Providence Day One - From the Eyes of the GoPro
Disclaimer: I don’t have time to proof-read this, so if there’s something amiss, it’s here to stay.
I’m going to tell the tale of the race in a different way today. Hopefully it’s awesome.
You will get to see what I saw during the Providence Day One Junior/B Men Race (Juniors riding away from me, for the most part) and I will offer some narrative in between.
The first clip will offer some perspective as to what it is like being on the start line next to a 15 year old and two 16 year olds, one of who’s father was a destroyer back in the day. His name is Brendan McCormack and he’s in the Hot Tubes kit to my right. His father is Frank McCormack.
You might also hear an odd voice cheering for someone named Alex Cox before we get the whistle. That voice belongs to your friend from the 200on100 with Ted King and Tim Johnson. Yes, it’s Ryan Kelly.
You will see four Juniors immediately take the lead: Curtis White, Peter Goguen, Nate Morse, and Brendan McCormack.
Then me.
After a few turns, Curtis White is pulling away and Peter Goguen is bridging to him. I offer some assistance to Nate, but then overshoot a corner and he blows by me.
Someone calls me “ChanBagger” and then Nate hops the barriers with ease as I begin to realize I have gone out way too hard.
This next clip is pretty uneventful, except it will offer you footage of a complete lap of Providence Day One.
It will also show you how horribly I struggle to stay in contact with the Juniors up ahead. Early in the clip, Brendan McCormack comes by me and we reconnect with Nate and Peter. Curtis, at this point, is pretty well gone.
As soon as we make contact after the pavement, Peter hits it again and I curse to myself as I fall off the pace.
And, like I said, the rest of the clip is the rest of a lap of the course. I think we had five more laps as I crossed the line. This was horrible news at the time.
I rode a little bit more alone, screwed up a corner, and the first adult, Johnny Herrick, caught and passed me.
Then he did what Nate did. Right after someone else called me “ChanBagger.”
I followed Johnny around for most of the next lap, admiring his cornering abilities and struggling to maintain his speed, except around the corner in the next clip…after which I come around him and we catch Brendan McCormack, who appeared to have blown sky high (he later confirmed this).
Coming through the start of lap three, another adult seemed to have latched on. David Romilly, maybe? If so, nice to see you my fellow 34 year old. Not only did Romilly connect with us, he hopped the barriers. It is beginning to seem like I am the only person who doesn’t do this.
When we hit the long stretch of pavement, I drafted. Felt so good. Then it appears we dropped McCormack and Romilly coming through the small stair run at the end of the clip.
I continued to struggle to stay on Herrick’s wheels through the corners for the remainder of lap three. At the start of lap four, Peter Goguen stood on the left side of the course with an apparent mechanical.
I was really concerned, so I didn’t stop and tried to go as hard as I could.
It didn’t matter, though. Peter, within four corners, caught me. And dropped me.
Then, coming through the barriers, Peter stepped aside with another mechanical. For how long was I safe this time?
Not very long…
…because he immediately rode away. And I let out a little sigh…
A lap later, we appeared to be catching my teammate, Nate. Coming out of the steps, I slowed to a near stop on the remount and there he was again…Peter Goguen on the side of the course with another mechanical.
When we caught Nate, he was barely moving and told me he had leg cramps, to which I replied, “Ride it out.”
So Herrick and I were now in 2nd and 3rd place. All alone…
Coming through to take the bell lap, Herrick gave a flick of the elbow, indicating he wanted me to pull through.
I declined.
He flicked the elbow again.
I declined.
Coming into the oddly-spaced concrete steps, Herrick appeared to have dropped his chain. I remounted and began to celebrate the fact that 2nd place was mine. All mine.
But then someone started to come around me.
Dobie…Kris. Dobie.
I followed Dobie for a bit, and then took the lead back through some lapped traffic. Then Dobie took the lead back and right where the next clip begins, Herrick caught back on…you see him on the left side out of the mini steps.
Prepare for nice view of my chin in the sprint.
I was so tired, I tried to wait as long as possible before sprinting. I almost waited too long, but was able to nip Dobie by little more than a tire width.
2nd place on the day, a distant 1:06 behind 16 year old winner Curtis White. Nate ended up 6th and Peter’s last mechanical ended up moving him all the way back to 37th place.
Posts like this are a real pain in the ass.
