We had a slightly lower turnout than expected for the Controle Freak 300, but the weather did not disappoint. Eight riders started in the sunny, slightly chilly morning for the first highway section to where the fun begins. We had some tailwind, and the three fast guys soon disappeared into the distance. Ian was a little too fast, and incurred a ten minute time penalty for passing through the first control before it officially opened. We should all have this problem. Wayne tried to hold on to Ian for a while, but, as he told me later, the only time he got to rest was when he was taking a pull. I passed Craig at the base of Jade Mountain when he pulled off, and spent the rest of the ride expecting him to catch up, as there is no way I can match his speed. He must have been enjoying the beautiful scenery though, as he remained a few minutes behind me for the rest of the ride. Wayne learned the important lesson (as most of us have at some point) of always knowing where your control card is. I retrieved it on the first climb up Kault Hill, and met him climbing the other side searching for it. Then he disappeared into the distance again.

At Armstrong we were met with a strong headwind, which plagued us for the next 60- 70 km (felt longer), and at least one rider found he had paced himself for the 300 km of tailwind we had last year. Yeah, I was pooped. The Coke and chocolate espresso cookies at the Sorrento control (conveniently located at my house), combined with the return of the tailwind, got us through to the finish. All riders finished in good spirits. Mike and Connie are one step closer to qualifying for the Rocky Mountain 1200, and as a bonus, got to ride the Armstrong to Mara portion of that route. See you at the 400.

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May 15, 2016