There I was, soloing off the front of the pack on my way to victory. . . or was I bridging up to the lead group. I had no idea at Slambiguity Road Race 2008. I felt good during the attack and solo effort, and I was closing on the guys in front of me until I ran into some wicked leg cramping and had to shut it down to survival mode. This kept me in no man’s land–or was it no woman’s land?, or was it out in the lead?–the remainder of the race. I finally resolved the issue after I crossed the finish line and scurried around asking the finisher in front of me if any of them were Cat 3. There was one, so second place it is. Before deciding to go over to the race, I told El-Train that I didn’t like the idea of an ambiguous race, but thought it would be a good tune up for Willamette Stage Race next weekend. The race was a bit harder with all of the categories combined, so it ended up being a good workout and I liked racing with the guys/gals. Plus I added an extra 1.5 hours of riding because the conditions were so balmy in Boise. I even got a sunburn to bolster my So Cal exposure last week.
The race included a violent crash on the second lap of three. It happened right around the position I had spotted El earlier, so I glanced back as I passed through the wreckage to look for him. What I saw was debris and bikes raining from the sky, and El weaving his way successfully through the carnage.
Following the wreck I witnessed a tactical piece of genius from the Gorgeous team that I’m taking notes on for future use by our team. I’m not completely clear on how they played out the strategy, so I may need to consult with an insider to find out more. Here are my notes so far: A breakaway of about 5 (including Gorgeous riders) made a serendipitous move right before the crash. When the crash happened, Gorgeous riders in the main field wave down the pack to stop racing. The racing seems to stop, but Gorgeous riders in the break keep racing and stretching out a substantial gap. Meanwhile, El and I stop for a nature break. On our way back, it becomes apparent that the group isn’t so neutralized. No one knows what is going on in the pack. Georgeous riders contribute to the chase by attacking, marking attacks, yelling at people, and shoving riders around. Result: Breakaway never caught. Again, I’m unclear about what was happening because there may have been some Masters 35+ factors, or some Masters 45+ factors, or some GC factors, or some ego factors, or some factors unknown to me. Nevertheless, the strategy seemed impressive and they’re a strong group of guys to race with. As the great philosopher Ali G once said,”Respect!”
I was really impressed with how we did all around. Mt. throttled the sprint and El turned in a good result in the chase group. In the end, I was happy to bounce back from the grievous effort I put in Saturday on Market Lane. That was one of my worst performances in a long time. I still can’t explain why I was so empty. Today I felt much better though, and hopefully my return to my hometown next weekend will include some good racing.
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