Sopping Wet Twilight Report

I had planned writing about the terrors of the Athens Twilight completely separate from all else, but as you will soon see, the last few days have been less than awesome.

As I am coming to expect the race on Saturday night got pushed back over an hour past scheduled start time and me and the guys were left huddling under out tent trying to stay warm and dry until we got called to the start line just for 10pm.

We were lucky that the rain took a break just long enough for the announcer to make all the call ups, at least we weren’t freezing on the start line. It wasn’t long after the race began that the heavens opened up and it began to rain from every direction.

The race started with over a 150 riders, but after 30 minutes the race was down to just over 50 guys. The heavy rains along with fast paced racing tested more than just the racers fitness as we whipped around the 4 corner course 80 times in just over 90 minutes.

The team rode flawlessly all night, with the exception of one single mistake. The race winning attack happened right in front of Adam and myself, but for a multitude of reasons we just watched it go and let our teammate Will cover the move. Sadly, Will never made contact with the break away and our team was left to chase the break, or accept defeat.

TMK is lined out on the front in hot pursuit of the breakaway

With 40 laps to go all 8 of our guys (yes we were for sure the only team who had not lost any riders yet) lined up on the front of the bike race and started drilling it, in an attempt to reverse the quickly growing gap to the break of 6 guys.

We pulled and pulled but hardly made back more than 20 seconds on the break. We were tearing the race apart, as we would find out after the race when only just over 30 racers finished, but we couldn’t neutralize the break that had slipped away. We were racing for 7^th place.

We had decided to race for Adam that day because he is by far the most skilled bike handler in the rain, so as all of us worked at the front, Adam tried to conserve as much energy as he could for the sprint for 7^th. Our team lead the race until 1 lap to go when our team was overtaken by the United Healthcare team. Adam was able to jump of the back of their lead out and was in great position going into the last turn, but unfortunately his sprint was ruined as we had to dodge a rider who crashed right in front of him 200m from the line.

My sprint was much less exciting. After having pulled to chase the break back for 45 minutes, and after suffering from a flat tire (damn officials were putting people back in the race from the back of the field) I had no energy to contest the sprint. All I could do was finish. I rolled across the line in 18^th place I think.

Crappy conclusion to what was a valiant effort from our team, but luckily there are 5 more races were me may correct our mistakes.

Moments Before Twilight

Im not much of a writer and so it is far too easy for me to simply blurb out the details of how a race played out, but that is neither useful or interesting to read. I really want to use this blog for more than just my take on a bike races highlights. I am an independent from the races that I participate, and so here is another attempt to open up and enlighten you to the types of things that go through my mind in the hours leading up to the biggest race of my season.

Its 3:30pm, its thundering and lightening outside and I’m just beginning to warm up from my morning ride. The last few days have really tested my faith in the existence of cycling gods, because everyone knows that no god would ever put his children through the agony of racing twilight in the rain. The weather forecasts were as vague as always, and our fate was not sealed until we woke up this morning to sound of rain slamming the wooden deck just outside my basement bedroom.

I have dreamed about winning this race every day since the first time I stepped foot onto the Athens streets wearing a cycling kit a year ago today. The energy of the “40k” spectators is enough to bring a greater sense of purpose to my job. For one night a year we are important and we are treated like celebrities. I cannot come close to describing the feeling that Athens Twilight brings me, other than to say that this one race justifies all the ill treatment that I face by motorists all year round.

From the day that I was offered a contract for 2010, management has said that the door is open for you to show us what you have got, to show us just how fast you really are. If I have the legs this year than I will not be overshadowed by the incredible successes of my former teammates. This bold statement was seemingly inconsequential when it was first said, but as the minutes tick down those words are leaving a cotton ball feeling in the back of my throat. I think I swallowed my tongue.

I do not question my ability to compete with the top sprinters on every domestic pro team. I certainly do not have the long list of victories on my resume that many of these guys have, but that doesn’t mean shit when your neck and neck with 200 meters to go. What I find myself questioning is my confidence that I have the experience that is needed to make the right decisions, day in and day out over the next 10 days, to assure that I come out of the last corner in a position to sprint.

The rain and the horrible nightmare of “could be” crashes, on top of the immense pressure that I feel to solidify my competence as a sprinter has resulted in my present behavior. I should be sleeping, but every time I close my eyes all I do is think about the bike race. What will I do if there is a break and I am not in it? What will I do if I get in a break? What if I crash? The “could be” possibilities are fucking endless and I will not be content until I know exactly what I am going to do in every single situation. It is a terrible burden that I have placed upon myself to expect such success, but it is a challenge that I am eager to take. Sitting back and being complacent will not yield the outcome that I am so desperate to achieve. I don’t live my life like that and so there is not excuse to race by bike like that.

