Another Chapter in the Dybo Memoirs: The Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion

Well it seems that according to the doctor I have a severe sinus infection and have been relocated to the bed for the next few days. Being sick very much coincides with my personality and I am in a bit of personal hell right now. Enough about me, what better way to lift the spirits than a new Dybo memoir.

As a bike racer and as a father Ray has held many titles throughout his tenure. After reading the donut’s most recent post, I was inspired to share this tale of honor, prestige, and accomplishment. Kick back and enjoy as we open another chapter in all things Dybo.

Did I ever tell about the time I was crowned the Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion? Man I tell you what; it was when I was working at the Olympic Development Center in Colorado. A fellow named Chris Charmical (you may of heard of him) was one of my fellow coaches there. As a side note, him and I were always batting our freaking heads…lets just say we didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. On a few occasions I had slammed the door to his office and screamed at him at the top of my lungs.

Anyway, we were sitting in a bar one night enjoying a few beers when Chris looked over at me and said, “Ray, do you know that I am the Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion?” At word of that, it was freaking on. I replied to Chris, “Oh really, you are about to lose that title tonight”, and I signaled for another round. As the countdown began I sat with my Corona in front of me starring Chris in the eye. Showered with screams from other patrons of “go, Go, GO, GOOO”, I picked up that freaking Corona and had it slammed before Chris was even halfway done with his. I then slammed the empty bottle on the table and claimed myself the new Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion!

It is worth noting that no documented evidence of a new Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion has been presented since that day. So as it stands, Ray is still the champion!

Superweek Pro Tour Recap: Cedarburg Crit and the drive of shame.

The Cedarburg Crit has notoriously been a haunting demon for me. In the past, the course contained a hill with four corners. During my first year, I lasted about 20 minutes. Last year, I hung in until 12 laps to go out of 70.

This season, the city of Cedarburg had changed the course due to construction. The new course contained 6 corners and was flat. After pre-riding it, I seemed confident in a good finish.


The race started fast and furious as always. After about ten laps in there was a crash in turn one taking out about 20 riders. I managed to avoid it and attach back onto the pack. However, my nerves began to rapidly go downhill from that point. I found myself rolling the corners like I was a Cat. 5 again and sprinting to make up the lost positions in the straight aways. After about forty minutes in the race my nerves were shot. I kept visualizing myself sliding out in a corner and furthermore donating more of my epidermis to the blacktop. I allowed the demons to fill my mental with bad thoughts and rather than dismiss them I dwelled on them. In the matter of a lap, I found myself deciding to withdraw from the race. My legs felt great, I hadn’t suffered or hurt at all, I just let the pressure of Superweek and the course get the best of me.

As I took my last “lap of shame” around the course before I got lapped and pulled I heard a little girl in the crowd ask her dad, “Daddy, what’s the matter with that guy, did he give up?” The question echoed in my head as I rolled off the course and headed south out of town to get some cool down miles in and to collect myself. I did give up, there was no fight, no mental or physical digging.

My teammate, Luke Cavender had also drove up that day and had a bit of misfortune in the race as well dropping out fairly early.

Tired and defeated, we conceded to drive through the night and head home.

Once again, from the highest to the lowest...thats bike racing.

Superweek Day 5: Pharma Pacific Tour of Holy Hill

Getting back on the bike and committing to go head to head with the wolves was a bit nerve-racking. A bad crash can always make you “over-think” things and lose much confidence, causing you to race with anxiety rather than calm and collected relaxation.

Nevertheless, the Tour of Holy Hill has historically been a race that is well suited to my strengths (long with some power climbs). It is always easier to show up at a race that you know you’ve done well at. In the past, I have hung with the front field as long as I could. Eventually, due to the characteristically hot conditions and 160k length, the field would shatter and resemble more of a point-to-point mountain bike race rather than a road race with groves of racers dispersed throughout the course. My strategy had always been to “just keep riding” and picking off guys. For two years in a row I was lucky enough to finish in the money.

This year, the field at Holy Hill was quite big containing about 180 riders. There was also quite a pool of talent represented, my only hope was that some of these guys have to be tiring out after 10 days of racing and perhaps my two-day rest has aided in fresh legs.

The race was running late and at the line the official announced that it would be shortened by about 20miles. At the time, I wasn’t sure if this was to my advantage or not.

As the race rolled out a few early attacks went off stringing out the field and setting the pace high. Again, I tried to segment the race. Luke Cavender was working feed for me and I kept telling myself just get to Luke with the lead group. The laps started ticking away and I continued to hold position in the main field. On lap five, at the base of the steepest climb, a crash occurred right in front of me causing me to have to ride off the road. I watched the field ride away in panic as I skateboarded my bike back onto the course and started the climb from a dead stop. My heart was pounding and my adrenaline was coursing. I could not let a bit of misfortune knock me out of this race after making it this far. So I put my head down, grabbed onto the drops, and proceeded with the biggest effort I could muster up. Another rider caught up in the crash looked at me at the base of the climb and commented, “This is going to hurt!” He was exactly right, but that was the last time I saw that guy. After about 5 minutes of turning myself inside out I was able to make contact with the lead field. Exhausted and frustrated I conceded to not worry about position and sit in for the next lap and focus on nothing but recovery.

Here’s the reality of this race, if you are not on Rock Racing, Kelly Benefits, Columbia, or Virgin Blue you cannot make any moves in the race. The heads of state will shut you down faster than you can say “allez”. I accepted that my roll was to sit closest to the front without stirring the pot too much. Eventually, we came down to our last lap. I was sitting in about the same position I had stayed in the majority of the race. However, as I glanced over my shoulder there were only about 10 riders behind me. I hadn’t realized it yet, but we had shed over half of the field and I was still in the front field. A break of 5 had formed earlier that looked to be the winning move. As we rolled into the last corner I tried to move up as much as I could. I rolled through the line with the field tired but extremely gratified that for the first time, I finished with the lead group at Holy Hill.

Being the mileage obsessed junkie that I am, I convinced a few other people to roll around for another 20 miles after the race to cool down and get a hundo in. Unfortunately, I flatted on a tubular and by the time we got back to the start the promoters had already left and I was unable to see my finishing place. Nonetheless, I considered the day a success.

Superweek Day 3 and 4

Day 3:
Sometimes the hardest decision to make in bike racing is knowing when to throw in the towel. I’m not one to follow horoscopes too much but recently my horoscope read: Be sure to finish the quest you have started. However, do not feel you have to complete every single part of it. Try to segment your tasks and give them your all.

I felt pretty sore yesterday after my misfortunate rendezvous with the asphalt. Greg Christian had told me on Friday that if I was going to take a day off, the Wakausha Crit was the one. The course contained eight turns and was no place for anyone but the heads of state. After taking one look at the course and heeding the advice of Greg, I decided not to race. While I watched notable Michigan racers such as Derek Witte, Zach McBride, Chris Uberti, Nathan Williams, and Ben Renkema get blasted off the back within the first 15 laps, I knew I made the right decision.

Day 4:
Alan and I hooked up on Friday after the Ripon Crit with good friends and Michigan natives Kelly P. and Jay Moncel (new International Territory Manager of the Trek Bicycle Cooperation). The two recently relocated to the hip and picturesque town of Madison.

Before going to bed on Saturday night, Alan and I conceded that spending a day with Jay and Kelly riding around Madison sounded much more appealing than driving two and a half hours to Evanston.

We spent Sunday rolling a physically and mentally therapeutic ride through the beautiful rolling hills of Madison.
Tomorrow is Holy Hill, my wounds are healing and I have high hopes for a good finish…report to follow.