APRIL 26th Sunday Quabbin Road Race as Ashley raced it
Open womens- 62 miles- Ashley, Cecelia, Dara representing for radical.
I really and truly I was excited to race as the temps were in the 80's and I knew I would be able to breath :)- so my first real race of the year (one I could race!)
I was not sure how selective the course would be- I read the course description and knew there was a hill at mile 10 and mile 20 that I had to pay attention on- but it is MA, and the hills are hard to predict.
Anthem showed up in numbers ( Beth miller and Elena being the contenders to watch) and I was happy to see the red-white and blue on Ann Marie Miller show up- along with Anna Milkowski and a Colavita lady ( I never know how strong they will be...). Since Ann Marie Miller showed up and I know she is a safe and dependable wheel- I told Dara to watch her and try to stay on her wheel- if she goes- you go too- which is exactly what she did- nice job Dara.
So when did it go? Mile 10 on the first climb, Beth Miller jumps out of the right hand side of the pack- with one girl on her wheel- I am on the left side having a terrible slow motion moment- my legs would not go- they were screaming at me " I'm not ready yet" they did not have a choice- the first person to jump out of the pack to chase that was Elena then I see AMM and Dara, ( who bridged up effortlessly from my perspective- I was very jealous!) I am going- doing the best I can to get on the end of the bridging girls with Cecelia yelling at me " get up there Ashley!!!!" ( thanks Cecelia this really helped!) The girls up the road were going for it and I knew this was the race moment- so I talked my legs into moving for me and actually sprinted onto the back of the break- that was a great feeling ( Anna Milkowski and I were I think the last scramblers)... I had made it!
So right away we started drilling it and pacelining- we had to stay away and there was a fast downhill- we all worked together pretty well- I would guess the group was about 12-14 girls- fantastic a bike race! this is why I came :) but we still had 50 miles left- yikes~!
At mile 20 there was a long stepped climb ( kinda like hill towns but not as hard of a climb- but it was one hill on top of another- you thought you were at the top and then it went up again) AMM and Anthem were setting a really high pace up the whole climb- my legs were feeling great but the rest of me was suffering quite a lot- about 2/3rds up the climb I see Dara going backwards- yes this climb is hard- no joke! And we shed a few girls on that climb- Colavita was really nice to me saying to me hang in there- we are almost to the top- I guess my suffering was apparent!!
I made the selection- yeah!! Crap this is hard- I try to eat and drink a lot- knowing this it taking a lot out of me with my race fitness being behind- We worked together the paceline went pretty smoothly except for when Elena came to the front she would not pull through or would just sit up- I don't get it.
We continue on- the course levels out a bit- lots of fast down hills! We were working the whole time but had not had a climb in a while and at mile 40 there was a short power climb- they hit it - I did not- my legs were stiff and un-moving- I could not persuade them as I got unhitched from the front group :( Crap!!!!!!!
I thought now I have to keep my place. Head down- legs wake up and I push through the last 20 miles by myself without being caught- I achieved that at least along with my first real race fitness of the year!
Ann Marie Miller won- 9th (ashley), 12th (Cecelia) 18th (Dara)/ 39 finishers
It was fun!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tour de Ephrata April 25th & 26 -Evie Does it Again for the win
Day 1 40-mile road race:
The race was amazing but most importantly we got a big dose of Amish culture right away on the drive to the race, buggies and Amish people all over the place. Goal #1 was accomplished.
About 70 women started this race. The Raddies did nicely get ourselves to the front of the race quickly. I was thinking it might be good to try out some new strategies at this race, but then decided a women's open field with 70 riders on a narrow, windy and gravelly roads might not be the best idea. Instead I did what I know best, and sat on or towards the front the majority of the race.
The Raddies made our presence known by being at the front and protecting each other from the wind (more like Erica and Maria coming up and sitting in front of me, so awesome!!). I got a nice lead-out from Andrea Luebbe the 2nd lap near the hill and launched an attack, I got a away for about a mini minute, then I got caught by a few, tried to attack that group a few more times, but was really a big fat snickers bar dangling in front of them on the open Amish roads. I think we dropped about half the field (unfortunately Maria suffered another flat, I think it was the 2nd or 1st lap, yuck, hopefully you have fulfilled your flat quota for the season!). About 35 of us went into the finish. I somehow got myself stuck in the swarm of the pack going into it, when we hit the 200-meter mark the girl from BMW (Lauren Shirock) jumps. I decided I should mark her wheel and then I just tried to sprint and not get in the way of anyone else. I managed to pull off 3rd and Erica was right there at about 20th.
