Friday, October 27, 2006

Our Weekend With Lance - Part 4

Part 4
Sunday - October 15, 2006

As I mentioned previously ...

Jimmy left early Sunday morning to go ride with Lance and the other 330 riders at the Ride for the Roses in Smithville TX (40 miles south of Austin).

After getting their bikes from the bus, pinning their numbers on their jerseys and lining up to take off for the ride, (Jimmy in the yellow-black jersey)

Lance and Jake Gyllenhall show up. Lance gets up on the stage and gives a few quick words ... then everyone saddles up (Texas talk for climbing on their bikes) and off they go.


Jimmy was about 7 riders back from Lance and if Jake didn't have such a big head, you would see him back and to the immediate right (in the pic) of Lance (you can just see Jimmy's foot in his dark bike shoe) to the right of Jake's calf.


Oh well ... hopefully next year we'll get a better pic of Jimmy riding beside Lance. Jimmy said he probably could have gotten closer, but with the crowded pack and the wet roads from the rain, he didn't want to be known as the jerk that took Lance out in a pile-up.

Here comes Lance ... and Here comes Jimmy ...

After a few miles, Lance and Jake veer off to the left and the rest of the riders, go on down the road. Jimmy is riding 70 miles. The 100 mile ride -- which he signed up for -- was canceled due to the horrible rain storms.

Jimmy hung with the younger guys and road 60 miles with them ... and was in great form to finish in the top 5 ... even though this wasn't a race. But you know guys ... they turn EVERYTHING into a competition.

As Jimmy was pulling into mile 60 rest stop to get more water, his front tire slipped on some wet gravel and he went down on his right side.

BOOM! 10 Feet in front of the ambulance.

The EMTs started to walk over to see if he was okay, and stopped and turned around to get the liter when they realized he couldn't get up on his own. Jimmy said he couldn't put any weight on his right leg. OUCH!

Jimmy - being a guy - later told me he was just so grateful he didn't do this in front of Lance ... Men ... Like Lance hasn't wiped out on his bike a few times.

The volunteers at the rest stop assure Jimmy they'll take care of his bike ... The EMTs load Jimmy up into the ambulance and

There goes Jimmy ...

So ... Now Jimmy is on the way to the hospital and calling me on the cell. After he hangs up with me, the EMT sitting with him in the back looks down at Jimmy's legs and asks ...

EMT: What is your pain number? From 1 to 10 - 10 being the worst pain you have ever been in.
Jimmy: 2
EMT: That's all?
Jimmy: Yeah.
EMT: Are you sure?
Jimmy: Uh, Yeah.
EMT: Does your right leg always lay like that?
Jimmy: No. Why?
EMT: Oh, just wondering.
Jimmy: Is that bad?
EMT: Well, it's not good.
Jimmy thinks to himself ... Nope ... that's not good.

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