 By Cory WallaceThe race today took a whole new look today as the riders headed out for a fast flat stage in 34 degree heat. Not having to battle gravity, many of the bigger riders were able to keep up with the leaders for the opening 20 km before a steep 1 km pitch broke the pack into pieces as Lupillo charged off the front. I stuck to his wheel then attacked him over the top trying to drop him as I knew if I could gap him that some decent time could be put into his 59 minute gc lead over the 150 km stage. Lupillo wasnt willing to let go though and no matter what I tried the Mexican stook to my wheel and after a while I figured I better start conserving my energy for a sprint finish later on.
After easing the pase, Art Mcarthur (USA) caught up to us and the three of us would ride for over half the stage before Lupillo attacked as a lady beside the course had told him the finish was 15 km away. After a hard 20 minutes I managed to pull him in and when we rounded a corner we got told the finish was now 70 km away. Both spent and out of water we coasted for 40 km before being recaught by Art at a corner store where we had stopped for some gatorade as the heat was tearing into the two of us.
Leaving the store the three of us formed a paceline riding thorugh the Mexican corn fields to the finish line where I managed to outsprint Lupillo for my second stage win with Art coming in 3rd. Riding with Art was a welcome change today as his powerful legs helped the stage go by a little bit easier. Being around an 1 hr behind Lupillo in the GC with only two 80 km days to go it doesnt look like it will be a 22 second finish like last yr but I am now looking at it as a best of 7, with Lupillo up 3 games to 2. Tommorrow is game 6, another flat hot stage which should take a bit of a different look than today as Simon will be back in the peloton after having to pull out early on today due to problems in the washrooms.
One thing about riding in Mexico is that there is never a dull moment. A little after Art had rejoined Lupillo and I, the two of us almost got clothslined by a donkey which pulled back on his rope when Lupillo passed causing the rope to rise waist high ahead of us. We slammed on the breaks managing to skid to a stop barely escaping a huge donkey/bike flying gongshow. A little later we witnessed 7 men help a cow give birth in the ditch. After that Art slipped between two trestles on a railroad bridge and dangled one leg 60 ft above the rushing water below. Riding bikes is always fun but down here it is an ongoing action movie.
People often talk of races as being a battle between mind and body. That is especially true for a stage race in which it is easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of riding but this years TransMexicana has a third variable, the stomach. Many of the racers have had tougher races gettting to the washroom in time then crossing the finish line each day as the Mexican food has been problomatic for those not accustomed to it. Roman Urbina, the organizer of La Ruta de Conquistadors in Costa Rica is here racing. After a strong stage 1 he awoke to a turning stomach on stage 2 and has been battling it ever since. Simon and I had been pretty lucky during our travels prior to the race but we are now both sh!ting like a couple stray Guatemalan dogs. Lupillo is also having a few troubles of his own as the Transmexicana is taking its toll on all it riders but at the sametime its leaving us all with one hell of a grand adventure and stories for a lifetime. | 
