Fixed Gear Crit

Stechmann and Klimsa win “This is not Brooklyn“ in Dresden

Over the last few years more and more fixed gear crits popped up all over Germany. “This is not Brooklyn“ is organised by the the U-Lock Justice Crew in Dresden for the third year in a row. Like 2016, the race took place on the top of a parking garage in a shopping area just outside of Dresden. The 1km long track featured three hair pins: one wider, and two narrow ones. The riders faced some heavy headwinds. Another challenge where small metal rails as part of the deck, which are very slippery especially as they get wet.
Text & Photography: Hagen
 

This years qualification modus split the guys up into five heats with 20 riders each. After a ten lap race, the first five moved straight to the final. Everyone else had the chance to qualify in one out of three „last chance“ races, where the top five got qualified as well.

In the final race, held over 30 laps, it was Eike Haumann from Fixedpott who set his mark with a solo break away early in the race. The peloton was still one big group at this point, but the front hesitated and let Haumann go. It was Johannes Killisperger among others who set the pace eventually and with eight laps to go Eike’s attack was neutralised. For the rest of the race different riders attacked the field, but no one established a significant gap. Among them where Nico Hesslich from 8bar, Nico Keinath from Suicycle track team and again and again Eike Haumann, who just seem to like being off the front. In the end Jan Stechmann from Suicycle track team outsprinted Johannes Killisperger from mess pack berlin and Simon Mateju from Defekt Crew, who did set the fastest time of the day as well as he took the first lap prime; each a case of beer.
 

The women field was rather small this year. With about 13 women racing, the organisers decided to determine the starting grid by an individual time trial over one lap. Tini Dreher from One Way Fixed team set the fastest lap on the wet course. As it just had started to rain, when the girls lined up for their qualification. Marion Dziwnik from Maloja Pushbikers started on 2nd position, right in front of the youngster Paulina Klimsa, who already won the 2016 edition of the race. Right from the beginning the women field got separated and split into three groups. Janine Döring, riding for Maloja Pushbikes, joined the three fastest qualifiers, but had to let them go half way trough the race, riding the rest of the race solo to a fourth place. The trio in the front seemed to work together quite well until Mario Dziwnik attacked with a few laps to go, but didn’t got away. It was again the 17-year old Klimsa, who normally rides road races with a club in Munich, who had the strongest legs in the final sprint and separated Dziwnik  and Dreher on position two and three.


Podium Men’s:

1. Jan Stechmann – Suicycle track team
2. Johannes Killisperger – mess pack berlin
3. Simon Mateju – Defekt Crew


Podium Women’s:
1. Paulina Klimsa – RC Schwalben München
2. Marion Dziwnik – Maloja Pushbikers
3. Tini Dreher – One Way Fixed