Jan 2, 2011 - Just the second day of the year and we started it off with a bang! This was one of the wildest races that there is going to be in the coming years in the Rio Grande Valley. It consists of paved roads, dirt road, pot hole caliche pits, sand and everything in between. 50 Miles of HELL! Made for one hell of a ride! This was the first race made by Wally's bike shops owner to test the grounds for a new classic that he wants to introduce to everyone next year. He made it invitation based only this year. Very well planned with Sag vehicles and a great meal after the race back at the shop. The race started off in a standard peloton cruising down the paved roads. We did not know what to expect once we reached the caliche roads so I just wished it was like I had envisioned, a nice smooth hard packed dirt road.....
OHHHH! How I was wrong. Once we hit the dirt roads, I freaked out! My poor baby was getting thrashed. Felt like I was riding on rail road tracks over and over and over! We got the sense of how it feels like going through the cobbles in the Tour de France. I immediately just slowed down a bit trying to avoid the bigger rocks in order to keep from getting a flat. After a while I just said screw it! I got to get through this and when I would go faster the bumps felt lessened.
This was when I really had to work to get back to the group, I had dropped a considerable distance. I just kept on pedaling, passing another rider that had flattened out I just hoped my tires would last.
This was a tough section of dirt and sand in which you would lose control for a bit. At this point I would hear rocks hitting my frame and rocks would get stuck in my breaks making loud grinding noises.
Finally I caught up to a couple of racers. Wally and Sergio. It was a good ride after this since we started to share the load of pulling making a nice echelon. Here Sergio shows that he does not know that when told to go straight, it means to go straight not turn! lol
We hit it hard. Making mountains look like speed bumps! Here we are tackling a 15 percent grade rise! Well it was the highest climb we did over a canal... The valley is verrrry flat.
On the turn around Wally and I stopped to check out that wicked noise that my rear tire was making. We figured that it was the hub bearings that were jacked. In the background you can see my riding partner Sergio taking off, WOW could not wait a bit to help a fellow rider! lol
Sergio tried hard to drop me but as we all know I am a beast on the bike and I easily made up the time he had gained on me. Sergio is here seen suffering the sandy roads huffing and puffing wishing he had a person to draft off of.
Caught up to Sergio and we took off again, trying to catch up to the two leaders ahead of us. In this picture
you see me making Sergio work a bit. If I always pull I would just be hurting him, he needs to work too in order to be as fast as me.
We took it in in third place after one heck of a ride. Great start to another great year. Get ready because now the training begins. I have put in the miles in the off season, now it's time to work harder on losing more weight and building up the leg speed! ooh and I just poke fun at Serg, he is a great rider but he is the first to read this blog lol
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