Tucson Bicycle Classic Report

I hopped off a plane, and into the frying pan, as I participated in the 25th Annual Tucson Bicycle Classic.  I couldn't resist entering this race, as it seemed really well put together, and a great chance to compete in my first stage race.  Having said that, I was a little apprehensive about how little outdoor training milage I had accumulated and how this might effect my ability to compete against Arizona Cat 2 racers.

-STAGE 1: TIME TRIAL-  The TT was a short prologue, at 3.2 miles along a loop that starts with a descent and then ends with a some steep inclines.  It was hot but also extremely dry.  In fact, there was very little sweating going on in Arizona, the perspiration evaporated almost instantly. The race had a real-deal start house and a guy who counted us down by putting his fingers in front of your face... the same as a pro-tour TT, so I was impressed.

 I really enjoyed not dripping with sweat, however the downside became apparent after a couple of minutes into the race.  ...my throat was so dry... I was afraid to swallow, fearing I would choke on my own tongue. 

I wasn't able to have my full TT set-up with me, however I felt I could grind out a respectable time.  I was racing against 44 Cat 2's, and there was no where to hide... either I was going to sink or swim... Fortunately, I ended up with a respectable time that put me in 16th overall and just 8 seconds outside of the top 10.  I felt good about this result, especially considering some of 'home-court' advantages.

-STAGE 2: 80 MILE ROAD RACE- On Saturday we did 4 laps in the middle of the desert... no sweat, literally (I still can't get over that).  It seemed like this wasn't a day to get any time back, as the breaks traditionally get caught.  There were time bonuses for the top 3 finishers, however, so the General Classification was bound to adjust.  The yellow jersey rider did a great job of staying attentive.  About 1 mile in, I regret to report that I almost got dropped.  The group hit the gas hard right after a set of horrific railroad tracks.  Ok, this might be a long one...

I got a feel for things, and stayed with the group without incident the rest of the race.  A break did get away, but was brought back towards the end of the race.  I really was feeling good towards the end of the race, as others seemed to be finally showing signs of fatigue.  I felt out things on the front, but ultimately opted to roll through the race finishing with the same time as the peloton.  I actually moved up two spaces on the GC, so things were looking good for Sunday.

-STAGE 3: 45 MILE CIRCUIT RACE- We were set to do 8 laps,  as I rolled off, again not really sure what to expect.  Today was the day to make things happen, with respect to bettering general classification times.  It was predicted that there would be a break today, so I hoped to get into it.  To that end, I jumped to the front early in the race as the attacks were being made. 

Ultimately, I didn't quite have the high-end speed to hang on to the gaps, but I did give it a pretty signficant effort.  I had to re-group for a few laps and see if I could try something at the end. Ultimately, about 9 guys made up some time by finishing ahead of the main group.  I rolled in with the field... sort of felt anti-climatic, so I took off for some extra mileage up towards Gates Pass.

I ended up 19th out of 44 in the Cat 2 division.  The main point of entering this race was to gain some race-level fitness and experience to kick-start our training camp.  I can easily say this mission was accomplished.  What a great race.