Down but not OUT!

Yes, i did go down at Copperopolis on Saturday. Went down hard, very hard. At 47mph + can you hit the tarmac softly?

Was having a good race, made it over the climbs with the front group each time, until the last 3 miles. At that point, the race was OVER for everyone but the five guys up the road. I just wanted to get back to the car to head home and join the family for easter dinner and watch the kids hunt for eggs. As the chase group came to the last climb of the race. A rider attacks and I jump on his wheel and one more jumps in. The three of us head to the downhill. I decide to go to the back for the descent and give the other two room, as they were riding pretty hard and I felt 6th place was not going to be won by the first guy to the bottom. So, watching the two guys battle down the road, one right behind the other. The rider drafting lost control of his bike and down he goes. He slides down the middle of the road with his bike right next to him on the left. Now if we were going through a turn, no big deal for me. He would have just slid wide and i would have gone to the inside of the turn. But we were going 47mph straight ahead and even with the space I gave him, there was nowhere for me to go. I just pulled up on the bars and with my feet to try and bunny hop his bike. As I was halfway over his bike, it flipped up and hit the bottom bracket and rear wheel of mine. Which, pushed me over onto the front wheel and the next thing i was on, was my face. Thanks Giro for making such great helmets. Did a systems check and got back on the bike. Waiting for results to be posted to see where I finished.

So, i ended up with 7 stitches in the chin, 5 in the left forearm, your normal body full of road rash and everything hurts.

I would like to thank Dr. Eric Hanson of Sierra Pacific Orthopaedic & Spine Center for taking care of my needs with just a phone call notice. What a great sponsor!

-bosch