Rattle and Hum

It's the wild child of bike racing. The criterium pits bikers in a high-speed vortex with perilous turns and a scant few inches between competitors. Crashes are common.

To shoot a crit, I get close, close enough to feel the draft, smell the sweat, hear the rubber humming on the road. It's a sensory experience, and I try to communicate that in my images.

The series below comes from my coverage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, specifically, the St. Paul Criterium on June 16. The first image shows a racer from the United Healthcare/Maxxis team, the eventual winners of Stage 2. The second shot shows the team from Kelly Benefit Strategies, who wore the yellow jersey and set the pace until the final sprint.