Today is a very exciting day for me. The Wilmington Grand Prix is coming to Wilmington. This is a professional bike race which takes place starting tomorrow through Saturday and will field some of the top teams from around the world. Today I will be doing a short police escorted 27 mile ride to kick off the event with some of the riders from the pro teams. I got invited by one of the sponsors. Of course this is a controlled ride 22-24 MPH as there is no way I could hang with these guys. After the ride we meet at a bistro in Wilmington to raise a few beers, eat , take pix and mingle with these guys. On Sunday I will ride in the Grand Fondo which is a very hilly ride out of Wilmington into Pa. Some of the pros will also be riding with us. At age 70 I have been riding for over 40 years and this is the highlight of my journey.

 

Sounds exciting! Reminds me of the movie "Breaking Away." One of my favorites! Except the pros didn't react so well to being joined by an outsider.

 

Congratulations, Ray. Enjoy the ride, the mingling, the beer, and the whole deal.

 

The ride was great but difficult. Very windy and the pace set by the motorcycle cop escorts was a little too fast. 24-25MPH with a lot of hill climbing. I finished but not ahead of the pros. We enjoyed some great beer wine and food at a local pub after the ride and the pros mingled with everyone and were very friendly. Nice to see talented young guys with such a great attitude towards the public.

 

Impressive and congratulations!

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you.
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I'm not so sure what's all that impressive. I could easily ride with the pros with the right pace car.

oh and of course I'd have to be driving

on a bike I'd be happy to see the end of the driveway.

 

Congratulations on having that opportunity and enjoying it so much. Not bad for an old fart.

 

It’s always good to try…it helps with self esteem.


I have no idea of your chronological age or apparently well preserved biological age, but you must know that age makes a significant difference in cycling performance. As we age our vital capacities wane along with, stamina, and muscle strength. They’re all necessary ingredients of a pro cyclist. A few years past I too rode with a pro/cat 1 group and could stay with them as long as I was in their slip stream but the first long incline showed me that my abilities were far less than theirs; I fell off the back and never reattached. Even though the group became farther away and smaller looking and I ended up riding by myself it was fun none the less.

Good luck with your cycling and be careful out there.


gary

 

Thanks Gary, it is scary out there with all of the distracted drivers. I just turned 70 and feel lucky that I can still ride strong. Lots of interval training, strength training and a friend who is a cycling coach. I too ended up riding near the back but I did finish and it was nice to relax and just enjoy the ride. I followed up on Sunday with a 62 mile Grand Fondo ride with my son-in-law. The route was very hilly but we finished in the top 1/3 so I guess that ain't too bad for an old fart. Started at a more controlled pace unlike the previous ride.