The time I was in the breakaway with Paris Roubaix rider Henk Vogels

Rural, front range Colorado. Spring 2000.

There are plenty of rolling, windy road races in Colorado in the spring. These races require a knowledge of riding in echelons and plenty of gutter groveling to be able to have a place in the line to stay out of the wind. This is something I learned the hard way on the wet, windy roads of Belgium. 

Often the difference comes down to knowing the right place to be at the right time. In other words, seeing how the wind will change as the course twists and turns.

And, of course, being Colorado, even local races are a who's-who of American pro cycling.

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I rolled up to the Weld County road race that spring and rolled my eyes as I got out of the car. It was windy.

Again. 

We had 60 miles of wind, echelons, and suffering ahead of us. 

My very young team mate climbed out of the passenger seat. He was considered to be massively physically talented and promising but, inexperienced. We on the team had seen him make some pretty serious mistakes and give up real chances for success.

It was time for him to deliver on the promise he had shown. My job for the day was to stay paired with him and escort him around the field, give him tips and tricks: Be on this side of the pack, follow that wheel, eat now, etc...

As we registered and then went back to the car to change, we saw the usual array of local Colorado big hitters. Former euro-pro Henk Vogels, current US star Scott Moninger, a local. And many others. My team mate looked at me and mouthed "Oh sh*t!" I told him that, at this point racing in the spring, we'd seen all their tricks. When you race and train week in and week out with these guys, some of the mystique wears off. 

(Scott Moninger)

The race started fairly tame with a head wind. On a 4 corner circuit like this, that meant that the wind would shift directions with every turn; head wind, cross-wind, tail wind, cross wind. There were gonna be echelons and a lot of guys weren't going to make it. With motorcycle refs enforcing the yellow line rule, there was only going to be room for so many riders in each echelon. 

As we approached the first turn, I told my young team mate to be on the left side of the pack so he could be sheltered after we made the turn. I put myself in the right place and as we swung around the turn the hammer dropped. The pace went up to 30mph instantly and I put my head down and gutter groveled fighting for a sheltered wheel for the next 10min, when I finally had a moment to look back, we were gone. I was the last man in what was apparently the breakaway. In the group were Vogels, Moninger, another local cat 1 like me, and 2 others. My team mate had not made the group. 

With the pros in the group I knew it would not be an armchair ride to the finish. I fought hard and over the course of the next few laps the gap went up. At one point Moninger flatted and the pace slowed as Vogels felt it was the right thing to slow down and allow him to get back on. Once he was back on we resumed warp speed. We dropped one guy and it was 5 of us coming into the last lap. With a group that small we rode a sensible echelon on the crosswind sections and rolled through on the headwind and tailwind sections. On the last lap I came off in the last few miles in the crosswind. I was fraying and my legs were toast. After rounding the last turn the rest of the guys sat up a little to start playing cat and mouse, I rode my ass off and got back on. But, right as I did the sprint began and I just held on for dear life. 

Last in the breakaway wasn't my best moment, but 5th in a road race of that distance with those competitors felt like a real achievement. 

I tell this story a lot to younger cyclists as it's a real example of having success in a race not by being the strongest but, by knowing where to be and when. Being in the right place at the right time enabled me to make that group. 

Hope you enjoyed!

-Hugh