Two Wheel Blogs

This is what the start of the race looked like from the back of the pack.

We had no intention of riding this race as if we were competing for anything other than bragging rights for having completed it. It was also about 45°F at that time of the morning. For that reason we chose a spot about 15 feet behind the rear of the pack, the nearest spot off the back of the pack which was also bathed in sunshine.

We expected there would be a race meeting right before the start; but all any of us heard was someone on a bullhorn saying the race would start in about 5 minutes.

From here we did a neutral roll to the bottom of Big Brushy mountain where the race began in earnest. We coasted along easily, letting the pack get a huge gap on us thinking the race meeting would be at the end of the neutral section. After all it hadn't taken place at the start line.

Not so. When we arrived at the base of Big Brushy everyone was gone. I looked back just to confirm we were indeed starting in dead last place.

Perfect. We had the whole Ouachita Challenge field right where we wanted them.