This is how it starts
Tom asked the official in the morning when the masters 1 race starts (40-49 year old guys). He said "most likely around 1 pm". How can that be an answer? Come to find out instead a master race with 50-60 masters guys, they changed it. Junior elite under 23 (soon to be European pros) and 30 year and under European amateurs .
What the @#$%???
So we head on over a little after 1pm. With over 100 plus guys on the starting line, the gun fired and we took off. After about 100 meters was the first left turn in to a narrow small town road and the first 4 man break happened. Up and down some narrow village roads out in the small county roads along corn fields. Soon as we caught the first break the second break started, this went on for about 15 miles when the hills started.
We took a right turn on to a long narrow road with a long 10% to 12% climb, We started in the turn doing like 23-25 mph with the hill slowly getting steeper.
Tom was hanging in ok, Towards the middle, maybe 5-6 riders behind Grant, with a his heart rate going up steadily. BUT Those skinny young kids half his age not slowing down. Now it became steeper and now those skinny bastards in the front stood up and the race became single file and his heart rate was out of control, now he was losing meters each minute that went by. The last Tom seen Grant he was not talking or smiling and hanging on to the wheels of those skinny climbers. Now again, another small break up hill and the field exploded. And yes Tom was one of the guys that got blown out,
Tom had to admit "I'm not ready for these young European guys. I guess I'm going back to the drawing board and training schedule and yes looking at these skinny guys maybe it's time for a better diet, but I love food :)"
They decided to fight back but the gap just got to big and really fast. They figured out there was no way we get back, but they decided to keep racing and keep going. With less than 20 minutes later Tom got stung in the chest by a wasp.
Tom said "Now knew my day was done and it is time for a coffee at the start finish line and pray that Grant did better than I did."
We waited till the race came back around and here we seen 8 guys flying around the corner. For us it looked great, 6 amateur riders and only 2 masters 1 and one was the Austrian National Champion and our last year's World Champion Grant Potter. The break had a 5 min lead and fastest time of the day. So I guess it makes Tom feel better to get blown out of the fastest lap.
Long story short, break split again but Grant held on to second and looked like he got beat up. Also in the 8 man break there was 4 Austrian racers that worked together and against Grant but he held on like a real champion. Only lost 1.09 minute over first guy and has a 3 min lead over the field.
First going to the line in our race was 3 time UCI World Champion Time Trial racers from Slovenia.
Yes, he rode in solo after 117 km. Second was the, young 19 years old Russian elite junior.
So far so good. Now dinner, then the trophy ceremony, and then bed.
Tom asked the official in the morning when the masters 1 race starts (40-49 year old guys). He said "most likely around 1 pm". How can that be an answer? Come to find out instead a master race with 50-60 masters guys, they changed it. Junior elite under 23 (soon to be European pros) and 30 year and under European amateurs .
What the @#$%???
So we head on over a little after 1pm. With over 100 plus guys on the starting line, the gun fired and we took off. After about 100 meters was the first left turn in to a narrow small town road and the first 4 man break happened. Up and down some narrow village roads out in the small county roads along corn fields. Soon as we caught the first break the second break started, this went on for about 15 miles when the hills started.
We took a right turn on to a long narrow road with a long 10% to 12% climb, We started in the turn doing like 23-25 mph with the hill slowly getting steeper.
Tom was hanging in ok, Towards the middle, maybe 5-6 riders behind Grant, with a his heart rate going up steadily. BUT Those skinny young kids half his age not slowing down. Now it became steeper and now those skinny bastards in the front stood up and the race became single file and his heart rate was out of control, now he was losing meters each minute that went by. The last Tom seen Grant he was not talking or smiling and hanging on to the wheels of those skinny climbers. Now again, another small break up hill and the field exploded. And yes Tom was one of the guys that got blown out,
Tom had to admit "I'm not ready for these young European guys. I guess I'm going back to the drawing board and training schedule and yes looking at these skinny guys maybe it's time for a better diet, but I love food :)"
They decided to fight back but the gap just got to big and really fast. They figured out there was no way we get back, but they decided to keep racing and keep going. With less than 20 minutes later Tom got stung in the chest by a wasp.
Tom said "Now knew my day was done and it is time for a coffee at the start finish line and pray that Grant did better than I did."
We waited till the race came back around and here we seen 8 guys flying around the corner. For us it looked great, 6 amateur riders and only 2 masters 1 and one was the Austrian National Champion and our last year's World Champion Grant Potter. The break had a 5 min lead and fastest time of the day. So I guess it makes Tom feel better to get blown out of the fastest lap.
Long story short, break split again but Grant held on to second and looked like he got beat up. Also in the 8 man break there was 4 Austrian racers that worked together and against Grant but he held on like a real champion. Only lost 1.09 minute over first guy and has a 3 min lead over the field.
First going to the line in our race was 3 time UCI World Champion Time Trial racers from Slovenia.
Yes, he rode in solo after 117 km. Second was the, young 19 years old Russian elite junior.
So far so good. Now dinner, then the trophy ceremony, and then bed.
The skinny Austrian Champion won and Grant got second in Masters 1 Saturday road race.
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