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Race (aka ride):Terrible Two
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Host: Santa Rosa Cycling Club
Date: 20th June 2008
Category: Tourist
Distance: 200 +1 mile
Elevation Gain: 16,000 ft
Temp: 65F to 107F
Field size: 250 riders
Webcor/AV: Bo 1st
For those of you not familiar with the Terrible Two Double Century Greg Drake provides a very entertaining description in his 2007 report:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com
Although officially the TT isn't a race it certainly feels like one. I've done the 'TT' two times before in 2004 and 2006. In 2004 I got 2nd (11:07) and 2006 6th (11:55). The times are hugely heat dependent. Cool=fast, hot=slow. This year it was incredibly hot, well into the 100's. The 2008 TT was more about survival than records, and for me, it was all about the W-I-N.
For the past six years a local rider, Brian, has been putting the hurt on everyone. He was planning on doing a 'Lance' this year, by claiming his 7th edition. I was planning on putting an end to this. Only slight problem with this was that Brian is the real-deal and a force to be reckoned with.
My goals in this ride/race were:
1.Beat 'Lance' aka Brian
2.Finish fast enough that my behind wasn't too sore. Current rear end threshold is 12 hours so I had to be faster than that.
3. Not end up at Kaiser Perm where they let breast surgeons act as substitutes for jaw surgeons.
From the start I made sure no one was going to sneak away without me knowing it. This might sound a little hyper vigilant but I didn't want to suffer for 200 miles in vain. The pace was definitely more sedate than a P1/2 race but I felt quite at home when, at mile 15, there was a loud sound of bikes crashing behind.
No I did not cause it.
At about mile 25 we hit the first real climb, Trinity Grade, which climbs 1500' and dumps you out in to the Napa Valley. The descent was definitely not fun and unfortunately a few riders crashed on the way down.
After that first climb we were down to a pack of 40. We cruised up the Silverado highway to the first rest stop in Calistoga (mile 55). I filled my two bottles shoved some food in my pockets (repeat at each rest stop) and took off with three other riders. Our group of 4 was soon joined by another 13. We made it intact the next major ascent (mile 75), 3500' Geysers Road.
I knew that Geyser's Road would split up the field and sure enough by the rest stop at the top there was only me, myself and I. It is pretty nice to have your own personal rest stop. I hung out for a few minutes hoping some company would arrive. When it didn't I made the decision to bust a move and keep things rolling for the descents/flats to the lunch stop.
After lunch-on-the-run came the most brutal climb of the day: Skaggs Spring Road. I rode the climb alone but at the top was somewhat excited to see someone coming up the hill behind me. It turned out to be Brian. After he had filled his bottles we started off.
Now, although I was stoked to have some company I also wanted to demolish my competition (or at the very least win). I decided to pull out some very special tactics I've learned from racing on the road. These tactics are in fact so special that I cannot tell you about them in case my competition gets informed!
Brian was a decent climber and could keep up with me on the next climb. He also, as it turned out, was a mean descender. There were moments on the highly sketchy descent where I was having vivid flashbacks of my annual vacation to the 'Kaiser Penthouse'. I pondered if, were I to return, would I again end up with the breast enlargement surgeon working on my broken bones. Because of these uplifting thoughts I took it very conservatively and had to chase back to Brian after the descent.
I conserved energy on the next 700 foot climb (mile 142) by keeping my heart rate a little lower. Brian went over the top, in the process alerting/activating a very hot and very pissed off dog. By the time I reached snarling dog he was ready for a late lunch of Bo's ankles. Hungry dog didn't get fed and probably doesn't realize how lucky he was that I missed his hot head by about 1 inch. Meanwhile, Brian was already hauling ass down the hill towards the Highway 1 unaware of the performance a little way behind.
I counted my blessings that I wouldn't be visiting my old friends at Kaiser and headed down the descent. After a few corners there was Brian on the side of the road taking his wheel off. I asked if he needed anything. He said "no" so I kept going. I felt kind of bad but not really.
