For those not in the know, you should be. With the scary thought of me of all people, imparting knowledge onto impressionable cyclists (the implications of this controversy will be explored in much more depth in another post), here is what you need to know about the Pantani ride. Its not just a group ride, its definitely not just another fast ride, but the only ride that matters the entire season set in the sweet mank of early February. It will be one of the harder 50mile "road" events you will ever do. One of those, what bike should I bring, a cross bike, rigid mtb, comfort tandem, I don't care about my knees or life I'm riding a road bike or a 7in trail rig, all of which would come into their own at some point but be wrong 90% of the time. (mtbs and cx rigs were a common choice) All in honor of 'Il Pirata', Marco Pantani, whatever you think of the drugs, performance enhancing or recreational, he could ride a bike!
Training? Race is base right?
The shear amount of stoke during leading up to, after the event and then all year till next time around, is almost comprehensible, mostly due to no real way to quantify stoke. Someone should figure that out for the rest of us.
Why are we not funding this?!
Come Saturday it was time to leave, got a short rainy road ride in, with the delay of Owen Cup and hit the road feeling much like this....stoked but you get the idea....
From my boating days, stoked but beat to hell. Green River Narrows ain't no waterpark!
After a little sleep and some awesome dinner at Becca's house in Crozet it was game time! Luke taking rule #5 to heart decided the 20 or so miles to the start would be a nice little warm up and took off a little early, also having put in a US customary century the day before, like a hoss! Therefore entrusting me with the hokie van, (who knew mini vans we so much fun to drive?!) we were off getting into way more excitement and mountain top handoffs than we expected.
Arriving at Tevendaletrails we were blown away at the number of rad folks, some where upwards of 75, that showed on this glorious day. After some milling around, getting ready, chit-chat, distribution misinformation to TJ the gathering began. I forgot to mention but this was TJ's first ride over 20miles long, ever, seriously, mad props to him for agreeing to come last minute knowing full well that there was a distinct possibility of straight up imploding somewhere near Simmons Gap, regardless of skipping the Brokenback section he killed it!
Commencing the ceremonies with a moment of silence then a moment of excitement in honor of Scud was an excellent reminder of how close and awesome the cycling community is around here.
We lined up half way in the Tevendale's drive way half still in the field and a few in the woods between the two. "GO!" rung out from somewhere behind and game on guys&gals! Rolling out onto a few miles of pavement a quick pace line formed at the front, by quick I mean 23+ on 90% mountain bikes! Then the gravel came fast and hard, feeling frisky I was on the front playing around. All of the sudden I forgot how to ride smart, go figure and went off the front with a slight provocation from a surging rider. I should have waited for a real KOM attempt on Fox Mountain but no matter I was going to be dropped sooner or later, might was well go out in a blaze of glory for nothing. Bryan had mentioned that he would give me a shout when it was time to go for the top, I didn't wait, silly me, I was caught in less than a half mile and promptly dropped due to not being able to breath... sickness caught up with me and it was time to party pace for the next 10 miles or so. In the words of the amazingly fast Mr Lewis "All of the sudden you were 50yards off the front, and I was thinking what the hell, Gavin's been sick all week and now he is off the front putting the hurt in out legs?!" Thanks for the props dude! I guess it was the stoke giving me some legs, one of these days I'll be able to hang for more than 10 miles with the fast guys.
Some good motivation to stare at!
Many sMiles later I was reunited with a fun crew and took some cold refreshments on board, you know the anti-bonk kind of stuff. A bit further on the fun began and up up up we went, Simmions Gap is a significant climb, unlike what the folks in Williamsburg are calling "significant" for the W&M road race (oh snap is that trash talk?!?). Feeling strong again I left my current group cruising up the mountain with a fellow cross rider, apparently cx bikes are fast or something? We passed some fellow riders and got to the top without too much suffering, okay a lot but I was beyond stoked so the hurt was less. Going down was down right terrifying, +20% grades on loose loose loose gravel approaching mach 12 running can't stop won't stop cantis was a stoke producing, butt clenching experience, technical a faster than all get out!
Sums it up in a t-shirt!
There was a little bit of elevation
What one gnar climb isn't enough?!? Time for BROKENBACK! "If it isn't Brokenback it isn't sh*t!" will be motivation for pretty much every single race this season. Grades so steep cars will flip over backwards all the way to the bottom. In all honesty, it was steep steep steep, few roads (this is a very very loose term now) can compare. All of the sudden I caught a glimpse of a welcome sight in Hoo-ville, maroon bibs over an orange bike (I couldn't help myself) but Luke was just a few hundred meters in front, at this point I was so stoked to see a friend to ride the rest out with! Motoring on up to catch him mostly so when I got off to hike-a-bike the crazy steep parts I wasn't the only one, no shame, there is a single-speeder inside me and walking was faster. After a while we made it up the last and steepest pull both suffering hard in the saddle to a welcome sight: handups fools! More refreshments, but had to down it quick, due to the mach speed descent approaching rapidly. Mach isn't much of a hyperbole I hit 40 on gravel, luckily these roads weren't run blind, the first climb was a nice recon, so it was all out to the bottom! Me being me, I had to keep it dirty and went looking for some rocks to launch off of, gotta style it! I also forgot I wasn't on a mountain bike, but the double cross likes air so it was all good. A bit of pace-lining and home free we were, rounding out the 50 miles back a Tevendaletrails! (Thanks for the draft back Luke, you monster on slicks)
Stoke was exchanged, teammates found, post ride afterglow was shining on everyone's faces, but unfortunately we couldn't stay long, had to hit the road.
It was one of those rides back...
Massive thanks to everyone that rode, helped, handed out cans of glory at the top, and was just plain awesome in general! Big congrats, to Gordon Quadsworth with the win and Bryan Lewis with second, taking home the KOM. Stoke-givings to TJ for stepping up his game epicly, in the best way possible, jump headlong into something much bigger than one thought! Luke as always appreciate the ride in the back of the hokie van, and Becca for lending us your parents house for the night! Also thanks again to Gordon and Bryan for the props I received, means a bit coming from you guys! Hopefully sooner than later, I'll be able to hang and make the fun times roll with you guys are the front all day long!
Till next time!
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