gila stage 1

i meant to write each day while i was in new mexico, but the host house we were staying at didnt have internet, and everytime we went to the coffee shop to use wireless there were so many people that the internet was reaaly slow.  but everything was pretty good, i figure ill make separate entries for each stage...forgot to add gila was a cat. 2 only race...and we started with a field of 62, but i think a few people pulled out every day

first stage was a 95mi point to point road race.  We went 30mi out of town on us 180 then did two laps of an 11mi circuit then kept going out 180 till we turned right and climbed up to the town of mogollon.  The ride out to the climb was flattish to rolling, a lot of long drags, but nothing selective, very straight.  a break got off early and everyone was pretty content to let it go, the first hr was pretty slow until we hit the circuits and it picked up a bit.  right after the first feedzone at mile 30 my rear skewer came undone, so i had to stop and make it better, then get back on.  Other than that the circuits were fairly uneventful, it got pretty hard on one stair step hill, but not too bad.  Once we left the circuits there was a lot of crosswind on us 180 the pack started going hard and it was in the far gutter for a while, it actually split a fair bit, but once it came off i think a lot of guys got back to the front group.  About 10mi later, people started telling my rear wheel was really messed up, it felt weird, but all i could tell was that it seemed out of true, but guys were telling me to get it changed so i went back and got a wheel change then had to get back on

as inspected later, the wheel (which was and old handbuilt tubular) was starting to come basically unbuilt, spokes were coming loose and it just wasnt holding toghether...bummer

once i got back on the gap to the break was low, a group of 8 went off the front and i didnt really have the legs to go with it...i tried to bridge about 10' later in t;he crosswind but i couldnt make it up.  the pack kinda shut down then, we hit the base of the climb, and it just blew apart, i went up as best i could...for 15th, it was alright, wasnt thrilled wasnt devastated, only part that was annoying was robin eckmann, another junior in the race passed me with ~1mi to go and put time into me