On our way to the start line, I looked over to Paul (I think) and said, "Hmmm....looks like there could be a rain cloud or two, think it will rain?"
By the time we got to the start line, it was raining. First, a few sprinkles, then some big drops...then came the thunder and lightning. I asked the organizer if we continue in the thunder and lightning and she said, "sure, no problem". O....K.... Thunder and lightning scares the crap out of me, so I wasn't excited to say the least.
We start with the Men 40's. Our ANZA Mavs had been training like gangbusters and seeing their speeds on STRAVA made me a wee nervous. Our peloton in Vietnam is not stable, and I struggle... and sit in the back. I know the M40 guys are strong, fast, but stable and have etiquette. If I can hang in, I'll get the speed by default. The whole point of group riding, right?
Takes me a bit to get comfortable in this group. Keeping an eye on the ladies, everyone knows everyone except me and the Franzia woman. All the other women are from Singapore. The ladies cluster and I stay to the back of the cluster, keeping the wheel of Coleen or some of the others.
It starts to rain a bit, but nothing terrible.
The motorcycle guys start to pass out water bottles, the rain and nerves seems to hamper the ability for folks to hold onto them.... they start flying, my teammates start calling out all the dips, etc in the road.
We go through a puddle,
we enter a construction zone
we are slightly diverted to the right,
the peloton passes through a narrow lane between two parked cars....
I, along with all but 5, girls got dropped.
(Insert your favorite exclamatory swear word, I probably said it....)
I hauled as fast as I could.
The narrow bit was too long....
I pass several on my way to catching up...
I never catch, but game on..... go, go, go, go....
Eventually, I catch up with number 711, a girl named Michelle (#5 in the GC). I say, "Hey, lets work together... to the end". so we do. then it rains, and pours, then the thunder and lightning.
We don't know if we are on the right road....
maybe we are lost....
the trucks are passing through knee deep pedals splashing water up and over us...
the thunder and lightning is getting louder and closer. I count in my head.
I am miserable.
At one point, the water was so high we had to walk our bike around a huge puddle.
Finally, about 90km into it, the weather was tolerable again. Light rain, we were off the main highway and on an only wet road. I can do this! I will go steady to the hill and just climb... surely someone has dropped....right? maybe I can pick them up, maybe I am not completely out of the GC. You only give up after you crossed the line.
My teammate is in a van and comes to my side and asks me to stop. "Locky called (team manager) and ordered women in the van". What????? She said she argued but he was insistent. The thunder and lightning was in the mountains and the conditions were very dangerous.
What do I do? I feel I have to obey. We offer Michelle a ride, but she says she will continue. I don't have a choice. Well, of course I have free will, but we have two vans for 25 riders. If I opt to go on my own, if we are in fact on the wrong road.... I don't know WHERE I am suppose to go.... and there is NO guarantee anyone will come find me. What if I have a flat, what if I crash.... its all at my own risk.
I text Gjermund, "DNF"....
We look for our other teammate, Julie.
We don't actually find her, and she has managed to ride to the hotel. The storm cleared the mountain and we would have been fine. Now I am beyond pissed, and know I have no GC. I am angry.... I feel I should have continued, but in the heat of the moment felt what Molly was telling me, I had no choice.
As it turned out, they cancelled the race. In the Open category, a lightning strike was within 20 meters of the peloton and the guys could feel the electricity through their bikes and handlebars (even taped and rubber tires). When the group tried to climb the hill, they couldn't get traction. Imagine an entire peloton of less experienced riders... there'd be crashes for sure.
The organizers made the right decision for our safety, but did it in an awkward way. That said, it had never been done before, so surely there will be neutralizing rules in the future.
Many riders were scooped up by the sweeper van.... we all go the same time except the girls who made the break. They got 8 minutes less. I felt it was fair for them. I had doubts about what I had done if it was fair, but at the time I got in the van (at the managers orders), the race was neutralized. I discussed endlessly with some of the guys and our acting managers, etc. They all agreed, I got in the van after or about the time the race was neutralized... if a bus came along and picked up the peloton, it would have all been the same. Later in the week, I would learn that some would protest that more time should be added since I didn't finish. Quite hurt by the sentiment, to be honest. I was the only one in GC who got picked up, but I wasn't the only one picked up and given the time, but my time was the only one being protested.
That's racing.
If we protest everything in the Tour of Friendship, then just don't go. Last year, no one was there to mark a turn.... I rode 5km further then I needed, it cost me the podium and one place in the GC....
