Road Race

The Road Race is always a crap shoot but the one thing that is required is great fitness, the ability to handle repeated near max efforts and dig deep and suffer like a dog.
I will say that I suffered like a dog. From the first meter to the last it was full gas. The Spainish had 5 riders which made up the biggest team at the start line. In truth even though 34 riders rolled up to the start only 13 were within my disability class. We all race together but the scoring is broken down within the different claases. To be able to descriminate the riders in each class, each class wore a different colored helmet.
The Spainish jumped off the gun hoping to break up the race immediately. They successed easily. I made the front selection but only for a lap. Going over several climb I lost contact due to lack of power and a poor line around a tight bend.
I was forced to chase solo for a lap. During my Time Trial lap, I had an ex Tour De france Stage Winner in front of me chasing solo as well. I was close 50 meters but never found his wheel. I joined a chase group that were rolling up on me.
I finished with the chase group ending up 12th overall and 6th in my class.
I spun home from the course alone thinking about how I was shelled so quickly and pondering what needs to happen to have the juice to stay with the big guns.
Nothing came to mind except to train like a madman once I get back home.