Tour of Friendship - Lady's Day 2

Photo from Day 1....

I went to bed with a HUGE smile on my face..... I rode with the big girls and held my own!! I was not humilated....but so pleased. Siw told me, "You rode well!"... I am so happy.

I broke my front break lever in my crash, my handlebars and fork needed to be realigned and scratched up the tape and lost the thiny at the end of the handlebars. Grateful to have Campy because Colin (the team's mechanic) just taped up my break so I could ride safe. I am fairly sore and a little scuffed up, but of the three crashes ANZA riders had that day, mine is not even noteworthy. One guy really hurt his hip and had surgery when he return to Singapore. Another in the same peloton just got scratch up pretty good, but needed bandages and visited First Aid twice a day.

Siw and I discuss tactics on the way out. We think I could be slightly better on the hill, so if she should drop a little, I slow the peloton down at the top. we are TOLD it is a hilly stage, but just rolling hills. I tell her that I can read people's climbing fairly well just by seeing how they do on the little inclines... I am usually right on... this will give us valuable information for tomorrow's one and only real hill stage.


The profile above shows the steepest climb is in only 45m... well, I am not exactly sure where it was... seemed to be fairly flat to me!

At the start line, everythign changed....

We are now in with the M40.... For Siw and Christina, this is great news, they have ridden with these guys day in and day out. They know them well. For me, it is intimidating and overwhelming. My job went from helping my teammate to just surviving the damn ride! It was not good news for me and I didn't have time to prepare for this....

Luckily, the rain had stopped, but the roads were still wet in places. I haven't ridden in the rain in a long time.... not because I am a princess and don't want to get wet, but because it is a death wish here in HCMC. I find that in the top 10 safety features of any thing here.... usually 8 are covered. The roads do not drain well here, potholes are big and unseen, and just revisit other posts to see what kind of surprises you can run over.

That said, I find myself in the back of the pack. Today's stage is to be 110km for us. 160 for the boys. I guess we will just finish and they will carry on? I am not quite sure how 9 girls are suppose to just magically slip out of the peloton and finish.

ANZA riders are throughout the peloton. Thankfully, one tells me the plan of attacks... at the 50km mark, surge, relax two by two...I need to improve my position if I am going to survive these...

Janine goes down, she takes two or three others with her, her wheel touched the Specialized girls wheel.... I start to relax more. I didn't realize how tense I was and nervous.... the crash from the day before and our new 'fast' peloton really did a toll on me mentally.

I eventually get dropped completely.... I misread a surge.... At only the 60km mark, I am humiliated....but Colin is in the van and cheers me on.... tells me what to do.... after hammering for a few kms I catch back on...

Lesson LEARNED....get my butt up there.... I improve my position, though not at the top of the peloton, closer to the middle.

Then comes the asphault.... fresh blacktop on the road. there is a 10cm edge that takes down several riders.... it is very, VERY hot...the rocks are black, tarred and sticky.... The noise is unbearable....

I realize the noise is from me...

My bike is making a deafening noise, knowing it was alreay mamed from the day before, I don't recognize this noise... my tires are not flat.... but this noise...

I make a bad decision, but knowing the conscequenses... I briefly get off my bike and spin my wheels.... quick check, the motorcycle guy simply says, "Its okay" - Go! I knew once I got off the bike, it would cost me the GC... but the noise was so horrible I felt I had no choice. The high rims really ampliphied the sound..

He gives me a push back to the peloton, but the other team vans are yelling, "NO ACCIDENT, NO FREE PUSH", we try to explain it was a mechanical problem.... I ask not to be pushed. I don't want to be accused of cheating...

I see the peloton, but never catch up. I ride solo for about 10km, then two of the other girls catch up to me from behind. We eventually begin to rotae. There's finally the 3km sign... I sprint ahead... they don't even challenge it.

2:13 behind the leader now (after time bonuses)... should have rode faster to bridge that gap....

5th for the stage....

cross the line, humilated, and screaming a cuss word....

gotta get ready for the next day's stage.... maybe I can take out 2:00 on the climb. It is the North Coast race.... PERIOD.