Robert Winder

Leave Baker City, ride 100+ miles over 3 grindingly long climbs and finish up 2000 feet of climbing.

Can you say Tom Simpson, Mt Ventoux, 1967. OK, bad analogy - but I felt bad.

I was 3min 45sec down on GC so had nothing to race for but the glory and I decided to go with an early break that formed. After an hour of racing and at the base of the first climb we had around 1min gap. By the top of the first climb I was out of the break and waiting for the bunch to catch me. Fortunately the first climb was the worst of the three "rollers", so made it over the others with some thrutching and much huffing and puffing. A second group went up the road on the second climb in pursuit of the break, they connected with it and disappeared. At the final feedzone they were 2min up.

We worked out a pace line for much of the final semi-flat before Dooley and brought the break close with the climbing leaders catching the break halfway up the climb.

I wasn’t there, too tired, but managed to find a rhythm and finished 8min+ back.

Bugger.