Here’s a rundown for the cat 3 top ten. A few things I have noticed about the others while mixing it up at or near the front. This is how we roll.

1. Knauf – The A.D. for the series has ran away with the series. Week after week he has come strong, with answers to just about every move that anyone tried to assert, Knauf has answered definitively. That definition is an insurmountable lead, the select few can only fight for second. A brilliant season he has crafted, while he does his best Sven Nys impersonation.

2. Nevada Dave Norton – Nevada Dave has come on strong late. He had a borrowed horse underneath him and took it as far as he could. He finally swung a leg over his own stead and may have been a little dismayed at what you get from a true thoroughbred, even though he blamed it on potato salad. A true endurance rider, he swapped his stripes late season and has been eating pretenders for lunch. Rebound is his middle name, and he will surely be in the fight for the top spot at Montrose.

3. Arrigoni – Quietly storming the stage. Just when we thought that we were seeing the contenders show their cards, Scott goes all in. The cards hit the table and the rest of the players were left tossing chips in to the middle. He knew his hand and he played it well. Late in the season his form has increased with every race. Vegas has good odds on him in the light blue and red stars.

4. Stiggity – Keeper of the 7. Knauf has four #1’s, I got four #7’s. Good starts are habitual, unfortunately so is fading late in the race. A technical wizard who needs the turns and the dismounts to say at the front. The finish is sharp, going for the line all he can see is red. Everything in front is red, nothing more is desired than to put that color behind him when the line approaches. That’s handy when you go to line in a group, but rolling to the line in no man’s land by yourself doesn’t exactly make you a great sprinter.

5. Heck – His stock is on the rise. In a time where most in the market are losing, he is gaining. If you have a 401k, and you need to put it into a sure thing, this is the place. Seriously, call me up I will take care of you. Give me the account numbers and I will make it happen. And you can rest assured that Heck will finish the season strong. Guard your grill, knuckle up, cause he’s not going to let that jersey ride away from him.

6. Seguin – Seegs made the bridge to the 3’s early season after an opening race duel with one of Chicago’s classic road dogs (Amstutz)  who on paper had a motor that should have put him in the 123’s race. This motor did everything he could to throw Seegs to the wolves. But the wolf in Seeg’s charged hard and earned a savage victory. He grappled with the right time to upgrade, and finally decided to make the jump. Week after week he has gone for the throat. With blood still fresh he has officially become a threat in making the the other guy wish he had stayed home.

7. Yuska – The closer. He has finished every race stronger than he started. Scratching and clawing his way to the higher ground. My lungs have bled from trying so hard to not let him pass me in the closing stages of multiple races

8. Gingerich – Quietly hording points wherever he can get them. One of two racers in the top ten to toe the line at every venue. His late race charge is not to be discounted, silver bike red jersey. Grab that wheel, cause he’s not waiting for you to catch back on.

9. Daley – I’m not quite sure he knew what he was getting into when the season started. As it progressed he got more and more comfortable with suffering in ways that the usual roadie does not know. He will be served well in this lesson and surely teach more than a few others the trick where you turn your eyeballs inside out, to keep up with the wheel in front of you.

10. Wat – No one out there is happier when he beats me. He loves finishing in front of me. He has been Knauf’s leadout man all season and has set some races on fire in the opening laps. I finally figured out what was going on at Bartlett when he yelled back to Knauf as I was sitting second wheel is this fast enough? Damn I knew I had been set up, I immediately eased off and let Knauf take over, and Wat still beat me that day.

123. Zoller – He took the call from the big leagues early and has not looked back. The white t-shirt clad ‘Z-Man’ has continued to improve, with impressive finishes in the 123’s races. In January he is moving to New Zealand, planning to enjoy the mountains and trails and all that is the southern hemisphere. Myself, I think it would take me at least a month to get over the whole counterclockwise toilet swirl issue.