WaWWaW

(Or Wandering around Walla Walla and Waitsburg)

It's already been a week, but I suppose I should say something about the last race before I move on to the next race. Last week was the Tour of Walla Walla, which was my first real foray into the sharp end of racing with guys that are a lot stronger than me. For some reason, Walla Walla brings in all of the powerhouses from the PNW, including several teams from north of the border that are set on proving that Canucks are tougher than we are. I suppose they are.

The schedule included a 65-mile road race on Friday, a 9.3 mile TT and 50 minute crit (in the dark) on Saturday, and a 95-mile road race on Sunday. I'd had the a minor cold all week, so I went into the race just hoping not to get dropped in the first 5 miles on Friday. I hadn't felt so under-prepared for a race in a long time.

Friday afternoon was cool and windy, with the threat of rain. We were racing a lollipop course, with two hilly laps and then the finish back the stem of the lollipop. We didn't even make it 1/4 mile into the "neutral" 400-watt roll out before I heard the first crash behind me. After that it was an hour of mostly blurry pain, as I did every thing I could to stay near the front and not let gaps open in the wind. The most enjoyable stretch of road was a long, very gradual downwind climb that we rode up at just above 30mph. That hurt, but I managed to make it over the top with the group and my lunch still in my stomach. So the first lap went ok, and I was still hanging on.

The second lap wasn't so much fun. I was doing ok near the front when we hit the feed zone hill. Why everyone thinks you have to attach through the feed zone is beyond me, but next thing I know, most of the field is riding by me. I make it over the top about 30m off the back of the front group and manage to latch back on right as we turn left to climb the aforementioned gradual, down-wind, 30mph climb. I don't do very well on this climb. The lead group splits in two, and I drop off the back of the second group. I figure that's the race for me, but then 6 or 7 guys catch me who are motivated to catch back up. We manage a semi-reasonable double pace line, I only have the F-bomb thrown at me once (by a junior on Sir Lance's U23 team), and after 10 minutes of chasing, we catch on at the base of the next climb.

And I get dropped again. But someone likes me, and on the descent it starts raining very hard, and the pack slows down. I'm able to ride through the detritus falling off the back and make it back to the front of the group by the next climb. This climb is a bit easier and into the wind, and I don't have a problem staying with the group. So all we have left is 6 miles of downhill and flat until the finish.

At this point, despite having been dropped 3 times and having no legs, I somehow convince myself that if I'm in the front group, I might as well have a go at it. So I spend the next few miles squirming through gaps and finding wheels to pull me to the front. With about 1k to go, I almost get pushed off the road, but squeeze by on a spare inch of pavement, and find myself in about 10th wheel as the pace picks up for the sprint. I have nothing at all in the tank, so I pick a big guy and hope he'll pull me to the finish. I try to sprint, but have to sit down after about 10 seconds. Then I get mad at myself for being weak, and manage to stand up and finish the sprint. I even do a bike throw at the end just for the hell of it. I look up and start counting and only get to 8. I'm not sure I counted right, but by the time I try to count again, the field has caught us and there are people everywhere. I make the mistake of telling my teammate that I got 8th, and then spend the rest of the day stressing that I actually got 10th or 15th or something and will look stupid for saying 8th.

Turns out I got 7th, out of 119 starters, with some of the very strongest guys in our part of the world in the race.

So if you're wondering why I spent all of that time talking about the first day of a 4-stage race, that's why. The TT was mediocre, the crit scary and dark (with my only goal being to finish in the group and in one piece), and I was the last guy dropped from the lead group on the final climb of the final stage. Other than surviving to a 29th place on the GC, there's not much more to talk about. But I'm happy with the 7th.