Many people don't realize that cycling is actually a team sport.  That the bike races on television are as much a group effort as any basketball game.  This is understandable since most folks are familiar with zone defenses used by the college ball teams because they can see all the players on the court and the announcers are always explaining it to the public.  But, bike racing is also a team sport with its own types of offenses and defenses.  The tactics aren't always as apparent as say a "pick-and-roll" play by the Wildcats, but believe me it's going on in nearly every race.  The London Chapter of the Bluegrass Cycling Club had a chance to put this team effort into practice when we made the trip to Winchester on Sunday to race in the Winchester Criterium held every Labor Day weekend.
    We made the trip to Winchester early Sunday morning for the 10 o'clock start.  Making the trip were teammates Tom Bowden, Ed Paris, Eddie Green, Bobby Burdine, John Bacon, Greg Moore, my son Jeremy Grigsby, and myself.  We had heard that there would be about 30 or so people in our category, so we decided to draw up a plan of attack.  Our first decision was whether to wear the same color jersey as teams do.  This might sound a bit silly, but believe me, it's a strategic decision.   For, if the other racers recognize a team working together, they will likely organize together a group of riders to counter any attacks launched by our team.  The advantage of wearing the same jersey is that it not only allows us to easily recognize our own members in the heat of the battle, but it could also intimidate our opponents.   We decided to go with the same jerseys. With this in mind, we all show up wearing bright orange jerseys.
    After a few warm up laps, we are called to the line.  We have already decided that we are going to try to keep the race pace fairly low for as long as possible because our teams strongest point is our ability to sprint finish.  We are mainly a power team and want to force the other riders to beat us at our own game.   At the line, the officials inform us that all junior riders (those younger than 16) must ride separate from the category five racers.  This would be the first wrench thrown into the works as it immediately took my son, Jeremy, out of our team strategy.   Now we are down to five members.  As the field rolls out of the start, I look around and count about 20 riders in our race.  It's going to be tough to control a field of this size.
    The whistle blows and we are off.  This race will be fifteen minutes plus 6 miles on a one mile track with one descent followed by a short climb before turning into the finishing 200 meter straight to the finish.  The first lap begins at a moderate pace as each rider tries to get a feel for the competition.   To our delight, nobody seems to want to take off just yet.  We move toward the front of the group and take a short pull at the front of the pack before dropping back into the slipstream of other riders.  This is where we would like to spend the majority of the race until the finish in order to conserve as much energy as possible.   Then, Bobby goes to the front of the pack for a pull.  But after almost one mile doesn't drop back to let the others share the work of pushing through the strong wind as we climb the hill.  An act that proves fatal as he is forced to abandon the race about 2 miles later from the effort.  John, who is also forced out due to the ever-changing pace, follows him.  Now our team is down to three members: Tom, Greg, and myself.
    During the course of the race, there are prizes offered called primes that are given to the rider that crosses the line first during a given lap.   The officials ring a bell and announce a prime for the next lap.  We decide that instead of going for a prize, we will save all our strength for a possible win.   During the next lap, a couple of riders take off for the line, but we let them go.   After crossing the line, they let the pace drop as the rest of the field swallows them back.
    This also works for us as there are now a couple of riders who have spent a good deal of energy racing for the line in the prime sprint.  The group tightens back up and the pace picks up again now to around 26 miles per hour.  I am riding directly behind a rider from Owensboro when I reach for my water bottle.  As I try to get a drink and keep from running into the riders in front and beside me, I suddenly find myself running off the road!  It seems the guy in front of me swerved just a bit to avoid something, and there I go.  In an instant, I see myself being taken out of the race because of my own inattention.
    Tom yells from behind me asking if I'm all right.  I'm able to jump the bike back up onto the pavement and only loose a couple of seconds.  But now it's getting serious.  The pace is always going up and the laps remaining getting smaller.  With the announcement that there are only 6 laps remaining, it's time to finalize the finish strategy.  Greg pulls up beside me and offers to pull me down the hill on the final lap as fast as he can go so that I can get a slingshot effect for the final hill.  With this offer of strength, I ask Tom if he wants a pull up the final hill or if he wants to pull me up the hill for the final sprint.  Tom graciously tells me he will pull for me and set me up for the final sprint.  "This is your race buddy, you've got it," Tom assures me.  But with two laps to go, the race officials declare the next lap will be for a prime.  This could be bad because if the riders going for the sprint stay on the gas, it will make our final push tougher and at a higher pace for over a mile.  Greg pulls up beside me and tells me to be ready to jump on them if they stay in high gear.
