On Bicycles, and.... what else is there?

Another Ross's Epic in the bag.... and again I was shocked at the brutal steepness of the final 1100 vertical feet. Partial results finally went on-line last night. I and many of the other day-of-registrants seem to be missing. I was number 119, second in the 35+ 1-2-3. Not a bad result for me: the category winner was Webcor/Alto Velo's Kieran Sherlock, an excellent climber who's fairly fit with a focus on time trials right now. Also up the road in my starting group were Rob Anderson, winner of the 45+ 1-2-3, a truly excellent climber, and John Bennett, a 3 riding for Whole Athlete. I was with these guys until close to the end of the first climb of 2000 vertical feet. I desperately wanted to hang with them, as it's a big advantage to be in a group on the 2-mile flat-descending section separating the two climbs. But I just couldn't stick. After being caught by the second group, I ride past the volunteer station at the start of the second climb. Curiously ou...