It changes the whole game so much when everyone can play the role of Diesel and can also climb and is watching tactics! We dropped 5 women somewhere between the first time up Parker Hill and the top of the Wall (on Babcock Hollow). The remaining 7 of us stuck together until the second time up Parker Hill. The group of 7 included two riders from Full Moon Vista and five of us without team mates. The eventual winner launched a major attack off the front on the final part of the climb. She was in sight for a while and we were gaining on her, but the group was not working together at all. The initial surge to attempt to limit the damage of the attack dropped one of the Full Moon Vista riders, and it soon became clear that the remaining Full Moon Vista rider was not going to do anything to help shut down the winners attack to allow her team mate could rejoin our little group. A number of times she appeared to actively block attempts of other riders to shut down the attack. No one else was really willing to spend the energy doing all the work except one local rider, Ruth, and everyone let her pull us along. Anyway the winner got away and the team mate caught back on (I am STILL frustrated with the refusal of the group to work to catch the winner and stay away from the dropped Full Moon Rider – we could have done both) and 6 of us were together going into the turn onto Van Donsel. We strung out a bit up the hill. I ended up 4th out of the group of 6 and 5th overall, though the official results list me as the first cat - 2 rider.
It was a great race in that everyone was experienced and there were tactics and hairy eyeballing and attacks and counter attacks and a lot of jockeying going into the big climbs and major cat and mouse games starting 2 miles from the finish. I had a great time. I even managed to not work at all for the first 28 miles and made certain to limit the length of my pulls when I was working. Best of all I didn’t get dropped on the down hills this time! It was 80-85 degrees out and very humid and although I carried two small water bottles and managed to empty one and get through part of the second, I should have emptied both, and probably should have emptied two big bottles. So although I did better than usual with on the bike hydration, I should have done better. I also should have given more on the final climb - been more aggressive. I didn't want to blow up before the finish and when I looked back my gap did not seem big enough to gamble. However, I was not completely spent at the top and the results show I had a much bigger gap than I thought I had, so I should have given more effort. I may have been able to catch a rider or two.
Jim Danvers was out again with his camera and his photos are posted at Jim Danvers Photography. The weather was much healthier for cameras than last weekend and Jim split his time between more packs, so I am only in two of his photos (#7813, at the start where according to one person I looked like I was ready to rumble and #2808 - on the Parker Hill Climb).
Another photographer, Laura Kozlowski, was also out , and she has posted her photos as well at Laura Kozlowski Photography. I am in several of her shots.
Sara Barker and her amazing crew of volunteers put on a truly wonderful race. A huge shout out to all of them.
Today was another go at the Tuesday night flatter course with the A men. I hung with OK with them for lap 1 and then got shot off the back in a moment of lapsed concentration on an uphill turn into the wind. Still a very good workout. In an effort to blame anything but myself I will point my finger at the cookie tin. On Saturday I was told I should have been in the cookie tin a long time ago, and on Monday I was added to their e-mail list on Monday. I don't think these folks have anything better to do with their time than send incredibly silly e-mails and ride their bikes all day. I suspect several e-mails were sent while riding their bikes. It all leaves a person a little benumbed of the brain cells and I read through many of the days accumulated e-mails just before heading out for the race. Must have taken a lap to do its damage. :-P
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