    As the lead riders jump for the line, there is a gap created between them and the field.  Tom, sensing a breakaway, tears off for them to bridge us up to the leaders.  Just as he gets on their wheel, the pace drops while they try to catch their breath for the final push.  Now it's coming down.  We are at the back of the pack with one lap to go, exactly where we want to be.  As we take the last curve before the descent, Greg pulls in front of Tom and myself and leads us out around the entire group.  Working as a big train, we easily burst around the group with the sound of their shifting into bigger gears to chase us in our ears.

    By the bottom of the hill, Greg is totally spent from the effort and pulls off to let us around him.  Now it's Tom's turn to work.  But as Tom passes in front of me to break the wind up the fast climb, the rider from Owensboro tears between us and takes off for the top of the hill.  Tom stands on the pedals with all he has and pulls me to the top of the hill before pulling off and shouting at me to GO!   Now it is just me and the race leader.  Meters before the curve into the final straight, I see he is swinging a bit wide and see an opportunity to take the inside corner.  I yell out "On your inside!" But he immediately cuts to the inside and forces me to stay behind him.
    With 200 meters to go, it is all coming down to a sprint.   I latch onto his rear wheel and we both stand on the pedals.  This is a scenario that our team practices weekly, leading each other out and practicing storming around in a sprint for the line.  But this time it's not my teammate pulling me, it's a competitor.  Looking up for the finishing banner, I see it's even closer than I expected and with the sound of the leader shifting to his highest gear for the last push, I make my move.  With everything I have, I pull out of his slipstream and tear for the line.  The line comes up quickly as I move around him and burst for the finish.   As we roll under the banner, I look over and see that I've got it.  Winning by about a bike length.  Rolling away from the finish, many of the racers roll by and congratulate me.
    Pulling back into the bleacher area, the first order of business is to thank my teammates.  Greg and Tom who made the win possible while sacrificing their own chances to win for the sake of the team, but mostly for me.  This is where the team aspect of cycling differs from traditional team sports, where the whole ball team gets to share in the glory of the win.  In cycling, the sacrifice of the teammates is the most altruistic for they get little glory and do most of the work. Thanks again guys.
    The only downside was that I didn't get a chance to work with my son on the race course.  I found out after my race that Jeremy not only won his race, but again totally dominated the field from the start and won by over half a mile just as he did at the Bluegrass State Games.  Jeremy also won all the primes offered in his race.  It's hard to be humble when you've got such a great kid.  This father-son sweep was a day I will long cherish as my son grows into a teenager and chances to make memories like these dwindle.  We had a great time at the race and I would encourage anyone interested in giving road bike racing a try to give me a call.  It beats sitting on the couch hands down.

    Four members of the London Chapter of the Bluegrass Cycling Club made the journey to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky to enjoy a fall ride with our friend in Hyden, Greg Moore.  Greg had invited the group to attempt a 70-mile loop that would take over 5 major climbs with nearly 6000 feet of elevation gain.  The ride only promised to be very difficult, but it turned out to be beautiful as well.
    We met at The Bike Shop early Sunday.  With the time change, we were going to get a little extra sleep in preparation for the ride; and goodness knows, we were going to need it.  The members making the trip were Tom Bowden, Eddie Green, Elaine Bennett, and myself.  We were to meet Greg at the bank in Hyden, where he works as a loan officer, for a pre-ride equipment check and discussion of the route.
    Greg informed us that while planning our stops for water and lunch, he had learned that all of the stores along the first 50 miles of the trek would be closed.  As far as water and food, we were on our own.  We would have to carry all of our water and food until we reached Chavies.
    So, with our jersey pockets full of energy bars and our bottles filled, we headed off toward the first climb of the day... up a 1-mile hill on US 421 and Hwy. 80.  The climb came after 25 minutes and gave us very little time to warm up.   But at the top, we were all feeling pretty good and prepared for the descent.   This is what makes a long climb worth the work.  It's like standing in line for the roller coaster.  You may have to wait 45 minutes, but when the day is over, all you remember is the 2 minutes of excitement on the ride.  And yes, it's worth it!
    We soon turned onto Bobsfork Road.  This is a nice winding road that would carry us through a tunnel and ease us up toward the community of Sizerock.   We were to learn the origin of the name soon enough, as we pass through a valley and in the middle of a field stands a lone rock about the size of the Laurel County Court House.  I thought to myself, "That's a good size rock."
