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The road race course is looking pretty brutal - 3 mile climb in the first 8 miles and then lots of undulating rollers in the canyon roads and then a 2 mile climb followed buy a 1.5km climbÊ a 2 km decent and the fun starts again for a second lap.Ê Total race = 75 miles - oh yeah after those loops you finish up a 6 mile gradual climb.Ê Now I'm no climber and yester seeing Andy Ruiz suffering so bad out there and complaining of the altitude - I'm a bit tentative.-
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Alright so I get out there in plenty of time and find that the early-
mornings here in the mountain are quite chilly - about 55 degrees.Ê I didn't bring my arm and leg warmers, but I call Kerry, who has not left yet and tell her that she want to have hers with her.Ê I roll around and I'm shivering - Kerry arrives and decides she doesn't want to use the arm warmers - I grab them and stage for the start.Ê We get the instructions and are off.Ê I make sure my computer is reset so I can gage where all the climbs are - one problem..... when I put my skewers together after shipping everything, I put the skewer in on the wrong side so the pick up magnet is on the wrong side - dang it!Ê Ok - so I have no speed info or mileage - gotta ride from course memory from driving it yesterday.Ê At least I got all my gears working and dialed in yesterday.-
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They neutral the start for the first 3 miles to get us out of town ö the flag drops and we are moving.Ê Immediately two guys take off - bye.Ê Then another guys takes off after them - ok now if too many more go I gotta go. I am not going to miss the move and ride for 20th. We hit the 3-mile climb and it seems reasonable - I just nestle in the pack and stay near the front to make sure nothing pops off and I miss it.Ê We catch the two riders that went off initially but the solo guy is almost outa site - he's absolutely flying - well he's got a long way to go all alone out there.Ê As we crest the hill and descend nothing is too intense.Ê We turn the corner at about 15 miles in a tthis town and then the attacks start.Ê Solo guy (rides for Guiness team) is 1:45 up now.Ê I go after some of these attacks but everything keeps coming together - and I'm burning matches quick.Ê One or two attacks kinds hurts and we still get caught again.Ê I watch these Schwab Cycles/Torelli guys - they have like 8 guys today.Ê One of them makes a move up the road they have 10-15 seconds - I jump and two guy are just ahead in between.Ê I catchÊ them and we motor up - then a couple of more join from behind and the field is not reacting.Ê Time to go.Ê We get most everyone going with a few sitters but we can take care of that later.Ê Soon we have 2 minutes on the field and are rolling.Ê We hit climb two on the loop (2 mile climb) and the pace sheds of like 5 guys.Ê Things are under control though and I feel good.Ê As we hit the next big 3 mile climb we are at 2 minutes but loose 30 seconds to the field - we gotta pick it up.Ê The increased speed starts to crack guys but we open back up to 2:10.Ê Things roll well to the next big climb again and the pace quickens.Ê I nestle in again and stay aware to not get gapped.Ê Guys start blowing up and soon it is down to 6 of us - the two guys attack.Ê Should I go - I dunno.Ê I'm not sure I can stick if I go - I could launch up to them but our remaining 4 seems to be rolling well and they are not pulling away - well until we start the decent.Ê Then they start inching away.Ê I feel like I'm in a rough patch and have to skip some pulls - we also have one more 1.5km kicker ahead.Ê We hit that and I'm hurtin as we actually reel them in a bit - but at the top they motor and we loose time again. The whole climb I never take a pull.Ê Once heading into town before the 6 mile climb I take pulls but we can't gain on the 45 sec to 1 minute gap they have.Ê Once on the climb I am conceding that I cannot catch them on the climb and I'll not be racing for the win now.Ê I'll die a thousand deaths though to make sure I am not 6th this year.Ê One dude attacks, but we are quick on it and it is short lived.Ê Then it is just tempo for about a the next two miles.Ê We round then traffic circle one mile from the finish and nobody is ambitious.Ê The Schwab guy keeps the pace Êup and I get his wheel.Ê I'm recovering now and have a shot at third.Ê As we approach the finish few hundred - he jumps.Ê I'm tentative since there is this nasty drain gutter that you hit at an angle in the final 100 meters. He leads me into it and almost crashes - I jam the gears and give it some power - I start coming around but the finish is right there - he hit the line as I'm finishing him off - I got the momentum, but hit hold on by about-
a half inch and I sail past just over the line.Ê Just missed third because I jumped just too late.Ê But, I made the podium and placed better than last year.Ê No shame today - making podium at nationals is always cool.-
The long awaited criterium Nationals was finally here.Ê The race wasn't-
slated to start until 4 pm so I had almost all day to just kick back and-
relax - until 2 pm when I started thinking about the race and getting-
nervous.Ê I don't get nervous for many races but Nationals always does it.-
Anyway, I head out and decide that I can ride to the start since Kerry will-
bring my spare stuff in the car.Ê Now it has been cloudy all day, but I get-
5 minutes up the road it starts to sprinkle- c'mon are you kidding me?Ê I-
don't mind so much racing in the rain, but I don't want to have to clean-
everything before packing up for tomorrow's flight.Ê The temps are only-
about 70 and I do this switch back climb to warm up.Ê I decide that it will-
alos be an arm warmer race again though.Ê The rain picks up just prior to-
start time now.-
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Well, the last minute instructions and announcements which include notable-
riders.Ê I actually make the list this time since I got 4th in the road-
race - that's cool.Ê Gun goes off and the hostilities begin.Ê This course-
has no real corners and no features to launch some severe attacks but the-
pace is high and there is a lot of action.Ê Nothing is sticking though.-
About 25 minutes in some of the attacking is taking a toll though and it-
looks like something could split.Ê I bridge across to several moves that-
contain the bigger teams but everything keeps coming back.Ê I stay up front-
looking to make it into the right move.Ê Nothing goes- then a crash goes-
down and takes out about 6 guys with about 8 laps to go.Ê They go down on a-
fast section too - doubt they get back in after that - it just sounded-
nasty - fortunately I saw none of it as it was behind me.-
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So down to 4 to go - a jump goes clear and I jump across to it - again we-
are caught.Ê 2.5 laps to go and another one goes - looks like maybe, but I-
have no teammates and I gotta be choosey.Ê A couple of team have missed it-
so I figure they'll chase it back.Ê 1 lap to go and the break of 6 is 14-
seconds up.Ê Nobody is taking charge to haul it back.Ê Those Schwab guys got-
their man up there (the guy that beat me for 3rd yesterday) but these other-
teams should get it on.Ê It keep working my into about 3-5th wheel hoping-
someone will take one for their team and bring this back.Ê Just over 1km to-
go...... Chris Harkey of Bianchi drills it - finally.Ê He hauls it back to-
about 6 seconds now, but nobody will keep it up!Ê 350 meters to go - I jump-
and try to incite the higher speed- it works and I push back into 4 th-
wheel.Ê 200 meters to go and the break is 3 seconds - we hit the final turn-
with just under 100 meters to go and make contact, but now there is not-
enough time to come around and the positions are set.Ê The medal I want will-
not happen and I maintain my spot in the sprint and pick up 10th.Ê Kind of-
disappointed - I really wanted itÊ and made all the right moves the whole-
race and then one questionable decision costs me the medals by 2 seconds.-
Certainly needed a teammate and it wouldÊ have been a done deal today --
podium no problem.-
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So - I leave the 2004 Nationals with a 4th place medal in the Road race and-
a 10th place in the Criterium.Ê I'll be back next year to try for a stars-
and striped jersey again.-
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