Writing this race report mostly motivated by 3 major factors:
- this is the start of a great race season
- I got to read a few lines of some other race reports/emails of last Saturday where some cyclist talked sh*t about me and I have the hitch to reply
- I found a ton of pictures online ( which I might buy as well ) and need a place to post them
Here we go:
It all started on Friday morning ( the 22nd ).... "Yo brother, how about you come with me to see my first race of 2013? It will be fun, You can take some cool shots and enjoy a piece of my life for once..."
His reaction
Still He decided to be supportive ( probably because it was the day after I turned 32! ) and came along.
We shared the drive and the motel room with Chad ( a fellow M2er, Tri guy with a special passion for cycling ) and Tiz and I shared the tiniest bed.... ( where I had the non-pleasure of sleeping ZERO hours according to the FitBit dongle )
Here a cool pre-race shots:
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| New racing look? Or a sleepless night? |
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| Olivia before getting abused |
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| Chad, my special domestic |
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| The bloody compression tights... |
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| Italian cap! |
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| Ready to go |
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| My brother is bored 1 |
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| My brother is bored 2 |
Poor Titsiano, We left him to get a warm up done before the start and We told him to walk to the finish line where We will be lapping 4 times before the finish.... too bad We forgot to mention It was a 3 miles walk :-)
8.25am Start! -- switching to present tense --
The first few miles of neutral riding into the first lap are extremely slow, first 20 mins pretty much to understand that my legs are completely dead, I do not have a good vibe and I am mostly disappointed for the way I spent the last week ( fake tapering and way too hard running ).
A tiny video of the neutral start:
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| Onto the first lap with my man ready to battle :-) |
First lap seems way too chill, I am letting others doing the work and apparently this guy ahead (200yards or more) is completely ignored by the pack.
I am enjoying some wind protection and trying to figure out how strong are the guys I am riding with.
First lap is finishing and I am excited to see my brother....
Yes I am standing to make sure He will recognize me :-)
Second lap and my legs are still dead.... I do not feel like I am even warming up... all of a sudden I start seeing some movements at the front and I decide to be a part of it, I am sincerely quite bored and want to see if legs are actually going to wake up.
This is where I start noticing the 3/4 Dolce guys and the 2 Fusion big ones... they are working better and their riding/pedaling looks a lot more legit than the rest of the attackers.
Between lap 2 and 3 I am starting to realize how all these little surges to catch up on the mini-attacks are getting me warm and fired up.
Getting pissed a few times to see the usual cyclist BS (one guy attacking the other/s slowing down the pack and me or some other volunteer to push hard to get us back together ).
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| Loving it |
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| end of 3rd lap |
After some nice efforts upfront I feel my legs getting a bit tired, somehow I find myself at the front way too often and in a weird position where I d love to get some help but even me slowing down does not make others to step it up ( especially when the wind is nastily blowing ). I finally get the trick.... I swerve to the other side and fake my need of spiting something :-)
Lap 4 begins and we are just 20/25 left.
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| The strong riders are coming up front more often |
The pace seems still under control and I am trying to think where and how I take this last 11 miles.
Sincerely I feel like my TT watts here could do a lot of damage but I have no idea how much of a factor the wind and the pack will be. ( This is where some racing experience would be nice ... It will come ).
I am staying calm and let the first half of this lap go as chill as possible ( although little attacks are still coming and I am the one volunteering for the catch up ).
Going into the last miles the pace increase, I move myself to the front and I am 2-3 guys behind.
A few 90 degrees turn and We have this 2 miles straight line before the finish.
At this point I am looking at the faces of my competitors, most of them look tired and sweaty... I am not really, I feel good and I decide that I should try an attack.... Booooom I am going all out for some 20/25 seconds and my legs are already screaming... this is not me and I am pretty disappointed I decide to give up and sit back....
As soon as I slow down I hear the Fusion guy telling me to keep going, I created a gap and carried with me 5/6 guys ( Dolce+Fusion+Velo ).
Allright, I get to the side and get the wheel of the guy next to me. 1 mile like this and the group behind is closing on us....
A Dolce guy attacks again.... and I got no response... my legs are finally telling me that all those surges in the last 4 laps where actually taking a toll on me....DUH....
I see the 1K to go mark, passed.
Final 90 degrees turn in front of us and the finish will be less than 400yds up hill.
Although my legs are dead I decide to go before the turn... If I want a chance against this big-legged-dudes I need to avoid a sprint finish.
I jump on the pedals, pass the Dolce guy up front and get ready to turn..(I am already going all out here and leading the rest but I am doing this big bluff and hopefully It will scare most of them :) )...
Ohhhhhhh crap I am coming way too fast... I can't corner... damn it.....
Uff.... I managed to turn.... I see the finish.... go legs goooo.... too bad the more I talk to them the slower I get.... I am experiencing my first Zone 5++++ effort on a bike and it ain't pleasant...
I hear some mess in the back... someone crashed and my move after all made sense... I could have been caught into that!
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| This is where my legs where still pushing watts |
50yds to go and although I am this close to win I know I got nothing left and I am just waiting to be destroyed by whoever managed to follow me all the way there...
Thank God just 1 guy managed to pass me but I swear to god another 5 yds and I would have been smoked by the other dude too.
LITTLE MESSAGE TO THE SMART DUDE (Dolce Vita cycling chatting on some forum/mailing list ):
1) Yes I am a triathlete and I race with extra stuff on ( "for extra wind protection" )
2) I love leading whoever dude could stay on my wheel at the end ( btw money to charity really?? Cat5 mate... Cat5!!! )
3) Time and Money spent at
M2? Yes and It showed on the field.... came pretty much SOLO and smoked your dudes!
4) See u next time around
I am starting to love bike racing.... oh dear.
V.
