Event #1 happened last night. I went to install a K-Edge chain watcher in order to prevent any future dropped chains and evil time cuts. Then I got a nice little scare, the left shifter wouldn't shift. Awesome, I'm sitting here 12 hours before my race starts and I have no front shifting. After a short freak out I just try to replace the cable--with a little finagling it works out. Disaster averted.
Then the road race. At this point a 56 mile Cat 3 race feel like a walk in the park. Racing almost feels like a day off at this point. We all go out, ride bikes for a few hours and sprint for the line. There's natural attrition on the climbs but apart from a few short jumps I feel like I'm out for a Sunday ride.
This 'race' was essentially just another ride. We went out, rode bikes and the only work I did was to fight for a position--which I did quite well may I add. Then Event 2 occurred. We're all cranking uphill and I hear something. A bad something. Carbon-on-ground something. I look up to see a mess of bikes and bodies strewn across the road. No idea how it happened but I avoided it. Short burst and I'm back with the lead. 6 miles to go. Long sweeping decent and everyone seems to be taking it easy. My least favorite part of a race; let the BS games begin... We make the final turn with 500m to go and everyone is twitchy. I'm in the top 30 and feel like I'm about ready to break my pedals off. Someone open the sprint and we're off. Then there's people on the ground. 250m from the line a racer rolls right in front of me. Nowhere to go. I hit him square in the ribs. I'm in the air. I'm on the ground. By the time I stop moving the winner has already crossed the line. I go check on the guy I hit and he's kind of banged up but we get him up and rolling. I look up the road and see one of my teammates pulling a set of handlebars out of his rear triangle. Cracked seat stay there. I pick up my bike and soft pedal the last 200m in. Then I start to feel the road rash.
Here's the damage count: deep scrapes on left shoulder and hip, mild scrapes on both arms above the elbow (in the meat of the arm) 1 broken spoke, a loose headset and 1 in^2 of scrapes on the very back of the helmet. Looking at it, I made it out fairly well. Headset is already squared away and once I replace the spoke the wheel will be golden. As far as the road rash, think of it like in a basketball, soccer or football game when someone gives you an elbow. Yeah, it hurts but more than anything it just makes you angry.
I am going to make this field hurt. Exit Grumpy Gus, enter Angry Arex.
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