ViaSat fans have asked what goes on inside a rider car, and the Orange Team…O2…Orange Crush (Chuck’s favorite)…whatever you want to call them…has given me plenty of material. For reference, O2 consists of Wei, Jeff, and Dave “Papa” Landry.
What do riders eat? Everyone seems to have their preference…energy “shot” rocks, trail mix, and granola are all common during the five hour segments. During the hours in between shifts, I’ve seen chicken, apples, bananas, peanut butter, every type of carb you can imagine…and, thanks to their convenience, Denny’s shakes, eggs, etc. Riders, please correct me if I’m wrong, but generally I’d say a good mix of carbs and protein, loading up in between shifts, and eating sparingly during pulls.
Rumor has it some riders will lose around ten pounds this week. The number varies depending on weight and body composition, but given the intensity of the race, little to no loss would be a miracle.
Riders are very active in between pulls due to the speed of turnover. They have very little time to catch a breath, and even less time for a restroom break. All part of this glorious adventure. Drivers are in the same boat, and during dark hours (defined as 8pm to 6am), the follow vehicle never stops.
Rituals vary by rider, but I’ll use Jeff, or “Peg,” as an example. Jeff stretches and prays before every pull, and his mind is very much on his family. He is a proud father of two superstar kids, who may very well follow in their father’s athletic footsteps. Before conquering a hill so steep I was afraid to look down, he casually recounts the day his then 7th grade daughter challenged him to a two mile running race with Coldstone ice cream on the line. You know where this is going.
An outgoing guy, Jeff is the perfect of example of how active riders are between pulls, communicating with both their drivers and other vehicles, making snap judgments on distances based on elevation and weather conditions. Each pair, whether old friends or new, are very in tune with each other, allowing each to take advantage of strengths and provide additional help if necessary. On average, riders go five to six miles before swapping.
And for those of you who know as little about cycling as I do, most of the ViaSat riders have two bikes, a “TT” or time trial bike, and a road bike. The time trial bike is designed for speed and is thus more aerodynamic, but also harder to ride. Wei notes, “Unlike we mortals, Eric only brought a TT.”
Wei’s playful compliment is very much indicative of the vibe in O2. And I think a lot of that can be attributed to Dave Landry, who coincidently was Wei’s middle school English professor. Soft-spoken yet enormously funny, “Papa” keeps calm even amidst the crises on the final night of the race. First Jeff has his foot slammed in the door, his second injury in three days. Then we make a wrong turn and leave Wei out on the course by himself for a solid hour and a half. With directions flying and adrenaline high, Papa never raises his voice. Even when it appears we will run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, he admits, “I am panicking,” but shows no sign of fear. And after a stressful five hours (don't worry, we eventually found gas), he indulges his passengers’ wishes to drive by Gettysburg at 4:30 am.
But not before reminding us that he is the 5th reincarnation of Parocles…or was it Hercules?
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