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What Donn saw:
Category: 4
Result: Back of pack
What a day! I really liked this race because it was so challenging that simply finishing felt like an accomplishment. I got my butt kicked as usual but had fun anyway. Here's how it transpired.
Jorge, Jason and Chris met at my place at the ungodly hour of 4:45 to carpool to the race. Everyone was very punctual and off we went. We arrived with plenty of time to warm up, only to find the race being delayed by 20 minutes. Then 30 minutes. I think we finally started 35 minutes late. We had a strong team of 5 with Matt, Chris, Jason, Carlos and myself. We realized before the race that any team strategy depended on us making it up Leesville Gap climb without being dropped, so we figured we'd see what happens. Before the race, Carlos, who had just previewed the course the day before, gave us a debriefing as to it's condition. Even his description couldn't prepare me for just how bad the roads were.
As we rolled out of town we had a good laugh as a couple of vicious Chihuahuas chased the peleton. Once out of town there was a bit of a breakaway that didn't generate much interest. About 10 miles into the race, we left the real roads and headed onto miles of potholes with the occasional stretch of gravel. Being relatively smooth, the gravel was always a welcome relief from the pounding of the so-called roads. It was fitting with the nature of this race that I got a bloody nose near the beginning of the bad-road section.
As we approached the hill, I moved up toward the front 15 or so in hopes of buying some "drift-time" on the climb. Well, that lasted all of a minute into the climb and I found myself dropped with a long way still to go. I climbed on and felt a bit better toward the top and managed to pass a few riders. On the descent I caught the one rider I could see and we hooked up to chase a small group of 3 or 4 that looked not-too-distant. We chased and chased but lost sight of the group. Eventually I wore out from the effort and had to ease up and my co-chaser went ahead. Later I was caught by a three pack and I worked with them, but again, couldn't hang on. Back to the solo effort. I took it easy on the two climbs near the feed zone. The big descent was great: good roads for a change, wide open line of sight and no cars made for a fun downhill. Finally for the last 20 miles I just went into TT mode and raced against the clock to make it interesting.
Result: unknown, I'd guess about 45th out of 60 starters.
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What Carlos saw:
Category: 4
Result: Back of pack
This was my first race of the season due to my knee injury. I had spent a week in
Mexico (no riding) before the race. I was able to do a few quality rides before the
race so I was not too worried. I headed up to the race a day before to recon the
major climb. It was horrible. Both the conditions on the ground and the heat. It was
a 100 + the local paper reported.
On race day, it was also hot. I am not much of a hot weather rider so I knew it was
going to be a tough day. It was good to see a strong FFBC turnout. We headed out and
once the rode became rough, I was able to hold my position but once we hit the climb
I had to ease off, I was simply overheating and felt dehydrated. Once over the climb
I struggled a bit and worked a few other riders. I soon realized I would not make it
to the feed zone with the amount of water I had. So, I make a quick pit stop at the
local bar. Seems like the no smoking laws are exempt in those parts of the state. I
filled up water bottles and I was off. From there I held a steady pace, struggled
over the feed zone climbs, and then felt a second wind and finished strongly.
This is very tough race. I am happy with the way it turned out considering the
weather conditions. My knee also held out very well.
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What Matt I. saw:
Category: 4
Result: Mid-pack
During the course of last week, I rode significantly less, just to see
how I would feel. 2 weeks ago, I was riding about 1-3 hours daily with 2
to 3 hard days in the middle of the week.
This week was only 1-1.5 hr rides, So I was feeling pretty fresh friday
when I went out for a ride to clear the legs, just rode for an hour with
some hard jumps to get the gunk out.
I got up a bit late on saturday morning. I was planning to leave just
before 6 am, but shot out the door at 635.
I drove fairly fast when I realized that registration closed at 745am. I
got there at 735am. I knew that I wasn't going to have time for a warm
up at all, so I just got all my stuff together and found the other
FFBC'ers. Turns out they were delayed. Perfect. I can now relax and find
out where the bathrooms are. The bathrooms were at the school. The line
was long and I probably stayed there for a good 20 mins. Got back to the
parking lot, and in about 10 mins I had to make another bathroom run. I
don't think I was feeling too good at this point.
We were finally called up after standing in the sun for 10 to 15 mins.
It was already hot, and not even 9am yet. I was glad to see a good
turnout for our race-Jason, Donn, Chris, and Carlos. Carlos was lucky to
have previewed the course the day before and was explaining some parts,
it was helpful-thanks Carlos.
