Originally Posted by LAJ

Thank You!

It was epic. It was cool at the start, but that's expected at 8,000 feet. I let the speedsters go, because I just know better. The folks that tried to hang with them that shouldn't have, started pooping their diapers as I hit the real climb. I'm not fast enough to hang with them, but too fast to roll with the groupetto, so I tend to be in no mans land a lot. At least I was able to pick those guys off. Either way, with about 5 miles to go, the clouds started rolling in, and the wind preceded them out of treeline, so it was hard a lot, but at least with switchbacks, we get a tailwind here and there. Of course, we don't chase clouds, we ride into them, which was handy because you can see which way the wind blows. At the top it was easily a 25mph steady frigid wind, and it was hard to put the clothes I put in the drop bag on both because I was freezing, and the wind would decide to let me know who was boss. Unknown on placing, but I think in the 15th place range, (optimistic) out of almost 50. Such a nasty race, yet we keep coming back.