Some ABRTers were racing the Giro di Coppi (1st and 3rd in women’s 123 and 4th in women’s 4, reported so far) and others probably deciding to skip the Southern High School training ride as it was pouring very hard in the morning.
The rain ended very shortly before 9:00am. The Wheelsucker was late, but fortunately the others waited for him. It was a small group at Southern High School, and the Wheelsucker decided he might be able to ride harder, not having to worry about being dropped by stronger riders. The roads were nearly dry by the time the small group rolled out. And while it was not the best day for some of the others, the Wheelsucker was having a good day with good legs.
The Wheelsucker let someone else take the first pull, but after a few minutes pulled around and started to go. Others were probably expecting a civilized ride and were waiting to warm up, but they didn’t get the chance; the Wheelsucker got a gap. And once he realized the gap was opening, he put his head down and decided to try to keep it.
The group caught him part way down Sands Road, but the Wheelsucker was feeling frisky. He sat in to recover and jumped again just as Tom Aga pulled off after a long pull. Perhaps no one was really that interested in chasing, but the Wheelsucker got another small gap, but was caught at the red light in Waysons Corner. Eventually everyone except Sara grew tired of the Wheelsucker's antics, so the Wheelsucker got away with Sara part way to the rest stop and the two hammered down the road, arriving there clear. The others were not far behind.
Sara got herself (and the Wheelsucker who was on her wheel) clear soon after the rest stop, but the Wheelsucker was a little too enthusiastic and while on the front missed a right turn and nearly took both of them down trying to make it. Sara and the Wheelsucker had to chase hard to catch the other three.
It was down to four a little while later as one rider had been dropped, but then Mike Wagner (who per his e-mail was blowing off the ride due to rain and spending three hours on the indoor trainer, but apparently reconsidered when the sun came out) was seen coming the other way, and qickly made a U-turn to join them.
This completely changed the dynamic from the Wheelsucker’s point of view, as Mike is the MABRA cat 3 TT champion and can pretty much ride the Wheelsucker off his wheel whenever he chooses.
So the Wheelsucker sat in, let others pull, conserved and hoped that Mike would tire just a little.
The Wheelsucker finally got back on the front after C Kick, Mike and Tom had taken some long pulls, and was pulling up the Friendship Road climb just after Herrington Harbor. He figured he was safe as Mike had pulled most of the way from North Beach to the base of the climb, but he was wrong!
The Wheelsucker was hammering (hammering for an aging Wheelsucker) up the short steep section near the start of the climb when Mike went by at a high rate of speed. The Wheelsucker tried to accelerate but did not have it (by the way, the Wheelsucker is VERY familiar with that feeling of not having it, when someone goes and he tries to accelerate). Tom Aga had a perfect position on Mike’s wheel, but the others were gapped. After a very short and clearly futile effort to close the gap (as it continued to open), the Wheelsucker pulled out left and got behind Sara and C. Sara pulled hard and the still-small gap shrunk. And the Wheelsucker recovered enough to finish the job after Sara had done most of it.
Mike led all the way to the right turn for the Fairhaven Road descent, with the Wheelsucker barely holding third wheel.
Soon after turning right, the group realized they had lost a second rider. They went part way back up Fairhaven but did not find him, though the first rider gapped turned up. Since this rider had not seen the other, the conclusion was that the second rider dropped had continued on Friendship to the route 2 shoulder.
The group was dawdling down Fairhaven (the second time down) and then Sara and the Wheelsucker pushed the pace. The others were probably riding to not drop someone who was having a less-than-stellar day, so Sara and the Wheelsucker were out of site at the bottom.
They pushed on to the wall where Sara dropped the Wheelsucker’s sorry ass on the very short steep climb. But as they accelerated off the top the Wheelsucker caught a glimpse of a chase behind. Sara and the Wheelsucker hammered hard into Deale trying to stay away, but the chase turned out to be Mike Wagner by himself, and he was steadily closing the gap, catching on part way through Deale.
We all know what the Wheelsucker does when caught by a stronger rider, right? Yes, he gets behind someone and tries to recover. So Mike was doing most of the pulling on Bay Front and then Nutwell Sudley and Sudley.
And then it happened!
There was another attempted suicide attack!
The Wheelsucker was (uncharacteristically) on the front and going fast after a short downhill, into a left-right S curve. And a squirrel tried to take him down. While the squirrel’s suicide attack failed; the squirrel and the riders were unhurt as the squirrel missed the Wheelsucker’s front wheel by inches, this is a very disturbing escalation of the terrorist groundhog attacks; it appears the groundhogs are recruiting amongst the squirrel population. While groundhogs are clearly numerous, the squirrels are just about everywhere. And who knows what other rodents the groundhogs are trying to recruit? What next, a suicide opossum attack? A suicide chipmunk?
Within ABRT discussion has included the possible motivation for these attacks. The second attack was targeting Rick, who was involved in the first. So initial thoughts were that the groundhogs were after Rick. But subsequent attacks have targeted other ABRTers. An interesting theory centers on the groundhogs – and now perhaps other rodents – recalling that past ABRTer Lance Lacy was involved in trapping rodents, and now trying to take revenge on ABRTs.
How should ABRT respond? Should we assume that all adult groundhogs, or all adult rodents are potential terrorists/suicide attackers? Should we adopt a "strike first" posture? Should we employ drones to target all suspected terrorist rodents and any other rodents with them?
Until the matter is better understood all ABRTers are advised to be on the lookout for rodent suicide attacks. Fortunately none have succeeded in taking down ABRT riders, though they have been very close to doing so.
And now back to the ride …
As the finish line approached, the Wheelsucker was wondering how much work Mike had done, and if the Wheelsucker had the legs to take Mike at the sprint, but he was hoping Sara was fresh and decided to see if he could lead her out for the sprint.
But despite doing most of the work, Mike was not going to take this lying down. Sara took a short pull (with the Wheelsucker telling her to get off the front and ride third wheel) and as she pulled off, Mike saw his chance and jumped. Sara did not see the move start. Mike is not a sprinter but he is a very strong TTer (apparently even after he has been pulling hard) and he went HARD. Sara missed the move. The Wheelsucker was watching carefully, saw Mike start to go and gave it everything the Wheelsucker had. And barely, just barely, he made it to Mike's wheel.
But Mike was going hard and the Wheelsucker was being stretched very hard to actually stay on Mike's wheel. But stay he did, and Mike was running out of options as the sprint line neared. He was pulling very hard, had been doing nearly all the work for the last few minutes, and the Wheelsucker was glued to his rear wheel.
And sure enough the Wheelsucker waited until about 30 meters and launched to Mike's left and got just enough ahead to take it at the line. Sara was not far behind. If Mike had gone on some of the short climbs a little earlier on Sudley, the Wheelsucker doubts he could have held Mike's wheel and Mike would have won on his own.
Wheelsucker Data: Ride time: 3:00:36 Distance: 63.11 miles Average speed 21.0 mph Energy: 2265 Kj Elevation gain: 2265 feet Power: 209 watts average, 790 watts max Heart Rate: 134 average, 162 max Cadence: 82 average, 125 max Temperature: 82 cool degrees (but very humid)
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