Adam's Recap: Gastown, Burnaby, Boise
How come whenever I get a good result lately, you have to go digging for the results? It’s like there’s a plot against me.
Finally found results for the second day at Louisville.
Monday we flew to Seattle, and then had a nice day Tuesday riding around the city a bit and checking things out, as well as doing a cool opening up workout around Mercer Island with our host Chris Daifuku from the Hagen-Berman team.
Wednesday night in Vancouver was a bit of “what if.” I knew right from the start I felt incredible. I thought I would be called up and so was staged in the back, and ended up starting there when it felt like every rider but me got introduced. It didn’t take me long to move up, and I never felt under pressure as I rode around rider after rider who got popped off the back. Huge splits were happening, and was able to just ride straight across them.
All of a sudden, though, once I’d gotten to the front, I started to struggle. I couldn’t figure it out, but thought maybe I had started overheating or done too much to move up. After about 5 laps of questioning myself and gradually dropping back, someone pointed out that I had broken a spoke and my wheel was rubbing my brakes badly. Duh. I took a free lap, got a new wheel, got in at the back of a greatly reduced field, and was back at the front two laps later.
Tom was ripping it up, too, constantly surfing the front and rolling with moves, and I was happy to finally be able to join him. With about 10 laps to go we hooked up for the sprint and he started piloting me around. Gastown is part of the USA Crit Series, and being 3rd overall, it was crucial to get a good result. Tom was totally committed to helping me do that.
And again, all of a sudden, I started to struggle. I was losing wheels in and out of turns, especially when I was coasting. I kept having to jump back around to Tom’s wheel, and it was taking it’s toll. I thought again that I must just be at my limit, and kept fighting. With 1/2 lap to go, I made it back up to Tom’s wheel one last time, as he covered Chris Horner who was attacking up the left around the Symmetrics train. I couldn’t believe how well Tom was riding, and how lucky I was to slot in behind him. But in the chaos of the last two corners, I couldn’t hold his wheel. Tom held on for 6th place, and could have put me in position to win if I had stayed on. I faded, sprinting as hard as I could, all the way back to 18th!
We crossed the line and took a cooldown lap. When we stopped at the pit to get my wheel back, I knew my bike didn’t feel right. I looked back to see my rear brake pulled to one side and wedged full against the rim. Are you kidding me? I did the last two laps with my brakes on. Awesome. At least Tom put a really great ride together.
The next day was another $10K crit in Vancouver, the Giro di Burnaby. The course reminded me a lot of Charlotte; long s/f stretch, followed by two squares at each end, with a short back stretch on the same main street, all on the side of a hill. Tom and I were on it all night, just slotting in with every move that went. A few things were promising, but in the end, Horner brought it all back together for a field sprint. It hadn’t taken us long that he was combining with Hilton Clarke from Toyota, as they were both the only guys there from their respective teams.
Symmetrics put all their guys on the front for the leadout, and Tom did an amazing job of keeping me right on the back of their train. We had to battle a little bit with Clark and Health Net, but Tom would just take me right back over the top whenever it got crowded. With 1 to go, Svein Tuft hit it hard, and Tom go over the rest of the Symmetrics guys with me on his week. We rode most of the last lap in 2nd and 3rd spot, until the rest of the train came back over us going into the last 3 turns. I covered it, Tom let me in and followed me, and I hit the last corner 4th wheel behind 3 Symmetrics. I couldn’t believe it, but Tom had put me in the winning position again, and I had the legs to go when I needed to.
It’s been so long since I’ve been in this spot so regularly. I’m so used to being pinned at this point of the race, I’m not used to being there and still having legs to hit out and go for the win. So once again, I sat there, watching, waiting for the right moment to come out from the train. And once again, the right moment passed me by. It was a downhill sprint, and when I passed at going a little early, I never got another chance. I came around 1 Symmetrics rider, but Kirk O’Bee and Clarke both came around me, and I finished 5th. So close I could taste it.
And again, I had to dig up results. Tom’s leadouts are so good now, he’s still getting in the top 10 after he pulls off. That’s fucking pro if you ask me.
Tonight we’re in Boise, ID, for the Boise Twilight crit, another round in the USA Crits. I’m in 3rd place now by 200ish points, and the first two riders overall are not here. It’s a big chance for me to take the lead, but I really just need to focus on getting the best result I can, period.
After this we, drive back to Seattle on Sunday, then fly home on Monday. Even though the racing is going well and I’ve really enjoyed the cities we’ve been in, I simply cannot wait to get home.
