Check out Nick Martin's blog he's out with the Trek/VW Team at the Kona 24 Hour Global Championships .

So today the TriPower group was leaving Redmill at 7:30AM to "go long". Sounded like a great plan. Its about 18 miles from here to there so I could get a nice warmup in on the way. I got up with plenty of time but fell back asleep watching some shark show on early morning TV. By the time I had my bottles filled, tires aired etc. it was 6:45 and I'd have to bust butt to get down there in time. As I crest the small Great Neck Bridge I see 2 riders ahead. It was too far away to make out who they were but it'd be nice to catch a wheel to save some legs for later. Just as I reeled them in they took a left. I thought going straight would be a quicker way through the wind, which now was 20-30 out of the ENE.

Then I remembered that another group was leaving Laskin road at 7AM to join the big group at 7:30. For sure I was too late to hook up with them. As I roll up to the light at VaBch Blvd and Laskin I see them rolling out about 50yds ahead of me on the other side of the light. Sheeeee-it. Tried like heck to gain on the group of 10-15, but these two legs were just no match. I never lost site of them till down on GBooth, but catching 'em was impossible. So I arrive and scan the lot but see no one. Ahhhhhh, they're over there by Fat Frog's joining up with that ride. The group was huge, but I guess everyone had different plans on pace and distance.

We got rolling slowly and the pack got split by a light. No one looked too concerned to chase. John M and I rode together for a bit, then I saw a chance to bridge so I did. I hung with the lead group until the pace got up over 28. With the 20+ cross wind it was getting tough to hold a line and a wheel. Besides, we were going long, and this certainly not my going long pace! So I sat up and waited for the next group. It was Sally, her friend and a few other Frogs. Where was everyone else? We gathered up JM and proceeded down the road. At the T only JM and I went right, everyone else went left. At that point we could still see the back of the lead group. We got to the little convenience store and saw a few Atlantic Velo guys sitting there. I adjusted my seat height which had slipped down 5-10ml and was killing my knees, then went in to get some Gatorade. When I came out the AV guys were still there, along with a few others but JM was gone.

After waiting for a while we left as a group but quickly splintered into the nasty wind. I can only guess that everyone slid by while I was in the store. So I hope ya'll had a great ride! I still got close to 80 in - on the "no group" group ride! I felt like that cartoon character, who was he? That always said -

JB