Schwab Cycle’s Wheels of Thunder Circuit Race - March 20, 2005 
Eventual winner, Chuck Coyle, puts the hurt on early.
The Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team kicked the season off with a win at the Wheels of Thunder Circuit Race this weekend. With top 5 finishes in every Colorado race thus far this early season, the ACA Best All-round Team of 2004 has established themselves as the team to beat again in 2005.
The wind atop Table Mountain in Golden proved to make the race brutal from the gun. Al’s Barbershop, Vitamin Cottage, and TIAA-CREFF were keen to break the race up early and took turns upper cutting each other in the merciless wind. The first several laps of the State Patrol Track were animated by several solo breaks by smaller squads Schwab and Rio Grande. However, it wasn’t until Vitamin Cottage, TIAA-CREFF and 2003 team of the year Pro Peloton were represented in the break that the race for the win took shape. With Zak Grabowski, Jack Seehafer, and Jon Tarkington driving the break, the field continued to disintegrate under the pressure of racing for fourth place.
With just over ten laps to go however, a herculean effort by Kevin Nicol (Tokyo Joe’s) and Chuck Coyle (Vitamin Cottage) grew the break to five, as the duo shook off the wind to fly across the gap. Vitamin Cottage, being the only team with two riders represented in the break, worked well together. Tarkington continued with strong turns and policeman duties, while Coyle awaited the drag race for the line. Tom Zirbel (Sports Garage), who bridged the shrinking gap in a last ditch, and impressive, effort for the win led out the sprint, but was easily overtaken by the earlier late additions of Coyle and Nicol. The two waged a long battle to the line, but not even a well-timed bike throw by Nicol, could deny Coyle of the win as he crossed the line by half a wheel to claim the first win of the season for himself and Vitamin Cottage.
1. Coyle, Chuck (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team)
2. Nicol, Kevin (Team Tokyo Joe's)
3. Seehafer, John (Pro Peloton Racing)
4. Grabowski, Zak (TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine)
5. Tarkington, Jon (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team)
John Tarkington draws the winning break
Chad Taylor, Joe Taddeucci, and Michael Shilling control the pack
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