Shades of Wichita

I'm walking down a tree covered street checking over my shoulder looking for the ladies to come screaming off of the brick into a left-hander to where I am standing.  Here they come, I unconsciously hold my breath as they hit the apex, not wanting anyone to hit the deck.  I have positioned myself here in case anyone meets the tarmac I can help get them righted and on their way.  I am also here to coach yell at the ladies to stay off the front and not give anyone a free ride.

The first thing I see are the black and white kits.  Damn, already working... "get off the front, make them work".   It falls on deaf ears, next time around same thing black and white on the front just in a different order "what are you doing? Get off the front!!!"  Rinse and repeat, we do this for several more laps, until another team attacks out of the corner and spreads the group.  "Cover that Michelle" I yell stating the obvious with Michelle out of the saddle easily chasing the two off the front with Julie and Gina in tow.

Next lap is just like the first, "get off the front!" my frustration coming to a boil.  Gina looks at me and gives me an evil grin.  Oh so that is how it is going to be, I'm done trying to "help".  I walk the course to the team's camp, and some of us head to the start/finish to watch the end of the race.  Black and white still on the front.  Bell lap and Michelle attacked so violently that the field looked to be in slow motion as she drilled it into the first corner.  By the time anyone reacted, she was 10meters up the road and gaping the field.  A field that was now just individuals chasing but gaining nothing.

It was a lifetime before we saw the group come around the corner out of the trees, no black and white.  Michelle was caught somewhere on the backside Gina and Julie followed the two chasers.  Michelle's damage was done, a grenade had gone off and fragged everyone in the field(almost everyone).  Final uphill turn into the finish and Gina attacked from fourth wheel gained the inside with Julie.  A perfect slingshot pass and Julie and Gina go 1 - 2.  "Shake n Bake Cal"

I am a fan of cycling.  Bike racing is tactics -a group of individuals all competing for one place.  If you have teammates you all have the same goal.  Win the race.  You will never race a teammate for First, you will race with a teammate for First.  If you are new to bike racing this is a hard concept to wrap your head around, and what I saw on a summer day in Wichita was beautiful...the sacrifice of a teammate to win a race.