YUENLING SR 19-20 JUNE

I had a very bad start to the season. I injured my neck in the fall of 2009 and couldn't ride for almost 3 months. I lost fitness and gained weight. I started training again in January but it was much too late to have any real fitness or to get back to racing weight by Hau-Dong in April which was our first "A" race.

Because of this my best placing at Hau-Dong was 8th on DAY 1 which put me very far down on the points competition for the season. I was looking to these races to get back in the hunt for the season long points competition. I was lingering in the lowly teens and needed good results both days to move up significantly.Although I am starting to feel better and lose some weight (It gets much harder as you get older!) I still don't have the kind of power I would like for a course like this.

I could tell this after I tried to bridge to the first attack.

My first strategy was to get into an early move that had riders from at least 2 other strong teams. This was a technical course where riders would be out of sight after about a minute gap so I thought it was a good course for a break. The only problem with Plan ‘A' was that Bo Zhuo was fighting for top spot in his category and if I was riding in a break it would only help him if CKT had to work to try and bring us back. This was a gamble.

I tried to bridge across to a move I saw in the very beginning of the race but my legs were not as willing as my heart or head was and the group was too interested in not letting an early break go.

This course had 5 corners with the 3rd corner being a 180 turn. After riding the course I realized that after the 180 turn there was a sprint point into the wind, a bit more of a straight and then a right turn, a few pedal strokes, a left turn and sprint to the finish. I decided that the key place on the course was the headwind straight after the 180 and before the right-left onto the finish straight. I knew that if you weren't in position by then you would be sprinting for 20th place.



This was Plan B.

Keeping the group together and then getting Bo Zhuo into position here became the best plan for us and it would also allow me to help, if I could, at the end. By virtue of simply being in the mix at the end I was pretty sure I'd get a podium spot for myself as well.

There were lots of attacks over the rest of the race and Gavin and Steven worked well together to chase down dangerous moves. I rolled to the front a few times to lend a hand but mostly I kept in the group and watched key riders.

In the last laps a break had formed off the front. I had done some work to bring the gap down and I figured we would catch them just before the finish.

Coming into the last lap I prepared to place myself and Bo Zhuo. Coming out of the 180 corner a rider crashed in front of me and I just avoided him but I lost momentum and several places. I was now out of position to help anyone but I still had time to move up.

I positioned my self as best to sprint at the finish.

We caught the break just before the line and I ended up 3rd in my category. Bo Zhuo finished 4th in his cat but it wasn't enough and he slipped into second place for the season.

We had 1 more shot for him the next day.

DAY 2

This was a flat and windy road race. I spent most of the day hiding and keeping a good position in the group.

Today we were really riding to get a good result for Bo Zhuo to move him back into 1st place for the points competition. We didn't want to have him go head-to-head with the CKT rider in a sprint. This would be playing to his strength.

We decided that we needed either Bo Zhuo in a break or another rider in a break and to force other teams to chase. For me this meant I was chasing moves or leading out Gavin. Again Gavin and Bo Zhuo were busy at the front and we placed them in moves that looked promising but nothing was sticking for long.

As sometimes happens an innocent move rolled off the front and suddenly a few more joined them and there was a break and we were not in it. Crap.

We chased for a while and brought them back to withing a 10 seconds and then the bunch just stopped chasing because they though that the break was finished. WRONG! This was a serious mistake.

The break rolled away again and stayed away until the end.

When we had looked at the course profile we decided that I would lead Gavin out after a sprint point that was about 20km from the finish. We set up and jumped as planned but it was pretty windy and too far for 1 or 2 riders to go it alone. we needed others to come along.

After digging for a few minutes we realized we were just dangling and no-one was interested in our idea. We sat up and the bunch swallowed us up.

This meant my next task was to lead Bo Zhuo out in the final sprint.

With just over 3 km to go I got into position and got Bo Zhuo on my wheel. I flashed him 3km and started to move up. I flashed him 2km and rolled up next to the rider he needed to beat. I flashed him 1km and boxed the rider and started to jump.

