The race started as basically a carbon copy of yesterday. By kilometer five I was off the front in a small group that was quickly brought back, but just as quickly I was off with another group. Things reformed a few times, but by kilometer 12 I was just being brought back into the fold. I should have remembered that kilometer 13 means GPM - just like last time - but I didn’t. Unlucky #13. I had a one of those “it seemed like a good idea at the time…” moments and attacked since the pack hadn’t completely closed. I went solo hoping to be on the right side of the split that seemed imminent. But, as luck would have it, I took a right-hander and started to motor with what gap I had and looked up to see a steep SOB of a climb looming. It would not have been a big issue if I hadn’t been riding hard for 20 minutes already… I got swallowed up quickly. I would have been spat out, too, if it weren’t for the fact that there are 200 dudes in the pack! I lost a ton of spots, probably 100 before I could hold my position. Deja vu.
From that point on I worked my way steadily back to the front. I got back well after the move of the day had made tracks, around 35 km into the race. The next hour of the race was relatively easy. I had a pretty major break-through in really learning to surf the front of the race and conserve energy. For the next 65 minutes the average speed was 27 mph and my average HR was 163 - for me that is fairly low, just above endurance - over some steep hills, too! I really found a great zone to work in. Basically start in a good position, around 10-20 wheels back and constantly be moving to the outside and hop in the moves going up the side of the pointy peloton. It was really efficient. Sometimes you have to break to find a line to the outside, but you need to get out there or else you are boxed in and moving backwards.
The thought of the day comes courtesy of my friend Aaron Pool, a JBCA veteran. “You have to be pushing forward all the time.” Now, I have heard “if you’re not moving up you’re moving back” and all that jazz as much as the next guy, but for some reason these words just crystallized something for me. I found the nerve to shoot small gaps and really assert myself in a tight peloton - what a great feeling! Not to be too dramatic but there was something very liberating that happened out there on the road today. Definitely my first “AHA” moment over here.
With 50 kilometers to go I was still sitting pretty in the top 15 wheels when some attacks started to fly - pretty heavy attacks. I covered them and joined a group of eight riders with a gap over the field. We stayed away for a bit, but didn’t succeed in getting anywhere. But after a flurry of shots and a couple hours of high pace, it seemed like the moment for a split. It was status quo through the middle of the last lap and with about 20 km to go the race was really heating up. I was starting to feel pretty shot after my early efforts. I used my last bullet to move my team leader up from about 60th wheel to the front of the group before the second to last GPM. Great timing for him, not so much for me. After the GPM I was near the back of about 100 dudes, and I popped off from there at 5 km to go over the next hill… Job done!
I used my big ring for the entire race, which in retrospect seems like a mistake. If you shift down I things feel a bit harder and like the other guys are riding much stronger. It’s more comfortable to just muscle over. But at kilometer 140 it is so much better to be using your big-gear-pushing muscles to make the selection of the day… Even if it means you feel like you don’t have the gas earlier in the race. A tactic for another day!
Tomorrow is an 11 km TT. Not the typical US out-and-back. This stuff is technical over here. Should be new and fun! Maybe some geek pics?
No comments:
Post a Comment