Dave Holds His Own As The X Goes For It In The Team Time Trial

Proving the Racer-X quest for world domination extends past the single track Dave, Glen and myself partook in the final ECV team time trial of 2010. We weren't going to win but instead hoped to plant the seed of speed-lust that would carry over to next year when we would try to make a serious run at some fast times. Glen and I were sold on timetrialing a while back but we needed to get Dave's motor involved. His engine, and draftable capacity are huge. Plus, we figured we'd get him first and then he could help breakdown Rob. That would be a solid foursome heading into 2011.

I don't know how sold on it Dave was in the middle of the race but at the beginning and end he was a super trooper. Like most formative TTT riders Dave appeared to believe the safest place to be in aerobars in tight formation was on the front and he pulled for a good two minutes right from the start. Then the rotating started. It went well for awhile. Then the rollers came at us and we had some problems in the line. Glen was turning a monster gear up front (because that's all his bike had) when Dave first started getting detached. We regrouped and tried several different techniques and formations as we headed down RT133 where the rollers again caused problems in group cohesion. No worries though as we continued to regroup and try again. This being the first time the three of us rolled together this was to be expected.

About 3/5ths of the way through the course Glen was comfortable and Dave began to find his legs throwing in some powerful short pulls. We were well off the time we had hoped to roll but with two miles left there was a chance to go under 30 minutes so we rallied and dug hard over the final climb. Dave showed some real fight getting over the climb in contact with Glen and myself and we start downhill to the finish going pretty quick. It looked like we were nip and tuck with the half hour mark. Hitting the line I had us missing it by a mere six seconds. Ouch!

It's all good though. The first one is always the toughest and the fight Dave showed at the end was pretty impressive. I won't lie, Dude looked like he was hurtin'. All spitty beard and sweaty eyed. That's good. Next year when we roll sub 25:30 all three of us will look like that. That's my goal, we go 4:30 faster over 11.4 miles. Tall order but Dave's like, what, six foot eight?