Loaded up the dogs, my sister Chris, and my niece Katie for the drive south to Albany where we stayed at the Parks at Chehaw. A quiet park with a wild animal zoo that was designed by Jim Fowler (TVs Wild Animal Kingdom). Too bad there was no time for the zoo.
Albany Georgia 1-2 March
First race was a prologue TT of 3.6km containing 8 corners through a downtown circuit. I wish I could have pre-ridden the course because I almost hit the 3rd turn barriers because I was going too fast. This of course probably caused me to brake a little more than I needed to on some of the subsequent corners before I regained confidence. Not fast enough as I finished 14th some 30 seconds back.
First race was a prologue TT of 3.6km containing 8 corners through a downtown circuit. I wish I could have pre-ridden the course because I almost hit the 3rd turn barriers because I was going too fast. This of course probably caused me to brake a little more than I needed to on some of the subsequent corners before I regained confidence. Not fast enough as I finished 14th some 30 seconds back.
Second race was a 45minute +3laps criterium 3 hours later. It was a figure 8 course with uphills into the wind. Team One/Memorial Health with 6 riders put on heavy pressure with attacks and counterattacks trying to get their riders free of the peloton. The breakaways were always shutdown after a lap and after a while the attacks ceased with just the normal accelerations on the hill to try and shed riders. With 3 laps to go I was sitting in up near the front, just where I wanted to be for the final lap. In Colorado the pace would be blistering and it would be near impossible to move up. Hearing the bell signifying 1 lap remaining I was feeling good. Then a kink was thrown in the cog. The riders slowed up after the first corner allowing everyone to move up on both sides of me. To say I was pissed was an understatement. I spent the next 2 corners riding all out, even cutting across the sidewalk at one point. I was unable to jump on the back of the Team One leadout train as we turned the 6th corner and ended up 15th.
Sunday was a 97Km road race. It was fast at times but nothing I couldn't handle. With less than 12 miles to go it looked like a serious threat up the road a ways with 2 riders, 1 from Team One/Memorial Health. The gap was growing. Banking on his teammates to shut down any chase I launched solo from the pack in pursuit of the 2 riders. I was feeling good and settled into a good rhythm closing the gap pretty well before we approached the first of 2 hills which put me in trouble. I had already caught one rider and he was struggling to keep my wheel so he was of no help. We were eventually swept up by the field and shortly thereafter so was the lone rider. About 5 miles I had held off the pack. I felt pretty good about that. The thing I found most frustrating was the riders that would sit in the front of the field with no teammate in the breakaway and not lend chase. “Move the F over!” I think I pissed off a few riders in the final miles because of the names I was calling some of the riders. Oh well, I call it like I see it. What part of pedal harder don’t you understand? I mean, why are you sitting up letting 6 riders roll off the front when you have nothing in there? The gap was never closed down and the field officially finished 12 seconds back. If there had been no gap I would have finished 9th overall. Instead the revised results show me at 11th after applying the time bonuses they forgot to initially put in.
Sunday was a 97Km road race. It was fast at times but nothing I couldn't handle. With less than 12 miles to go it looked like a serious threat up the road a ways with 2 riders, 1 from Team One/Memorial Health. The gap was growing. Banking on his teammates to shut down any chase I launched solo from the pack in pursuit of the 2 riders. I was feeling good and settled into a good rhythm closing the gap pretty well before we approached the first of 2 hills which put me in trouble. I had already caught one rider and he was struggling to keep my wheel so he was of no help. We were eventually swept up by the field and shortly thereafter so was the lone rider. About 5 miles I had held off the pack. I felt pretty good about that. The thing I found most frustrating was the riders that would sit in the front of the field with no teammate in the breakaway and not lend chase. “Move the F over!” I think I pissed off a few riders in the final miles because of the names I was calling some of the riders. Oh well, I call it like I see it. What part of pedal harder don’t you understand? I mean, why are you sitting up letting 6 riders roll off the front when you have nothing in there? The gap was never closed down and the field officially finished 12 seconds back. If there had been no gap I would have finished 9th overall. Instead the revised results show me at 11th after applying the time bonuses they forgot to initially put in.
Oh, and get this there were only 2 portajohns at the road race start for 300 riders, they are the ones used by the soccer fields. Toilet paper ran out in the first 15 minutes. I never saw the portaJs at the crit, lucky for them there were plenty around the start of the marathon that ran the same day.
To Quote my teammate Brad, these guys practice "Southern Charm" riding. Alerting others as to the approacing potholes, "braking" or "slowing", letting other riders back move back into the sheltered strung out lineup instead of forcing them to the back of the pack.
I can deal without all the "nice guy" etiquette, this is stuff you rarely here in Colorado.
Check out the retro Look colors on this turtle
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