2013 Winters P12 Road Race: A NorCal Classic

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By Adam Switters Winters road race has always been sort of a homecoming for me. Living just down the road in Davis for 6 years while attending college, I have ridden the road race course well north of 100 times. The course brings out every type of rider, from sprinters to climbers. The final climb is just far enough that the climbers can hope to hit it hard and bring a small group to the line, but also just easy enough that sprinters are often able to make it over the top for a chance at a sprint finish. This year’s race was the 6th race of the Cal Cup series and one of the last races of Northern California’s Prestige Series.

Team Mike’s Bikes came into the race with a strong squad that included the defending champion Dana Williams. Add in Roman Kilun who was second in the NorCal Premiere Series, myself who was leading Cal Cup, and on-form riders Brandon Trafton, Nick Newcomb, Shawn Rosenthal and James Laberge. The team was coming to the race with some serious horsepower. Our goals for the race were three-fold:

1. Win the race

2. Defend Cal Cup lead

3. Premier Series Points

What we didn’t want to do however was forsake goal #1 for goals #2 and #3. The main objective was to win the race, and if we happened to grab some points along the way, then that was an added bonus. Joining us in our 96-mile adventure would be a strong Marc-Pro Strava team, and several strong individual riders.

From the gun, a seven-man break got up the road and quickly gained two minutes on the pack. With both Trafton and Newcomb up the road, we were able to sit pretty and relax. After 35 or so miles, Newcomb would come back with three other riders, leaving three riders still up the road, including Trafton. Now out of the break, Marc Pro put five riders on the front of the peloton to close the gap, and with 45miles to go, the race was gruppo compacto. Unlucky for us, we were now down to four riders as both Laberge and Kilun succumbed to flat tires.

The third time up the climb, I helped to push the pace, and off the descent, five riders had a gap. We worked hard to push the gap out as much as we could, but the Marc-Pro led peloton pulled us back in a few miles later. After a quick succession of attacks, Jonathan Teeter (2nd place Cascade TT in Pro 1) managed to get a 30 sec gap. Noting the TT prowess of Teeter, we put Trafton and Newcomb back on the front of the field to keep the gap in check. Despite both riders being in the early break, they rode out of their minds and were slowly bringing back Teeter.

Marc-Pro was having none of this however, and they started attacking once again to try and press their numeric advantage. Trafton managed to sneak off the front once again with perennial strong man, Chuck Hutcheson of Marc-Pro. Hutcheson would ride a tiring Trafton off his wheel coming into the final climb netting him a 30 sec advantage over a dwindling peloton. I hit it up the final climb hard hoping to split up the group, but to my surprise, twenty or so riders were able to crest the climb in the lead group leading to the biggest pack finish that I remember in Winters road race history.

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With continued attacks and tactical games being played, the race became very chaotic. With 2 kilometers to go, my remaining teammate, Dana, and I, were stuck in a back group of 10 dangling about 5-6sec off the lead group. We caught them with 1k to go and Dana shot to the inside while I went around the outside hoping gaps would open. Luckily, with 250m to go, Craig Fellers (Red Peloton) jumped on the outside with Hutcheson and myself on his wheel. Hutcheson jumped with 200m to go and I came off his wheel with 125m to go and put my head down. I was able to take a clear victory and managed to miss a crash that took down its fair share of rider right behind me.

1. Adam Switters (Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase)

2. Chuck Hutcheson (Marc-Pro Strava)

3. Thibault Jeannes (Hennebont Cyclisme)

Full results: http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2013-3038

Thanks to Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase for their great support and Velo Promo for putting on what I always think of as the best race of the year.

Rider Testimonials: Betwixt Chamois Cream & Zealios Sun Barrier

Team Mike's Bikes p/b Incase relationship with Personal Best Products, makers of Betwixt Chamois Cream and Zealios Sun Barrier, has turned out to be a winning combination (literally). Be sure to stop by your local Mike's Bikes and pick up some for yourself. You'll likely get it at a special price this coming weekend during Mega Sale. Here's just a few testimonials by team members:

"The Betwixt Chamois Cream is easy to transport with the durable case and screw cap, easy to apply and mess free with the built in applicator, and makes for an easier ride with no chaffing, no pain, and a very happy butt." - Nick Newcomb

"Betwixt makes each ride a smooth happy ride.  My entire team is happy and ready for a long day in the saddle.  And my shorts smell like fabric softener even after a long day on them.  Love it." - Steve Pelaez

