I knew something was wrong with the crank or free hub so I stopped. My cassette would not spin back and was impossible to move with my hand. The leaders stepped on the gas. I just put my head down and went into solo tt mode for a half hour chasing thru the single track using every decent to hang it out. Got to the first aid station, I got a rear wheel by it too locked up?? What the. (later found out the bolt for the Der. hanger backed out and was rubbing the cassette) I jumped on the back up bike 29R and took off like a bat out of hell. The huge climb up the Colorado trail was built for this bike. I caught and passed Ben who was having a moment. By the top I caught Ross Schnell just in time for a huge ripping 15 min decent. I was cutting and slicing the turns I was on it! Ross and I reveled in the sweet trail.
The 2nd to last big climb I could see Shriver up ahead and dug as deep as I could, I had been chasing as hard as I could for 2 hours! I was motivated by my catch but thought Toast and AG where long gone. We started and single track climb on gold hill and, Whoa!! There they are the leaders! I was stoked to get back on. We dropped some more sick trail to the French gulch road. Shriver and Toast doing all the work. ( they where pushing to get more time on Ben)
Alex and I attacked hard and starting putting more time on our rivals. That last decent was like a fume roller coaster and the bottom has some sweet berms. Alex rolled in just in front of my but I got what I worked so hard for. Another day in the leaders jersey. Alex and I are not tied for the lead!
Tomorrow is going to be a bitch. 9.000 ft and 44 miles. The circumnavigation of Mt Guyot see if I can have a smoother go.
Stay tuned.
Jeremiah
posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 10:13 PM 
