Hitting the "Deck"

Yes, I am "back". Was out of town & distracted for about five weeks. I missed a bunch of training due to business travel, too much food and drink, not enough sleep, some personal stuff going on etc. OUCH!

Got back on the bike, and did the Tuesday Night World Championship Ride. WOW! That was painful. Decided I would race my way back into shape, clear the mind & body at the same time.

Vernon Hills Grand Prix. Registered for the Masters 30+ Cat 1,2,3 & the Cat 3 race. Of course, fast & furious. The field of 60 something was stacked with former pros, National Champions, State Champions, and my buddy Robert, who is practically all of the above.

It was fast, there was a break, we caught them, it was fast, again. Bell lap came, right before the start/finish line, and POW! Some guy got excited in front of me, and at 32+ mph, came straight into my front wheel. I hit the deck, taking the guy behind me with. I hit head first, cracking my helmet in half, busted up my shoulder, jersey, hip, both knees & elbows etc. Bummer I guess. The guy who went with me had a pretty bad concussion, and went to the hospital. He hit head first as well. Nine lives issued, 4 left for me at this point.


Did the Cat 3 race about 25 minutes later, just wanted to ride the ride at this point. Five laps to go, and BAM! Another 14 person pile up on the back stretch. Dang! I cant get a break today I guess. No more skin lost, but smoked the rear tire, and some collateral damage to the bike. BikerDanny launches for the final sprint, with his HUGE motor from about 3 million meters out, and barely gets nipped at the line (see note at bottom for explanation) and takes a very respectable second place. I finished with the field.

Still licking my woulds. Thank you to the inventors of Tegaderm, I have finally succumbed.

Robert by the way, placed a field finish in the Masters race, then hops in the car, drives to Kenosha, WI for the Masters race up there that afternoon. Takes a HUGE victory, off the front, and keeps bringing home the bacon.

Someone has already taken me to task on the word "nipped" used above, probably the winner of the race, who I congratulate for the victory, as it was well earned, and I mean no disrespect. I was somewhere in the field, so I could not actually see the finish, so I just threw out the word "nipped", as a general term for being beaten to the line, that's all.