The Tour de Nez

The Tour de Nez, in it's compact version included two stages this year (down from the 3 day/4 race venues of year's past). Friday night after work, Mike and I headed to Truckee, CA for the first stage---The field was huge with big hitters from BMC, Rock, Jelly Belly, Discovery Channel, Healthnet, Columbia National---you know the drill. After the call ups, the race was off to a quick start. Tony Cruz, Scott Moninger, Mike Sayers, Alex Candelario, & Mike Taylor (!) all took turns coming through the Start/Finish leading the charge at the front of the storming peloton.

Yes, I know...all of the other names are familiar to most races fans. The announcers were well versed in the first four names. But Mike Taylor stumped them. So they announced as follows, "And here's one of the younger rider's from the Cal Giant Strawberry Team taking charge of the race...". Ha! Mike's director and I laughed. Mike is older and has been racing longer than most of the folks in the race.

Briggs and Dunaway (the two "Pat's") made the move with a decisive break-away and hung on for a good part of the race. But the schmack went down and 6 guys rode away---and Alex Candelario took the win in the high-altitude race!

The next stage was another criterium in downtown Reno. Mike and I rode to the race and met up with the guys. Because this is an omni-event (not a stage race), there were even more racers today---110 guys lined up at the start. The big complaint of the day was the wind and the altitude. That combined with a 90 minutes of racing hot day, meant this was going to be a true suffer-fest. Fans lined the streets and downtown Reno was one big party!

A Columbian National rider made the first move and rode off the front for the early part of the race, almiost single-handedly lapping the field. But Sayers, Kyle (Rock), Mike Jones, Tony Cruz and few others worked at the front a reeled him back. Once they rang the bell for a prime though, and a group of 6 guys drilled it at the front and soon guys were falling off the bunch like leaves in Fall. The 110 man field was soon reduced to 50 riders--our team had Devon, Pat and Mike left racing.

Taylor was following McCook's wheel and suddenly on the slight uphill, McCook sat up and a gap opened up---never to be closed. Mike kicked himself afterwards; he was thinking he should have let some air out of his tires and faked a flat like a few other un-named riders and taken a free lap. He felt good--but he's a bad cheater which is why I like him so much! Still, Devon held on strong.

The Columbian rider and Sayers rode off the front of the break though after the bell lap and on the slight downhill, Sayers "pinched" the Columbian on the last corner and rode to victory. Devon finished 7th! Nice job worm. Mike and I then rode back home together. He's my star no matter where he finishes!