We were off and going through the nuetral section when I heard was
sounded like big, big dogs. I turned my head, and its the Taco Bell dog.
Amazing what hearing loss can make certain things sound like.
Things were just going right along, everyone just having a easy ride.
One guy took off and Jason went right with him. The race started at this
point and the pack surged ahead a bit. With each mile, the roads got
worse. It was so bumpy that I elected to ride the gravel, it was so much
easier even though at times my tire was fishtailing all over the place.
Another thing was those loose rocks. They were flying everywhere. One
got me in the leg. Ouch.
People were powering over these sections and
there were so many flats too. I think 2 or 3 people got flats both at
tthe same time! All the ffbc'ers were together at this point and I was
prepping myself for the climb. We hit the climb at its immediately
strung out. I'm feeling fine and just calmly hold my pace trying to
relax. Its also in the high 90's at this point. I am able to stay with a
main group but I can't tell if its part of the main group or splitered
off. We get to the top and look ahead. We can still see the main bunch.
Great, now its time to chase.
There were about 7 of us, so great. But,
no one wanted to work. I was mad and was a bit bothered that we had the
pack dangling like a carrott in front of us and people were just sitting
in. I would get on the front and do a good pull and be flicking my arm
and no one wanted to come around. I had to PEEL off to get the next
rider to come through. It was stupid. A few of the riders from the main
bunch dropped off and joined us. It was like this until the 2nd hill. I
decided- F*** this, and just bombed up the climb. I got to the top and
found only two people behind me. Hmmm.
The pack was in sight again but
there were only 10 or so riders. I was surprised. I thought there would
be more, so I asked the breakmates, is that it-yup it was.. So we're
chasing again the three of us, one shorter guy a good climber would pull
on the rollers and I'd pull on the flats. The other guy didn't want to
work.
With 10 miles to go, I looked back and the shorter climber guy
dropped off. It was the "guy who doesn't work" for the next 10 miles in
hell. This is where I suffered the most in this race. It was dead flat
and a bit windy. I was stuck with the worst person for this and I
figured I'd stick with him because it would give me a least a chance to
rest on his wheel. With 5 miles to go, my whole right leg cramped up. It
was so bad I couldn't even turn the pedals over. Switching to the small
ring I got the leg going again. One 4 rider came up to us solo, and he
was strong. I got on his wheel and "mr don't want to work" is dropped.
Great. Only one mile later, my leg cramps up again. I get dropped and
"mr don't want to work" is coming up again. We both yo yo back and forth
for the last few miles. On the last straightaway, I look back and see a
bunch closing in on me. Damn, I quickly notify him and we both hit the
gas. With 1km left, I give it all I have both legs cramping, and
finish-the chase group behind with about 6 to 8 riders cross about 15
secs after me. Whew.
That was a hard race. The heat didn't bother me, (every day here in
sacto, its 100) and the climbs weren't that bad-the suffering I had was
on the flats, in the last 10 miles. That was the hardest. Placing-i am
not sure. "Mr didn't want to work" says about 15th, but even he seems to
not know what goes on, so I'l wait for the results.
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What Jorge saw:
Category: 5
Result: Back of pack
Deathville, now why would I call this race just that?
Cause I felt like I was gonna die! This was by far the
hardest race I have ever done and I did nothing but
suffer every minute of it.
My day in hell started at
4AM in the morning, meet up with Jason and Chris in
Don’s place for the drive up to Williams. Got there
pretty early went up to registration and they lost my
prereg which I sent a week and a half ago, so I had to
pay again. Suited up and rode around town with
everyone to get the legs going, at this time it was
still cool but you could just feel the heat coming.
Start time was delayed as usual, the officials said
they had to find away around a closed road and had to
reroute the course a bit so this gave me more time to
dick around and eat and visit the toilets a couple of
times. Finally our race starts around 35 minutes late
with yours truly the only one representing FFBC with
19 others brave enough to attempt this race in the CAT
5.
The first 16 miles where spent riding tempo around the
20 mph mark which allowed me to get a decent warm up,
nobody felt like pushing it with the climb coming up.
About 12 miles into the race the bad roads came and
then the suffering started for me. I could just feel
my nuts starting to hurt a mile into that crap with
alternating bad asphalt and dirt roads.
