1 week in to a two-week adventure.
Again, my sleep schedule is a mess. Reading at about 9 and falling asleep so lights out at 9 pm. Midnight and I am awake again. Find my book and spend an hour and try sleep again. No go, another bit of reading maybe? Still no sleep and my alarm is set for 7:30. In desperation I search my Android phone and find some Calming sleep nature sounds, low volume and “voila”, I fall asleep about 2:00 am.
7:00 and I am awake so, I just lay there a bit and get up and make breky and prepare some lunch.
I get to the velodrome and have two important tasks, ask about bike check, to make sure the bike is a legal set up and finding a “holder” for the start of my Scratch race as I am third back on the blue band. Mass start races at this level; the field of racers is split in half with half the field starting from the top of the track or “Rail” and the other half starting from the Blue Band at the base of the track. Rail racers can hold onto the rail; Blue Band racers need someone to hold the bike stationary as you sit on it waiting for the official to whistle for the start of the neutral lap.
I know today will be a very long day and I usually don’t waste energy in the velodrome on race day. Just being in there saps mental and physical endurance. I plan to ride the 1:00 open session to determine final gear choice for later today so here I am trying to do as little as possible. Finally, on the trainer for 10-15 minutes before the open session and then out to the track which is filled to capacity. Quite fun to have a huge group of racers melding together doing their own little warm up thing and generally going fast. I only needed about 10-15 minutes to confirm the bigger gear choice for tonight.
Now, time to eat some of my snacks, read, relax and not be too engaged in all the activity. Just tuning it out. Got an early bike check done, just in case, all legal. Have to laugh that they didn’t weigh the bike, just picking it up confirms it isn’t too light.
The race events just keep rotating through the schedule, some of my co USA racers arrive and we talk some strategy. Sounds good, not sure how it will work but it is a plan. Larry finds me a holder as well, thanks Larry. Back on the trainer, 15-20 minutes and time to drop the bike at the staging area. Done! Wait some more in my get ready area and then over to the pre stage area and have a little convo with another older racer. Amazing community in that most know, recognize or are long distance friends, fun to reacquaint myself with a bunch of them.
It’s time, a walk up a short stair to the track, home straight. My holder, Rick, is carrying my bike as a good holder should do. Most of us are lined up but we are waiting for a straggler who shows up late so he goes to the back. The official stands in the middle of the track, gives some direction and blows a whistle to get riders rolling for one free, easy lap where everyone is supposed to group up as a pack before a starter pistol is shot as a “GO”. Well, some guy goes off the front and gaps the Blue Band guys, and the rail guys get a slow start, so it is a mess. When this happens, the official makes you do another lap to form up. We now have 2 neutral laps before our 20-lap race. The pack is still not formed so the official makes us do a 3rd neutral lap before we get the gun to start.
We are about 2-3 laps into the race, strategy is working, the strong Aussie is at the front, my co USA guy is next and I am behind him, the rest are scattered about. Small field in this age group. Ten years ago, I told myself I wouldn’t be racing at this age, never say never, I guess.
Time for a pause! Did I mention that on some of my past weeks training days I rolled across some gouges in the wood track surface? I found two, one in turn two and one in turn 4, part way up the track, not very high, just below the blue stayer’s line. When I crossed them in training my front wheel got twisted and turned a bit, not enough to cause a problem but a wakeup call.
As we first three pedal through turn four at moderate but not fast pace, my front wheel catches that divot and it twists my wheel to the left and turns it out from under me and down I got, taking I think one other rider with me. As it was happening, I looked down and saw my wheel just turn left and flip me onto the high side of the track, better than the low side. I remember saying to myself as I looked at the weird angle of the front wheel, “That’s Not Good”
Double gun goes off, and the race is stopped as always when crashes occur. Officials come running to me and the other guy, “Are you ok?” Me, why yes, some chafe and rash and a trickle of blood, no big deal, let’s go.
We form up again, rail and blue band, still a mess and taking too long. Whistle off and more guys cause us to do a second neutral lap, come on guys, you should know this basic skill by now. We get a start, and I am back in 3rd position again, a guy tries to move me out of the way and get in front of me, oh no, not going to happen. We get a few laps in and turn four, same space that took me down, three more go down, the two ahead of me and one behind me unlucky to be where he was. I, however, learned and was riding well above the tricky spot on the track so I rode above the crash. Double gun and the race is stopped again
Another restart, oh good! This time we seem to have it sorted. The fast Aussie guy and my fast strategy friend got banged up enough to slow them a bit, but it is them and me again at the front. My LA buddy tries to go off the front 8-9 laps in, not part of the strategy we talked about, but his attempt doesn’t last long. I move up to behind the fast Aussie guy but can tell he is not quite right. I am happy where I am, pace is fast but not that hard, Larry tries again to go off the front, still no chance. We are down to 5 laps to go; I’m still in 2ndposition in the draft. With 2 laps to go the pace goes up, a gap forms to my pacer and then with 1 lap to go 4 more fast guys overwhelm me and Larry. I try and accel but I’m not gaining on anyone ahead, just holding a position which eventually ends up being 6th, Larry getting 5th and our other fast USA guy coming over the top of all of us and taking the Gold medal. Great strategy on your part Jack! I should be following Jack; he did the same at Nationals in Colorado.
I roll around and get off the track and access damage. Helmet, Humm, has a bunch blue paint on the black helmet. Right hip chafed, skinsuit burned through. A slight cut right inside thigh, right shoulder a tiny abrasion, bike generally looks ok and was riding ok during the race. All in all, escaped any real injury, had a maybe over exciting event, finished in an ok position having been away from World competitions for 6 years.
Back on the bike for some easy leg spin out and then pack up as fast as possible before they turn the lights out. The place is looking deserted, and I need to find some food.
This is a great chance to stop at a Carrefour Express store I found near my Airbnb a few days ago for food and supplies for a quiet dinner at “home” .
Amazing, almost 11:00 and I need to be back at the velodrome by noon tomorrow. What is sleep going to look like tonight? Soon to find out.
Tuesday, 500TT day, this should be hilarious! I know how to race this event, done it lots of times. This year, I’ve practiced it about 15 times last March during a training session at Colorado Springs. That’s not enough to make me feel comfortable.