"This is the first season that I have completely avoided sun burning. Thanks to Betwixt for being the first sun barrier I've used that doesn't leave oil residue while protecting me from the sun during long races." - Marcus Smith

"I love the zelios because it doesn't make my eyes sting when swear drips down.  I feel well protected without looking like a zombie." - Steve Pelaez

In addition, here's a review of Zealios Sun Barrier earlier this year by team rider Adam Switters: http://www.teammikesbikes.com/what-we-use-to-protect-our-skin-zealios-sun-barrier/

2013 San Ardo Road Race: A Hard Fought Battle

by Brandon Trafton The race started out pretty cold, there was some fog that rolled in over night and being from Fresno, with consistent 100* summers, I was freezing. Rainier however, felt right at home from living in the city of San Francisco.

Right from the gun a Garmin development rider attacked the pack non stop.  There was some response from the field but the split finally happened about an hour into the race. There were seven guys up the road initially. Chris HD, Greg White and I then bridged shortly after. We rotated pretty consistently for the next lap and a half.  Then Chris HD started attacking the breakaway group before the start of the fourth lap.  After one move, I countered and a Lombardi Sports rider followed me. We were then caught by five of the initial break about 20K later.

About 15K to go, there were a series of attacks that ended up putting Colin Joyce (Cal Giant) up the road solo, Chris HD chasing and myself chasing Chris. I didn't look behind too much but when I did, it looked as if if was every man for himself. After I caught Chris, we rotated to catch Colin, we tried to attack around him but he was able to catch on as we passed. Colin was sitting on, so as I pulled out to signal him that he had to work, Chris attacked ceasing the opportunity (craft little devil). We gave Chris a few hundred meters and that was all he needed. He turned on the after burners and stayed away whiles Colin and I reluctantly chased keeping one eye on each other. Colin got the sprint for 2nd and I came in 3rd. It was a very fun race; super active, which I enjoy. Teammate Adam Switters still holds the Cal Cup by 3 pts. I'm looking forward to next weekend in Winters and Vacaville.

Osmo Nutrition Product Review

by Nick Newcomb

I've always been a diehard plain water drinker when racing and riding my bike. I was never interested in sugary, food colored sports drinks when I was thirsty, but with Osmo that has all changed. Osmo was developed by Dr. Stacy Sims to get the most optimal performance when exercising. Osmo has a lower The preload mix  is great for shorter efforts like time trials, short track MTB and other races where you wouldn't normally carry a bottle. It also does wonders on hot days where drinking the water day of just isn't enough. All it takes is a scoop at night and a scoop in the morning and your all set. It works so well than none other than Peter Sagan has fallen in love with it. I have used it for every time trial I have done this year and never once craved water during the race.concentration of carbohydrates than most sports drinks but a more varied concentration of electrolytes and other nutrients. Extensive testing has shown that this new and different combination does wonders to maintaining hydration and increasing power output. Osmo currently has 3 different mix styles for active hydration during rides, post ride recovery, and preride hydration. All of them have their own great characteristics.

Meanwhile, the active hydration mix is perfect for any day of riding, whether racing or just going on a spin. It tastes good, isn't overly sugary, and keeps you noticeably hydrated. Active hydration helps to maximaize performance through increased thermo-regulation, decreased cramping, and increased power. Many other sports drinks cram in all kinds of carbs and electrolytes into their kinds but Dr Sims has found that smaller amounts of more optimal nutrients is not only easier for the body to absorb but is also more efficiently used. Once starting to use Osmo, I haven't bonked a single time and my coach has noticed an increase in the power I can maintain after multiple hours. These gains have a substancial impact on training and racing.

And finally there's the recovery mix. Many people forget that the most important aspect of training is not how hard you push yourself during the ride, but how well your body can rebuild its muscles and recover afterwards. The mix looks and tastes similar to other vanilla recovery mixes but the differences are vast. Extensive research has shown that other mixes have many unnecessary minerals and vitamins, but lack some essential additions that have been put in OSMO. Most other drinks only include one type of protein, but OSMO uses two vastly different protiens that are absorbed at different rates, giving your body a wider range of time to continue recovery. In addition, Dr. Sims and other scientists have found that the small amount of caffeine in OSMO will help your muscles to absorb the protein and glycogen being taken in, and better optimize the recovery process. Using OSMO recovery mix, I feel better and more recovered after hard training days than ever before, which has been essential during hard training blocks and stage races.

In the end, OSMO tastes good, is easy to drink, and has all of the science behind it. It has worked wonders for me and I am sue it will for you too.

