2 years in a row!  Man, that was a fast race.  

From my own warped standpoint- the Master's 40+ started off with speeds reaching 32mph in the "Neutral Start" and got crazy from there.  The road to the first gravel sector was remarkable for the lack of crashes (I actually didn't witness a single crash all day) and high speed chase of the eventual winner- whom we caught in time for him to rest up and pummel us in the 1st gravel section.  Tim and I lost contact with the lead group 2/3 of the way through the 1st gravel section and came out about a min down.  We chased to within 15 seconds when they turned the screws and started pulling away again.  We spent some time riding alone but eventually got into a 10 person group with about 4 of us actually working.  We discovered why on the 2nd gravel section when we dropped the others.  I was cramping at the top of blockhouse (70mi into the race) but threw down all of my endurolytes and sucked down all the fluid I had and was able to ride through them- thanks to the patience of the others in our 4 man chase group.  The final gravel section was brutal as always and saw a slightly different group of four approach the end of the sector.  I flatted near the end of the last steep gravel section (Tim was walking up it) but had to power through it because my Speedplays wouldn't release.  My quads started cramping and when the grade eased off I finally managed to extricate my foot from my pedal and repair my flat.  Tim rode on to finish 9th (excellent finish for someone who'd never seen the course) and after changing tires and riding solo into the wind for the last agonizing 20 mi I managed 16th.  Overall, a success  given the course, competition, and situation.

Hof

Rouge Roubaix pictures  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3000026154341.2126150.1072894124&type=3

Video from the Masters race. http://vimeo.com/38479794

Leadville 100 buckle

Sporting a leadville buckle, LAMBRA race T-shirt, and a dilerious smile Scott Richards makes us proud.  Here's an excerpt from his race report.

"

Yes it was hard, yes I want to do it again, no I didn't cry, yes I thought I was going to.

Seriously though, 0630 start at 38°f but I opted for no jacket. Shotgun start and the race was on, 1/2 mile to the 1st crash even though it was a 3 mile neutral start. When we hit the dirt the race really started even though it looked no different from the "neutral" rollout. We were relieved when we hit St. Kevin's climb because there was no more dust cloud, but it also turned out to be the worst bottleneck of the race. Next was the dangerous pipeline descent which almost everyone survived, then the first aid station which wasn't that neccessary at the time. Good thing I was saving some legs because I didn't realize how much I would need them on the 2 hr/10 mile Columbine climb above tree line. At that point I mistakenly thought the worst was over, and thought I could pull off a sub-10 hr race...little did I know that 1st difficult climb would really slow me down with 75 miles and 8 hrs out of my legs up to that point. The last 10 miles seemed to go on forever, since without a working odometer I was looking for the finish line around every corner. With the finish line in sight, instead of doing something cool like a wheelie or flashing a peace sign, I did the only thing my oxygen deprived brain could think of...pedal harder and beat a couple guys across the red carpet. While volunteers and my family were eagerly offering me drinks and snacks, all I could manage was lying on the grassy hill...along with hundreds of other depleted cyclists. At that point, another Race Across the Sky couldn't be further from my mind, but 12 hrs later as I was handed my finisher's belt buckle I was already thinking about trying for the sub-9 buckle.

ScottR."

Rhino Racing sent 3 racers to the cat 3/4 Rouge Roubaix race this past weekend.  Rouge Roubaix is an epic one day race modeled after the infamous Paris-Roubaix in France.  This grueling race covers 105 mile of the worst back country paved and unpaved roads Louisiana and Mississippi have to offer.  It demands early season fitness, fearless bike handling skills, and lots of luck.  Scott Richards finished near the top end of the cat 4 field and Scott Hofer put in a great ride even after dealing with 3 flats. Big props to race organizer Mitch Evans and the guys at Raising Caines Racing for another great race.  It's innovative races like this that keep racers coming to our area year after year.  Keep an eye here for more news.