FLCC> The Pink Slipper

[Ernie Bayles]

Winning the Pink Slipper was something that I had pretty much given up 
on 6 or 7 years ago.  So to find myself scratching my name on the heel 
of the coveted footwear sitting on the bumper of the Glennmobile in the 
EHP parking lot under the quickly setting sun  was a somewhat surreal 
experience to say the least. 

Initially, it was a hollow victory--I rode like a weed.  The weather was 
iffy, the field small, and my enthusiam was low.  I had absolutely no 
intentions of doing anything in the race except to hang on and 
congratulate the winner.  So I rode the back of the field the entire 
way.   Somebodies were pushing the pace on the front--Shan, Joe B., 
Yellowman, and others, but I was always too far back to really know who 
was hammering wind up there.  With the shortened route, the pace was 
pretty hot, so somebody was working hard.  I thought about moving up, 
but it was too much work.

We arrived at the bottom of Snyder gruppo compato (once we caught Bill 
E. after the turn off 79).  From there, I think Nick Robertson and Glenn 
were pushing the pace as we crossed the Town Line sign, and then Jim 
Eagan lit it up from behind to take a couple of bike length lead heading 
into the final climb.  On the slope, Jim was going really hard and Glenn 
was barely holding the gap.  I was trailing a bit, and I have no idea 
where anyone was behind me.  At this point, I had to say to myself:  
"the Pink Slipper is right there!" or something to that effect, and 
suddenly my attitude shifted gears. Somehow, I managed to bridge to 
Glenn at the top.  We caught Jim coming through the fast turn at the 
Landon Road intersection and started looking around to see who else 
might be coming.  Nobody.

At this point, my racing instincts took over.  I sucked wheel though the 
flats biding my time, thinking about my gearing.  Jim led most of the 
way, Glenn mustered a half-hearted jump from way too far out, and I 
rocketed past him for an easy cruise to the line.  It was a gimme.  
Thanks Glenn, thanks Jim.

A few hours later, the reality of winning the Slipper hit me.  I don't 
know why, but the thought came to me that I won this race not just 
because Glenn and Jim didn't really contest the sprint, but because, in 
a way, the whole field was riding for me.  Not consciously perhaps, but 
in my way of thinking it's all these guys (and girls) who came out every 
tuesday over the last 20 or so weeks that gave me the form and honed the 
skills that made it possible for me to win last night.  And they are 
just as responsible for every other good result I've had this year and 
in all the years past.

So thank you all for the gimme.

Ernie




-- 
Ernie Bayles, Architect
209 Utica Street
Ithaca, New York  14850

607-275-3722 (tel and fax)