San Dimas throw down
Posted on March 26, 2008
Deep down inside I wish I was fit enough to show up at San Dimas.
REASON: I want to watch the insane PRO field trash each other. But I would feel bad to just go hit the punch card at SDSR.
Maybe one day when I am fit and ready for it I can actually appreciate the suffering that that race offers to its riders.
One more thing, yesterday I finally pinned down why I do not like that race. I have had some really bad experiences, they somewhat had nothing to do with the race itself, but I had them around the venue.
1 – My first year I was in the road race and on the climb this douche bag did a madison-like sling shot pull of of my jersey… on the climb! If that was not bad enough, I was in the process of actually healing from my broken ribs and this mother efer pretty much punched me in the sore spot. I was irate. I wanted to kill this guy…. it was the same guy that got caught holding on to the van. I saw him at VOS the next year. He had been dropped from his field and decided to ride with us. I told him to get off or I would pull him off…. little bitch
2 – I had a complete meltdown while driving back home. I got lost and somehow ended up in major rush hour traffic. Took me 7 hours to get back home. I honestly had never experienced anything like that before. I was borderline suicidal. Of course I blamed the race and vowed to never EVER drive to San Dimas again.
One is a valid point, the other not so much, but they scared me.
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4 Responses to “San Dimas throw down”
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Letting one person ruin an entire race for you in unacceptable, because what you doing is letting him win. Any time a lesser person is allowed under the skin of a greater person, the s..tbag wins. Seems to me once you have a bad experience at a venue you don’t go back. I believe you feel the same way about Brea, (which I crashed in this year after reading your blog ironically.)
I think next year you need to make it a point to race both Brea and San Dimas to get over it and grow as a reacer/person.
I am not “fit” enough for SDSR either, which actually means not “light” enough. It will never be a sprinter’s race though always a small climber’s..once you know that then you can just race for fun.
I know. I made that point by racing Brea this year after not doing it last year.
These are all my excuses and adding it up with some other things (weekend with the girl and visiting friends) made it easier for me to skip San Dimas.
My teammates are going for stages and not GC, which makes sense to me. I would even consider that, but the decision is made.
Next year, *if* I am a 2 i will make sure to race it, even if I am the designated ticket puncher.
Appreciate the words.
What happened to you at Brea? Where did you crash?
I was coming up the small incline towards the last turn. I was trying to move up a few places and began coming up on the outside. I saw a rider start clanging into the rider next to him, (they were just ahead and to my right in the paceline. I moved more to the outside to avoid the guy in case he went down. He DID go down as I suspected but his bike and person slid to the outside right in front of me. Had zero chance for reaction. Some rash and my hand was gouged out pretty good, but thats it. It was five laps to go and I couldn’t get back in, although my bars were a little off anyway. Funny thing was, the sound of others crashing was actually worse than hitting the deck for the first time. I guess the anticipation is what gets you.
I thought it was a really great race. Sure, it was terrifying in places. I have to say, the pace amazed me. The cource was interesting, challenging and run. The finish was like a runway.
I just dont remember 3 field being this strong. Gonna have to come up with plan B to get some results.
I’ll be back 10 lbs lighter.