Its the Tour of Something!

I am becoming less enchanted with the Tour of Ohio.

It all started bad when the initial race description labeled the race as 61 miles with no points sprint line and no feed zones. The lads of the TARGETRAINING U-25/Elite Bicycle Racing team were prepared to work with me in the caravan for bottles and not to worry about our new nemesis Inferno Racing. Instead, the promoter stated that there would be two feed zones, but while the riders were on the start line! What? Now what do we do? Where is the feed? When? No help. Then, a points sprint about 50k in. This was not in the description! Was he drunk? We decide to go with the original plan.

The race itself was amazing. The team was absolutely amazing. Despite a neutral section contested at about 40mph a small break gets up the road. The lads miss the move, but BFD Dave and Stylin' Ben Zawacki go to the front and work to bring it in. As you might have guessed from my earlier posts, the other teams here are not so pleased with us as we are making the race super hard and not letting anyone get away with coasting to a victory.

This particular move was super strong and it takes BFD and Stylin' about 20 miles to bring it in. Ouch. Let me tell you right now that Ben Zawacki was incredible. He worked the hardest I have ever seen anyone in my life. Constantly at the front and constantly working to keep this break in site. Wow.

Finally, the chasing works and the field comes back together only to see a move go up the road. Who do you think it is? Hmmm....guess yet? Yup, it is Justin Wolverine Lindine with a Kenda, plus Decanio and two pesky Inferno riders. Justin is dropping them on the hills so the Inferno guys ask him to sit up and they will work with him to the finish. "Nice", thinks Justin, "this could work".

Meanwhile, back in the field, the rest of the squad is working like crazy. Nate is tired from humping bottles all day and Ben is blown from the work at the front. As the Wolverine Attack gets up past two minutes, the race leader starts to chase as now Justin is winning the overall on the road.

In the Volvo, I hear BFD asK "what do I do?". Before I can respond, a quiet calm voice from the Adam Bomb states:

"follow the yellow jersey". Brilliant.

BFD immediately latches on to the chase and kills it hard. Up front, the Inferno guys have realized that they do not stand a chance against Justin in the finish and sit up and wait for the field. Once back in the field, they actually help drive the pace with the rest of their teammates to bring the remaining breakaway back together again. What whooses. This is the stupid and most "tool" move we have ever seen. You do not make a deal and then welch on it if you expect to ever get it done again. Jerks. Tools. Freds.

So now the race is approaching mile 60 (it was supposed to be 61). Only, we pass a sign that says Gambier: 13 miles. Holy crap. No one knows what to do. The promoter has mis judged the length of the stage by over 20 kilometers. The lads start to work to set up Lee for the finishing climb hoping for a stage win, but the end never comes. How much longer? What the hell is happening here in Ohio? Is it Marty McFly all over again?

Well, the field is nervous and bunching together and the inevitable happens: crash. About 1500 meters from the finish line every cat 3 wannabe Fred in the midwest decides they can win the race and there is a huge crash at the front of the race. Da' Bomb goes down but seems to actually land upright about 20 feet from his bike. There are bodies everywhere. Justin and Craig have to put a foot down and try to get around the crash and someone is actually on the wrong side of the barriers. I put the Volvo in park (at 35 mph, sorry Ellen!) and help get Adam going again. The race is over for us but they certainly tried.

We absolutely owned this stage again. Either we were in the moves, or made the reaction to them when necessary. The team was perfect in every respect and they did a great job. It was great to see and all the other teams (except Inferno) thought we were great. Unfortunately, we are racing in an event that allows the stages to be of an indeterminate length and the promoter can change things as he wishes. Crazy. Talk after the race was about how the USCF threw him out for not doing the right thing in the past. Too bad as the courses are awesome and the local people have been super cool and nice and excited about the racing. Even those shifty Mennonites have been cheering us! We have learned our lesson again.

Tomorrow is a 40 mile criterium and we plan on making the entire field regret waking up. Everyone is feeling great and getting in better shape every day. So much fun. Tune in tomorrow to hear how the da Bomb, Wolverine, big Craig, Leero, BFD, Stylin, Will, Josh, No Nickname and even me get through the day.Thanks!

Kyle WolfeManager, TARGETRAINING Racing Teams
http://www.targetraining.com/