@Erika, you sure you want to trade in the winning jersey re:manufacturing error????

All my info is word of mouth.

If the officials wouldn't of called it on their own, why did they agree with the protest?  They wouldn't have. Adam certainly isn't above questionable contact and riding, and maybe this time he went over the line and got caught doing so.

Don't get drawn in to re-adjudicating the finish.  This isn't 'Nam, this is bike racing.  There are rules.

Anyone can protest. The officials weigh the merits and make a decision.  The officials decided the protest had merit.  If Adam doesn't like the official's decision, his problem is with the official, not Eneas.  And should take it up with the federation that certified the official and made the rules.  Further, it's cowardly of him to take to social media.  He had his opportunity to discuss with Eneas and the officials, and that's where he should have left it.

Is there a picture of you on the podium in that flying squirrel suit?

OK, let's start at mile 35.  So, been racing a while now.  Wasn't particularly struggling or tired at this point and as we hit another steep dirt climb I was happy at 3rd wheel.  One guy, first wheel, who put a bit of pressure down made a small gap.  I looked at this and thought that I didn't really see the need to follow.  That itself is a big deal for me as I an ride a little over aggressively if anything.  He gets a bit of daylight and decides to go for it.  I wasn't overly convinced he had the legs for it so let him have at it.  The relevance here is not that he went, but the the pace motorbike, rightly so, went with him.  That's important.  For any noobs who are unsure why, the reasoning is that there will be many times in a race (see later) where the field is simply unaware that someone is up the road, or how many are off the front.  If the pace car is gone, the is certain you have a guy up the road.  A good marker.  Problem is, just lets you know that someone or someones are up there, doesn't tell you how many.

Let's zoom ahead now to mile 55.  I am in a reduced peloton of ~30.  A couple of guys from my field have a gap that they had just made on Meeting House Road, perhaps 45 seconds ahead of the bunch I am in.  No idea how they made that gap as I was at the front on Meeting House, which we had just climbed, keeping an eye on things.  At this point the group is going to shit.  There is no cooperation.  No-one wanted to do anything.   I tried with a couple of other guys to get some rotation going at the front to catch the two ahead.  No-dice.  Looking at these two ahead, I thought to myself that there is no fucking way I am rolling in with these goons for a potential 4th place (remember, one guy had got up the road early and was still not back).  I considered that there was still Stage Road ahead but figured what the fuck, I rated my chances of heading to there solo off the "front", getting up the climb on my own with enough of a gap that I could solo the last 5 mile run in.  So I went for it.  Rather have a crack, potentially fail, then come 20th then roll in with the group, 8 minutes down, hoping for a top ten.

I managed to get a great gap from my kick and after looking back, perhaps expecting one or two of the more motivated guys to try to go with, I was alone.  Off I went into a pretty strong cross/headwind (maybe not the best place to launch, eh?).  After a few miles I passed the first distance marker sprayed on the road proudly displaying 10km to the finish.  I must admit, I thought I was a bit closer to the end than I was when I jumped.  Oh well, thems are the breaks (could have checked my Garmin of course, but whatevs).  No-one in the history of science will ever understand the psyche of the amateur cycling peloton.  The bunch did the weirdest thing.  They chased me!  Why would a bunch, not interested in chasing 1st, 2nd or 3rd suddenly have issue with some dude going for 4th???  Oh god of cycling, do tell...  Irrespective, I was motoring along TT stylie, forearms on my handlebar, making good time.  I didn't look back after the initial jump.  No point, never going to help and I was committed at that point anyway.  Full gas to home.

I can see the two ahead, getting closer.  30 sec, 25 sec, at one point up Stage Road which was heading up solo (a cool experience by the way) I got to within 15 seconds as we crested the climb.  Damn, then on the run in on open roads, into a brutal headwind, they had the advantage as a group two-up.  Just couldn't catch them.  I went full gas but the wind was just not letting me have it.  I had already been solo for 10 km and didn't manage to close the rest, in fact they managed to pull out the final gap to me to ~30 seconds by the finish.  As I turned onto the finishing straight, I took my second glance back.  The chasing group were within 15 seconds of me.  After they wound up for the bunch gallop my final gap on the line to them was merely 6 seconds! I figured I lost a fair bit of time on the final solo effort into the headwind.  One guy later said to me on the finish line "Man if you had looked back just once, you'd have seen that for the last few miles we had you at 50 feet at our closest point, you'd surely have given up then."  True, that's why I didn't bother to look.  

After an hour I checked the results.  10th place, WTF. How did that happen?

Let's go back to mile 40.  We descend down a paved section with a steep wall of an off road section directly ahead.  At this particular point, this section of off-road climb is totally covered with the remnants of the earlier fields who had been dropped from their respective groups.  As we hit the climb it goes to hell with all the riders getting mixed together.  Thank you kindly for all the guys who enter the 40, 45, and 50+ groups for abiding by the 'when passed by your support car, keep over and stay right' rule.  Knobs.  And the argument that 'I paid my entry fee just like you' doesn't hold up.  Get over, your race is finished, coming 50th or 60th doesn't matter.