On Ladies day 3, they added 3 minutes to my time...but to protest.....
It's racing in Thailand.
By the time we got to the start line, it was raining. First, a few sprinkles, then some big drops...then came the thunder and lightning. I asked the organizer if we continue in the thunder and lightning and she said, "sure, no problem". O....K.... Thunder and lightning scares the crap out of me, so I wasn't excited to say the least.
We start with the Men 40's. Our ANZA Mavs had been training like gangbusters and seeing their speeds on STRAVA made me a wee nervous. Our peloton in Vietnam is not stable, and I struggle... and sit in the back. I know the M40 guys are strong, fast, but stable and have etiquette. If I can hang in, I'll get the speed by default. The whole point of group riding, right?
Takes me a bit to get comfortable in this group. Keeping an eye on the ladies, everyone knows everyone except me and the Franzia woman. All the other women are from Singapore. The ladies cluster and I stay to the back of the cluster, keeping the wheel of Coleen or some of the others.
It starts to rain a bit, but nothing terrible.
The motorcycle guys start to pass out water bottles, the rain and nerves seems to hamper the ability for folks to hold onto them.... they start flying, my teammates start calling out all the dips, etc in the road.
We go through a puddle,
we enter a construction zone
we are slightly diverted to the right,
the peloton passes through a narrow lane between two parked cars....
I, along with all but 5, girls got dropped.
(Insert your favorite exclamatory swear word, I probably said it....)
I hauled as fast as I could.
The narrow bit was too long....
I pass several on my way to catching up...
I never catch, but game on..... go, go, go, go....
Eventually, I catch up with number 711, a girl named Michelle (#5 in the GC). I say, "Hey, lets work together... to the end". so we do. then it rains, and pours, then the thunder and lightning.
We don't know if we are on the right road....
maybe we are lost....
the trucks are passing through knee deep pedals splashing water up and over us...
the thunder and lightning is getting louder and closer. I count in my head.
I am miserable.
At one point, the water was so high we had to walk our bike around a huge puddle.
Finally, about 90km into it, the weather was tolerable again. Light rain, we were off the main highway and on an only wet road. I can do this! I will go steady to the hill and just climb... surely someone has dropped....right? maybe I can pick them up, maybe I am not completely out of the GC. You only give up after you crossed the line.
My teammate is in a van and comes to my side and asks me to stop. "Locky called (team manager) and ordered women in the van". What????? She said she argued but he was insistent. The thunder and lightning was in the mountains and the conditions were very dangerous.
What do I do? I feel I have to obey. We offer Michelle a ride, but she says she will continue. I don't have a choice. Well, of course I have free will, but we have two vans for 25 riders. If I opt to go on my own, if we are in fact on the wrong road.... I don't know WHERE I am suppose to go.... and there is NO guarantee anyone will come find me. What if I have a flat, what if I crash.... its all at my own risk.
I text Gjermund, "DNF"....
We look for our other teammate, Julie.
We don't actually find her, and she has managed to ride to the hotel. The storm cleared the mountain and we would have been fine. Now I am beyond pissed, and know I have no GC. I am angry.... I feel I should have continued, but in the heat of the moment felt what Molly was telling me, I had no choice.
As it turned out, they cancelled the race. In the Open category, a lightning strike was within 20 meters of the peloton and the guys could feel the electricity through their bikes and handlebars (even taped and rubber tires). When the group tried to climb the hill, they couldn't get traction. Imagine an entire peloton of less experienced riders... there'd be crashes for sure.
The organizers made the right decision for our safety, but did it in an awkward way. That said, it had never been done before, so surely there will be neutralizing rules in the future.
Many riders were scooped up by the sweeper van.... we all go the same time except the girls who made the break. They got 8 minutes less. I felt it was fair for them. I had doubts about what I had done if it was fair, but at the time I got in the van (at the managers orders), the race was neutralized. I discussed endlessly with some of the guys and our acting managers, etc. They all agreed, I got in the van after or about the time the race was neutralized... if a bus came along and picked up the peloton, it would have all been the same. Later in the week, I would learn that some would protest that more time should be added since I didn't finish. Quite hurt by the sentiment, to be honest. I was the only one in GC who got picked up, but I wasn't the only one picked up and given the time, but my time was the only one being protested.
That's racing.
If we protest everything in the Tour of Friendship, then just don't go. Last year, no one was there to mark a turn.... I rode 5km further then I needed, it cost me the podium and one place in the GC....
On Ladies day 3, they added 3 minutes to my time...but to protest.....
It's racing in Thailand.
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