Tuscon Bike Classic: Multi-Level Sufferfest

Early season races are always a thing of interest in the world of the athlete: from the borderline-recreational amateurs in the fast local group ride to the WorldTour Pro at Tour Down Under...and every one of us in between.

It gets more interesting when your race is at a point you are supposed to not yet be at race fitness levels, something you desire weeks or months down the road. I, like all of you back in Maine, are not in race season fitness and don't expect to be cleaning house...yet!! However, these guys and gals in Tucson are in the middle of their season and flying. I first experienced this when I got crushed on the Saturday Shootout ride. I experienced it again the weekend before TBC at a crit, where I did not have the sprint legs I thought I "should" have against other Cat 2 & 3 riders.

Here's a sweet shot from a crit two weekends ago. (No pics from the stage race yet...)

Breaking in Phoenix for her first couple races. 2 crits, spent some time off the front but didn't get anything good for results. Good thing is she got very ready for the stage race! ...still need to cut all that extra stem...

Nevertheless, TBC was an early season stage race - only my second ever - and my first real 'test' since a power test prior to my departure to Tucson. I would have my first race on my new, pretty TT bike, my first 'big time' road race (80 miles), and my first complete stage race. (My first stage race was 3 stages crammed into 2 days, and the RR was 45mi with the crit being about 14mi).

One of my goals for 2013 is "No Goals": to not focus on a singular end result, but to focus on small things that lead to big things. This was first introduced to me in its raw power by my Track coach @ NYA, Coach Mazzurco - a man I still call "Coach". If I talk about "Coach" it is Mazzurco, if I talk about "My Coach" it is my cycling coach, Kurt. So, in the process of planning out the race goals - Kurt made me step back and essentially one goal was there: Be Smart. This is extremely challenging to me, in cycling strength is not strength; intelligence is strength. Intelligence + strength increases result quality. I digress.

Friday: Time Trial: a 3.2 mile downhill/uphill 1-2 punch. Overall it gains some elevation and is quite difficult, with the bonus of headwind and dust being blown deep into your lungs.

The TT warm up on the road bike went fairly well. Hot, but well. Switched it to the TT bike for a few start efforts and was going to head to the line. Except something wasn't right. I shortly found out my cassette was jingling like Santa's Sleigh. I had to loop wayyy around to get back to the parking lot (one way roads). Time was now super tight. Thank goodness for the Optum team mechanic, who let me borrow his cassette tool!! I TT'd the 1 mile to the start and got to the line literally 3 seconds before my start and had to start from the flat, not the TT ramp. I came to a complete stop, heard the beep, and was off - not good. I went crazy to try to make up for a bad start. I was already blowing up. Pushing though, I somehow caught the guy in front of me (30 sec) as the course shifted uphill and realized this wouldn't be a good gauge...I aimed to drop as much time into this guy as possible and look for the next man up the road. I cracked, had to leave the big ring, and pushed again - trying to regain some speed after the sharp uphill. I felt like a brick. Crossing the line I nearly "lost my lunch" and my mouth was dried beyond my imagination for not having water for a mere 8 minutes. I finished in 11th place, 34" back from the leader...but only 10" out of 6th place. The next two days were going to be chalked up as "ride smart" and aiming for a good stage result, which could lead to a good swing in the GC standings.

Saturday: 82 miles, 4x20mi laps, 4000 feet total climbing, uphill (non-climbing) finish.

Oh, it was going to be 90F+ yet again. I was not happy, yet again. I do well in the "Belgian Classic" weather, with a record of 3-0 [yes 3 wins, 0 losses] in rainy/cold races (under 50 with rain). I've never raced in above 85 for more than 40 minutes, where you don't even really need water. Anyways, I came prepared as I could - but I learned that level of preparation only gets you 3 laps of 'comfort'....not 4. I was well suited for the fuel demands of a hard 80 mile race, but only 3 water bottles did not suffice! I had about 1500kcal on me: 1 homemade gel flask, a couple homemade bars, and my trusty PROBAR. I'd eat the bars early, then save the gel for when the effort got super high and chewing becomes less enjoyable.

