Yeah, the guy that I beat was named Bernie. He was Paso Robles resident I believe. He was part of a 4 man team as well. He completed it several years. He would hassle me on cycling forums because I would do solo centuries at 5:45. He said he did many many centuries in 5:00 and that if I applied myself, I could too. And if I invested $8000 on a bike like his. FTR, I smoked him on a $1,000 bike ha ha!
Edit: I wish I could remember the team name. It was pretty popular on bikejournal dot com years back. Team always posting pics and ride reports. Strange name like Cosmic Riders, Team Alien, something strange. I'd know it if I heard it.
But I myself feel more satisfied with my efforts solo than in a group of 20 while sitting in the pack. The ride had 10,000 ft of gain so nobody was going to set a draft good enough for him to suck wheel up the mountain ha ha!
Back in 2000-2006 were my best years. I had wanted to give the Furnace Creek 508 a try back then. I had a few friends that said I could do it and were supportive. I had a couple of guys on forums saying they would volunteer to crew for me if I decided. I looked into it and renting vans, official amber lights, food, gas, paying for food for the crew, hotel room, some people said if I was lucky, I could get away with paying 7 grand. WHAT!? Wasn't that important to me. I'm guessing like your racing, it all ads up and that part ruins the fun for me ha ha!
But yeah, I had some of those double century riders telling me that they could easily beat me on a ride because they were so conditioned. Ummm Okay! I got challenged by a few. A buddy of mine and I drove 4 hours to go do a century with some guy who boasted about his double century times. We did the first 20 miles fine then we hit a 7 mile climb in a a canyon. My buddy and I waited at the top for 10 minutes, for the DC guy. Ended up spending most of the ride waiting on the guy. Then he challenged me on riding up to Mt Baldy, my hometown. Heck, I rode the 20 miles 5,000 ft then headed back and met him half way up the climb ha ha ha! We actually did that ride because he actually said I only do sissy rides. I think he had a different opinion of my ride style after that!
As far as drugs, I am still a Lance fan. Level playing field, they were all doing drugs. I did read that all the top 5 positions over several years, all the podium placed riders were doping. Not my thing but hey, it is part of the sport it seems. Like most other sports. Tell me the NFL guys don't do something!
And even the amateur racers out here dope. Not something I would ever do but they do it in the lower levels too. There was a poster years ago that was giving advice to all the posters in a local SoCal forum. He was doing well but not winning, fast guy though! Turns out he raced in a pro level and go busted for doping, and banned for life from competing.
I don't understand the doping test procedure and why they would be tested. I have a bud that raced and he said they even get tested at this level (local pro category but not TDF types). I don't know how all that runs but he said they get tested. So I guess this guy got busted. Was all over the local forum till it got to the point where posters weren't allowed to talk about him or the issue. Crazy! I've always been a clean lifestyle person even when I was pumping iron. I'm a big guy already so if I did roids, I'd probably get really big but my health is not worth a few years of looking big. Even had a gal friend in the medical field that said if I ever wanted to do it, she'd get the syringes for me. No thanks!
I don't understand it at my fun ride level. But it has been funny to me, racers calling me out on forums only to be shut down. And I really don't consider myself fast. I might say I am a strong rider but I never claim to be fast cause that is when some other dude comes around and blows your doors off ha ha! I just ride for fun!