The profiles of the race seem to be a guarded secret. So, luckily (after taking several hours to find a room) we are roomed with Locky and Laurus. Locky seems to have been enlightened on the course. He informs us:
"The course will start immediately outside the resort, no neutral/warm up area. There will be a hill at the 20km mark that will be about 1.5km long, maybe 5% grade. Not sure. Then rollers and a few hills later in the stage".
Okay... if I can keep to the front, I have a chance.
I start on the front... after yesterday, no way am I getting dropped for being an idiot. I know better! So, I hang in the front for a while, the speed is good, moderate, and 'warm upable'.... if that makes any sense.
We get to the first hill, the undisclosed, surprise hill.... I climb, and actually, climb well. I study the climbing of the girls ahead of me and think.... I can hang with them... I am not off from them. I study Christina's climbing and Serene's, Gabi's and what I thought was Coleen's. What I didn't realize was that many of the women dropped at that first 5km hill. All but, Christina, Serene, Gabi, Zarrah, Michelle and myself got dropped. I didn't know. I thought we were all together, but thought Molly and Julie dropped.
Now, our group is going quite slow. I ask Laurus what's going on...."we are letting the guys get away"... our M40 teammates....
Watching the clock and knowing the 'unknown details of the 20km climb' were upon us.... it is getting HOT. Christina is drinking, I better drink.
As advertised, 20.0km....we start our climb....our little 2.5km, 150m climb.... I hang in as best as I can....my position should have been at the top of the peloton to survive the climb. I know realize my gears are not all there for me..... aauugghh....crap! don't have my easiest two gears.
I pass Zarrah (the Pico girl).
I pass Michele
I pass Gabi
Colin is in the van yelling, "Tina get in there..... hang on!"
I try...
I try...
I try...
I bomb down the hill pedaling as fast as I can.....
they are GONE!
(again, insert your favorite swear word).... Hmph! 25km down, only 115 to go! alone....
(again, insert your favorite swear word)....
I am not angry... I just get pedalling... something will happen.
Eventually, it does, Gabi is in a group that catches me...."Get in Tina" she yells, and I do. We work together for some time. After turning off on the "magical mystery tour" sort of diversions of a road, there's a huge pot hole..... Gabi hit it dead on..., "are you okay?" she gave me the thumbs up...good! At this point, I think there are about 5 ahead of us. Gabi said, "no, only Christina and Serene". I don't believe her because I couldn't account for the other PICO girls, Stacey, and Coleen.
Gabi flatted. After fixing her flat, she never caught back up.
Our group disbanded and we dropped a few, some more aggressive riders tried to catch the next group up the road.. I yelled at the front, lets go catch them... I'd take off, I figured whoever came great, but I am not going to putz around waiting. Good decision.
I caught up with #450, Phillipe. He had a techincal... he was 3rd in the prologue and he was trying hard to catch the peloton. My kinda guy.
"Wow, I am very impressed with your riding".
We work together for quite a while taking in those who could work and dropping those who couldn't...
Unfortunately.... for whatever reason, my own stupidity.... muckin' around w/ my water bottle or something, I dropped.
(again, insert your favorite swear word).
Hoping to catch up or get caught, I don't. I finish the last 45km alone.
I know I will pay dearly for that. I also didn't know a group wasn't far behind me. Even though they'd cost me 2 or 3 minutes, it would have saved me ooooooodles of energy for the next two days.
Live and Learn....
I cross the finish line and see Alex..... humilated.... I just say, "so where's Coleen?".... "I haven't seen her?" WHAT? come on! surely the group of 5 or 6 stronger girls finished with the pack.
People kept telling me.... they only saw Christina and Serene in the M40 group. I didn't believe them.
Not until about 10 minutes before the ceremony was it confirmed that I infact got 3rd place. If I could stay upright, and with the pack...3rd in the GC was likely mine. The spread was soooo vast amoung the women. Remember, some got dropped at the 5km mark, and with 135 to go with or without a group, the lagging groups are never faster then the front groups.
I was 22 minutes behind the 1st group.
I was nearly 30 minutes ahead of #4.
Fair, unfair? All women had the same conditions.... if we were only women what would it have been like? would we have waited for those that dropped? Or, rode off without mercy so early? Would I still be alone? So much decided on one stage...well, it happened last year as well. Its Thailand, there are mountains...
Its racing in Thailand.
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