The Lupus Racing Team kicked off the year with la Vuelta a la Independence Nacional, a UCI 2.2, in the Dominican Republic. The race provided 8 days of hard racing to get the year off on the right foot. Our goal was to get a lot of good training miles in and look for as many stage wins as possible.
Our Roster: Barry Miller, Chad Beyer, Chris Horner, Evan Murphy, Matthieu Jeannés, Michael Olheiser, and Thomas Vaubourzeix.
Our Roster: Barry Miller, Chad Beyer, Chris Horner, Evan Murphy, Matthieu Jeannés, Michael Olheiser, and Thomas Vaubourzeix.
Pre-Race Adventures
The fun started with a long wait in the airport for our race shuttle. We waited for 4 hours in the airport on Thursday, always promised we'd leave 10 more minutes, just waiting on two more guys. Finally we leave as two full teams roll out of the airport. We should have taken a taxi but didn’t know where we were headed, oh well. Our 4 teammates and Director had the same problem the next day, not getting to the hotel until 9:30 after arriving at 2:00. Rough. Friday we did a little ride to spin the legs up and then relaxed. When we headed down for dinner that night we noticed something odd, a lot of the teams were fully kitted up. Hmmm…we didn’t have any info but found out there was a team presentation and dinner provided by the race cool. What time? We couldn’t find out anyone that knew. This was about 6:00, dinner was finally served at 8:30 and a presentation started at 9:30, but our team had just arrived and was finding food. We ended up just barely showing up for the team presentation with 4/8 guys wearing khakis and t-shirts instead of kits…oops. Still, we really had no idea what was going on. We also had to fire our seigneur for the race before the TTT because she was never around and didn't take care of any of the little things. We hired Gabriel, a 21 year old racer from DR, who constantly ran around filling bottles, getting bags, helping with bikes, and any odds and ends we needed. He always had a smile on his face and seriously made the week so much better. It was a wild start to a crazy week of racing.
Stage 1 – 20km TTT – Santo Domingo <--Strava Link to Stage
The first day opened with a late afternoon TTT on two laps of an out and back course through a park close to the hotel. Different teams had different numbers of riders and equipment so GC time would actually be based on place. 1st place gets their TTT time, 2nd place is +:05, 3rd is +:10, and so on. We only had our road bikes so it was going to be tough to compete with guys in full aero gear but we rode hard, it sucked like TTs do, and we finished up 5th. Not a bad way to start the race, for many of us that was the first all out effort of the year. Ouch.
Stage 2 – 180km – Santo Domingo to Santa Cruz de Barahon
Stage two was the first real day of the race and it was a culture shock for sure. The racing didn't make any sense sense. The day was filled with constant attacks without rhyme or reason, speed bump and ditch ridden towns and cars that were only half stopped on both sides of the road. I was supposed to sit in with Evan and Chris in case the race came to a sprint but with no break going in first two hours our guys looking for the break were running out of bullets and Evan and I were close to the front covering a couple moves. I made it into the first break to get anywhere and I thought the race would settle from there. Ha, I had so much to learn! The break wouldn’t ride together, attacked each other, wouldn't rotate, it was a mess. After maybe 40km we got brought back by what I thought was a peloton but was really a group of 20-30 guys left in a decimated field. That group stayed together although attacks consistently flew. Finally Matt got in a group of six that got away as people finally wore out. Chad attacked hoping to get some guys to bridge across but was left along to solo toward Matt's group. What was left of my group rode in fairly easily, clearly cracked from the effort. It was the longest last 20km of a race I’ve ever been in. Matt ended up in 3rd and Chad 7th. We were welcomed by smiling locals and kids asking for our jerseys and extra food. At that point I started to realize what a long week we were in for. After the race we loaded up and got on the bus back to Santo Domingo. Nothing like a 3.5 hour bus ride after a 5 hour race. I’m not sure what cracked me more, the race or the bus ride home. I remember sleeping well that night.
