Colorado Springs Races

For the second Sat race, I rode in the 4-5 crit, on a course that was shorter than Iron Horse, but with a hill very much like it. I hung in for the entire race; field was about 40 riders. It was really windy, and even though guys would get off the front, nothing would stick. As we came through S/F with one lap to go, 2 guys got a bit of a gap, maybe 20-30 meters. We were heading towards a 180 degree turn around a boulevard, so I jumped across, bringing another guy with me. Karen got a great shot of my move. The 4 of us consolidated the gap, made the 180, and bang, an old woman drove onto the course right passed a four feet tall barricade. We all sat up, freewheeled just a second or two, and the group came back just as we were getting ourselves reorganized. Meanwhile the old lady, freaks out, and goes speeding down the road on what turns out to be the wrong side of the road/boulevard. I wound up finishing 21st -- such luck.

The Saturday TT was 12.75 everything but flat miles. The race was Open category with most of the 54 rider field being 1's, 2's, and 3's. I finished 37th overall, but 3rd when the results are broken down by category.

Sunday, I raced 3-4 for the RR. It was pretty much a 3’s race. Field of about 75. Super windy with a steep downhill, tailwind start. We hit near 60mph on the descent, had to bang a right hand corner with all that speed, turns out there was a crash in Pros who started 10 minutes prior. On the sides of the road, was a van and an ambulance, and about six guys laying in the gutter with broken bikes, wheels, and what looked like a couple of broken collar bones. The van on the left side was in my line, so I locked up by bike, skidding but staying upright. I was not the only gripped riders; you could smell burning brake pads in the group. I missed the van, but by now the group is stringing out single file. I spent the next 5 miles or so, on the rivet, trying to stay out of the wind as we approached the 4-5 mile climb back to start finish. Needless to say, I was gassed and was one of the many guys coming unhooked from the group about half way up the climb. On the descent, the second time, I caught another rider, but he wasn’t too interested in working with me. Even though he had better legs than me on that flat headwind section, he thought he could make the next group up the road without me, and I had to let go. So I rode the climb into the cross head wind, alone. Then I decided to pull the plug midway and get an early start on the way home.