Friday, June 01, 2007

Oh Yeah.

Iron Horse was good and bad.

I picked my parents up at DIA Friday morning, and we had a very nice drive down to Durango. My dad had the flu, so I suppose the drive wasn't super nice for him, but we made it by late afternoon.

I had time for a little ride, and then headed to registration. Now I hadn't gotten preregistered in time, but I was hoping I could transfer this guy's registration who couldn't make it, but the promoter said absolutely not. I was pretty pissed, but tried everything I could think of, but no one would budge. I was still registered for the crit on Sunday though, just not the actual "Iron Horse Road Race."

Instead of racing Saturday, we drove up to Silverton and hung out for a while. My dad got to meet the one and only Dave Towle, as well as watch Phil Zajicek win the race in a dominating fashion, as well as watch Ned finish his 100th Iron Horse, still a solid 3rd place. I sure hope I'm doing that when I'm 52.

Sunday morning we went out to eat with some of the DU kids, watched some kids races, cruiser races, and the earlier categories before my 5:15 start. It feels weird starting that late, I never know what to do with myself all day.

The race went alright, I felt like I could do some real work the first half, covering a couple moves and trying to initiate some stuff, but NOTHING was getting away from this field. with 20 minutes to go Chris Wherry launched a real attack. Not that I could have covered it if I was completely fresh and rested, but I had just helped pull back a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory rider and had nothing when Wherry hit out. He opened it up to about 20 seconds and we managed to keep it right there the rest of the race.

I tried to help pull him back, but there comes a point when you're riding alone in a race and a USPRO champ is off the front, and you just have to realize it's not coming back, and I'm not trying to get it back for anyone else, so setting tempo is basically pointless. I wish at times like those that I had the option of trying to go across to him, but that form isn't here yet.

I pulled an idiot move and on the last lap I didn't jump on the back stretch when Anthony Colby attacked and I let a little gap open up. With two fast corners and a downhill finish, there was no closing the gap once it opened, but I managed to hold on to 5th ahead of the rest of the field.

I'll get some pictures up soon, that's the best part about having parents at the race. Right now I need to get to work. Thanks for checking in.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i dont care who you are, 5th place behind wherry is huge. youve come along way my friend...you are let down to finish and not bridge with pros...in our first ride together we almost went into the woods...ha!

ds

Jared Pitroski said...

Dude,
You forgot to mention my skinny ass legs...

Anonymous said...

How could Ned finish his 100th Iron Horse, when there have only been 36 of them? AND you forgot to mention that your mom screamed her lungs out while your dad took pictures...AND that it was our 29th wedding anniversary! (At least our good friend, Dave Towle, remembered it!!!!!)
You were awesome, and I'm not saying that just because I am your mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!