2/11/2012
TDPS
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


I always look forward to the Tour De Palm Springs. It is one of the best supported century rides we do. So I was not surprised when I learned that several riders from our club were planning on doing the ride. My plan was to stay on my diet and to ride my own pace for the whole ride, or just have fun as they say. We were all supposed to meet at Starbucks in Hemet and then car pool and caravan to Palm Springs at 4:45 in the morning. As we left Starbucks Huntress, Wolf and I were in my truck with Sea Lion, Blood Hound, Highlander, Centaur, Phoenix and two of their family visiting from Pennsylvania following us. When we got to Palm Springs we moved to where we planned to form up and were joined by D’Artagnon.


It was almost 6:30am and the first group was getting ready to start when I got a call from Back draft saying he and Gazelle were on the way. I wanted to get the group to wait but once they let the first riders go they were a bit like trying to herd cats and so I told them to leave and I waited till the last two riders arrived. At that point the chase was on and my plan for the first stage went out of the door. I tried to pull Back Draft and Gazelle up to the group as best as I could but after about two miles going up Indian Canyon we ran into a cross wind. Here is where the men, and women, were separated from the boys and girls. People started to abandon the ride way before we got to Garnet. People were being blasted by wind and sand and some looked to be leaning about 15 to 20 degrees into the wind. People were even getting off their bikes and walking over the dry wash to keep from being blown over. Back Draft and I blocked for Gazelle as best as we could and arrived at Garnet together. The left turn however was dead into a hard head wind.

I passed Centaur and Blood Hound just before we made the turn and Phoenix wasn’t far ahead of them. I spotted Huntress and started to gain on her. Once I caught her I noticed Highlander about a quarter of a mile in front of us. I lost sight of him till we crossed Wall at the freeway and hit the first little hill on Worsley. I could just see his jacket as he topped the climb and pulled to the first camera shot at 7:30. I started to fall back because I lost contact with Back draft and Gazelle and Huntress pulled away. I watched her turn on Pierson about 300 yards ahead of me and I was about 100 yards ahead of Back Draft. When I got to the turn myself I was relieved to see a long smooth downhill with a cyclists dream, a tail wind. I took off for the first SAG stop where we regrouped at least in part before heading off again.


Highlander, Sea Lion, Huntress, Blood Hound, Centaur, Phoenix and I took a quick break and got ready to get back on Two Branch Palms. Highlander got a bit of a jump on us because he took off to check in with his wife who was driving one of our SAG vehicles. As I left to try and catch him I noticed Attack Cat pulling into the SAG stop. That was the last time I saw him that day. Huntress checked in with her Husband, John and made arrangements to meet him at the next SAG to take off our extra arm and leg warmers.

When I got back on the road I noticed Highlander’s wife, Randy, pulling away from the curb and Highlander was nowhere to be seen. I decided to give chase and soon saw him pulling up to a stop light ahead of me. I was going to have him wait for the rest of the group but D’Artagnon and Wolf were already well ahead of us and there was no real reason to stay together because there were so many cyclists we could hardly miss a turn on the new course. We still had a bit of a tail wind and the weather was warming up.

So far my diet wasn’t hurting me and I was well hydrated and fueled with shot blocks, sports beans, and Cliff Bars. We had to make a turn to go through a housing tract to get some miles back from the loss of the original climb to Dillon but we ended up coming back out onto Dillon not far from where the big rollers start. Then just as we got going good to my surprise we came to another SAG stop. I learned later on they put it in so that anyone that missed the first turn or misread the map would have food and water before heading for the TA truck stop. I stopped and shed my arm and knee warmers and Highlander took off heading for the rollers. I took off after him and within a mile or two Huntress and Sea Lion caught me. After the first hill Huntress caught a draft with a long pace line and dropped the hammer on Sea Lion and I.

The wind was still at our back as I started down the first hill after the rollers and I got a jump on Sea Lion. Highlander and Huntress were well out in front of me but I was still keeping my own pace and enjoying the ride. As we started up the hill on the last roller on Dillon a got past by a big rider and he looked like he was intent on making up some serious distance on a group that had just past us. Think of my quandary, a long downhill, good person to draft, a tail wind and my legs felt strong. So, yes, I dropped onto his back wheel and we started to close with the pace line that had dropped us on the climb. Soon we were joined by another rider and we were moving like a 3 man freight train. I am so glad I had the 11 gear on because as we past 35 Mph I had to drop into 50x11 and start to spin. We hit 40 and he didn’t show any sign of slowing down. We past the pace line with a on your left shout and were holding a steady 45.

When the head of our train looked like he was starting to tire I pulled out and shouted as I past that I would take a turn. He ended up falling behind the other rider we were pulling and I decided to drop the hammer and give it my best shot for as long as I could pull. I got into the drops and spun like I knew what I was doing and noticed that I had caught Highlander and past without notice. Just before I pulled over to let someone else take the lead I looked at my computer and noticed we had hit 49 MPH. No, I didn’t look at my heart rate but I knew I felt great as we hit the rather bad patch of the road just before the TA truck stop.



I found John and soon met up with Sea Lion, Huntress and Highlander. I grabbed a soda from John and wolfed down a Cliff bar. John and Huntress tried to get me to eat a sandwich but I didn’t think I needed it yet and the ride to the park for Sag 4 is normally pretty easy. I would pay for that mistake later.

Sea Lion was itchy to get back on the road so he left as I waited till Highlander got back from making a nature call. Huntress, Highlander and I left about 10 minutes after Sea Lion and we stayed together till the overpass onto 48th. On the downhill Huntress and Highlander picked up speed and soon were well ahead of me. By the time we turned onto Grapefruit I didn’t see either of them but finally caught Huntress at a light. She took off at the light change and I didn’t catch her again till I caught a draft on a short pace line and caught her just before Airport. As we made the turn we hit a side wind and I began to feel the effects of not eating that PB&J at the TA stop. The only people in our group behind me were Centaur, Phoenix and their relatives from Pennsylvania. I thought Highlander was behind me but it turns out he was in front.

When I got to Fritz Burns Park I was pretty much on my own but I did refill both water bottles and ate a banana, orange and another Cliff bar. Drank the last of my Gator aid and waited till it started to take effect before hitting the road again. Eisenhower was a bit of a drag because while the wind was light it was right in my face. But I started to attach myself to any large group I could find and felt pretty good as we closed in on Lowes. Well I felt good except for the fact my saddle had started to make its position known. Time wise the Lowes sag stop was one of the longer ones but it didn’t feel bad. I got there, re-fueled again and got a case of horse heading for the barn heading back into downtown Palm Springs. I got to the finish line to see Huntress and John waiting for me after I picked up my tee-shirt. Not my fastest century and I may be digging sand out of my ears for weeks but still I wouldn’t miss this ride if I can help it.