The same bone head that had crashed in front of me on DAY 1 now pulled off the front and sat up. He was right in my line and the barrier was on my left. I wasn't sure what he was going to do and, instead of being aggressive and stuffing us in the small gap that remained I hesitated.

I had talked with Bo Zhuo about my lead out before the race. I told him that I would position him as best as I could but if he felt he needed to move to a different wheel, at any time, then he should do just that.

I'm sure Bo Zhuo felt my hesitation and he jumped around me into the tiny gap that was left. As he jumped in and through the gap it closed and he was gone.

I was still near the front and very much in the sprint so I kept it going. I was moving up and was looking at a good result.

There was a meeting the night before this race and at that meeting the organizer disclosed some changes to the course and other information. I was about to discover what the last change was.

The finish was down the main street of same small town on a double lane road with a divider. There was a long, straight run in: A perfect finishing straight. Now, mid sprint with about 150m to go, the course veered off of this road onto a single lane road with scrub brush and ditches on either side. I had no idea this was coming and barely kept my self out of the ditch.

As I straightened up my bike and tried to shift into a gear I could continue to sprint in riders shot past me and I lost several places. I got it going again and caught 2 riders but watched a rider in my category finish half a bike length ahead of me.

I was 5th in my cat and just out of the top 20 overall. Crap and double crap.

Bo Zhuo finished ahead of his rival but didn't finish on the podium or earn enough points to move back into 1st place. Not good either.

The positive from this is that we now know that Bo Zhuo and I can work together for his finishes. We've talked a bit and have a better strategy for next time. Long term I think this could work out well for us.

Team Time Trail or Smoke 'em If Ya Got 'em.

You know you've done a time trail right if you're worried about choking on your own vomit in the last 200m.

I think I got it right today.

We (Team AminoSTRONG-BDOP-CKT) did our first TTT today and got spanked by those who should have spanked us but walked away feeling good about the effort none the less.
The course was a dog-leg course that was 3.5km long and we did 3 1/2 laps which came out to just over 30km. That means there were 7 180 degree turns in wet conditions that were unnerving at best. Because the course was so short it was really hard to settle into a rhythm. You would get one or two pulls before setting up for the 180 and trying to group back up again.
We had never practiced a TTT as a 6 man team before and we had about a hour to work on it before our start. This did give us a good chance to warm up but the lessons just learned we not so easy to remember when the vision blurred.
The technical nature of the course favoured the 2 Continental teams and the National team that beat us by 1 to 2 minutes over 30km. I'm sure we lost 5 seconds at each turn and that adds up pretty quick.

The teams started out at 1 minute intervals and we caught our minute team after less than 10km. Since we started second that put us in first position on the course. Personally, I find it much easier to dig when I am focused on reeling in the rider(s) just up the road. It's much harder for me when we are being chased.

We were caught after about 15km or so and managed to hold them within 10 seconds for the remainder of the lap. By the next lap the eventual winners (on TT bikes with full gear) passed us. Were were on regular road bikes but, even with TT bikes, discs and aero bars these guys should have caught us or given up their Continental licenses.
The last 3km was a 3% grind into the wind that lead to the last wet 180 turn around and then 1.5km to the finish. The rider in front me lead through the turn and then I moved to the front to lay down whatever was left. I nailed it as best as I could and then the other guys came around me a few hundred meters out from the finish. Since I was the fourth guy (of the 4 of us left) the time was on me.
The guys pulled around me and headed for the line. I got gaped and dig as I might I had to growl or yelp or making some kind of horrible sound for the 3rd guy to back off enough that I could get on his wheel for the finish. This was about the time I started to worry about the chunks.

He only had to tap his brakes once or twice but I'm sure we lost a few seconds there, too. We would have lost much more if they had ridden away from me and left me there to spit out chunks 200m from the line so it may have worked out for the better in the long run.
The lesson learned today is that we need better technical prep for next year. By this I mean we need to work on the technical aspects of out TTT: smoother transitions, better turns and we need to understand better when it is time to jettison a rider as opposed to letting a cooked rider continue in the rotation.

