La Prima Vera @ Lago Vista

Here is a sneak peak of what is coming to The Racing Post. My write up from the second day of La Prima Vera at Prima Vera. 

The game of Blackjack yields many different odds. The immediate House advantage is 0.5 - 8%, with the probability of hitting a natural blackjack ~4.8%. Being dealt a hand of 16 is supposedly the worst hand in the game. The odds of busting if you hit on 16 are 62%, but a dealer must stand 17 or higher, so the only way for you to win is for the dealer to bust, or take your chances on hitting.

What started as an average hand with promise developed into a situation of mixed results/ emotions/ outcomes. I was dealt a hand of 7 when I attacked on the first lap of the 80-mile Prima Vera at Lago Vista Road Race on Sunday. 7 isn’t a bad hand to draw, but not exactly the best. I wasn’t planning on attacking then. But, with the field going so slow up the first steep section of the climb I just decided to ride my own pace. Tyler Jewell (Elbowz) followed me and I decided to hit my 7, investing some energy in the move, dealing myself a 2.

A few hundred meters later Andrew Gonzales (Elbowz) also joined. Hit. Dealer throws me another 2. I figured having two Elbowz guys with me would eliminate the possibility of the same organized chase that doomed me at Pace Bend. At the top of the climb we found Christian Helmig (Elbowz) chasing our group from a recently decimated group of three. Hit. Dealer throws me a 4. I’m now at 15, right on the cusp of standing and seriously flirting with the opportunity of busting. Helmig gets on and we power down the back-side increasing our advantage on the peloton.

Everyone was working and rolling through nicely and efficiently. It was going to be a long day. The second lap of the day was our fastest, clocking in around 13:18. The group rolled nicely for the next 50 miles or so, a few groups coming tantalizingly close to connecting but never materializing. I knew my two Mercy Cycling teammates would do all they could to either sit on a move that bridged up to my group, or foil any attempts to do so by others.

At the top of the climb with somewhere around 5 laps to go, our group saw Heath Blackgrove bridging solo. Naturally, his teammates waited and, being in the situation I was in, waited as well. From here on out I just had to judge my efforts and do enough work where Elbowz wouldn’t want to attack me out of the group. Blackgrove was the ace in the hole that gave this early move the power to avoid being caught, but at the same time, putting me in a bad situation, 16.

The next few laps were smooth. I did not exactly know how to handle the situation and began to ponder the odds of victory. There was little, if no chance of winning. Today, I was sitting at a blackjack table facing four dealers. The odds were in no way favorable to me. 

With less than a lap to go I heard Blackgrove and Helmig talking behind me, probably discussing how to annihilate me in the coming ~7 km climb. On the climb, I decided to hit. I was going to gamble that I could drop two of them on the climb. The dealer gave me a 3 and I am at 19. I attacked about halfway up the climb and got a gap. Heath waited with Jewell and Helmig on his wheel. I tried to put in another dig to separate Gonzalez as much as possible. Blackgrove kept Elbowz organized and they caught me about 1.5km from the top of the climb and powered past. Gonzales caught me, and later out sprinted me to claim 4th place for his team. This was the point in the game where Elbowz drew two face cards, solidly beating my 19. Elbowz went 1-4 on the day and I gambled away a probable 4th place spot in exchange for a 5th. Elbowz had an amazing ride. They are a strong, organized, respectable team with a lot of skilled firepower. Congrats guys.

I would like to personally thank the Sponsors of Mercy Elite Cycling. My first race on State wheels went amazing and the wheels were super-fast. Trek Stores and Mercy Hospitals, thank you for your continued support. Like our Facebook page!