By Gregg Senne, Alternate Deacon and Keeper of the Book of Sarcasm
This Really Happened.
Floyd (anchor):
Well, it a bit warmer here in Durango today for the start of the Edgemont Climb. It's in the 80's and there's a breeze coming out of the southwest. Perfect weather for a hill climb.
Lance (color):
That's right Floyd. Looks like our field of one is in pretty good form. Senne's been a bit behind in this season's training so it'll be interesting to see just how well he does.
Floyd:
There's the signal for the start. Senne's out on the course and accelerating onto the approach to the climb. Looks like he's resetting his bike computer and shifting up a few gears. He's doing about 15 miles per hour.
Lance:
While Senne settles in, let's review the course. It's a 784' climb over 3.16 miles to the crest at Edgemont. The course is divided into four parts. The first mile rises at about 3%. The second section starts the actual climbing at 7% for about 1 mile. There's a bit of flatter section at 2 miles and then starts the final leg of the climb at 8%.
Floyd:
If Senne's trying for a personal best today, he certainly has his work cut out for him. He's a bit behind in his training and there's virtually no help from the wind. Now we're at the start of the climb. There's a down shift. Looks like he's trying to carry his higher gears a bit farther up the hill than normal. Still in the saddle and keeping a good cadence.
Lance:
This has been a problem for Senne in the past. He hasn't always been as careful as he could with his choice of gears. Earlier today in a sprint to the finish, he was caught on his middle chain ring, which cost him a great deal of acceleration. Let's hope he doesn't make a similar mistake on this climb.
Floyd:
Right, Lance. The right gear and cadence is everything on the Edgemont Climb. Senne's on the 25 tooth and right about in the middle of the first climb. His cadence is up a bit and we can only surmise that he's trading torque for power and staying in the saddle.
Lance:
Right, Floyd. Too many riders stand up too early and give up power when they don't need the torque. Very smart move on Senne's part.
Floyd:
Senne's approaching the part of the first climb where it levels out just a bit. Let's see what his strategy is. Will he shift up to gain speed or put off a shift to recover a bit? He's at the crest. And there it is! He's shifted up and he's accelerating! Brilliant move!
Lance:
Great move on Senne's part! This sets him up for the flatter part in the middle of the course. He'll only need to shift up a gear or two to take full advantage of the flatter middle section. Will he take a drink here or wait for the flat? Floyd?
Floyd:
Senne's been known to take a drink here, but he usually pays a speed penalty. No, he's forgoing the drink! The bottle is in the cage and Senne's keeping the pressure on! Brilliant strategy! By keeping the pressure on he's set himself up for more acceleration on the flat.
Lance:
It's a broad sweeping corner and Senne's keeping up the pace. We're nearing the end of the first climb and it's anybody's guess at what he'll do. Will it be a recovery on the flat or more acceleration?
Floyd:
Senne's at the top of the first climb. He looking good here. There's the shift, one gear, and another! Senne's shifted up two gears! And he's out of the saddle! He's putting it all into accelerating on the flat! There'll be no recovery before the final climb!
Lance:
This is an extremely risky move on Senne's part. He usually takes a drink here and recovers a bit for the final climb. Let's see how he handles it. His cadence looks good. It looks like he has the reserves for the final assault.
Floyd:
We're almost to the 2 1/2 mile point and the beginning of the final climb. Senne normally shifts down a gear here to keep the cadence up. Let's see what he does. Does he shift? No! He's out of the saddle again! He's going to push those gears for as far as he can!
Lance:
Senne's taking a big risk here! With his abbreviated training schedule it will be interesting to see just how far this new strategy takes him!
Floyd:
So far, so good. He's riding well. It's anybody's guess just how long he'll stay out of the saddle. He's stretching the sprint. Normally, at this point he's in the saddle and on his lowest gear, but not today. There's the shift and Senne's back in the saddle.
Lance:
And it's probably a good thing. Dragging a sprint out for too long will only use up energy that's better spent in the saddle.
Floyd:
Wait! Senne's shifted up again! And he's back out of the saddle! Looks like he has the strength to keep the pressure on! This is highly unusual for Senne! Quite often he's in the saddle for most of the climb and over the crest. What does he have in mind? We'll just have to wait and see.
Lance:
Senne often picks out a point up the course to start and end sprints. Sometimes its a road sign or a tree shadow and he's fairly consistent in picking these points. Today it's completely different. We'll just have to wait and see how it works out for him.
Floyd:
There's the downshift to the lowest gear and he's back in the saddle. There's a few hundred feet left in the climb. Will he stay in the saddle?!
Lance:
How could anybody know? He's played this one so differently! And it seems to be working!
Floyd:
We're two hundred feet from the crest and he's looking pretty good! Wait! He's shifting up! Senne's shifting up way early! And now he's back out of the saddle! He's approaching the crest and taking full advantage of the diminishing grade! He's shifted again! He's shifted up again! Senne's shifted up and trying to trim every last second! He's at the crest, and still pushing hard! He's over the crest and reaching for the big chain wheel! Amazing! Let's see what the judges say about this. Is it a personal best? Elapsed time is 20:37. Not a personal record but still a good showing for this early in the season.
Lance:
He's tried a different strategy this time and it seems to have paid off well. It will be interesting to see how he improves his time over the coming months.
Floyd:
That's right, Lance. Edgemont is one of Senne's favorite climbs and I'm sure he's going to keep on giving it all he has to shave off the seconds toward a new personal best. Let's see if we can get a word or two from Senne about today's ride. How do you feel?
Senne:
I feel pretty good. I tried to stay in higher gears as long as I could. I'm getting a better handle on when to sprint.
Floyd:
Was there any point on the course where you felt you might have pushed too far?
Senne:
Not really. I felt like I could handle the gears.
Floyd:
I noticed you didn't take a drink during the climb. Is that something new?
Senne:
Yeah. I usually take a drink just to get rid of the dry mouth, but I didn't want to take the time today.
Floyd:
I see. Well, congratulations on your climb! Looks like you've made a lot of progress and are set to go even further.
Senne:
Thanks, Floyd. I think this will be a pretty good season.
Floyd:
There you have it. One man, one hill, and one hell of a lot of determination. This is truly cycling at it's best! That completes the June 1st Edgemont Climb. This has been Lance and Floyd for Velo Durango. Good-bye everybody!
Lance:
Good-bye!
Floyd:
Lance.
Lance:
What?
Floyd:
I'm supposed to do the sign off. I get the last word.
Lance:
You do? No, you don't!
Floyd:
Yes, I do. It's in my contract.
Lance:
What? That's bullshit! Why should it matter?
Floyd:
I matters because the contract says so. Why do you think I'm paying my agent 15%?
Lance:
15%? Buddy, you're getting ripped! So what if I don't get the last word, I'm paying 10%. Is the extra 5% worth it? I don't think so!
Floyd:
Are we still on the air? What?! Shit! Cut the mikes!
The End
