It was a cold morning in southern WI Saturday for the 2nd annual Tri-Rock race held at Williams Bay. I had done the Lake Geneva race a number of times under the former race director, and was pleased to see the improved race management and professionalism at the site. This was a race I had targeted and was hoping for a strong performance to cap off what had been a good age group season.
After a delay caused by the fog on the lake due to the cool air temps, the sprint started promptly at the reset time. I had a solid swim, good transition and was off on the bike. Then, about 300 yards onto the course, I flatted the tubular on the rear disc. In a sprint, I don’t (perhaps foolishly) bring a spare with me on the bike and knew, in a disheartening flash, that my competitive race was essentially over. I almost stopped for good, but decided not to.
I ran back to transition for my car keys, ran back to the car where I had brought a spare 808, did the wheel change and decided to get back out there and try. All the running around probably cost me about ten minutes. Fueled probably by both frustration and adrenaline, I rode the bike as well as I may ever have in almost 30 years of racing. It was turning into a beautiful day and despite the disappointment, it was great to be out there.
The run is tough…various uphills almost exclusively to the turnaround and then enough of forgotten little rises on the way back to mess with you. I raced the same course 2 years ago and went 3 minutes faster on Saturday.
In the end, there was a huge surprise. Somehow it turns out that I was able to race myself back onto the podium, 14 seconds out of 2nd. I had a great race, maybe my best since I started all of this in 1985. I was glad I didn’t quit, glad I kept racing hard…and learned, again, that maybe there is more that we have in us than what we might think.
I am happy for the guys who finished first and second. Things happen in a race and they beat me straight up. But I am glad I finished out the day.
Way to not give up. I always carry a spare tube even in a sprint. Better to finish than not at all. I also carry a chain tool and basic lightweight multitool. Even just a minor crash might require some bar re adjustments that you need a tool for.
Congrats on not giving up. I was curious about something, so I looked at the rulebook:
**7.2 ****Placement of Equipment. **All participants shall place equipment only in the properly designated and individually assigned bicycle corral and shall at all time keep their equipment confined to such properly designated areas. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty.
What is to stop someone from leaving all sorts of stuff in their car near transition; stuff that wouldn’t fit near their bike?
Congrats on not giving up. I was curious about something, so I looked at the rulebook:
**7.2 ****Placement of Equipment. **All participants shall place equipment only in the properly designated and individually assigned bicycle corral and shall at all time keep their equipment confined to such properly designated areas. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty.
What is to stop someone from leaving all sorts of stuff in their car near transition; stuff that wouldn’t fit near their bike?
- Seems like the OP got a 10 min penalty by having to go to his car.
- I wonder if this rule needs to be updated. We have several races in our area which are bag free (I happen to like this rule). Near your bike, you aren’t allowed to keep any extra gear, such as spare wheels or other maintenance things. Only what’s attached to your bike and what is needed directly in the race (shoes, socks, race number, etc.)
Or, like one year at the GFT, where I witnessed a guy’s personal SAG wagon driving around the race course behind him. He also flatted his rear tubular disc, and I flew past as he was getting a free wheel change. He podium’d too…a fair reading of the rules in his case would have been an “outside assistance” penalty…
Ken,
If it is determined by Tri-Rock, USAT or any other entity that I violated a rule, I will quickly either take an “additional” time penalty or accept a DQ. I accepted no outside assistance from anyone, but if in some way I violated a rule I was unaware of, I would live by what is right.
My story is not about the podium (which I was certain was no longer remotely a part of my race) or any placing, but about the fact that when I could have quit when my competitive goal looked to be gone I didn’t, and then found an effort I might not otherwise have realized.
Thanks,
Mark
Judging by the amount of people cutting the bike course and the male 20-24 winner who apparently ran 6.2 (olympic) 30 seconds slower then the world record in the olympics and not a sign of DQ. I am pretty sure you will be okay. 
Good race tho! I had a guy crash into me and went through the same mentality of just stopping but gutted it out and finished. It was a beautiful day