Also, I hope out cockpit sponsor (KORE) will have TT equipment available to us for 2011. Not that this would have changed the outcome this time but it will help us when we are better prepared for next time.

All said and done it was an immense amount of work in a short period of time and I'm glad it's over and we managed a podium spot.
We also managed to snag a post race interview that should be up on the web soon. It was a great chance to plug our sponsor's products and certainly a bonus.

10th TOUR of EAST TAIWAN

I learned this weekend that I have ridden this race since the inaugural year. I have also raced this course under other names so the long 6 hour drive there and the same 6+ back are all too familiar.

We left Tainan, in the South, at zero-dark:thirty and drove for 2 hours through some mountains and and then headed North up along the East Coast next to the Ocean. We arrived 4 hours later to cool temps and light rain in the start city of Haulien. We checked into the hotel and did the usual pre-race prep, crap, managers/teams meeting and had a quick chat with the organizer to discuss the fact that we were not allowed to use rider radios.

Yup, no radios while we are feeding from cars on some narrow, twisty roads that are strewn with bridges. Car to race radios were a must but no car to rider radio. We were told that they wanted to make the racing more...aggressive. My point was that rider radios would make feeding a little less...hazardous.

The decision had already been made for this race and I asked that they review the decision again after the race, if they could, with regards to next year. Ok.

STAGE 1 : 138km with some double digit climbing after 30km. Then 9okm of wind and rollers until a short right onto a popper for the finish.

I am pretty behind in my training but starting to see some results. I decided to just sit in all day and get some race hours in my legs. I crested with the second group and we chased for a bit. An attack had gone and the main bunch backed off and we closed on the race caravan.

I knew that we were about to pass through a small town with a small bridge, narrow roads and a couple of tight bends. The caravan would pretty much come to a crawl. The question had actually been raised the night before at the managers meeting and the race referee clearly stated that the caravan is part of the race. If you were in the caravan for any reason you could leapfrog from vehicle to vehicle until you got to the officials car and then you had to cross from there to the back of the race on your own.

Clear enough for me.

I had been sitting on watching the chase but then I moved up. As we got within 50 meters of the back of the caravan I jumped. They were snaked through the small town (JiCi) so I closed quickly and was in the middle of the team cars when they started to accelerate again to catch the bunch. I was joined by a few more riders who had had the same idea and we passed through the caravan and crossed to the bunch.

Things were pretty aggressive and I spent the rest of the race following wheels and looking for free rides towards the front. I enjoyed doing the little things like sliding into gaps just as they were opening and working my way into the top 10 through the middle of the group.

The finish was a small riser that turned right and then popped up and snaked around a meridian. This race ended with a small break and then a group of 50+ riders all trying to pretzel their way through this finish. There was a crash in front of me. It was great to watch and the guy was fine but it was a full ass-over-tea kettle kind of crash.

A fine end to the ride.

All of the Elite cats (basically Riders from Continental/Pro Continental teams, Nation team riders, Espoir, Senior and Elite Masters) race together. As a team we had a primary goal for this even which was a podium spot.

Stage 1: Bo Zhuo was 2nd in Elite Master 30+. Mission accomplished. 4 of 6 finished in the bunch. If dropped, riders were told to spin in with a group and save their jam for Stage 2. Steven and Hansom did just that.

STAGE 2: 178km with a 3~4 km climb 100km in and a 2~3km finish climb.

Our riders have had success on this stage and so we were focused on it. We wanted another podium spot for our Elite 30+ rider.

The racing was fast and aggressive. My 12T got a good going over and there were a couple of times when I was wondering about an 11T.

We tried to work a rider into an early break but nothing from anyone was sticking. There were pretty consistent attacks in the first 100km and there was still the days main obstacle. Then we sat and we waited. We would let the climb help with the selection if it could and then we would look for a move with our designated rider.

Up and over the climb and it produced a break of 3 riders and culled the herd a bit. We bunched back up after the descent and I came out of hiding. We tried a few lead outs trying to get the right mix 10 seconds off the front. Too many chasers or no takers. Still 60km to go.