Suisun Harbor Criterium 2013 Race Report

by Adam Switters Suisun Harbor was the 4^th race of the Cal Cup series put on by Velo Promo. It’s part of a great series at end of the season races that helps keeps everyone’s motivation high well into September. Even though I was leading the series, the intention was for Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase to win the race regardless of who won. If we were able to keep the Cal Cup lead along the way, then that would just be an added bonus. Luckily, after an extended break in May/June, I’ve managed to come back into some form so I was pretty confident that I could pull off a good result for the team.

After yesterday’s first and third finish at the Dunnigan Hill’s road race, the team was flying on high spirits. We were obviously in good form and were excited to race a hard aggressive race. With Suisun’s short, technical and wind course (.5mi long), the race was ideal for a breakaway. We came up with a game plan that consisted of us racing aggressive and trying to stack any breakaways.

After starting out at the back of the pack, I quickly learned that the front of the race was the place to be. After moving up, I managed to spend a number of laps solo off the front before getting caught and countered by my flying teammate, Brandon Trafton. Brandon managed to quickly build up a 15sec gap that allowed me to follow bridge attempts. After following a few moves, we caught Brandon and I was surprised to see that 10 of us has extracted ourselves from the field and Eric had joined us to make 3 Team Mike’s Bikes riders out of 10. With 25 laps to go, our break had 15 seconds and I knew with the team represented, it was going to be hard for the peloton to pull us back.

The next 25 laps were a blur. The break maintained a fast speed not because of good cooperation, but rather because there was a constant flurry of attacks all the way to the finish. I threw in some good attacks, but with my good form, I as holding back a little and looking for the serious moves and my teammates Eric and Brandon were rock stars both attacking and covering every move that went. Much to our chagrin, the race came down to a sprint between the 10 of us. The last lap became chaotic with everyone trying to position themselves for the last corner. I stayed near the front and came through corner 3 in third wheel. Coming into the last corner, I jumped through a narrow gap between Ariel Herrman (Metromint Cycling) and my teammate Eric, managing to pull out a few bike lengths gap immediately as the gap closed. With a 200-meter tailwind finish, I was able to sit up comfortably with 50 meters to go and celebrate the win.

I definitely couldn’t have achieved this win without the selfless work of all my teammates (Eric, Brandon, James Laberge, Travis Lyons, and Rainier Schaefer). I also managed to extend my lead in the Cal Cup, which was an added bonus!

Adam Switters is a former professional cyclist and currently races for Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase. He is a USA Cycling Certified Coach is the owner of Switters Coaching. You can check him out at his website http://www.SwittersCoaching.com/. Feel free to comment if you have any ideas for workout or questions.

Dunnigan Hills RR, 2013.

The year prior our team had won this race and we agreed that winning again would be the priority while trying to stack Cal Cup points would come secondary. Race favorites were Johnathan Teeter (Marc-Pro/Strava), Zeke Mostov (Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team), Tyler Brandt (Get Crackin'), and Chris Stasny (Hagens Berman Cycling). Thankfully Dunnigan Hills doesn't actually have any hills, because otherwise it would have been a slightly boring day of watching Teeter and Mostov ride away from everyone. The course is flat, borderline windy, with some small rolling hill sections - which is exactly what is needed to max out the Specialized Venge's aerodynamic advantage. Unfortunately less than two miles in the race four riders went down on an oil slick taking down teammate Steve O'Mara - a huge blow to us as O'Mara has been a dark horse all season long and would have caught a lot of competition off guard by how strong he is.

The first move came at about five miles and had too many big names in it and not enough teammates. Teammate Rainier Schaefer and I sat on trying to convince the break to sit up and reshuffle, but they decided to keep riding and deal with us later.

"Later" came in the headwind section with thirty-five miles to go, with everyone in the break taking turns to launch attacks. Schaefer was on point today in a big way and took turns with me matching each acceleration. Mostov and Chuck Hutcheson (Marc-Pro/Strava) were able to split the break up and rode away with me on their wheel, but with some fifteen riders giving chase and myself still not liking the odds and not working we all regrouped with ten miles to the finish.

A lot of cat and mouse riding started up, with Hutcheson trying to put me in a box every time Teeter attacked. It probably should've made me mad, but it was so ineffective that it was actually really cute. Chris Harland-Dunaway (Marc-Pro/Strava) showed just how big his motor was and took some big pulls and some huge welds during this time, chasing down moves he missed and ultimately keeping everyone together for a pack sprint finish.

