Back to the Beginning

Normally by this time of the year I am into full swing of the racing season, however this year I have been busy with all thing educational (both teaching and learning). School got out wednesday, all my student's grades have been posted, my special education paper work has been submitted, and my student's medicaid paper work has been sent in. The Thursday night Flying Rhino race was a great way for me to blow off some steam and get the racing season underway and what a blast it was! It seemed like the whole Cadieux Bike Club was there to greet me, the "A" race 5 Cadieux riders in it and the "B" race had about 4 or 5 as well. The other local clubs also seemed to be at full strengh with great representation by the Wolverines, Team Giant, Lathrup Industries, Flying Rhinos, and MPI/Mainstreet, not mention a whole slew of independent riders. The great confluence of riders made for some fast racing. After numerous attacks and counter attacks, I decided to jump into the fray after 30 minutes of racing. I bridged up to, and then through a little group of riders who where off the front of the main field. I was pleased with my bridging effort, I hopped out of the field, quickly and cleanly, riding solo up to the breakaway. I rode past the breakaway members, and launched another dig to get me away by myself. I was soon joined by some serious hammer heads in the form of Danny Klein, Tim Sari, a Flying Rhino, a Giant racer, and latter Ray Dybowski. After about 1 1/2 laps, I was feeling the affect of my efforts and beginning to rethink my actions. After about 4-5 pulls, I knew I didn't have what was required to stay with these very fit riders, so I did the dishonorable thing and excused myself from the break. Normally in bike racing it is inexuseable to allow yourself to be dropped from a break away but in my current state of flubbiness and only a few hundred miles in the old legs, I pulled out of the break and waited for the catch. I told my team captain the situation and he grunted something intelligible and continued the chase the break I had set underway. Nothing worse than chasing a break you helped establish. We never did catch all of the break and 4 remenants of the break went on to win the race. To make up for my misdeed, I was determined to make a decent showing in the pack sprint for 5th, I followed all the right wheels and when Alan Zoltowski launched his sprint I was there to try to hold his wheel. I didn't quite hold Alan's wheel but I did maintain my position, much to the shagrin of Jim Bruce, who was trying to ride me off Zoltowski's wheel in the final turn. I pushed my elbows out to claim my spot as Bruce tried to squeeze underneath my arm on the inside of the turn. I sprinted to the finish with only the fastet sprinters coming around me. I crossed the line happy with my positioning and I am glad to be back to the beginning of what will be a long road to full fitness while everyone else is hitting it full throttle.