I went back to get my BCAA8000 from the team car when our designated guy followed the right wheel and was away. I worked towards the front and the group seemed to have let them go for the most part so I sat and waited and watched.

Eventually it was clear they were gone and I started to think about getting either Gavin or An Long in another move. So far it looked like we would have 1 guy in the top 6 over-all, (and a Masters Podium) and I was hoping for another rider in the top 10. This would result in a solid point haul for our team.

As the pace picked up I rolled to the front and caught An Long's eye. As I saw him get up to move across to me I jumped to where he would be and he was stuck to me and we were nailing it. I put my head down and saw that there were wheels behind him.

I kept it going for a bit longer and then backed off hoping that someone would jump and An Long could go with it. I watched...the pace eased...chasers but no takers.

I drifted back for a bit and finished off my BCAA8000. I hitched a ride back to the front and flicked my lever as I rode even with Gavin. He saw me and we jumped together. We caught people and we had 100m+ before I sat back down. Ok, I thought, now it's either dangle out here with Gavin and hope we don't die or dangle just long enough to see if there are any takers.

I wanted to attack here because it was on the outskirts of a small town were the road narrows and twists a bit and the group would naturally hesitate. It did and we continued to dangle. I told Gavin that I would use what I had left but that I hoped someone would work across soon because I was starting to see spots. At least I think I told him that or maybe I just thought it in my head and I was so cross-eyed that I only think I told him that.

Regardless, a few riders from strong teams came across and the move took hold. My mission complete I drifted back to the group to contemplate the finish of the race.

Just before the final climb (a 2~3km big-ring climb) I came to the conclusion that I was cashed and really hadn't eaten enough food. I got a wee bit dizzy and suddenly cold. As we rolled onto the climb I let the group roll away and I set a tempo to the finish. Gavin, who was in the 2nd move that I had spent myself on, was caught with 1km to go. It was a good move and worth a shot.

I finished, had a coke, some fruit, some protein, a hot shower and we drove back to the start hotel. During the awards presentation we learned that Steven (the rider who had been dropped the day before and who had wisely spun back in with 20 other riders) also won 5th place in Elite Men 20+ (Senior riders) and that aminoSTRONG-BDOP-CKT was TEAM 6th OVERALL.

After this I felt a little better.

Then the 7 hour drive home thinking about the next race.

Congrats to the aminoSTRONG-BDOP-CKT Cycling Team for 3 good days.

Training Camp Feb 2010

I had designed a 4 day Training Camp to run over the Chinese New Year holidays that was about 160km each day with thousands of meters of climbing. In short, I had planned routes that would have destroyed me.

But it's a training camp. That's what I wanted to do. Also, we have one rider who will ride the Tour de Taiwan in a few weeks so he needed some more big climbing.

The weather had other plans.

Those included temps that were 10 degrees below normal, big winds and heavy rain. If it were summer time it would have been no problem and we would have ridden through it. And honestly, it wasn't that cold...at sea level. I wanted to take the guys above 2000m as many times as I could in 4 days. This was a whole different kettle of fish.

Then I heard that there were problems with some of the roads. OK. Plan B.

We canceled the first 2 days and then piled in the team cars and headed south where there was less rain.Day 1 was a flat windy, rainy ride at race pace for 4 1/2 hour where we headed south and then turned around and rode home. Luckily it was dry for the way back.

I could sure feel how poor my fitness is. I had a neck injury that kept me off the bike for more than 2 months and now I am over weight and well behind where I need to be for my first "A" race in May. But enough of this.

The second day we did some climbing and the weather was finally on our side. It was beautiful. We had a good 45 mins of flat roads to warm up and then we hit the first of 5 climbs on the day. This one only went up about 1000m but there were several long pitches in double digits.

We had a few former team members (locals) join us for the ride so we were 8 riders in all. I just didn't want to be the 8th guy over the top. I managed to keep a couple guys in sight (with 2 more behind me) until the last km. Then I just had to spin it up and over.We waited at the top and then rode back down and onto the 2nd and 3rd climbs. We encountered some road closures due to rock slides and I think we were all pretty happy that we had changed to plan B as we would have most likely be caught out somewhere at altitude, in the rain.

