Fondo redux

I liked the fondo, but not 100% sure I'd do it again. I'd need to be fit enough/carry enough to stay in a good group in the giro, or just go moderate social pace enough to chat with people in the back. I guess that means actually training like someone who road races and doing more than one road event per year. I do miss the paceline racing, even missed it on TransRockies with big gravel road sections gone to be honest. It's a great way to push hard. The first group of a hundred or so in the fondo is big, jittery, and too much of a vibe that's jockeying for (an irrelevant) position (since they're all say above 75th I'd guess) without wanting to be on the front. I'd rather be ahead or behind that. The ten person paceline we had is a way more fun/scenic/quieter and overall more enjoyable way to do an event like that from my point of view.

I don't entirely get the start times. My understanding is that the giro men/women can't draft anyone in the other categories. So they've put the women start at 6:40, men at 6:50, and rest at 7. But this means the giro men go through the giro women at some point and create the issue/temptation. Obviously early early morning logistics are one factor. But the race men and women might not need quite the same intro speech considering they probably do 30 race starts a year, and the race groups can probably go out with one motorcycle vs. a bunch of extra machinery as they know the drill. Seems to me that a 6:37 mens start and a 6:40 women's would be ideal to separate those two out, and give both enough time before the herd. People would say "but the women might catch on" which is true, but the other way around it's virtually guaranteed they'd interact. Oh well.

For the overall womens content in this event, I'm very impressed.  Large proportion of women, all ages and all goals.  Seems to fit with a Vancouver demographic and value set.  Great to see.

I think doing it as an out of towner more next time I'd be inclined to stay at matching hotels downtown Vancouver and Whistler, do a minimal backpack check with the race to have a bag up at whistler just with basics, then ride back next morning with the backpack on, and shower at the same hotel if they'd let you leave bike box and other luggage with the bell desk, and skytrain to and from airport. Staying right by the start would be good for sleep in and washrooms vs. riding over in the morning.

Side note: I remembered that part way along the climbs after Squamish there were boxes of brass tacks someone threw on the road. I could see them as I wasn't in a crowd, but maybe later in the race they got someone. Many looked run over and smushed by car tires, which is obviously good. Idiots.