TT Prep

Getting ready for the time trial takes a life of its own in a way which seems odd for an event that really doesn't last more than a small fraction of the time here. Hours of thought go into a 23 minute effort. It is kind of cool sharing a place with Mike Olheiser because we both have expectations of strong performances in TT and seeing somebody else's approach is always interesting.

We headed out for the course recon, knowing exactly what we'd see. The course hasn't changed at all except for maybe a few additional bumps in the road. Much will depend on the conditions of the moment for the race. Winds were swirling and conditions at the top of the course were different from the middle which were different from the start area. My approach remains the same as it has been all year and as they say, the hay is in the barn.

There was much discussion and conjecture about which rules and with what degree of strictness the UCI officials would enforce this year. Technically, my bike isn't legal in a few regards. The extensions on the aero bars are too long, beyond what is allowed even with the morphological exception. The UCI also added a much debated rule which puts a 3:1 width/depth to thickness ratio limit on components meaning that wing shaped bars, airfoil shaped seatposts, sculpted tubing on the frame all has to fall within that envelope. Mike went as far as selling his handlebar setup to something that complies. My response to any objections will be, "Uhn I have long arms" and "I don't have enough money to buy new gear with every arbitrary rule change(s) the UCI comes out with each year." If they want to keep me from racing, so be it.

We spent the rest of the day just kicking back and essentially killing time. Mike Carter raced his actual category and tricked them all proper, soloing in for the win, about 15 seconds off the front of what was the lead group. It was a hard earned win and unfortunately the sky opened during the awards ceremony, two groups before his awards. They postponed the rest of the awards until the next day as everybody scurried for shelter from the downpour and 1/4" hail.