Race Team Ride Storey

Have been riding with the local race team training rides for a few months and the riders here have gotten very comfortable riding with my bent, have even had feedback about how smooth my riding is and how that makes it more relaxing to follow. Sunday when I woke after sleeping almost nine hours the weather was windy, the skies overcast and thunderstorms were forecast for late afternoon on. Was a little late waking, making coffee and breakfast so missed the start of the race team training ride. But I knew the route to Yorktown and that they would stop, regroup and take a short break at the visitors center there. So off I went riding solo.... The starting place is the local bike shop and the ride is 52 miles total from there. At the start I am riding easy, can really feel my muscles tightness from the 217 mile ride yesterday and know riding is the best recovery for me. After about ten miles am loosening up and my speed increases, can start to feel my GRR/bodysock slicing the air as I hold 30+ mph with strong cross tailwinds. About a half mile form the visitors center (halfway) I see a group of about 14-15 riders in a single pace line going fast coming towards me. See a cars in my mirror coming from behind and start slowing before turning around waiting for him to pass. As we pass in opposite direction I hear that bike whir that a fast group makes and my blood starts to pump. The car passes , then after making a "U" turn I start my pursuit. Can see them looking back and see me coming and their speed picks up and immediately, two riders fall off the back, a man and a woman who could not hold the higher speed. Soon I pass that duo silently working on closing with the group. There is about a two mile shallow decent now and knowing with my weight that will close the gap of about 200 yards in this section. Again I see the riders now anxiously looking back and can tell they are going as fast as they can. Closing the gap just before a turn and there are railroad tracks coming and decide to hit the tracks at speed to stay in contact of the draft for a rest, was fortunate that my tire did not pinch flat when they struck the rails. We are riding into a stiff cross headwind hollding about 26-28 mph, the riders are roating often and making smooth position changes. Staying in the back of the pack and always pulling out and slowing to make a space big enough for the rotating rider, whenever the front rider pulls out to drop back, staying inline with him, this helps reduce his drag and gives him a spot ahead of me with a little better draft for him. This causes me to "YoYo", sort of slow to make the gap, then acceleralete to match the groups speed makes group more efficient. This techinique has worked well with an upright paceline group because even while staying in the rear am not just drafting and sort of coasting but rather working. Knowing the route and am waiting for the sections with the long into the headwind where I will take pulls at the front. About 12 miles to go and some riders are starting to drop off the pack, the pace is just too much for them today, the pack is down to seven plus me. A strong rider takes his turn at the front and pulls out to drop to the rear, but he drops back about twenty feet too far and is out of the draft, I am behind him and can see him giving every effort to regain contact, he may have pulled at the front just a bit too long. Then I pass him and pull him slowly back the twenty feet to the group and pull out while waiving him up. Receiving a very sincere "Thank You" from him..... Now the hardest into the wind section is coming and I start pulling up to the front, using the draft from the group to more easily gain speed, then pull in front of the lead rider while keeping close enough for him to get my draft and pick up the tempo 1-2 mph. We are appoaching a stop light so I pull out and drop to the back knowing that the upright riders will accellerate faster from the start and I will close after we get moving but we are in luck and hit the light green. About a mile ahead is a fwy overpass and also a sprint point in the ride, the group maintains speed on the flat but just at the start of the climb/overpass slow down just for an instant and I keep my speed starting to pass, then riders pull put ahead of me starting their sprint to the top. But I have speed already and pass them all before the top! Wooo Hooooo!!! That is soo much fun. Normally this group would really pull away on this overpass but their tanks just did not have as much fuel left as mine. Was a fun, fun, fun ride and I really liked working with the group. Would like to say I also picked up on their techniques in rotating back after a pull, this was a fast well rehearsed group of riders that were a hoot to ride with.... Hubba, rand