Buster Britton Race Report

What do you get when you mix a road bike, high speed turns, wet roads, and a take no prisoners attitude? A recipe for disaster. As I approached the bottom of a short downhill tucked in my aero bars, the road swept gently to the right. Feeling overly strong and confident, I overtook the lead motorcycle. A few seconds later, disaster struck. I hit a small dip in the road and felt the front wheel start to slide. I quickly came out of the aero bars, grabbed the handlebars, tapped the brakes, and tried to put a leg down to regain composure. Unfortunately, the +30 mph speed was too great to overcome and gravity won. The bike swiftly flew out from beneath me as I launched through the air onto my back. After sliding headfirst down the pavement on for about 15 yards, I came to a stop. I knew it was bad, but with the adrenalin still flowing I quickly got back up and mounted my bike. About a mile and a half down the road, and just as I approached the ambulance, the extent of my injuries began to set in. I decided to call it quits for the day. Although I didn’t need to take an ambulance ride, I did end up in the ER with severe road rash that extended from my butt all the way up to my shoulder on the left side of my back. My left elbow and the outside of my left calf received the remainder of the road rash. Luckily between me and my equipment, the only thing broken was my helmet. The next few days are going to hurt… Thanks again to Diane Jacobs for getting me to the ER in my truck (wife doesn’t drive a stick)!