It was a hot and windy day on the bike for us mortals. The pros finished quick enough to get more favorable conditions - and they smashed the course!
I felt good for 9 hrs - even PR-d Cow Creek. Then the wheels fell off in the last 15-20 mins and I crawled over the finish line . 5 mins slower vs. my last two outings…. I think most in the last few miles (yes, I fell apart that bad in the last few miles). I think it was due to overheating and dehydration… plus a mistaken hard effort to try catch a group for the run into town into a headwind.
Rough day, but a good one. Felt great through mile 80. Then the GI issues. I prayed I could make it to the mile 95 aid. I was so focused on my Intestines that I forgot to eat for over an hour. That section was rough. 85+, deep gravel and stiff headwinds. Eventually made it to 95, and drank a ton of coke. What I didn’t do was get much sodium. I did drink a ton of H2O.
Eventually I pulled it together at a slow pace, topped out and flew back to the last aid. The corkscrew climbs though. HOT. I came into the water station at the top, confused and needing something cold. They obliged with my own personal ice bucket challenge. The last 12 miles went ok, but my fatigue was showing. 10:35 finish. Not fast, but I’ll take it.
Heading back to the condo, I was quite dizzy and weak. Much more so than other big efforts. Showered, and laid down. 45 minutes later I got back up and proceeded to nearly pass out and dry heaved. I don’t know if it’s heat exhaustion or hyponatremia. Right now I’m eating all the non-sugar/high sodium foods I can find. Hot dogs, and pepperoni sticks are doing the trick.
Note to self: next time actually drink the hydration mix you carried 142miles.
Agree with the other commenters here. First time there and an absolute class event. The heat sucked. As did the last 5-6 miles of rollers after Cow Creek, the profile does them no justice for smoked legs.
Getting a real feel for pro speed was eye opening, being passed by Keegan a few feet away speaks more than any strava segment. Keegan and 4 breakaway compatriots passed me on a descent while the chasing group was a few minutes later on a super rough flat and they they faded into the distance over a hill. Full f’n gas with no regard for the surface. Nothing in my wildest dreams of fitness or bike riding would make me think I could hang with them for more than a minute. I felt like I sent it down Cow Creek and I was still 90” slower than Sofia and 2.5’ for the top men.
Keegan says call the ambulance, not for me, but the competition. Any chance he races Gravel Worlds?
Keegan needs to publicly challenge European stars to race him over here. I’d love to see that kind of competition, especially at SBT or Leadville where altitude plays a major role. If he’s not going to get the option, or doesn’t want to go Pro tour, he needs to try to bring the competition in.
Fat chance for the guys with big contracts, I know, but maybe a few, more relevant, pro tour riders would bite.
Gravel Worlds in Nebraska vs UCI gravel championship.
Tobin is heading home so I’m guessing the Hit Squad is not going to the Gravel Worlds in Nebraska. There will be a sizeable number of the pack that was at the pointy end before Keegan blew it up.
Or he can come over to europe… I doubt the big road names are coming over or their Teams would let them… He could ride XCM World Cup and World champs if he wanted to compare to the top international and European MTB long distance talent… I doubt it is on his radar he has found his spot and probably makes a decent living of it, very likely way better then what he would make on the Road or on the XCM circuit… I think he can keep motivating himself with chasing some course times and the like…
Also congratulation on everyone that finished seems like a fun course, will probably never make it over to the US to ride but you have some really nice Gravel events
He should ride Strade Bianchi and see how he does. Is that the WT race that best suits his skill set? No idea how he’d get the chance to ride it, but it would be interesting to see!
Not even certain that race suits his skill set that well….relatively short race (~100 miles) and short, punchy climbs vs. sustained efforts.
As for how he could do it, he’d obviously need a ride with a WT team (or invited Pro team), which would require a contract. I just don’t see him walking away from his assumably lucrative sponsorship contracts to sign a neo-pro contract.
He’d probably be able to get more than the UCI minimum, but I doubt it would be enough to offset what he would be giving up.
I think Keegan has found his niche….I don’t see him going to a WT team anytime soon.
And I think he’s doing it right. “Get while the gettin’s good”. He is dominating right now and making good money in the US as a pro cyclist. It won’t last forever so seems like he’s making the best of it while he’s young and at the top of his game.
Is there a WT race that would better match his skills?
Yeah, this probably isn’t going to happen. So this speculation on how he’d do is all theoretical. He’s really strong in these 1 day events, so fun to think about tho.
. 5 mins slower vs. my last two outings…. I think most in the last few miles (yes, I fell apart that bad in the last few miles). I think it was due to overheating and dehydration… plus a mistaken hard effort to try catch a group for the run into town into a headwind.
