Tour de Vung Tau

Thanks Long for the above picture... a little coffee before the return ferry.   Can't wait to come back!!!!


So, when I went to Vung Tau on the ferry the night before the Tour, I was pleasantly surprised how nice Vung Tau was.  Our first trip left us with an unfavorable impression, and I can't exactly say why.  Perhaps it was becasue we went by car, the roads were busy as it was a Saturday mid morning.  We couldn't find the great beach everyone talked about.... it started to rain...  and of course, not knowing where to eat, we ended up at a "Good Morning Vietnam", which is good, but its foreign food, and really..... whats the point?!?

November 21st (day before my 41st birthday)... not a hot day.

Sand...10 year old boy... need I say more?

Pooch not so sure.... 

But, a good meal.

So, we left with an unfavorable impression....  its a real pity too!  We missed a lot of good opportunities to do fun things....

So.... back to my story....  after sitting in the taxi from the ferry to the hotel back in March, I thought, "was this the Vung Tau from November of 2009?"...  After riding only one day w/ the boys for the 'tour', I wanted to ride in Vung Tau again...

"So...Long, I am thinking of coming down to ride your hills and a look see tour?"

"Sure, let me know when"

"How about next Thursday?"

Well, it wasn't exactly like that, but close enough.  Told Alex what I was doing.... and gives Gjermund some ease when I don't do things solo.  Gjermund had met Long on the tour and knew I was in good hands.... these ARE good guys! 

Long says, "We'll do our two hills = 45km, then ride to Long Hai and back, thats 90km, so we are looking at 135km"...  "oh....hmm.... I think....that's kinda a long way..."

We arrive to the ferry at 6:00am by taxi.  We have to bag up our bikes (why??? - kinda defeats the purpose of public transport, doesn't it??).. anyhow, the porter insisted we needed to pay him $10 more because the size of the bags....  anyhow, we didn't pay!

We get to Vung Tau about 8:30, across the street is a coffee shop where more then 10 fellow cylists are waiting....  two or three WOMEN!  NO KIDDING! and lots of guys... most I had met either on the tour, or they ride our lustrious Nguyen Van Linh with us...

After crossing the street to the coffee shop, the guys swarm us and pull our bikes out of the bags and put them together immediately!  It was awesome.... like a princess!

Alex who is clearly more coordinated on a bike then me (sorry, not much of a compliment!) took these photos....I just stole them.

Yeah...thunder thighs here.... we take an out and back warm up for about 12km.  Then we climb the 'hill'.....oh...la..la... the 'hill'.....  aauugghh.... we start to climb (some sidewalk looking approach) 2.5km, 140m...  oohhh....yeah... my PHU MY BRIDGE.... well, I'll just stop there.  Oh... the heart  is pumping, I feel sick (because I am in NO climbing shape) but manage to be the third to the top, behind Duy and Alex.  Neither of which tried their hardest.  We come down and skip the 2nd hill.  The sun was super hot.

We head out on the ocean front....  and ride towards the ocean and north.

Long looks at me and says, "Is this better then the Nguyen Van Linh?"...  I thought I was going to choke when he asked....

"uh...yes!"

You know when you are stuck in an airplane for a 10 hour flight... or you are on an airplane for about 2 hours longer then your threshhold, then you get out of the airplane and and walk, stretch your legs, breath fresh air?  that's how this felt.... like we'd been locked in an airplane for tooo long and we finally got to RUN AND PLAY!

We had a BLAST!  I enjoyed the ride so much, I didn't want it to end... the ocean was so blue and beautiful, the sand, the air, the open roads....  good company.... OMG, I felt like I died and went to heaven.

We take a break at the turn around point. 

The guy is 64 years old....  his girlfriend  followed us on the motorcycle. 

Long bought us lunch.... and at a proper Vietnamese restaurant.... steel tables, steel chairs and food that was amazing!  Now.... that's good food!  None of this 'import' stuff....  this was fresh, healthy, hearty, and sooooo tasty....  we mentioned how good the lunch was several times!  Thankfully I have my Garmin, and can find again.

Long, and boys of Vung Tau (and lovely ladies that rode the first 15km and the woman who followed us)... thank you for a blessed day! 

You have NO IDEA how bad.... I needed that!  I feel recharged.

We'll be back... hopefully soon!

Tour of Friendship 2011, Ladies Day 4 - Diggin' Deep!

*** T hanks to Thai Airways team's facebook page for the following pictures!! 

 Waiting for literally 1 hour to start.  Useful information say.... the night before!

