I had a great time racing in Eureka Springs yesterday. Three Happy Cows Cycling had a solid group go over to compete in three races. I entered the 3/4 race. The early start was brutal but racing through the foggy Ozarks at dawn made for some stunning scenery. Humidity was OFF the charts. Definitely a 4 bottle race. A big thanks to Vince C for hooking me up with a helmet. I totally forgot mine. The race was sort of boring and beautiful all the same. The bunch was not letting anything go up the road. We tried but nothing worked. So there was a lot of opportunities to catch up with folks from the racing scene and just look around and enjoy the views. We stayed together until the last 20 miles, finally the lumpy rollers started taking a toll. I felt really good until the last 10 miles. I should have taken 3 bottles and a bottle at the feed zone. I have trouble keeping up with sweat loss. As Johnny Law says, 'riding on your wheel is like riding in the rain.' Over the years I have noticed a sharp loss in power when its humid. It's like someone flips a switch and the power is gone. Totally my fault on the bottles. I think my brain was still asleep. The last 10 miles might as well have been a slog through the alps. Every slight rise in the road felt like climbing a mountain pass. I was dropped on the last climb before the finish. After cresting the top I noticed the follow car was stopped and a guy was in the road trying to get me to slow down. When I rounded the corner I saw bikes and bodies on the deck. It looked pretty bad. Two of my teammates went down. I have since heard there were several broken bones with different folks. It is a part of bicycle racing but still sucks. 3HC's best results were 4th & 5th in the 1/2/3 race, 11th in the 3/4's and 4th in Masters. All in all it was a great morning. The Eurekan Road Race is definitely worth putting on your race calendar in 2015. Good times.
It is not normal (in road racing) to use lights to pump up tires.
Even at 6AM folks were cracking smiles.
Art H clearly did his homework. I actually asked him a couple times what was coming up next.
Fog.
Ben C (Zest Cycling) is always good for a smile & thumbs up.
I was dreaming about this ice cold beverage for about 10 miles.
Crash.
Crash.
This was much appreciated.
One of the things I enjoy most about bicycle racing. Camaraderie & story telling.
Spoils.
A big thanks to The Bike Route for putting us on the very best machines.
Let's Eat!
2 comments:
I love your blog, in general, and I particularly like your posts about events and activities. The way you relate the story and the pictures make it seem like I was almost there in the middle of it all.
Thank you Caroline!
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