Driving up to the Bariani road race from Davis, I could tell that it was going to be windy – my car with bike on top was getting buffeted around on the freeway, especially as I was passing semis. To get to parking, I had to drive part of the way on the course, and I could see in the races that were going on that the fields were just blown apart. There would be a group of 10 guys, then 5, then a couple, etc. It was just Holly and I today from Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized, and Holly was suffering from some pretty severe allergies. So we decided to race conservatively and see how things would shake out. The race started with around 40 women; MetroMint, Tibco, NorCal Velo, Wells Fargo, Specialized, VeloBella, and CRC were all represented. We started out on lap 1 of 4 very slowly, primarily because we were headed straight into an enormous headwind. As we turned, the pace started to pick up a bit and the field strung out along the gutter. The wind was truly amazing at some points, blowing so hard that we were literally leaning our bikes way over just to stay upright. After a couple miles, one CRC and one Tibco went off the front of the pack, and dangled there. I was riding near the front, just trying to feel out the course and the field, as we came around to the tailwind section and headed for the first KOM – it was not a huge climb, but definitely enough to split things up. I went over the top with the front of the field, and coming past the finish line for the first time, I decided to try to bridge to the break. I attacked and got a gap, with no one on my wheel. That was good. Kept pushing, started hurting, got closer and closer, until they were maybe 20 yards in front of me. And then I stopped getting closer.
That moment may have been the one that most affected the race outcome for me. If I had been able to dig deep, stand in the pedals, and just give it everything to get there, I may have made the break that ultimately won the race. But in the millisecond of decision, I thought, "my legs are tired from yesterday. The field is so close anyway – this break probably won't succeed. It's so early in the race, better to save something for later." And I clicked it down a gear and sat up to wait for the field.
I hung out in the field for a bit after that. There was chitter chatter of organizing a chase, but little coordination, and it was just so brutal in the headwind that no one wanted to be taking pulls unless everyone was. The most interesting moment of my race came when I decided to ride up the gravel-filled gutter area to the front to help drive the pace a little. When I got there, I heard this "pingpingpingping". When I looked down, it appeared that a rusty hanger had gotten caught in my derailleur. What to do? It wasn't affecting my pedaling, but could cause a major mishap if it went into my spokes. So I unclipped my right foot and started kicking at it, all while trying to roll along with the field, going at a brisk clip. Soon I was at the back, still kicking at the hanger, not wanting to stop because I wasn't at all sure I could chase back on alone in the wind. At that point I also noticed that our field had been reduced to about 15-20 girls. I later learned from Holly that as soon as the pace picked up in the first lap, gaps started opening up all over. She was able to jump around gapped riders several times, only to see another gap open up a couple riders ahead. She finished out two laps, but was having a pretty hard time with her allergies, and wisely decided to call it a day and focus on getting some antihistamines.
So I was just off the back of the pack, kicking at my hanger, swerving all over the lane. After one particularly well-placed blow, the hanger broke free of my derailleur. Hooray! But when I looked up, I was headed straight for the ditch. I quickly switched into cyclo-cross mode through some gravel and grass, and luckily, managed to keep the bike upright and hopped back onto the road. I chased back on, and vowed never to pick up a rusty hanger again.
The rest of the race was pretty interesting, tactically. Everyone (except Tibco and CRC) wanted to catch the break, but no one wanted to do the work. We did manage to coordinate a full-on pace line for a bit, with everyone working, but it would always fall apart. On the third lap, we saw that the Tibco rider from the break had flatted, leaving the CRC woman out in front alone. Through an amazing time trial effort, she actually increased her gap on the field from 1:20 minutes, to 3 full minutes! She fully deserved the win after that – well done!
In the field, we came into the final KOM together, and at the top, there was a group of four of us with a small gap. I wanted to try to hold it to the finish, but we didn't organize quickly enough and the rest of the field caught us. In the final corner, it was a mad downhill, tailwind dash to the finish. It's one finish where I definitely could have used an 11-tooth cog, as I was spinning out. (Note to self: Get an 11). I ended up fourth in the pack sprint for fifth overall. It was a great race, and a great group of women!
