Mont Ventoux!

Well the TdF is pretty much over. The stage tomorrow ending on the Champs Elysees is pretty much just a formality and Contador has clenched his second Tour win.

In honor of the penultimate stage of the Tour (ending with a mountaintop finish on Mont Ventoux), our team had planned an early...early morning ride. Originally the ride was going to be around 90 miles with over 9000 feet of climbing, however following the early morning cloudburst while the team was suiting up in Ben's driveway, plans changed and we ended up doing a hard 41 miles with nearly 3000 feet of climbing instead.

I am really not sure how this got around, but I am classified as a "climber". I am something of an unassuming climbing specialist however, as I am a lean 170 lbs. which wont put me in the Clydesdale class, but is a sight larger than the typical 140-150lbs. of a normal "climber". However, everyone on the team has already heard I like to climb, so when I showed up this morning I got comments like "Ah Contador is here" or "You are going to hate us today". Apparently our route had been picked especially for me...bad omen. Its hard to describe the feeling of knowing that an entire group of guys is gunning for you...overwhelmed doesnt even cover it. I had been fighting a cold for a couple days but managed to drag myself out of bed and pop some medicine prior to our 6:30am start...but now I was starting to second guess my decision.

We suited up and headed out, clipping at an easy pace to wake everyone up. We chatted about the Tour, who our favorites were for today's stage (mine was Kloden), etc. and then approached the first climb. The first climb was around 5 minutes in length with an average gradient around 7%. There was one switchback on the climb partway up. We hit the climb and I knew this was expected to be my time to shine (I had not ridden with other members of Team Athens yet, so they are still trying to fit me into the "sorting out"). I set the pace into the bottom part of the climb and instantly a Cat 3 jumped on my wheel. We drilled it to the switchback and had dropped any challengers. At the switchback I gunned it and opened a gap to finish the climb alone, my nearest competitor following around 15 seconds down.

Now before everyone thinks ill of me, you have to understand that there are group rides where we go out with the intention to just ride and then there are the rides in which you are there to throwdown with anyone who is interested. Today was designed as one of the latter rides, so my accelerations were warranted. As I said, the guys on the team are still trying to feel me out so I needed to "make a good impression".

Following the climb, I backed off and the group came back together. We entered some long, flowing rollers. Now the descenders came to the front and the pace picked up considerably. There was a small split in the group and we started to string out on the descent down into a valley. I was tucked in behind another Cat 3 and bridged from him up to the front guy. I took a short pull and attacked on a small incline. He couldnt follow and I finished the downhill out front.

As we cruised along, Ben (Cat 3) pulled up next to me. I was feeling good, but couldnt tell what everyone else was thinking... He said, "Man, I knew you were fast, but I couldnt hold your wheel on the climb and then you have attacked relentlessly. Nice ride! I would vouch that you could upgrade as Cat 3 instead of Cat 4" (unfortunately it doesnt really work like that, but the thought is nice anyway, haha).

We hit another (the most brutal) climb in a few miles and I was able to set a pace that pushed the Cat 3 group to a time 30 seconds faster than they EVER climb it. A few sections later we are in the flats and NOW the flatland specialists move up and start to put the hurt on. Ben is a great all arounder and really started pushing the pace as he lead the group out through the valley. We were nearing the final climb of the day, which was long and exposed. As we hit the bottom it was Ben and I together. As the road pitched upward so did our pace and I knew he was putting in an effort to drop me. He was out of the saddle and I was in a bit of difficulty, but stayed on his wheel until we were near the final quarter mile of the climb. We were both laboring at this point, but I dropped a gear and pulled around him. As my front wheel passed his I attacked and pulled clear to top out on the climb alone. We cruised on back to the house, topping 37mph (...thats an average) for two miles on the way there. We pulled in and waited for the others to roll in.

The ride was great and I felt really good based on my performance. At the end of the day, I was invited to race with the Cat 3 squad in the Long Street Criterium in Columbus this coming September. The Cat 3/4 race purse is worth a combined $1250 with $250 going to First place. If I am able to attend we will have 5 guys gunning for the line for Team Athens and as such would have a pretty good chance at bringing home some glory (and cash) from this race. I will keep you posted on more rides and races as they come up, the first one being the Smith Dairy race. Keep hammerin'!