As you can tell from the image, I managed to hang onto my place in the overall classification in the Tour of Atlanta. My teammate Robert J. finished first giving us a 1-2 on the final podium after a final day that was marked by the hardest crit stage we had done combined with two crashes right in front of both of us both times. Even with those obstacles, we managed to hold our places and finish on the top two steps. It's a real accomplishment for both of us and I think we spend the next couple of hour reveling in the feeling and celebrating with, of all things, ice cream (because all the places that might sell beer were closed on a Memorial Day). I think that the food that racing cyclists love more than any other is ice cream. In part, that's because of the high water content but the main reason is because we deny ourselves ice cream all through our training season as we try to lose weight.
There are a few observations I would make about the race. First, you do get to know the riders who are racing against you and you feel for them when things go against them. Ben O. spent most of the race in 3rd place and lost in on the last day (like I did in Gainesville). He raced well but didn't quite have it for the power climb on the last stage's crit. The fourth place rider crashed out on the last stage and ended the race with road rash over most of his right hip and a detached rear derailleur. Bike racing is cruel sport. It giveth and it taketh away and that's a hard thing to watch and experience. For Robert this is a season making result and for Ben it's a bitter taste in the mouth and a sour feeling in the belly that either leads to the consumption of too much sour mash or stokes the fire that makes him more hungry and angry and driven to train and inflict his rage on those of us who are both fortunate and unfortunate enough to race with and against him in future races.
I like the guys I race with right now. to race with the Security bank team is a real honor. Todd W., Bill C. and Ronnie H all did a huge amount of work for Robert and I to make our effort in the first time trial stick. We would have been pack fodder without there work on our behalf. I won't speak for Robert but my 2nd place finish is as much there's as it is mine. I rode harder in the two crits because I didn't want to let them down. Todd came back in the last crit to shepherd me through a bad patch in the middle of the race. While I didn't run my power meter for any of the races, Robert told me that he held a higher average power through the last crit than in any of the other stages expect the TTs.
It wasn't just the guys on our team. A shout out to Isaac, Ronnie and Jeff on the Aaron's team, Ben and his crew on HDR/Cycleworks and Roland from the Antares Team out of Huntsville, AL who finished third in four different stages but didn't have a team for the TTT. We all finished all the stages and all managed to stay upright though the whole thing. While they didn't finish on the podium, they did finish the biggest amateur stage race in the United States and there's something to be said for that. I'm honored to have raced with all these guys and I remember their efforts for a long time. I'll post a wrap-up post on what it was like to race in something that big and that long soon but let's just say that on the last day we were all pretty tired and I can say that I was super nervous until the very last lap.
Thanks for Reading.
