War of attrition - Gravel Worlds

- Gravel World Championships, Lincoln Nebraska 2010. Thanks PCL crew - Corey, Troy, Craig, CVO...et al. What more can I add except that was a well run orchestration and gets better every year...not that I wasn't cussing you out in-between my happy place mantra...with a "REALLY, WE HAVE TO GO UP THAT HILL TOO." thoughts. I mean 150 miles in 95 degree temps with 9000 feet of climbing was plenty. Not to mention the three flats...yep...three...talk about not using the correct weapon well not so much the weapon as the tire choice. I used Bontrager 25C folding hard case tires. I think I would have been fine had I not let that little bit more of air out before the start. When I checked yesterday I was @ 70lbs. Probably a little soft with all that white rock scattered about.

In a nut shell, 96 starters...after 20 miles 18 left in the front group. (see above) Suffered first flat in section one 25 miles in. Chased back with Tillinghast, (thanks Matt) front group of 8 leaving gas station Check point one as we pull in...We leave quickly with the eventual winner Mike Marchand I might add. Pulling people back on the second section I see a couple guys dangling up front so tried to accelerate through a unmaintained section and high sided on a wheel trough in soggy low land section...over the bars. Dumb. Back of the line boy. Chase hard all the way to Malcom for the second check point. Each check point the rider is required to get a power ball ticket as verification. Here, the only person to leave at that point was Mark Savery...so I leave quickly after filling up my water and grabbing another coke with Jay T. and Marchand and we are sitting in 2-4th with team mate Savery off the front. (Lest I forget -Jessie P was with us too and suffered a flat not far from Malcom...sorry dude.) Can't get any better than that...2o miles later...I flat....explicative, explicative...last tube. I change my tube and get rolling with Dale Pinkleman...who would be my riding partner for the next 7o miles or so. Shortly thereafter we stopped at the 1st Oasis by Conestoga lake. Fueled up again, dug the mud out of cleats and regrouped. Once Dale and I got going again, we pulled back 4-5 riders that didn't bother to stop at the Oasis. I was glad I did...that was an extra bottle fill that was welcome later on in the march to Hickman for check point 3. I resorted to dumping water on my head during that section...anything to keep cool as the temps climbed into the 90s. Eventual 3rd place Ian Moore and Dale would drop me going into Hickman as I tempered my output...I could feel the heat Exhaustion, queasy stomach, cramps coming on and knew if I was going to make it I had to slow down. Also here that a bee decides to sting me flying into my open jersey on Panama road...Thank goodness also during the last few miles into Hickman we turned into that slight North breeze which helped cool things down too.

I was in no hurry...I sat down in Hickman choked down two pieces of Hamburger pizza...and a coke, dumped some water on my head, drank a bottle of water and filled them again...I'd say I was there a good 10-15 minutes hoping that I get some groove back and cool off before the final accent. Ian was there and bolted really quickly. Dale would hang for a while and leave with me and here Lance Andre would join us on his MTB...tricked out I might add...ridged fork and TT bar set up. Actually looked like the ticket. I was envious of those bars on the down hills. Troy, Eric, Chris Hansen - single speed winner, and Jessie Peterson would roll in just as we were leaving Check point 3 to head out South and East again before the push home. What! Out further?...but Lincoln is right there...No 111 miles in and 38 to go.

Dale, Lance and I formed a combative allegiance...first they dropped me StageCoach Road, then I caught them and Dale dropped off on 190th road...remember that road? Unmaintained for more than a couple miles...Lance and I crossed Hwy two and started rolling on some more white rock and 1/2 mile before another unmaintained section that familiar wham of a squarely hit rock under the rear tire would signal the end of my third tube. Out on L road or C road what the hell road it was, no shade nor tree in sight. Here comes Dale to my rescue...he gives me his tube - large cross tire size...Dude, thanks again!...I tell him to get going, Lance isn't too far up and I make it work making sure to not get the tube stuck under the tire bead and it gets seated correctly. It's Africa Hot standing out there sweat in my eyes, shallow breathing...I'm thinking if I pass out here...it probably wouldn't be too long before someone comes rolling by...Thankfully the next Oasis should only be about 7-8 miles away. You can do this...

Get rolling again slowly and reach the Oasis...really...OASIS...Thanks for the help there Scott and nice to see you Anne...looked like you were having a good time hanging out with Hoss. Dale was there still too. The Oasis had running water hose with a yellow spray nozzle that made everything OK for a while. Slam another 2 cokes...nectar of the gods...and leave as Troy and Crew roll in.

I don't know if it was the cokes or just the fatigue or what, but I started cramping in the quads almost instantly on the next few hills. Dale was riding good and it felt like every hill he was punching it...A street, O street, Holdrege, where the heck is Havelock...that would be it for me...as we turned left on Havelock to finish up my motor was sputtering. Dale would ride off for a well deserved 5th place. He road strong and was positive the whole day. Impressive. I would end in 6th some 9hrs 50 min after we started.

Ride time...who knows...flats and stops it doesn't matter. You do what you can do on these things. More impressive was the turn out and the number of people excited for this sort of challenge. Congratulations to all the starters and Super good job all you finishers.

I'm already thinking about what tires to use next year.