Wearing the Yellow Jersey

This last weekend at The Tucson Bicycle Classic (TBC),  I found myself in an unfamiliar situation.   The race is a classic stage race format and my TT win on Friday, put me in the Yellow Jersey on Saturday.   Fortunately, my results on Saturday allowed me to continue to wear it on Sunday.

Let me be clear.   This was a really big a deal to me, but I realize it was the 65+ AG.   The TBC 65+ AG is not the Tour de France.  It is not a Cat 1 field.  There are a lot of things it is not.   However, I found something interestingly similar to these more 'important' levels of competition.

For years, I have listened to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherman do their commentary of the Tour.  Many times they have said that the Yellow Jersey changes a man.   I listened but could not really get my mind around what they were talking about until this weekend.  I really did not think much on the subject.

On Saturday morning at about 6:00 AM, I signed in at the race tent and signed for my Yellow Jersey.   After Christina pinned my number on (I was first off so she was helping me), I slid it on.   To be honest it was a very cheap garment and not nearly as nice as my Hincapie 'glow in the dark' Velocity Plus jersey.   It really did not fit very well and against my orange kit, the color looked hideous.  

As I warmed up, the sun was yet up.  I was carefully riding down the road, lined with cars on both sides, and it seemed people were looking more than usual??   There were several of these jerseys around because of all the categories, but it still seemed folks were taking note.   I heard my name accompanied by the words 'hey' or 'good luck'.

When I got to the line, there was easily a place for me…..no pushing or scrambling.  It was like the waters parted.   As the race progressed, I noticed people moved over for me…..let me in…..gave me 'right of way'.

Maybe all this was happening and maybe it was just in my head because I feeling like a different man.   I my mind, I had responsibilities and personal power.   I felt physically stronger and faster.  I was more sure of myself, but not cocky.  I have always ridden in the front third of the peleton but I spent 2 days, never less that 2nd wheel.  I felt comfortable and deserving of the jersey.  I felt I would ride in a manner that would assure that my competitors understood why I was in it.   I would, in a sense, bring honor to the jersey.   The depth of these feelings are complicated and confusing.  I am totally unable to articulate all of them.   I can just say, now, that I believe Phil and Paul…..the jersey does change the man, even a man in TBC 65+ category.

Who knows….maybe I am a legend in my own mind?  Maybe this is all a figment of my imagination??  Delusions of grandeur?

I wonder though, if this feeling has a shelf life……will it last?  Who knows?  What long term effects are there, if any?  Time will tell.

See ya out there.

Winning the GC at the Tucson Bicycle Classic

It was a big weekend for the TEAM as Christina came away with 3rd as a General Contender (GC) in a stellar women's masters field.   I won the GC in Men's Masters 65+.

The truth is that you can put a domestique in a yellow jersey (as I was this weekend) but you've still got a domestique.

Sure, I spent a few kilometers 'off the front' in the Sunday's only serious break.  After taking the lead with a win in the Friday time trial, mostly I rode 2 days at the very tip of the spear, closing down attacks and breaks….sometimes before they even got going.   The stuff domestiques love to do!

The Saturday road race was really fun.  Franz Hammer (great name for a cyclist, huh?) went off the front at the start of lap 2.  Even though Franz has about 30 national titles, I didn't take it seriously.  He is 77 years old!  However, he is Franz Hammer.  Two minutes after I let him go, the attacks started.   I quickly realized my problem……if someone bridged to Franz, it might be game over!   After about 3 attacks, Roy Quade (BC, Canada), launched a hard effort to bridge and I could not/did not respond.  As soon as Roy reached Franz, Doug Perry (at the time in second place) and I started talking about the risk as we stepped up the pace.  Soon, I calculated they had a 25 second time gap so Doug (pictured here with me) and I started to get very serious.  This was happening while pretty much everybody else set in.  I was really in my element……during chases like this, I visualize myself as the world's greatest domestique.

I have known Doug for about 4 years.  I like him and respect him as a person/racer.  Soon, except for a couple of 30 second pulls from others, it was Doug and I, together in a fox hole.  We chased, chased and chased.  I think after about 12k, we finally caught the break.   It was not without pain and suffering.  It was really only two against two……the 8 guys still hanging on behind us had no value in this proposition.

We ended the day in a sprint finish…me third and Doug off the podium……one guy, who we never saw until about 300 meters from the finish, got 1st and Roy Quade was 2nd.  The winner moved within 4 seconds of Doug!  This did not set well with me.   A guy sucks wheel with his podium spot at risk…..and then wins the sprint….hum???

