Joe Martin Stage Race
Fayetteville, Arkansas
by Erik Koep (L5 Flyers/Aarons)
I find reading play-by-play accounts of races rather tedious sometimes, even when I’m interested in the result. In hopes of making things a bit more interesting for everyone, I won’t subject any of you to my rather severe prose. This is a short compilation of some of the many things I said or overheard during the weekend.
Friday Evening:
“This is a long fricken’ drive. Why can’t they have any of these things in Georgia?” Robbie Kollar 10 hours into a 12-hour drive to Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“This is a big NRC race, so we will be one of, if not the, smallest team out here.” – myself to Robbie and Erick Pierce on the drive to Fayetteville.
“You have to go upstairs to get your timing chip.” USCF official at Registration Friday evening. It was a lot of fun to participate in such a big race. Timing chips, 2 neutral support areas on the RR course, neutral wheel support, and a provided cycle-ops warm-up area; Very professional.
“I suspect most of the GC contenders will just want to sit in all day and wait for the TT. If we go out on the attack, we might be able to make it stick and end the race before it even gets started. Keep in mind, though, that if this doesn’t work, we’ll be fried for the TT” – myself at dinner Friday night before the start of the Road Race.
“That might be just crazy enough to work.” -- Robbie
“I am NOT wasting my time riding another Raccoon Mountain this weekend. If nothing else, we will be aggressive.” – myself
Saturday morning Road Race 8:00 AM:
“Just stay near the front and be ready to work when the time comes. The first few break attempts will be pretty feeble, but when I see one that has a chance, I’ll jump up to it, and you’re on your own.” – myself to Erick Pierce just before the start of the Road Race.
“That’s it. That’s the one. Here we go.” -- words to myself on mile 3 of a 68-mile mountainous road race, shortly before bridging from the peloton to a small break 600 meters up the road.
“That was a fantastic feeling to be sitting on the front of the peloton watching you guys ride away in that break. You were sitting there within maybe 800 meters for quite a while, then we started uphill, went around a corner….and you were gone.” – Pierce Sunday evening.
“We’ll make it work.” -- myself to another member of the break after he expressed doubt that we could stay away for more than 60 miles with only 4 people.
“We got this, guys. Keep it smooth. If we work together, we CAN stay away.” – myself to the three other break members, including Daniel Karnis, 35miles into the race.
“I just wanted to tell you what a great job your teammates did of blocking at the front while you were out in the break. They were tremendous.” – Oklahoma City Velo rider to me after the road race.
“I have never been more exhausted after a Road Race in my entire life.” – Pierce after riding on the front of the peloton all day during a rolling road race.
“Get your Mickey Mouse team out of the way.” Nebraska Medical Center Rider to Robbie on the front of the peloton.
“Were you the one on the front of the peloton all day yesterday? I just wanted to shake your hand, because you were teaching a clinic on how to block for a break. Any time we got the chase organized, you would end up in the rotation and simply not pull through. It just kept killing our momentum.” – Nebraska Medical Center rider to Erick Pierce after the Crit on Sunday.
“You’re an A**hole.” Ozark Cycling Club Rider to Erick Pierce during the Saturday Road Race.
“Hey man, I was just doing my job. If you don’t like my tactics, do something to beat them. Don’t try to crash me out in front of the entire field. That’s just stupid and you’re going to take us all down.” – Erick Pierce to another Oklahoma City Velo rider after the finish of the Road Race.
“Sorry man. I did what I could, but I just couldn’t hold them back any longer.” -- Erick Pierce to me after our break was caught with just 13 miles to go. I was crushed. We had blown our legs and expended a tremendous effort trying a risky strategy. All tolled, Daniel Karnis and I had been off the front for a total of 52 miles before being caught on the run-in to the finish.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to give you a kick-ass leadout, and you’ll sprint to the time bonus. You can do this.” -- Erick Pierce to me after I told him that I didn’t think I could sprint because I was cramping pretty badly and had blown my legs trying to make the break stick. I finished 5th in the Sprint and out of the time bonuses, despite a wonderful leadout that dropped me in the lead at the 300 meter mark. Everyone in the peloton finished with the same time. 15, 10 and 8 second time bonuses for 1st-3rd. None for me. Sometimes I hate being right.
