Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Evie Stevens Dominates in France
Click on the link to read all about the phenom Evie Stevens and her bright bright future.
Capital Region Road Race Aug 16, 2009 Ashley Prine Takes the Heat
Maria, Erica and I were there to represent Radical for a very hot day of road racing in Albany!
Although this race destroys me every year- I love it! It is a very difficult course that on paper does not seem that it should be so difficult. The course was 43 miles 2 laps-
The first hard climb comes quickly in the start of the first lap- I think around mile 4- Silke hit this climb hard- there were girls falling off left and right. The strongest players stayed with the front group- I at this point know I should be in the front group and am really struggling to stay on- after the first climb there were about 15 of us- but on the next roller Silke hit it hard again and I with 3 other girls came unglued- but I knew there was a long descent and I was going to get back on- luckily Erica was still with the front group-
We reattached ourselves never getting too far away from the front group- only to hit the wall of a climb that broke up the pack. Silke and Audrey got off in a 2-person break- Beth Miller was just behind (and did catch up to make a 3 person lead group) Fabienne was caught in no-persons land for a while- with our chase of 5 picking her up to be a chase of 6.
Our chase group worked together well- but man it was so hot- I kept having chills- thinking what is wrong with me- then Erica reminded me (thankfully) that we were all feeling like crap because of the heat and humidity- so I was not alone- but after shoving in 4 Shotblocks at once and downing half a bottle I started to feel better-
Our chase group stuck together through the second lap- Erica and I had a brief discussion about what to do- - we decided on a leadout situation- but in retrospect my first thought was to attack and counter in the last 2 miles- and think that we should have done that- Fabienne was sitting on the back of the group not working in the last miles - we should have broken the group up a bit- next time... our lead out did not end up working Erica told me to go for the sprint- I did the best I could- getting 7th; Erica 9th- ( I thought I had 6th@ ! but in the end I had 7th) Maria finished strong in the group just behind us- @ 14th-
Truth be told we were all seeing stars at the end of this race- we learned some lessons- but man it was tough-
Although this race destroys me every year- I love it! It is a very difficult course that on paper does not seem that it should be so difficult. The course was 43 miles 2 laps-
The first hard climb comes quickly in the start of the first lap- I think around mile 4- Silke hit this climb hard- there were girls falling off left and right. The strongest players stayed with the front group- I at this point know I should be in the front group and am really struggling to stay on- after the first climb there were about 15 of us- but on the next roller Silke hit it hard again and I with 3 other girls came unglued- but I knew there was a long descent and I was going to get back on- luckily Erica was still with the front group-
We reattached ourselves never getting too far away from the front group- only to hit the wall of a climb that broke up the pack. Silke and Audrey got off in a 2-person break- Beth Miller was just behind (and did catch up to make a 3 person lead group) Fabienne was caught in no-persons land for a while- with our chase of 5 picking her up to be a chase of 6.
Our chase group worked together well- but man it was so hot- I kept having chills- thinking what is wrong with me- then Erica reminded me (thankfully) that we were all feeling like crap because of the heat and humidity- so I was not alone- but after shoving in 4 Shotblocks at once and downing half a bottle I started to feel better-
Our chase group stuck together through the second lap- Erica and I had a brief discussion about what to do- - we decided on a leadout situation- but in retrospect my first thought was to attack and counter in the last 2 miles- and think that we should have done that- Fabienne was sitting on the back of the group not working in the last miles - we should have broken the group up a bit- next time... our lead out did not end up working Erica told me to go for the sprint- I did the best I could- getting 7th; Erica 9th- ( I thought I had 6th@ ! but in the end I had 7th) Maria finished strong in the group just behind us- @ 14th-
Truth be told we were all seeing stars at the end of this race- we learned some lessons- but man it was tough-
Central Park August 8, 2009 3/4 Club Race Dara Keise and the Radical Women Kick Some A**!
We had a couple of goals in mind: attack/counter-attack to wear down the field and have a good lead-out to the finish. And this time, we did it!
Donna and Erica kept the pace high with their attacks. As the designated sprinter for the day, my goal was to slow the field and give them a chance to get away. I did my best to sit on chasers' wheels to let them bring me back to the front. I attacked a few times and once I got a good gap. I couldn't sustain the pace for very long so I slowed down to let the field pull me along again. With 2 laps to go, Erica and I broke away on the West Side thinking that with two of us, we might have a chance. Deb Killman thought so too and bridged up to us.
With the field narrowing the gap, I convinced Erica to give up... I mean to spare our energy. Donna was on the front controlling the pace for a lot of the race. On the last lap, she ratcheted it up on the East Side. Deb was on her wheel, with Erica and me following--a perfect set-up for the sprint.
