Golden at Golden State

AWfoSho played the consumate teammate during his post race interview at Golden State today, mentining his teammates David Vuilleumier and Taylor Kuphaldt enough times to get a chuckle out of the crowd... as well he should have because they had done the same for him on the bike for the preceding 80 minutes.

For the first half of the prosey race TK patrolled the front, keeping things under wrap like a Christmas present on December 23rd, while Davitamon sat side by side with AWfoSho making sure his sprinter had everything he needed and stayed neatly tucked out of the wind. It was during the second half of the battle that TK and Davitamon really started flying the DBCJRT colors...

With 11 to go the Safeway machine started playing their cards, sending one of their boys up the road and growing his solo effort to over 35 seconds... far enough ahead to be out of sight on that twisty little number of a race course in Rancho. AWfoSho sent TK to the front with 9 to go to bring him back. TK sat up there all breathin' hard and sweatin' while the Safeway boys played blocky-block at second and third wheel. After 5 laps TK had the break hoverin' round about 10 seconds before AWfoSho sent Davitamon up front to drive in the final nail. With 3 to go Davitamon finished pounding and the field was back together but on the verge of splitting up as 80 minutes of riding in circles began to take its toll. 2 to go and TK had just enough gas left in the tank to put AWfoSho into the front group of a rapidly disintigrating field. The single file line had more holes than a slice of swiss cheese that's been nibbled on by a few little critters... pert darn near perfect...

End Game...

With just over 1 to go Safeway's Dan Martin, fresh off his win in the proseys at Cat's Hill, shredded what was left of the field like some kind of infomercial cheese grater as he launched himself into orbit. Pedaling head down and all hard-like across the start/finish, Martin had about 8 seconds on a small chase group containing Eric Riggs. Like a good 'coon dog, AWfoSho was hot on Martin's heels at about 10 meters. And then that sneaky little devil kidlet of mine began to play games... a quick check under his arm told AWfoSho that Riggs was in pursuit and coming fast with an 'I'm gonna win this thing grin' on his face. Some cat sportin' EMC colors was all cross-eyed and latched onto Riggsy like pitbull. AWfoSho made contact with the uber bagboy and pulled through after pausing just long enough to fill the lungs with a quick shot of O2.

Lil' devil trick #1: AWfoSho didn't drive it once he came through, instead he played all spent-and-plumb-tuckered-out-like while waiting for Riggs and his pitbullish companion to make the junction. Once aboard, Riggs hesitated only a few seconds before throwing his cards down and firing his shot at the day's glory. There goes the gappy-gap...

AWfoSho has bigger heuvos than I would if I were thrust into the same situatation...

Lil' Devil trick #2: AWfoSho, still feigning an empty tank, patiently waited for Safeway and EMC to throw a wet blanket on Riggsy's move before latching onto the back in position perfecto, 4th out of the final corner...

With a tailwind sprint and junior gears I thought that was it. 4th would be a good result. AWfoSho had other ideas.

Jesse Moore of Moore Performance has had the kidlets doing little gear sprints all season long, working on that elusive leg speed. Today it paid off. I was too intent on watching gaps and who was coming around whom that I missed it, but El Gigante said big bro's legs seemed to be all coiled up spinnin' twice as fast as the other three guys...

As if the Klingons were hot on his tail with the gamma ray all juiced up and ready to fire, AWfoSho somehow kicked that 52x14 into warp factor 6 and won going away... enough of a gap to sit down and salute across the line as he tasted glory for the first time in a prosey race! I wouldn't know, but can't resist the How sweet it is comment... Musta been pretty sweet cause AWfoSho was grinnin' like a teenage boy on prom night when he came back around after doing the coolio lap.

Davitamon, despite all the work he did to get AW to the right place at the right time, dragged himself to a ninth place spot, just inside the money, and TK, looking all cooked and ready to be eaten with his jersey unzipped and a cheshire grin on his face, rolled across the line dead last, but took home a pretty little paycheck for all his sweatin' and slavin'...

I'm tellin' ya, these kids will sell themselves down the road for their teammates. I love it!!! Now if I could just get them to mention their equipment sponsors in post race interviews along with their teammates' names I'd really be learnin' 'em how to be all pro-like... like the boys of NASCAR who always mention their Lowe's Chevrolet and how good it was! But... it's probably hard to remember all that kind of stuff when your grinnin' like a teenage boy on prom night!