Thanks Jim, but I’m not actually there.
Went for practice yesterday and was just totally out of my depth. Chose the 80 version which was supposed to be a bit easier but was still to much for me. 4.5 mile climb to start of my first stage involving pushing up the final half mile. Two corners into stage was a corkscrew, rock garden chute. Got off to look, but no chance of taking a few goes at it, as was just a constant stream of faster riders barrelling into it. Got back on but just couldn’t carry enough speed to get through sections smoothly. Skipped ahead to end stages to get some breathing space and felt better, but still getting caught on stage by faster riders and having to pullover. Climbs were brutal and mostly involved me pushing.
My category was getting set off last of the punters field and only an hour ahead of the first pro riders. Even doing a stage less than them, I’m don’t think I’d have got to the end before getting caught. Not fun for either me or them.
Didn’t have ideal last month, with smacking my ribs and needing three weeks off bike. Also meant I missed my coaching day there, where they practiced a couple of the stages. I’d also not ridden much over summer with the heat, family, work and general laziness. Started out the year with good intentions and did my usual annual mileage by May. Kind of got burned out and slacked off the gym training as well.
Riding definitely improved, I blind rode stuff yesterday I wouldn’t even have considered this time last year, but just so slowly. I’m braking and juddering through sections the others were just floating over. There’s a big difference between riding and racing the stages.
New stages they’ve resurrected after the storms were great, I’ll be back once my ego has recovered.