Stage 3
Yep, another shitty day at the TdB '07.
KOM Todd up in Red, Reubane in the Sprint Jersey.
Ouch, sort of halfway thru this Tour, 4 stages in the books. 3 to go. But, of the four, two only total all of 45ish minutes. The final three will be 6+ hours, 8 hours & 6ish hours respectively. So, not quite over the hump yet. Stage 3 has been my nemesis, my kryptonite. I don't care where it is, or how it happens, I have a history of catastrophy on Stage 3. But this year might be different cuz I'm not really 'racing.' I'm just trying to get thru it, regulate my efforts, not walk my road bike, not DNF and hopefully not be DFL..... Very simialr to when I first started coming to the Tour 5 years ago.
Today's mtn stage is hard, the fabled Massanutten Ridge.
Home of the legendary Death Chute, this ridge has sent rockstars packing, breaking bones and bringing grown men to tears. I just need to get it done. Last year I had a serious meltdown on the final timed portion. A just get me off this fucking bike, let me sit here with my head in my hands, do I fucking look ok??? type of meltdown. Two years ago, I came apart dropping into WV off of High Knob and almost DNF'ed with a not quite broken hand due to a dab into the rocks. Stage 3 usually isn't kind to me. A newish route selection this year might help out though.
We start with a coast-off from the cars (which I lose by default), then pick up Mass Trail headed north on some incredible holler ridin' fixy flow lovin' singletrack before a stout push up to the ridge for some sweet gnarly techy love. 
After the refuel, a parade to an unexpectedly gnargnar KOM took the hero out of some of le peleton, but all was eventually forgiven over sandwiches in Fort Valley. Took another parade climb flyer to the neutral rollout onto the final timed ridgeline back to the cars. No meltdown this year! I tempered my output and kept it all together, for once. The old 2:1 put me nearish the front, so I had some good times grooving with buds as they rolled thru before drifting back to new faces and riding partners. Rode the rocks like I knew how before giving up even more time in a vain attempt to secure the SuperDFL title. Stage 3 was finally nice to me, good times indeed! Only lost the front brake once on the final dh and kept things together across the flowy bottom section. Unfortunately, Travisimo didn't, and he took a handlebar to the ribs, his Tour now in doubt.
After the refuel, a parade to an unexpectedly gnargnar KOM took the hero out of some of le peleton, but all was eventually forgiven over sandwiches in Fort Valley. Took another parade climb flyer to the neutral rollout onto the final timed ridgeline back to the cars. No meltdown this year! I tempered my output and kept it all together, for once. The old 2:1 put me nearish the front, so I had some good times grooving with buds as they rolled thru before drifting back to new faces and riding partners. Rode the rocks like I knew how before giving up even more time in a vain attempt to secure the SuperDFL title. Stage 3 was finally nice to me, good times indeed! Only lost the front brake once on the final dh and kept things together across the flowy bottom section. Unfortunately, Travisimo didn't, and he took a handlebar to the ribs, his Tour now in doubt.Political statement.
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