Coming into two kilometers to go Mostov attacked and made the move of the day, putting in huge time into the group very rapidly. Schaefer came out of nowhere and did a tremendous job of chasing him down and setting me and teammate Adam Switters up for the sprint. Right when I thought Schaefer was dead and done for, he shifts up a few more gears and starts his standing sprint for a good ten more seconds.

His lead out had caught everyone off guard and riders who should have been marking me were too many bike lengths back - it set me up perfectly for my jump at around 400 meters to the finish.

The gap opened on my jump proved large enough to hold off the group for the win, with teammate Adam Switters flying in for third place just behind.

riggswin

Alex Chiu  and Tim Westmore were at the race and took some amazing shots. Special thanks to Heather Pugh for sitting in the feed zone all day for us and feeding me boat loads of OSMO and Equator Coffee.

Tour du Equator Coffee & Teas

Have you ever wondered what goes into producing that hot cup of coffee you drink in the morning? For most, the process is simple: buy the coffee, put it in the coffee maker, add water, and drink the coffee. But there is much more to it. This past Monday, Andy, Steve O., Brandon, and myself were given the opportunity to learn all about the newest sponsor of Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase: Equator Coffees & Teas ­­­­­­– a Marin-based coffee roaster with major focuses on quality and sustainability. Our tour began with a brief introduction to the company and its history by the company’s co-founder and CEO, Helen Russell. As she spoke about how the company was started in a garage, Ted Stachura (Director of Coffee at Equator) began brewing and pouring samples of the new TMB Speed Blend and their single-origin Don Pepe Bourbon for side-by-side comparison.

We continued the tour though the facility with Ted, as he thoroughly explained the process Equator takes in establishing long-term relationships with its growers around the world, and the life of the coffee bean from fruit to brew.

Equator is proud to be one of the first roasters in the nation to possess a Loring SmartRoaster, a sophisticated machine that reduces carbon emissions by 80% without compromising their artisan quality.

After taking a short look at their operations for packing and shipping, Ted and Caitlin took us through Equator’s cupping system of tasting coffees in small batches, from beans in green form, side by side. It’s a very delicate process, and allows them to try several different samples from potential suppliers in a timely manner.

To finish the tour, we were each given an Equator t-shirt and a freshly roasted bag of TMB Speed Blend before it hits the shelves at Mike’s Bikes stores around the Bay Area.

Equator’s commitment to producing their coffees and teas at the highest quality, and in such environmentally responsible methods, is beyond cool. This was an incredible learning experience, and we’re stoked to have such an awesome company on board to help support our racing and development.

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Specialized Toupe Saddle

The right saddle can prevent injury, increase wattage. A bike saddle is a basic piece of equipment, one that most people don’t put much thought into. They should. For years I rode on a popular, narrow Euro saddle that touted its long length as a quality that let the rider shift around, hopefully into the right position. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I never shifted into anything close to an optimum spot. It turned out the saddle’s talk of length was just an effort to compensate for a lack of performance and unwanted motion. And my body and wattage suffered as a consequence.

Specialized Toupe Saddle

Enter the Specialized Toupe. After years of dealing with mysterious use injuries, many of which seemed to stem from my sacrum and low-back, within a week of riding the Toupe they were gone. In their place came a crazy new sensation – sit bone contact. It turned out that my shifting on my old slender, Euro saddle had been causing irritation; the lack of sit bone contact had undoubtedly been costing me watts. The Toupe makes this happen with its simple but thoughtful Body Geometry philosophy: design saddles to fit a rider’s body. And one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why the Toupe comes in three sizes, 130, 143, and 155 MM. Your local Mike’s Bikes shop can tell you what size you are with a simple tool that measures the width of your sit bones. I’m a 143. My old Euro saddle was ~130. Because that was the only size it came in.

Beyond assuring a proper fit and optimum sit bone contact for power output, Specialized’s Body Geometry team lab tests its saddles to assure blood flow to sensitive arteries. Enough said about that. All this and the 143 mm Toupe Pro tips the scales at just 137 grams.

Menlo Park Grand Prix

by James Laberge After last night's San Rafael Twilight Critrium, it took a little bit of extra time to get up and get moving but once I drove down to Menlo Park, it was all game on and the forces of the team were ready to head out for a win in the prestigious Premier series race. The team was: Roman Kilun, Shawn Rosenthal, Rainier Schaefer, Dana williams, and myself. The plan was to be attentive because it was windy but if it comes down to a field sprint, then Roman would lead me out for the sprint.

