Team benefits

In the world of cycling some teams stand out above the rest.  Sometimes the reasons for standing out are superficial:  Team Garmin's argyle, Euskatel's blaze-orange, and Frites en Mayo with their black wool jerseys.  Sometimes the reason a team stands out is due to a particular rider:  Discovery Channel with Lance, HTC-Columbia with Cavendish, Frites en Mayo with Tom Hall.  And every once in a while, a team stands out simply because of how well they work together.  Hudz-Subaru and Frites en Mayo demonstrated how, even in a cyclocross race, a good team is as uplifting and awe inspiring as a push-up bra.

Hudz-Subaru is a powerful 'cross team here in Colorado and they demonstrated that power once again at "On The Cross", a race promoted by ICCC.  On a course that was described as a "criterium with barriers", Hudz-Subaru brought 3 of their best riders, Matt Pacocha, Jake Wells, and Jonathan Baker, and their goal was to take the podium.  The only person standing in their way was a kid that some of you may recognize:  Garmin rider Danny Summerhill.  But...there was one difference.  Hudz-Subaru had three guys to Garmin's one.  It would shape up to be an unfair fight.

At one point, Baker and Wells had fallen off the pace a bit.  Summerhill was drilling it on the front with Pacocha but Summerhill was doing 100% of the work.  Lap after lap, Danny was pulling.  Slowly but surely, Baker and Wells caught up and then, 3 against 1, it was not a fair fight.  While Pacocha went off the front, Baker and Wells sandwiched Summerhill.  It was a beautiful demonstration of race tactics amongst 4 of the best riders Colorado has on offer.  Absolutely brilliant.  One of the best 'cross races I've seen.

Frites en Mayo takes a different approach to team tactics on race day.  Anyone who was watching the 35+4 category noticed that on nearly every lap, one of the Frites guys had to bail due to a mechanical or a flat.  I however, did not have any mechanicals or flats probably due to the fact that I am a Certified USA Cycling Mechanic and thus I know how to take care of and prep my bike for race day.

As my teammates dropped out of the race, they went to various parts of the course to cheer, coach, and encourage.  That was a race saver for me.  Brian Graves was handing up bottles and dishing out the coaching.  Twice each lap, he was shouting encouragement and advice.  There's nothing more helpful than having a teammate remind you about riding clean lines and focusing on the effort.  It breaks you out of that mental fog for just a moment so you can get back to concentrating on the race.  At another point on the course, right next to the sand pit, stood Danny Flapjacks and Tami McVay shouting encouragement.  Hearing someone cheer for you or having someone hand you a water bottle is a great feeling as you are out on the course racing as hard as you can.  And, on the last lap, hearing someone say "You've got 5 beats per minute in reserve" is enough to make you look for that place on the course where you can pass the 3 guys in front of you, do a 5 second sprint to gap them, and fall over exhausted at the finish line.

 

With the help of my teammates, I was able to ride beyond my perceived ability.  I've never, NEVER, suffered like that in a race.  I've never taken risks like that.  And, most significantly, I've never believed that I could actually RACE like that.  I've watched bike racing for a long time but this is only my second year of actually racing.  I never knew until "On The Cross" just what the racers are going thru when they are in a breakaway, when they are lining up a sprint, or when they are attacking each other in the mountains.  I had no idea just how much effort they are dishing out and how much pain they are enduring.  Until today.  Now I know.  To be hurting that much and then make a conscious choice to hurt even more because you want to win is a sensation I never understood until today.  I never realized just how far you have to push yourself if you want to win.  To have ridden to exhaustion in a bike race gives me a new appreciation for racers at all levels be it local 'cross races and riders like Baker, Summerhill, Pacocha, and Wells or the elite racers hammering thru the cobblestones of Roubaix or time trial at the Tour de France. 

 

I should also say that after the race is when the team benefits really start to flow.  You commiserate, commentate, drink-iate some beer-iate, talk with the other racers, drink some more beer, eat bad food, and of course someone has brought along some beer to drink so we stand around drinking beer.  What a great way to spend the day!