TACO - Malabar Farm Road Race

37 mile TT that broke my heart with 50 meters left.

I reported for my season opener 11 lbs lighter than same time last year and with some reasonable fitness. Which was good, because Malabar is a heck of a place to kick off the race season. Nothing like the unrelenting back side of the course to remind you that Cycleops intensity is not outside-in-the-wind intensity. Goal was pretty simple, go until I couldn't go anymore and then don't get caught by anybody afterwards.

We had a small (10-ish?), but talented field including Blair from Echelon + a teammate, Tym Tyler, a couple of Stark Velos, A Summit guy, and a few others. Also welcomed new member Jeff "Big Timber" Blodgett. Jeff rode great and finished 3rd overall, I think.

The first trip over the back side was brisk, but uneventful. Once we turned right onto the five mile flat run in, hostilities commenced. Blodgett was the first of a series of attacks which led to one of the Echelons getting away. Once we hit the second time up the climb, Tym, Jeff and the second Echelon (Blair, I think) turned the screws and I couldn't match them. TT'ed the rest of the way.

On an editorial note: It was great to see how well the race was run, the number of course marshals, and the attendance by area racers. I cannot see what would discourage anyone from attending and supporting TACO races now that USAC points are on offer. Nice job, Tym.

Tym's got USAC status again and that means the same USCF marshalls/refs we are used to seeing elsewhere are now at Tym's races. That's a great thing. More racers. Someone overseeing LOC violations. Predictability. Good for Ron the moto marshall for not playing politics or listening to some who have been trying to put Tym out of business.
Onto the race. It was a race. Young Peter Doicher of Marion Univ Collegiate Team, all 110 lbs of him, put the hammer down the second time up the hill and split the pack apart. Best I could tell, there were about five in that group. Peter was home from college visiting his parents and isn't likely to be seen at too many early races til college lets out. Thanks for that. Second group was eight of us and it dwindled to five. I finished third out of that pack. I was coughing on the way home with burning lungs which shows that my intensity work has been a bit lacking. That's what early season races are for.