The overcast sky and forecast of rain reduced the turnout, and the start was delayed while Sue Estes and Lance Lacy handed out our new team helmets. These look WAAY COOL with the team colors and "Latitude" and "ABRT" stickers on them. AWESOME! I put mine on and wore if for the ride. Thanks very much to Sue Estes, Lance and Lance's sister for putting the deal together and getting team stickers on the helmets.
Invincible Nat (Nat Thompson) was back from Colorado and wearing Latitude kit. There was some confusion and delay while Nat selected which bike to ride (the choices were a CAAD9 or a Scott Addict, the old Raleigh is no longer a good option). Team Cyclelife rider (and past ABRT/Latitude president) Wendy Ulmer was also out for the ride, as was the amazing Amanda Wu (1st, crash, 2nd in her first three races).
The wheelsucker was supposed to be doing intervals as per his coach. But it was more fun to start with the ride and use the first part as a warm up. Or at least that's the wheelsucker's story and he is sticking to it! To be honest, I'm not sure what attacking on the second hill (still well before 214) and rolling off the front has to do with warming up. Too bad the wheelsucker missed the last of the green light by just a few seconds and the pack easily caught him while he waited for the light to change back to green.
For some reason, the Doetsch was taking long pulls. The wheelsucker saw some gaps opening as second wheel could not stay with Doetsch on the climbs (eg Harwood hill), but as every decent wheelsucker knows, why close a gap yourself if you can get someone else to close it by just waiting. So the wheelsucker waited at the back of the chase group for somone else to make the effort and bring the chase back to Doetsch. And it worked every time!
By the time the peleton reached route 2, there were riders off the back and the wheelsucker needed to start his intervals (six five-minute VO2 max power range intervals, with five minutes rest) or else he would run out of time and course, so he dropped off the back, waved on Nat, Keith and Wendy as they worked to catch back on, rested for five minutes and started his intervals.
After skipping the South Polling House turn to stay on flatter roads (easier to maintain steady power numbers) and then backtracking on Bayard back to the circle to get more time and distance, the wheelsucker skipped the South Polling House turn for a second time, and was doing the rest interval after the second VO2Max interval, when he saw the group ahead of him on Bayard as he approached the Polling House intersection.
He waited for the rest interval to end, waited a few more seconds so as to start the interval AFTER the turn onto Sands, and then did a hard five minute VO2Max interval. To the wheelsucker's GREAT satisfaction his pace was enough to catch the peleton from some distance back, ride up along it, and then roll off the front by himself. See ya later!
Aaron Canale didn't realize the wheelsucker was doing intervals, and thought this was an attack! So Aaron jumped and bridged up to the wheelsucker, catching him must seconds before the interval ended and the wheelsucker sat up, and waved as the peleton rolled by. Sorry Aaron! Better luck next time!
That was the last the wheelsucker saw of the peleton -- they were long gone by the end of the badly-needed five minute rest interval -- so no report on who won the sprint. But the wheelsucker's money would be on Nat, with Amanda contending. Sorry Doetsh, sorry Keith.
I love reading these posts. They're absolutely hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThe third person references are the best.