What a day! It was harder than yesterday!
I got dropped exactly where Chris says he gets dropped every year. Right at the first big climb at about mile 10 as the group goes over the Continental Divide. These girls can climb! Thankfully I wasn't alone and I worked with 5 other girls to chase back on. All was well until I tried to put my 3rd bottle into my back pocket at mile 60ish, rather than just throwing it wherever and littering the roads around here. We were noddling at that point and I was on the left side of the road hiding from the wind. I had one hand on the bars and one hand putting my bottle in my back pocket when a gal decided at that moment she had to get around me on the left. Basically on the very rough shoulder with little to no extra room. She just leaned into me a bit and I held my own. I thought we were going to be fine and she'd just move over a bit, but then she came into me full force since there was nowhere for her to go on the left. Down we went. Since I've been a downhill skier since the age of 8, I know how to fall. Tuck and roll! I was just scraped up a bit, but my bike was a bit worse for the wear. I punctured the front tire and my rear derailleur and shifter were trashed. (Don't worry Mike, your TREK is safe and sound in Addison back home. I rode my old bike since we left it Tucson after the Tucson Bicycle Classic to save the airfare.) The good folks at SRAM were nice enough to hand me a spare bike and off I went to chase the last 20 miles by myself. I caught one girl who got popped at the 2nd feed zone. We rode the last 10 together and finished it up.
By the looks of the results, the group really splintered. I can only imagine how hard it got. Heather Logan-Sprenger of Colavita took the win with Kristen LaSasso of Primal Map my Ride and Tayler Wiles of Peanut Butter & Co 2012 19 seconds back each taking 2nd and 3rd. Mara Abbott still holds the lead in the GC. Full results here:
I just kept telling myself to keep going after the crash. It was an absolutely lovely day and the scenery is fabulous!
The TT is tomorrow. I think I landed on my handlebars and my right thigh is bruised and swollen. ICE and a good night's sleep will hopefully do the trick! It's time to eat again.
Talk to y'all tomorrow!
Stacy
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