Stage race #2: High Uintas Classic

Weather was iffy coming in to the weekend. It unfortunately turned bad at the worst time for Cat 4 and Cat 5 groups as they got pummelled by sheets of cold rain and sleet near the top of the climb at 10,700 feet. At 37 degrees farenheight.

I quit the road race after 32 miles. I accomplished the climb, stopped for winter gear, started downhill, felt good for a mile or so, then everything suddenly got extremely cold. Why continue? I couldn't come up with a reason to continue. This was just stupid.

Here's what did it: after a few minutes of crazy fast downhill in ridiculously cold and hard rain, I see a road sign: "Evanston 48". The end.

That sign did it. I am *NOT* riding 48 more miles in this shit. I am...oh, there's Vanessa. She rocks. Let me in the car.

A DNF (did not finish) in a stage race means you go home. You cannot continue racing as you cannot compete for the win and may adversely affect the outcome of the race. But I had paid the $ and the weather was so bad that many people did not finish so I asked if I could race on Sunday. After much deliberation from the officials and sponsors the decision was made to allow us to race Sunday. Evanston needs the $.

Sunday's 10 mile time trial went well enough; I improved from the previous time trial and haven't really trained for this discipline yet. The criterium was a good workout as well even though I got destroyed by the group and only stuck to the pack for 1/2 the race. Someone took this picture of the criterium and I happen to be in it. I wish the whole thing remained as easy as it looks in this picture.