Thanks for the great pictures and write-up, Gary... also for the great crewing. I've been waiting for the official results to go online, but I still haven't found them. The numbers I list here are unofficial.
I was very proud of the Cruzbike team. Ben and Larry are amazing. In their first year of racing on a Vendetta, they enter the premier event at Bike Sebring, the 24-hour non-drafting race, and finish with about 100 miles more than any other recumbent (Ben doing 445.1 miles, Larry doing 437.9 miles).
Then a few months later, they enter the premier 12-hour race in the U.S., Calvin's Challenge, which was designated as the UMCA 12-hour "National Championship" race for the year, and not only do they take the top two spots in the recumbent class, but Larry takes the overall win! When you consider the trials Larry has been through with recent shoulder surgery and road rash from a crash, you have an epic story with that win at Calvins. Ben's amazing results at Calvin's (he tied for second place overall) shouldn't be overlooked. Before I had my flat at mile 35 on the first lap, I was riding behind Ben. He was wearing a windbreaker jacket like you might see on a soccer player. It was blown-up with air like the Michelin Man. He was great to draft behind! I predict great things for Ben and Larry. They are only going to get faster with more experience.
Maria probably worked too hard the first half of the race. She doesn't like to ride behind a peleton. I kept trying to get her to drop in behind someone, but she prefers riding with a lot of space in front of her, especially with all the potholes on the Calvin's course. The second half of the race she had nausea that kept her from taking in enough calories, but she still managed a remarkable (and record-setting) 257 miles. The women's recumbent record was 195.5 miles set by Sara Kay Carroll in 2010. The overall women's record was 249 miles, set by Sandy Earl (riding a DF) in 2002.
Regarding my race, I was feeling really great on that first lap, and was leading the front paceline at 27 mph on a slightly downhill and very bad road when I got a front flat. But the flat turned out to be a good thing for the Team. With the pressure off of my performance, and sitting out two laps, I took on the fun role of riding in support of the other racers. When Larry ran out of water, I gave him one of my bottles. I offered to take a pull more than my share. At the end of the day, I had 100 miles less than Maria, which is still enough to be satisfactorily sore and tired. Near the end of the race, Mike Mowett shows up on a Morciglio M1 lowracer. Maria and I had never met Mike before, but knew he was a famous HPRA racer. We drafted behind him for a few of the seven miles loops until the 12-hour race was over. Then Maria pulled off to the side of the road and vomited, while Mike stood compassionately by. What a way to make a first impression! After that baptism, we made Mike an honorary Team Cruzbike member and took him out for pizza with the team after the awards ceremony.
Also, a great ride by Kevin on his CA2. He fell only a few miles behind Ben and Larry when he got hit with cramps in both legs, and won first place in his age group with an impressive 258 miles. And many thanks to his wife, Gretchen, who helped crew for everyone. Of course, I think Kevin will be even faster on the Vendetta, especially in races with more climbing. He's a great athlete, with a lot of potential.
Jim
