Froze Toes Road Race

Our first weekend of racing we had the worst snow storm of the winter.  Our second weekend was blustery and cold.  This weekend we had torrential rain.  In some circles they call this type of racing "Epic".  I think people usually call it epic after the race is over.  We arrived in Columbia to see cold rain.  The temperature was 47 degrees.  The rain was strong.  The course was flat when compared to Leavenworth.  It was 31 miles long with four corners.  We were to race one lap.  Our team was actually in high spirits.  

 

Sparky Anderson was there from Fort Leonard Wood.  He joined Alex Ardussi in the men's category five race.  Alex was in high spirits before the race.  He told me that he liked racing in terrible weather as it reminded him of the Spring Classics in Europe.  

 

Armando Peralta and Adam Wilcoxen joined me in the men's category 4/5 race.  Armando searched out for any dry place to warm up.  There were none.  I was pretty happy to just stay in the car and try to remain warm until the misery...uh race started.  The race director asked us to come out into the rain to receive our instructions.  

 

As we began the race, the rain continued.  The roads were slick and you could hear a sound of cars passing; only it was the bikes swishing water in the wheel ruts of the road.  My thoughts were primarily to stay upright.  I noticed our speeds were 23 mph or higher.  One rider attacked early, in the first mile.  We let him go and never saw him again.  As the race took it's penultimate turn, the wind and rain went straight in our face.  The hills seemed to be concentrated on this part of the course.  Our peleton picked up the intensity and what had been an amorphous group turned into a straight line.  We made the final turn and the attack happened.  Two riders went up the road.  They got a 100 meter gap.  I jumped across.  Adam followed but had a mechanical.  The rain came down hard.  I hit a crater of a pot hole and flattened both my tires.  Armando raced on to take 5th place.  I fixed my two flats and continued the race to finish in 12th place.  Alex took 8th place in the men's category 5 race.  Sparky was 4th place in the men's category 5s.  

 

We all enjoyed Shakespeare's Pizza afterwards and talked about the race.  Probably the best part of the day.  The sun came out as we left the restaurant.  

 

Shawn Morelli raced the Lake Perry Road Race and won the women's open.  Shawn was facing temperatures ten degrees colder than we were.  Roger Harrison was at the Lake to provide encouragement and race support.  

 

We are all excited about this weekend's Spring Fling Criterium.  Weather is forecasted to be 60 degrees and sunny.  What?