Tour de ……….

Well Saturday’s Crit was Tour de Crazy and Sunday was Tour de Freezing but together they were the Tour de Tuscaloosa.

Saturday:

Get picked up by Chase and Ali at 7:35 (they were 10 min late)

4.5 hour drive to Tuscaloosa

Get kitted up and spin around with Ali and Chase (Chase was warming up for his 2pm race)

Chase races and does a great job! He comes in 7^th in a hard Crit!

We decide to get a hotel instead of crashing with Eric. (A Big thanks for the offer! Next Time Buddy. Thanks!)

Chase gets cleaned up after the race while Ali and I nap before ours.

Ali goes to the race and finishes with the pack (it’s the first time he’s finished with the pack in a 4’s Crit)

Chase comes back and picks me up from the hotel and shuttles me to the race

Warm up for the Night Time Crit.

Line Up

The peleton gets harassed by the officials for number placement, lineing up without wanting to take a lap and we wait while they “try” to light the course with car lights.

We start by racing down the hill going 40+ with no lights!

I decide the Hill with no Lights is “Stupid Dangerous” and pull out at the end of lap 2.

Watch the finish

Go to Hooter’s Get the BIG DADDY Beer!

Chat with our waitress Becca, hoola hoop with a couple girls on the way out!

Back at the Hotel we crash – it’ll be an early morning

Sunday

Wake Up 6:45, Shower, Eat Pack!

7:40 leave for race, 8:10 arrive at race – 8:30 start its 45 degrees out!

Wait on starting line shivering.

Race starts and …..

ATTACK from the gun (this is more of a function of trying to get warm than actually getting away!

Draft Draft Draft

Attack, get caught, attack on next hill, never get a good gap, down the wicked fast hill full speed with turn at bottom, ATTACK, caught, attack, sitting out in front being strung along = sit up and back in the group, Counter attack, they get 30 seconds, I attack to bridge up!, get to feed zone hill and no power, a group of 4-5 bridge up to me and I can’t hang on, peloton comes by, no cigar, off the back and race over.

Then I take pictures (see below)

Finally ride home 5 hours (a lot of Po Po were out)