Thanks for reading,
Karla
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Community
Our community honoring Matt and Kristy and hopefully healing in the process.
Photo courtesy of Dave Puglia.
Landpark Criterium...Podium!
Distance: ~45mins
Weather: warm, breezy ~65 degrees
Category: W 1/2/3
Course conditions: Closed 1-mile course around a golf course with several chicanes and sharp turns.
Team mates: Jen VM, Karla K, Angela A, Holly R and Mary-Ellen A.
Notable Teams: Dolce Vita, UC Davis, Code3 Racing, Vanderkitten, Metromint, et. al.
Field size: 35+ women
The Plan:
The Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women's team was the largest team present at this event. Our goal was to animate the race with a series of carefully timed attacks. With the strength and depth of our team, we knew we could control the race. It was also the first race of the NCNCA Premier Series and the team wanted to acquire some points.
Our objectives were to set up M.E. and Karla for several Primes and to ‘practice’ the lead out for the final sprint. Since M.E would be a ‘marked’ sprinter in the field, the team would ‘feign’ M.E. as the team sprinter, when really it was Karla as the designated sprinter. Very sneaky.
The Race:
In respect of Kristy Gough, we rode the first lap neutral and in silence.
From the start the team was at the front of the race and our team attacks were plentiful. Jen started us off with a blistering acceleration and quickly established a gap. The field looked at each other and eventually Vanderkitten and several other individuals reeled JV back into the fold. And that’s when Karla made her counter-attack. A UC Davis rider bridged and the two of them stayed off the front for several laps until the inevitable catch. And just when it seemed the race would settle down for a few moments, the team attacked again and again. The groans could be heard from the field. Angela, Karla, JV and I all made ferocious attacks that successfully severed the field. We successfully took all the lead primes.
In the final 3 laps, Karla jumped on M.E.’s wheel and snagged the last of eight primes. And that’s where the undoing of our plan started. The team was so focused on controlling, attacking, and acquiring primes that we seemed to forget about “resting” for the field sprint. JV kindly reminded M.E and Karla to “recover” and set up for the field sprint. There was a shuffle and unfortunately Jen pulled the field around for 1.5 laps (which made it impossible for her to give Karla her lead-out). After some smart racing, Karla pulled M.E. near the front and it became evident that M.E. would be required to sprint for the win.
I had to smartly bury myself in the field and wait to jump. My legs were not fully recovered from all the earlier efforts and I knew this sprint was going to hurt a lot! Digging deep, I maneuvered out of the field with 350m to go. Unable to pull past the eventual race winner, and just getting nipped at the line, the team settled for 3rd. It was an honorable podium.
It was a great day of racing the team learned a lot: racing is tough; controlling a race takes practice and patience; rest and recovery are very important. This race showed the Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women are a very strong team. We all left the race feeling the strain of today’s race in our legs.
Congrats to all the ladies who participated.
It was a great day at the races.
Thanks for reading,
Mary Ellen
Weather: warm, breezy ~65 degrees
Category: W 1/2/3
Course conditions: Closed 1-mile course around a golf course with several chicanes and sharp turns.
Team mates: Jen VM, Karla K, Angela A, Holly R and Mary-Ellen A.
Notable Teams: Dolce Vita, UC Davis, Code3 Racing, Vanderkitten, Metromint, et. al.
Field size: 35+ women
The Plan:
The Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women's team was the largest team present at this event. Our goal was to animate the race with a series of carefully timed attacks. With the strength and depth of our team, we knew we could control the race. It was also the first race of the NCNCA Premier Series and the team wanted to acquire some points.
Our objectives were to set up M.E. and Karla for several Primes and to ‘practice’ the lead out for the final sprint. Since M.E would be a ‘marked’ sprinter in the field, the team would ‘feign’ M.E. as the team sprinter, when really it was Karla as the designated sprinter. Very sneaky.
The Race:
In respect of Kristy Gough, we rode the first lap neutral and in silence.
