Copperopolis was a dark day for the BREDSkwad, but I can comfort myself with knowing that I called it before hand. While packing, I distinctly told my lovely assistant, "Either I'm going to crush this race -- or I'm going to get my shit kicked in like never before."
Well there's no doubt when you make a call like that what's going to happen. C-Awfulis is 3x21 miles for the fours, 1300 feet of climbing per lap and it's almost all in the first five miles. Of course, being fours everyone thinks they're going to break away on the first lap, so the pace up the hills is pretty brisk. The climb is kind of a stairstep of ramps and flats, so the surging is as bad as in a crit. Here's the hindsight pro tip: warm the fuck up. I didn't and I got totally skunkfucked by dudes who hammered their guts out up the hill, only to earn the distinction of being dropped 30 seconds after me. As I told Aaron and Rob on the way up, much of racing the fours and fives seems to consist of asking "Why?" although there is never a good answer. What caaan you do? Go hit the hills more, I guess. The race highlight was a dude from BBC (I think) who blew off the back not long after I did on the climb. We had a little chat, something like:
BR: It sucks being fat.
BBC: I'm 160 (he was like 6 foot)
BR: Then why aren't you up there?
BBC: Let's just say, if this was a time trial, I'd blah blah blah
BR:
Sometimes I think I will never learn to stop talking to people in races.
In related news, Levi was DQ'd from C-Awfulis for centerline (good job ref, you are truly important and we respect you), but I bailed after lap 2.
BREDSkwad: 0
Astana: 0
