The Fall Fling and The Last Hurrah

Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Trevor Berbick's biggest historical claim to fame is that he ushered in the end of an era of one great heavyweight champion by defeating Muhammad Ali on December 11th 1981 in Ali's last fight and later ushering in the beginning of the era of the next great

heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson. On November 22nd 1986 Trevor Berbick defending his title for the first time entered the ring full of confidence. In the 2nd round, after a stunning barrage of punches to the body and then temple, Berbick crashed down as if his legs had been cut from beneath him. He tried vainly to get up but collapsed again near the ropes. But Berbick was proud, if nothing else. Once again, he bravely attempted to regain his footing but his legs wouldn't carry him and he fell for the third time, on to his back. For Trevor, he simply never had a chance; it was simply not meant to be.

Now on to cycling and my just recently finished 4 round fight with the ABD sponsored Fall Fling. The Fall Fling is a 4 race ABR sanctioned stage race that includes one time-trial, one road race and two criteriums. In the 2004 and 2005 editions of the Fall Fling, racing as a cat 3, I finished 3rd overall both times winning the road race in 2004 and both criteriums in 2005. Last year I was the overall highest placed cat 3, winning one crit and the road race with successful breakaways. Did that make me the champion? Well if so then in my title defense this year it all was as it was with Trevor Berbick in 1986. It was simply not meant to be.

From the opening moment of the series it now seems that I also never had a chance. In the stage 1 Maple Park Prologue TT I placed an ominous 11th place. It was an event plagued by errors. Stunned when I was for the first time ever given a holder at the start I clipped in but then forgot to gear down to a good launch gear. I chugged off the starting line. A pre-race inspection had revealed much gravel near the apex of the first and only turn. But now in the race I was suddenly surprised by four cones dividing the road lanes near the turn but no gravel, to late, I had taken the turn very slow and cautious. At the turn-around I raced to get in front of a slower rider only to then have to slam on the brakes and be forced to gear down during the turn-around while standing, I dropped my chain. Several times on the way out and back I kept feeling strong tugs on my back wheel. Was it the cross wind or was the rear brake suddenly grabbing? Now paranoid, I sat-up to open the rear brake all the way. Later, in an attempt to leave nothing left in me, I stood straight from the aero-bar position to sprint to the finish. I ended up hitting the top tube with my knee and almost wiping out 200 meters from the finish. It was not a good TT. Worse, when I returned to the car I closed the rear brake again to its normal position only find that indeed it had been rubbing. How can this be, I checked it and all the mechanics to an almost anal level pre-race. Perhaps the holder at the start accidentally nudged it to one side, I just don't know.

Stage 2 and the following day's crit in Lombard had me still believing. I knew I wanted to avoid the field sprint so I tried to bridge to any break that looked like it had a chance. Unfortunately, all the breaks I did bridge to would fail. And so when on the final lap I was bumped 3 times, once into the curb I was forced to sprint from the very back of 60 riders alone up the outside to as close to the front as possible before the sprint started only to die as soon as the field rounded the final corner to actually start the sprint, I finished 9th. Yet, after the first 2 stages I was 7th overall and I still believed. But that was before stage 3, the double points road race.

In the weekdays following stage 2 but before stage 3 I worked a demolition job requiring me to carry 40-50lbs of plaster down 3 flights of stairs for 7 hours. The following days had me so sore and tired that I could barely move my legs. Worse, the dreaded knee pain that had more or less sabotaged my whole season was now back.

Stage 3, the road race in West Lake Village. This was a 48.6-mile rolling hill road race where the biggest obstacles were the strong cross winds and for me, my still very unhappy legs. 6 miles into the race my front tire makes the sudden sound of air rapidly escaping. I had a puncture but just enough air remained in the tire to allow me to keep riding. And so to avoid stopping, waiting for the wheel truck and surely getting dropped, I sat all the way at the very back end of the saddle and just believed I could make it. Unfortunately riding a tire for 33 miles with maybe 15 psi in it was slowly wearing me down, the corners were also very tense. Turning myself inside out to stay with the group I made the final cut of riders. Maybe 25 left in a lead group of what had been 60+ starters. Then with 10 miles to go the front tire went completely flat and I was riding the rim. Devastated, I stopped and after a very slow wheel change from the support truck, I tried to TT back but only wound-up riding myself into complete exhaustion. Then to add more pain, I was caught by a group of 10 riders, 9 were cat 3's. Nearly all of these riders who would have finished behind me would now finish ahead of me courtesy of a large combine with 3 trailers that they all decided to go around by crossing the double yellow line and against on coming traffic up a hill. I finished 17th and was now 10th overall. I now knew that I lost not only the series but also a top 5 podium spot. However, I still hoped for at least a top 8 money position.

Stage 4 the final event and another crit in Lombard. To be honest, I was to physically and mentally tired to race and so all I could do or hope for was wait for the one big break attempt that just might save the day for me. When I saw it, I went, I made it, but it died. When the field caught the break I was dead. On the final lap though I tried to move to a better position with my teammate Seth Meyer we were to far back or blocked in by the field and curbside to really get back into it. The fitting end came when another rider from a previous race decided to hop onto the street and ride the course in reverse right at me while in the final sprint 100 meters from the line. I sat down swerved to avoid collision then sprinted in for a 24th place and zero points on the day. I wound up 11th overall for the series.

The 2007 road-racing season is now over. For me, the 2007 edition of the Fall Fling is unfortunately a synopsis of my whole season. One that was plagued by continual knee pain, illness and crashes. It’s been easily the most personally disappointing racing season since I started racing in 2001. Yet reality is what it is and I have no choice but to accept it. But what now? Do I simply recover and begin preparation for the 2008-racing season or am I a spent rider? In boxing the term is a broken fighter. A fighter no longer willing to deal with all the suffering required to excel at his sport. Am I like Jose Luis Castillo after being floored by Ricky Hatton? Is it all over? The answer lies somewhere within me and I have the whole cold and dark winter to find it.

You'll just have to return here to find out and see what happens.