It's really hard to know who's who, and I started near the front so I even had a good view.  I was paying most attention to weaving between riders heading backwards as I moved up.  Really confusing.  As we crest the climb I see a small group I recognise from my field who hadn't been as held up as me.  I jumped over- I thought this was the lead group from my field.  Wrong.  Here is where a group of 8 had sneaked away in the confusion.  Up to this point in the race, after each successive hill our massive peloton (reg. closed at 145 the night before, so maybe we started with ~130 after no-shows) was losing 5-10 guys.  As our group was a little smaller I put it down to guys going back not forwards.  Now, remember the guy who went off a few miles earlier, taking the pace moto?  As the moto was already gone, I had no marker for additional guys getting off the front.  The pace moto was already ahead so it didn't ring alarm bells that it was missing.  Also, the field was smaller, but that figured, guys getting dropped, right.  Nope, apparently a small group snuck off and the two guys I was chasing later on when I went solo were actually part of that, hence I didn't see them leave on Meeting House.

It's a shame, if I had known that they were ahead, I would have gone full gas after them.  I had the legs for it as I did the last 13km alone in any case.  Just didn't realise.  By the time I went it was too late.  They had had enough time where the group was unaware that we were chasing more than our lone leader that they pulled out a sizeable gap.  I managed to almost catch two of them but not quite.  I even gambled on the lone escapee correctly, he was caught by some in this sneak move and didn't manage to hold it solo to the end.

Meh.  Did most things right but ended up 10th.  Even really happy with how I raced.  At the end of the biggest race of the year it's easy to ride super defensive and sit in.  At least I showed courage and was up for it. Oh well.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is how I went for a 13km solo move over the last climb at Battenkill for a 10th place finish.  How stupid is that.  I did, however, win $50 for my effort (Payout was to 10th place-last in the money.  Whoop).  In retrospect, probably easier ways to earn $50. 

Blah blah blah

First off I want to congratulate the team for some remarkable results!! And for everyone who lined up for this race. This race was by far the most difficult one I have ridden. Between the high winds, soft muddy roads, pot holes, and additional climbing this one was BRUTAL.

Dave, Jeff, and Niall, sorry to hear of your "F" up, but don't give up on this race. This is a one of kind race that pits you against the best riders in the toughest terrain. A true test of endurance, fitness, and mental toughness. Now on to the report...

Started the day off on the very front with my good friend Terry Batchelder. Last year I was the very last person : ). After exchanging pleasantries with the competition ( James Stafford, John Schwartz, and Russ Bogin) we're off. The pace stayed high all the way up to Perry Hill, this is where I lost position and drifted back to mid-pack. As we turned the corner leading into Juniper Swamp and began the climb 3 riders simultaneously fall down forcing the field to dismount. As I looked up 30 or so riders have managed to get away while the rest of us are floundering in the sand. I remount on hard pack and begin the chase. There are about 10 riders ahead of me and I manage to fall in with Russ Bogin (CRCA/Fouriclasse) and 2 others. This is where I burn a match and spent too much time in the front. 50 meters to go and my legs give out, Russ and the 2 others re-attach. I decide to chill and latch on to a lone rider and recover. Not too long we are joined up by 3 others, Sebaj Adele my arch nemesis being one of them. After some hard riding and a good rotation we re-attach with Russ's group. Left turn, another left and it's Joe Bean hill. Fcuk, we start the climb and the group begins to splinter. Russ is now pulling away and I am going backwards. I am now off the back as we begin the descent. Haha!! this is when the mud plays into my favor. I rocket down the hill and crash through the mud CX style and catch that group for good. Now I can recover. No one is working well in this group and that's when I decide to make an alliance with Nathan Morgan who looks strong. I tell him that I am going to try and keep this group together and not attack on Carney Cassidy given that we have 30 miles to go. He coops and we lead the group up the hill. For some inexplicable reason there is always one clown who needs to show off and prove he is stronger than the rest. This happens to be and English gentleman for no apparent reason who has to ride 30 to 40 feet in front of us the whole time. Go figure!! Anyway he didn't last. Ok, we're on the descent and into the flats and the group begins to work together. Oh BTW, Sebaj is gone : ) OMG, we can see the leaders. Someone from our groups yells, "let's get em" and dashes off on his own. WRONG!! with a little more than 2K to go to Herrington hill, I tell everyone to stay calm and save their powder for the hill. We hit the hill and we are now within striking distance of the lead group. CRACK!! Riders are falling off the back left and right from the lead group and mine. I dislodge from my group but run out of hill before I can get back with the leaders. I am now alone with 20 miles to go. Nathan manages to catch me and we decide to work together. From this point we are pacing each other well and riding smart. We are picking off guys from the lead group who have fallen off the back and making good time. With the final 4K to go we are now 7 riders going into the homestretch. Nathan and I armchair the others and let them drag us to the finish. Turn right sprint strong and take 3rd in the sprint. 34th place, I'll take it....

Kudos to OSMO nutrition. This is the very first time I did not cramp in this race. I'm ready to re-up on the pre-hydration. Good Sh$%*t!!!!