San Rafael - For Big Boys Only

7/13/2009 | Gregg is eloquent here:

I know I've lacked on some race reports... TdN, Nationals etc.... but I have to say the Safeway / Bicycles Plus machine ran so purrrrfectly in the 35+ Saturday in San Rafael (big race).

Highlights were as Jess said... at 7 laps to go, Dan is up ahead in the break with 3 others who were strong. We knew our chances were 50/50 and we had discussed pre-race if we only had one in the break we would chase it back down n reshuffle.
Dan knew this - but the others in the break did not....

Jonathan E. now goes to the ft. and tempos it to within 20-25 sec. 4 laps to go and Hutchinson (Morgan Stanley) makes the jump to the break... that's ok... I'm sitting back on 4th wheel in the chase. One lap to go at the start / finish line, and Banks comes by and I jump on yelling I'm on John, GO GO GO! which he does and takes it at full speed up the hill and half way around right to the back of the break (super strong) - I look up and all I see is the whole break fanned across the road with the look of surprise on their faces - and there he is - like God in the clouds with his hand extended down to me saying "here my son, take my hand and I'll show you the way" Father Dan Martin, waiting... I yell to john "I have Dan" and off we go- the crowd was crazy! So seamless, we blew thru the break really fast. Dan drills it to the next corner and in the turn Judd Van Sickel shoots up my left in the right hand corner and I drift to the curb forcing him out. Down the hill we go to the last turn flying and I pull under Dan and open it up to the line for the win. The announcer was all about Safeway the whole race - announcing our tactics etc....

This was a true team win. Pasco, Jess, Angerman, Kyle, all did a ton of work to beat down the field, and in the end we got it- See posts below-
Jess was correct when he said people in the crowd were super fired up! After the podium I had 4 different groups come up to me and have extended conversations on how we do that- People got to see a team at work and and have it play out right in ft of them. When a team runs as a single organism, no one rider can touch it!

And in the end I have to suffer the email jeers from the finish line pic below..... small price to pay- ;-)