The race choice was a lot shorter than the group ride choice for the Watopia leg of the TDZ. I told myself I'd ride within myself and not get carried away racing. I really did tell myself that. I knew I was lying. I did ride intelligently enough to have gas in the tank towards the end. I used a featherweight power-up to drop most of the little group I had been hanging with on the nasty steep part of the KOM climb. That earned me a drafting power-up, and the guys just ahead of me at the finish went for theirs too soon. I kept my powder dry to the last 350 meters and then hammered on top of the power-up. Sweated like a pig. Finished smack in the MOP, 28th of 47 in the "D" group. My time was 35:47, 06:18 off the "D" winner at 29:29. The overall win went at 26:15. Wore my fashionable black Cuban chain necklace and new matching bracelet. If you can't be good, look good.