This past Saturday was the 25th edition on the original Tour De Donut. I have been involved with it since moving to Illinois in 1993. The only year I missed it we where in Florida for a gymnastics competition.
This years course was the same as last years. Start in Staunton to Mount Olive to Eagerville back to Staunton. The volunteers did a great job as usual. Almost every intersection had a couple of road marshals keeping us safe. Many of these volunteers also were ringing cowbells.
This year was the first time I decided to only take one water bottle. I would regret that around mile 23.
This was also the first time I used my Dodge Charger to get to Staunton.
Little did I know that driving this car would effect my office race result. Like last year we had a timing chip at the bottom of our race numbers.
I always ride with my cars FOB (remote) in my center jersey pocket.
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| This cost me about 40 minutes |
I didn't think placing it there would matter. My brother Gary and I had a great time during the race. He comes up from Austin Texas every year (at least since 2008) just to ride the TDD. I let him borrow my 2nd string bike.(a 1999 Cannondale Cad 3 R 1000)
Since he weights about 65lbs less that I do, I don't even try to keep up with him. He is also use to riding the hills around Austin which make the TDD course feel flat to him.
I was ahead of Gary when we got to the first donut stop in Mount Olive. Once we left this stop I wouldn't see him again until the second donut stop in Eagerville. A couple of miles after getting back onto Route 66 I see a cyclist down in the road. I slow down to make sure it isn't Gary. As I approach the downed cyclist I hear another rider I know named Gary Wilkening tell me to keep going. Gary Wilkening has stopped racing to help this cyclist. This is the most selfless act I see all day. He gave up any chance he had of a fast finish to help a fellow cyclist. (Gary W. is a part-time EMT)
We find out later that the cyclist broke his shoulder while crashing. Our biggest fear in this race is being hurt in a crash. Any time you put 1500 cyclist in a race, the start is going to get a little scary.
While at the 2nd stop we top off our water bottles and I decide I better drink more before the finish. My brother Gary has waited for me to finish my donuts in Eagerville and we take off together. About 1 mile after this stop we began a short downhill. I hear a rattle and look down to see my only water bottle go flying off the road. I decide to stop and look for it. Someone behind me has seen the bottle and tells me I might as well get back on the bike since my bottle had gone over the ledge. The bottle decided it should take a swim in Bear Creek.
I don't see Gary again until the finish. Coming though the finishing shoot I notice that no one takes our timing chips off our race numbers. After cooling down and then putting the bikes back into our cars we decide to try and find my brothers friend Mike Bahr. A couple of minutes later Mike comes in. We notice it has been about 30 minutes since I finished. Walking towards Mike we see a bin to put our timing chips in so they can deduct see how many donuts we have eaten. We get 5 minutes off our times for each donut.
After returning home I decide to look up the race results online. Fleet Feet Sports race results 2013 Tour De Donut
I know I finished in around 2 hours. I can't find my results. Eventually I decide to keep looking . They have my time posted around 2:43. How can that be? It is then that I realize the timing chip must have been interfered with by my car remote (FOB)
The moral of this story: Be sure you have your water bottle secure if you only bring one and be careful where you put your car FOB (remote).
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