Oh, yeah. Wednesday nights mean one thing. Meet at the Trek Store by NFM and get ready to rumble. It was a spectacular day for riding. 75F, hardly any wind. All the guys who like to hammer met at the Trek Store for the 6 PM countdown to launch. You know, the usual offenders. From Velo Veloce we have Andy, Rusty, Gene and Pete. We pick up Fred en route. We are riding against the bicycling animals, who are out to eat us up and spit us out. Brady, Paul, Lucas, Bernardo, Matt, Jeff, Mark, Eric, Ryan and countless other road warriors. We probably had 25 riders last night, and not a fat dude amonst them (present company excluded).
First part is the easy jaunt up the Keystone. Had all the skateboard pansies make fun of us on the way by the skate park. What's up with that? Who looks more stupid? Us in our lycra or them with their jeans hanging half-way down their crack?
Once we get out to Irvington Road and head towards 108th Street Hill, the jockeying for position begins. Things are usually relatively slow there, until the first instigator makes a strong move. Last night, Ryan Feagan lit the fuse. Reaction! You either get on your horse and react or you get dropped. Everyone is fresh enough to make it to the Hwy 36 Stop sign pretty much intact, although the first heart-rate carnage of the night has begun.
Second stage to 72nd street on Hwy 36. Giant paceline last night, almost dangerous because of its size and being restricted to the shoulder in a long two-line peloton. Stayed up with leaders, but didn't try to win stage. Decided to save my bullets for later.
Third stage on Omaha Trace. This roller coaster road is so fun. The pain...I love it. High speed assault all the way. Caught Paul's wheel at the right time and attached myself to it like a booger to a wall. He made the move, I was on it. He pulled me almost to the stage win, but I couldn't power by him the last few yards. Bernardo appears out of nowhere and nips me for 2nd.
Fourth stage really doesn't begin until Surfside Hill. There is a fast paceline out on the flats. If you get off the back end, you're toast. Adios. But the real damage begins at the first part of Surfside. Beaucoup fracturing of the peloton begins there. I survived the intial carnage. Tried to recover enough for the upcoming second crush. Redlining over the top of the hill, I come through the human debris in 2nd place. No time to slow down and recover tho, you gotta go aero and smoke the downhill. Final total survivors were six, charging towards the stage win by the green Mormom Bridge. Screaming lungs and nuclear heart rate, but find Bernardo's wheel close to the end. Draft just long enough to recover for the final burst and hold on for the stage win. Teammate Fred is right behind. Not a bad showing for the old fogies.
Oh, the pain. But it is euphoric. Pain is my friend, I embrace it. Can't wait for next week. Can you?
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