When Big Tex (Austin), Brem-diesel (Alex), and myself decided to sign up for this past weekend’s Freedom Tour in Sterling, NJ, we considered it an excellent opportunity to get in a little intensity, win some decent money ($2K purse), and kick a little butt at a local race devoid of the powerhouse squads we’d been racing against as of late.  Apparently, a bunch of other very fast guys had exactly the same idea.

We rolled out of my place in Metuchen and pedaled a reasonably pleasant (if not warm) hour over to Sterling, only to find the likes of Shane Kline (Bissell), Jackie Simes (Jamis Sutter Home, recent winner of the Capital Crierium), Edwin Bull (Van Dessel), Mike Chauner (Pelotonia), the Burrowes brothers (We Stand United), several fellows from the AXA Equitable squad, and – oh yeah – what appeared to be a good chunk of the New Zealand National team.  Oh boy.

Despite the stiff competition and sizzling heat, our trio stuck to the plan of racing aggressively from the gun and hunting the breakaway, which has had a history of success at this event.  Only 60 minutes long, the field, too, was eager to pedal in anger from the get-go.  The three of us made sure to keep one another in sight, follow the promising attacks, and launch our own efforts when the timing was appropriate.  Though each of us ended up in small groups that opened daylight on the main field, the high pace an pan-flat course kept everything together with around a quarter of an hour remaining.

At about 7 laps to go, Simes instigated a vicious attack out of the first corner, quickly opening up a gap on the field and dragging out several other dangerous riders.  Well-positioned to respond, I made my effort to bridge the still manageable gap.  Ever-attentive, Austin was making his own way up the other side of the field.  We briefly made eye contact, and in the wield, twin-like telepathy we have developed over several seasons of racing, agreed without speaking that I was in a better spot to make the effort and connect to the group.

As I latched onto the half-dozen that now comprised what seemed to be the winning move, we wasted little time in motoring away from the peleton.  A trio of riders managed to bridge up after I, and the nine of us quickly opened up a seemingly insurmountable lead on the field.  With Simes, Kline, Bull, Jermaine Burrows, and Chauner all in attendance, I played my cards close and was careful not to put myself into any kind of deficit in order to manage what was going to be a difficult finish.

With 2 laps to go, Bull launched a solo bid for victory.  With all eyes on marked-man Simes, no one seemed interested in responding.  The subsequent lap was spent playing more games than pedaling, and the field rapidly ate away at what had been in monstrous lead.  Finally, with about a Km to go, Simes opened up his own move, which the remaining seven were more willing to chase.  With serious turns from Mike Marguerite (AXA equitable), we brought both Simes and Bull to within grasp going into the last corner.  I prepared to open my sprint up, though Bissell’s Kline beat me to the punch and came out of the turn screaming.  I spooled my own turbo, quickly left the remainder of the break, passed Simes, and had my sights on Kline – who was rapidly overtaking Bull himself.  Both Kline and I, however, ran out of runway, as Bull heroically managed to hold his advantage to the finish and I just failed to catch the Bissell rider ahead of the line.

Having played our cards well and made the podium, the three of us – now joined by my fiancee and and indefatigable team supporter/savior, Carrie – made our way back to Metuchen, resplendent in our cerulean kits, only to have our parade quite literally rained upon.  We persevered through the summer shower, arriving home damp but contended.  And hungry.