Posted by Brian Toone
March 28-29, 2009
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Quick summary – criterium
Pro/1/2 – 11th (Brian), Raced hard (Wes and Stuart)
Cat 3 – 2nd (Lennie), 4th (Sammy), Raced hard (Mike and Jacob)

Quick summary – road race
Pro/1/2 – 4th (Brian), Worked very hard (Wes and Stuart)
Cat 3 – 2nd (Sammy), Raced hard (Mike, Lennie, and Jacob)

P/1/2 Criterium
The Pro/1/2 criterium was Saturday and started at 8pm. The temperature had dropped off considerably, and the wind had picked up speed and started to gust in a few different directions on the course. It made for a crazy race with the dark conditions, too. I will definitely admit that I had a lot of fun on the course even with it being crazy. I made the mistake of going with the lap 1 breakaway and the lap 2 breakaway and then when that got caught sliding all the way to back of the pack for several laps. By this point, the winning break of 3 had gotten away and established itself pretty well. Stuart and Wes got to the front a lot and drilled it, but they weren’t getting a lot of help. Other people were constantly attacking, and the pace would slow way down again when the attack would get caught. Going into the last couple laps, I worked my way to close to the front, but could only manage 8th in the field sprint for 11th in the race with the breakaway of three already finished.

P/1/2 Road Race
If the Tour de Tuscaloosa is one of my favorite race weekends, the road race course has to be my favorite course of all the races I do each year. It has a little bit of everything – mostly rolling hills, but one longer climb, a couple flat sections, and even a short downhill switchback section. 7 laps of a 10 mile loop. We started out with the plan (devised on the start line) that Stuart would go with whatever break went off the front early. Sure enough – a break went very early (immediately after the neutral section) and we had it covered. Read the rest of this entry »

This last training race was the hardest one I’ve ever done and Ty and I both thought the final break was the hardest either of us had ever been in.  I may get some of these details wrong because I just couldn’t do much more than ride.  The race began with Ty and Mike out on the front and I was about 15 back keeping an eye on them.  There were several flyers on the first lap that were mostly ignored and rightly so.  I think the real attacking began on lap two after turn one.   This pace was insane.  It seemed to be so fast the field was stretched out in a long line and somewhere around the hill on the back side the string was cut.  Me, Mike Olheiser (Tristar/Warp9), Ty Stanfield (Kenda), Pat Allison (TNT), Eric White (ProVelo), Travis Sherman (Tristar/Warp9), Craig Armstron and Timo Stark made this break and started working really well together. This 8 man break continued until just after the start of the 4^th lap.  I had just finished my pull and had just rotated to the back of the pace line when Mike and Ty attacked all out on the long gradual incline.  Everyone popped and I was caught in the back.  I could see Mike and Ty getting away but I was not going to just sit there and let it go.  I came around the other riders and continued to hammer with everything I had.  I was going to make this bridge or explode trying.  Afterwards Ty said he saw me trying to bridge up and he didn’t think I would be able to make it because the gap was pretty big and they were doing about 30mph.  Hell….I don’t know how I did it either but I got on with them right before turn one.  Previously the average speed of the 8 man break was around 27 but when the three of us started working together I hardly say anything below 30.  Lots of 32-37mph..We work hard and in no time were out of sight and gone.  Our rotations were tight and fast and they needed to be with the winds…We never let up.  On the 5^th lap I saw Ty downshift to his 12 right before the hill on the backside.  Mike was in front of him and I was thinking…Oh crap don’t start this now….Well Ty attacked mike and Mike countered.  Then Ty attacked again and Mike countered and got a good gap on the two of us.  This whole time I had decided to let those two go at it and I would hold Ty’s wheel.  I had no interest in attacking and thought we should keep it together until the climb at the end where both Ty and I would have better odds on Mike.  Ty was thinking he should go ahead and start softening mike up but I really thought that was a huge mistake at that point and it was.  So when mike got that gap Ty tried to wave me by to go bridge it and I was thinking Hell no bro….You got this going and you are going to have to do most of the work to bring it back because I’m not going to sacrifice myself for it.  I told Ty I would work with him but it was too late.  We were on TT terrain and Mike was gone.   From that point Ty and I traded pulls until the hill.  I put in a small attack on the second switchback and Ty held on then countered.  He came past me but didn’t gain more than about 20 meters.  I settled into my rhythm and just held the spacing.  With about ½ k to go I came out of the saddle, bridged the gap, came past Ty and kept going until the finish.  So the finish was Mike, Wes, Ty.  I think I started to blackout at least twice on this race.  I know I was seeing spots on the bridge effort to Mike and Ty and then attacking on the climb. I’m toast.

-Wes Douglas