Day 2 TT and Crit:
It was 4 miles flat (or more rolling) and then 4 miles uphill and this uphill hurt, I remember thinking; I might puke...puking before you cross the line is not sooo cool. I was able to clock a good time and got 1st (I think it was Maria's shoe covers she let me use), Maria, "I am going to soft pedal it” I see screaming up the hill got a strong 16th place and Erica rocked it full cannibal style for 23rd (I think it was about 60 plus women at this point).
So the crit was a classic 4 corner one, with a little uphill followed by a downhill finish. Raddies were once again able to shimmy up to the front and from the gun we went hard, my thought was maybe we should try to string it out in order to get rid of some of the riders. It was 20 laps, I tried to attack a good amount of times on the little hill, sometimes getting a gap but most people were not so itching to work with me. Maria hopped up front a few times and gave me a nice wheel, which was awesome. Erica was doing great until the last few laps when some girl crashed. I heard the crunchy bike noises...yuck! Impressively she finished the race after crashing, with a broken wheel with 7 laps to go. Wow! Maria got stuck behind the crash and was able to bridge herself back up to the pack, I think we were 3 laps to go as I drifted to the back and heard Maria go, I’m here!” Sweet! So the last lap to got up at the front, a couple of Verducci girls started to try to lead each other out from the turn of the hill, so I just decided to use brute force and go. I took the last turn at the front, knowing that I had Andrea Meyers and Mary Costelloe on my wheel, but it was too late to fix the problem, so I tried to move fast, but I wasn’t fast enough. Those 2 came around me.... yuck.... I think if it wasn’t for the crash, we would have been able to set up a better lead out, next time!!
I won the GC overall. It was a fun weekend, The Raddies really showed we were a team that works together and we were all able to work on our tans.
The race was amazing but most importantly we got a big dose of Amish culture right away on the drive to the race, buggies and Amish people all over the place. Goal #1 was accomplished.
About 70 women started this race. The Raddies did nicely get ourselves to the front of the race quickly. I was thinking it might be good to try out some new strategies at this race, but then decided a women's open field with 70 riders on a narrow, windy and gravelly roads might not be the best idea. Instead I did what I know best, and sat on or towards the front the majority of the race.
The Raddies made our presence known by being at the front and protecting each other from the wind (more like Erica and Maria coming up and sitting in front of me, so awesome!!). I got a nice lead-out from Andrea Luebbe the 2nd lap near the hill and launched an attack, I got a away for about a mini minute, then I got caught by a few, tried to attack that group a few more times, but was really a big fat snickers bar dangling in front of them on the open Amish roads. I think we dropped about half the field (unfortunately Maria suffered another flat, I think it was the 2nd or 1st lap, yuck, hopefully you have fulfilled your flat quota for the season!). About 35 of us went into the finish. I somehow got myself stuck in the swarm of the pack going into it, when we hit the 200-meter mark the girl from BMW (Lauren Shirock) jumps. I decided I should mark her wheel and then I just tried to sprint and not get in the way of anyone else. I managed to pull off 3rd and Erica was right there at about 20th.
Day 2 TT and Crit:
It was 4 miles flat (or more rolling) and then 4 miles uphill and this uphill hurt, I remember thinking; I might puke...puking before you cross the line is not sooo cool. I was able to clock a good time and got 1st (I think it was Maria's shoe covers she let me use), Maria, "I am going to soft pedal it” I see screaming up the hill got a strong 16th place and Erica rocked it full cannibal style for 23rd (I think it was about 60 plus women at this point).
So the crit was a classic 4 corner one, with a little uphill followed by a downhill finish. Raddies were once again able to shimmy up to the front and from the gun we went hard, my thought was maybe we should try to string it out in order to get rid of some of the riders. It was 20 laps, I tried to attack a good amount of times on the little hill, sometimes getting a gap but most people were not so itching to work with me. Maria hopped up front a few times and gave me a nice wheel, which was awesome. Erica was doing great until the last few laps when some girl crashed. I heard the crunchy bike noises...yuck! Impressively she finished the race after crashing, with a broken wheel with 7 laps to go. Wow! Maria got stuck behind the crash and was able to bridge herself back up to the pack, I think we were 3 laps to go as I drifted to the back and heard Maria go, I’m here!” Sweet! So the last lap to got up at the front, a couple of Verducci girls started to try to lead each other out from the turn of the hill, so I just decided to use brute force and go. I took the last turn at the front, knowing that I had Andrea Meyers and Mary Costelloe on my wheel, but it was too late to fix the problem, so I tried to move fast, but I wasn’t fast enough. Those 2 came around me.... yuck.... I think if it wasn’t for the crash, we would have been able to set up a better lead out, next time!!
