Terrible Two 2013 'Game Two'

[Carl Sanders]

All the usual suspects were there. Motor-pacing behind behind a big Ford pickup driven by Carlos Perez out of Sebastapol and through Santa Rosa, were Jady, The Triman; Marc, The Belgian; Brian, The TT Course Record Holder; Gabe, The Hopper Master; Robert, The CTC Stage King; Max, The Funny Guy; Gary, The Quite One and Jeff, The Kid. Behind us were nearly 200 other riders, all amped up and zipping along through town in the early morning light toward another long day on their bikes.

My first objective was to finish under 12 hours. Doing the math, this would require that I would need to average at least 16.8 MPH over the 200 mile course that included 16,500' of climbing. After the Devil Mountain Double and with the absence of the top two finishers at this race, it appeared I was now holding second place in the CTC Stage Race, just five minutes behind Robert Choi. Catching Robert and putting a gap on his lead was my second objective. Holding Max off, who was just five minutes behind me at DMD was the final objective.  

With the sun rising, the lead group pushed hard over Trinity Grade. The field quickly shattered. Heading north on the Silverado Trail, a brisk pace-line of twenty or so lead riders motored over the gentle rollers toward the first Aid Stop in Calistoga. I needed water and desperately had to piss, but watched in surprise as Robert, Jady and few other riders blew past the Aid Stop. Unfortunately, a bit of confusion and misunderstanding followed just after Calistoga when a few other riders opted for a piss break and the rest of us continued on. My group kept hammering, leaving the other riders off the back, forcing them to push hard to catch up. Some angry words were exchanged, but we eventually grouped back up.

Up the first big climbs of the day over Geysers, the lead group slowly spread out, with Marc and Brian slowly pulling away out front. At the top of the first long grinder, I caught and passed Jady and then Robert near the Aid at the top, just as Max pulled up from behind. Robert, myself and Max pulled into the Aid in the same order as our DMD finish; third, forth and fifth. Strange. Attempting to put a gap on Robert and Max, I picked up the pace down the narrow bumpy backside of Geysers heading into Cloverdale. Glancing back, I seemed to be holding a solid third position. Marc and Brian were somewhere out front.

Riding solo into the Lake Sonoma Aid with 5:50 elapsed, holding a ~20 MPH average pace at mile 110, I felt on target to a achieve my sub 12 hour objective. The challenge was that more than half of the 16,500' of climbing still remained over the final 90 miles and the next section was over the notorious Skaggs in the exposed mid-day sun. Thankfully, the temperatures in the upper 80s this year were nothing like the scorcher we had last year where Garmins recorded 120+ degree temps over the exposed blacktop.

Still holding third position and riding solo over Skaggs, I methodically worked my way out to the coast. My average speed slowly declined. Into the Gualala river bottom, I was passing many of the 200k riders, who had taken a shorter route north to finish just the second half to the TT. To my surprise, I also caught Brian on the canyon bottom and we exchanged leads to the base of the killer steep Rancheria hill climb. I watched in amazement as he stood up and slowly walked away from me up this incredibly brutal ascent at mile 140. I never saw him again. 

Still in third position, at the Rancheria Aid, I rolled in and out to refuel and rehydrate without getting off my bike. To my dismay, on the first bumpy descent toward Stewars Point, I hit a hole and felt, then watched both of my water bottles come bouncing out their cages then go careening down pavement and shooting off the road edge in front of me at 30+ MPH. I quickly stopped and searched in vain, but they were gone. Then, a 200K riders pulls up to see if I was OK, and offers me one his bottles. Salvation! Thanks again Martin! Back in the game.

On the coast, with a strong cool coastal wind on my back, I flew solo over the rollers, trying to keep me average speed up, heading south toward Fort Ross. Still alone and third place, I grabbed another bottle at the Fort Ross Aid and headed back up into the world of climbing pain. Over the first ridge and on to the second I passed an increasing number of 200K riders encouraging me upward. 

Feeling worked, but confident, I rode hard down the backside of the pot-hole strewn Fort Ross descent into Cazadero. My average speed was now only 16.9 MPH. I was getting close to falling off my target pact. Out to the Russian River, with the wind on my back again, I motored along at 20+ MPH and into the final Aid at Monte Rio. Simply rolling past and gobbling a bit of grub on the tables and handing my bottle off to Volunteer for a re-fill, I kept the ball in motion for the final 10+ miles to the finish.

Still in third position, my focus beginning to wane, my pace falling off, I made the final climb up past Occidental. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, three riders blow past me and I immediately recognize that Robert, Jeff and Gary have been working together to chase me down. I jump on the train and exchange pulls as our pace dramatically increases in the last few miles.

I had become tired and somewhat complacent, riding solo for 90 miles, thinking my third position and gap over Robert was secure. My sub-12 hour mark was assured with this last hard push, but I was not ready to give up the number three slot. Onto the final right, heading south on School Rd. toward the finish at Analy HS, the four of us kept the heat on, rotating through lead on the last mile. With Robert pulling and and only 100 yds to the HS driveway and finish, I pulled out from behind, jumped off my seat and stomped on the pedals with everything I had left to give for a sprint finish across the line.

Robert, Jeff and Gary gave chase and rolled in just behind me with a collective third place time of 11:42. Fair enough.

Next up: Alta Alpina, 200 miles & 20K in climbing, the final CTC Stage in two weeks. Five minutes still separates Robert and I for Stage win.