Chris Bowlus, Madera 35+ 4/5

This isn’t exactly what I had hoped to be reporting after Madera – an “A” race on my season. I really set my sights on it as it suited my strengths well. My training plan was set, 3 weeks before Madera I took vacation for Spring break and got in 20 hours of riding in 9 days including a double race ride followed by a pretty good Wednesday night TT time. The following week was another good one feeling strong and riding aggressively in the race rides. Feeling confident, I was sure of a high finish in the GC and was talking smack about how no girl (Kelly Mac) or kid (Alex Wick) would beat me at the Madera TT.

One week until Madera and I was ready to rest up. I was out of town until Wednesday so I dropped the bike off at Leon’s for a tune up and found out the 1-year old FSA crank was coming loose AGAIN! They put in some lock-tight and cranked it down. I picked it up Thursday and headed out to the race ride to blow out the legs a little. I missed the first sprint and TT’d with Rhys along Putah Creek catching some fellow DBC Masters who were sitting up. EO’B was among them and he gives me a lead out just for fun. Next thing I know there’s a 1/4” gap between my left crank arm and the bottom bracket and it’s about to be flopping in the wind. How am I going to ride this at Madera? How am I going to get this fixed by tomorrow? Leon to the rescue! He drives to Davis that night and picks up my bike, sends the old one back to FSA and swaps in a new crank in time for me to take it to Madera on Friday. AWESOME!

Not so awesome was the sore throat I had started to develop on Wednesday. I kept telling myself it was just from allergies but the chills made me sure it was something else. Friday night my head filled with snot and I had a restless night of sleep. Saturday I just told myself “HTFU!”

Stage 1 Bruised: I didn’t plan to work much in the crit. Just stay with the pack. Sitting in the back just a couple of laps in and someone inside gets pinched, spooks the guy next to him who locks up is brakes and plows into me. I go down along with Robin but not too bad. I’m thinking free lap rule but Fred’s yelling “Get up! Get up!” I jump on my bike and I ride Fred’s wheel back onto the pack. The rest of the race was uneventful but I could tell the cold had taken something away. End the end I finished with the pack and a bruised hip.

Stage 2 Bewildered: TT’n time. No matter how bad I feel I’ve got to dig deep and motor. I’ve heard all the stories about the poorly marker course and missed turns so I study the map. 4 miles to the first right turn – don’t take the first right – that’s what Jason E. did last year. Then it’s the first right turn you see the rest of the way. I’ve got Jason’s disc wheel and deep dish Zipp making me feel incredibly fast as I warm up. At the start line I’m number 2 to go off. I’m feeling pretty good though I wish I could turn just a little bigger gear. Just before the first right turn I’ve caught the guy in front of me. I see the 5 mile marker and a hill just ahead. I put my head down and start hammering. I keep hammering up the hill and until I see (what I think is) the first right turn – WTF?!? No markers? Do I go straight? Turn? I look back. Where is everyone? Crap. I take the right sure that I am off course, hoping that I don’t flat and spend the rest of the weekend wandering through the fields. I make it back on course at the 2 mile marker and finish in something like 45 minutes. Afterwards, Derek and I drive the course and I clearly see the turn marker and the cones (and another guy TT’n past the turn just like I did). I’m bewildered how I missed it.

Stage 3 Battered: Any hopes of a good GC finish were over and I wasn’t feeling like I would likely have much for the RR but I’d give it a go to help Fred and John S move up. I made sure I was well hydrated before the race, peeing a couple of times before the start. I was feeling OK for the first lap until the rollers and just couldn’t hang with the group. This was bad and I thought I might just pack it up but decided I’d try another lap. Along with another rider and a little moto pacing we managed to join the group again. The next time over the rollers I felt a little better but knew when the finish came there was no way I would be able to compete. I’d felt better on the flats so I decided I’d do some work and maybe soften up some guys. Took a few pulls at the front and even got a little gap with 2 other guys but none of us had any legs to maintain it. In the end I struggled over the rollers one last time battered by the course, the heat and a cold.

Despite it all, it was still a great time. Enjoyed hangin’ with the boys and lookin’ forward to next year now that I know what to expect.

Chris