Stage 2 + TT

Onto the skinny tires. Big climbs. Lots of gravel. Lots of steep gravel. Massanutten looms large.

Peleton rolls swiftly. I experiment with where best to slum, off the front or back?

Off the front offers a better view, so that's where I spend most of the day, trying to regulate the gap and use my mo to flow. Couple times out of sight around the bend, sit up and relax and they show themselves soon enough. Two quick out-n-back miscalculations pad the mileage up close to 80 over the 6ish hour spin. The KOMs hurt. Me in the sprint? kidding yourself. Somehow managed to work the 40:15 up the Nutt with just 6 or so steps alongside the bike, only one single dismount in some rim deep tractionless gravel between patches of tarmac on the mtn road. Turns out to be my only walkage/stoppage on the road fixy for the Tour. Rolled ahead down off the resort side and experienced from the outside the rolling party atmosphere that is le Tour as I waited for snapshots. You hear the conversations well before seeing the peleton. Like a chattering buzz of bees cruising down the road, it comes at you like a crowded social party scene in a tight room, abuzz and lively one moment, then whisking away quickly on the whir of freewheels back to country road stillness and quiet.New Market Gap was fun, watching the race unfold, giving a pull at the base with the big dogs (JB, Sam, Todd & Bryan), then seeing sweet descending skillz as I slummed down the backside at 22.3mph.

Long parade and a sprint back to town before readying up for the evening TT.

For the evening TT, the Rocktown Trails are superb. Rippin' good time over exposed ledges and shoulders and twisty tight flowing tree fun. A quick & smooth blind run on the clock netted me an official fixy course record, besting Trevhoor by a scant 3 seconds. Luigi's pizza buffet sealed the deal and the day was done.

Ping Pong was again the evening recovery activity. Fatigue begins to show.