Banana Belt #4 (#3)

It's amazing what can happen when a team just starts meshing. Last week, at BB#3, I was able to lead out Ron, and the team really controlled the race. Well, if the team controlled the race last week, we smothered it this week. We got some major respect out of this race; not only our number and strength, but because of how we race.

"The fireworks started right out of the gate with the boys from Portland Velo setting a wicked fast pace...." Those words came from the blog of a Vista Ridge Velo racer in the race with us. And we certainly did. Right from the start, the head of the peloton was one skinny line of riders. We were really driving. This was the theme of the race. Everyone contributed. We had six riders in the field: myself, Johnny Rockets, Couzens, Kromonster, Dan Petross, and Alex Gonzalez. We all had our roles.

After driving the peloton around for most of a lap, some people start trying to break away. Kromonster goes off on his first breakaway of the day. He gets brought back eventually and I counter right after passing the finish line. It is becoming very apparent to me that I do better at races where I go off on a breakaway early. I don't have the stuff to stay away long, but it seems to warm me up and I am better able to ride the rest of the race.

Kroman really was a monster that day. By his count, he went off on breakaway attempts five times. He had the peloton hating his guts. I have never heard so much complaining about the pace! And everyone was involved. At one point, Petross went off. Every time a PV racer went off the front, I tried to make it a point to get onto the front to try to block. Well, this time, an Existential Velo rider was up to what I was doing. He had two other teammates with him and he was organizing another 5 or 6 riders to try to keep me off the front. When another rider tried to bridge up to Petross, I was getting into position onto his wheel when the Existential Velo rider stole it away. We were elbow to elbow, battling out for position on the bridging rider's wheel. Eventually, I let him have it.

Every time the pace slowed a little, there was Kroman right there to shoot off the front again. At one point, the pace had slowed at the beginning of the last lap, like it normally does right after a break goes off. For about 10 seconds, it felt like a classic Cat 4/5 race where things would settle out and people would ride together to the finish to sprint it out; everyone thinking they are a budding Cipollini or Cavendish. Then, 10 seconds are up and Kroman shoots off the front again! You didn't have to listen that hard to heard the groans.

Coming across the dam and up toward Lee hill, I moved up to the very front of the peloton, like I did the week before, so I could surf the pack up the hill. (There's even a photo series to prove it; yes, someone caught my pack slide on film!) We hit the hill hard and over the top I get back the lead group, though I couldn't make it to the front for the next uphill stretch. After the last hill before the little bump at the finish, I find myself behind the lead group about 10 or so meters back. But they are really driving! With no wheels to follow, I momentarily panic as I am not making progress towards catching them, and the 1k sign is coming up very soon. I leap out of the saddle and close the gap as fast as I can, getting back to the group just before hitting the 1k sign.

I set myself up on the right side of the road because I know that, not only is the line clear because nobody wants to ride the gutter and risk a flat, but it's also the fastest and shortest line in the sprint. I get right up into the top 5 or so riders as we sweep around the corner and across the bridge. We get to the base of the hill and I can't wait any longer. People are starting to accelerate and I need to go, NOW! So I hit the sprint with everything I've got and slowly, ever so slowly, pull away from the main group of sprinters. There's one guy in front of me who started sprinting about the same time as I did on the other side of the road but had a better jump. I cannot quite get up on his wheel and we are going down the hill now. I concede first place (he's about 2 bike lengths ahead and I'm not gaining), dump a couple gears, put my head down and concentrate on putting every watt left in my body into the pedals. Mr. Rockets comes blowing by me about 50m from the line; he's been on my wheel this whole time and I'm in 3rd. I take a peak behind me and see that there's a pretty good gap between us three and the next person, so I relax ever so slightly and cross the line third. Johnny in first, and the guy I was chasing rounding out the podium.

Not a bad day. Portland Velo is starting to get a reputation: not only did we lay down a lot of hurt and control the race, we closed.