|   Race day story | The Truth
Jul 14, 2002 8:45 PM | | Today I rode my 4th race of the season. This particular race was in Peoria Illinois, the PAMBA Homegrown series. It's a really nice venue for anyone in the area that hasn't raced this series. I wasnt expecting too much because on the course pre-ride on Saturday I banged up my left knee on a rough section. The first section of the course was really tight and had a couple of tiny bridges on it, and I wanted to get out fast and get out front. I started a bit slower than I wanted but I worked my way up into 2nd going into the singletrack. The guy I was following wanted to let me pass but I told him that we just needed to survive this section and get out in the open. I made the pass in an open section and climbed up to the damn overlook. When I swung around onto the damn......(about 800m of open road) I looked back and couldn't believe my eyes. The next rider was almost 400m behind me. I made it throught the first lap without any problems.....had a 45 sec lead on second place. The second lap was going great. The guy in 2nd was just catching up a bit but I was still stronger on the climbs. He kept catching me on the downhill sections and I was starting to get nevervous, with about 1 mile to go I decided to look back and see where he was at.....cause I can here him bearing down on me. I look back in an open section.....and WHAM I'm down, I caught a rut. The guy passes me and goes on to win the race. Well I guess each time out is a learning experience......and I learned not to look back. If the guy is gonna pass you then he will, if not....well you know the rest. To top it off the guy tells me at the finish line that he didn't have the juice to pass me.......lol. Oh well, to goof up that bad and finish 2nd I will take it every time.
TT |
| re: Race day story | DaveP
Jul 24, 2002 5:45 PM | | Whats up? I was there too but I have a better story for you. I was third behind you with about 2 miles to go and I was really cooking. I had to start at the back due to some lower intestinal issues at the start of the race and work my way throught the two wheels obsticals during the first lap. I wiped out 3 freaking times tring to avoid slamming into some poor rider that was falling over or had simply stopped on an obstical. One was a full endo with a double cuss combo before impact. Anyhow I passed everyone but you two and I was closing in and then...wham. My right pedal had worked loose and I ripped it out of my crank arm! I had no frickin clue what happened and I actually tried to engage 3-4 times in the missing pedal before I looked down and saw I didnt have one! It wasnt on my crank and it wasnt on my foot. There I was torn between loosing a nice pedal and loosing time. Logic concurred over adrenalin and I walked back down to the dry creek crossing and found the pedal and proceeded to sit there trying to thread it back in for a long time. It didnt work so I one legged it out for 6th. I was so pissed.
You most likely would have won since you smoked me at Jubilee. I had second in the first race and would have liked it this time. Oh well. I have to miss the third race but I will be at the final one. Anyway dont feel so bad about second!
I'll see you at the front of the starting pack next time. |
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