Elk Horn Stage Race

I think I am finally ready to comment on my experience at the Elk Horn Stage Race. I decide to arrive a day earlier then the first stage on Friday afternoon because I seem to have cramping problems when I go to Oregon. I felt if I got there a day early I could acclimate myself to the surroundings. With all that extra time I guess I should have slowed down as I was in cruising down the highway. I was about an hour out of Baker City, where the race is hosted when I look in the rear view mirror to see the flashing lights. This was a first for me, an attractive female trooper. She didn’t mess around, all business for her. Went back to her car to right me a ticket up, I figure I am already getting a ticket so what would be the harm of hitting on her. She explained to me that the only way I was going to see her again is if I wanted to spend the night at her place of business, the slammer. Surprisingly I shut my big mouth up sign my ticket and motored out with the cruise control on.
The first stage is an 80 mile out and back road race. I talked with several master’s racers that explained to me that the group will finish together. I was happy to hear that as a road race win has eluded me for some time now. I’ve come so close that it hurts. I tell myself, “What the hell lets go for the win today”. I position myself at the very front for the neutral start of the race. Just before the race starts I drop back to about 10th or so. I sit in for the first ten miles. I decide that the 15mph pace were going at is unacceptable and move to the front to set the pace. I switch off and let others take my pace, and sure as shit they dropped the pace again. There are only three guys willing to sit on the front and work. My turn to take a pull comes around and I slowly work my pace up to what I feel is a pace I can hold tell the cows come home. I finish my pull and look back and I’ve gapped the field. I decided Id had enough and would just continue on by myself. I downed both of my water bottles just before the turn around. The organizers have set up a neutral feed just past the turnaround on a hill. I figure I am ready to get a couple of bottles, I was definitely wrong on that. I was back with the group somewhere in the middle of the pack. I ended up going through the feed zone with out getting a water bottle. I slowed up as much as I could to give the feeders a chance to give me a bottle but they had run out. I wonder how many riders didn’t get a bottle at the back. I tried to get a bottle from the trailing car but the lady was having a hard time driving and handing a bottle to me. As can be imagined the group is now leaving me as I am trying to get some water. I just said the hell with this and tried to catch back on with the group. I just couldn’t get back in; the effort to get back in with no water took a toll on me. I started getting dizzy and having visions of Indians on horses running beside me trying to spear me. Every negative though one can have about cycling passed through my head on the 40 mile return trip into the wind. I got back to camp to find out I was about 40mins behind the leaders, which pretty much tells me my chances for the overall are gone. Come to find out the kid camping next to me won the race, and all he talk about is how good he is and all that. How he just sat in the whole time and let everyone else do the work. I wanted to punch right through his face. I’ve now got some anger in my gut, and tomorrow morning I would have my chance to take it out in the time trial.
Our group was the first off for the time trial, they reversed the order of how you finished the day before for your start time. They sent us off in 30sec intervals, I was the 14th person to start and I swear to you the steam was coming out of my ears. I was ready to hand everyone there a beating. I end up being the first person across the finish line. It wasn’t my best performance I was only able to hold 300 watts for my average. I think the day before took a toll on me. I find out that my effort was only good enough for 4th.
After hearing that I wasn’t in much of a mood for the crit later in the day. I made sure that I got a good starting position for the crit, off course some douch bag local moves in front of me to be by his friend. I am sick and tired of having idiots who cant clip into there pedals starting in front of me. Let it be known right now the next jackass who does that is going to get knocked down. I can already feel my blood pressure rising as I reflect on the race. People cant keep there speed up in the corners, it seems to be a fact of life. I never had this problem racing during the collegiate season everybody was smooth and fast. Different story when it comes to racing cat 4/5. Guys are coming out of every corner full on out of the saddle making up for the gap they created through the corner because there chicken shits. I ended up getting a 20 dollar preme, but what I wanted was the win. I thought I was all set for the win on the last lap I was sitting 10th wheel into the last three corners. I had checked before the race started to see where the wind was blowing and how I should position myself. It was a long wide open finishing straight with a cross wind coming from the left. I figure if I came through the last left hand corner on the outside with six or so guys in front of me I could use them for shelter and just bomb pass them on the outside. I know it would have worked if it wasn’t for some yahoo who decided he needed to move around on the outside to get a better position. I don’t know whats wrong with me, am I loosing my balls or what but he ends up getting in front of me, more or less out of fear he was going to crash me. He ends up driving himself into a pothole and blowing his tire. The asshole should have just moved to the right since he was already on the outside. He decides to move into the pack on the left. I should have went around him on the right, but if I get a flat I am moving off to the right where the sidewalk is not into the pack. This decision of mine trapped me and a bunch of other riders. It ended up splitting the field. At this point id had enough of this race and decieded to call it and go home. The last thing I need is to do the next stage of 100 miles and have a miserable time, and then drive through the night to get home at 3 in the morning. So I bailed on the last stage and my money for the TT and preme.
I wasn’t taught to be a bully in a pack. I was taught the right way to race but I am now having thoughts of wrecking these middle aged rich white guys when I have these problems again. I am thinking of doing that, not sure if I will but who knows.