I won the GC overall. It was a fun weekend, The Raddies really showed we were a team that works together and we were all able to work on our tans.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Battenkill 2009- Evie wins the Pro field!
BATTENKILL 2009
So the race from my perspective...(Maggie Shirley that is).
Anywho, the first 9miles or so was totally chill with radical setting a decent clip at the front to keep evie out of the wind but comfortable. Thanks Maria for your crazy draft. I needed you.
So this is where the narrative gets choppy (at mile 9) cause I went into something like reptilian survival mode in which language is condensed to grimaces and grunts...and the frontal cortex lies
unused....
So what I remember...Anna Milkowsi (who apparently knows the course)attacks into the first gravel stretch after which follows a series of turns and a narrow covered bridge with about 65 of my favorite female riders knocking around beside me. Evie and I fall to the middle of the pack immediately before the climb; our plans were foiled. Have no fear, dear reader, we scurried up the gravel on the right side of the road to find ourselves beside the likes of the gasping Anna and ahead of the middling pack following us up the climb....
Again reptilian, I remember something like Evie attacking at the bottom of the first climb, then Lynne Bessette (yes, that Lynn Bessette which we will further to refer to as winner of redlands 2007 and total Canadian badass (damn those Canadians) chased her down and then launched a pathetic counter...to which our Evie gives her the smiling grimace and lays down another. At some point, the road changes from smooth pavement to dirt...and I'm like wholly pooh this race is forreals. I'm watching all this as they, yes, climb away from me.
I'm reminding myself that these damn sprinters legs tend to go hard for me (for about 10 seconds) and then fill up with acid and send me into wheezing fits as I fly backwards on the climbs...So I try to remain within myself...hehe. No can do with Evie running the show up the climbs.
So frankly, I get dropped and as I crest the top...I can see three groups of two straggling about 10 meters apart with the field about 30 meters up the road. Ack. So my mind-set is something like, this shit ain't happening, and I slam it into my big ring and start to haul through the slight downhill gathering girls in my draft. Anyway, I get to the pack and look around for Evie...but alas no teammie. I'm like there is no way I passed her and didn't notice...and then I see the pesky Canadian chasing and realize...ah ha. She is off the front...OF COURSE.
So the pack chases for 3 miles or so...through some rollers, etc. And I get to just sit for awhile...thanks Evie.
We roll a bit more through some flats and then hit another climb. (May I point out again that Evie pulled way to much the entirety of this race. I often tried to get in front of her and block some wind but then got frustrated with the stupidity of pulling around a WORLD CHAMPION and one of the nations best sprinters...so I slunk back to the pack. Hehe (got to get my jabs in where I can)...but I guess it didn't hurt Evie to much in the end anyway.)
So we climb again...and yes...surprise, surprise, Evie attacks again at the base of the climb. This time the tempo of the pack is more steady and I am able to haul my sprinter ass up and over the climb on the strung out remnants of the pack. (BTW, I wheeze....who knew).
Anyway, we descend a bit and around mile 35 with Evie presumably a bit gassed from setting tempo off the front; I attack. So I'm not sure what happened in the field at this point. Pretty sure they decided to just let me fry out there (damn them) but I was having fun. I felt pretty good and decided to try to keep my pace around 24 miles an hour (except the uphills) and lay some tempo. At some point I was told I had about 45 seconds, which was fairly cool...but as soon as I was beginning to have delusions of grandeur (or at least hoping a small group would bridge up). I guess the pack decided they didn't like my style and started to work. So after five miles of an effort I was reeled back in (boo.) and boy did Evie's counter hurt.
Some more rolling (and yes, Evie was on the front).
All that followed was dust, crazy, gravelly pain. I must say that these girls all had fairly mad handling skills cause there was several near disasters as women fishtailed down the gravel descents but we managed to finish it all rubber side down.
Anyway, so there was a roller coaster section which consisted of three gravel power climbs ( I think this was the section with 25% grade) and three gravel descents. I was totally gassed and holding on for dear life. I could see the Canadian and LVG looking frisky up front and got worried when Evie was climbing near me. No fear though...one word...like Evie get up there and she sets gravel spewing with spinning legs as she vaults to the front. I realized my folly when the pace picks up and I'm begging for pity in my own head from my teammate on the front.
