Eugene Celebration Stage Race

Wow, what a whirlwind to the end of road season and start of the fall!

Thanks to a brief respite, I’ve finally had time to write about my (Mike Grindstaff) adventures from the Eugene Celebration Stage Race that took place at the end of August. 

So with 4 hours of sleep and a day’s worth of work in the books, I headed to Eugene Friday afternoon. The race started with a prologue and what a stage it is, 5k with 770ft of climbing. Making sure I was plenty warmed up, I spent almost an hour on the trainer. The first 2k of the course is fairly flat but the final 3k is all uphill. I struggled up the hill to say the least.

Start of the Briggs Hill Road Race.
Photo: Trevor Broderick

Stage 1 was the Briggs Hill RR on Saturday morning. Having never seen the road we were going to travel, I was a bit nervous. Things were not helped when I pulled the bike out of the car and the back tire was flat. I quickly changed tubes and did my best 10 minute warm up. As I lined up with group, the nerves were in full force. After a few last instructions from the race official we were off. I started out in the front part of the group and after a few miles and with legs feeling pretty good, I felt like I could pull the group for a bit. Well, with not knowing the road and knowing that I was not the strongest rider in the group, this turned out to be a mistake. After a few minutes of pulling the group I noticed the first climb ahead. I quickly moved myself to the left and fell back in the group. By the top of climb I found myself at the back with the group pulling away. Thankfully I was able to pull back to the main group. I tried to rest a bit in the peleton, not knowing when the next climb would arrive. When the big climb of day, up Briggs Hill Rd came, I was not prepared for the pace up and by the time I reached the top, I was about 20 yards behind the group. As I tried to regain the group, the distance just increased. I eventually caught up with some other riders that had been dropped as well. Working together we kept up a pretty good pace but could never catch the peloton.

Sunday morning I woke up to rain. Awesome, nothing like a wet TT! After getting confused where the start line was, I started 40 seconds late, which I thankfully made up and then some. After the TT, it was time to get the clothes dried off and get ready for the Crit. Using the heater from car I was able to get the clothes pretty well dried.

Proper bib drying technique.

The legs were pretty tired after a long, frustrating, weekend of racing, but I figured the Crit was my best chance for a podium finish in a stage.

Attempting the break!
Photo: Trevor Broderick

So, throughout the race I hung around the back trying to save the legs the best I could and with 3 ½ laps to go I made a break off the front. Unfortunately there was just not enough left in the legs to hold on and was eventually caught!

Although beat down from this tough stage race, I finished my first road season having learned a ton and meeting a lot of great people! 

Tired, but happy to have completed my first Stage Race!
Photo: Trevor Broderick

I am already looking forward to next season, I can’t wait!!!!

-Mike Grindstaff