WINDY!!! That was the word for the day at El Tour de Tucson 2010! There is nothing cyclists like to hear less than "It's gonna be a windy day out there tomorrow with gusts up to 25mph." I swear I saw the Tucson weather guy smirking and that's why the cleaning lady at the hotel will find a Cliff Shot Block stuck to the TV screen right where his face was. I would rather climb hills than ride in a head wind. I got my new nickname "Wheel Sucker Saker" because I was glued to Dave's back tire the last 20 miles. At least the view was nice.
66 miles on my own bike this time and a lot slower. Dave had a tandem related injury and so I had to drop us down from the 80 mile ride to the 66 because I just wasn't ready to do 80 on my own. Forgot my inhaler and met another woman at a rest stop who forgot hers too so we wheezed, coughed and commiserated for a bit.
Our friends Ryan and Jen at the starting line
Dave and I at the starting line - notice how smiley and fresh we are!
1/4 mile river crossing
After a few hills. Notice my smile is not quite as big. Not so cocky now, eh Saker?
Yes, that's a unicycle. And his number indicates he's in it for the 106 miles. Respect dude, Respect.
Many thanks to the roadside cheering sections who made the ride fun.
At the finish. We placed 739 and 740 out of about 1300 riders in our category. I was more concerned with the small colony of fire ants that had apparently taken up residence in my shorts.
Here we are tired but happy with Dr. Jean Baruch, founder of Beads of Courage and her husband Mike Baruch.
Our friends Rebecca "Socks" and Scott. Rebecca rides a 40lb mean machine complete with a Toto totin' big wicker basket on the front. She has won the women's mountain bike category in the century ride several years in a row.