It all comes down to the final climb...which I regret to say I hardly remember...except pain, pain, pain...and then Oh sh*t, LVG is falling off...I can catch her (I'd been dropped already). Evie in the meantime, attacks and managed to bring five or so with her.
The rest of Evie's story is she finally found someone as willing to work as she is in Anna Mccloon and the two of them make the made dash to the finish with several on their wheels. Evie wins in an impressive dash to the line from 300 meters away...a true (I'm a whole lot faster than these chicks) way to win.
My story....I latch onto LVG's wheel thinking...well she might pull me to the finish. She looks back (knows I'm not gonna help her in anyway) and lays down an impressive pull. We pick up audrey from anthem and several other girls (I think we finished with 6 or so). I have to say I saw altarum and anthem pulling LVG to the finish when both teams had girls up the road. I can't imagine how these girls could transgress such a cardinal sin in racing. I can only imagine that it can't possibly be as cool on other teams as ours...but whateves.
Anyway, so I am TOTALLY stoked at this point cause I GET TO TRY MY NEW SPRING AGAINST LVG and I know she is tired. hehe. I think...maybe, just maybe.
So the long and short of it is...she kicked my ass....but I did manage to keep up with her for the first third of the acceleration...which I must say was a mighty proud half a second.
So the race from my perspective...(Maggie Shirley that is).
Anywho, the first 9miles or so was totally chill with radical setting a decent clip at the front to keep evie out of the wind but comfortable. Thanks Maria for your crazy draft. I needed you.
So this is where the narrative gets choppy (at mile 9) cause I went into something like reptilian survival mode in which language is condensed to grimaces and grunts...and the frontal cortex lies
unused....
So what I remember...Anna Milkowsi (who apparently knows the course)attacks into the first gravel stretch after which follows a series of turns and a narrow covered bridge with about 65 of my favorite female riders knocking around beside me. Evie and I fall to the middle of the pack immediately before the climb; our plans were foiled. Have no fear, dear reader, we scurried up the gravel on the right side of the road to find ourselves beside the likes of the gasping Anna and ahead of the middling pack following us up the climb....
Again reptilian, I remember something like Evie attacking at the bottom of the first climb, then Lynne Bessette (yes, that Lynn Bessette which we will further to refer to as winner of redlands 2007 and total Canadian badass (damn those Canadians) chased her down and then launched a pathetic counter...to which our Evie gives her the smiling grimace and lays down another. At some point, the road changes from smooth pavement to dirt...and I'm like wholly pooh this race is forreals. I'm watching all this as they, yes, climb away from me.
I'm reminding myself that these damn sprinters legs tend to go hard for me (for about 10 seconds) and then fill up with acid and send me into wheezing fits as I fly backwards on the climbs...So I try to remain within myself...hehe. No can do with Evie running the show up the climbs.
So frankly, I get dropped and as I crest the top...I can see three groups of two straggling about 10 meters apart with the field about 30 meters up the road. Ack. So my mind-set is something like, this shit ain't happening, and I slam it into my big ring and start to haul through the slight downhill gathering girls in my draft. Anyway, I get to the pack and look around for Evie...but alas no teammie. I'm like there is no way I passed her and didn't notice...and then I see the pesky Canadian chasing and realize...ah ha. She is off the front...OF COURSE.
So the pack chases for 3 miles or so...through some rollers, etc. And I get to just sit for awhile...thanks Evie.
We roll a bit more through some flats and then hit another climb. (May I point out again that Evie pulled way to much the entirety of this race. I often tried to get in front of her and block some wind but then got frustrated with the stupidity of pulling around a WORLD CHAMPION and one of the nations best sprinters...so I slunk back to the pack. Hehe (got to get my jabs in where I can)...but I guess it didn't hurt Evie to much in the end anyway.)
So we climb again...and yes...surprise, surprise, Evie attacks again at the base of the climb. This time the tempo of the pack is more steady and I am able to haul my sprinter ass up and over the climb on the strung out remnants of the pack. (BTW, I wheeze....who knew).
Anyway, we descend a bit and around mile 35 with Evie presumably a bit gassed from setting tempo off the front; I attack. So I'm not sure what happened in the field at this point. Pretty sure they decided to just let me fry out there (damn them) but I was having fun. I felt pretty good and decided to try to keep my pace around 24 miles an hour (except the uphills) and lay some tempo. At some point I was told I had about 45 seconds, which was fairly cool...but as soon as I was beginning to have delusions of grandeur (or at least hoping a small group would bridge up). I guess the pack decided they didn't like my style and started to work. So after five miles of an effort I was reeled back in (boo.) and boy did Evie's counter hurt.
