Isabel Creek Classic

PHOTO Credit: Chris Hipp, http://www.54x11.com/photos/MtHamilton2006/
TOP: Not our race, these are the Pros in a solo OTF similar to our situation.

RACE: 35+ 4/5, 38 miles, Isabel Creek start, field of 50 (full)
Team EMC/Vellum results: Bob 3rd, Mo 6th.

Surprisingly, I feel this was probably one of my best efforts of the year - I feel I really gave a hand to the team effort when I could and had a blast even though I spent about 10 miles waiting for another 700 series number to come by (damn, those cat 5s were strong!). I was really happy to see Randy and know I would not have to worry about a sprintdown as long as we kept rolling along alone. Randy schooled me on the descent - for 24th and I got 25th (hey, my highest place in a RR this year!). I'll have to rethink these hilly RRs. I have to admit I was riding within my limits & sleep deprived since my boys are once again trading snot balls and my throat has been getting increasingly tight. Today I am still fighting off something and spent most of Memorial Day in bed.

But, wait, that's the end of the story - after minimal warmup, I lined up close to the front to allow a little a pack slidage on the first climb. I felt surprisingly good and just rode smart and stayed well positioned - someone gave me a lumbar push to keep me in front of them and I'm not even sure it was an EMC, but thanks to whoever it was. Avoided two guys with flats along the rollers (one Delta Velo went down and scrambled to get out of our way - a classy move, hope he's ok). I had some extra to give so I made sure we didn't drop Richard after he did some work on the upside of the rollers, but could not do the same later for Randy and ensure I'd stay with the group. I was happy to find myself with the lead bunch at the start of San Antonio Valley. From the back of that group. I counted about 25 of us, and Randy had just been dropped. Chatter at the back was that Nader was crazy to be solo OTF so soon, because for sure it would come back together and we had made 'the selection'; I knew we had not even begun our attacks but kept that to myself. Well, I COULD HAVE stayed right there, conserved and stuck with the group til the climb. But, I had seen Gianni, Rich & Bob up front for a long time and Nader still had a good gap. So, I work to the front and take a few pulls thru the valley to bring the gap down a bit and protect Bob. Mo always seems to keep himself out of the wind and to look very inconspicuous. Like Randy and Rich, I out did myself and when the two SJBC guys took over the front from me, it was like an attack and back I went. I can see them all rolling away just before the junction and looking back there was no one even in sight - 13 miles in and less than 40 minutes, my race seems over. I take some time to recover, drink and get to do the main climb at my own nice pace. Toward the top I hear heavy steady breathing and see my mechanic from Pegasus, Omar, OTF of the 5s (his first race racing). Small group in chase and others after them. I avoid the urge to even think about working with them and just keep an eye on the #s for a 700. One did come thru - 720 from Fusion - but he had a mechanical and should have been with the lead group, he was climbing steady & fast, so after a while pacing and chatting with him, I let him go (and did not care that he was mixing in with 5s). It was a nice long while before Randy came along and as previously stated, really happy to see him and sorry Jim wasn't along for the ride, but I figured if we waited for him, he'd have other guys to contend with too.