This was our first camp together and we managed to eek out almost 10 hours of training under nasty conditions. The guys seem to be gelling as a group and there are certainly no personality conflicts.

I few races together and this could turn into a pretty good team. I'm certainly looking forward to the season and I hope I can drop the weight and find some bloody fitness soon.

Team Launch 2010

Last week we had our Official Team Launch. We invited 60 sponsors, riders, friends and family to dinner Willy's Pub. We had the entire second floor to ourselves, which was good because we had about 100 people to the After Party.

Things went very well. I was told the food was good and plentiful. The beer, wine and vodka seemed to flow and the tunes were spot on.

Our sponsors were quite pleased with the event we put together and we generated some decent media interest including requests for follow on articles and one to embed a reporter in our training camp in February.


We were able to display out sponsors products which now includes hand-built wheels I am selling through dealers here in Taiwan. This made me feel pretty good as it's been a long road (over a short time) to get here.

"And how does one go about making a cycling team, you ask?"

"Why, that's a good question. It usually goes something like this:"

SEPT: Find and identify potential sponsors.

OCT: Submit proposals to current or potential new sponsors.
Follow up.
Bug them some more.

NOV: Bug them some more.
Design uniforms and coordinate the 'look' of the team.
Tell sponsors they need to get on board soon so that you can have uniforms ready in time for the Team launch.

Late NOV: Don't Panic.

DEC: Panic.
Bug the sponsors some more until they finally relent just so you will go away (or so they think).
Repeatedly stress to the company making your uniform exactly when you really need them.

Late DEC:Money arrives.

Uniforms arrive.
Bikes arrive.
Wheels arrive.
Other stuff arrives.

JAN: Hold team launch and after party.

Later that night, after everyone has gone home, try not to look too much like this: That is pretty much how to make a cycling team.

Now I actually have to go ride my bike.

William Bubble Maker

My son is 32 months old and had, until today, been the chaser of bubbles blown by bigger boys.

On our way to the park and we stopped to get some new balls we could kick around. The selection at the store was not up to snuff so we settled on some bubbles. Then we made our way to the park.

It was a beautiful sunny, fall day: Leaves on the ground, crisp cool breeze and a playground.

There were a few other kids there for William to climb, swing and slide with but he was set on the bubbles from the start.

It is very difficult to get him to not try so hard sometimes. Once he applies himself he is single minded in his pursuit and nothing will dissuade him.

I have seen him drip with sweat while he tries to get the ball into the basket. He will run himself ragged, exhausted and stumbling until he can make that basket, kick the ball where he wants, get his bike going fast enough or positioned just right or hit that ball with his bat.

He had no problem opening the soap bubble bottle or working the wand around so it was good and soapy and then positioning it the correct distance and orientation from his lips. But when he blew it was too hard and the end result was soapy water running down his hand and a distinct lack of bubbles in the air.

"Not so hard, William. Easy, easy."

Blowing. Soapy hands and no bubbles.

"Easy...easy...eeee....zzzzz"

A bubble.

"Easy..."

More bubbles. Dip, dip blow. A stream of bubbles!

Dip, dip, blow. A plethora of bubbles big and small! Success! Triumph! Yet another piece of the universe brought under control.

More bubbles and smaller children chasing them. Big bubbles that would float up to the tress and smaller bubbles that would pop before they hit the ground.

No longer would William be the chaser of bubbles blown by bigger boys. Now he was William: Bubble Maker King!

Yesterday morning, in the park, all was right in the universe.

Race Report 19 October 2009

If the truth be told I've been a little pissed at some of my team mates of late for their lack of organization and the dysfunctional nature of their communication.

This race just reinforced that feeling with some.

I got up a Zero Dark:30 to go meet with the guys and drive to the race. Luckily the start was only an hour away. It was a point to point RR so the finish was 2 1/2 hours away. Fine and dandy and off we go.

We get there on time, get pinned, warmed up, a few runs to the bathroom, chat chat here, chat chat there and it's time to stage. It was warm and sunny and windy as all get out. As the course ran along the coast and then climbed over to the other coast and wound back around to the finish it promised to be a long day of headwind.