 Digging deep....the last 200m of the last climb of the last day!  Not enough....Franzia girl is just ahead of me, and I can't get her....Michele not far in front of her...what when wrong?  My climbing....where is it....  Looking at the photo, I really think I got it all wrong...

 End of day two..... 135km, 1560m of climbing, the smile should be obvious.

 I can't imagine what is going through Christina's head.  I have NOTHING to loose this stage (well, I do, if I crash, flat, or get super dropped) so trying to stratigize w/ Christina on how to get her a win....

Serene....could be my daughter... but what a sweet girl!  

Its over.... the relief is monumental and I don't know why.  I really questioned whether I would race again or not.  The nerves just got to me.... gagging on peanut butter in the morning....  So happy to get the GC #3.

Tour of Friendship, Ladies Day 3 - Complete Disaster!

This was MY stage....My stage to shine.  The one I waited for, the one I trained for.  This was the stage last year that gave me the time back I lost on the flat with a bike issue.  This is a Tina Taiwan made for me stage!

I wasn't nervous at all.

But, I was a bit tired.  It took quite some time to sort out our room situation.  We ordered massages (actually hired about 8 girls from Bangkok to follow us around to get massages) and it took a considerable amount of time to get it situated.  I didn't get my massage until 9:30pm...  my legs were quite tired.  I am not confident I had enough water to drink, nor the right 'recovery' stuff. 

We were told we'd ride out with the Juniors and Masters.  Someone must have complained because we were originally to ride out with the M40's again.  I was looking forward to this as I knew the pack would be stable and slightly more conservative as they had 90km more then we did.  There was a lot of wheel sucking to be done on the climb.

So, we take off with the Juniors and Masters.  The Juniors surge....  fast/slow..... on/off... it just goes on and on and on... finally a good surge that lasts a respectible amount of time and a couple drop, two of the women and a couple of the old guys.

Thud....thud...thud... I look back....oh... my tire looks a bit ... 'fat'.  NOT GOOD!

Its flat alright!

"Where's the neutral wheel guy?"  AAUUGGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, he stops.  Change out the wheel, and off I go.  We were told the rules were that you get a push back to the group  you fell out of, if you were in a group.  I was.... but no push.  He sped off before I could protest, but yelled quite loudly.

So, I try to overtake the riders who had fallen, maybe a group will form?

A few of the old guys are just hangin on....  one holds my wheel for quite some time.... then I say, "hey, we need to rotate here!"  we do, he falls back for my turn and then he simply falls back.

I come up to one of my teammates.  I thought she was waiting for me.  But, as it was, she was just taking it her own pace and wished me luck.

I just bear down....hoping to catch a few on the hill.

I see the very back of the peloton, but guess what.....  my wheel.... so I stop to look really quickly... (as it turned out, I eventually loose the break pad, so... )  The peloton is gone and up the hill.  thinking we only had 6km to go, it was more lik 12km.  Again...not entirely clear information!

My climb was pathetically slow.

The heat was unbearable.  I was having pains in my chest and really wondered if I would be getting heat stroke.  The water support was amazing, there was just nothing in me and I never, EVER felt so sick on a climb.

I climbed a full 4kph SLOWER then the year prior. 

Finally making it to the top, I do pass one rider, and see the next.  Thinking if I catch her, maybe a 5th place....I never do, but see her cross the finish line.

Her time:  2:22,
My time:  2:27,
The girl that I passed and watched her cross a few minutes after I finished:  2:27,
My Polar/Garmin time:  2:24...

hmmm......official times weren't even released until late that night.

Whatever....

I lost about 14 minutes on my GC, but still had a large enough time gap to keep 3rd if I didn't drop, flat, or crash tomorrow.

By this time, I was so upset with the flat, no push, no pull, bad timing, and having learned others were going to request MORE time be added to my time.... I felt really alone.

It was not a good race day.

Tour of Friendship 2011, Ladies Day 2

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...

 I never drink the night before a race, but didn't see any problem with a few sips....  gave1/2 the bottle to Colin.

Its racing in Thailand.

Tour of Friendship 2011, Ladies Day 1

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.  

Tour of Friendship, 2011

4 days racing,
Thunder and lightening, torential rains, slippery roads
Hot, hot, HOT Thailand weather....
2500m climbing
Only 395km riding
14,000 calories burned
new max heart rate:  191
Oldest woman in the peloton,
Malaysian pro team there...

3rd in the General Classification!

More later....