Its funny to
see at this point how many water bottles were left on
the side of the road from riders with crappy cages and
riders fixing flats, I was glad to have my camelback
with 80 oz. of our sponsors products and my trusty
training tires. I did have a problem with my camel
back thought at the start of the climb with the
mouthpiece falling off and spilling almost half my
load all over my legs, tried to reattached it on the
go but ended up stopping to fix it and had chase back
on to the pack, I thought great now I’m in trouble and
I’m just getting started.
Hit the first few slopes of
the big climb trying to stay in the front but quickly
overheated and had to slowdown and ride at my own
pace, I guess my Filipino ass isn’t used to this
weather anymore. Just trying to get over the first
climb was hell, it felt like it was never going to end
and with the bad roads, little wind and the heat made
it feel like hell. Got to the top with 5 other riders
and quickly formed a chase group to try catch the
leaders. The group was working pretty good with each
of us taking turns up front, at this point I was
filling pretty knackered and took shorter pulls cause
I was pretty much on the red. Caught Carlos and Jason
up the road and exchange a few words, I was hopping
for them to join our little group so we could all help
each other out but they were gone just as soon as I
saw them, maybe they didn’t want to get caught by the
officials working with other groups.
I could not
handle the pace anymore set by my chase group and
ended up getting dropped right before the second
climb. Ended up hitting the climb solo at my own slow
pace and bombing the descent hopping to make time and
catch on back to my group with was pretty much gone at
this point. Ended up catching another rider and we
ended up working together all the way to the feed zone
in which I got hit by cramps and got dropped pretty
quickly climbing up the feed zone.
Thank god they had
neutral water support cause my camelback was running
empty and I didn’t know if I was going to make the
distance with what I had left, I took advantage and
loaded my bike with two bottles, finish one on the
spot and pored one over my head to try to cool off and
boy did that feel great. At this point the last 20
miles was just pure desperation to finish, I was
fighting cramps and I felt getting weaker and weaker.
I saw my average speed go from 20 to maybe around 15
at the finish. I tried to eat as much gels and bars
and drink as much as I could but nothing was helping
anymore, I just started to cramp really bad and
fatigue started to set in, I felt really desperate to
finish and felt like hitching a ride with one of the
farmers to town.
My computer which was working
sporadically final quit on me and I had no way on
telling how long I had to go, the road was dead flat
with nothing but rice fields around me churning up the
humidity and I keep looking at the horizon ahead
hopping to see a glimpse of town. Riding alone sucks!
suffering alone makes it even harder, I keep looking
behind me hoping a group with catch me so I could
hitch a ride back home. A few got by but they where
going to fast for my tired legs to keep up.
Finally a
group of three got by me and I was able to jump it and
hitch a ride for a few miles till we got close to a
bigger group up the road. We got to about 30 meters to
the group up ahead and my legs cramp up really bad, I
ended up watching the group inching away from me which
added even more to my desperation, at this point I had
thoughts of beating the promoter with my bicycle as
soon as I finished for planning this race at this time
of the year and in this part of the state. Ended up
alone again in the middle of a furnace, got to an
intersection with a cop holding up traffic, asked how
long I had to go which was another 4 miles desperate
miles shit! I was so tired at this point I could
barely pedal consistently for anything longer than 30
seconds. I would do short out of the saddle sprints to
get my momentum going and repeat the same thing over
and over again, my ass was really hurting and I could
barely seat down anymore due to the pain.
Finally saw
the finish line and never felt any better, caught a
Cat 4 rider half mile before the finished chatted a
bit and noticed he was just as messed up as I was.
Crossed the finished, bitched at anyone who would
listened to me about how evil this race was, got to
the parking lot and just laid under a tree for must
have been 30 minutes trying to catch my breath and get
a little bit of strength back.
Now what did I get for
this little adventure? Maybe last or close to it. Did
I enjoy it? hell no! Will I do it again? Sure we have
to test ourselves every once in a while to the limit.
If you want to see what you’re made of then this is
the race to do it on, if suffering scares you then
don’t. I hate getting beat bad and I’ll make sure I
won’t next year. Like our governor’s famous line "I’ll
be back"!
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What Jason saw:
Category: 4
Result: Off the back
My day was long. It ended up being a hard metric century. I got blown off
the pack due to a mechanical if you can call it that...my water cage broke
at the top. So after saving my water and chase to what seemed like forever,
I finally stopped, ripped it off and continued there forth. Climb wasn't
bad. The last 15 miles really sucks. Just flat and never ending.
Long, long day.....
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