Preface- just got home. Showered and pounded 2 French martini's. I used to be a big martini guy and now I know why...senses are a little tingly.
Race Goal: just ride freaking hard to get some fitness back. If I place well, so be it.
The race was set for 60 mins. An enormous storm ripped through right as we are lined up to start. Official decides to postpone start for 30 mins. Good call. It rained HARD for about 20 minutes. Flanagan and I sat in the car and shot the sh!t. Rain stops and we are called to the line right away. I hit the porto-loo instead of going for an ez lap as everyone else...real motive was to get back to the line so I could be on the front.
Photos courtesy of Jim Wilson:
Race starts and I just made sure I was in top 5 or drilling it at the front for the first 30 mins or so. There were roughly 45 guys starting and the race finally whittled down to ~15 or so finishers, so I like to think I helped shorten a few folks day. Turn 2 proved fatal for lots of guys since folks were sliding out on it all race. I just made sure to keep things safe and wheels up.
With 2 to go, the pace became absurdly slow on that lap. I decided what the hell right before the bell lap. I attacked hard from the back and shot off the front right coming across S/F with nobody on my wheel. As I approached turn 2, somehow a car had snuck on the course and was sitting right at the intersection of turn 3 which is a short hop right after turn 2. I was like, "uh, oh!" I slowed up as the driver was getting yelled at and was doing some move forward/brake yo-yo. I was able to sneak right behind the bumper through the turn. I don't know why, but my first thought was, "I don't think it's fair to keep attacking since I could hear the field yelling all sorts of stuff behind me and if that car hadn’t moved, very few were getting through." I probably had 4-5 seconds at that point. What did I do? I let up going down to turn 4. Why? I don't know, but I guess I thought it was the gentlemanly thing to do. I seriously didn't think the field would get through, but I guess the car got out of the way at the last moment for them. So, a few riders finally catch back on right after turn 4, one of which is really drilling it. I think, "ok, I'll just see what I have left for a sprint." Right after the chicane, I'm hugging the right curb (MAYBE a foot off of it) a couple of wheels back from what I recall when, WHAMO! A guy decides to sprint past between me and the curb. WHY? I don't know. There was no way there was space for that move. We had the whole road. Well, right as I hear on your right, then bam. Front handlebars go sideways and I'm flying across the ground. Take out the guy next me as well. Great!
Bike's all jack upped and my shifters now look they went through a war. I think I can get it fixed tonight for Dawg days. I hope. I have some road rash in almost the identical spots as I got at TofW. Sweet. Tegaderms patches are plentiful at the household.
A couple guys who were behind and witnessed the whole thing came by afterward and said they couldn't believe what they just saw. One said he was behind me and doesn’t know how his pedal missed my head. The guy, Andrew, did come back to apologize. It was big of him. Was I pissed, sure. Did I yell at him, no. What do I think? Folks make bad decisions all the time. Am I perfect, no. I’m sure he will be harder on himself more than anything else I could have said. I just hope he learns from it. It’s just a race. We all have jobs and families to attend to. Thankfully, everyone walked away.
The quick positives of the day. Flanagan and I bought a case of Rockstar sugar free energy cans for $20 while we were leaving. The volunteers were stuck with a bunch of it after the event and were offering a great deal! And, since Flanagan and I rode up together, it was good to shoot the breeze about life.
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