Road Racing, I Missed You
A stage win, and a yellow jersey at Redlands.
I’m sitting on the floor on top of Oak Glen in California. It’s the evening of Stage 3 of Redlands Classic. It’s been a week already. I won the opening stage and rode into yellow, came oh so close on stage 2 if not for an early break and then stage three was wild.
This Substack is going to be a bit of an update. I’ll put my race recaps in from Instagram, but also my thoughts and feelings.
I’m here with Good Guys Racing, an amateur team out of New York City. They’re normal guys with normal lives. They’re good banter and I’ve walked straight into the team like I belong here. It makes life so much easier and the support of a team is unmatched.
Check them out on Instagram, their city riding is insane.
I miss the road banter. The chatting team tactics on the way to the stage. The sweaty hugs and high fives at the finish line. When I came back to our tent after winning the TT I was met with smiles hugs and high fives of guys I’ve only met a few days earlier.
Road racing really is class.
Stage 1: TT - 1st Place
Absolutely mega. It felt good. I bloody love TTs so much. Even when I’m suffering, there’s something about my body that just clicks into TT mode when it’s on.
There were a lot of hours that went into the TT build.. It’s a borrowed bike from Alexey, Ken at Sync came good with last minute parts, Ethan and Erick for building the bike at a pushed time. The countless laps of the circuit that we did in the days before, Good Guys for having my back when I wanted to do yet another lap.
I knew I had a good chance of winning, so much so that when it was announced that I won it was as much a relief as it was happiness. It’s been a while since I’ve worn a yellow jersey, this felt sweet.
Stage 2: Summit Finish - 6th.
What a strange day. Everything was going well until an hour or so to go. Echelon got unlucky with a puncture and a crash on the descent and the whole race changed.
A break up the road, it was all under control till that happened. There was a weird ceasefire, we were the front group of 20 but nobody wanted to ride for a while. We just rode and chatted. It was only 2/3% so I wasn’t willing to pull the whole group by myself.
The gap went from 90seconds to north of three minutes. Crap.
8km to go, attacks started to launch. Kieran Haug of Echelon had me on the ropes with a little cramp but it was kinda a now or never situation once we hit 3km. I went full GC time-trial mode and got the gap down to 90seconds on the line, dropping all but two guys along the way, BUT still losing yellow to the break.
I mean, happy with how I rode, but equally frustrated. I wish I could’ve been throwing those attacks at the front of the race going for the win, but so be bike racing.
6th on the day, with four guys up the road from the early break. 3rd on GC now….
Stage 3: Gravel Day, 20th
Well, that was a day. We went big early, I got in a move with my teammate Maxime and our yellow jersey heist was on.
Ultimately, the group was too big and we were brought back. A break went and I was a bit out of position. I thought I was all good though as everyone ahead of me on GC also missed it. But, apparently nobody wanted to bring it back…
I went BIG again with 2 to go. Tried to split it, or bridge, or whatever. It didn’t work and I blew myself up. Stayed in the yellow jersey group but I slipped down on GC once again thanks to the break.
What an incredible stage. Maybe the worst type for me with punchy efforts and crazy heat, but still what a stage. Hats off to the organisers for trying some new. And hats off to Quinn Felton for the win.
Still, Sunset remains. Anything can happen.
That brings us to where I am now, sitting on this porch typing. I was royally fudged after the stage today, and disappointed too. It was one hell of a stage and when we went early - it was only a two hour stage after all - I really thought we were on.
I rode arrogantly, took a bucket load of risks but we were brought back. It sucks to miss the counter attack. I really want to win GC here. Equally, I’m not desperate it’s so much fun to be rolling attacks, racing tactically and trying to win.
Redlands isn’t as big as it was five or ten years ago, but it’s still a race I’ve had on my radar for a while. It’s this side that I miss. The chirping your competitors on the start line. The tactics that go into a GC battle.
I’m frustrated with where I’m sitting now, but it’s been a lot of fun.
Two days to go. Tomorrow, it’s my least favourite day of racing all year - the crit with fifteen odd corners. Then, it’s the Sunset Circuits.
On Sunset, anything came happen. Do or do not, there is no try…
While you’re here…
I’ve added a paid subscription and a ‘Buy Me A Coffee’ link to this post. As the year progresses, I’m planning on building this blog and putting out articles which I’ve always wanted to write but, for whatever reason, haven’t wanted to pitch. Your contributions allow me to do that.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joelaverick
The following brands are racing partners of mine which allow me to do cool stuff.
Loved this one, was already into it with all the racing stuff and wanted to comment something, and then the Yoda quote at the end (probably my favorite quote ever). Big like!