therhodeo

Wanting a distraction from power numbers and training regimen and such.

Andy Somnifac 

Finishing. My results aren't awesome, so I don't have a ton to draw from.

Ygduf

finishing is good, creating/driving breaks is good, helping a teammate get a good result is good.

Sometimes just trying and failing is fun. At Bariani I spent 20 minutes trying to bridge solo to a break. I got 3/4 of the way there before I lost it and faded back into the pack. I didn't win, didn't even finish well, but I learned something valuable that day. Both in what not to do, but also what I was capable of. Good time.

Grumpy McTrumpy

I didn't win Everest Challenge, but I did finish. That was pretty rewarding.

https://www.ruudcycling.com/2012/10/g...e-everest.html

merlinextraligh

Helping a teammate win is rewarding . Working the strategic aspect of it is fun, although sometimes a lot of work.

A couple of races I've done, I felt some sense of accomplishment just finishing; Everest Challenge, and Dirty Kanza.

Andy Somnifac 

I guess there was the time I managed to get in a 6 person break in one of my first times out in a 4 race. Did a lot of work to help get it established and maintain the gap. But then the officials showed us 2 to go on the lap board twice. I'd been trying to gauge it so I had something to give in the final sprint, but one more hard lap did me in. Not sure what I learned there... Getting into the break was good, but the ending just left me feeling deflated.

rbart4506

Helped my wife win in a local citizen event yesterday...

rkwaki

Great thread.
Years ago a teammate went down on a track in Germany. He came back full of gashes and scars all bandaged up as well as a broken wrist. My duty was to ride an entire stage race on his left side so that nobody could come into him.

therhodeo

Thats really cool.

carpediemracing 

Helping teammates or friends do well.

I made a mistake here but my teammate won from a bunch of 1s and 2s (he's a 3):

Same teammate didn't do well but I worked super hard for him:

Ygduf

I was thinking racing, but finishing Devil Mountain Double with a sub 14-hour total time was pretty sweet.

Dolamite02

I met a season goal of bridging up to a break, and helped make it stick. Though I didn't win, I worked throughout to finish with the break. The same season, I rode to protect a team mate in a different race, and stayed on with him even though I wanted to abandon, he advanced in the GC with that protection.

topflightpro

Two things come to mind:

1. The day I pulled back a four man break that had nearly half a lap on the field to make sure my teammate, who was in contention for the race series win, could get a top five finish. He did.

2. The first time I got a flat in a crit. I pulled in to the wheel pit and changed wheels within a lap. I didn't know I was supposed to wait for the official to tell me to go, so I immediately jumped back into the race, even though I was sort of gapped at that point. (Official informed me after the race that she would have had me wait another lap so that I was not chasing to catch on.) I chased back on to the field and hung on for about five laps, struggling at the back until there was a slight lull. Used that lap to recover and move up, and helped my teammate land on the podium.

waterrockets 

I would cite the times I've helped my teammates win, but that involves winning...

I really enjoy screwing people out of breaks by taking them off the back to play chicken until one of us decides to attack the other to get back to the break. One time I shelled myself shortly after my intended victim, but other times I've worked guys over pretty bad. One actually pulled off the course due to a cramp during the attack, but was cramping so badly that he couldn't get out of his pedals and fell over, only causing more cramps. Talk about dishing out some pain.

Another time was in my first P12 crit as a Cat 2. There was a long descending straight that terminated in a 120-degree right-hander. So we come screaming into a 17mph corner at 35mph every lap. My first time through there, I was in the middle of the 5-wide pack, and was getting squeezed. The guy on my outside was leaned on, and he leaned into me at the sharpest part of the turn. The guy to my inside "felt" what was going on, and he came into me pretty hard, to keep us from pushing him further inside. We go through the corner fine, everyone straightened up, and nobody said a damned word about it. Race on. So nice to race with that kind of competence around you. Crap happens, deal with it.

therhodeo

Thats the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Racing out of spite. I like it.

ericm979

When I realized I was going to finish my second EC after nearly two years of obsessing about it, I was about ready to cry.

This year Copperoppolis was my first race in half a year after a really crappy winter. I expected to get dropped but ended up being a factor in the race and contesting the finish with the lead 8 man 'pack'.


As for racing out of spite, I am nice to people unless they mess with me. Last year at EC after a botched feed I had to catch back on to a group on a climb. I caught another straggler who would not work with me but sat in until he was close enough to attack me and latch back on. I knew the climb would get steeper and more to my advantage so I did not need to burn a match to catch up. When I caught back on I pulled the group just fast enough so he was dropped and alone.

gsteinb

coming in second

Ygduf

You guys and your EC. That I've tried and failed to finish it the two times I tried doesn't bother me at all. NOPE. Not. at. all.

And last year I would have contested it, but broke my clavicle like 2 weeks before. I can't do it this year, either, due to their re-scheduling it.

I did finish and get 4th at Copperoppolis after planning to quit on the first lap. I was done. I decided to do one more lap to make it a training ride. Then the 3rd lap because half the field had fallen off. The 4th lap I was in a 2-man break. I had cramps, the worst hotfoot of my life, and I shed literal tears of pain at the finish line after riding a lap in the 34 front after derailleur failure. That was an ordeal I'm proud of surviving.

MDcatV

i'm proud that i've never curbed one of you dorks that wear helmet cams.

caloso

At Turlock Lake RR, we had a guy in the break and I put myself on or near the front of the pack to hop on every bridge attempt so they'd tow me to the break or get annoyed and shut it down. Did this for a lap and a half and got pretty worn out with the repeated surges. On the last lap, I got myself dropped in the cross wind section but managed to claw my way back to the group when the road turned into the wind. I really did not want to ride the last 12 miles by myself. And the break stuck. Our guy in the break didn't make the podium, but still managed a good result and some upgrade points, so this did not involve winning but was rewarding.

Jandro 

Helping a teammate win.

Road race where he and I spent most of race at or near the front, pushing the pace (ended up creatung a selection group). With about 20k to go, I slid back to recover for a bit while he stayed near the front. Pace really starts to pick up in the last 5k. I move up so that I'm with him. We hit a hill and people are starting to pop (he's now ~8 wheels ahead of me and I can see he's getting tired). I surge up to him, he jumps on my wheel and we pass everyone coming into the final 90* turn (it winds up to the finish after that). I take the turn really fast, exit, look back to see Jim on my wheel and a single file, tired looking group behind him.

2k to go. Jim yells: "GO JANDRO!" So I go. Head down, 100% effort for 1.5km. I drop him off with 500m to the finish. He surges past with 2 others on his wheel. ****. I hope it was enough.

I was shattered. A couple others pass me before I can recollect myself. I was able to soft pedal in for 9th, that's how much the pack had broken up in those last 5km.

It was enough and he took the win.

gsteinb

**** you

merlinextraligh

We failed the year we tried to do it on the tandem. That still bugs me. Unfortunately, it doesn't bug my wife enough for to agree to try it again.

Jandro 

Don't get all pcad on us.

Racer Ex 

This involves winning.

Ditto.

Did you guys not read the thread title? Where's the moderators?

Oh sweet Jesus.