Me, Kevin (Molloy) and K.Rahn(Karl), along with Kevin's special lady friend Alice (A.Phat, A.Phunky, Phan) piled into my car early Friday morning to set out for Waitsfield, VT. Home of the Green Mountain Stage Race. (http://www.gmsr.info/) Its like a 6 hour drive from NYC, but we were all excited because we had been planning this trip for a while. We were all doing the Master's 30+ race so we could race together, and so we did't have to ride the crazy long distances of the Cat. 3 or Pro 1/2 Races. We were treating this as a fun trip...we got a nice condo, and planned on doing it right. No sleeping on floors or sofas, no chamois-side-out shorts hanging from every door knob in the place. Civilized...just some good food, beer, 
and us...stewing in our own race induced flatulence. Dr. J (John Loehner) and his wife Claire were also staying in our hood rounding out the old guys. (Dr. J was doing the Pro race though...hard man).....recipe for a great 4 -day, leg breaking, stage race weekend.
So....after 6 hour in the car, we find ourselves in the mountains of Vermont...we drove the uphill TT course, and I have to say it was intimidating..(now that I'm a...er...flatlander)...but we hit it.
Here's the caviat...Molloy and I are both SICK AS DOGS!!!! Some cold going around, and we are both coughing like freaks, and hacking up shit you don't want to look at....back to hill climb:
Karl attacked early to go for the Hot spot sprint half way up, but the guy who went with him was a dick and wouldn't work...so he came back...with just a few K's to go, the road turned skyward, and the attacks started going off...Molloy finished 10th...I got popped because it actually sounded like I was whistling when a was breathing, (I got 36th) and Karl finshed just a few places ahead of me....its sucks being sick...but the course was unbelievable! Now, food, beer, and get ready for the 54 mile circuit race the next day.
Wake up...still sick...and cook the mother lode of pancakes...this is why I race bikes...FOOD.Off we go onthe circuit race...we've got like 54 miles, two laps and a bit more on a 19.5 mile course...with of course a big climb, and couple of smaller nut-punchers....Again Karl goes onthe attack early to try and stay away for the Hot Spot sprints, and gets in a break that rolls for a while....Karl gets second in the sprint, and the break comes back..REALLY CROSS-WINDY today...in the 30+ field with not many big teams, the field goes crazy...attack after attack...guttering in the windy sections, and general douche-baggery...(a.k.a. bike racing) Armand and Evil Matt Howard from Bandit Racing (http://www.banditracing.com/) are here too, so its good to be racing with those guys, and they are riding strong...both in the top 10 on Stage 1, so they are going good. Long story short, a break gets away of 3 guys, and then with 5K to go, another 4 guys go, asn stay away..(7 up the road)...the rest of us sprint...K.Rahn leads out Molloy...I'm on Armand's wheel...Karls pulls off, and Molloy rockets away...Armand breaks right, I break left, and 2 other dudes are in there...Molloy takes it for 8th place, I finsihed 5th inthe field sprint for 12th overall...I'm pretty happy with that...being a lunger and all...Kevin and I both were literally coughing up blood after the Circuit...nice...bike racing is fun.
Back to our condo for food(beer), showers(beer), and sleep(scotch). Yep, you got it...Molloy and I are so sick, that we were both doing shots of Dalmore Single Malt (15yr) could be worse...we could get sicker, or we could have had to drink shite whiskey...
Road Race...64.5 miles, 2 big climbs..Middlebury Gap, and the finishing climb : Ap
palachian Gap. With a number of smaller climbs in between, like Baby Gap (hardly a baby). The idea was to try and get Karl in position fo the Hot Spot sprint at 18.5 miles...he is in 4th for the points classification, and a win at this itermediate sprint would put him in the jersey. So a break goes off with both Kevein and Karl in it...Kevin leads Karl out, Karl thinks the sprint is later, and Kevin wins the sprint with his lead out...nice. Back in the pack, I am covering attacks and trying to keep race leader, Deiter Drake at bay...he is having to chase like a bitch...in the wind. I get dropped on Middlebury...and chase back (it only took like 15 miles) catch the group (whew!) and off we go. Get to the finishing climb, and me Karl and Molloy make the front split...Karl attacks me with 1K to go...I thought about going...but I know my limits...Molloy up the road finishes 20th, Karl 23rd, and me..25th...so we were all right there. Matt and Armand from Bandit finished strong in the top 10. (NYC Flatlanders represent!!) I'm seeing black, and my fingers and toes are numb at this point. (but at least I'm not coughing blood)
palachian Gap. With a number of smaller climbs in between, like Baby Gap (hardly a baby). The idea was to try and get Karl in position fo the Hot Spot sprint at 18.5 miles...he is in 4th for the points classification, and a win at this itermediate sprint would put him in the jersey. So a break goes off with both Kevein and Karl in it...Kevin leads Karl out, Karl thinks the sprint is later, and Kevin wins the sprint with his lead out...nice. Back in the pack, I am covering attacks and trying to keep race leader, Deiter Drake at bay...he is having to chase like a bitch...in the wind. I get dropped on Middlebury...and chase back (it only took like 15 miles) catch the group (whew!) and off we go. Get to the finishing climb, and me Karl and Molloy make the front split...Karl attacks me with 1K to go...I thought about going...but I know my limits...Molloy up the road finishes 20th, Karl 23rd, and me..25th...so we were all right there. Matt and Armand from Bandit finished strong in the top 10. (NYC Flatlanders represent!!) I'm seeing black, and my fingers and toes are numb at this point. (but at least I'm not coughing blood)
Crit...Molloy gets 3rd, Karl gets 7th,, I narrowly escape getting dropped, and hold on for 25th. FOK! this was a hard weekend....now for the 6 hour drivr home, back to the wretched city.
You don't notice how crazy it is in NYC until you leave, and go to a beautiful place like Vermont for a few days...the contrast is crazy, and I think we all are a little depressed by it.
