It was Radical who put in the first attack, with Cecelia putting in a hard one at the end of the first lap. I countered which brought us to around the 102nd St. transverse, at which point Nanci took over for a hard pull down the hill, putting Maggie and Elena in perfect position for a two-pronged attack, which they took full advantage of, shattering the field at top of Harlem Hill.
Becky Koh and Gabby went with them on this attack and a few other riders attempted to bridge up. Nanci, Cecelia, and I reeled in most of the riders who had attempted to bridge, but left Deb and Corinne in no-man's land. I was afraid that if we chased them down we would bring too many of the field riders with us and they were too close to the lead group to risk that. Ellen Moses had also bridged up, which could have made it a dangerous 2-3 matchup but luckily our amazing Raddies at the front had no issues with that and just dropped everyone anyway.
So at this point, we back in the pack basically just rode around on a training ride for a lap and a half, with a bored racer occasionally putting in a little attack here or there, but mostly with the three remaining Raddies just controlling the field. With two laps to go, we decided to spice it up a bit, and Nanci did a repeat lead out down the hill, with Cecelia and I attacking over the top. Lisa Force came with us and we thought we had the break. We were working together hard and well and the group was out of sight behind us. And then by Tavern there they all were again. We still think there might have been a wormhole or something that enabled them to catch up so easily. And I have to say, given how much it hurt to stay away from the group for even that short a period of time, I have more admiration than ever for our fearless leaders at the front.
The group had gotten fairly tired chasing us down, however, and we continued attacking on the final lap. Cecelia and Lisa made one last hard effort around the reservoir on the west side, and were able to stay away through the finish, with Cecelia making mincemeat of Lisa to take 7th overall. I led out Nanci for the field sprint, and she did an awesome job fending off the field in a tough sprint for 9th. I crawled in for fourteenth or so, but who's counting at that point.
Needles to say, Maggie got the 1st place finish with Elena in 2nd!
NICE!
Monday, August 25, 2008
TOKENEKE From Elena’s saddle 8/10/08
Tokenke was fun. It turned out to be a pretty good sized field. About 50 girls started, plus about 25 of the 55+ men (we had a combined field). Radical brought 7 girls to the race!
The race started pretty fast as the 55+ men were pushing things. When we hit the hill at the end of the first lap, Evie and I got a nice gap on the field and I picked up the QOM. We kept going over the top of the hill and picked up a 55+ guy. The 3 of us worked together and stayed away for about 20 minutes before getting caught. Evie was taking some nice hard pulls and looked super strong!!! Ashley put in a nice counter attack when we were caught. I was pretty cooked from all that time off the front and was just trying to recover.
As we finishing the second lap, Maggie attacked really hard and got a huge gap on the field on the downhill. I was pretty excited as I thought it could have been a race winning move. It was not to be as Silke, a 55+ guy, and a few others masters chased her down.
We all drilled it up the hill and Ann Marie, Silke and I were bunched
as we approached the line. At about 200 meters from the line, I was trying to get my chain into the big ring, but it wouldn't move up. Damn! Ann Marie jumped first and took the win by about a 1/2 a bike length. I was closing fast on Silke but spinning out and she beat me by a couple of inches. An NEBC girl took 4th and Evie was just behind at 5th. I think we had something like 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th, and 23rd plus the Queen of the Mountains. Nice racing everyone!
The race started pretty fast as the 55+ men were pushing things. When we hit the hill at the end of the first lap, Evie and I got a nice gap on the field and I picked up the QOM. We kept going over the top of the hill and picked up a 55+ guy. The 3 of us worked together and stayed away for about 20 minutes before getting caught. Evie was taking some nice hard pulls and looked super strong!!! Ashley put in a nice counter attack when we were caught. I was pretty cooked from all that time off the front and was just trying to recover.
As we finishing the second lap, Maggie attacked really hard and got a huge gap on the field on the downhill. I was pretty excited as I thought it could have been a race winning move. It was not to be as Silke, a 55+ guy, and a few others masters chased her down.
We all drilled it up the hill and Ann Marie, Silke and I were bunched
as we approached the line. At about 200 meters from the line, I was trying to get my chain into the big ring, but it wouldn't move up. Damn! Ann Marie jumped first and took the win by about a 1/2 a bike length. I was closing fast on Silke but spinning out and she beat me by a couple of inches. An NEBC girl took 4th and Evie was just behind at 5th. I think we had something like 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th, and 23rd plus the Queen of the Mountains. Nice racing everyone!
TOKENEKE FROM ELENA'S SADDLE
TOKENEKE From Elena’s saddle
Tokenke was fun. It turned out to be a pretty good sized field. About 50 girls started, plus about 25 of the 55+ men (we had a combined field). Radical brought 7 girls to the race!
The race started pretty fast as the 55+ men were pushing things. When we hit the hill at the end of the first lap, Evie and I got a nice gap on the field and I picked up the QOM. We kept going over the top of the hill and picked up a 55+ guy. The 3 of us worked together and stayed away for about 20 minutes before getting caught. Evie was taking some nice hard pulls and looked super strong!!! Ashley put in a nice counter attack when we were caught. I was pretty cooked from all that time off the front and was just trying to recover.
As we finishing the second lap, Maggie attacked really hard and got a huge gap on the field on the downhill. I was pretty excited as I thought it could have been a race winning move. It was not to be as Silke, a 55+ guy, and a few others masters chased her down.
