DAY 1 - 143KM
I can honestly say I hate this stage. About 20km there is a series of climbs that are a few km long and steep enough in places to shatter the group. My goal is always to make it over this section in the main group.
This year was no different.
It was a beautiful day: sunny with a slight headwind but not too hot and no humidity. That would change.
The race started as usual with a long neutral, then we hit the first little rise and it was game on! Right away the race cranks up to 50~60kph and pretty much stays there until we hit the first section of the climbs which is through tunnels.
As much as I hate this stage I really do like climbing through the tunnels. It's fast but interesting at the same time. I came out of the tunnels in good position and then proceeded to get trailed off as we progressed through the rest of the climbing.
Based on my fitness it was pretty much what I expected.
I nailed it on the descent and gathered up a pretty good posse. Last year I managed to bridge from the chase group into the main field after about a 15km chase. This year we got close but the main field was also chasing a break and the wind had picked up considerably. We got within 30 seconds but then they were gone.
I told my team mates before the race that if you were not in the main group by this point your job was to sit in and do NOTHING. Suck wheel until the finish and stay fresh for day 2. I did just that.
The wind got stronger and stronger and by the time we finished, more than 3 hours later, it was hella strong. It really cooked the guys in my group and several just disappeared off the back.
The only way I could contribute to the team on this day was to finish as high as I could in the Elite Masters 40+. (Pro Elite/Espoir/ Elite Masters 30+ and Elite Master 40+ all race together). Even if I could snag a few points for the team this was an 'A' category race so points went pretty deep and it could help in the season overall.
With this in mind there is a climb with a tunnel in the middle and a second grind after that that is about 15km from the finish. I went off the front here hoping that the few remaining guys in my cat would be dropped here. The group just let me ride away. The wind was so strong that I just sat up. It wasn't worth it to kill myself to the finish for a few points and waste myself for Day 2.
Bunch sprint (of our little bunch) and I finished 4 or 5 .
The bad news? There was a 10% time delay in effect and we were just outside of it. DSQ'd every darn one of us.
Now the funny thing is I didn't know about this time delay AND there were riders who realized they were outside the delay so they got off their bikes and got in the team cars. They would be fresh for day 2.
Now how is this possible you say? Aren't time delays for STAGE RACES?!? And if so, if you are cut you can NOT RACE THE NEXT DAY!?!
Yes, this is true. A time delay that lets you race the next do is just DUMB. Obviously no-one at the organization who made this race understands what the heck a time delay is for or how it is used.
I am not surprised...
The Good new is our designated guy finished 2nd in Elite Master 30+. Sweet.
DAY 2 - 178km
Rain. It was going to rain for day 2. I really didn't care as long as we started in dry conditions.
I got my wish and we were off in another painfully slow neutral start. Once we finally got going the pace jumped, there was a string of attacks and the first real break went away. It ended up being the right mix as two of the Continental teams went to the front and for the rest of the day chased EVERYTHING that moved.
It ended up being a 4 hour interval session.
This stage has a single climb after 110km that shells some but doesn't break up the race like on Day 1. At the pre race meeting we were told the roads were all in excellent condition with the exception of one area of construction just over 30km from the finish.
Perfect. We would attack there.
Up and over the climb (I ran over one of those meter tall orange pylons, gave everyone a good laugh but didn't go down). I got pushed into the rough by a Nervous Nelly on the decent but got back on the line and moved to where I wanted to be.
Shortly after the group came together I launched an attack hoping to set Gavin up with the counter. Nothing doing. We were back to the same attack, chase and sit up we'd been doing for the last 100km.
When we got to the point we'd hoped for nasty roads the conditions were actually pretty good. There were pylons and the road narrowed and did some weird gymnastics around the work that was going on but the surface was smooth. We also weren't the only ones with this idea so the pace was fast and the group strung out a bit so it was pretty smooth; Not at all what we wanted.
Eventually I dropped to the back and signaled for our team car so I could get some water. I sat there for a while as other team cars came past me and fed their guys. Finally I waved my arms in frustration and the race director rolled up beside me and gave me a bottle of water from his car. He said our driver probably just didn't hear the race radio.
I have no idea what happened to our car but soon after I took a slug of water there was a big crash in front of me and at least 30 guys went down. I rolled past the group yelling for Gavin but he wasn't there. Alex was extracting himself from the pile but I had no idea how long he would be so I jumped around the mess and started to chase.
I dropped the half empty bottle of water and buried myself trying to catch the back of one of the few teams cars that had made it around the crash. I couldn't quite get on the back of the last one but eventually I caught the back and made my way through to the race directors car. I took a moment and then jumped across to the group.
A little while later Alex, Steve (a former team mate) and one other rider caught back onto the group. The rest who went down never made it back.
I checked Steven's ass for him (let him know how bad it was or wasn't) and we continued in the rain until the finish.
On the finish climb we kept above 40kph but I was able to hold a good position. The last 3km are slightly downhill and a 2% final km to the finish. I picked my wheel and hung on to the end. All I was looking for was a good a placement as possible for team overall (season).
I finished off the podium by a tire width.
No hardware for me this year but Gavin was 2nd and we did manage points for the season overall.