Stage 3 – 173km – Santo Domingo to Mirador de Miches
After the chaos from yesterday we decided we wanted a simpler day and would control the race up until the mountain top finish at Miches. A relatively flat day along the beach before heading inland provided us the ability to sit all 8 guys on the front to control the race and give Chris and Chad a shot at the stage win and Matt to hold onto his GC position. The break rolled within 20 minutes and off we went. We did have to battle a bit but eventually teams figure out what was going on and we were left to do our thing. The break exploded within a few kilometers as they apparently attacked each other like crazy. Classic. All went smooth and I think this was the first time in race history there was some control and time to stop on the side and take a nature break while looking out at the ocean. The only minor issue was every little town we went through (and there were several) became instant chaos as the locals all wanted to show off for the fans. Each town involved more jumping over speed bumps and ditches, avoiding curbs and cars, and other madness. I really can’t explain how crazy it is, maybe a video will pop up at some point, but I don’t think that would do it justice either. I rested all day until we got close to the lead up to the climb at which point I helped Evan and Mike really turn the screws hard as we hit uphill rollers into the start of the climb. I made it about 500m up the climb before leaving Matt, Chris, and Chad to fend for themselves. I pulled the parachute and suffered for 4.5km of climbing, but did get to enjoy the view across the top as 5km’s of rolling roads led to the finish looking over a jungle on one side and the ocean on the other. Chris finished in a big group behind a group of 3 that got away on the top. Chad didn’t quite have the legs to hang but Matt stayed up high in the GC. A solid day.
Stage 4 – 193km – Santo Domingo to Semana
What. The. Heck. Today was by far the craziest day of the race. It started with a 15km, 45-minute ride through traffic and the downtown market to the start. The course was supposed to have one long highway climb and descent in the middle before flattening out and finishing on a hard 2-3km punch before dropping in to Semana. The start of the day had a tailwind and we were flying. I got in a little break really early but was brought back as soon as we turned off the coast and hit the tailwind. Attacks flew and I got in another group of 3 but was brought back after a 5km or so. More attacks. We hit the highway climb full gas with attacks flying and being brought back constantly. Eventually as the highway climbed leveled off before the descent a big group rolled off. Okay, finally some chill. Next thing I know the whole Boyaca team is on the front absolutely drilling it to bring those guys back. The entire field is strung out along the highway in a single file line. Chad told me to watch for the counter so I moved to the front and followed the first wheel to go. Just like that a group of 6 was gone and this time Boyaca and the rest of the peloton left us alone. Down a big highway descent in the rain with speed bubbles to contend with was sketchy but we kept it full gas until the bottom where things began to settle and we began a tempo rotation. Job completed, now our guys could relax and prepare for that kick to the finish.
At about 125km Phil came up to me and told me the stage was actually 193km and that I should start resting in the rotation because a climb was starting at 138km. Interesting, that wasn’t in the tech guide. I stopped rotating in the break at ~132km and chaos ensued. Attacks left and right, apparently if the American isn’t working no one is working. We hit the super steep climb full gas and I kept the pressure on. Eventually I dropped the rest of my break companions and figured I had another pitch or two at most before the top and I’d be ready to help teammates that made it in the lead group. I turned a corner, then another, and then another, and it just kept going up with no end in site. About the same time the leaders in the peloton came up on me and I exploded shortly after. Realizing the climb wasn’t 1-2km but 4km at 12% with kicks as high was 20% really through me for a loop. I ended up in the grouppeto suffering home over that climb and one more that wasn't in the tech guide. Awesome. There was some serious suffering that day. Mike and Chris made it over the top with the second group but never brought back the lead break of 4-6. After finishing I just collapsed and tried to figure out what the heck had happened. I only had so much time to relax before we rode the 10km to the hotel. What a crazy wild day. I’ll remember that one for a long time I bet, the corn pizza at the hotel tasted like gold (if gold tasted really really good). We did have a late start the next day and had the opportunity to enjoy the quiet little space we were staying, at least for a couple moments as I napped on the beach it felt like vacation.
