Sobrero Has Krabbe-Like Experience at Bariani

Cat 4 masters racer has a very close call at last Saturday's Bariani Road Race. Here's the first-person recap:
First, 100 participants showed for Elite 4 race. Many teams of riders – not too many individuals. Get this, the race was 98% single lane only with strict centerline enforcement – making a tight 5-6 bikes across a single lane with dicey shoulders of pea gravel and such. 5 laps at about 10 miles a lap. Very intense as no where to pass easily and a bit of talk and arguments in the peloton, add to that it was very hard to drop a big amount of the group since there was not that much climbing – about 400ft per lap. Speeds where very high with an average of 25 miles an hour for 50 miles.

I stayed in the first 25 places through the whole race thinking strategy and surprisingly in the end had much energy to hammer down the straight away to the finish. As I hammered down the straight away I reached 36 miles an hour and was moving through to top 10 spots and feeling like I could have been top 5 – that’s where it all ended with the number 6-7 guys crashing and taking out about 20 bikers behind them including me at 36 miles an hour. Needless to say – broken shoulders and a lot of shredded skin amongst the grounded riders. Luckily I have bruised ribs, two nasty strawberries on each hip, sore shoulder, back, neck – well ..just about everything. Total bummer. Bent my shifters back in place, played with the chain and brakes to be able to roll – and soft peddled to the finish – likely bottom 10. Things can change quickly – although I was lucky – I can still ride a bike today. :)

I wont do that ride ever again unless they open the whole road – not worth it.