Have you ever been ridden off the back of a break or pace line? I have. Tom Schuler, then racing for 7 Eleven, did it to me once. He knows about it too. I remind him when I see him. It was at a crit in Evansville, Indiana. The Sterling Beer Classic or some such thing. Super Week had just ended. My teammates had all done well finishing in the money most days. Not me. In Evansville they told me it was “your turn to make the break.” Well John Eustice, Roberto Gaggioli, and some Crest rider go up the road about 15 minutes into the race. They’re gone. Out of sight. I launch up the gutter and get clear. I can hear someone behind me. Schuler. It takes me about a lap and a half to make it up to the move. Schuler does no work. Once we make it I am totally gassed. I sit out of the roatation trying to get my heart rate under 300. I tell them (you’ve heard it before), “gimme a second, I’ll pull when I can.” Tom proceeds to let a 3 to 5 bike length gap open up them sprint to close it. About three of those and I’m done. Bye bye. Anchor dropped.
It happened to me again today. I’m riding down a 4 lane road when my 2 lanes go to one through a construction zone. The traffic is moving along at 25 mph. No problem. I tuck in behind the car in front of me and move along at the same speed as the other vehicles. White Buick LaSabre. I see cloudlike tufts of white hair just above the headrest. The first time it happened I almost ended up going through her rear window. When the traffic ahead would slow slightly Granny would jam on the brakes letting a 10 car gap open up, then hit the accelerator to close the gap. 10mph… sprint up to 32, settle in, WHAM! back on brakes hard… repeat. I got gapped, I got dropped. Oh well, at least there weren’t any angry team mates back in the field.