The race started out fast with lots of guys trying to gutter everyone, making nobody feel safe in the pack. Lots of attacks kept going up the road and only a couple cases where there was a decent gap back to the pack but with the strengths of seasoned pros such as Nate English (5 Hour Energy) and Phil Mooney (Jamis/ Hagens Berman) everything was getting brought back. This was until about 15 laps to go when former teammate Tyler Brandt (Get Crackin') and Rob Evans (Bear Development) were able to get away and get another decent gap but this time no one wanted to chase it down.

We threw in some attacks trying to bridge up there but nothing suceeded. With 5 laps to go, we put the whole team on the front to start slowly bring the two breakaway riders back. At about 2-3 laps to go, they were about 15 second up the road and other teams wanted to take over so we let them do that to save fire power for the last lap and then we took over at 1 lap to go, just as we catch Tyler and Rob. Shawn then took a massive pull in the headwind section on the back straight and then an attack came from Phil but we were able to get on him right away. Coming through the last couple turns/chicaine, I was 3rd wheel behind Roman and Dana. Dana opened up his sprint and I stayed on him for another 50 to 100 meters and then opened up my sprint. I put my head down and was able to put my hand up for the win! Dana was also able to hang on for 2nd place and makes a Team Mike's bikes P/B Incase victory and 1-2 finish! Roman was able to hold onto 9th place and keep his distance from Chuck Hutcheson (Marc-Pro Strava) in the individual standings in the premier series.

It was a great job by the team today and we did a great lead out for the win and extend our lead in the Team standings by about 75 points. Thank you again to Shawn, Rainier, Roman, and Dana for a great lead out and teamwork! Thanks also to all of the sponsors that support the team! Thanks for reading.

San Rafael Twilight Criterium

by Dana Williams This article can also be found on Dana's blog: http://www.achieveptc.com/san-rafael-twilight-p12-criterium-a-premiere-show-comes-to-town/

The San Rafael Twilight Criterium is what Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase considers our ‘home race.’ This is because Mike’s Bikes original store (the 1st of 11) and head office are both within a block or two of the four-corner rectangle course. The energy and excitement surrounding this race each year is what we really look forward to. This year there was a bit of added pressure, with teammate Eric Riggs, being the defending champion. It felt as though most other team’s crosshairs were directly on us.

Our plan going into the race was pretty simple: be attentive the first 30 of the 90 minutes, then get more aggressive and try to get two guys in a break, with at least one of our sprinters. If a break didn’t succeed by five laps to go, then our team would go to the front and line up our train for Riggs or James Laberge (who won the field sprint for 3rd in last year’s race).

Before the race got underway, event organizer Project Sport did what many in their position try to accomplish, and in my view few achieve with as much success. The energy and excitement they create is astounding. Music pumps and resonates through the streets as the sun sets; Dave Towle, the voice of US cycling, calls up riders in a fashion that makes them feel like superheroes; these same riders are escorted to the start line under umbrellas held by beautiful women; the crowd buzzes like electricity. I know I wasn’t the only one with goose bumps.

The whistle blew and we were off. In typical fashion, the first few laps were fast and strung out. Guys who started further back pushed hard to move up. Guys at the front worked hard to stay there without expending too much energy. There were a few close calls, with riders being aggressive and trying to stamp their authority by shooting through tight holes that closed up quick. Thankfully I didn’t hear the agonizing sound of carbon scraping along pavement.

The first real move of the night happened 15 minutes into the race. Our team’s newest recruit, Brandon Trafton, who never likes to sit in and watch the race unfold, got off the front and held a 10-second gap for about 10 laps. Guys attempted to bridge on countless occasions. My teammates and I made sure we were on all of these moves. Brandon got pulled back at about 30 minutes into the race. The next 50 minutes were pretty consistent; small breaks formed, getting no more than 10 seconds up the road and then being brought back. I marked a few moves and stayed towards the front, but soon felt as though the race was going to come down to a bunch sprint.

At around eight laps to go, my teammates and I started to amass at the front. Then, as I recall, with five laps to go, it was Shawn Rosenthal, Roman Kilun, Adam Switters, and Brandon Trafton rotating in front of me and keeping the pace high. Eric and James were on my wheel. With around three laps to go, guys were coming up and trying to get in our leadout train. Two guys ended up being successful, Eamon Franck and Justin Williams, both slotting just in front of me and behind Brandon. My role going into the race (if it came down to a bunch sprint) was to take over out of turn two on the last lap and get James and Eric into turn three first, just as I had done last year. I was feeling strong and believed I was going to be able to come over Eamon and Justin on the back stretch of the last lap, as they were likely not going to want to leadout the pack from that far out.

