Big Ring’s Big Win

Big Ring sporting her "outfit" and getting ready to "practice" for the race (with the Monster at the ready!)

While rolling toward the van after the Women’s Open race, someone told me about Big Ring winning the 4s race. In my post-race stupor I wasn’t fully prepared for such a statement and nearly fell over, on my bike, while clipped in. “For real this time? She won, like, the whole race and not just the majority of laps–but the LAST lap? The one deciding the actual victor of the race?” (OK, that is not an actual quote, I don’t remember what I asked because of my dim ability to recall the jumble that was my brain post-race, plus my failure to form articulate, complete sentences–but this was the jist). She gleamed her usual, endearing BR smile and with perfect punctuation confirmed “Uh huh!” (or was it in her characteristic whisper/yell voice, “yeah!”)

Turned out that she had attacked under the assumption the race was much shorter than it turned out to be…for 8 laps…going off the front and chasing and getting caught and tenaciously riding out the last lap. Wow. Nice.

We can marvel at the question, “How did she do it?” Often BR’s antics leave a crowd mystified with that same, simple burning query. Is it her meticulous attention in scientific studies? Or her highly regimented pre-race nutritional supplementation? How can we take a page from the great novel that is BR? Should we all begin to harden our stomachs to weather the storm with which Monster energy drinks pummels internal organs? Or acquire our own “Road to Nowhere” stationary recumbents on which we could train in the cold, dark pre-dawn hours? Or is it her recovery routine that puts this rockstar on the podium: generous amounts of adult libations accompanied by the occasional baked sweet potato she pulls from her back jersey pocket?

Big Ring post-race, prime prize in hand, displaying her stellar recovery regimen.

The simple answer to all of those burning questions is likely to be that there is no following in BR’s ample-sized footsteps. There might only be basking in the glow of her smile and catching the rays of her constant (and contagious) enthusiasm. Anyone who knows Big Ring, knows she’s got a heart to match the gear she runs. So, it can’t be without a significant amount of fan fare that we, Team Rev, congratulate her on her first (of many) wins. As our most prolific blogger, and outspoken supporter, we were proud to rejoice her victory in classic BR style and look forward to countless more celebrations.

Thanks, BR! Congrats! Cheers!

Rev on!

Tags: Big Ring, Racing, win

Category: Uncategorized