From the start the team was at the front of the race and our team attacks were plentiful. Jen started us off with a blistering acceleration and quickly established a gap. The field looked at each other and eventually Vanderkitten and several other individuals reeled JV back into the fold. And that’s when Karla made her counter-attack. A UC Davis rider bridged and the two of them stayed off the front for several laps until the inevitable catch. And just when it seemed the race would settle down for a few moments, the team attacked again and again. The groans could be heard from the field. Angela, Karla, JV and I all made ferocious attacks that successfully severed the field. We successfully took all the lead primes.
In the final 3 laps, Karla jumped on M.E.’s wheel and snagged the last of eight primes. And that’s where the undoing of our plan started. The team was so focused on controlling, attacking, and acquiring primes that we seemed to forget about “resting” for the field sprint. JV kindly reminded M.E and Karla to “recover” and set up for the field sprint. There was a shuffle and unfortunately Jen pulled the field around for 1.5 laps (which made it impossible for her to give Karla her lead-out). After some smart racing, Karla pulled M.E. near the front and it became evident that M.E. would be required to sprint for the win.
I had to smartly bury myself in the field and wait to jump. My legs were not fully recovered from all the earlier efforts and I knew this sprint was going to hurt a lot! Digging deep, I maneuvered out of the field with 350m to go. Unable to pull past the eventual race winner, and just getting nipped at the line, the team settled for 3rd. It was an honorable podium.
It was a great day of racing the team learned a lot: racing is tough; controlling a race takes practice and patience; rest and recovery are very important. This race showed the Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women are a very strong team. We all left the race feeling the strain of today’s race in our legs.
Congrats to all the ladies who participated.
It was a great day at the races.
Thanks for reading,
Mary Ellen
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tides of Life
Waves of sadness rise and fall with each reminder of Kristy and Matt’s demise. Every news article, blog post, forum comment builds momentum, intensity, higher and higher until it crests…the wave rolls relentlessly. You don’t always see it coming. Then the offhand innocent question from others….hey did you know those cyclists that died…powers it over the tipping point and it crashes over your head. Pulling you under, taking breath away, fighting for air, thinking if I could just get to the surface maybe I can answer. Words fail, tears roll.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Pinole TTT...Victory!
Pinole TTT, coed division
March 9th 2008
Despite my initial hesitation, Keith talked me into racing the coed two man time trail after telling me it was 16 miles of the 20 mile lap of the Berkeley Hills Road Race. Since I have enjoyed the pain and torture of the RR and because my short person seat post finally arrived after nearly a year of waiting, I decided it was due time for me to test drive my beautiful orbea ordu that Keith bought me for xmas a year and a half ago. It is a 16 mile loop with a very fast and flat first 5 miles, with a right hand turn into a rolling 5 mile section, with a final right hand turn into a 6 mile hilly section that consists of mama bear, baby bear, a little bump that we named cousin bear (they don't consider this little bump a climb in the race) that leads into papa bear. The race ended about 500 meters after the summit of papa bear.
Keith and I took the time to drive out the day before so I could get a feel of the course on my TT bike. He said it will be much different and boy, was he right! It was absolutely TERRIFYING. I am not sure if you have all rode full aero equipement before, but it is killer fast and without having brakes you can easily reach, it can be quite nerve racking. So after much complaining and moaning and telling Keith what he needed to do for me to ride in his draft and feel safe we left the course with my legs completely toast after riding only 3 laps and me feeling even more nervous for the day to come.
To say the least I didn't sleep well. I was SOOOOOOO nervous. I kept asking Keith, "How can I be this nervous?!" At any rate, we arrived and I was able to spin my legs out for 30 min on the trainer while Keith set up all of our equipment. We were right on track with timing until the very end when we went back to the start for a second time and the couple before us was about to start. Keith was relieving his bladder while I was yelling out 30 seconds!!! WE start in 30 seconds!!!! Luckily he finished and got to the start just in time.
We took off and I was in a zone. My legs felt great and I was easily staying in his draft. I told him faster, but he was going as fast as he could at or above 30 miles an hour. Within 3 miles we caught our 30 second team and by the first turn at 5 miles we got the next two teams.
