The baptistry
Celestial Room
My current favorite room, the Sealing Room
We had a good trip and got home in time to take a ride on the greenway in Ashland City. It was Shannon's first time riding with me and we had a lot of fun. I'm so happy she has taken a little interest in riding. Bikes are so fun. People that never try riding are really missing out.
Looking down the greenway in Ashland City
Shannon
Shannon crossing the bridge over Sycamore Creek
My parents were out of town and Shannon's family lives way up in Indiana, so we had Easter dinner with a family from church instead. Then we squeezed in another bike ride between rain showers. Spring weather always brings out the wildlife on rides, especially the turtles.
Snapping turtle in the road
Next up on the race agenda was Speed Week. I was uanble to take off all week from work, so I couldn't catch all 7 races, but I did manage to get pre-registered for 5 of them. The week started off in Athens, GA with the legendary Athens Twilight. I was unable to get registered for the Pro/1 race so I had to do the morning qualifier to try and make the Amateur Finals Saturday night. I am not a fan of the qualifier course. It's similar to Anniston with the way it always seem to slow down along the backside and holding your position is near impossible. The course rolls around the Oconee River Greenway Park. It starts downhill to turn 1 and 2, then flat along the back to turns 3 and 4, then uphill to the finish. Like the Sunday STL crit and the Twilight night course, all right turns and the basic shape of a rectangle. This course was long though, a good mile in length.
Athens AM Qualifier race course along the Oconee River Greenway
The Pro/1/2 race was fast at times, but overall it wasn't bad. I sat in the group just waiting for the end. My legs were not there today and I knew it, so I conserved everything during the race. I was right where I needed to be with 2 to go, but I picked the wrong line up the hill to the bell and fell back outside the top 20. Only 35 qualified for the night race, so I didn't want to get too far back and chance not making it in. There was a crash on the backstretch the final lap and that impeded my ability to move up. I had to take to the gutter and somehow managed to squeeze my way to about 7th entering turn 3. I was good with that position, but the rider to my outside cut down on me and I had to go into the ditch, losing a good 15 spots before turn 4. I pulled out of line and started my sprint way early just to ensure I was in the top 35. Another rider shot into me and I had to back off to avoid crashing. The legs just didn't have it to get back up to speed and I lost a lot of spots before the line. I thought that I missed the top 35. It was a disappointing few minutes until results were posted and I saw that I just got in with 28th place. Whew!! Average speed for the 50 minute race was 26.1 mph.
Me in turn 2 during the Pro/1/2 morning qualifier
Loved the giant shark inflatable slide for the kids
The weather was perfect for the finals. We had clear skies and the temp around 80 with a very gentle breeze. We had been told to line up in turn 3 and that anyone who lined up at the start/finish would be put in the back for the start. We were parked at turn 3 so I did my warm-up on the trainer and then rolled to the spot we were told to go. It looked like I would get a front row start as there were not many people down there. The start is super important here. There's 95 starters and with the high speeds and carnage that comes with Athens, you want to be up front and out of the mess. I started in the back last year and that was a nightmare. I wanted to keep that from happening again. Well, the officials changed their minds without telling anyone and the freaks that line up at the start/finish were allowed to stay while all of us that followed the rules had to start in the back.
Athens Twilight crit. course from my GPS
Riders on the start line for the Amateur Finals. You can see me at the very back in my Maxxis skinsuit.
I was so pissed to be on the last row again this year and left the start line like a bat out of hell. I may have started 93rd, but I was probably in the top 60 after lap 1. My legs were so much better than in the qualifier. I was able to close down the gaps and get onto the back of the lead group of 40 after 5 laps. I dodged 2 crashes on lap 6, then flatted on the backstretch after running over a screw.
Bullseye! Good way to destroy my new Maxxis Columbiere tire.
It was a nice 2.5" deck screw right through my tire.
I took my free lap and was back in the race. They actually put me in very close to where I was when I flatted. There were now less than 40 in the front group. The pace was still super high and gaps kept opening. I really had to work hard for 3 laps to move up and get off the back. I finally got a chance to catch my breath for a few laps and then worked my way up into the top 10 with 3 laps to go. I was feeling good about my chances in a sprint, hoping for maybe a top 5 finish.
