Rosewood Road Series 2 - Race 3

We are back to Vista View, and I’m actually going to try to win it today. Today will be the only day that I go for any green jersey point. I will only do it if it presents itself. I’m not going to burn it for the points.

All the usual suspects are here. I’m more confident because I know that the sprinters can climb, so they will get dropped in less than 10 minutes. I also know the climbers can’t sprint, so they won’t be much of a threat.

Since I have done this race I have a better idea of how to attack the course. If you really want to take the cake, you have to attack it on the next to last hill. Reason? That is the climb that you can get distance on any other rider. Coming down that hills you gain so much momentum, that you can usually glide up the final hill.

All the riders are out in force, and once we are off I’m waiting for the group to weed itself out. When the climbers started putting the hammer down, the group shattered again. This time it was a much bigger group of 25 riders, not the 10-man selection like last time. I was nervous about keeping a good position because that many guys it makes it more difficult to make a good move. Riders are attacking harder than before, and I’m surprised (Or, am I’m just suffering), because some of those same riders were the same ones that got drop in less than 10 minutes at the first race.

O.K. I’m suffering, and I have used the same tactics as the last race. Sitting in the back is hurting, and I don’t feel like I’m getting any protection. I feel like we have a headwind up and down both sides of the climbs. My heartrate is 181bpm, and we have only been racing for 12minutes. I look around and that group of 25 has disintegrated into a 10-man group. Great! A small group is easy to manage. But the group is out of control, and the attacks keep coming.

At the first sprint there is 3 guys up the road, but the last guy is lingering and can may be get caught at the line. I didn’t want to go that deep, but there is a chance. Coming down the last hill I hit it hard. Coming up the hill I’m out of the saddle trying to salvage 3rd place double points, but I come up short. Now, I have gone into the red, and go no points. The group catches me and I jump right to the back, and I’m so hurt that I’m actually afraid I’m going to get dropped.


I manage to dig deep enough to stay on the back, but I’m on the rivet big time. Riders are taking unusually hard pulls, or am I just hurting that much. They almost seem like attacks, and I can’t even manage to stay in the slimstream. I’m wasting a lot of energy, and I’m never seeming to recovery, not even at the back.

When it’s time for the second sprint I manage to get second because a rider had already attacked off the front, and I go into the red to get it. I’m hurting even worst, but I have gotten used to the acid bath my legs and lungs are in, so I keep plugging along. I’m at the back and some of the other riders are trying to sit on my wheel. I purposely open up a gap so far that they have to come around me. I’m going to make sure I’m the last person, but I’m not so far gone that I can’t bridge on my own.



This is one of those times that I’m ready for the race to be over, and when Carlos say’s “3 laps to go”, the attacks went. Now, I’m happy because I’m really going to sit on now. Out of nowhere a rider goes off the front, and no one reacts because he may just come back to us. With one lap to go my heartrate is already over 180 beats and I blown up, but I manage to stay near the front. Before the last climb Roman Joa makes a jump for it. No one really reacts. I’m not worried about him; I’m following Mike Bush as he is the only one in the series that is close to me in the overall.

On the next to last climb New dude is off the front, and Roman is catching him. We are still together with Mike Bush leading it, and me on his wheel. Coming down the last climb to go up to the sprint I can get my bike in the big chain ring. I have about 15 seconds to work it out, but decide to go for it in the bottom ring. Mike is in front of as we hit the bottom of the climb to sprint to the top. He pulls away from me and my legs are spinning too fast to catch him, but I pull close to him at the line. Roman takes the win, Mike catches New Dude on the line, I take forth, and Roberto takes 5th.



I find out after the race that New Dude jumped in on the backside with 5 laps to go. I was so concerned with staying on I didn’t notice the guy. Carlos said he yelled at the guy to get off the course for the last 4 laps, but he didn’t listen and kept riding. So I actually finished 3rd in the race. Now I’m leading the series by 2 points over Mike Bush. I know that Mike has never beaten me in a group sprint, so the agenda for the next race is to sit on Mike’s wheel, and not let him go off the front. I have to put as many points on him as possible to lock up the series, because Ms P. and I are getting married in Las Vegas the weekend of the last race.

Pacer Out!