We all drilled it up the hill and Ann Marie, Silke and I were bunched
as we approached the line. At about 200 meters from the line, I was trying to get my chain into the big ring, but it wouldn't move up. Damn! Ann Marie jumped first and took the win by about a 1/2 a bike length. I was closing fast on Silke but spinning out and she beat me by a couple of inches. An NEBC girl took 4th and Evie was just behind at 5th. I think we had something like 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th, and 23rd plus the Queen of the Mountains. Nice racing everyone!
Tokenke was fun. It turned out to be a pretty good sized field. About 50 girls started, plus about 25 of the 55+ men (we had a combined field). Radical brought 7 girls to the race!
The race started pretty fast as the 55+ men were pushing things. When we hit the hill at the end of the first lap, Evie and I got a nice gap on the field and I picked up the QOM. We kept going over the top of the hill and picked up a 55+ guy. The 3 of us worked together and stayed away for about 20 minutes before getting caught. Evie was taking some nice hard pulls and looked super strong!!! Ashley put in a nice counter attack when we were caught. I was pretty cooked from all that time off the front and was just trying to recover.
As we finishing the second lap, Maggie attacked really hard and got a huge gap on the field on the downhill. I was pretty excited as I thought it could have been a race winning move. It was not to be as Silke, a 55+ guy, and a few others masters chased her down.
We all drilled it up the hill and Ann Marie, Silke and I were bunched
as we approached the line. At about 200 meters from the line, I was trying to get my chain into the big ring, but it wouldn't move up. Damn! Ann Marie jumped first and took the win by about a 1/2 a bike length. I was closing fast on Silke but spinning out and she beat me by a couple of inches. An NEBC girl took 4th and Evie was just behind at 5th. I think we had something like 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th, and 23rd plus the Queen of the Mountains. Nice racing everyone!
ERICA's BEST FINISH! TOUR of HIGHBRIGE 6/8/08
Tour of High Bridge:
I would say that about 15-20 riders lined up for the race. A lot of the New Jersey regulars, Betty, Elaine Molinaro, Carol Becht, Jackie, Becky Koh, etc., along with 4 Raddies. I had intended to start toward the front each time up the wall, but in my pessimistic distracted state I lined up at the back and had just made it to mid-field by the time we began the climb. I was relieved to find myself more or less still with the group at the top of the hill. Pretty uneventful first lap, went by pretty quickly. Quickly enough, in fact that we were at the base of the climb again before I knew it. I shifted down, but somehow didn't feel like I had shifted down enough. Tried again, but alas I was already in my 23. My 50-23 that is. Much to my dismay I realized that I had forgotten to shift into my 34. Aargh. Suffered through it and still came up with the group or just behind, but was concerned that I may have burnt out whatever energy and good will my legs had left for me.
Third time around, I shifted into my 34 WAY early, by the parking lots, just so I could be sure that wouldn't happen again. Hill felt relatively easy this time. Somewhere along the way there on that set of uphills we dropped about half the group. Cecelia did a great job of pushing the pace on the back side rollers and downhill to make sure we stayed away for the remaining two laps, and I was fortunate to be able to hold on.
I tried to pay more attention as we went around to where we were so as to be able to know when to sprint. I was still not totally sure how close we were going into the final turns, but asked Ashley if she'd like to take my wheel for the sprint. But then I realized I was going to be headed for the inside on the corner, which would be a terrible place to lead out from, so when it didn't look like a leadout was going to work, I just started sprinting. Scared myself a little coming around the final turn at speed but apparently I had a good gap going. I think I was one gear down from where I would have ideally been if I hadn't started by sprinting into a turn, and Jackie was able to bridge the gap and get a ride into the finish to take first. Nonetheless, I got second!!
I would say that about 15-20 riders lined up for the race. A lot of the New Jersey regulars, Betty, Elaine Molinaro, Carol Becht, Jackie, Becky Koh, etc., along with 4 Raddies. I had intended to start toward the front each time up the wall, but in my pessimistic distracted state I lined up at the back and had just made it to mid-field by the time we began the climb. I was relieved to find myself more or less still with the group at the top of the hill. Pretty uneventful first lap, went by pretty quickly. Quickly enough, in fact that we were at the base of the climb again before I knew it. I shifted down, but somehow didn't feel like I had shifted down enough. Tried again, but alas I was already in my 23. My 50-23 that is. Much to my dismay I realized that I had forgotten to shift into my 34. Aargh. Suffered through it and still came up with the group or just behind, but was concerned that I may have burnt out whatever energy and good will my legs had left for me.
Third time around, I shifted into my 34 WAY early, by the parking lots, just so I could be sure that wouldn't happen again. Hill felt relatively easy this time. Somewhere along the way there on that set of uphills we dropped about half the group. Cecelia did a great job of pushing the pace on the back side rollers and downhill to make sure we stayed away for the remaining two laps, and I was fortunate to be able to hold on.
I tried to pay more attention as we went around to where we were so as to be able to know when to sprint. I was still not totally sure how close we were going into the final turns, but asked Ashley if she'd like to take my wheel for the sprint. But then I realized I was going to be headed for the inside on the corner, which would be a terrible place to lead out from, so when it didn't look like a leadout was going to work, I just started sprinting. Scared myself a little coming around the final turn at speed but apparently I had a good gap going. I think I was one gear down from where I would have ideally been if I hadn't started by sprinting into a turn, and Jackie was able to bridge the gap and get a ride into the finish to take first. Nonetheless, I got second!!
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