At the last minute our official, John Johnson, decided to separate the 35+ and 45+ fields because, "we had an extra wheel truck". Whatever, I was just there for a good hard training ride and had no 35+ teammates today. Our race started with about a dozen 45+ men and one very brave Velo Bella woman.
With 62 windy and dirty miles ahead of us the initial pace was not too intense and the group stayed together over the first two hills. But when we got to the dirt road I went to the front and put the hammer down. At the end of the road, eight men were left so we put our heads down and drove through the steady headwind back to the start/finish.
As the second of five laps began, two riders attacked hard on the hills. I dropped in behind the top GC men waiting for the chase to ensue, but no such luck, those were teammates and the Big Guns were not going to chase. (Big Guns = the legendary GW Wenzel (RBM) from Auburn AL and the very confident top GC man, Brian Jones (Bianchi) from Ashville NC)
Watkinsville rider, Doc Moye was riding without teammates and also sitting high on GC so he eventually launched a serious solo chase. Big Guns, GW and Brian, eyed each other but did not respond. I asked Brian what the point spread was between him and Doc, who was riding away solo, and he said "one point". I replied, "Then he is your man, you have to go get him". Brian said, "I'm not worried about him, I can catch him". Finally the Big Guns fired, attacking each other, splintering what remained of the field and they caught Doc Moye. I was dangling in no man's land but clawed my way back on just before the dirt road.
By now the two initial breakaways were gone. The pace settled down and a couple other riders bridged back up to us, until we came around to the hills for the fourth time. Doc was not going to give up so he launched another solo escape. GW and Brian eyed each other and waited. Brian said that I "should work for him". I moved to the front and started motoring, Brian and GW dropped to the back to watch each other. Guess what? I attacked right off the front and quickly soloed up to Doc catching him on the dirt road. GW and Brian must have been bickering while I got away, but when I bridged to Doc we agreed to work together.
Doc needed me in the headwind and on the dirt but I was a boat anchor to him on the hills. He said he would help pace me over the climbs and I said he could have third place if we made it. We got about a 30-second gap and then the Big Guns were coming full bore. Doc whipped me like an old mule and I gave him everything I had and he did the same for me. We got over the hills and across the dirt the fifth and final time still clinging to our 30 seconds. In the headwind, the Big Guns got closer, it looked like about 200 meters back to them as we turned onto the final road to the finish. Totally fired-up, I was going as hard as possible and we were holding the gap. At 200 meters to the finish I stood up and sprinted, getting a huge gap on my partner Doc Moye, but at the last second I hit the brakes and let him take the third place finish as promised.
That was the good hard training ride I was looking for, alright!
Feeling pretty satisfied, I then packed up and drove from Perry over to Macon where I jumped on my MTB and pre-rode next week's mountain bike race course for an hour.
Posted by dancoy at March 26, 2006 08:13 PM