Shafted

Once again, I have been taken, and I most certainly do not like that feeling.

I had myself a fun little race today, about an hour away in a different department than I am living in. We tried our best to make sure that we arrived to the race at a decent hour to give us ample time to get ready and we accomplished that goal. I got my numbers, albeit with a bit of Anti Armstrong rhetoric given the latest accusations against him, I am certainly getting tired of the doping thing. Thankfully I got in a bit of recon on the course and had some idea of how the day was going to go down, but boy was I wrong. Knowing that the course was a little circuit on pretty much a one lane farm road, being at the front was going to be important all day long. I got myself to the start line well ahead of most everyone minus the one racer that I am worried about trying to beat, but at this point Erik is feeling pretty darn good about himself. By now other racers are starting to line up with me and enter Mr. Anti Lance man again, same guy that if you remember earlier in the year did not allow me to start a race because I was not French. He tells me that I cannot start on the front and I must start at the back. I know that this is not right, but no amount of arguing will help. Before I know it I am starting at the back with many other "non" french riders. HUH? It was hands down the weirdest and longest call up I have ever experienced for a race, all riders essentially were put into their place without much order other than personal preference. But hey, at least the other guy I am worried about is somewhat near the back with me, he is from a different department than which the race is being run in also. Thankfully, we are buds and tell each other we need to move up as quick as can be.

As we start the race we do our best to get to front, but take into account a one lane road and 100 guys, it takes a minute or two. Not five minutes into the race we make it on up there to only find that a group is already up the road. Damn!! We take off in pursuit, but for some reason cannot find anyone to help us out, not even our own teammates! After awhile it us just the 2 of us, 30 seconds behind the front group neither making time, nor losing it. As the day went on, we would have people catch up to us, but no amount of pleading for assistance helps. All we get is how much? In terms of how much will you pay me to help, since I am getting paid x amount to not work. Yep, I cannot even pay off teammates to help out, let alone competitors. Given the fact that they have entered into an agreement with someone else and are still looking for more just tells me that they cannot be trusted at all.

Long story short, my friend and I could not close the gap and came in with some other folks. Is it a coincidence that the guy that put select folks in the back also helps with certain races and many of the riders at the front were very talkative with him before and after the race and that many riders in the field were being paid to not work? I think not. What can I do about it, not a damn thing. Am I disappointed? You bet I am. I will just keep doing my best and hopefully it will pay off, there is nothing that one little American kid can do over here to change the system. At least others got the shaft too right-Japanese, American, Polish, and even certain frenchmen from different regions.