Race: Leesville Gap RR
July 2, 2011
Results: 9th
Teammates: none
Category: 45+ 1/2/3
Time: 3:00:31
I’ve done this race a few times before but this year it was one of the toughest most exhausting races I’ve ever completed. This was probably due to the heat and over inflated tires. I don’t know what I was thinking when I pumped 140 pounds in my tubulars but when the rough felt bumpier than I remember I knew why. Basically I got the crap pounded out of me and dehydrated at the same time. In the first bad section I lost a water bottle. Fortunately I had a third bottle in my jersey but even with that I managed to dehydrate and completely run out of gas by the finish. There were a few attacks before crossing Hwy 20 and beginning the tough section but no one got away before the main climb.
This course is one 63 mile loop with a deciding climb about 1/3 into the course. I made it about 3/4 up the mountain with the leaders then backed off. Not too far that I was alone though so I reached the top with a few others and within minutes a couple more joined us. We were well organized and chased hard catching the leaders before the final climbs. Unfortunately I was hurting bad by then and we broke up on the last climbs. There were probably about three guys off the front this time and five or six of us chasing again. We never caught them. I was having a hard time hanging on so I took very short pulls. On the final 2 mile stretch there was a small attack and a surge which was all it took to drop me. So I finished by myself at 9th place. Next time I’ll use my tubeless wheels as I’ve always done in the past for this race or run much less air in my tubulars.
Bill