Walla Walla Roundup

Well dang. I have to say -- my hat is off to the Red Truck team. After watching them fold under pressure in Willamette, I was honestly expecting the same thing to happen last weekend (especially with SO much more pressure). There were at least three strong teams hitting those guys with everything they had, and they stayed cool under fire. Several of their guys marked moves (and sat on them), chilled out and protected Rob Britton (who was in the race lead by a solid 2:15), while the other half of their team rode at the front to control breakaways. After 75 miles of racing Red Truck had enough fresh guys to actually go on the offensive -- much to our surprise and dismay. Getting to form an echelon and do some real damage to the peloton was fun, but it would have been more fun if we weren't also desperately trying to chase back the leaders. My team closed the gap to within a minute or so, and then Justin Rose of the Bob's team and I struck out on our own. It was, to quote Justin "the bridge of our lives". We caught up to the leaders, but were so completely blown that we couldn't do anything other than watch the attacks go up the road and suffer like beaten dogs for the final 5 miles of racing. To illustrate my point: the final ascent of the climb out of Waitsburg I was in my easiest gear (a 39x23), cranking over maybe 75 RPM's, my face contorted in a mask of pain, going as hard as I could go. Honest to god, I considered getting off and trying to jog. Earlier in the race, I'd tap danced to the top of that climb in my big ring without even realizing it. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

That's what I look like when "the wheels come off".


Thanks to Amara from WheelsInFocus.com. If you ever want to purchase top quality shots of all the best races in the Northwest, go there!