Look behind you dummy!

2010 marks my 26th year racing. I like to think that I'm pretty tactically astute, but every once in a while I get a reminder that there are still lessons to learn or re-remember. For me, the Jan 1st San Bruno Hill Climb was just such an occasion.

I'll save the play by play and cut to the chase. Once off the main road and into the park Chris Phipps surged and I was able to follow along with Menso De Jong of Metromint. This separated us from the rest of the pack. A bit later there was another surge and we parted company. Chris and Menso were off to the races and I was doing just fine in between them and the chasing group. I looked back a couple of times and had what looked to be about a 10 second gap to the chasers. That should be plenty is what I though to myself.

One thing that gets drilled into your head over time is "don't look back". There are valid reasons for this. If nothing else I try not to look back too much because I don't want to give the impression that I am dying and praying not to get caught. The LAST thing you want to do is give them more incentive to chase you down!

I probably looked back for the final time at around 400-500 meters to go. Huge gap. Plenty of time. I kept my effort level high, but there was no point in making myself puke, right? Coming up to the line the few spectators were yelling and I kind of tuned it out as just your general kind of "go, go, looking good" encouragement. Or so I assumed. Then, about 10 meters before the line I saw somebody's front wheel under my arm!!! I punched it, but of course it was too late and I got nipped by about 6"! Connor Spencer (Metromint) had attacked out of the chasing group at around 150-200 meters to go and closed the gap while I was riding around with my head up my nether regions. It was a great effort on his part to close that gap, but I had plenty in the tank to hold him off so that it wouldn't have been that close.

But of course I wasn't paying enough attention and it will be a looong time before I am able to swallow that bitter little pill. In the grand scheme of things this doesn't really mean much, and I guess I would rather relearn this lesson at San Bruno than say District's or Nationals. So, I guess I've got that going for me.

Did I mention the person I heard laughing as I got caught at the line??? No, no bitterness here. :-)

Look behind you dummy!