Course: Everything Bagel
Distance: 69km (2 laps)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGaZzkj7r64
To try and shrug off the effects of a heavy duty bottle of red wine last night (14.5%), I opted to stay on Zwift today rather than play outside. Plus I had my instructions from the girlfriend to dig a load of earth out the front of the house while she was at work today too, so time was important.
I needed a longish race. I looked at the KISS 100km but that was too late and long in the day so I tried the Ottawa TopSpeed Race at 69km which was 2 laps of the Everything Bagel course. It covers every inch of the NYC course (twice) so I could bag the bits I haven’t seen yet too. Bonus!
57 in the pen. We were all in my old favourite kit too, Beer and Bikes. The start was fast but it soon strung out and was quicker than I expected. We hit the KOM early on and the bunch blew to bits. A group of 5 went through the arch and I just jumped on the back as we started the descent with 2 chasers in pursuit. They got on as we left the highline roads and as a lead group of 8 we were clear and plugged on.
I completed Level 16 today and unlocked a Parlee ESX bike
These kinds of races in length tend to be survival of the fittest and so it played out. One by one riders were dropped until the last but one KOM which left 3 of us out front. I knew it would be all or nothing on the last climb and a drag race home. We hit the climb and quickly a rider was dropped and although I could hold on the steep bits, on the flatter bits the leader pulled away able to sustain more power for longer. I was about 20-30secs down over the top and set about TTing to the finish with 7km to go. I seemed to pull it back on the drags and bumps but ultimately the best rider won on the day and I finished 2nd 22 secs down.
Now where is my shovel!
Ride on!
