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04-18-10, 09:19 PM
I was inspired by Bdcheung's post. We've both been hanging around this forum for about the same length of time, and just like him I've had some ok results in the past.
Today was a 38 mile RR in the 4/5s. The course has a long hill within the first 5 miles and it finishes with a gnarly 5k of switchbacks up the side of a mountain. Not necessarily a great race for me, but I'm trim this year and packed with miles. My team and I had decided I would be the guy.
Within the first mile one of my teammates attacked and stayed off the front for what would turn out to be 60% of the race. That allowed a teammate and I to cover moves up front and really frustrate the other teams.
In the last third of race the peleton exploded in a pretty stiff crosswind. 5 or 6 of us got a pretty good gap on the smaller groups behind. At this point I was wondering if maybe I'd used a little too much gas covering moves and animating the race.
Going into a canyon about 6 miles out from the finishing climb (tailwind now), my teammate in this group attacked. Within seconds I heard a guy from a rival team say, "man, my leg is cramping". I took off immediately. My teammate and I (real roleur type) started working HARD and all of sudden we had a sustained gap. Teammate went to the front for the last mile and hammered to the turn for the hill and I left the booster rocket. The chasing group had ballooned to 15.
I had 45 seconds on the chasers and just kept thinking over and over, 'don't f#ck this up'.
I didn't. 1st place. My team rode out of their minds. Incredible feeling.
Today was a 38 mile RR in the 4/5s. The course has a long hill within the first 5 miles and it finishes with a gnarly 5k of switchbacks up the side of a mountain. Not necessarily a great race for me, but I'm trim this year and packed with miles. My team and I had decided I would be the guy.
Within the first mile one of my teammates attacked and stayed off the front for what would turn out to be 60% of the race. That allowed a teammate and I to cover moves up front and really frustrate the other teams.
In the last third of race the peleton exploded in a pretty stiff crosswind. 5 or 6 of us got a pretty good gap on the smaller groups behind. At this point I was wondering if maybe I'd used a little too much gas covering moves and animating the race.
Going into a canyon about 6 miles out from the finishing climb (tailwind now), my teammate in this group attacked. Within seconds I heard a guy from a rival team say, "man, my leg is cramping". I took off immediately. My teammate and I (real roleur type) started working HARD and all of sudden we had a sustained gap. Teammate went to the front for the last mile and hammered to the turn for the hill and I left the booster rocket. The chasing group had ballooned to 15.
I had 45 seconds on the chasers and just kept thinking over and over, 'don't f#ck this up'.
I didn't. 1st place. My team rode out of their minds. Incredible feeling.