As we sped over the finish line with the bell ringing, Roman pulled off and Brandon took over. Everything was going fine through the entrance of turn one, but all the sudden I heard the dreaded sound behind me: carbon scraping along the pavement. Then in the blink of an eye I was hit from behind and unclipped my left pedal while fighting to stay upright. It all happened so fast. I thought my race was over and guys were going to come by me. I did my best to quickly clip back in. To my surprise, I didn’t get swarmed by riders. The chaos behind me slowed the surging field. I stood up and sprinted to try to get back to Brandon and the other two guys. It’s a bit of a blur as I think back, but I caught them around half way down the back stretch. Instinct kicks in and tells me to go by them on the outside, so I do. I’m first into turn three and four. I’m leading the San Rafael Twilight Criterium with about a 250 meter slight uphill drag to the finish line. I hear my teammate yelling ‘Go, go, go’ from behind. I try to carry as much speed out of the turn as possible, not knowing how close the guys are behind me. I put my head down and start sprinting. A gear shift stalls my momentum ever so slightly. The lactic acid begins to seep into my quads like water exploding through a river dam that has given way. A wheel enters my peripheral vision, soon followed by the mass of a muscular 21 year old rampaging like a bull running the streets of Pamplona; his name Eamon Franck. Then another wheel and rider; Justin Williams. I was dying a slow death, just hoping the finish line would come soon. And finally it did, to my relief without another rider coming by. Third place it was!

It’s easy to look back at a race like this, where I came so close to winning, and wonder if I could have done anything different. Unfortunately, my team had a bit of bad luck on turn one of the last lap after doing a fantastic job leading out. But ultimately I’m happy to find a spot on the podium. It’s a way to thank my amazing teammates of Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase, who rode such a great race, like so many other races this year, and our sponsors and supporters, who we couldn’t do this without them. Thank you.

2013 Tour de Nez

Teammate Brandon Trafton would be my only teammate for the day. At the San Rafael Twilight the night before he soloed for 25% of the race and still had enough energy to lead out and send teammate Dana Williams into the final straight for the sprint finish. He's flying, I was pretty stoked. The race started fast with a first lap prime and immediately after Trafton is off the front with Johnathan Teeter (Marc-Pro Strava). Teeter just recently finished second place at the NRC Cascade Cycling Classic Time Trial and is the race favorite for the day.

The peloton chased hard after them for forty-five minutes, notably the entire Predator Cycling team, fresh from their win over crit-powerhouse UHC at Pairie State Cycling series, and Max Jenkins (Kenda Pro Cycling - 5-Hour Energy).

Justin Rossi (Marc-Pro/Strava) and I went ultimate passive aggressive blocking mode, clogging up lines in the turns and pretending to pull while Trafton and Teeter rode super humanly and maintained their thirty-five second lead.

Eventually the chase cracked and Rossi and I made the bridge up to Trafton and Teeter. All four of us traded pulls working together (photo credit: Steve Ellsworth),  maybe only thirty seconds from lapping the field, until about four laps to go when Rossi and Teeter started to light things up and trade attacks, not wanting it to come down to a sprint.

We rode really well during this time, going all out to match Teeter's and Rossi's accelerations knowing that if we gave either of them any space they would just time trial away from us.

Coming into the last lap Rossi launched an attack that I chased. It gapped us pretty far from Teeter and Trafton. I sat behind Rossi, waiting for sprint distance to the finish line or for Trafton to catch up so I could lead him out, whichever came first. Trafton opted to play it safe and sit on Teeter rather than risk leading out Teeter in his chase up to me, which was a tremendous sacrifice on his part and ultimately gave me the win.

I had been cornering really well all day, so with the final corner in sight I jumped as hard as I could into it and came out with a decent gap that I carried to the finish line for the win. Trafton did the same thing behind me and came in for third.

Quick final note: Reno was incredibly hot and incredibly dry. Most of the race I had globs of dry spit accumulating on my lips and my throat being torn to bits from sucking down mouthfuls of dry air. I've had to take people's word that OSMO is the best drink mix for endurance athletes because I know absolutely nothing about life sciences, but today was the first time I was able to physically feel just how powerful this drink mix is. I am speechless as to how much better and how much easier the pedal strokes came after each drink of it.