Goin Blue Collar @ Sisquoc

Saturday, April 19th ...
Well, time to race, only number 3 in my very short rein of madness ... standing at the registration table anxious both to register and to see cat4 finish since I know Peter will be vying for top 3 spots ... OK, go sign the waiver ... then a GASP from the "audience" basically all the other cyclist watching, and "carnage" in cat4 finish, I mean something went way wrong and dust and bikes and at least a couple people were tumbling and it was fast. Hmmm, maybe today would be a good day to stay upright I thought when Eric leaned over and said is that Pete, it was just rolling in after the major spring, their finish was sketchy, I think someone dropped a chain ... OK, this sport is not for wussies.

Race starter calls out Cat5 pre-regs, since we now have a second group "the public" .. we roll-out and the someone sez "here comes the other racers", and proceeds to say "get ready, go" and were off ... that was sweet, no time to even hang and get all fuzzy ... And then Brian B and Brian H are leading us out and Eric K is also looking strong, wow, I think, we may do something here. Lap1 is all about Chicken Ranch as the first break occurs with one rider going out front 100yds and I'm thinking ..I can bring the Brians and Eric up to him no prob and so I wheel out of my comfortable 10 position and bridge the gap for my teammates and now by Sisquoc, Brian H is still in it and giving me encouragement, "go Rick ya", on we go to Palmer, Cat Canyon and the feed zone when we hit Dominion to climb I'm psyched and what the road if full of the other group, and me being a gentleman and single , it was the Cat 4 women I honor yellow line and try to make some groovy eye contact and realize, the married guys and cheeseballs are all off the front as I meander through the "girls". So, four of us are several 100 yards off the back and guess who bridges again, moi. I had help as one other rider pulled through with me and by Start finish line we are one again with peloton.

LAP2: fast and just in the group with no big deals ... Eric and I get to hold a conversation and I inform him the Brian's are behind in the second group and we were on our own ...

LAP3 (our last lap): ... the excitement is building and a rider goes off right about the start/finish and is looking strong and who responds, no not me this time :) , but my teammate Eric K and I'm thinking again, SWEET! So, I'm on his wheel in number three position and we are cruising and as we hit the roller on Orcutt Carey Road I am feeling, well "intoxicated" and I hammer up the little tilly hilly and I am on the leaders wheel and BOOM: I'm hammering over the top and hit it and jump past the leader and get a couple hundred yard lead (@ 24 mile mark) by Foxen Canyon I'm out of saddle and pouring it on and getting what seems to be the biggest lead by any rider in the race for as long as any rider and think, can I hold this? No! So I manage to get reeled in right about the town of Sisquoc .. when one of the riders behind me said (to let me know I was caught) "nice shorts, your teammates must love riding behind you ..." because I sport TEAM Chicken Ranch large size with major stress fractures on my seams and hiney is poking, you get the pic, when I reply "not as much as you do pal!" and then proceeded to hit it and stay out front well on to Palmer (@ 27.5 mile mark) but as I let up the whole peloton let up and the original dude who broke on Lap1 was off the front and I said "that's trouble" and I was right ... no one reacted and I was ready for a beer by then. I was wishing Dan R was in the race at that time! So, I stayed in front until the feed zone and the bumps ate me up so I knew I was in trouble .. when I got out of the saddle to climb on Dominion road is was OVA and my legs were cramping so I sat down fast, unzipped my jersey and hung on in the back of the pack and watched the race from there, including Eric K doing his best to hang but it looked like we both had "rookie fever" and we grateful for our 2008 season as a CHICKENS ... when I wheeled over to congratulate the winner. I hear "gratsi" instead of "thank you" and think, OK Italian ...EPO :)

... in my mind I rode the most aggressive and in Eric's words .. "Rickydude, you had some great TV time out there!" but I also rode like the fool that writes this spew (get me out of your spam filter!).. next year I'll win a Cat 5 stage for us and hope to have Eric K on my wheel for #2 ... if I can stay healthy!

I rode blue collar all year in a white collar sport and I LOVED it!

PEACE all and meet Peter S and I for a brew at Hollister B.C. once we bust a move on what day next month!!!!!

Love, RD

Rick Martz