Today was the Pikes Peak Velo Supercross in Colorado Springs. This is typically not a course that suits my carcass size and today was no exception. Lots of vertical assured that my limited Power/Weight ratio would be challenged. The course had lots of off camber loose gravel or dirt combined with a couple of spots that were instant pinch flat if you hit it wrong. Tough to dial the tire pressure for sure.
They did call-ups off of last years end of season standings. After going 30 deep and getting two guys, the chief ref gives up and decides to let everyone else stage per their race number. I was to be in the third row. After we were set, with about 3 minutes before the start, I see that there is a slot on very right side of the front row. I ask the guy in the 2nd row if he wants it. He says "nope" so I take it. Somewhere, bouncing around in the back of my mind.... a Bob Ueker quote shouts out.
We get the count down....30 seconds gentlemen!.....15 seconds..... whistle blows and I instantly miss the clip-in and lose 5 spots. It is an uphill start so this rotund one slots in to the first turn in somewhere outside the top 10. We go through an open field "cow pasture of death" section, over a single barrier and back down the pavement we came up on the start. After a bit, things get lined out and I am able to move past a few guys on different sections. I slot in behind a gentleman from the Colorado Bike Law team at the bottom of a long double barrier laden run-up. At the top of the run-up we head back down hill on pavement. I go to pass the fine gentleman. As I come along side, he cuts me off and forces me into the cones that are keeping us protected from the vehicle traffic that is coming/going to the race. At the bottom of the hill, said CBL rider lets a big gap go. At the next straight away, I know that I need to jump across that gap and go to pass again. As I am just about even with him, this piece of shit hooks me. He shifts his line 2 feet and takes me right into a wood fence that is lining the parking lot we are racing past. I instantly have two choices. Hit a very stationary 4"x4" post and come to a abrupt and very damaging halt, or lay it down in the gravel and hope for the best. I hit the deck, shed off the skin from my various parts on the left side of my body in the gravel, and somehow manage to still slam my right hand into the fence. I get off a fair amount of Italian like gesticulation and New Yorker like name calling at said gentleman in the next 5 seconds.
The bike is a mess. The front wheel is jammed in the brakes. I let go the quick release and reset things. A good portion of the pack has passed when I re-mount. No go.... Next issue is that the chain is off the front as well as jammed in the rear derailleur. By the time I get it all straightened out, the entire peleton is up the course and almost out of site around the next turn. It's lap one so I start to chase. Over then next several laps, I work my way back through the last 3rd or so of the pack. Half way through the 3 to go lap, my front wheel flats just after the pits. I could have ran the whole course back to the pits to do a wheel change... but I do not have a 2nd set of wheels there. So... my fault for piss-poor race prep. My race is done.
Now, back to the fine gentleman from Colorado Bike Law. Dude, I understand it is a race. But coming off your line on a straight away to take a guy into a wood fence is nothing more than trying to hurt someone. We are racing 35+ Cat 4 for crying out loud. The winner gets what.... a fricken bottle of shampoo? I truly hope you enjoy your top 10 finish. This evening, as I spent an hour scrubbing gravel out of various parts of my body and digging splinters out of my hand, I could only hope that the next time you pass someone in a race, he has the integrity to let you pass without trying to send you to the hospital. Sure, you can rationalize things. You can even tell all your Colorado Bike Law buddies that you did not see or hear me. Lets face it...I was up your ass trying to pass for quite a ways and you and I both know exactly what happened and what you did. You get to live with that. There are some guys in the world that would sleep just fine with what you did. I hope for the rest of the guys we race with each weekend that you are not one of those.
OK..... back to what me mum reads this blog for....
They did call-ups off of last years end of season standings. After going 30 deep and getting two guys, the chief ref gives up and decides to let everyone else stage per their race number. I was to be in the third row. After we were set, with about 3 minutes before the start, I see that there is a slot on very right side of the front row. I ask the guy in the 2nd row if he wants it. He says "nope" so I take it. Somewhere, bouncing around in the back of my mind.... a Bob Ueker quote shouts out.
