We got there, registered(no line) got kitted up. Got my food organized, 1 bottle coke, 1 bottle skratch, 2 bloks, 2 gels. 90 miles was going to be a lot.
Everyone says Hermann is hilly, lots of hills, I was floored by the amount of climbing after the first lap. What I liked, was that there were trees everywhere, this gave a little shade from the wind.
The temperature was 55 with no sun, not ideal, but comfortable while sprinting up 6000 feet of hills.
The P/1/2 race starts, there are over 60 racers, 10 miles in there are some flat out attacks for the kom, I was not in contention since I had not raced the crit the day prior.
Nothing stuck the first lap. There was 1 guy off the front 2 minutes, but no one was worried.
Everyone was winding up for the first time up the wall.
I was eager to see how the last 2k would be. It was mostly flat downhill, with a wide turn, then 200 meters to the finish line with a stiff tailwind. Where you were in the turn, is probably where you'll be at the finish line is what I told a few people I was racing against.
After 1 lap, the 60+ rider field was down to 30.
We were all fighting for position to be in a good place going up the wall, another kom. I was the 3rd rider back on the outside, right behind the race leader Joseph S. 20 meters up the climb the dude in front of him is done, can't pedal, so we both slam the brakes while 3 mercy guys kill up the inside. We both get around, and I reach the kom 6th place I think, even after the stop. Most of the riders it seamed, weren't too eager to get up the hill since the first 3 spots of kom were already taken. Then there was a feed zone. Dude in front of me takes feed, but misses his bottle, touches brakes(guessing he was thinking he was going to turn around for it). I shouldn't have been following a rider that I new was taking a feed, but it sucked. A bunch of 3 slung shot around while I was grabbing my brakes up the rest of the climb. By the time I gotten to the top, I was 5 seconds behind a group of 7 leaders, and 5 seconds ahead of a group of 10.
None of this matters. After 15 miles of chasing, I flatted, a big pothole. I immediately get to the side of the road, take off my rear, and get ready for the wheel truck. No truck. 15 minutes later the truck flew by at 55mph, guessing they were eager to catch my group, I waved, trying to get attention, no luck. Cat 3s go by, same deal. Cat 4s go by, after about 50 minutes of standing in the cold, I walked out into the road and made the 4 vehicle stop. I got a wheel, road the last 14 miles in.
60 miles for the day, I felt really good during the race. Lots of woulda shouldas.
In 2013, Mr. Yielding plans to promote a 2 day gravel road race on this date.
2 sundays in a row, I've got 12 hours of car sitting, and only get to finish half the race. Hopefully I'll get some tubulars rolling soon.
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