Got stomped on this weekend. Offseson breaks really suck. I was hoping maybe the whole pack wouldn't be in shape but damn.
OTF Stage Race, P/1/2
Maybe 25 guys. I had 3 teammates.
Road race, 10 laps at 8.8 miles each. First lap, easy peasy. Second lap some attacks are going in the headwind, I chase after one, we are caught and counter after counter after counter go while I dangle on the back trying to recover. Its on full gas all the way through the crosswind section to the short climb (1:40ish maybe?). Ouch. Well it mellows out a bit but I have realized I am not fit enough yet. Laps 4 to 7 we are chasing a break, and towards the end of lap 7 on the climb, guys finally try and get a chase group going. I get spit out the back along with one of the guys from the break and another dude.
We roll around at a moderate pace being sure to stay with each other. 8th lap I hear a clicking in time with my wheel so we stop so I can check it out. Without thinking I pluck out a goathead. And immediately the tire starts to lose air. Dammit. No one with me brought a flat kit so I tell them to roll on and maybe tell someone there is a stranded cyclist.
Eventually the "main" group which is now 7 guys rolls through and the follow vehicle stops for me. None of my team had a spare, so I had to give up and hop in. Wanted to call it quits, but teammates and others persuaded me to talk to the head official who let me stay in with last place time.
Ate a lot, slept 10.5 hours and went out to do a half hearted TT. Obviously I'm not in GC contention so I don't care about the TT and ride at about 85% for a last place time of 23 minutes. My teammate put down a 7th place 19:20 and stayed in 4th overall.
We check out of the hotel, get lunch and drive over to the circuit race. I'm hoping I recovered enough for 4.5 minute laps with a 100 ft (45-50 second) climb every lap. First lap, all out sprint up the climb and my legs are telling me they aren't ready for this crap. Second lap, the balls to the wall attacks come a minute before the climb and I can't even hang on the climb. 6.5 minutes at 125% np, fastest I've ever been dropped from a race.
Roll around to the line, motion to the officials that I'm calling it quits, and head to my car trying to decide if I'm mad, embarrassed, or frustrated.
Waste of a weekend other than to learn taking time off in the offseason is utterly stupid. I even thought I was mostly fit again until racing and remembering how freaking hard this is!