It didn't disappoint.

The plan for me was to sit in for the first 1 1/2 hours and then hang on over the first climb crossing to the other coast. If I was still in the main bunch I was then going to drive the pace to help our designated guy get placed in the 5 km between the bottom of the descent and the base of the finishing climb.

That was our plan.

The problem is our frame sponsor, CKT, is also the former National Team coach. I've raced against his teams for a decade so we're pretty familiar with one and other. Since we had numbers and horsepower at this race he decided that we should try to get 3 or 4 guys into an early break and ride away from the race.

Not such a bad idea since our real climber isn't racing as he is headed for some racing in Korea with the National Team.

As I roll to the start I see the CKT coach/sponsor standing there inserting us at the front of the bunch on the line. Fine. All the cats are racing together and there are 440guys so it's safer to be there at the start of the neutral anyway.

Speaches, pictures, horns, bang and we roll away. We have 6km of neutral and we're racing. Immediately the National Team kids are active. There's a flurry of attacks, counters and just a mess on the front.

Nothing gets more than 10 seconds and everyone wants to chase.

This goes on for the better part of an hour with pauses scattered here and there. The wind is getting stronger and we still have all the climbing to do.

We tried probably 10 or more different moves with a different mix of riders and we were getting nowhere.

Finally that moment arrives.

I am sitting about 20 spots back and I see 4 of our guys slotting in at the front. The pace winds up and they gutter the bunch. This looks good. I jump to the front and put my head down. I hold it above 50kph for as long as I can but the wind is brutal. I glance back as I pull off and I can see it is strung out pretty far back.

My team mate pulls through and he takes a dig. The elastic is stretching and gaps are forming. Guys are jumping across but you can almost see the tension and that it's about to snap.

There is a 20m gap 7 riders down which puts 5 of us plus 2 other guys in the right spot. I slide out of the draft and glance back. I sense that one more good hard pull will be enough to cause a few people to sit up and for the gaps to suddenly explode open. Once that happens it takes a few minutes for the chase to get organized at the front and, by that time, we are away.

I slide to the front and give it one more dig. As I pull off I think that must have done it. It wasn't everything I had but it was enough.

Then I glance back.

At the front of the group about 50m back is one of our young team mates. He has buried himself trying to hang on and has given a dozen guys behind him just enough of a break that they come around him and start to work towards us.

Our puppy eliminated the chaos. He took the hesitation away and let the strong, determined riders move to the front. There is a chase and we only have 50m. This is going nowhere. This was our move, it was the right moment and now it has passed.

I sit up.

As the kid rolls past my team mate, he collars him and gives him an earful. The kid has no idea why.

So now we are all back together, I've used a lot of jam and we still have to climb.

I drink. I eat and I hide for about 20km. Then we hit the rollers before the first 3 step climb. Luckily the wind is in our faces so it takes the edge off of the skinny kids. They are at the front driving it but I manage to claw my way up and over with the front group and move up during the descent.

At this point our designated guy has been near the front too long. I also don't remember seeing him eat. We finally hit the finish climb. The first section I use my 39x26, I'm out of the saddle and going left, right, left, right and I'm not the only one.

The climbers ride away from me on the front and the race falls away from me behind. I have contact and I'm in the top 10 or 15 or so but I'm not catching anyone. There is no one to be seen behind me either.

I climb to our designated guy and he is toast. I pace him to the finish.

Overall we placed riders on the podium and I won my age category. I think I was between 10 and 15th spot overall which I'm pretty happy with considering it was a climbing finish.

Next up is a flat circuit that is all about power.

Then a 190km RR two weeks after that.

The season just never ends.

Initiating Tactics - "The Plan"

19 August 2009

I have a race on Saturday that is a selection race for a National Championship race. It is a mass start RR but limited (the selection) to riders from the city I live in and the county (like a state).

Basically each major city and county can take 6 riders to the National Championship. Ok, simple enough. Here comes the interesting part.

My team has riders from both the city and the county. I am unable to qualify, because I'm a white guy, even if I won the race outright. No big deal, I've been in this position before.

