We had a huge 13 person team for the 3/4, which meant the pressure was really on MRC to deliver a result. With Robbie and Rees killing it this year, they we're our early attackers, with pretty much everyone else lined up for counter attacking, leaving only Gibbo as a protected rider for the run into the #FoD, aka #MylesMeatGrinder (thanks Tom).
The race was only 20 miles, so we would be attacking fast and furious until something stuck. After sitting on the start line for 30 minutes we were finally off. It was quite impressive to watch literally everyone from MRC attack over and over throughout the race. And on top of that, every other attack from another team was covered by at least 1 MRCer but sometimes multiple. My favorite moment early in the race, there was an attack up the right side to bridge to a small break, my good friend the Pirate was close by but looked like he wasn't sure what to do, I yelled at him to cover it, he started to go then stopped, I yelled at him again, and he went across and then attacked the break over the top. The for the rest of the race he attacked 3 or 4 more times, Robbie attacked 373 times (i counted). But everyone was in the mix especially Jacob, Dave M, Rob C., Jason, AJ, and even Briana who is learning the road race thing quickly.
To our dismay, nothing stuck, and on the topside of the course Robbie and AJ's last break attempt was caught and they went straight from break mode to leadout mode (after more yelling from me
). I had located Gibbo but there was still close to 2 miles left. Robbie did a turn and peeled off, AJ was up but he was gassed from his 100th breakaway attempt. I was yelling to go faster but it wasn't possible and we were running out of numbers. With a mile to go the swarm was on, and at one point I told Gibbo he might be on his own. He surfed the front expertly until coming into the final rise before the #FoD I got an opening on the right and I sprinted up the small hill, yelled at Gibbo to jump on (replay from last year with Jacob) and we drilled it to the front and started the curling descent. I slotted into 2nd wheel behind a big guy from NCC and we were off to the races through the FoD. At about maybe 250 meters I started the sprint around the NCC guy and I knew I was about to explode. I probably got them to about 150 meters, and they all came around and I sit up and coasted in not willing to contest minor placings (and shattered). Gibbo grabbed 3rd which is a great result knowing how chaotic the finish was. Jason got 6th I think. The race averaged 27.7 according to Strava, ouchy.The Pirate and I did a cool down ride and then lined up for the 40+. The earlier race was so hard I just wanted to sit in for a lap or 2. Burgel and Chris B were our fresh racers, with myself, the Pirate, Mingori, The Diesel Batten, Jacob, McCay, and Rob C. all in the 2nd race of the double up. Burgel likes to suffer so our main strategy was to get him in a break. This happened I think on the 2nd lap but he only had 1 partner. They were off the front for a long time, I felt bad for Josh because there were a lot of big guns in the race and none of them were with him. The likelyhood of this working was slim, and they were caught with 2 to go. We all did a decent job following moves, not of which stuck and Burgel even went in another promising move but it got reeled in. At the start of the last lap Burgel asked me if I wanted a lead out, to which I said "only if you're done attacking" and he said "yeah I'm cooked". So he proceeded to drive the pace for the next 1/2 lap (I wish I could be that cooked). Coming up the backside hill I was well positioned near the front and had mentally accepted my role as designated FoD sprinter until they neutralized the race. There were multiple Cat 5 crashes in the FoD and they were clearing up the human debris. We sat for 15 minutes, then slow rolled to the finish where they gave us 1 more lap to contest a "safe sprint" (yeah right, do we look like we were born yesterday?). I contemplated quitting the race several times, as I new the restart for 1 lap was a bad idea. Anyway they let us go sooner than expected to I decided to duke it out. It was a fast lap, 28+ MPH, but again I was near the front and we were coming into the final rise but I was 15th wheel, and Dean Philips was DRILLING it on the front. I was struggling to move up until Dave McCay came to the rescue and moved me up the right and dropped me at the top of the FoD. I sprinted and muscled my way into 3rd wheel behind Dean and David Hildebrand another stud masters racer. Dean single-handedly held off the field through the FoD and coming into 100 to go I actually thought I could win. Hildebrand opened his sprint around Dean and I did the same. We were both gaining and I momentarily thought I could come around both but sprinting at 40 MPH into a head wind was excruciating, and ultimately I realized it wasn't going to happen and I say back down to be more aero. Anyway we finished in the same order, Dean Hildebrand and me. My first road podium in a few years and I pocketed a whopping $30 which I will be sure to spread throughout the team, $2.37ea.
Sadly there was some carnage behind, Rob C getting caught in a FoD crash and apparently breaking some ribs and maybe a punctured lung. The Pirate drive his car to the hospital and I drive the Pirates Tesla to meet him. Funny moment, I could figure out how to start the Tesla, I needed McCay to come over and help. He read the manual from the car's supercomputer and we figured out you needed to put the blinker on to start the car. Wow very high tech.
Sad part 2, Tom Coleman crashed at high speed in the #MylesMeatGrinder and needs a new everything because he looked like he got run over by a lawn mower.
Otherwise it was a fun day.
). The race was finally off and I was feeling great and accidentally found the wind. Robby came to rescue and pushed the pace. Attacks were coming in right from the gun. Coming on the the finish of the second lamp IIRC Aj came to the front on the section before the FoD and as I went to follow the move Dary Cabrera came out of nowhere and next thing I remember was hitting the ground really fucken hard. I remember tumbling down the pavement and seeing the crowd of bike about to plow me over, and bracing for impact.....but that impact never came. I now see why in crashes why people just lay there for a while in the road. As bad as I wanted to get up I couldn’t. So after what felt like and eternity I was able to get up. The guy in the follow car checked my bike out and besides a whole lot of scratches it was completely rideable. So I was able to remount and get down to the medical truck and get wrapped up. After getting wrapped up I ran into the Busicks which is when Katie noticed I broke my helmet. I was able to get on the road and get home all though I was in a lot of pain. Everyone keep asking about my head, if I had a headache, sensitivity to light, and I was like no not at all! Until the next morning I forgot what day it was... and my wife was like you’re going to the Hospital! I was able to negotiate Urgent Care, but they took one look at me and said you’re going to the ER! And proceed to put a neck brace on... which I through it off in the car 
and got yelled at by a little old lady at the ER for doing so 
