We saw David Z a couple of hours before the time trial and he was his usual non sequitur self, throwing out quotes from where I don’t know. When I asked where that quote he just dramatically told us was from, his reply, “Am I the only one who knows pop-culture?” Sometimes Dave you are.

The course was a tricky one with rolling hills throughout the course as well as a steep climb about less than three kilometers from the finish. With the exception of that hill, the racers could remain seated throughout the race, so it was good t.t. bike course. As expected, the conditions were hot and humid, but otherwise good. That day’s forecast had rain in the morning, but luckily we never had a drop.

The favorites were in the last ten riders to depart the starting ramp at The Cliffs, an exclusive housing community that caters to the golfers. As we sat on the final steep climb before the finish we could here Dave Towle’s booming voice over the P.A. calling out the finishing times. For a short while it was Jason McCartney in the lead. Then it was CSC’s David Zabriskie who split the finish line with the fastest time. Then we started to hear the splits of defending t.t. champion, Chris Baldwin, and they were looking good. But with about 300 meters to go to the finish, he over-cooked a turn and stacked it into a shallow ditch at the side of the road. And with that, Baldwin knew his chance of winning the first professional time trial jersey was gone. At the press conference Baldwin was philosophical and said he had no one to blame but himself. He had only pre-ridden the course once the day before on his road bike and didn’t anticipate that final turn at the speed he was carrying. But finishing 32 seconds down on one of the fastest time trialers in the world is a solid finish.

David Zabriskie as expected had some good quotes. When told that other riders had thought that the final three kilometers were too technical, his response, “Whaa, whaa, whaa. The road has turns and you have to deal with it.”

It will be good to see the first professional time trial jersey racing in Europe.

ROAD Magazines Diet Day Two:
Morning: Coffee and blueberry muffin
Lunch: Bottle of water
Dinner: Two free beers, low country grits and shrimp, fried okra, cookies and cream cheese cake