Yesterday I raced again. It has been three weeks plus two days since I fell and busted up my shoulder. It is incredible how much difference that small amount of time can make. I wasn’t horrible, but wasn’t close to good either.

I raced twice. Still today, I don’t know if that a was good idea. The course was pretty hard. Not super hard, as I thought originally, Ibut hard. There was a sustained 1 km hill, then a roller just a bit later with a super steep pitch. The master’s race was really a pretty good warmup. I have no power sitting on my seat. But, I really can’t pull on my left side, so it makes the accelerations pretty pitiful. Early on I got off the front with Janne Hamalainen, from Tulsa. He is a very good rider and was planning on riding the Pro 1/2 race later also. So we just rode around pretty tame most of the race. He put in one good dig on the steep section with two laps to go, but I was alright. So it came down to a sprint and I won.

I had a couple hours between the two races, so went back to the hotel, packed up and then got some coffee. The day heated up substantially during this time. My Garmin said it was in the low 90’s most of the Pro race. It was muggy, so it seemed that much hotter. There were less than 20 guys in the Pro 1/2 race, so I knew it was not going to be too easy. But, it turned out to be somewhat.

Brian was super strong. He’d raced 3 criteriums in St. Louis last weekend, but a course like this suited him much better. It is like a long version of Sunday’s race in Tulsa Tough. A lot of guys got shelled the first couple times up the steep pitch. Finally on the third lap, I jumped on the downhill and Janne Hamalainen, once again, came with me. There was only one guy left with Brian at that point. Brian sat on the guy for a mile or so while we started climbing the long climb. It was amazing how fast Brian came up to us. He actually skidded, slowing down to wait for us, on the climb because he was coming by so quickly.

So that was it. Brian pretty much towed us around for the rest of the race while Janne and I hung on for dear life. Well, we only hung on for dear life a couple times. I finally had to tell Brian that we’d taken a vote and that he’d lost and had to climb slower. We do live in a democracy, I guess. So, Brian played nicer, but didn’t get a chance to get the huge numbers he wanted on his new power meter. I don’t need to a power meter to know how strong he is right now. Catherine was giving us ice cold bottles every lap up at the top of the climb, which was a god send. In the end, I led Brian out of the last corner and he won by a ways. I finished 2nd and Janne third. I probably drank 3 gallons of liquid yesterday. I was water logged for sure.

Anyway, we decided to drive back home. There is a criterium in Tulsa, but it looks like it might rain there. I won that race in the race a few years ago, but can’t really see riding a criterium in the rain in my state. I think falling wouldn’t be good right now.

Trudi is flying back from the Tour of California tomorrow. She was supposed to drive from LA to Greenville for PRO Nationals, but got out of it somehow, so has 3 days home, which is great.

Podium shot from yesterday. Me, Brian Jensen and Janne Hamalainen.

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Last weekend was a pretty great bike racing weekend for me. I had a day to think about the Crawdad Kermesse race down in Harrison and realized that the race there is much of what racing was when I first started the sport. It was a very well thought out course, Chad and the guys promoting the event are totally into the sport and are promoting the race because of that, not to turn a dollar. It was challenging, yet a blast. I’m telling you, if you’ve never been to the state of Arkansas, you need to put it on your bucket list because it is wonderful.

Down in Georgetown Texas, Joseph and his Elbowz guys beat up everyone. Results here. They got 5 out of the top 6 places. I figure they cleared close to $9000 plus for their efforts. It’s always nice to be on that end of the deal, but shitty being on the other end.

Then the “big” races going on this weekend, the Tour of California and the Giro had crazy good days too. First in California on Saturday, Chris Horner puts in a crazy insane attack, with his Radio Shack team, and rides up to the base of Mt. Baldy in the lead. I wish more guys would take these huge chances, no matter what the odds are. Robert Gesink, Rabobank pretty much schooled everyone, but maybe the Columbians, on the final climb, and won the race overall that day. Tommy D. held his own, moving up to 3rd overall, with TJ and Dave Z cracking pretty badly. It was a pretty good viewing.

Then on Sunday in the Giro, it was an awesome race. Here are the highlights on video. If you have an extra five minutes, you should check it out. The race was great for me because of the stage winner, Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia never gave up. The guy takes off over 55 miles from the finish, in the rain. He falls on a descent and it looks touch and go for him all the way to the end. Finally on the last climb, his led is crumbling rapidly and he gets caught by Joaquim Rodriguez with 400 meters to go. Instead of throwing in the towel, he accelerates and latches on to Rodriguez’s wheel and pips him at the end for the win. It was great.

Anyway, if your a fan of the sport, as I am, then it was just about the perfect weekend. I got to go to a new race, that has the potential for being epic, to get me back into race mode, sort of, and then two epic finishes in different parts of the world. Man, look how much technology has changed to allow this. In such a short time. It is amazing.

Matteo pushing it just a little too hard on one of the descents. You have to give the guy credit.

Following Joseph last week when he was doing a "10 minute medium", whatever that is.

His medium was never less than 28 mph and mostly over 29. He had over 90 miles at that point. Pretty good.