Me in the group after my flat. Notice the pimpin' Zipp on the rear.
Then with 2 laps to go there was a huge crash in turn 1. It started on my inside and came across the course and somehow I managed to get through without going down. Brent Mahan wasn't so fortunate and flipped into the barriers, breaking his new frame and possibly a few ribs. I checked up as the crash was happening and was plowed from behind. That hit knocked me through a hole between falling riders and got me out of danger. The crash left a huge gap in the group. I drilled it to close the gap and managed to get on the back of the leaders in turn 1 with a lap to go. Then there was another crash and I was unable to close the gap again. I had nothing left in the sprint and lost several spots, fading to 23rd. What a crazy race! Always fast, and always sphincter-clinching. That's why I love Athens! Our race average was 27.4 mph, my second fastest average ever. Race time for 20 laps was 26 minutes even.
Pro Women go up the hill on the backstretch
The Pro Women raced right at sunset.
Pro Men roll into Turn 3 under the lights of Athens.
Pro Men go through turn 3 on the final lap at Athens Twilight
Sunday it was on to Roswell, a small, historic town north of Atlanta. I did a little damage to my Reynolds wheel the night before with the flat, so I was on the Cosmic Carbones for this race. The Cat. 2/3 race was a full hour long today. I liked the course. It featured 5 left turns with a gradual uphill on the backstretch, a downhill into turns 4 and 5, and a flat finish. Turn 5 was a little tricky as it was tighter than 90 degrees and had a few cobbles in the crosswalks. We had a big field of over 80 riders. Again there was a lot of confusion with staging. I got up there early, was on the front, then got asked to clear the road for an EMT. Next thing I know I'm starting last. Some days it just doesn't pay to try.
Roswell was full of bike art. Not sure what this is.
Cat. 5s
Masters group climbing the small hill on the backside of the course.
My Shannon was there watching the races with me and supporting me during my race.
My crazy luck from Athens continued with a flat tire about 10 seconds after the start. The front blew out like a shotgun blast. It was a very long front straightaway and the pit was way down at the other end. I jogged back to the pit. People were yelling at me to calm down and just walk, but it was a long way and you only get 3 laps to get serviced. I just settled into a nice jog thinking "It's ok...I'm a triathlete!" every time someone told me to stop running. I got back to the SRAM pit and took another of those sexy Zipp wheels they were handing out. They put me back in at the end of the line after 3 laps. What a way to start the day!
I didn't panic. It was an hour race, so I had more than enough time to work my way up. The pace was fast, but I settled in and picked my way through the group, getting to the front about 25 minutes in. I was feeling good, but again it was hard to hold your position. The pace slowed drastically every lap on the backside and everyone at the front would get swarmed. I rode the yo-yo the rest of the race, staying in the top 20 and out of trouble. We had two nasty crashes, with a rider getting carted off on a backboard in each one.
A little breakaway escaped in the final laps and we were left to fight for 4th in the sprint. I was a little too far back with a lap to go and I had to work hard through the first 3 turns to move up. It slowed down up the hill and I got blocked over on the left side. I entered turn 4 in about 10th. The rider ahead of me got sideways and I had to check-up to keep from hitting him, losing a spot before turn 5. There was yet another near crash in the last corner that held me up considerably and cost me a lot of spots. Again, my sprint was not the best and I didn't make up many positions before the line, winding up in 15th. It sucks that I keep getting held up by crashes in the final laps of these races, but I am very grateful that I was not involved in any of them. I forgot to charge the GPS and it died early in the race so I have no data for this one.
The Pro races were great. There were lots of crashes that slowed things down, but it was some of the best racing I've ever seen and we had a blast watching. United Healthcare showed they mean business and did a crazy leadout the last few laps to go 1-2 in the men's race. I was pumped watching because I already knew that I was allowed to race the Pro/1 races for the rest of the Speed Weeks races I was going to. I couldn't wait to get in there and get me some!
Pro Women go through turn 5
Pro Men roll off turn 5 at Roswell
Pro Men leaned over in the middle of turn 5
The Pro Men come out of turn 4
Pro Men's pack going between turns 4 and 5
Pro Men go through turn 4 at Roswell
Pro Men finish
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