual Cobblestone Climb was a big hit, and Nick Carter of Minneapolis came away not only with the win, but a new course record.

Making their way up a brick alley the first block, riders then had to transition to the bumpy one-block portion of uneven cobblestones.

By the time it was over, Carter had broken the record previously held by his younger brother, Jack Carter.

"Four years ago I had the record and then three years ago my younger brother (Jack) took it from me," Carter said. "It's been two years since we've been able to do this, so this year was my year to finally take it back from him."

Conquering the Snake

Ward was able to complete the double on Saturday, making her move midway through the race and pulling away to win the Women's Cat 1-2-3 Pro race.

“This one I felt more ready for. I’m happy about it," Ward said. “I haven’t raced in Europe much, but I have a little bit. I felt like we were in Europe. That was fun. It was so steep that I was pulling up on the bars and getting wheelies. Probably the best wheelie I’ve ever had. It was fun. Very dynamic. I really didn’t take one line the same at any time.”

Bickmore nearly duplicated Ward's feat in the Men's Cat 1-2 Pro race, a grueling 15-lap circuit covering over 22 miles.

Bickmore made a move on the next-to-last lap, but Texas Roadhouse teammate Andrew Dillman covered the move, taking the lead and holding off Bickmore and Conor White for the win.

“It was pretty strategic. I had a teammate — we were the only two that were teammates in the final break of six or seven riders. We were definitely going to try to use that to our advantage," Dillman said. “Going into two laps to go, Cade went to the front and put in a surge, not quite an attack. He was on the front all along the downhill. I was sitting third or fourth. I thought this would be perfect. I accelerated right before the Snake, passed him pretty close going into the Snake. That meant he was second so he could sit up and let a gap open. I think that is what happened. I didn’t look back.”

“We got on the front two rows on the start and we knew it was going to be fast early," Bickmore said. "It was crucial to get to the hill and make sure we weren’t behind any dropped chains, wrecks or wish-washes happening on the Snake on those first couple laps. We did a good job. From there the race was pretty much in our hands, it seemed like.”

Other winners on Saturday

Also winning races on Saturday were Raef Trujillo in Junior 13-14 Boys, Kaylea Meinholdt in Junior 13-14 Girls, Roczen Beissel in Junior 9-12 Boys, Kathryn Wolgast in Junior 9-12 Girls, Connell Alford in Junior 15-16, Hunter Post in Junior 17-18, Daniel Casper in Masters 50-plus, Charles Townsend in Masters 60-plus, Simone Hussussian in Women Cat 3-4, Micah Poellet in Women Cat 5, Casler in Masters 40-plus, Jim Bethea in Men's Cat 5, Braden Reitz in Men's Cat 4 and Dillon McNeill in Men's Cat 3.

“Eight times up. Around Lap 5 it gets pretty brutal. It definitely takes a lot out of you, for sure," McNeill said of Snake Alley. “I’ve been a cycling fan since I was young. Just watching friends race and people I’ve looked up to a long time gives me inspiration. That helps with all the training and pushing through the races.”

Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA TODAY Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 31 years. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Big fields participate in the annual Snake Alley Criterium this weekend