Coppi at Coppi (Giro)

Thanks to Kosta for organizing the event, and the entire team for helping it to operate smoothly. There were a few rough edges to be kinked out, like Steve and I discontinuing our wheel support after the second lap in the men's 5 race. Who ever heard of a Cat 5 race more than 25 miles, anyway?

A few things in aside: I got new uniforms from Dana, so I'm going to represent Coppi fully clothed at Toona next weekend. And I bought a new bike from Greg at Conte's, the same bike as Djordje's and Dana's, a Specialized with Dura Ace and Ultegra with some sweet Nimble Fly carbon wheels. The deal was a crime. I feel like I moved up in the world of cycling a bit with everything transpiring this weekend. Even Greg said he was happy to see his bike go off to someone who could represent it to the best of its ability.

A few people told me the race was difficult, some even comparing it to Mt Penn. I checked my Powertap files from Mount Penn and see my average wattage per climb was between 340-360 watts, thats a one mile climb with a 500 foot descent in the middle. Dave Wilson, Jordan Cross, and I do a lap on road clean up day to preview the course. Dave was hammering it up most of the hills. I found it difficult, but the course was nowhere near Mt Penn's level of pain. I did expect the course to have it moments, but come race day it was much easier than I anticipated. One of the hardest parts, I remember, is seen in the picture on the website. I remember a photographer on the right with a long lens taking our pictures. I wanted to smile and say "cheeeeeze!" but dinstinctly remember hurting a bit and wondering what the picture would look like when developed: not as bad as the TT picture at Ephrata, that's for sure.

Sean, the shorter Sean, was up front for most of the first lap. George, he lived up to expectations by going off the front near the end of the first lap. I look at Peter and ask, "What's George doing off the front?" I come around the next lap to find George relaxing at the start/finish, taking it easy after thoroughly cooking himself. A few fliers went off the front in the first two laps, with no interest in following or even chasing. The second lap the pace picked up a bit, allowing me to move up. I latched onto ETS' Jose Escobar's wheel. Whatever he did I did. I was surprised to see he moved to the very front and was leading the charge. We go easy for a while and the fliers are reeled in. Sean went off the front after the right onto Shiloh Church Road. He had a sizable lead. Escobar was in front, eating. Steve and I think Larson moved up to block. On Baltimore Rd a few guys pick up the pace. We catch Sean at the top of the hill onto Slidell.

Somewhere near the start of the third lap a guy went off the front. A bit later two more guys went. They had a good 30 second lead at one point as no one was interesting in chasing. R1V and a few guys from NCVC moved up front and pick up the pace. I was sitting with them, watching them rotate. After a while an NCVC isn't thrilled that Coppi isn't participating. He tells me we're not in the break, we need to help. That short, steepish climb in the middle of Shiloh I got up front and took a monster pull. I look back to see that NCVC guy and I are off the front. We work together until Old Baltimore where I really pick up the pace. I was surprised to see the guy fell off my wheel near the top. I pass one of the break guys, who's cooked. I caught the break on the left turn. I was hurting a little and sat on for a bit, letting them do the work so I could recover. We then worked very well with basically a 3 man paceline. On Barnesville I think the pack was pretty close. Two guys attacked and caught up to us. The two break initiators fell off the break around the start finish line going into the final lap. Three original break members turned into 3 new break members. An ETS Silver Cycles, an N-tieractive (bike doctor?), and me.

ETS asks how we feel. I'm good, n-tieractive is hurting but can work, and ETS is "great." I look back after the right onto Old Hundred to see the pack on our tail. 10 seconds. I should sit up, I think. Always that torn feeling between "do I use energy to stay away, even though the hope is grim?" and "I've come this far, I'm not getting caught!" We climb the long hill on Old Hundred, make the right onto Comus, go through the rollers. I think ETS did most of the work, with a bit of help from n-tieractive and occasionally me. ETS was clearly the strongest guy, and just like Tyson's Corner I had doubts about my winning. Then again, he was doing a lot of work without hesitation. At few times I made it a point to call out my turn to pull so I could feel like I was helping out instead of just sitting in. The Right onto Shiloh I looked back, the first time after turning on Old Hundred, and don't see the pack. We continue on and I look back up at the hill and don't see the pack. I look at the guys and say, "I think we got this." A few minutes later the motorcade tells us we have a minute five lead. We definitely have this!

I remember seeing Bill Cusmano both times on Slidell, and Lindsey after the sharp right onto Barnesville Road. She always had a big grin with the expression, "It doesn't surprise me!" It excited me to represent the team in honor. Before Barnesville I asked the guys what category they were, hit by the realization this was a 3/4 race. They were both 3's, and both assumed I was a 4 since I was asking. They both congratulated me. I also asked the ETS about the lap counter to make sure it was the final lap. We were out there alone so long I was mixed up as to what lap we were on. Each time onto Barnesville I had the chance to sit up for a bit to let the two guys catch me. They probably took bad lines because there was a sizable gap.

Going into the hill to the feedzone I tell the guys "2 more hills." We pass the feedzone, the n-tieractive leads down the hill. I'm positive all three knew he was the least in contention. At the bottom of the hill the ETS attacks. A combination of adrenaline and drafting keeps me on his wheel. He sets a steady pace. I figure I should attack at the sign, 100 m to go. Coming up to it I shift up to prepare for my attack. The shift was loud. He knows I'm about to go. He doesn't look around as if concerned, though. About 30m from the sign I attack, attacking hard. I look back a few times to see where he's at. I really only saw a blur as my legs were burning, but I could see he was losing ground and was probably fried from his attack.

I felt real good after the race, even doing another lap with Djordje to show his sister the course. Honestly, there were a few times I was wondering what I put myself into.

I must give out gratitude to the rest of the team as if it wasn't for their blocking we would surely have been caught. Thank Steve, Kosta, John, Sean, Mark, both Jordans, Kurt. (Anyone else I forgot can assume I knew you were there.) And again thanks to the rest of the team for helping put on a great race!