Epic Racing around the World

Stage racing. I always call it “the bubble”. While you’re stage racing, little is known about the outside world. You forget what day it is, where you were yesterday, and are continually amazed at where your time goes.

But…the world keeps going, and the only reason we’re able to live in this bubble is because of the hard work everyone else is doing to make this race happen.

These guys…life savers.

Jamin and Ryan are our support crew. Bikes are fixed, re fixed, and then re-re-fixed without anything more than a smile and a jump to action…and Jamin leaves us on the table for so long I have to get up out of guilt rather than because the massage and body work has been wrapped up. Venue set up, food, water, parts, baggage, there isn’t a worry for us to…well, worry about!

Thanks guys…I can’t (and don’t want) to imagine embarking on this effort without ya’ll being there for us.

Alright, enough with the mushy hippie free love ass grabbing and pats on the back, Bart and I got waxed today!

I’ll tell you this, the most I’ve ever suffered in a race was when I was once doing a two-man team time trial. The guy I was riding with was faster, stronger, and feeling great..I was the polar opposite of each of those adjectives. So I know the deep and dark cave of pain that Bart has season box seats in this week.

Its been unusual this week in that the front group ebbs and flows a bit more than they typically do. Each team will have a rough day, a mechanical, a bad patch, a partner who misses a split or is challenged particularly more by a section of the course more so than his partner or the group. It becomes surprisingly tactical out there, especially with some of the teams doing the every other day program (lose 2hrs one day then pin it from the gun the next day). So..you have to pick your battles, evaluate your competitors, maximize your strengths and try to hide your weaknesses. Today we were on the back foot and the Aussies and Ticos knew it (and were having a good day themselves). They upped the pace at just the wrong point early on and caught us out…but even then, when trying to chase like a three-legged dog, you find the little battles, and like they said at our original rider meeting on Day Zero:

“If you’re going to fight a bear, win.”

Tinker’s riding well…but when I asked Mitchell, mockingly, if that’s all he had in the tank…he pipped back…”dude, I didn’t even bring the tank today”.

Matt and Sue punched in and did their job finally…putting the wood to CX’national champion Katie Compton’s team…by a few minutes. So maybe that’s not the wood but more like balsa. Good job, folks.

Today I didn’t bring the camera. I expected to be suffering and not in any position to play photo-hog. Turns out I could’ve but I paid in spades on the downhill for the pain I wasn’t receiving on the climb. Likely today was the first time I’ve ever PRAYED for a downhill to stop. I wonder if they make an Ibuprofen gel? Bart found his mojo and chased down the Gary Fisher boys like Charlie in ‘Nam…as well as guest rider Alison Sydor, un-chicking ourselves and taking a Fisher scalp in the process. Good on ya, Bart.

Pics.

Sue on the road climb. The photos will never do the place justice. If you’ve raced Mt. Snow before, imagine 80k’s of that course, but more roots, rocks, holes, bridges, the most huge’er’est forest you’ve ever laid eyes on, and thousands of feet of vertical at your disposal (up and down).

Bridges. Again, weak photo. The big ones require magic to navigate. My new name is The Wizard.

Laundry. Try keeping 6 rider’s clothing straight after 5 stages without washing anything. And, yes…we lost a few socks.

The start. Six days in and the starts are still semi-serious. What I’ve noticed changing is the willingness for folks to stand in line for the food….us monkeys are learning new tricks and arriving in waves!