I started down highway 1 (mile 155) at a moderate pace. When I arrived at the Fort Ross rest stop (mile 162) one of the support motorcycles told me that Brian was 5 minutes back. The last major climb of the day is Fort Ross Road 1500' and it is steep (next time someone please remind me not to ride a straight block). At the top of the climb the motorcycle told me Brian was 8 minutes back. This finally gave me the confidence that it would not go down to a sprint finish which might just be the lamest thing anyone had ever seen. It was downhill with some big rollers to the next rest stop in (mile 184).
I got my water and took off for the final 17 mile trek to the finish.
I rolled into the finish to the sound of cheering and clapping. I guess there had been radio reports through out the day about the "Webcor guy" off the front. Regardless, people were still shocked to see someone other than Brian after 6 years.
Brian came in 12 minutes later. He told me after he flatted he tried to put more air in his tire at Fort Ross and tore his valve stem off. Then he said he flatted again on Fort Ross road. If he did not flat it definitely would have been more interesting. I guess we will never know what the out come may have been.
His parting words were "I will see you next year". To that I said "looking forward to it—next year I'll beat you by 30 minutes".
Just kidding.
My finishing time was 11:15:23. Not my personal best due to the heat.
To be honest, I don't know if I want to go back next year. At this point my backside is still hurting and I'm not feeling the love for the double century. Add to this a suspicion that now Brian knows he's not 'Lance' he will do a little more training for next year and that might mean hurt. Or, hurt more than this year at least.
4 comments:
Wow that was arrogant. Brian flats 3 times and you're gloating about beating him by twelve whopping minutes? If that's how you have to take your wins so be it but realize that you weren't necessarily the strongest rider out there.
What's with the arrogance, is it a Web-Cor thing? Is that why Web-Cor riders never say "hi" or waive back out on the roads? Are you the chosen people or something?
It didn't seem to me like Bo was gloating. Racing is a lot about luck, Bo had good luck, Brian didn't. That's racing.
As far as W/AV riders being arrogant goes, I don't accept the generalization. Our club has over 300 riders, some wave, some don't. The same could be said for other clubs/teams, but you don't see as many of them because they don't have as many members as we do.
-Rob
It seems Bo was honest in his report and was just giving some
of the stats for the ride.
Not gloating? Let me quote Bo:
"For the past six years a local rider, Brian, has been putting the hurt on everyone. He was planning on doing a 'Lance' this year, by claiming his 7th edition. I was planning on putting an end to this."
"My goals in this ride/race were:
1.Beat 'Lance' aka Brian"
"From the start I made sure no one was going to sneak away without me knowing it. This might sound a little hyper vigilant but I didn't want to suffer for 200 miles in vain."
"I knew that Geyser's Road would split up the field and sure enough by the rest stop at the top there was only me, myself and I. It is pretty nice to have your own personal rest stop."
"Now, although I was stoked to have some company I also wanted to demolish my competition (or at the very least win)."
"I asked if he needed anything. He said "no" so I kept going. I felt kind of bad but not really."
Clean your glasses, that's arrogant gloating not honesty and stats.
RMac: You don't accept the possibility of W/AV riders being arrogant because you're one of them. I'm not comparing your club against other clubs, I'm comparing riders with an W/AV jersey to riders without.
I'm saying that when I pull up to a stop light with other riders waiting and I toss out a "hi" or "how's it going?" the W/AV folks are the only ones that ignore it.
When I pass someone traveling in the opposite direction I throw out a hand and waive if conditions / speed permit and again the W/AV folks never waive back. Shocking.
I don't know what this means to you, but to me it's a sign that they are unfriendly and have an attitude. Too cool to do the low-key waive back? Afraid someone will see you and throw you out of the cool-kids bike club?
Funny thing is that it's becoming a big joke amongst other riders that I meet. It cracks me up when I hear riders that I've just met make a joke about someone being one of those "snooty Webcore jerks."
All that said, Bo won (and that's impressive) but I'll go with Brian Anderson for the win in 2009 and I'll keep greeting and waiving rather than let a few bad apples get me down.
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