Pedalling Squares

Topless Girls In The Feed Zone

or Pescadero Coastal Classic, June 26, 2004

The Skinny:
Same hard course, different cast. 1800' of climbing per lap over two short climbs (less than a mile each) and one longer, roughly 2 mile climb. The top of this last climb is the finish. The Cat 3's do a total of 72 miles (which ends up being 2.7 laps).

The Fat:
Last year I got 3rd, which would be tough to beat this year since I noticed that there were plenty of good climbers at the start line. The plan this year was the same: chill on the first lap then look for something good on the second lap. If it stays still together after two laps, I'll take my chances duking it out on the final climb.

So nothing much happened on the first lap. On the second lap we went a little harder up the two little climbs. I started to get some bad stomach cramps - must've been that Forty I chugged in the parking lot before the race. Damn...

The climbs up Stage Road were a little slippery since it was still a little misty and foggy on that side of the course. So it was no surprise when some guy ate chowder on the second descent. He seemed to be fine - just lots of road rash. Although he didn't take anyone down, a little gap opened up and 2 guys got away a little. I was sitting in 4th or 5th wheel stuck between those 2 and the group. It all came back together on Highway 84 though.

The second time up the big climb I started it near the front and rode tempo all the way up. The cramps went away, but I wasn't feeling super. One guy attacked hard (he did the same thing the first time up) but, like a bra to Pamela Anderson: it just didn't matter. He wouldn't stay away by himself. We eventually caught him riding tempo and we crested the top with about a dozen guys and started the scary descent. I white-knuckled it down without much trouble. The 12 of us worked together a little bit, but slowly the group was catching us. So at this point it looked like plan B - keep things together and duke it out on the final climb.

We cruised the flat section pretty easy and then the race started to get a little spicy. There was a $10 (maybe it was $20) cash prime at the beginning of each lap. It was just before the start of the first climb on Stage Road. So some guys were launching it for that. There was a little group that got away here, including Max, one of the Tieni Duro guys who can climb really well - probably the best pure climber in the group. He took off but I just didn't want to chase it down - especially into a headwind. So I let 'em go.

They had probably 30 seconds when we got to the first climb. I was at the front and decided to keep the tempo up and keep them in sight. There were probably 4 guys - I doubted they could stay the 8 miles or so up highway 84, but didn't want to chance it. A Spine guy moved up and took a turn as well. They stayed away over the first little climb and I drove it again hard up the start of the second one. We caught them near the top of the second climb.

So on highway 84, with roughly 10 miles to go, the group was all together. This was a good thing, but I wasn't feeling all that great and was absolutely dreading the final climb. It was at this point that I decided to call ahead and make a reservation for 1 in the pain cave. Non-smoking please. I'll be arriving shortly...

With about maybe 6-7 miles to go, a little break went up the road, including Max, the Tieni Duro climber. I'm not chasin' anything, so I sits and I waits. But, we definitely don't want to spot him even just 10 seconds on the climb - we'll never see him again.

I don't remember how it happened (but I know I didn't do any of the work) but suddenly I'm off the front now with a certain Real Bicycles guy, Max, a Maguire, and a few others. We have a small gap but aren't really working so well together. I work a little, but not killing myself - I still wasn't convinced it would amount to anything.

Before long a few more guys bridge up - enough to make it stick. But some of those guys aren't working. We're disorganized, not everyone is working, and somehow we're staying clear with just a few miles to go. I'd love a little 20 second head start on the climb. We pull through the feed zone and I'm really feeling it - I didn't work that hard in the break, but just didn't feel like I had it.

I recover a little on the flat part and then we start the climb with probably a 20-30 second gap. Max jumps and I let him go - the pain cave is my domain now. I notice there's just 5 of us - Max up ahead, and CVC, Maguire, Real Bikes, and me leftover from the break. Real Bikes is on my wheel and riding the climb in the big ring as he had been doing the whole race. Nice.

Maguire and CVC start to go a little, I'm deep in the pain cave and watch 'em go. I don't give up though. Real Bikes is still on my wheel, big ring and all. Slowly I catch back up to CVC and Maguire, and then Maguire starts going backwards. I'm still in the top 4, but I'm starting to taste the bile now.

CVC starts riding away - I whimper and let him. 500 meters to go and Real Bicycles is pulling now. I'm thinking about the sprint. He's in the big ring, I should just go early and surprise him. Then, some Solano guy (who wasn't even in the break) catches and passes us. Bastard.

100 meters to go and Real Bicycles realizes I'm still on his wheel and starts to wind it up. I should have done something earlier, but brainfarted. It's a drag race to the line and today is not my day. He punks me at the line for 4th place in a photo finish. Shit!

So I ended up 5th - not a bad day, but not a great day, either.

avg HR: 160 bpm
avg speed: 20 mph