LastFriday
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 9:31 pm
I was going to wait until Thursday to type out this warning. But Anika's post today ("There's a badass imperial century loop around crescent lake in port angeles....would anyone be interested in a 160k after hurricane ridge?") has inspired me to act early.
“LastFriday”: The story starts with Trevor testing his legs on the way up Ash. I managed to hang with him. At the top we met late starters Anika and Bryson and kept on going. This set up one of those Lister-break-away/chase-group battles, with Gavin et al. 30 seconds back. They made the catch (I think it was near Queen Alexandra), but the pace-line pace remained high, especially when Anika was on the front.
By the time we hit Beacon Hill, the group had been reduced to six (some dropping off and others making their regular early exits). Ritchie had done an amazing job of hanging on and we congratulated him (even if he didn't hear it) when we passed the Terry Fox monument and he headed home. That left five; Andrew, Trevor, Roland, Anika, and I for the 6-lap tour. Whenever she was on the front, we could still count on a 5km/hr increase; ‘Mr. Position Two’ (Roland most of the time) fought mini war, after mini war just to keep his drafting partners in the game.
With 1.5 laps to go, Anika jumped. Timed perfectly she instantly had a gap. I don’t think it was only me that recognized what had just happened. Four of us had a lap and a half – if I am honest, it was closer to two laps to make up for this lapse. It was going to be a group effort, none of us doubted that even for a second: It didn't matter whom, one of us had to cross the line first. For almost two laps we worked together well. But it wasn’t looking good. There was a glimmer of hope when Andrew stood up on the final climb (after his ‘lead out men’ had collapsed), but he couldn’t make up the 20m gap that remained. One day, when Anika is standing on a podium on TV I will repeat this story to whoever is willing to listen.
In the meantime: When she accelerates off the front early in the ride let her go and when she jumps on Beacon Hill go as fast as you can without a second thought.
JT
“LastFriday”: The story starts with Trevor testing his legs on the way up Ash. I managed to hang with him. At the top we met late starters Anika and Bryson and kept on going. This set up one of those Lister-break-away/chase-group battles, with Gavin et al. 30 seconds back. They made the catch (I think it was near Queen Alexandra), but the pace-line pace remained high, especially when Anika was on the front.
By the time we hit Beacon Hill, the group had been reduced to six (some dropping off and others making their regular early exits). Ritchie had done an amazing job of hanging on and we congratulated him (even if he didn't hear it) when we passed the Terry Fox monument and he headed home. That left five; Andrew, Trevor, Roland, Anika, and I for the 6-lap tour. Whenever she was on the front, we could still count on a 5km/hr increase; ‘Mr. Position Two’ (Roland most of the time) fought mini war, after mini war just to keep his drafting partners in the game.
With 1.5 laps to go, Anika jumped. Timed perfectly she instantly had a gap. I don’t think it was only me that recognized what had just happened. Four of us had a lap and a half – if I am honest, it was closer to two laps to make up for this lapse. It was going to be a group effort, none of us doubted that even for a second: It didn't matter whom, one of us had to cross the line first. For almost two laps we worked together well. But it wasn’t looking good. There was a glimmer of hope when Andrew stood up on the final climb (after his ‘lead out men’ had collapsed), but he couldn’t make up the 20m gap that remained. One day, when Anika is standing on a podium on TV I will repeat this story to whoever is willing to listen.
In the meantime: When she accelerates off the front early in the ride let her go and when she jumps on Beacon Hill go as fast as you can without a second thought.
JT
The boys will have to dig deep.