Yes, as asked for by jtheskier, you are entitled to at least one pre-WMSR preview/excitement post. And here it is. The only night time stage race in the world. This is going to have to be quick and dirty, because the big preview news is that I'm competing. There was some question about that because Team BOB decided earlier that this edition would be all hands on deck for helping to run the event. However, race director Armand Schleck later decided it was important that we field a competitive team at our own event, and yours truly was selected to represent. I know, pretty sad, so stop making fun of BBox.
We will need all the help we can get, as Team Sunapee S&W apparently was not content with winning everything there was to win this past weekend, and are sending a battalion to support our race. CCB will send their usual wrecking crew too. And of course zencycle and his Cyclonauts. But it's not just masters. Reuter is a late entry in the Cat 5 race, and rumor has it that Internet Ryan will have a cameo heckling role at the points race on Thursday night. I'm going to see about getting him a microphone.
Speaking of Reuter brings me to a brief chat about time trial preparation. The first night involves a 10.9k semi-technical TT (very Tour prologuesque). Most of you know my main rule of TT prep is FORGET ABOUT DICKING AROUND WITH YOUR STUPID EQUIPMENT, and make sure you arrive at the start ready to ride. Every detail is important, right down to your night before the race dinner of supermarket sushi and coconut popsicles while typing a stupid blog entry about the race. This single-minded focus on the big picture of being ready to ride is why I insisted Reuter forget all that and instead borrow a TT bike from Armand. Colin is working in Boston until 4:15. He is somehow going to ride his bike home (somewhere), load it into his car, fight traffic to get to Amesbury in time for number pickup at 5:30 (certainly there is a caffeine stop in there too) then get acquainted with a fast bike that he's never seen before with one ear tuned to the rider's meeting, and then race it without much warmup on a course he's never seen before at his 6:29:00 start time. I've got confidence in him, but don't you try this at home. You'd surely fuck it up.
My TT bike is ready to roll. I assembled it last freaking Wednesday, almost a week ahead of schedule. I know, I must be getting old. I even rode the thing at the Rehoboth TT last week. I'd gone there cannibal two weeks prior, riding a 20:02 for the 13.2k course, despite having an "episode" that was either a) an asthma attack, b) some allergy-related respiratory attack or c) a friggin' heart attack. Since I never had any issues before with a or b, I'm going with c. Halfway through I couldn't breath and had to almost completely shut it down. So last week I go down all TT technoed, with my aero helmet squeezing the earpieces of my Mr Magoo glasses right into my skull. I started off easy, felt great, blew by people the entire time, never went under 38kph, mostly 41-44kph, and finished in 18:42, one second behind the winner. Ready for WMSR, I went home and signed up for the Attleboro crit as a final tuneup. Then woke up sick the next day.
Friday I was hacking up all kinds of shit and was shivering and shaking all day. It was not looking good. Luckily I somehow slept all through the night. Saturday I still was shivering and hacking but Attleboro is only two towns away and I'd already paid so I went. It was nice and hot in the parking lot too so I rode the trainer to get my core up to about 108 degrees F in an effort to kill the bug. The 45+ race was wicked short, only 30 laps, 40 minutes. I brought back what would have been the winning break, with every team except us represented. I had one from each sitting on my wheel and I knew they wouldn't pull through so I just kept drilling it until I was almost on the last guy. Then I drifted back to recover. Paul the Announcer gave me a little something for the effort, so I had that going for me. Then with four laps to go Bob Bisson (Gearworks) was moving up hard on the frontstretch so I got on his wheel and took the tow up to and off the front. I came through, maybe too hard as he did not stay with me and I ended up solo. I was not feeling it though, but after a lap Charlie Bedard (Sunapee) bridged up to me and we kept going but never got a sufficient gap. With 1.5 laps to go we were about to get swarmed so I pulled over and jumped the sidewalk to get the hell out of the way. Duano was right in there about 6th in line but I guess shortly thereafter started regurgitating his breakfast all over his skinsuit and handlebars and we got nuttin' honey.
Oh yeah, this was about WMSR. I went home to still be sick all day. Sunday not much better but I rode the TT bike for 90 minutes anyway. By the evening I was a bit better and today better still so we'll see tomorrow. The bike is pretty solid and after Rehoboth I think I can ride ok if my legs decide to show up. After that I'm not so sure because after being sick I don't know if I've got three good days in me. Wasn't that about as exciting as a Cadel Evans breakaway? Oh yeah, BTW, we are taking day of registrations tomorrow so don't be a wuss, head on up and give it a go. Thanks for reading.
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