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<P class=MsoNormal style=“FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif”>Sunday Nov. 26th

The start time temp was said to be 108 F.





The race rolls off to a very tame start for Caribbean standards. I am so used to the US criterium-style sprint starts in races in Trinidad and Tobago.



About three laps later (10 minutes or so) another rider makes a move and catches me.



Maybe not the smartest thing—but then I didn’t have the goal to finish an 80 km road race anyway!!



The next day I wondered around doing tourist stuff. Taking some pics of amazing beaches and buying souvenirs.







Lastly: Thanks to Douglas Lincoln for believing in me and talking me back to cycling at the level I know I can still do.

<P class=MsoNormal style=“FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif”><SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">Saturday Nov. 25th

<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">The velodrome in <SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">Barbados<SPAN ;="" black="" arial=""> in very nice as compared to others in the <SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">Caribbean<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">.



<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">My second event was a 1000m Scratch race. A little too short for me—but I know how to ride these on a big track. Stay out of the wind—but keep the pace rolling. When its time to go….GO with everything you have and hope to place well.



<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">I line up first and get the pace rolling right away.

I realize that these boys can finish better than I can—so I am very aggressive but smart. Chasing down attacks and getting ready for more. Caribbean Cycling Championship gold medalist Philip Clarke (<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">Barbados<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">)
made a very strong move halfway.


I bridge up to him and work a little – but was really trying to save something for a sprint. I have read about Clarke on the internet so I know he is “the goods” as they say.

<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">Coming into the bell we have about 300m lead as no one else was able to chase across to Clarke. I sit on out of the wind as we hit the backstretch. At 250m to go—I make my move…FULL GAS! 150m to go we are shoulder to shoulder sprinting it out to the line.



<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">After I catch my breath, I realize that I am back <SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">

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<SPAN ;="" black="" arial="">I sit in the fist half of the race letting Clarke control what he wants to do. Everyone was watching the white guy watch the big man.



<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Back into the surreal world of International cycling.

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>One more trip for the year. One last chance to make right a year where so many things have gone wrong for me.

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>First I must thank everyone in the Forde family. Without the help of Barry, Heather, Colin and Jason—this racing trip wouldn’t have happened.

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Another big-up goes to Ian McLean of T&T. I stayed in a lovely small villa with Ian, his son (and future star sprinter) Haseem, Jonathan Rollins and Ako Kellar –all of T&T.

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>After the usual 17 hours of packing, driving, flying, I arrived in hot and humid <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Barbados<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>.

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>I was very pleased and impressed at the welcome Mrs. Forde and the rest of the <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Barbados<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial> Cycling <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Union<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial> put out. I am no stranger to cycling in the <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Caribbean<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial> – so I kinda expect things to run at a much more confusing and slower pace than here in the States.

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>I get settled in at the villa and try to sleep.

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Thursday Nov. 23rd (US Thanksgiving <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Holiday<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>)

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Next day I wake up to rain.

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Lots of hot tropical rain.

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>I build up the road bike and set off around <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>noon<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial> hoping to get in a little stretch of the legs the day before the track events. About 10 mins into the ride—rain, Rain then RAIN!

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>It seems that the whole island was flash flooding—not fun.

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Really hope we don’t have the track events rained out!! That would suck!

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Guess what happened on Friday??

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Friday Nov. 24th

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>Yep – rain.

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>So-after a few rain delays—the Bajan Fed decides to start Saturday morning @ <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>9 am<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial> and run all day and night to get most of the program in.

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>OK—now try to sleep? No, Ako and I found our way to a nice nightspot where some friends of his were supposed to meet us. <SPAN lang=EN-CARRIBEAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial>


Harbour<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: " Black?;? Arial> Lights is a very cool club with good tunes, a mix of tourists and locals, and a dance floor that opens up right to the beach.

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I have space for a few more riders for the Barbados GP!



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