After a pleasent 4am
drive up to the Ozarks we (my head soigneur a.k.a "spouse")
arrived in the metropolis of Bella Vista to some below
average temps. Oh well, that's why they make arm warmers,
huh. Moving on. If there is anything I could pass on
to my fellow racers it would be DRIVE ANY TT COURSE
YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO!!! After listening to rider after
rider complain of the hills in the second half of the
course (6 miles) I was going to force myself to relax
early and focus on getting over the hills in hopes of
a decent time. I had a great start from the countdown
and slammed down into the most aero position I could
muster. You know that feeling when you have it? I had
that feeling. However, to a 24 year old, with little
willpower for pacing, this can be the kiss of death
quickly resulting in "flashbulb syndrome".
As we approached the hills I could see a few riders
becoming larger in the distance and after noticing the
"Tyson" on their backs I could feel the incisors
start to lengthen- HUGE ARKANSAS RIVALS!!! Anyway, I
managed to hold it together until the end and took 2nd
to Paul Bunyan, I think, I swear this guy was friggin
huge. Anyway, I knew the course was hilly and everyone
knows Paul Bunyan was never a climber...
Circuit race
Anyone who has ridden this course knows that it is relatively
flat with the exception of one little sharp climb before
the finale. My plan was simple, throw the ace of spades
with every lap on that hill and hope to blow the group
apart- At the top, hang on for dear life. That plan
worked just fine for one lap... About a quarter of a
mile past the finish line on the 2nd lap I started to
get that feeling of the bouncy back wheel- you know
what I mean- I hesitated to look down, but there was
no denying it. Damn. As I looked back I saw (what I
thought was) my salvation in the form of a green Ford
1-ton Econoline. Unfortunately, I was told that there
were no wheels in the "wheel van", go figure,
and I would have to go BACK to the wheel pit at the
start/finish line. After my salutations to the race
directors I decided to shoulder the bike and take a
leisurely stroll a 1/4mi back to the wheel pit. After
the change, I was told that I was a mere 8mins back
(which to me, may as well have been a month) so I was
forced to make a choice: Abandon and face certain scrutiny
from DCJ, or ride and try to pull back as much time
as possible. I chose the latter. I had 9 laps to go
so I got on the horse and rode as fast as possible --Bryan,
thanks for the cheers! I needed all I could get. The
highlight of the race was playing leapfrog with the
Pro 1,2 peleton. At one point I passed the group, and
bridged the gap between the peleton and the break!!
It was like that scene out of Forrest Gump when those
punks are chasing Forrest and he runs across the Alabama
practice field when Bear is conducting practice. I have
to admit I smiled over that one. I managed to come back
within a couple of minutes of the leader and with the
TT performance that morning, I was back in the race.
Joy. I would pay for my efforts that evening...
Road Race (next day)
That's just about when the drama started. Yesterday,
apparently, the refs thought that I had been lapped
during the circuit race and added 9mins to my time showing
a 12min deficit. Whitney caught it the night before
and called the race promoter at like 10pm demanding
to have it looked at again. Word of advice, 100 pounds
can become terrifying given the right, umm, motivation.
I have learned this lesson several times in the past.
The results were promptly changed. However, given that
no one knew just how far down I was from the circuit
race they all took the 12min to be accurate- and because
the results were never reprinted before the RR, no one
expected me to be in any reach of the GC. Regardless,
I knew that I would need time and a group sprint, even
if I won, would never be enough time. A break was my
only hope. In the first lap, 2 riders from OKC velo
went and that was good enough for me. I left. I bridged
and joined with William Snodgrass, another younger rider
who had one the circuit race the previous day. The other
OKC rider and Drew Medlock from Competitive Cyclist
had little confidence in us and decided to rejoin the
flock. A quick glance back saw Pat Zimmerman coming
across, a great breakaway rider who I already had one
successful break with earlier this year at Hell's Kitchen.
We began to put time into the group fairly soon with
all riders contributing to the pace. The course was
quite a roller and the wind was beyond ridiculous. We
lost sight of the peleton and rode lap after lap until
Will and I thought that the last lap was time to make
our foursome a twosome. We went on one of the many steep
climbs. In the finale, Will and I had it out, but I
think I had a little more left in the tank and took
the win. Will had definitely taken the overall, but
2nd - 5th had yet to be decided. We waited on the peleton,
and waited, and waited. We had managed (with Pat's help)
to carve out a 2min lead over the group, and with yesterday's
TT performance and the 15s time bonus for the win, I
was in second place for the overall. I was quite happy
given that the previous day I was ready to throw in
the towel after the flat in the circuit race. I definitely
look forward to Joe Martin and hope to see some Memphis
orange there as well. Happy racing and safe riding!
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