May 7, 2003 - Diablo Junction 16 miles

Another Wednesday night ride. It was cool enough to keep my jersey zipped up all the way but not cold enough for a jacket. I ate way too much lunch - spaghetti and pizza, and I really felt sluggish most of the ride. I started with Nicole and JB and by the lower washout it was just me and JB. I kept getting ahead of him but he always caught up. Mark A. of Diablo Cyclists (and also my neighbor) passed us both going easlily twice as fast as we were - he's a very impressive climber. Adam caught up to us both near the lower ranch and even he said there was no way he could keep up with Mark. I worked with Adam and got a big gap on JB again but couldn't keep up the pace more than a mile or so and JB passed me up just below chainbuster. Junction time was 42'07". Adam finished a minute or so before me and he had turned around to meet up with me so we could have a little sprint to the line; he nipped me by the width of a tire!

At the Junction were several Diablo Cyclists including Mark and the guy who was the captain for Team in Training who had come up the South Gate Road without any team! He said they were all no-shows. One guy who I see a lot up there recognized me and knew that I was riding a new bike - he said "That's not your Merckx." I told him that my Merckx was now my foul-weather bike. Anyway, I had to turn around a little early to be home by 7 o'clock because Amy had an appointment with a personal trainer at the club.

e-mail me - let me know you've been here! DiabloScott@terra.es