Originally Posted by merlinextraligh

Went into the Tour of Bahamas with low expectations, looking to just get some hard training and hopefully not dropped.

Registered for Masters 50 hoping to improve my chances of hanging. When they ran 3/4's, Masters 40, Masters 50, and Women Pro, 1-4 all together, that thwarted that.

The Circuit race started off well for me, and I was feeling good, couple of laps in I solo biridged to a break (which immediately folded).

3 laps in I was thinking I could win. 4th lap I took the sprint for a two second time bonus.

Final lap, I marked the other 2 masters 50 guys who were up fornt, and took them in the sprint, thinking I won the stage.

Tunrs out there was a guy who originally registered Master 40 (and therefore had a Masters 40 series number) and swtiched his registeration to Masters 50, who I was not aware of and did not mark, who got by me. So I was second on the stage with 6 second time bonuses.

I sucked in the TT and dropped to third on GC, more than 30 seconds down on the guy who took the Circuit race. But I'm still happy.

Disaster struck in the RR. I had noticed earlier my cleats were lose, and I tgihtened them. On the way to the RR, my right cleat exploded. I picked up the pieces ( at this point down to 2 screws) and reassembled the cleat, but the threads in the shoe itself appear corroded, and won't fully tighten.

3/4ths of the way into the first lap, my cleat is down to one screw, and my foot pulls out. So I drop off the lead group, thinking I'm done. A few minutes later I hook up with a chase group and relaize that I'm still 3rd on the road, and riding with the guys who are behind me on GC. So I hang in. A few miles later the cleat is completely off, and I fugure I'm done. I stop to pick up the pieces, then I try to pedal, and the shoe just slides off the pedal.

Then I decide to take my shoe off and pedal barefoot, so I can clinch the pedal with my foot. This actually works, and I chase back on to the group I was with.

I ride a lap like this. But after approximately 20 miles of barefoot, I decide I shouldn' try to do another35-40 miles that way.

So 2 miles before the Start finish, I attack on a hill, get a gap on the group with the vain hope of getting to the start finish and finding someone to lend me a shoe with enough time to jump back on.

Unfortunately there were no shoes with speedplay cleats to be found, and I decided to abandon before I f'd up my foot.

And yes I know I am one major dumbass for not checking my equipment, and not having all the parts for every contingency.

Travelogue to follow