Only in Aspen

Aspen was the plan and a perfect setting for a race. Great weather (90 deg and not a cloud the Colorado blue sky), very cool course for a Crit. In and out the streets of Aspen. The only gripe I have it started so damm early. I like, no I love to sleep in on the weekends. One thing I hate about racing here is ALL the race start early. Wisco mountain bike racing was awesome with there 1:30 start times…Why can’t all races get on that program.
Well I guess "you can’t have everything". Unless you live on the side of Aspen mountain. I’ve never seen so many custom bikes in a race and it seem every other guy was sporting a CTS kit. But hay that won’t make you fast. Sandy’s race went off without much delay. There wasn’t a big woman’s field (8 total) so they combined it with the 45, 55 plus. Which made for a good field of about 25. They took off in a mass start and thee girl ripped off the front in the second lap. I thought these girls are strong. but, Sandy remained clam and worked with a couple of strong guys and one by one they came back. Then one by one they blew out the back. She learned a lot from last week’s race. Work’n hard and pull those dudes. In the sprint she held her own and end up just outside the top ten (12th) and 1st in the Woman’s field. What great ride! The best part was I was set to race next and standing there in my Team kit and all these guys are coming up to me and saying “Great ride, Nice pull, etc.” They were a little surprised to learn a Girl was spanking them…
My first race starts out in typical Mitch Man style, hammering off the front. Until I’m about to puke. I was going to change my race plan but after talking to my “Sport Psychologist” He instilled a great piece of wisdom too me. It go’s something like this “Its better to go down swing then to wheel suck and hang on like some girlie punk”. After pounding nails for three laps I looked back, there’s a dude with me. Sweet. I thought I was alone. I pulled to let him by and yell “I got the gap, now lets make it hurt” For the next 15 min we take turns pull’n. But for some reason he wasn't hit’n it and two dudes bridged to us. “More the merrier I thought, I’ll just out sprint them” Little did I know one the guys was a “Half Pro” sissy punk mountain biker and put on a huge attack, so now I’m chasing. I let him pull me around for a lap and like the “Half Punk” he was died and off the back he go’s. The train of three paced in at the halfway mark (30 mins) I started eyeing up my comp like steaks on a grill. These guys are toast! I was feeling like the “Lion King” setting up the kill. Just then the scrappy “Half Puke” claws his way back and lays down another attack. This time we let he go knowing "He’ll crack". The three of us let him go fry. With 5 to go we start a hard chase and pull him back to with in 50’ and he gives us the “Lance Look” and pounds nails again. Jesse! What’s this guy eating? So I start the chase to run this bastard in. The other two guys tell me to wait and let them cook. But I say “ lets get him closer” It take me two laps to pull him in with the two wheel suckers and there’s only two to go and I just laid down a huge effort. No recovery time for the sprint, so its going to be gut check time. One of the Wheel Suckers attacks, and I couldn’t respond, no power left and gets 50’ feet on me in the back stretch so, I’m left sprinting for second. Last turn hammer down. First loser I am! Then the Bastard didn’t even thank me for coving the gap and giving him the win. But I guess that’s how it go’s. My second race didn't fair as well but Hay "you can’t have everything!"
Plus Sandy and I got interviewed for a casting call after the race. More on the later…only in Aspen.