Jaja and me.

(Geneve, Switz.) - So I fell off the wagon. Or I'm on the wagon. I guess it depends on what the usually saying is (I forget) and whether or not what you think what I did was good or bad. Probably off the wagon. Or not. Here goes...

Most of you know of my long standing problem with bike riding addiction syndrome (BRAS). So I have a confession.... I did a bike race. Kinda.

They have a good system in Switzerland for bike racing. There is none of this 55+ Master's Men one legged tandem category bullsh*t. Here there are mostly just 3 categories. Men's, Women's, and Juniors. And you are either 'good enough to rac'e or you are 'not good enough to race.' For all those not good enough to race (me nowadays), there are cyclosportifs (also called randonees), which are these kinda race/ride thingees. It is an event very akin to a running race - the group of 500 or more starts together. The people at the front race and the people at the back try to finish. I did the Classique Genevoise last weekend with over 600 souls at the startline going au bloc all at the same time. That is a wild time, let me tell you.

I haven't been riding that much recently. It's been about 2 rides and a run a week for the last 6 weeks and way less before that. Still, local riding buddies have been talking me into doing this event, as the 'Classique' is a local legend. More than one local bike dork plans their whole season around it. I was on the fence about even going, but with one week to go decided what the hey... There are a HUGE mix in abilities and so if I got blown out by the fast racer types I could always ride in with the children and cripples (women are probably too fast). In general, these kind of things are good for me, as it nice for me to have a competive goal. As elsewhere as my priorities are nowadays, I find it hard to motivate to ride if I don't have the threat of a race or similar event hanging over my head. For instance, the only reason I have been telling people for 5 years that I am training for a marathon is so I motivate to run ocassionally.

A big crowd was gathered 20km south of Geneve in Dardangny for the send off. It is amazing how many locals show up for even the most mundane of local events. The longest route was 4 x 20km loops. Celebrities in attendance were a few old time pros and - get this - Laurent Jalabert (Mom, Jalabert was the top bike racer of the 90's and one of the best of all time. He lives nearby.) who was - get this - doing my race/ride. At the start line I swapped notes with Steve and Elizabeth and we thought to meet back there after the finish. The gun went off, people scrambled for their pedals, and it felt like any old bike race - albeit one with 600 people.

The first 5k were controlled. I zigged and zagged my way through the pack, passing upwards of a few hundred from my mid pack start position, and hit the front just 1k before the 'commisaire' waved his flag and we were were off and riding/racing. The course, by racing standards, was not too hard, but it would present challenge enough in my diminished current condition. Two climbs which rose from the Rhone up to the surrounding plateau, some wind which favors the guys who know what they're doing (in this crowd that means me), and a bunch of long drawn out flat sections. I settled into a nice 'slip and slide the climbs' pace the first lap noticing that I had made the 1st primary split. We now had a 'racing' group. The 'riding groups' were now OTB. The second lap, the hammer went down on the hill as one of the guys from one of the strong local teams guttered it in the side winds. I started at the front and ended the hill in the back, going anaerobic for the 1st time on my bike since last year. It felt good and I was surprised still how solid I felt. We regrouped over the false flat at the top and I went right to the front tucked in against the crosswind.

Crunch time came at the end of the 2nd lap. I gave everything I had to make the split, just baaaaaarely... getting on at the top of the hill as the course turned and descending through a few hairpins just past the old town of Russin. Taking stock at the bottom of the hill, we were all together - a group of about 25 - I had to be impressed with myself. This was a group of real racers - not very good ones perhaps - but still these were guys who had been racing almost every weekend and training with a 'programme'.

I looked around and realized that ... after 2.5 laps - to the best of my estimation - the only guys in the front group with hair on their legs were Laurent Jalabert and me. That is some distinguished company in the retired racer department. I rode up alongside him and tried to make some idle chitchat and share a laugh over our common bond.

Jaja last year. I would like to think he looked fitter this time around.

But the next time up the climb to Russin killed me. Cowbells were rung, and 'Allez!!' s were hollered, I went as hard as I could, but still I found myself gapped off the main pace line in a small group. And that was that. Legs cried 'No Mas' and myself and about 5 other guys rode it in from there, swapping pulls as we went. The finish was up a small climb near the start. Not wanting to be too dorky and sprint my group mates with too much enthusiasm, I settled for ramping it up slowly for the final 500 m hill before turning it on in the last 100m. I thought that this struck a good balance between a detached 'je ne sais quoi' gallic coolness and yet still showing a respect for the event. One guy came by before the line and I beat the rest. I was told Jalabert was in the group ahead.

A pretty fun event overall. It is not a race, but still kinda a race, and first across the line hooted and hollered like it was the world championships and not the 'Championnat Genevoise Populaire'. This is about the perfect speed for me nowadays. I just need a little racing fix to keep the shakes down. An event like this is like methadone for me. And I was pretty self-impressed with how well I did despite my lack of preparation or planning. With what little riding I have done, and seriously not having gone faster than a slow endurance pace in almost a year I beat a lot of guys taking it seriously. I hope to be back next time.... maybe trained.... and maybe with a shot at the champ.