May 23rd, 2010
http://www.nmcycling.org/results/?action=GetRaceById&id=177
written by: Alister Ratcliff
This past weekend I didn’t have a race planned but was asked by Durango local, Anthony Colby, to come down to a local race near Sante Fe New Mexico. I quickly decided that it would be a good opportunity because number one, I was getting bored of not racing and two, it was one of very few races in the year that I wouldn’t have to travel 6 hours just to get to it. The race location was only about 4 hours away.
The racing got underway as soon as the whistle blew, a break went up the road consisting of 3 riders. I didn’t know many people in the race apart from Damian Calvert, a few other master’s national champions, and the people that I drove down with. None of these people were up the road and the break didn’t look like it was going to break out to a huge advantage so I decided to wait.
After the first of two “orange cone” turnarounds, the attacks from the field started. When the field was strung out over one of the first rollers of the course, I attacked slightly over the top and the field was kind enough to let me go. I bridged across to the break fairly easily. I knew there was some firepower behind me so I didn’t work too hard. Soon enough, I was accompanied by Anthony Colby, Damian Calvert, and a few other super strong masters riders.
As soon as I saw there was a gap back to field and I looked around at the people that were in the break, I knew we were going to stay away for the rest of the day. I played my cool and did as little as possible to not miss my turns in the break. Nearing the finish I took a long pull up a false flat type hill. The race was super windy so even something like this could do some damage and that’s exactly what happened. My pull dwindled the break down to 4 riders including myself.
Driving down with Anthony Colby, we decided to ride with each other. When I attacked soon after my long pull, he did nothing to bring my attack back and the other two riders didn’t have much energy to do anything. I was long gone and soloed in for my first ever win in a BikeReg.com / Cannondale uniform!
