Tour de Gap

You know, you really wouldn't think that adding another eight miles to an already completed 70 would make that big a difference...and I guess today, one day later, it really wasn't that big of a deal. But yesterday after four hours in the saddle of my Specialized road racing bike with aching legs, a numb yet still burning rear end, and a severe lack of fluids in my system, I sure thought those eight miles would be the end of my life.

The Tour de Gap's 70 mile route had to be "redone" thanks to some construction on the originial route. Somewhere along the way seven miles was accidentally added in there - the final mile was the distance from the Finish line back to where we had all parked our cars.

Like I said, one day later I feel fine and am totally recovered so in retrospect it was actually a very favorable experience. The race started at 8 AM and for the first ten miles or so I tried to stay towards the front and just observe how the teams and teammates worked together as one unit.

I was able to stay with the lead pack for a while and at one point was running in second place - let me explain.

We turned onto a very small road and about a half-mile down it everyone at the front came to a screeching halt. I thought someone had wrecked or had a tire go down. What had happened was that someone at the front had questioned whether we had taken a wrong turn.

Me being naive and not knowing any different just avoided those who had stopped and kept right on going vaulting me up towards the front where I was able to stay for a few miles before the pack regained its momentum. So it was by pure accident that I was able to get that close to the lead.

It was soon after this moment that the pack was finally too much for me and I had to hang back. It was about the twenty mile mark. I lost sight of the lead pack at about 25 miles.

For the next 25 miles I was able to stay with different groups of four or five and we'd take turns in front while the others drafted behind us. It was my first experience in the draft and it was quite pleasant. Now I know what a NASCAR driver feels like...sort of.

By the time we got back to Buffalo Gap to start the final 25 mile route, I had lost most of my companions. Basically the point where we turned back into the warm, steady south wind.

I thought the course would never turn off Highway 83 and realized at one point that the race was definitely going to be longer than 70 miles since we were reaching that milestone and hadn't even made the turn back towards town. Heaven sent an angel in a small car with a bottle of water, cold water I might add, at the 65 mile mark which would end up being my last drink of the whole race.

About the last 20 or so miles were ridden competely alone so no one was around to hear my nonsensical babbling about how thirsty I was or see me nearly ride off the road while I rested my weary head and neck on my handle bars for a little too long.

By the way, that heaven-sent car told me that when I got to the next aid station that it was only seven miles to the finish. Well, seven miles after that aid station I came to another aid station which told me it was only six miles to the finish. Well, six miles later at the finish is where they told me it was just one more mile back to where we started. I thought when I got to the starting point, someone was going to tell me that they had towed my car back to my house for me and that I was going to have to ride 30 miles back to my house.

Long story short, I finished about thirty minutes behind the leader in just over four hours - fifth in my age group - about 40 minutes longer than I've ever continuously exercised at one time.

Overall, it was a fulfiling experience and I'm very glad I took part. I'm sure I'll do it again next year and will have a better idea about the course length and will make sure not to believe anything anyone at the aid stations say!

Good day.