20 minutes of lame
Stories June 16th, 2006We did the Nature Valley Crit tonight. A wicked storm rolled in a few hours before the race and made for a very wet and windy race. We started just between storms but, about one lap in a killer thunder storm came over us. We were staying up front and trying to stay safe. There was a little crash about 15 minutes in which took out a few health net riders and we eased up a bit just out of respect. The next thing I know, as I am sitting in the top 5 and just passing the announcers booth, something is announced. I didnt hear it as we had already passed the booth but, all of a sudden some guy comes blazing really hot into the first turn, chops everyone, and everyone hits the breaks as he looked really uncomfortable in the turn. He got a good gap. A turn later I hear on the radio “this might be the last lap, it probably is”. Health net must not have got radioed yet as they were still just tempoing and probably preferred this random guy in red off the front so he wouldn’t chop them in the turns anymore. It was just passed probably 1/2 to go that Healthnet actually responded and realized it was one lap to go. The random dude held it to the line for the win.
This dude didn’t just win a bike race, he really rubbed it in with his celebration as he finished. From what I could see and others from the sidelines tell me, he was waving his hands all over the place and pointing back at the field as if he was Tom Boonen and just took 7 bike lengths out of a world class field and they all sucked. I guess the dude must of beenback far enough in the group to where he could actually hear the annoucer say it was one to go as he passed the start finish.
I still can’t get over the celebration this guy put on as he won a 20 minute criterium, it was crazy, maybe it was his first win? Who knows.
I was bummed myself because I felt good and never expected them to just cut it to one to go after we crossed the line and none of us heard it. I thought they might shorten it by saying 5 or 3 to go but never 1 to go. Man I still can’t believe the excitement in that dude’s celebration dance.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:14 am
At 46 Steve Tilford (the “random dude” in your stories) has most likely won something big every year you have been alive. Wake up and know your competition.
Perhaps he was celebrating the fact that you were so asleep at the wheel that he can still pull one over on you, or maybe he was happy he won. 46 and still chalking NRC wins (regardless of length) hmm, wonder if you’ll pull that off … and if you do will you be happy and show it - or is winning so not worth celebrating.