Twilight Series Event #6
The Dreaded Geiger Hill Climb
7.8 miles, +2100 ft
June 17, 2003
Conditions: fast, hot - difficult
(81 entrants)
*corrections in my math? please email me  - Race Report

A's

B's

C's

Rider

Rider

Rider

1

1

Report:

Well, there were a few more people who showed up for the Geiger TT than I expected. Luckily, got some HUGE help from Jared and Brandy with the timing. That was sooo great. They drove up the hill and took down finishing times while I started everyone down at the store. Thanks to all the riders for really accomodating the traffic and trying to be as courteous as possible. I know it’s hard to deal with yahoos who hate everything that is different from them…but, I think we did all right in dealing with the few loose cannons we had out there. Hopefully I won’t get too many calls from the Storey County sheriff’s regarding complaints.

And yes, the times were pretty dang fast. Tom Skyles put up the fastest of the day, just 5 seconds ahead of a suprising Scott Phillips. These guys were smokin’ that hill. In fact, the top 4 times were all within 30 seconds…impressive. The B event was won by Scot Ferguson, looking to clinch his KOM crown for the 2003 season – followed by a very strong effort from Gabe Burke (who knew he was a climber?). Out-of-towner Kevin Susco rode himself up to the podium and looked to have had a good time – great to see new faces!

In the C’s, it was John Seher taking a narrow victory over the new junior uber-rider, Nate Sowle. Sandy Branby was the fastest woman of the day, ahead of Cherry Rensch and both would look entirely too fresh at the top of the climb.

Had a great time and hope everyone else did. I know that there were quite a few ‘personal bests’ hit out there last night - and you earned it! The conditions were favorable with a bit of a tailwind, but that only made it that much hotter up the climb. What an oven! You really had to be fit and mentally strong to keep the pressure on for the entire time trial. Excellent work!

And, I just want to throw out a huge thanks to all the folks who were cheering for me this weekend at the Duex and Nevada City races. I was pretty disappointed with my Duex result…got a bit too greedy with that last prime and blew it for the finish. Sorry! For 50 minutes of that race I KNEW I was going to win…felt like I could leave that pack at any time and solo away for the win…until the last 10 minutes – I just plain cracked sprinting for that lousy $50. And with only 6 laps to go, I just couldn’t recover enough. If only it had been 2 laps longer!!!! Well, next year I promise to ride a bit smarter and WIN IT FOR THE HOME CROWD!

Nevada City was phenomenal. Watching Eryn solo away for the women’s win just had me so energized! As my race started, I knew that Wohlberg would be the one to make the selection. After he chased us down from his flat, he attacked and just exploded the field. I knew it was coming but lost a little bit of field position right before it on the descent. After a bit of an effort, I bridged up to the lead 10 or 11 riders – and it was done. That was the race. We had destroyed all the other competitors and I knew the podium placings were going to come from this group. I was comfortable, concentrated, and confident that I could drop at least half of the group in the final laps and take a top 5 or 6. It was right there!

And then I flatted.

Oh, you’ve got to be KIDDING ME! The change was slow, of course – a rear flat and I had to steal somebody’s wheel from the side of the road. He was pissed, I can assure you. Thanks to Stan Hill and VDA for the push and assistance back in to the race. So, after the change I was in the 2nd chase group. They were going waayyy too slow and so it was decision time: ride conservatively with these guys and sprint for a placing in the teens…again – OR, go for it.

Yes, I went for it. I chased as hard as I could, risking it all just to try and get back up to that damn lead group. It was time to risk everything. Then I exploded. I blew so spectacularly that the last 20 minutes of that damn race is nothing but a blur of remembered pain and blood and the occassional “go Mike”…and let me tell you, hearing my name called out was the only thing that kept me going. God that hurt – but, I couldn’t stop. I just tried to keep pedaling and some laps I just BARELY got over that hill. Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.

So, thanks to all those people who helped me make it up those last few laps. THANK YOU! And a really big thanks goes out to Dan Brown at Bicycle Bananas for throwing up the ‘special prime’ for me. Halfway through the race I hear the announcement – “$300 for Michael Hernandez if he finishes in the top 10, from Dan Brown.”

Oh, hell yeah!

Thanks again everyone and see you out at the next pedaling adventure.

m