    But, the sightseeing would soon give way to staring up the road as we approached another major climb at Pance.  This is a place along the Clay and co-Perry county border and begins with a steep ascent that lasts for over 10 minutes.   We drop the chain into our lowest gear and grind away.
    When we reach the top, we stop momentarily to catch our breath and let any stragglers catch up.  Greg, who is very tall at 6'5" and 220 lbs., has the most body to drag up the hill, so he is usually the last man up.  But that sits well with the rest of us, because we can use the breather.  He informs us that we have a great descent ahead of us with curves and switchbacks, but to be careful and enjoy the ride because about 10 miles away is the real challenge of the ride... the 6 mile climb up Buckhorn Mountain.
     We try not to think about it as we take off for the bottom.  Rounding the first of several curves, we snake through the hollow down the freshly paved blacktop.  In the straight-aways, we reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour before setting up for the curves and hammering out of them like a stock car.   This will be my memories of the ride long after the soreness in my legs is gone.
    While making our way through the valley at Doorway on US 2022, we take time to check out the view.  Even though the leaves don't have the color of falls past, it is an absolute postcard.  The mountains, speckled with rock cliffs and covered in fall tones, are backdropped by a blue canvas of sky.  Everyone at some point on the trip comments about the wish for a camera.  Adding to the splendor is the temperature hovering around 70 degrees.  Couldn't have planned a better scenario.
    The road leading up to the junction of US 28 and 2022 is the most relaxing yet... as it follows the riverbed in a winding gentle roll to the base of the mountain.  But now it comes time to pay for the trip.  We approach the dreaded climb at Buckhorn.  We comment to Greg that no matter what the rest of the day holds for us, the previous miles were worth the effort.  After a brief rest and stretch at the closed store that was to be our lunch stop, we get ready for the ascent.   Before we leave, a young man stops by and gets out of his car with a handful of literature.  He is a local preacher and hands us flyers on how we can save our soul and choose the road to heaven.  We thanked him and he is on his way.  As I flip through the flyer, it only reinforces to me that I already live in Gods country and couldn't be any more blessed than I already am.
    Now the fun begins.  We ride approximately 3 miles before the grade starts to go up.  As usual, the mountain goats, Eddie and Tom, ease their way off the front followed by myself and then Elaine while Greg brings up the rear.   We churn up the hill that seems never-ending until, surprisingly after only 3 miles, we reach the top.  While we can't believe it, we are already at the summit.   It must have been the all-day dread that made the climb so easy.  But it wasn't to be as Greg rolls up to us and informs us that this is only the first reprieve and the rest of the climb will come shortly.  So, with a quick shot down the other side, we now see the rest of Buckhorn Mountain.  And yes, it's all we thought it would be.
     After about 15 more minutes of constant uphill churning, we pass a group of children playing on the side of the road.  They yell out to us, "Where are you going; where is all your stuff?"  We surmise that they must be accustomed to seeing loaded down bicycle tourist this time of year retracing the famous Bicentennial route that covers part of this ride.  Unfortunately, we are too out of breath to respond with more than a smile and wave.
    When we finally crest the top, we are relieved and eager to get back to enjoying the scenery rather than staring at the blacktop.  We make our way down the other side through Gays Creek and into Chavies.  Chavies is a little community about the size of East Bernstadt and is our first sign of commerce since the trip began.  The BP station offers us a chance to grab some lunch consisting of pizza and Little Debbies' before the final push back to Hyden.
    We are stiff and sore but still in good spirits as we take 451 toward Krypton and make a left onto the old Krypton Tollhouse Road toward Confluence.   This is a freshly resurfaced road that follows the river at Middlefork deep in the valley of the Daniel Boone National Forest.
    We cross bridges that have no guardrails and, according to Greg, don't even exist in the spring during the floods.  Now with only about 20 miles to go and no more climbs, we are relaxed and spent as we ride single file toward Hyden on US 257.  Our pace is up to 22 mph as we begin to realize our journey is closing.
    Pushing big gears, we switch off leaders to share the work and use up the last remaining gas in our fuel tanks.  The day has been fabulous and the company even better.  We plan to come back next spring, hopefully on a more regular basis to drink in the mountains and feed our spirits for the winter hibernation that our cycling often takes.  I know that any future rides in this area will have a lot to live up to.
    By the way, our winter cycling indoor program is still in progress.  If you are interested in getting in or maintaining your fitness over the winter, just call us at 606-877-BIKE or check out our training section on our web page at http://www.the-bike-shop.com/training.htm  

Coach Dave Grigsby