I got up this morning very sore and stiff. A poor night’s sleep did not help either. We decided to spin around a bit downtown – before the race tonight at 7 PM. Although the back was sore, my legs felt surprisingly good. After scouting the courses for today and tomorrow we headed back to the hotel for some relaxation and deep meditation (kidding about the meditation part). The race today is similar in length to yesterday (75 min) although not as technical (L shaped with slight elevations and a fast downhill turn before the finish).
The field was about 100 or so strong today (some guys were not able to start due to the crashes from yesterday). I was able to get another good starting position and off we went. I reached a comfortable steady state (much sooner than yesterday). Although flyers were going off constantly, the field pretty much stayed together. With 10 laps to go – a field sprint was inevitable (perfect). I marked the usual wheels and was in good position with 5 to go (top 15). With 2 to go, 4 or 5 guys go down in the second to last turn. Fortunately, this time, I had enough time to react. I locked up both wheels – coming to screeching halt. As the field passed me, so did my chances of another good finish. That’s bike racing. With my back as sore at is, I will more than likely not race tomorrow. Although I did not place on either day of the Tulsa Tough, I am pleased with my fitness level and how I raced. Lessons learned: always take the inside line at the Tulsa Tough. With some rest and family time, I should be good to go for Louisville next weekend. See you at the next show!
Man-up or get out of the way,
Karim