Tour of Battenkill....

April 14^th…

900 miles of driving to ride in one of the largest Pro/Am single day races in the USA… Truly a Belgian classic… weather… cold and wet, oh AND windy… dirt roads 10 sections ..25% of the 65 miles AND a dozen dirt steep climbs.... 

This is one of DS’s “A” races and has been on my "bucket list" for a long time, although I lack some serious training this season.....… a 60+ field … old guys.. but some really really good old guys.... 

9am up having breakfast… we have over analyzed the race at least a dozen times….. 10 selection climbs each about a mile long with pitches up to 13%.... .. 38 degrees.. should be about 42 at our start time of 11am….. (note the 11am)..  DS thinks we could do the course in 3:35 ... just the 2 of us.... I am a bit skeptical thinking about that 15% dirt pitch we rode up yesterday... 

I drop our wheels off at the wheel truck (the guys seems way too much in a hurry), dress … 

DS...“bird, what are you wearing?”…. 

Bird....“I am f^%^*& freezing”…..let’s go for a ride and decide”…. 

out spinning in the wind, in anticipation of race pace…… back at the car dressing again…..

Bird...“Randall, where is everyone?  I don’t see Bernie, or Tom?”… 10:50 ride up to start line……….

no cyclists….nada…. just 2 race officials……..

Bird..“you getting ready for the 60+?”.........

Officials.. "What?"..... “the 60’s went off at 10:10……”   

 “Merde!”

I am off like a scalded dog, as I hear DS yelling …”bird, bird…. slow down… bird….. wait … wait……. We don't have a plan!”

Plan? Plan?  40 minutes late... I mean if it was 5 or even 10 minutes I would be in full chase mode.... wait, I am in full chase mode....... I ease up for DS, and say… “I am racing this thing… 3:35… 3hours 35 minutes … let’s go”………

DS does that slow head shake he does and gets on my wheel……… 100K 2 man time trial….. 5,000ft of climbing with numerous steep pitches….. and 18 miles of dirt roads……

2 old Carolinian's going full out.... DS once made a comment that we have shared a fox hole before.... this was like being behind enemy lines.... trading pulls... no chit chat... no stops... no coasting.....  gotta make it..... 

And so it goes…. 3:43… ride …. we actually caught 2 riders….. not the 3:35 but a helluva a ride over a very difficult picturesque course.....

not our best day…….  but they scored us..... putting us down as 13th/14th.. with our actual time we would have been in the top 10... without the aid of pack....so who knows.... will ever know, as I am not going back....