So I started the day in the yellow jersey, which was awesome. The stage was a “flat” stage, with only 1 KOM. The temperature was 97 degrees when we started, and it felt like riding in a hair dryer. This was the first race I have ever started with four bottles and eight gels.

The race started with sick attacks from the gun. Finally a group of 3 rolled off the front and we set tempo at the front for literally 55 miles. It was totally miserable. I never went further back than fourth wheel and nobody aided in the chase. Miserable.

There was a pretty hard climb about 10 miles from the finish. The team that previously had the yellow jersey just attacked and attacked, along with a few others who sat on for the previous 3 hours. A group of four got away. My friends were gone and everybody just sat on me as I set tempo. The field was maybe at 15 at this point.

I just went as fast as I could to keep my group together and got last in the group. I fell back to second by 30 seconds or so.

Long hot day. Thanks go out to my friends who worked for me, including Bad Andy, who is actually from Washington PA.

Related posts:

1. Tour of Ohio stage 3.
2. Tour of Ohio Diary. Days 1 and 2.
3. Tour of the Valley Registration Sale Saturday

Tags: cummings | diary | ohio | report | stage race | steevo

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