Stage 5 – 118km – Samana to San Francisco de Macoris
The day started on a 3km climb right out of town that was berserk but otherwise the race was controlled by the San Luis team who kept it steady and fast all day. Thomas made the break and must have been smashing it to stay away for as long as he did. Mostly smooth roads gave way to some sketchy broken pavement for 20km in the middle of the day but otherwise the ride was uneventful until Inteja and Aero got to the front and started smashing it toward the finish. After the fiasco yesterday we had a lot of dead legs and only Chris and I were there for Evan. Chris barked directions to me as we headed to the line for my first field sprint lead out. I was drag racing the San Luis team when Chris came around me to set up Evan. Unfortunately Evan got pinched and had to battle from 15th wheel to get 5th on the stage. I think we missed a good opportunity there but we also learned a lot and will do better in the future.
Stage 6 – 135km – Moca to Constanza
The Queen Stage of the race was relatively short but involved a 15km, 3800ft climb before dropping into a plateau and a 40km twisting run into Constanza. San Luis controlled the early portion of the race again and we hit the base of the climb rested and together at the front with Chris in good position. 450W through the first 3km got me dropped on the steep 10-12% grades and I settled into a pace that allowed me to stay close and pick off guys that were exploding off of the front group. Chad and I grouped up and rode to the finish together. Mike made it over a little behind Chris but caught him on the plateau and they made it together to the finish in the second group. Mike has been riding so well this week, it’s been awesome to watch. The day was simple, but man was it hard!
Stage 7 – 145km – Santiago to Santo Domingo
Aero took the leaders jersey and “controlled” the race, by controlled I mean they brought back everything. The pace stayed high and my legs were feeling yesterday’s effort. Eventually after maybe 70km of racing a group of 12 got up the road. I'm not sure why they covered all these little 3-4 man breaks but then let a group of 12 slip up the road. Thomas got in the break and the rest of us sat in and prepared for what should be a sprint finish as the road tilted down toward Santo Domingo and the beach. Aero was impressive and rode hard and fast all day. It helped that they basically became two teams with another Dominican team riding for them. In typical fashion Aero brought the break back with like 30km to go, because why not open the race back up to crazy attacks instead of catching late and getting a clean sprint in. Attacks started going and Mike got in a group of 3 that went up the road as Aero finally ran out of gas. Mike was gone and the pace slowed significantly. Next thing they had 1:00, then 2:00, then with 5km left they had 2:30, it was definitely going to stick. We knew Mike had the wheels to finish it off and we knew this was our best shot for that elusive stage win we'd been chasing. I obviously wasn’t there to see how the finish played out but what I heard was one of the guys stopped working and then Mike attacked. When he went the other two almost came to a complete stop looking at each other to cover. Mike never looked back and gave us our stage win by 44s. The finished looped on itself so when I saw Phil hold up the number 1 sign and Evan and I lost it in the peloton. So pumped! Mike was riding so well this week that I’m not surprised at all he pulled it out. Such a baller, the win made the whole crazy trip worth it.
Stage 8 – 100km Circuit Race – Santo Domingo
The last day of the race on the pancake flat TTT course was relatively uneventful. Attacks flew all day but nothing could get away as the speed floated around 29-30mph. In the pack you were barely pedaling, off the front you were over threshold. A big group of 12 with Chad in there finally got away at about 70km’s and even worked up a lead of :35” before teams began to bring it back. We began to position ourselves with 5km to go and were in a good position. We wanted to wait until late to make our move but left it a little too late. A brief reshuffle as San Luis took over left us split a part and unable to provide a great train for Evan to sprint with. Thomas did a great job keeping the speed up though and I followed with Evan on my wheel. We battled all the way home as speeds hit 60kph leading in to the finish. As soon as I could see the finish I hit it as hard as I could but didn’t give Evan the launching point he needed to win and he took third, a half bike behind the San Luis rider. We needed one more rider to jump off my wheel and launch Evan, but it was still a good bit of work and we battled it out in a seriously chaotic sprint with multiple crashes in the last 5km. We’ll get better and better at these leadouts as the year go on. That was only our second attempt ever. What a crazy week.