We get the count down....30 seconds gentlemen!.....15 seconds..... whistle blows and I instantly miss the clip-in and lose 5 spots. It is an uphill start so this rotund one slots in to the first turn in somewhere outside the top 10. We go through an open field "cow pasture of death" section, over a single barrier and back down the pavement we came up on the start. After a bit, things get lined out and I am able to move past a few guys on different sections. I slot in behind a gentleman from the Colorado Bike Law team at the bottom of a long double barrier laden run-up. At the top of the run-up we head back down hill on pavement. I go to pass the fine gentleman. As I come along side, he cuts me off and forces me into the cones that are keeping us protected from the vehicle traffic that is coming/going to the race. At the bottom of the hill, said CBL rider lets a big gap go. At the next straight away, I know that I need to jump across that gap and go to pass again. As I am just about even with him, this piece of shit hooks me. He shifts his line 2 feet and takes me right into a wood fence that is lining the parking lot we are racing past. I instantly have two choices. Hit a very stationary 4"x4" post and come to a abrupt and very damaging halt, or lay it down in the gravel and hope for the best. I hit the deck, shed off the skin from my various parts on the left side of my body in the gravel, and somehow manage to still slam my right hand into the fence. I get off a fair amount of Italian like gesticulation and New Yorker like name calling at said gentleman in the next 5 seconds.
The bike is a mess. The front wheel is jammed in the brakes. I let go the quick release and reset things. A good portion of the pack has passed when I re-mount. No go.... Next issue is that the chain is off the front as well as jammed in the rear derailleur. By the time I get it all straightened out, the entire peleton is up the course and almost out of site around the next turn. It's lap one so I start to chase. Over then next several laps, I work my way back through the last 3rd or so of the pack. Half way through the 3 to go lap, my front wheel flats just after the pits. I could have ran the whole course back to the pits to do a wheel change... but I do not have a 2nd set of wheels there. So... my fault for piss-poor race prep. My race is done.
Now, back to the fine gentleman from Colorado Bike Law. Dude, I understand it is a race. But coming off your line on a straight away to take a guy into a wood fence is nothing more than trying to hurt someone. We are racing 35+ Cat 4 for crying out loud. The winner gets what.... a fricken bottle of shampoo? I truly hope you enjoy your top 10 finish. This evening, as I spent an hour scrubbing gravel out of various parts of my body and digging splinters out of my hand, I could only hope that the next time you pass someone in a race, he has the integrity to let you pass without trying to send you to the hospital. Sure, you can rationalize things. You can even tell all your Colorado Bike Law buddies that you did not see or hear me. Lets face it...I was up your ass trying to pass for quite a ways and you and I both know exactly what happened and what you did. You get to live with that. There are some guys in the world that would sleep just fine with what you did. I hope for the rest of the guys we race with each weekend that you are not one of those.
OK..... back to what me mum reads this blog for....
So, on the upside, for the next couple weeks my dogs are going to want to lick me even more that normal. These two labs like to show their love with their tongues. Now they are going to really looooooooove me.
Great race by James "@angryasian" Huang. He led the pack till two to go. I think all those Harbios be brought back from Eurobike finally got to him. James, we still owe you a beer from over in Belgium. Perhaps we can make good on that at Interbike next week.
Also... It was dang good to see Shotty and the other guys out there again.
Great race by James "@angryasian" Huang. He led the pack till two to go. I think all those Harbios be brought back from Eurobike finally got to him. James, we still owe you a beer from over in Belgium. Perhaps we can make good on that at Interbike next week.
Also... It was dang good to see Shotty and the other guys out there again.
Dumping water weight before the start.
As Bob Ueker says...."I must be in the front row!"
Getting the rash cleaned out after the race. The tech was very nice but a bit overly concerned about not wanting to cause too much pain. She got most of the dirt but not all. The rest was left that up to me several hours later in the the shower with a brush.... followed by the Bactine Dance.
Cool.
ReplyDeleteWas the CBL guy a lawyer?
I am on CBL, but it was not me that you had issue with. I was the one that sort of cheered you on while you were walking back with the flat. I think in general you will find us to be nice people.
ReplyDeleteTrain