The turn went smooth and Keith looked to make sure I was on his wheel. We flew up the first roller, but had to sit up a little on the second roller as the first 6 miles was catching up to me. As we approached a very fast down hill there was 8 teams to the right and a car behind us waiting to pass. The downhills were the toughest part for me to trust the bike and all of my surroundings but luckily Keith was yelling out "riders back" and he cranked his 55/11 as we flew past all 8 teams within the next mile. For the next 4 miles Keith throttled back and said lets save some for the hills so we were cruising along and I thought we were going to slow but unfortunately I couldn't go any faster even if I wanted to.
We approached the last turn and Keith said be safe and do what feels comfortable. I mimicked him and stayed in the aerobars and we kept flying through the last couple of rollers before mama bear. When we hit mama bear 8 Proman women came flying down the opposite direction as they were cooling down from their efforts and Emily Zell's words, "You better win" crossed my mine. Unfortunately, I was breathing pretty hard at this time and I actually had to sit and climb for a couple of min before I stood up and punched it over the last half of the climb. We took the descent really fast and I was able to big ring it over baby bear and cousin bear. I was glad to see Papa bear, but I had to so the same thing and sit and climb the first half to recover enough to punch it over the top. Luckily, we finished strong and the downhills weren't the issue. It was strictly my fitness. I climbed much slower than I normally do but Keith reminded me that is how it should be if I was going hard throughout.
We had no idea we won. Keith thought we went fast for how much trouble I had the day before. We had no idea that we did the course in 43.29 easily breaking my goal of 45 min and taking the win by over a min and a half. I was really excited because I thought I slowed us down and that my bad attitude and fatigue got in the way, but overall I think I learned how to suffer and not go too hard in the beginning. I think this will help me understand how to pace myself for future TT. Hopefully, if the weather permits I will race Canada TT this weekend and help support the fight against Cancer at the same time.
Thanks for reading!!!
Brianne
March 9th 2008
Despite my initial hesitation, Keith talked me into racing the coed two man time trail after telling me it was 16 miles of the 20 mile lap of the Berkeley Hills Road Race. Since I have enjoyed the pain and torture of the RR and because my short person seat post finally arrived after nearly a year of waiting, I decided it was due time for me to test drive my beautiful orbea ordu that Keith bought me for xmas a year and a half ago. It is a 16 mile loop with a very fast and flat first 5 miles, with a right hand turn into a rolling 5 mile section, with a final right hand turn into a 6 mile hilly section that consists of mama bear, baby bear, a little bump that we named cousin bear (they don't consider this little bump a climb in the race) that leads into papa bear. The race ended about 500 meters after the summit of papa bear.
Keith and I took the time to drive out the day before so I could get a feel of the course on my TT bike. He said it will be much different and boy, was he right! It was absolutely TERRIFYING. I am not sure if you have all rode full aero equipement before, but it is killer fast and without having brakes you can easily reach, it can be quite nerve racking. So after much complaining and moaning and telling Keith what he needed to do for me to ride in his draft and feel safe we left the course with my legs completely toast after riding only 3 laps and me feeling even more nervous for the day to come.
To say the least I didn't sleep well. I was SOOOOOOO nervous. I kept asking Keith, "How can I be this nervous?!" At any rate, we arrived and I was able to spin my legs out for 30 min on the trainer while Keith set up all of our equipment. We were right on track with timing until the very end when we went back to the start for a second time and the couple before us was about to start. Keith was relieving his bladder while I was yelling out 30 seconds!!! WE start in 30 seconds!!!! Luckily he finished and got to the start just in time.
We took off and I was in a zone. My legs felt great and I was easily staying in his draft. I told him faster, but he was going as fast as he could at or above 30 miles an hour. Within 3 miles we caught our 30 second team and by the first turn at 5 miles we got the next two teams.
