Day 5, Gila Stage 2

Stage 2, the Inner Loop Road Race, began and ended at Fort Bayard just outside of Silver city. The loop was 80 miles and contained 3 category 3 climbs. In the race, a break was established very early. Realcyclist, though represented in the break, controlled the pace of the field and received help from a couple teams not represented in the break. In the final 20 kilometers, the breakaway split and was slowly reeled in for a fast sprint finish. 

Hubbys View (The Zirbel Blister)

Im first up tonight as ready for bed. Hammer city out the back with Tom Zirbel today. I was the last rider to make time cut, pretty stoked to be still racing as I was yoyoing off the back of Zirbels wheel many times up the final climb. I got dropped from the field about a kilometer from the top of the feed zone climb about thirty ks in. This was about the fifth or sixth time I was sprinting to just stay in the bunch when riders next to you are just nose breathing. I thought I was in for a long hundred ks but joined a good group of four that didn't make life so bad after all. Having some major issues with my breathing at the moment so I will just be riding tempo in the time trial tomorrow, starting third so may be in the hot seat for awhile until Mancebo comes in? Hanging out for sea level but this is far harder than anything I have done before so sure to be good for me!    

Dannys View

I went to bed last night with visions of last years 60mph winds and a lonely ride for me in my head. I was determined for that not to happen this year and was more than pleased to awake to almost no wind! The race started at a much more relaxed pace this year as the break went early. I had one moment of discomfort up the first climb but after that my heart rate settled and I was ready for the bombing hairpin-filled descent into the valley below. My race was uneventful until we started the final climb towards the finish. I shifted into an easier cog on my cassette and all of a sudden everything locked up. I jumped off and fiddled my chain around and got things going. I looked up and the field was long gone and I was at the last car in the caravan. This was not how I wanted my race to end. I set off in pursuit snagging a bottle of coke from mama Leece halfway up the climb, reeling in the peleton that was losing riders in one's and two's. At the top I was about 10 seconds off and I used the final two cars in the caravan to slingshot back to the field as we started climbing a long roller. It took what felt like forever for my breathing to return to normal and I just sat in with bunch and watched the sprint from afar. A huge improvement from last year for me. Getting better at this climbing business for a trackie.

Sleece's view:

When I woke up this morning I was unsure of both how well I had recovered from yesterday and how well I would fare in the second stage. Once the race was underway, I tested the legs and ended up in a bridge attempt with a few other riders but as we started to rotate the field jumped some more and pulled us back in. The first two climbs had me at my limit but I maintained position in the field and survived the technical descent. In the final climb and following rollers, I stayed near the front of the pack and felt I had good legs for the finish, but as the speed ramped up in the final few kilometers I found that I didn't and ended up dropping back. Overall, the race went well and I was very happy that my stomach and my lungs have at least gotten used to the lack of oxygen up here.