The race started with a break 4 miles in. I told myself WAIT TRAVIS incessantly. It stuck, I didn't go with the break. By two laps they were 2 minutes up (I was sitting in just eating and drinking). I started to get anxious at 1.5 laps. I knew another racer, Clayton, was going to be making a move - he's SUPER strong. We apparently thought to move at the same time. We attacked into the cross/headwind. It looked like we had it stuck with a group of 4. Nope. Clayton attacked again, I wasn't recovered enough. He and another riding got away...and they got away FAST!! The lead group was now between 8-12 riders, some couldn't hold the tempo after 40+ miles off the front. After 3 laps the lead was up to 2:30. Hope seemed nearly lost, excluding an all out and well organized chase with strong riders. Through the start/finish things picked up. A LOT. Soon we were strung out and the feed zone became a death zone. It split. I made the cut. We went to WORK. The other group was chasing us and we didn't want to drag the whole peloton. TriSports guy, other TCR SL 2 ISP rider (Anthony?), and I did the bulk of the surge - but the others helped enough to solidify our standing as the lone chasers. Now it came to one thing and one thing alone: everyone work, or all effort be a waste. Luckily only one guy didn't put work in. We had a decent rotation: 3 working hard, 3 putting in "whatever they could" (or secretly conserving). Luckily we did put this massive effort in. We were absolutely flying. We blew past groups dropped from the Pro/1 race, we tore up those who couldn't hold onto the breakaway. Our descents were 53x11 @ 120rpm on a fast rotation. It was clear. Crush it or be crushed. with about 8K to go, we caught the break. It had dwindled to 6 or so riders. I was cramping. Really really badly. Full locking up of my right leg, partial of my left. I sagged off the group, trying to hide my sheer weakness. Our select group would yield 13 racers. Only 4 were ahead of me in GC. HOLY CRAP! This was working out. If I stayed in it I'm 5th GC. It took nearly all I had to cover an attack that was being left unchased. I considered throwing in the towel for fear of causing a legitimate muscular injury and not even starting on Sunday (it was that bad).

I figured that I worked this hard, I had to stick it out. And if I was going to stick it out, I might as well try for a stage placing. I can't believe with my cramps I pulled off 4th place on the day! Upgrade points woohoo! I was aware everyone else was sufferring. Luckily my sprint capacity outweighed my cramps and weakness in the heat. I was now sitting, uncomfortably, in 5th GC. 4 seconds better, I'd be in 3rd...3 seconds worse, I'd be in 8th. It was very, very tight....

Circuit Race: 45mi, 8x5.6mi laps, Prime (time bonus) @ lap 3.

This is what I looked like after the circuit race. FRIED.
Please note the awesomeness of the hair forming to the helmet vents!

My plan was to, yet again, ride smart and see if I could gain more places in GC. Third place was in range, so was 8th. I'd be 'okay' with 5th because I was in rough shape after Saturday.I'd sit in, go for the prime and finish, and hope things stayed together (which was likely given teams and individual GC standings). If I could snag the 1st place on lap 3 I'd be tied in 3rd. If I could get more I'd have 3rd place solid. Headwind, uphill sprint usually would play into my strengths. However, I was toasted. My ability to sustain three hard days in a row was not having any of it...but I really need that in September, so I have time. No worries.

I stuck in the race, it stayed together. Lap three came around, I accelerated for the sprint, but I didn't realllyyy accelerate and wasn'teven well positioned. No chance on the prime. Big bummer: guy 1 second behind me got the prime. I was now into 6th place and didn't have much for legs. With 1.5 laps to go, I saw 227 (the guy who passed me) put his hand up for having a flat tire. As he slid back, I told him it was a bummer and he did a good job getting the prime. Yes, a flat is unfortunate but that's life. Given that the pace had elevated I knew he was toast. I was back into 5th. With half a lap to go, things got fast up the climb. It was totally strung out up the climb (and feed zone). The guy in 4th went for a bottle, hit a pot hole, and went down - fairly hard. By the time I came by he was still stumbling to get back up. To his misfortune, the pace was very hot. He was out the back and my assumption was right that he would miss catching back on. Things were sketchy as normal coming into the last turn - everyone stupidly dive-bombing in on the inside. I stayed patient and didn't do anything stupid, which set me up horribly (read: last 3 wheels into the final kilometer). I moved up, burning whatever crappy low-octane matches were remaining in my book. With about 400m to go, the group formed far on the left side of the road and I went with it as the right side was quite packed. Sadly the train died pretty quick and it was blasting nearly solo into the wind...until that kid cut me off. I pulled the full on stop pedal and hit the brakes...which sucks even more on an uphill with a headwind than anywhere else. I saved it and made 6th place, one place out of an additional upgrade point...but I made 4th place GC!

Here's a nice shot of the climb of the circuit race. Never too tired or shelled to rock out with the awesomest bike in the whole wide world - name Phoenix. Plus it was a pretty view, which I am pretty sure I totally ruined.

Overall, the stage race went better than I was expecting. I know I have pretty low amounts of intensity in my legs and came to Tucson to get into fitness and not to be fully race ready. Initially, no races were on the docket in Tucson until we realized that my fitness was starting out quite well and a little fire tossed at the legs would be good - both for getting into racing mode and seeing where I stand. Well, here it is: I have 9 upgrade points, which is 25% to the elusive Category 1 upgrade! If only there had been 8 more guys registered, I would have 18 points. It's pretty crazy how much field size plays into the value of a race.

Final GC standings:

Nevertheless, I am quite happy with my first real racing in 2013. Sorry I don't have pictures of the races - they haven't been posted online yet.

This will likely be my last (or second to last) post from Tucson. I am heading out from here on the 26th or 27th. Only a few more days of quality left. I'll be sad to leave, but excited to be home...as long as the weather is decent (rawrrr!).