Getting Baked
Posted by cgmride | Filed under Racing
These last couple weeks in Bend have been HOT. With the temperatures regularly reaching into the upper 30’s (Celsius) and nary a cloud in the sky, everyone has been fighting the heat in their own way. From soaking in the river, to ice-baths, and everything else imaginable, the hottest summer weeks have been filled with racing action on the roads in and around Bend.
Last week’s Cascade Cycling Classic was rough on the team, but we all pulled through and put in some good solid efforts. Coming off of Cascade, I was hoping that the 6 days of hard racing over the courses to be used during the 2009 USAC U23 Road National Championships would be the perfect preparation for a good run at the National Championships before flying over to Belgium for a month of racing with the USAC U23 National Development Team. Unfortunately, my Cascade Classic had a premature ending when I lost several spokes out of my front wheel, and came to an abrupt stop – before getting hit from behind. I rolled home to bandage up the few wounds, and put some ice-packs on the areas of deep bruising and swelling.
This is the spoke that came out of my front wheel and brought my Cascade Classic to an abrupt stop.
During yesterday’s U23 National Road Race Championships, I was feeling g-ed up and ready to go. Unfortunately, my teammate Bobby and I lost out in the numbers game, and the dominance of the Holowesko Partners/Felt U23 and Trek-LiveSTRONG development teams was just more than we could match. Ironically enough, Bobby and I ended our races in the same round-about on consecutive laps – only we managed to use two very different exit strategies. Bobby had his line through the corner “chopped” by another rider, and he ended up going straight into the median which is well planted. The local florae made for a rather soft, and otherwise gentle ending to what was a very hot and hard day of racing.
My race ended in slightly more dramatic fashion. Much like Joseba Beloki found during the 2003 Tour de France, the high sun and searing temperatures had melted the tar in the local roads. As I made my way around the round-about (where Bobby had just crashed a lap earlier) I lost my front wheel as it slid out from under me on the melted tarmac. I came down hard and slid across several meters of melted tarmac before a wall of hay-bales stopped me in a mangled heap of body and bike. After the volunteer medics and corner marshals had my bike rolling again, I peeled myself off the road, before riding my bike 1200 meters back to the finish line where i had my wounds thoroughly cleaned and dressed.
Lots of Tegaderm and gauze needed to cover the wounds. Luckily I had lots on hand. Probably looked real good on my ride home from the race too - rolling along nearly half naked...
After being dismissed from the medical tent, I pedaled a leisurely pace 6 kilometers back to my home before calling it a day. The short easy ride home was a slow roll, but it felt good to move my legs a little bit, and to flush some of the toxins from my legs. Finally, out my torn kit, I endured a painful shower before eating some dinner. After dinner, I did a round of laundry and settled into my bed for a painful night of tossing and turning in my bed.
I awoke this morning, stiff, sore, and still eager to ride my bike – always a good sign. Not even 2 crashes in 4 days can stall my love for the bike, and I am working to make a speedy recovery before getting back into racing action within the next week.
The Tegaderm and gauze dressing have started to leak again, so after getting those changed, I will enjoy a dinner of Steelhead before another night of tossing and turning in my sheets.
Keep the Rubber Side Down (I will try to do the same),
C-
