On any given Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday

As I explained in my first blog, EM takes 99% of the sprints. He can just accelerate faster than the rest of us due to his physique. He weighs about 140 soaking wet so he has a definite advantage over us 170+ riders. The other fact is that he is a former category 2 rider. For those of you who dont know categories start at Category 5 (Slower) and go up to Category 1 (Faster). So to set the stage, I would be a category 5 rider because I have never raced. In order to move up in the categories, you must race a certain number of races and place top 5 or so.

Anyways .. two weeks ago EM and I broke away from the pack and ended up about 200 - 300 yards ahead when it came time to sprint. I made the move away from the other riders, and he grabbed onto my wheel until we were near the sprint finish. Since I did all the work to get us to the finish line, I was exhausted but still managed to push him right up until the line. He beat me by about a half a wheel. In his usual cocky attitude he raised his arms in victory and simply said "Never" to me. That pissed me off. I did all the work and he drafted off me for about the last 2 miles. My reply to him was "Never say Never". He should be able to beat me he had a free ride all the way to the end. Every time he wins, I will say "Nice Job" or something positive because I know he had to work to get past me. I thought to myself "That prick, I do all the work and he comes around me in the last 10 yards and considers himself the winner". He is the worst winner you will ever meet. Fortunately for me he is also the worst loser you will ever meet.

Thursdays ride was a little different. There were 4 of us and we did a strong pace on the way out. In the last mile, the acceleration to the finish line was at full throttle. EM and DC were ahead of me by 10 yards or so with 1/2 mile to go. EM came around DC and thought that he was just going to walk away with the sprint. In his usual fashion, he raises his arms like he just won a stage on the tour. He also likes to point to the finish line as he passes it just to annoy everyone. His mistake was that he thought all he had to do was beat DC. He is so cocky that he just stopped to make sure we were watching him rub it in. That's when I came by him and took the win. He didn't see me until I had passed him, and there was nothing he could do. To show him I was a good winner like him, I did the no-handed one-fingered Peace sign as I blew by him.


The post sprint verbal exchange:
His first comment happened within the first second of me winning the sprint.
EM: "That was a gift I let you win"
JT: "F You .. I kicked your ass you never LET anyone win. I told you never say never"
EM: "Never Again"
JT: "So I'll be kicking your ass again in about 2 weeks ? Last time you said never was 2 weeks ago. Never is not really working out for you, you may want to try a new word".

Lets just say he did try a few new words.

I can be a bad winner with the best of them.