Well let's see where do I start? I started off with a decent start, but the legs weren't really feeling to great to be honest, and the last lap was a killer as I was completely drained. Apparently the dust got to me, and hear got to me, and that was the end of that race unfortunately...I was still able to squeak out a 4th place finish, which I can't be to bummed about really...Well except for the fact that that bonk on lap 3 cost me a shot at the podium as I saw Doug Turnbull get ahead of me and my legs had no answer as he went on to beat me by about 12 seconds...Doh.....
Next on the race schedule was Spring Thaw...A race I have always enjoyed for it's grueling uphill battle at the start, to it's time trial at the top to the downhill at the end. All around it's probably one of the most fun races I do all year, and usually I can do pretty well there. This year...Well...My climbing was rather unspectacular...Something I need to work on more and more. But more so I think it was just more mental than anything as I pushed super hard towards the top, so obviously I had a little more in me than I expected. All in all I thought like I rode a decent race, but ended up finishing 8th or so...Not what I wanted, but the competition is usually pretty tough down there as well. So chin up, and I was ready for memorial day weekend, and the double header of racing it provides!
It starts off with a road race on saturday on the eastside of Bend called Bend Don't Break. I arrived and I was ready to go! After all it seemed like forever since I did a road race...I mean my last one was Cherry Pie...Doug LaPlaca came to me before the race, and talked about trying to get into a break with me, and of course I was like sure! Why not right?
Straight off the fun the attacks were furious and often. TAI Cycling were sending guys left, and right. I was doing everything in my power to make sure the break didn't get away without me, which would ironically cost me a little bit later in the race, but more on that later..Ryan Ness made a nice move on the 3rd or 4th lap, and nobodyelse was going to bridge up to him, so I was like well...I might as well get up there to help him to see if I can help make it stick. So that's exactly what I did...Unsure if it would actually work or not, so we traded pulls quite a few times and had a decent gap that we held for about a lap, and then the pack came roaring back with Doug LaPlaca coming to bridge back up to us, luckily he didn't bring the rest of the pack with him.
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| Crossing the Finish Line at Bend Don't Break in 2nd Place |
LaPlaca made a solid move that I just couldn't follow because my legs were toast, and I have to give him all the credit...He was sooo strong out there, and there were times where I was doing everything I could in my power to just stay on his wheel when he made a pull..He truly deserved that victory, he had the better legs for sure. I ended up second, and honestly I was extremely happy with it! I raced my heart out, and my only worry was if I would have enough juice in the legs for the next day at the Sister's Stampede...
I was nervous when I arrived at the race in Sisters...Unsure of how my legs would react after the hard effort the day before, and unsure of where I would end up because of that....Interesting tidbit...Mr. Eric Helie...AKA....The man at Trinity Bikes who runs things....AKA....My Boss...Made a comment about my back tire looking a little low, and said something about getting a flat....I shrugged it off, and was like eh My tire pressure is fine, this is what I usually run. Neither of us knew how right he would actually be in the end...
I headed to the start line in the front because I knew getting a good start means starting at the front with the big dogs, and it makes the race so much easier when you're racing from the front instead of in the back. I know this from personal experience. To my surprise my legs were feeling amazing for the 2nd day in a row! I got a nice solid start, and was with some uber fast guys so I knew I was doing pretty good in my category...Keyword would be was....I got to the rock section, which literally is only a few more minutes from the finish line, and then it happened...The tire went instantly flat, and my heart sank....All that work....For nothing I thought....There was no question about it....I was extremely disappointed...To be doing so good, and feeling amazing, and then it can all change in an instant. It's what makes the sport of Mountain Biking so tough sometimes, yet it's still what makes me come back to it again, and again. It just wasn't meant to be that day. I felt robbed, and abused, but I knew I rode my heart out, and that's all I could really ask from myself. What stung worse was when I got back and learned based off where I was before the flat I would of taken 2nd with some time to spare..
But there are positives in everything, and the positive out of this one was Bob Gilbert....One of my best friends....My brother from another mother made his first Cat 1 Podium since moving up! I was super proud of him! He put in a lot of hard work to finally get up there, so I was almost glad in a way that I got a flat, and it got him up there. It was a big confidence boost for him to show he belongs in the Cat 1's! I'm sure we should see him on the podium more often now! The smile on his face when he got on that podium was priceless...He looked like a big kid in a candy store....Nice job buddy! You earned it...
Well I'm getting a little tired, and I suppose I should leave some suspense for my next blog post, which will cover the last race of the series, and let's just say the series standings went down to the wire with some familiar foe...
Thanks for reading!
-Austin Line
Trinity Bikes Cycling Team
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