Pure Austin Road Race, Pace Bend, TX Cat 4
(2/26/2006)

"Barbed Wire"
Clark Whitley

The 4 race was the first of the day yesterday.  We got started a little late, about 8:15.  This was good as it allowed for a little more warm up.  The Blue Train was well represented with Ryan, Euan, Felix, George, Nigel, Mike A, Doug B and myslef lining up.  The gun or should I say voice says go and these guys take off down hill toward a 90 degree right hand turn (which had barbed wire on the outside, DON'T slip). Still going down hill we are flying, this continues each lap of seven we do (just shy of 24mph avg at the end). 

We calm down a little and settle in at a nice pace; you could tell folks were feeling it out and trying to warm up a little.  As we approach the second half of the race there is a hard right hand turn at the botom of a hill and to my suprise no one bailed on this corner trying to take it too fast.  The end of the first lap and up hill we go. Euan Mike A, Ryan and Felix all at the very front rode very strong sharing pulls with the in shape guys while Doug, Nigel, George and I held up the rear.  Nigel unfortunatley pulled a hammy on the first lap and had to drop out.  In the middle laps, several riders attempted to ride off the front, but no one was having any of that.  We sucked them up with in 30 seconds each time.

The last lap came, the tempo was raised by Felix and Ryan taking hard pulls with Euan just behind.  As we approached the last climb, the squirrely riding began, but no real tragedy happened with only a couple of folks rolling over on the side of the road.  Felix and Euan  sprinted hard and got top tens with Mike A, and Ryan finishing not too far behind.  Myself and Doug finished mid pack.