Bike Races

Bike Races
June 19, 2009

On our second day in Portugal, we signed up for a 25 km mountain bike race in Chaves. We are not typically competitors in any kind of race except the annual Red Mo canoe race in central PA and another kayak race Duarte enjoys at the Cheat River. Our reasoning really was to try something different and to be around others with similar interests.

The race itself turned out to be more fun than we anticipated. The starting point was in the center of downtown Chaves early on a chilly, foggy morning. We arrived to see 200 mountain bikers completely decked out in spandex with some pretty elaborate mountain bikes. There were very few women in the crowd –less than 10 to be certain. This really wasn’t surprising in this patriarchal society where mountain biking and even exercising has only recently become a trend but it was disappointing nonetheless.

We took off with the crowd with an excited start. The course raced through Chaves on its brand new cyclovia that snakes all around town. Passing was aggressive and difficult on the path packed full of bikers. Being a women in this race made me feel tough and strong. The men didn’t like being passed by a woman. I was competing against a lot of testosterone and yet I was stronger than many of the men competing. About half way through the race Duarte said that I would likely be the first woman to finish. What a surge that idea sent through me. I loved the idea that I could be a leader or a role model to the kids and mothers watching on the side. I loved the idea that in this small town, I would be known as a tough woman who could keep up and even ride better than the men. I powered on through the mountain section of the route even faster with these thoughts.

Despite my determination, I really needed to pee. Duarte was aware of this but what could we do? We kept on pedaling and passing some of the other bikers who were becoming weary. On a steep ascent Duarte passed some bikes on the left and I passed the same bikes on the right. Each of us was unaware that the other had done so. I assumed Duarte was behind me so I kept pedaling. Duarte assumed I was behind him so he stopped and waited thinking I must have stopped to pee. Eventually I realized he wasn’t with me or even in sight. So I turned my bike around and went looking for him. After 10 or 15 minutes apart we reunited to learn our mistake. How frustrating! We took off determined to make up time.

We passed a few of the people who gained on us and we started to feel better about our mistake. With this peace of mind, I did finally stop to pee this time with Duarte nearby. We pedaled towards the end of the race and realized we didn’t know where the course ended. One, two, three, four, five times around the roundabout before we finally figured it out. This mistake cost us even more time.

In the end we finished 15th and 16th. I was the first female finisher. I was so proud of us but also disappointed that our mistakes cost us an even better position. We sort of caught the competitive bug and decided we would register for even more races if the opportunity were to arise.

Indeed, we did register for another race. This time it was to be a three-hour, pairs, endurance race to begin at 9:00pm on a hot summer night (last night) and to end at midnight. We decked out our bikes with lights and prepared for what we thought would be a race similar to the first one we competed in. We were wrong. We arrived to the exact same starting place – this time the square was filled to the brim with masculinity, testosterone and competitiveness. Both of us realized we were way out of our league. Not only was the competition steep but there was only one other woman among the crowd! Admittedly, I was intimidated.

We did a reconnaissance lap and found the route to be fast and challenging. The route was 6 km through the city that had been closed off completely to cars so we could race up and down the old streets of Chaves. It was a beautiful route and it was dark and it had some tough turns and steep hills. Each lap took about 15 minutes to complete. Duarte and I would alternate – each taking a lap on the route. We had to tap the other to start the next lap – relay style. We were competing again the other woman and her partner as they were the only other “mixed pair.”

For three hours, Duarte and I alternated routes around the dark city. We didn’t talk at all as we individually raced to the meeting point and off the other would go. I liked pushing myself hard but found the race disappointing with so much machismo around me. The men absolutely could not tolerate me passing them. I passed many on a hill or on a long flat section and then – always- they would push themselves past me just as we came into public view at the meeting point. I did like that the spectators noticed me as one of two women and called out encouragement each time I passed.

We finished well and with only two mixed pair teams we had some prize money to collect. It turned out that in the long three-hour race, we were only 45 seconds behind the other team. It was a well-matched dual. They won $100 Euros and Duarte and I won $75. We were given a giant, cardboard check by the city’s mayor during the closing ceremony. This covered our entrance fee and all the gadgets we put on our bikes. We broke even.

We drove home at 2:30 a.m. Our bodies were exhausted, our lungs were filled with dust and were burning, our minds were racing. We talked until 3:30 a.m. catching up on the differences and similarities in each other’s race. Not surprisingly, Duarte and I had totally different experiences. It was a great and memorable evening but we finished our conversation resolving never to enter such a race again.