Saturday Afternoon Uphill Time Trial:
“I feel terrible. I can’t shake the feeling that I let my guys down. They drove all this way and rode so hard only for me to get caught and let them down. I spent so much energy in the Road Race with nothing to show for it. Now my legs feel like Jell-O and I’m going to get hammered in the TT by all the guys who were sitting in the peloton all day. This is really about as low a moment as I’ve had in several years.” Myself to girlfriend Rachel Rodriguez by cell phone after the road race.
“Put it behind you. Everyone has the same time. We’re all still on equal footing.” – Robbie Kollar consoling me after the road race.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re going to kick ass in the TT this afternoon.” Pierce after the road race.
“It doesn’t matter Erik. Time Trialing is not about leg strength or aerobic conditioning, or even proper positioning. It is about suffering, and who’s willing to do that the most.” -- Robbie shortly before TT warm-up.
“Dealing with myself, I have come to realize that being on my own will make me so much stronger. Still I cry out loud: Those eyes will make me lose my mind. Letting it all go is the hardest thing that I must do; being on my own. I hope my strength comes soon.” -- Belizbeha pre-TT music at the end of my warm-up. Legs still feel awful.
“Robbie was right. It doesn’t matter. Legs don’t matter. Lungs don’t matter. Only desire matters. Amplify all your fear and angst into power. You will NOT let your boys down again.” – Words to myself on the line at the TT
“I have no idea what your time was, but that was a GREAT ride. When I saw you, I couldn’t believe you were coming by me already.” Erick Pierce; my 30-second man after the 2.5mile uphill time trial.
“Was that you? Very nice ride. We have to check, but we think you may have set a new course record for the Cat 3’s.” – USCF official to me after posting of the TT times Saturday evening. I won the TT by 2 seconds.
“Holy S***. That was you in the breakaway during the Road Race? And you still won the TT? Wow. Nice ride.” – Team Cannondale rider during a discussion of the GC on Sunday.
Sunday Criterium:
“I feel more nervous now than when I’m racing for myself.” Pierce to Robbie before the Crit.
“I’d like to try to defend this by being aggressive and keeping tabs on everyone at the front. What are you nervous for? I will win today. The maximum time bonus is 10 seconds, I’m sitting on a 23 second lead, AND we have the two best crit riders in the field. No one is getting away from us. As long as we can make it come down to a field sprint, we’ve won. I just don’t want anyone taking a defensive attitude. We are not defending the win as much as taking from the teams here. Hounds to the Hunter, guys. Hounds to the Hunter. This is our opportunity to put our stamp on this race, and stomp our foot on the backs of the other teams here.” – Myself to Erick and Robbie shortly before our warmup.
“My soliloquy may be hard for some to swallow, but so is cod-liver oil. You went behind my back like Bluto when he cut up Olive Oil. Two things I hate: Lies and things that make my blood boil, boa constricted on my soul” – OutKast: “Wheels of Steel” – warmup music before the crit.
“Are you kidding me? Back off, dude. I’m the race leader. I think I’ve earned the right not to have people bumping me on the start line.” -- Myself to a Tulsa Wheelman rider trying to squeeze me out on the start line of the crit.
“Actually, he is Josh. Slide back a little and give him some room.” Tulsa Wheelmen Team manager to his own rider from the sidelines.
“Yeah, Good enough!” – Pierce after my 4th place finish in the Criterium. I didn’t pick up any time bonuses, but it didn’t matter. Robbie and Pierce hammered the field down to a select group and left none of the GC contenders with any legs for a sprint. It was beautiful. I don’t know that I’ve seen a smile that big in the races he’s won.
“How’s our Mickey Mouse Team doing now?” – Myself to the same Nebraska Medical Center Rider during cool-down after the Crit. With only a 4-man team, Aaron’s swept the top 2 spots on GC for the weekend.
