Bennington Race Weekend/Tour of the Dragons

The weekend began with an 11-mile time trial full of climbing, descents, and sharp corners. The technical aspects of the course made me feel like my lack of TT bike wasn’t a major disadvantage, and I knew Marshmallow Colnago Wander wouldn’t let me down on his last race before being disassembled to build up my new team bike. Tom and the guys at Twenty20 Cycling hooked me up with a sweet pair of loaner wheels, and I felt confident that a stage win was within my grasp. Turns out, however, that I took 5^th in the ½, and Ky 6^th in the ¾. Knowing that time trialing was a strength for both of us, we both feared that this would be our best result of the weekend.

The TT course resulted in lots of different equipment choices

We shook off our disappointment and fatigue with some delicious Vermont cheese and a nap. With all expectations deflated by the morning’s stage, I went into the crit feeling like I had nothing to lose and decided to go for some sprint points. I surprised myself by taking 2^nd in every intermediate sprint and also in the finish for the 1/2. Ky used her pent up TT frustration to solo away and win the 3/4 crit, snagging the green sprinter’s jersey along the way.

The apparent change in our strong events left us bewildered as we prepared for the next day’s road race. 62 miles and 4000 feet of climbing awaited, and I woke up the next day hacking up a lung. After the previous day’s surprises, I decided to pack my jersey with clif bars and cough drops and hope for the best. I flatted at the start line and was set up with a neutral wheel just as the whistle was blowing. Marshmallow’s campy drivetrain was confused by the Shimano wheel, but there was no time to look for alternatives. The climbs were short and steep, and they dug deep into my capacity for 3- and 5-minute suffering intervals. One of the early climbs shattered the group, and I found myself in a breakaway of 5. A break that early in the race seemed like a risk, but I could move up 2 places in the GC by getting away from the group. Maybe the maltitol in my sugar-free cough drops gave me just the right amount of gastrointestinal discomfort to haul ass to the finish line, but something allowed me to commit. The breakaway stuck, and the boulevard finish finally came into sight. I took 2^nd in the stage, securing 3^rd in the GC and a massive phlegm ball. Ky took 6^th in the ¾ road race, 5^th overall in her field, and a lot of points toward her 2 upgrade. A solid last effort for the Marshmallow.

Ky and I sported Twenty20 tattoos on Sunday