While half the team was out at Collegiate Nats in Colorado only 5 of us contested the Sterling Road Race. This is a hard 80 mile race that nearly always breaks apart. Today was no different. Adam got into the first break so, Tom, Tommy, Sam, and I could take a back seat for the first lap. On the "Wall" Adam came back and we worked to bring back the break. Tommy and Sam took turns getting into breaks for the next couple laps and watched the front attentively. Nothing was sticking.

Half way through, after many attempts, I got into a good break that stuck that included Mark McCormick. We rolled smoothly for 3 laps getting over 3 minutes on the field. A group of 8 riders bridged up to us, lead my Alec Donahue. I sat up for a moment on the back, at totally the wrong time. Alec, Mark, and Dan Cassidy slipped of the front and no one chased. I couldn't believe they let the 3 strongest guys roll off like that and I was sitting at the back, getting ready for it while it went. Duh!! I attacked the chase and got sooooo close, but my legs just said "you drank a little too much last night, buddy...it ain't gonna happen." On the last lap I went away with 2 miles to go and looked to be ensured a 5th or sixth place, but my legs froze up in the "Wall" finish and I ended up 11th. Not bad for someone who probably drank more than the entire peloton last night. Everyone else finished, while more than half the peloton dropped out.