With a combined E4/E5 field, high winds, and a 1 mile gravel section we knew this race would be sketchy, so congrats to everyone for making it through without any serious injuries.
We did 3 laps: the first was uneventful, everyone testing the new course, but at the start of the second lap, after the left turn into the tailwind, one guy launched himself off the front (let's call him the roadrunner) and got himself a solid 20 second gap. Chaotic, uncoordinated chasing ensued, and by all accounts he actually gained on us over the next ~8 miles, until we finally managed to get an echelon rotation going and got him within 10 seconds by the end of the second lap, thanks in part to some good rotations by our team.
(At some point I remember looking back and seeing John getting pushed off the road and into the barbed wire on the side, but i'll let him tell that story...)
So, we had almost caught the roadrunner, when some idiot in a green jersey (not ours!!) attacks right as we hit the feedzone (wtf!?). Anyways, somewhere in that mess, a guy in a christiancycling.com jersey (let's call him Jesus) escapes off the front and manages to bridge halfway to the roadrunner guy. I knew I should have gone with him, but I did a pull at the front before the attacks started so I couldn't respond (good excuse, right?). Shortly after that, some guy in a blue jersey also jumps off the front and manages to solo up to Jesus. So, now blue jersey guy and Jesus have almost caught the roadrunner, at which time the pack realizes that if they get together we'll be racing for 4th place...but that's exactly what happens, as we failed to form a rotation in time.
So, the third lap was a frantic, uncoordinated chase, which shelled most of the pack, leaving a small chase group that included Andrew and I. A godspeed rider (Shawk Yackle) managed to solo away from us over the rollers, as well, so we were now chasing 4 riders. Andrew put in a huge pull over the entire gravel section (into a headwind!) which managed to shell at least one more rider off the back, leaving a 6 man chase group.
Within a few miles of the line the break was over a minute ahead, and the lone godspeed rider was holding his own, so the games, and trash talking began. At the 1km to go, Andrew decided to selflessly set a high tempo into the wind (I wouldn't have asked him to do it, but it made all the difference for me as it prevented the others from attacking). I sat in, and although I was fading pretty badly at the end, tried to repay Andrews team effort by playing it smart and
waiting for one of the stronger riders to sprint early on the finish climb, stay in his draft, and then give it everything for the finish. This resulted in a second place sprint from that final group, behind one of the riders who was just far too strong.
Andrew came in the back of that group after his effort, but took the moral victory after putting in so much work in the last lap of the race. I hope I get the chance to pay him back at copperopolis.
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