Finally found results for the second day at Louisville.
Monday we flew to Seattle, and then had a nice day Tuesday riding around the city a bit and checking things out, as well as doing a cool opening up workout around Mercer Island with our host Chris Daifuku from the Hagen-Berman team.
Wednesday night in Vancouver was a bit of “what if.” I knew right from the start I felt incredible. I thought I would be called up and so was staged in the back, and ended up starting there when it felt like every rider but me got introduced. It didn’t take me long to move up, and I never felt under pressure as I rode around rider after rider who got popped off the back. Huge splits were happening, and was able to just ride straight across them.
All of a sudden, though, once I’d gotten to the front, I started to struggle. I couldn’t figure it out, but thought maybe I had started overheating or done too much to move up. After about 5 laps of questioning myself and gradually dropping back, someone pointed out that I had broken a spoke and my wheel was rubbing my brakes badly. Duh. I took a free lap, got a new wheel, got in at the back of a greatly reduced field, and was back at the front two laps later.
Tom was ripping it up, too, constantly surfing the front and rolling with moves, and I was happy to finally be able to join him. With about 10 laps to go we hooked up for the sprint and he started piloting me around. Gastown is part of the USA Crit Series, and being 3rd overall, it was crucial to get a good result. Tom was totally committed to helping me do that.
And again, all of a sudden, I started to struggle. I was losing wheels in and out of turns, especially when I was coasting. I kept having to jump back around to Tom’s wheel, and it was taking it’s toll. I thought again that I must just be at my limit, and kept fighting. With 1/2 lap to go, I made it back up to Tom’s wheel one last time, as he covered Chris Horner who was attacking up the left around the Symmetrics train. I couldn’t believe how well Tom was riding, and how lucky I was to slot in behind him. But in the chaos of the last two corners, I couldn’t hold his wheel. Tom held on for 6th place, and could have put me in position to win if I had stayed on. I faded, sprinting as hard as I could, all the way back to 18th!
We crossed the line and took a cooldown lap. When we stopped at the pit to get my wheel back, I knew my bike didn’t feel right. I looked back to see my rear brake pulled to one side and wedged full against the rim. Are you kidding me? I did the last two laps with my brakes on. Awesome. At least Tom put a really great ride together.
The next day was another $10K crit in Vancouver, the Giro di Burnaby. The course reminded me a lot of Charlotte; long s/f stretch, followed by two squares at each end, with a short back stretch on the same main street, all on the side of a hill. Tom and I were on it all night, just slotting in with every move that went. A few things were promising, but in the end, Horner brought it all back together for a field sprint. It hadn’t taken us long that he was combining with Hilton Clarke from Toyota, as they were both the only guys there from their respective teams.
Symmetrics put all their guys on the front for the leadout, and Tom did an amazing job of keeping me right on the back of their train. We had to battle a little bit with Clark and Health Net, but Tom would just take me right back over the top whenever it got crowded. With 1 to go, Svein Tuft hit it hard, and Tom go over the rest of the Symmetrics guys with me on his week. We rode most of the last lap in 2nd and 3rd spot, until the rest of the train came back over us going into the last 3 turns. I covered it, Tom let me in and followed me, and I hit the last corner 4th wheel behind 3 Symmetrics. I couldn’t believe it, but Tom had put me in the winning position again, and I had the legs to go when I needed to.
It’s been so long since I’ve been in this spot so regularly. I’m so used to being pinned at this point of the race, I’m not used to being there and still having legs to hit out and go for the win. So once again, I sat there, watching, waiting for the right moment to come out from the train. And once again, the right moment passed me by. It was a downhill sprint, and when I passed at going a little early, I never got another chance. I came around 1 Symmetrics rider, but Kirk O’Bee and Clarke both came around me, and I finished 5th. So close I could taste it.
And again, I had to dig up results. Tom’s leadouts are so good now, he’s still getting in the top 10 after he pulls off. That’s fucking pro if you ask me.
Tonight we’re in Boise, ID, for the Boise Twilight crit, another round in the USA Crits. I’m in 3rd place now by 200ish points, and the first two riders overall are not here. It’s a big chance for me to take the lead, but I really just need to focus on getting the best result I can, period.
After this we, drive back to Seattle on Sunday, then fly home on Monday. Even though the racing is going well and I’ve really enjoyed the cities we’ve been in, I simply cannot wait to get home.
posted by Jered at
5:47 AM
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