Race Totals:
26 hours 17 minutes 26 seconds
8167m of climbing
1080kms
Race Totals:
26 hours 17 minutes 26 seconds
8167m of climbing
1080kms
Crazy Times in the Dominican
There were so many little crazy events that happened all week it’s hard to even remember all the times I shook my head and laughed at what was happening with my teammates. Here are some of the highlights that I remember.
- There were only 2.5km between the 20km to go sign and 10km to go sign on stage 3. Thank goodness the 10km sign was correct.
- For the entire 11 days in the Dominican I wasn’t able to eat one green vegetable, most dinners were rice, on pasta, on chicken, on potatoes. So few colors.
- Not one stage was the correct distance according to our tech guide besides the TTT and Circuit Race.
- Half our team has gotten stomach sick and had to use natural facilities while the race was on, 2 gloves were lost
- On stage 4 a wild horse ran next to the lead group through one of the towns
- 3 nights didn’t have a warm shower
- 2 nights were spent in a hotel with a water bed
- I bunny hoped a speed bump between a pathfinder and a Firetruck at 30+mph in the final Kilometer of stage 6
- Cars passed the peloton on the closed highway by driving on the shoulder of the highway where traffic is open going the OTHER WAY and then cross back over. Today a tour bus cut over halfway through peloton.
Time for Vacation
The circuit race ended at noon on Saturday so we had plenty of time to finally enjoy the Dominican as it should be enjoyed. After packing bikes and grabbing a quick bite we headed to the pool and hot tub for the afternoon. Soaking in some more sunshine and finally getting to unwind and relax. A nice dinner and a few bottles of wine with the team to reminisce on the crazy week made for a really nice last day. We capped off the night with some Sweet Frog and spent the evening goofing off and hanging out in Phil’s penthouse suit looking over the Pool and Gardens.
All week Phil told us the race was great as training and to bond as a team. It definitely worked, we’re way closer as a unit after this race then we were after team camp and I can’t wait to sell out with these guys as the year goes on. Our Mechanic Zack was a rock star all week and assuming we didn't kill him or force him to quite he's going to be a huge asset to the team this year. Good mechanic skills but more importantly a love for his job and good attitude that make a world of difference.
It was a crazy hard start to the year but I got through it and the legs feel pretty good all things considered. From here on out racing is going to feel like a breeze. Sure the racing is always hard, but at least I can drink the water, eat the vegetables, get wifi at the hotel, and not ride a janky bus 4 hours back to the host hotel. I flew back to San Diego to enjoy some good weather and begin prep for the first batch of US races this year, San Dimas, Redlands, and Sea Otter. Looking forward to it.
Keep those pedals moving,
BSlow
All week Phil told us the race was great as training and to bond as a team. It definitely worked, we’re way closer as a unit after this race then we were after team camp and I can’t wait to sell out with these guys as the year goes on. Our Mechanic Zack was a rock star all week and assuming we didn't kill him or force him to quite he's going to be a huge asset to the team this year. Good mechanic skills but more importantly a love for his job and good attitude that make a world of difference.
It was a crazy hard start to the year but I got through it and the legs feel pretty good all things considered. From here on out racing is going to feel like a breeze. Sure the racing is always hard, but at least I can drink the water, eat the vegetables, get wifi at the hotel, and not ride a janky bus 4 hours back to the host hotel. I flew back to San Diego to enjoy some good weather and begin prep for the first batch of US races this year, San Dimas, Redlands, and Sea Otter. Looking forward to it.
Keep those pedals moving,
BSlow