Ken Is The Champ!

Wow, I didn’t know people cared so much. OK, I will respond to the pressure to improve my race report. I just feared boring people with details. How about bullet points!

• Missed 2 weeks of decent training leading up to race due to illness. Post-antibiotic funk and jacked up back left me questioning my abilities.
• Flew over to Vegas with Mitch and Bill McBride in Bill’s jet (45 minute trip). That’s how we roll.
• Kicked it with houseboatmates Paul Wren, Mitch, Avalon and her daughter Summersby.
• Waited til 4:30 to race the uphill time trial.
• Raced well, matched last year’s time, should have pushed harder.
• Time that was good for 2nd last year was only good enough for 7th this year. Deeper talent pool damn it.
• 7:00am road race start time under threatening skies. 44 mile course with 3500 ft. of climbing.
• Top GC guy is on the local Vegas team and has the most teammates – great!
• Gene, Paul, Bill, Mitch and I make it through the course in the lead group and head towards home.
• Gene jams up his drivetrain shifting gears and is off the back.
• Bill moves up towards the front to stay out of trouble.
• Paul launches and attack about 3 miles out and gets everyone out of the saddle.
• Race settles in as everyone smells the finish line in a couple of miles.
• With my crampy legs I move onto the front anticipating the local team driving it in to the finish.
• I guessed right, and jumped into the 4th position of their train, riding it to the turn 1/4 mile from the finish.
• Random guy behind me jumps around me and I get on him to get past the leaders.
• Thanks for the leadout Beotch! I jumped him 100 meters out and got a road race victory.
• Moved up to 5th in the GC.
• Bill gets a top ten finish in the hilly road race!
• Rain comes down within minutes of our finish. Later groups get hailed on out there.
• Had to explain a dozen times that we are not sponsored by the Nevada version of a Chicken Ranch.
• 30 minute parking lot crit, no chance of getting away, try for another win.
• Gene breaks away on 5th lap for a prime win of a Road ID.
• Mitch drives a fruitless attack with 5 to go. Local team is marking everything closely.
• Gene rolls up with 3 to go and tells me to get on his wheel – yes!
• Could not advance in heavy traffic and settle for something around 10th (thanks for trying Gene).
• Managed to move up to 4th in GC.

Overall a great time. Definitely an event to plan on next year. 45 houseboats full of racers (only 20 boats last year). Super cool having all races start right there in the marina. Stage races are the best team events – good times!

Cheers,
Ken