Sunday in the Circuit Race, Doug needed help…..the threat was real as the dude in third could sprint.   We contrived a plan to get Doug top intermediate sprint bonus seconds, only to fail.   Doug's lead eroded to 2 seconds.   I took the opportunity to ride off the front for about 4k after the bonus preme.  After I was reeled in, I talked with Doug about the ending plan.   Doug agreed.

We rounded the final turn about 1.1k from the finish.   I had already been on the front for 1k.  Doug was glued to my wheel.  We didn't care who was where……..we just had to stay in front.  I hit the hill between us and 200 meter marker, out of the saddle in the drops.   As I crested, I sat down and drilled it.  Headed slightly down hill another 400 meters, nobody came around at a pace nearing 46kph.   At just over 200 meters, I was again out of the saddle in the biggest gear, when Doug came around me in an explosion!  He rocketed past me uphill to the finish.

Doug won the Circuit Race handily and secured 2nd in the GC!   The 'threat' got second in the Circuit Race but remained in 3rd for the GC.  I was 5th in the  sprint with 'same time' and I won the GC!  Mission accomplished.  Doug was thrilled and extremely appreciative.  I was thrilled and extremely appreciated.

After the race, I am pretty sure the rest of field never understood what happened?   I think they thought it was my strategy to ride at the front for last 2K and then get swarmed?  I don't think they ever understood I was leading Doug out…….not sure?

What I learned or re-learned by all this:

*   I am team player.  I have always been a team player.  I get as much fun out of helping someone else succeed as in my own success.   That is continually true with Christina, Bird and my family.  It was the case with Doug this weekend.

*   If you are a lead out guy, like me, you must have faith.  I have done this many times only to find out my sprinter fell in a hole.  Today, I never thought of that one second.   There is no place for doubt when you need to put it all out there.  You need FAITH……belief without evidence.   Yes, I just believed Doug was there and would perform, although I had no evidence.

*   I could wear the Yellow Jersey and still be a lead out man (I could have my cake and eat it, too).  I love this one!

*  When you get in a fox hole with a guy, you learn lot about him.  I like what I found out about Doug.  I suspect we will do this 'team work' thing again, if I have anything to say about it.  I think this changed our relationship.

*  When you are a 64 (65 race age) year old athlete and you win the biggest competitive event of your life, you are a very fortunate person.   When you are a 64 year old guy, and you believe your best days are ahead of you, you are a very fortunate person.

See ya out there.

Feedback

Lou Tice, our mentor, taught us that humans are teleological in nature.   Now what the heck does that mean?  It means we are like guided missiles.  When we set a goal (a target) and launch, we need continuous feedback to keep us on a course to our target.   That feedback can come from a lot of sources.   The important thing is that we have awareness of this feedback, we accept it, and most of all, that we act on it.

Right now, the Maddog 83 missile is targeting the Tucson Bicycle Classic and one of the mid step goals, I have set, is to go to the line at race weight.  

I respect the folks on the Biggest Loser!  I watch it and really like it, but I have a different issue.  Three weeks ago, feedback indicated I needed to peel off about 5 pounds.   No problem, except for the fact that even before the loss, I am carrying single digit body fat.  This is not the first 5 pounds I want to lose, it is the LAST 5 pounds.  I can't weigh once a week like they do on TV.  I need massive feedback and I need it often.

So here is what is guiding me and helping watch every tidbit that is going in my mouth:

1.  Wedding ring fit…….when I am at race weight it slips on/off easily.  No need to lick the ring finger.

2.  Fave jeans -  Express, torn, ragged 12 year old faves…….they need to be pretty baggy…..maybe an inch too big at the waist when I get there.

3.  Abs - Look in that mirror.   The 4 pack becomes a 6 pack.

4.  Skin suit - no visible lumps or bumps.

5.  Love handles -  Can't pinch an inch…..only skin.

6.  The new Withings scale, attached to my iPhone…..measure weight at least once a day along with body fat.  Track trends against goals.   You can not ignore the data!

Ok, understand, about 20 guys will come to line next Friday for the ITT (Stage #1)
……one, maybe one, will weigh more than me.  I am really an old broken down linebacker in spandex.  I can't be small, but I can be as small as I can be.  And, always remember when you are climbing, 1 pound = 2 watts.

You have goals and I don't mean cycling goals…….. I mean life goals, career goals, relationship goals…….the stuff that REALLY matters.  Are you aware of the feedback that is available to you?   Are ready to accept it even when it is not what you want to hear or see?  Are you gathering the feedback often?  Are you taking action quickly?

You are a missile, find your power.

See ya out there.