The turn went smooth and Keith looked to make sure I was on his wheel. We flew up the first roller, but had to sit up a little on the second roller as the first 6 miles was catching up to me. As we approached a very fast down hill there was 8 teams to the right and a car behind us waiting to pass. The downhills were the toughest part for me to trust the bike and all of my surroundings but luckily Keith was yelling out "riders back" and he cranked his 55/11 as we flew past all 8 teams within the next mile. For the next 4 miles Keith throttled back and said lets save some for the hills so we were cruising along and I thought we were going to slow but unfortunately I couldn't go any faster even if I wanted to.
We approached the last turn and Keith said be safe and do what feels comfortable. I mimicked him and stayed in the aerobars and we kept flying through the last couple of rollers before mama bear. When we hit mama bear 8 Proman women came flying down the opposite direction as they were cooling down from their efforts and Emily Zell's words, "You better win" crossed my mine. Unfortunately, I was breathing pretty hard at this time and I actually had to sit and climb for a couple of min before I stood up and punched it over the last half of the climb. We took the descent really fast and I was able to big ring it over baby bear and cousin bear. I was glad to see Papa bear, but I had to so the same thing and sit and climb the first half to recover enough to punch it over the top. Luckily, we finished strong and the downhills weren't the issue. It was strictly my fitness. I climbed much slower than I normally do but Keith reminded me that is how it should be if I was going hard throughout.
We had no idea we won. Keith thought we went fast for how much trouble I had the day before. We had no idea that we did the course in 43.29 easily breaking my goal of 45 min and taking the win by over a min and a half. I was really excited because I thought I slowed us down and that my bad attitude and fatigue got in the way, but overall I think I learned how to suffer and not go too hard in the beginning. I think this will help me understand how to pace myself for future TT. Hopefully, if the weather permits I will race Canada TT this weekend and help support the fight against Cancer at the same time.
Thanks for reading!!!
Brianne
Monday, March 10, 2008
Merco Grand Prix...Top 10
With the new season comes new teammates and the Merco Grand Prix was the first race with just myself, Mary Ellen, Karla, and Brianne together. We set modest goals for results with another primary goal being to work well together to keep our sprinters (Mary Ellen and Karla) protected, and communicate well with one another as we continue to learn each other styles and strengths.
The field was large with approximately 60 starters and included very high caliber teams such as High Road, Tibco, and Proman. We were outnumbered by most teams and knew our best strategy was to race smart and conservatively...meaning let the other larger teams chase the breaks, go for primes if the opportunity arises but not waste energy battling with the larger teams. We did just this. With about ten laps to go, a strong break with all the big teams was off the front. Brianne launched herself away from the field with Anke Wichmann from High Road and it looked like a promising effort to bridge to the break. Unfortunately with three to go, the field caught Brianne and Anke. The field reshuffled and I had Mary Ellen on my wheel. At this point I knew my job was to help her stay protected from the wind and try to keep moving her up for the field sprint. At the final turn I was done and took it really wide, ME took the inside line and blasted past riders for an 8th place finish overall. Karla held great position throughout the race and placed 19th...giving us two placings in the money! Overall a great team experience.
The field was large with approximately 60 starters and included very high caliber teams such as High Road, Tibco, and Proman. We were outnumbered by most teams and knew our best strategy was to race smart and conservatively...meaning let the other larger teams chase the breaks, go for primes if the opportunity arises but not waste energy battling with the larger teams. We did just this. With about ten laps to go, a strong break with all the big teams was off the front. Brianne launched herself away from the field with Anke Wichmann from High Road and it looked like a promising effort to bridge to the break. Unfortunately with three to go, the field caught Brianne and Anke. The field reshuffled and I had Mary Ellen on my wheel. At this point I knew my job was to help her stay protected from the wind and try to keep moving her up for the field sprint. At the final turn I was done and took it really wide, ME took the inside line and blasted past riders for an 8th place finish overall. Karla held great position throughout the race and placed 19th...giving us two placings in the money! Overall a great team experience.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
One Down Eight To Go
One month of racing behind us, eight more to look forward to! It was a busy month for the team as we raced everything from the official season opener Cherry Pie Criterium, Valley of the Sun Stage Race, Amgen Tour of Ca Women's Crit, and other local events just to name a few! Check back as the season progresses for updates.
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