I started in the back and decided to "cruise my way forward" because I had 100 laps to get there right? Ha! The problem with moving efficiently through the field is that it takes me a while to do it. Probably 15-20 laps. By then, I had missed the move. Oh well. It was so, so, so easy in the front! Just cruising along, turn, cruise, turn, repeat.
Then my problems started. Milwaukee and really all of Wisconsin has absolutely no desire for public health and safety concerning tobacco. Oh, SURE the liquor stores close at 9pm but the smoking! With 40k to go all I could taste, smell and feel in my lungs was cigarette smoke. I started coughing, wheezing and basically lost all power. When a super good rider loses power they are still effective just uncomfortable. When I lose power, it's ugly. I basically was riding on pure determination to finish the race. Hot routing corners and doing everything I could to not ever use my brakes. Ugly, but I finished. 13 guys lapped the field and the Columbian Olympic Track Pursuit team took over from there and rode tempo at 30mph on the front of the field for 50k.
I read this on Cyclingnews.com:
"He was just bashing guys off the wheels, throwing elbows and doing anything to win in a very unprofessional way," he said. "Yesterday I gave him credit for the way he was riding, but today he almost killed half the bunch! My respect is just slowly getting taken away from the guy. He might be a professional but he is certainly not riding like one."
In response, Magnell said he was riding in response to others, saying the rubbing was going both ways. "Page in particular wanted the wheel I had and he actually punched me in the back with five to go," he said. "I'll use my skill but I'll never take my hands off the bars. A lot of guys were yelling and had problems but I didn't have any problems - I can ride my bike."
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