What separates good cyclists from winners is their ability to adapt to adversity. I still may be pissing nails right now, but Ill tell you what, Im adapting the shit out of this adversity.

Athens Twilight Grid Qualifiers

I had very low expectations for this race seeing as I have terrible power beyond 5 minutes of all out effort, but I still did not want to go out a look like a fool. I wanted to go just hard enough to open my legs up for tomorrows race, and still not getting last place while wearing a pro teams jersey. Apparently I'm destined to look like a joker.

I didn't get last but it was a real struggle in the competition. The format of this race is that they have eight stationary bikes set up on a stage. The "trainers" as they are called are hooked up to a computer program that simulates the terrain of tomorrows race, it moderates the resistance on the wheels to simulate the hills and descents that are on the Athens Criterium course.

Why the hell would the do that when the trainers are set up on the very same roads that the race goes over tomorrow? good question! I think that it is simply because it is easier to organize an event that doesn't move, and it makes for an interesting shift from the norm.... but mostly the easier part.

These races are qualifiers for tomorrows event in that the higher you place in the trainer race, the better (closer to front of the pack) you get to start in tomorrow nights race, and with 200 racers on a 1k course, a front row starting position is prime real estate.

I wasnt to worried about the event because I am pretty good at moving through the pack. I assume that no matter where I start, I will be in the top ten after 5 laps. Thats just how I roll. Nevertheless, a good starting position makes for less energy expenditure on avoidable hurdles.

From another perspective, it was awesome to be a spectator tonight. Rarely do I get to be a part of the crowd who is hollering at the bike racers as they push themselves further than what appears healthy.

Two of my teammates made the "finals", which was a championship round of the top 8 guys that went off at 9pm. It was crazy! There were about a thousand people screaming for 7 minutes as those riders of the stage went from cool and collected at minute 0 all the way down to what looked like the deepest darkest inescapable pain cave. It was incredible to watch how all of their energy was directed straight into spinning that rear wheel. The fastest guys were the ones that looked like they were going the easiest... go figure.

It was awesome. I captured this photo of will in the later moments of the race. He looks like he would rather be dead right now that continue putting himself through that agony. I know the feeling and I'm still trying to figure out what it is that motivates me to defy my humanly instinct, which is to stop doing what is physically hurting me, but instead I just to go even harder because I know other people are hurting just as bad. Ohh what stupid games we humans play.

The last photo shows you what it is like being behind the stage looking out onto the crowds. Its and awesome feeling to have that many people screaming at you. Tomorrow is my day. The weather looks like its going to be a wet one, but all that means is that the pavement will be softer when everyone else lands on it. I want to start the season with the respect in the peleton that I think that I deserve, and there is no better way to take that seat than to go out and show them that Im not fucking around anymore. This is a new season and I am a new rider. Its gonna be like when Happy Gilmore learned how to putt, this seasons already been won.

A Trip to Alabama

It sure has been a long time since I last made a post, but there hasnt been that much happening in the last month. I wrote a post to follow up the cali trip, but I still havent got it posted. I will put it up soon, I just wanted to make sure I could get some thoughts out about Sunny King Criterium before they escape me.

I flew down to Winston-Salem on Wednesday night after a pleasant extended stay in Burlington Vermont. There I able to catch up with friends that I hadnt seen since January, as well as get some much needed training to top up before Speedweek.

After a stress filled Friday morning, I was eager to leave the team house and start traveling south. I picked Will up in Charlotte and together we drove to Atlanta and spent the night at Thomas's house.

As a result of the recent conflict between Bahati Foundation and United Healthcare (my opinions regarding that to follow) the team was uncertain how the race would play out, so we spent the whole drive to Anniston going over possible race scenarios.

Well after all the conversations we had, the ONE possibility that we were all certain wouldn't happen happened. A huge break got away with one of our none sprinters. 13 dudes got away with our tank Will Hofarth. The kid is as strong as a brick shit house, but he has a school girl sprint in comparison to the rest of the guys the made up the move. As a result of some hesitation on Thomas and my behalf, as well as a completely satisfied peleton, there quickly became no way that we could get a second guy into the break.

The break eventually would lap the field and our only chance at getting the win would be if Will could make a solo effort in the last few laps and hold off the field. He made a good attempt but it was a bit to early (8 to go) and the field was determined to duke it out in a sprint.

Thomas and I tried to keep Will with us in the front but for me, it was nearly impossible to look after anyone else but myself going into the last two laps. The sprint was relatively safe, other than bahati, but I was pleased winning a 3rd place in the sprint. Sadly it was not for a podium position, but for 15th. Hopefully I can be sprinting for the win at Athens.

This is the highlights video from the race. It was an awesome event