Fall Fling

"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting."

A disappointing statement of fact for my first two days of the 2010 Fall Fling.

For those not in the know, the Fall Fling is a four race series held over two weekends. This year we have a Crit, a TT & two Circuit races.

Up first was the crit at the Pelladrome (business park where Pella Windows is located). This is the same location ABD held its weekly training crits. This is a non technical oval course. I may have been the only person in the field who was riding the course for the first time.

The race was tame and uneventful. A basic 25 mph group ride waiting for the final 200meter sprint finish. Knowing this was coming down to a bunched sprint I figured I would give a flyer a go. At the start/finish, with one to go, a rider made a move from behind the pack up the left. I wanted to grab his wheel, but something happened, I didn't shift quickly, wrong gear, not sure.....but it took me a second to get going.

As a result it took me turns one and two to get the wheel. Too much effort was spent due to the miss. When he crapped out I couldn't respond. Now I was just dangling off the front going into turn 3 waiting for the swarm. I finished almost last.

Sunday was the TT. Just me and the 9. No TT bike or converted road bike. It was only 9.6 miles, but 6 of that was into a nasty little headwind. In the end I went hard, maybe not hard enough. My Garmin was off a bit and I thought I was faster then I was. Maybe I was just wishing I was faster....