Some more rolling (and yes, Evie was on the front).
All that followed was dust, crazy, gravelly pain. I must say that these girls all had fairly mad handling skills cause there was several near disasters as women fishtailed down the gravel descents but we managed to finish it all rubber side down.
Anyway, so there was a roller coaster section which consisted of three gravel power climbs ( I think this was the section with 25% grade) and three gravel descents. I was totally gassed and holding on for dear life. I could see the Canadian and LVG looking frisky up front and got worried when Evie was climbing near me. No fear though...one word...like Evie get up there and she sets gravel spewing with spinning legs as she vaults to the front. I realized my folly when the pace picks up and I'm begging for pity in my own head from my teammate on the front.
It all comes down to the final climb...which I regret to say I hardly remember...except pain, pain, pain...and then Oh sh*t, LVG is falling off...I can catch her (I'd been dropped already). Evie in the meantime, attacks and managed to bring five or so with her.
The rest of Evie's story is she finally found someone as willing to work as she is in Anna Mccloon and the two of them make the made dash to the finish with several on their wheels. Evie wins in an impressive dash to the line from 300 meters away...a true (I'm a whole lot faster than these chicks) way to win.
My story....I latch onto LVG's wheel thinking...well she might pull me to the finish. She looks back (knows I'm not gonna help her in anyway) and lays down an impressive pull. We pick up audrey from anthem and several other girls (I think we finished with 6 or so). I have to say I saw altarum and anthem pulling LVG to the finish when both teams had girls up the road. I can't imagine how these girls could transgress such a cardinal sin in racing. I can only imagine that it can't possibly be as cool on other teams as ours...but whateves.
Anyway, so I am TOTALLY stoked at this point cause I GET TO TRY MY NEW SPRING AGAINST LVG and I know she is tired. hehe. I think...maybe, just maybe.
So the long and short of it is...she kicked my ass....but I did manage to keep up with her for the first third of the acceleration...which I must say was a mighty proud half a second.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Bethel- March 22- Open Women's Race. Reported by Ashley
Bethel- March, 22 Open Women's Race
Maria, Cecelia, Maggie and I, Ashley, headed back up to Bethel CT. to keep Maggie in the leaders jersey and get a nice spring training race in. The field seemed a bit smaller than the week before- I'm guessing around 30 girls. Our job was to get Maggie in a good position to sprint either from a pack finish or get her into a break.
As we hit the first hill my legs were feeling ok after pulling for the first lap through the wind I was happy- last week if I pulled through the wind I was dying on the hill but not this week- thankfully! The pace was when riders would hut the hill hard. Sometimes, Radical set the pace and sometimes other riders set it. Radical was always attentive and at the front of the race to be sure if there was a break someone got in it.
About halfway through we did have a nice attack by Maggie that resulted in a break with Maggie and Ann Marie Miller- that was caught by the next hill.
In the end the race stuck together and came down to a pack finish- coming into the sprint Maria quickly got to the front and gave Maggie a nice lead-out for a second place finish. Radical raced a good race- it was fun! Maggie won the series! Nice job team!
Maria, Cecelia, Maggie and I, Ashley, headed back up to Bethel CT. to keep Maggie in the leaders jersey and get a nice spring training race in. The field seemed a bit smaller than the week before- I'm guessing around 30 girls. Our job was to get Maggie in a good position to sprint either from a pack finish or get her into a break.
As we hit the first hill my legs were feeling ok after pulling for the first lap through the wind I was happy- last week if I pulled through the wind I was dying on the hill but not this week- thankfully! The pace was when riders would hut the hill hard. Sometimes, Radical set the pace and sometimes other riders set it. Radical was always attentive and at the front of the race to be sure if there was a break someone got in it.
About halfway through we did have a nice attack by Maggie that resulted in a break with Maggie and Ann Marie Miller- that was caught by the next hill.
In the end the race stuck together and came down to a pack finish- coming into the sprint Maria quickly got to the front and gave Maggie a nice lead-out for a second place finish. Radical raced a good race- it was fun! Maggie won the series! Nice job team!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Radical Media rips it up at Redlands
Read about our 2 stars as they raced regionally at Redlands in March.
Monday, August 25, 2008
CENTRAL PARK 8/24/08-It's 1st and 2nd!
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!
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!
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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