Morton Cycling Classic 9/20

If you would have asked me at 3:00 on Saturday how I felt I would have told you “terrible.”  After my run in with the car Thursday and laying new sod in the front yard Friday night I was sore beyond belief.   At the start line my legs felt like Jello and it was 97 degrees with not a cloud in the sky.  I was sweating buckets already and my Garmin computer was broken.  Needless to say I wasn’t necessarily feeling “in tune” with things going into the race Saturday.  The course was a .8 mile rectangle with wide turns and almost no grade change defiantly not the most technical of the year.

Even at the start I seemed "off".  I had trouble clipping in and by the first corner found myself at the back of the pack chasing.  However, within a couple laps I seemed to find my rhythm and moved up easily in the group and sat in.  From the start the pace seemed slow and without my computer I didn’t know exactly how fast we were going.  A few riders tried to go off the front one by one but the attacks were lazy and half hearted and the pack was able to bring them back easily.

Sitting in early in the race

The race almost seemed boring at times during the midst of it.  There were no attacks or team tactics of any kind.  A few primes spiced things up but I was not interested in those.  It wasn't until about 10 laps to go that the pace started to pick up and riders began trying to position themselves for what was sure to be a sprint finish.  I continued to ride second wheel from this point on hopping from each leaders wheel as they rode on the front conserving my energy for the sprint finish.  As the laps continued to count down I was in perfect position to mark any moves that were made.  Sure enough with 5 to go a guy attacked from just behind me.  In perfect position to respond I jumped with him and followed his wheel off the front.

Sitting second wheel with less than 10 to go

I rode his wheel as he attacked and we formed what was probably a 15 second gap.  Suddenly as I was pulling up alongside him to discuss teaming up he faded and dropped back telling me afterword he pulled a muscle in his leg.  So there I was 15 seconds up the road with no one to work with.  Decision time… do I put the hammer down and try to go solo for the remaining 4 laps?  Or drop back into the field and wait for the field sprint.  I told myself “lets see whats behind door number 1.”

I looked back and saw the field far off the distance and put the hammer down.  I rode hard but not all out.  As I came around the finish line with 3 to go I was in my own world of pain.  I did not see the fans or hear the announcer.  I made each lap its own mini race to stay away… telling myself at every lap, “on more”  when I finally reached the bell lap the gap was starting to come down.  When I looked back I could see the peloton catching me.  I told myself to hang on for one more mile.  As I made the last three corners going into the final stretch I could see the peloton rounding the last corner just seconds behind me.  It had all come down to this final sprint. 

With 30 guys trying to chase me down I sprinted with every ounce of energy I had left.  The line never seemed to get any closer…  Finally my vision sharpened up and I could see and hear everything.  I took one final look behind me and knew that I had it.  I sat up and raised my hands up for a victory salute.  However the pack wasn’t quite done sprinting yet and the line was still a few feet away. 

The field never caught me although the finish was closer than what I had expected.  As I crossed the line in first I let out the loudest shout you’ve ever heard.  The feeling was indescribable.  My break away had succeeded!!  The field had failed to get organized enough to chase me down and I had done it.  So many thoughts flooded my mind as I shifted down and did a short recovery lap.  As I came back around the fans started clapping for me and as I pulled off the course Heather came up and gave me a hug and kiss.  It felt great.  Many people at the finish had never seen a bike race before and asked questions like, “how fast do you go?” and “doesn’t your butt hurt?”.  It was so fun to answer questions and be the total center of attention for a little while.  The Peoria Journal came up and asked me some questions for the paper and even posted a picture of me online.

It was the most satisfying ride I’d ever done.  Everything Tactics, fitness and luck all combined together to give me this moment.  There is no better way to cap of the season and upgrade to Cat 3 than this.  I’m already looking forward to next year.  But first I’m going to take a little time off.

I want to give a special thanks to Corey Lyons who took all the pictures you see above.  He is clearly a very talented photographer as anyone who has ever tried to photograph a cycling event knows.  Thanks again Corey!