Epic Racing around the World

Hurriedly, I’ll be updating today from a roadside pub in Lake Cowichan on Victoria Island…

What can I say? If two family guys are going to head up to Canada for a week of bike racing (vacation) and not bring their families…they better make it count, no?

So we did. Despite (or because of) the pure chaos of the day, Bart and I managed to pull off both a stage win and the lead in the first stage of the BC Bike Race. 1 down, 6 to go, eh?

Today was a day of challenges, setbacks, and accomplishment for everyone, especially the MonavieCannondale.com riders. The race began with two start loops around a private school’s campus befitting a Harry Potter scene…however, with one caveat - a freshly mowed field was used in the start loop…and within a hundred feet, every bike’s drive train was fully clogged with mowed hay. chains, cassettes, pulleys, pedals - anything that rotated was clogged with the dessicated and mowed grass. Some riders lost their derailleur hangers, other like us, simply had to stop and meticulously remove what we could while the riders behind the lead group charged past. Soon…we found ourselves hundreds of riders deep and at a walking pace in the single track….all less than fifteen minutes into the race.

Feeling like all was lost, Bart and I moved through traffic, having lost Tinker and Mitchell to the grass fiasco…and somehow found ourselves catching up to the lead group of Kona and Rocky Mountain guys.

A team race is a unique scenario in mountain biking. You’re only as fast as the slowest guy, and each rider on a team has his or her strengths…and weaknesses. I noticed early on that the guys in our group weren’t running granny gears. Our Cannondales are 2×9 setups also, but with a 29×34 vs most other rider’s 32×34 - instant advantage as we had lower gears than the others guys and I knew, despite fatigue and an unknown 800 meter high climb ahead of us, that if Bart and I could take advantage of our equipment, today could be our stage to win. Rest on the shallow areas of the climb and push hardest where its the steepest…and somehow pulled our gap to the finish.

Evaluating each rider - those of your competitors as well as within your own team - was key to our success today. We’re riding the best equipment, thought carefully about our situation and didn’t panic, and as they say…they’re only taking your finishing position AT the finish.

Brilliant, eh? Something to think about next time you’ve flatted, become caught in traffic, or filled your drive train up with a freshly mowed hay field.

Photo blog:

Post race. Support is key…don’t they say it takes a village to win a race? Bart’s on the table with Jamen, getting ready for the next stage with a little body work.

Mitchell and Tinker post stage 1. 4 flat tires and a lot of struggling with the hay situation. Live to fight another day, eh?

Shattered, battered, and scattered. Just after crossing the finish line, Bart gets the scoop from Tinker and Mitchell.

Word on the trail was that Sue was dragging Matt around by his nostrils during last hour. Judging by how fresh she looks…and how tattered he looked, that sounds about right, but worth it as they sit second overall going into stage 2.

Bart and I have a The Bling-Off 2008 with our new shoes. I won, hands down.

Breakfast.

And time for dinner. An army fights on its stomachs, and a racing team is no different.

I usually keep the photo to word ratio a LOT closer, so for those types here you go:

Pro men:

1st Gilliespie/Sager in 4:14:00

2nd Wicks/Sneedon @-10:00

Tinker/Mitchell pretty far back.

Co-ed teams:

1st Wendy Simms and Mr. Simms

2nd Sue Butler and Matt Ohran @-18min.