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Team TIAA-CREF - 2005
Team Journal Entry - May 23, 2005, by Bryan Smith
KOM Crusade
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It's actually quite simple. "Just get in the early break." Uh, yeah ok… no sweat. The tactic for stage 3 here in Connecticut was to get a couple guys in the "early break" and, ideally, get Timmy in the KOM jersey. But since cycling is not totally predictable, sometimes you need to improvise.
Three KOMs in today's 120-mile stage meant that the jersey could still be won. I had didn't have any points from yesterday, but happened to get myself off the front after about 40 miles, and I knew that getting over all three meant winning the jersey. Only problem was that it would take about 60 miles of solo effort to get there. I did have one other breakaway companion… but went off alone at the first KOM. By the time I got to the base of the third KOM, the gap was around 4 minutes to the peloton. Let me tell you it was not pretty. I zig-zagged up the entire climb, and really wasn't sure if I would make it. Fortunately I did get over, winning the KOM jersey.
It felt great to get the jersey, but I still had a solid gap. So what else are you going to do? Just keep on rollin' and hope you don't totally crack - and that no one wants to chase. I guess neither of those things happened. I heard a five minute gap with about 40k to go but I seemed to lose it in about 20 minutes. Is that possible? Well either way, my day out was done. It was a super result for our team, and it feels nice to come out of the weekend with some really aggressive racing. Timmy took off solo yesterday, I went out today, and Micro had a good ride for the overall. What else are we going to do? You gotta show your face and be aggressive. We're racing not watching - so nothing to lose, we'll give it a go.
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I'd like to give a shout to the boys in Ireland. Stu must have been raging, and found himself best young rider at the old Milk Ras. Stu and I were holding it down in Sunnyvale this winter. It's taken a while but things are rolling in the right direction now.
