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San Antonio July Challenge

Posted by: Daniel Carruthers
Sunday 22nd July 07
1,153 reads

Carruthers takes a solid 2nd overall

Stage Two: 85km

After doing the Dallas Matrix Challenge on Saturday, still feeling the effects of the 100 degree heat and sore feet coupled with only 5 hours sleep, I pulled off a decent ride in a race that ended in a bunch sprint. I was cramping for the last five laps but managed to control it to get third place.

Initially, I got away in an early break that lasted for one lap before the peloton reeled the three of us back in. Throughout the two hours of racing, there were numerous attacks but none lasted very long at all. This week it seemed everyone was keen to follow wheels and ensure a bunch finish. With about 8 laps remaining, a threatening break of about 6-7 guys jumped up the road and had more than 30 seconds on the peloton and was putting more time into us. I was just concentrating on riding smartly by this point as I knew that both my legs were going to cramp up if I accelerate too many times. However, something needed to be done about the break or they would be gone. Some guys riding on the front of the peloton dropped back and gestured at me as if I should do something about it. After the next corner, I powered up through the outside of the main bunch and got the overall leader onto my wheel and we started the move that pulled the whole pack up to the break inside the space of one lap. After this big effort, I rode in the middle of the bunch to conserve my energy for what was going to be a sprint finish. With four laps remaining, two guys darted up the road and got a substantial lead that looked like it would be enough to finish ahead of us. There was some indecision in the bunch but the hammer was put down in the last 3 laps and we caught them going into the last 600 meters of the race. I was sitting on about 10th wheel and we were going fast enough that riders were not swarming from behind. I slowly moved up places and with 150 meters to go I was on third wheel, this time on the wheel of the overall leader when he sprinted I was able to stay with him but was unable to stand up on the pedals due to cramping legs. I was in clear second place with the last few meters but was pipped right on the line by another rider. It was a photo finish and even the judges had a hard time determining who got it. The rider who pipped me was not even sure himself. I was eventually awarded 3rd place and this moved me up into second overall on points with one more race remaining.

Stage Three

The final stage was just under 100km (60miles) and the first 30 minutes was 44km/h before a break of about ten riders finally got away but not without a crash on the hill climb that split the chase group into two and riders making sure I did not bridge up to the break since they were working for the overall leader. The leader of the series was stayed on my wheel for most of the race and followed any move I would make but would not take a pull on the front. The break up the road did not have any GC contenders and the ones that were the most threat to me and the overall leader were in the same bunch. So, provided that I did not have any mechanicals or cramping problems I would finish 2nd overall on GC. The rest of the race rolled around at a relatively easier pace of 40km/h and I threw in a few dummy attacks or did some good pulls on the front to keep the bunch rolling at a steady pace. Near the end of the race, we pulled several riders back that were dropped from the break that had gotten a maximum lead of 4 minutes on the chase group. This meant that there were some points up for grabs for 9th and 10th and there was a fair bit of cat and mouse with about 1km to go and the overall leader was stuck on my wheel the whole time, I could not shake him so I kept going and when it was 250 metres to go I sensed that he had started his move to pass me on the outside but I put in a furious kick that made me leap forward like a charging bull and propelled me to the finish line several bike lengths ahead of the overall winner of the race. My power meter for that sprint read 1433watts. I finished 9th in this race to finish on 18 points, three points behind the winner.

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