Turlock Lake Road Race-45+ 1/2/3 2013 Report

Andrew's Turlock Report from the 45+ 1/2/3 Race
Teammates: Daryoush and Scott Fairman

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. Though when you have searched for that nut as long as I have, it sure feels good to find it.


Daryoush and I start our day at 5:20am to make the seven hour commute to Turlock. Well, seemed like seven hours. Turlock for those not in the know is a place so distant and remote that few alive have actually seen it. It is a place you don’t go, unless you have a darn good reason. While most would not acknowledge a bike race as a darn good reason, Daryoush and I would, but we are strange like that. It seems there were 30 others with similar issues as that is how many lined up with us.

We had 72 miles to traverse over three laps of rolling terrain. Usually this course is not super hard, but the high winds make up for any terrain issues. Our strategy going in was to either make a break or get in a break. We had Scott Fairman with us too and he was tasked with protecting the break if we succeeded. Many attempts went but none were so far successful. Finally with a lap and a half left (about 36 miles), four riders got a gap. I knew one of the four was a very strong rider (Chris Courtney), so I was pretty bummed to have missed this. Others must have had similar feelings as two more jumped to try and bridge. I knew this was it and so jumped across to the two up the road. I had one guy on my wheel.

The four of us were chasing the four up front and were being pursued by the pack behind. We closed the gap on the front four to within 300 meters when our foursome seemed to give up. The lead then stretched to 500 meters. This was do or die time. I figured a match burning here made sense, so burn I did. Pulling as hard as I could through the rollers, we finally joined with the front four. Now we had eight. I knew four of the eight and they were very strong riders. This was the winning break I was sure. The eight of us quickly organized and started a rotation. For half a lap we drilled it through the headwinds and cross winds. The motto ref informed us that our gap was 40 seconds. Then it was 1 minute, then 1:30. You could feel the peloton's will break. We had snapped the cord and were free.

Cut to the finish.

3k to go, 70 miles done. Many of the guys were riding with heavy legs now and the few attacks that went in our group were pretty anemic. We spread across the road and turned the final 3k into a velodrome track race. Our speed was about 15 mph now. The first attack came from a VOS rider (Jan, who had just won the road race the previous week on a solo break with 3k to go). He is covered by Courtney and I am on his wheel. We get a good gap but then he sits up when he sees we are there. The other five come back to us.

1500k to go and 71 miles done. A Davis rider attacks hard and is immediately followed by a Morgan Stanley rider. I jump across but it hurts. I try physiological warfare. When I catch the two I glance back and see we have about 150 meters on the other five. I yell to the Davis rider to "keep going, we have top three if we don’t give in here." He hesitates.

800 meters to go and 71.5 done. The group of five behind us is now 50 meters back and charging. The Davis rider realizes his only shot is to keep going. He picks it back up and we hold the 50 meter gap.

400 meters to go. The Davis rider starts to die and the group of five is now 25 meters behind us. The Morgan Stanley rider attacks for the finish line. I see him start to go and realize this is it.

300 meters to go. I jump around the Morgan Stanley rider and give what I have left.

Finish line passes under my wheel and I have a bike length lead over Morgan Stanley. The squirrel has found the nut. Certainly feels good. Now I need to figure out where to hide this nut while I frantically search for another.

Andrew