Eternal 2nd

I am starting to feel a bit like Joop Zoetemelk with another 2nd place at the Knob. Yes, Saeler showed up again in my class and of course won, but did not beat me by as much this time.
I lined up at the front again and took off hard from the gun. I found myself 2nd into the woods and figured I would see how long it would take for the younger experts to pass me. Just as we were about to finish the prologue lap Walker came by me. He must have thought I was Wilhelm because he called me Brad as he was about to pass.
After a few more young guys came around I settled into a more sustainable pace. The legs felt pretty good despite the worsening conditions from the rain. My front tire was not a good mud tire so I went a little easier on the downhills.
On the second lap I could hear a couple guys closing in on me so I cranked up the speed a notch and never saw them again. I knew I would not catch Saeler but figured I would keep the pace as high as I could sustain. The legs never once faltered, the only cramping I had was in my left forearm, but it went away with another Powergel.
Consistency has always been my strong point and I am now leading the overall series, which was my original goal.
Wes had a great race and seems to be riding well. I'm not sure what happened to John, but he sure was not at his usual level. Possibly winning Mohican took a toll on him. It sucks getting older, too much recovery time needed.