Glendale Geezer Tales

Olaf is my new hero, so cute, so fit, so... Safegay.

Not only that but, eeking into a break with the cagey vet on memorial day (along with Ashe/Juarez) and getting my tale handed to me has inspired some increased training and dedication, along with a commitment to race smart, not just hard.

I plan on actually racing all summer, and having raced heavy from 1997-2001, taken 3 years off, it is only now that my fitness is coming back. But let's stay away from ancient history and stick to how hard the hot Bako RR was, that knowledge gave me comfort because the Glendale crit couldn't be that hard.

Strange course though, 1.2 miles long w. two super long straights. The finish was at the end of the headwind straight. Early on, I sat in, got my warm up in 3 laps and the prime bell rings. Sprinters like primes. With a half lap to go, no one has launched as I role forward. Time to explode, and no one cares. Cool, I put my head down to feel how hard the wind pushes, but get the prime by a good 15 seconds. The bell rings again, this time it's cash. I'm already out there? right? See if I can hold it. Not only that, but this type of solo effort was exactly what I was unable to do Memorial day, when I went from first to worst in 1.5 laps. Test time.

I passed, the gap dropped, but I was clear and with two consecutive primes, it was rest up, monitor counters. Several went, and a few laps later I see a line ripping off the front and gaining ground. This looks good. It has SoCal's premier teams represented... Amgen, 5 Start Fish, Central Coast Magazine. I have to launch now, into the headwind, knowing that I can turn the corner for one last burst to bridge. Several come with and within a lap, we have a 12 man up, 70 racers are 15 seconds back. We motored. Of course we did, we had horses, Chris DeMarchi, Tom Farley, Tim Roth, Greg Coburn.

The pulls took their toll on the less fit (me included) but despite hard attempts to be bring us back by the field, we were solid, half way around the group just 20 minutes into racing. At 30 minutes, we were halfway done and about to lap the field. It was not wanted by all of us, we could be racing against 11, but now we were back in the mixed bag. 20 minutes to go and several more moves are going. Some dangle but I can't be bothered, I suffered in the break and I need to ride position. Luckily for me, nothing sticks, and at 10 mins to go, a field sprint shapes up. From the final corner it's nearly a half mile headwind sprint out of a massive group.

I came into the final corner about 20th? Can you imagine. I stood and stomped, and guess what... riders were moving backwards. One decides that at 300 meters to go he will stop pedaling and pull off, ONTO the sheltered side of the wide straight, where everyone is passing! I curse "Don't you f-ing dare come into me like that!" He hears me, corrects, holds his line. But this is just enough to take me off the gas for a touch.

Breakway mate Farley has a great lead out from field rider Gary Hansen and Allen Richburg is simply the fastest one. Chris DeMarci is always present is these races. I was happy to finish within a bike length of my 4 breakaway companions, all of whom were stronger today, for my best result of the season, 5th. So fun to be back in it again.

Good living, let's ya know yer alive!