So my goal is to help as many guys from my team qualify for the Nationals (or National Team Selection race I really have no idea).

So today we hashed out some tactics.

It involves 4 guys going to the front on the first lap, hammering their brains out and then a rabbit goes (into the headwind section) just after we start lap 2 of 7. The idea is we are supposed to see who marks him or, if he is joined by another strong rider, to give him a shot at the long break. This involves blocking.

At some point (around 5~6 of 7) were are supposed to attack and form a break with our 4 riders who already have points and myself. My job then becomes to a) drive the break and/or b) shed the unwanted cargo.

Pretty ambitious, non?

Here's how it played out:

22 August 2009

Went to the front at the gun to string things out. All the newbs, who were supposed to be there, were nowhere to be seen. Some of the other team mates contributed and then our team "captain' (yup, you heard me right, 'captain' - this guy was offered the role as a joke during a team meeting and he took the job) goes on a flyer.

Not quite the plan (the one he helped create) but we adapt. He's joined by another guy and we watch. Then two of our puppies go to the front and pick up the pace. I yell at them and they skulk to the back again.

Second lap and our guy goes as originally planned. He's joined by another and we watch again. Attacks start as it becomes clear that everyone wants a piece of this action. I also figure out who is marking me - everyone! Any move I make draws an immediate response from the entire group. Sucks to be me.

So there are a series of attacks, bridges, counters etc and it becomes clear that it's going to be tough to get a break to stick. The good thing is we are shedding riders and now we are down to about 25 guys. The bad news is we all know each other far too well.

Finally, there are 3 team mates and another guy up the road and I surprise the group and get a gap. I work across to the break and then we are joined by two other riders. We are 7 being chased by 15 or 16 guys. We get an echelon going and I think this move should stick...but 1/2 lap later it doesn't.

Counter, counter and the pace is way up again.

Then I flat.

Crap.

I look behind and there is no neutral bike. Nothing. I turn around, ride 2 km back to the start, borrow a wheel and chase.

And chase and chase and chase, throw up a little in my mouth, and chase some more until the bell lap. I've clawed back a little time but the gap is way too large. I was hoping to catch the back markers but all I caught were a couple of lone riders who were spit out at some point. Neither one can work with me or even hold on for more than a km or two. They are cooked and I'm on my way to joining them in CookedVille.

Coming into the bell lap I do something I almost never do. I stop. I DNF.

Even when I get shelled, no matter how bad, I finish up. Here I just decide that it is too hot (It was REALLY HOT) and that there is absolutely no reason for me to keep going. If I stop I can at least see the finish of the race.

So I stop. I hand over my number. I prop my bike against the van, I rinse my face and try to smile for whoever this guy with the camera is. I also make sure I am still wearing the new glasses I got that morning from our new eyewear sponsor - XForce.

Here's the kicker.

In found myself in the weird position recently of defending the UCI. My point was that they set regulations for races and, good or bad, you know how everything works, where to go and what to do.

As I am sitting there waiting for the finish I see a neutral wheel bike pull up. WTF!!! Where the hell was this guy when I flatted? I seems that he thought it was too hot (here I can empathize - it was HOT) so he decided to just sit under a tree with the wheels and if we had a problem we could just go there. Of course he didn't tell anybody - he just decided this on his own.

Did I mention that this was a circuit race - not a crit? The funny thing is he was sitting under a tree only a few hundred yards up the road from where I flatted. I never saw him and, if I had, I never would have guessed that he was the 'official' neutral wheel guy and I could get a wheel from him. I doubled back at least 2 km to the start, explained that I needed a wheel, changed it myself and then chased my brains out.

So, my team mate won the sprint from a break, we qualified at least 6 of our riders and I got a pretty decent workout.

The plan worked pretty much as we wanted with the some adaptations on the way. We knew we wanted to shell riders early and win from a break and we did. We qualified most of the guys we wanted to so, as a team effort, it was successful.

I've decided to take tomorrow off as I am going to drink many wobbly pops tonight.

I think this was one of those times when the bear ate me.