Godzulla

What a race! A definite must for anyone wanting a scenic, but challenging, climb-filled 127-mile course.

Everyone (all fields/women) started together, beginning with a 40-mile relatively flat to rolling section. About mile 28, a few guys (primarily Cycle Sport) made noise about slowing the group for a pee break. A group stop? On a race? Yeh right. I wasn't sure if this was a genuine request or a tactic to split the field. I've never seen so many guys pee off the bike in the first 15 miles that it was hard to believe anyone left really needed a pit stop!

Also, it was unclear if the women were going to make it a co-ed pee fest. Since I had been at the front of the pack, I slowed down for a minute to check, but realized there was an Airbourne guy off the front who wasn't slowing at all. So, I decided to stay with him.

All of the sudden I was in a flyer! Guess we really stirred things up by the time the group realized we were off the front -- so Larry says. We were a two-person break away for about 10 miles until the group finally caught us at about 40 miles. It was fun while it lasted. Larry said if this had been the Tour de France Airbourne Vince and I would have been shunned for attacking the yellow jersey. So much for naivete`.

At the 40-mile climb the group splintered. Mary Downing moved up that hill quite fast, showing what an unbelievable rider she is. She is as strong as a lot of guys, just like our Lisa Mason! I never saw Mary again until the finish.

It seemed people started dropping like flies about mid-way during the race. At one point I saw a guy in the back of a pick up truck, scrunching down out of sight as the vehicle passed three of us struggling up the steep, long Schwartz Road climb, right around 85 mile mark. I am confident the truck was NOT one of the official SAGS, too.

Later I saw this guy at the top of the road where a food hand up was taking place. He ended up riding with a three of us later -- until he dropped me a few miles from the end. Funny, he is listed as a finisher just ahead of me, which doesn't seem right. I wonder how many other finishers took an unreported lift!

The other women in the race pulled Rosie Ruizes by cutting the route short. However they made it clear at the finish that they had taken the short cut. Seems they were saving up for next week's State Championship. Of the women who started, only Mary and I finished.

Considering I cut about 26 minutes off last year's time, my body felt pretty good at the end. Maybe I should have worked harder -- but then, like Larry I too am saving it up for next week's Caesar Creek. (at least that's my excuse...).

This is long and brutal if you want to stay with the leaders. Cycledot was out in force for this and they are really looking strong. We will need to watch them at the states next week. The start on the flats this year was a lot slower than last year with no crazy tandem chases, but the pace in the hills was just as relentless.

Combined with having to chase from a mis-marked turn and a broken rythm on the climbs around mile 75 I called off my attempt to stay with the leads . The states are more important and that is the right distance to train for that event. At least that is my story, I think it sounds good.

I soloed for around 30 miles before a group caught up to me at the base of the 100 mile climb. I got away on the climb and caught another solo rider on the other side. We worked ok together but the group eventually caught us and we ended up with 6 total, including Mary Downing who, to her credit, never skipped a pull. Cylcedot Cory was pulling real strong and we started shedding riders one at a time. Mary dropped last and it was Cory and me going into the next to final climb. He set the pace to the top when he suddenly died and I went around and bombed the descent. I time trialed the last remaining flats and gave it all I had into the final climb but Cory ended up a solid 2 minutes back.

I was happy ending 11 minutes behind the leads on a 127 mile event. Ending it on a challenge made it a lot more fun.



Missing was Dale Eads who broke a hip during a mass pileup in a club crit last week. I believe there were other casualities as well, heres hoping all get well soon.