As the field started to box her in on the flat section of Harlem hill, Deb took off, taking Erica and me with her. Finding ourselves alone at the top, Erica led us out with a kick-ass pace. Deb pulled off for the sprint. I should have stayed on Deb's wheel for a little longer, but overestimated the distance to the line. With proper gearing in place, I still managed to nudge past her for the win.
Thanks to some amazing teamwork, Raddies got 1st, 3rd and 4th place and gave the field a very challenging race to boot.
Donna and Erica kept the pace high with their attacks. As the designated sprinter for the day, my goal was to slow the field and give them a chance to get away. I did my best to sit on chasers' wheels to let them bring me back to the front. I attacked a few times and once I got a good gap. I couldn't sustain the pace for very long so I slowed down to let the field pull me along again. With 2 laps to go, Erica and I broke away on the West Side thinking that with two of us, we might have a chance. Deb Killman thought so too and bridged up to us.
With the field narrowing the gap, I convinced Erica to give up... I mean to spare our energy. Donna was on the front controlling the pace for a lot of the race. On the last lap, she ratcheted it up on the East Side. Deb was on her wheel, with Erica and me following--a perfect set-up for the sprint.
As the field started to box her in on the flat section of Harlem hill, Deb took off, taking Erica and me with her. Finding ourselves alone at the top, Erica led us out with a kick-ass pace. Deb pulled off for the sprint. I should have stayed on Deb's wheel for a little longer, but overestimated the distance to the line. With proper gearing in place, I still managed to nudge past her for the win.
Thanks to some amazing teamwork, Raddies got 1st, 3rd and 4th place and gave the field a very challenging race to boot.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Evelyn Stevens, America's Next Great Female Athlete
Radical Media's own Evelyn Stevens got an amazing write up in The Wall Street Journal on August 7th, 2009!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Evie Second in Nats TT – Evie Captures Second Consecutive NRC GC Title
Click on the link to read all about our own Evie Stevens racing Nationals! Go Evie!!
VELO NEWS- Catching up with Rising Star Evelyn Stevens
Click on the link to read all about Radical Media's Evie Stevens in Velo News!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tour of the Hilltowns July 26, 2009 Dara Gets a Beautiful 2nd Place Finish
Tour of the Hilltowns 7/26/09 Dara Does it Again in the 3/4 Feild!
Hot day for a race. Lots of healthy, strong women at the starting line. And a boy standing next to me was saying things like "don't fall!" and "don't kill yourselves." The race starts with a very long descent---20 miles or so of easy riding on flats and down hill. Anyway, the race really started at about mile 20 when the climbing began. A woman tried to get away right from the get-go and broke up the field immediately. A few of us caught her and stuck to her wheel for a few miles as riders dropped one by one.
At some point, I was sitting on the wheel of #3 (she would come in 3rd), who was sitting on # 1's wheel. And this is where I lost the race--I understand now what people mean when they say to focus. I was staring at the hub in front of me...that's what I do on those long climbs...finally I looked up to see #1 20 meters ahead. I picked it up to catch her, but without going all out--there was still plenty of time with this never-ending climb...I thought. Rider #3 and I talked about it and didn't think it would be possible for her to stay away for 32 miles on her own. Now I know that I should have red-lined it to try to catch her (it may have been impossible anyway.)
After the major climbing was finished, there was a long stretch of false flats and rollers all along the top of the ridge. The winner was kicking it while the two of us took turns trying to catch her. We worked pretty hard and couldn't do it. We also lost time on turns--#1 seemed to know the course well.
Soon after 2 riders (Nancy and Annaliese) caught us, we lost sight of her. The four of us had a choppy rotating pace line for 25-30 miles. It hadn't taken long for us to give up our chase completely and then it felt more like a group ride than a race, although without really settling into a good rhythm. Finally, the climb we'd all been waiting for.
With about 6 miles (uphill) to go, #3 subtly picked up the pace. I stuck to her wheel and the others dropped back. She goaded me to take a turn on the front, but I didn't see the point. We were going for 2nd and 3rd, so there really wasn't a rush. I told her that she was welcome to slow down and sit on my wheel, but she didn't.
After the hairpin turn 200 meters before the finish, she stood up to pick up the pace before the all-out sprint. I stuck to her wheel...stood up...sat back down to change gears and get into a better sprint position, and then went for it. I beat her and placed a respectable 2nd.
Great course. Interesting experience for me to figure out dynamics of riding in a break with my competitors. And I won't underestimate a rider's ability to stay off the front alone again.
Hot day for a race. Lots of healthy, strong women at the starting line. And a boy standing next to me was saying things like "don't fall!" and "don't kill yourselves." The race starts with a very long descent---20 miles or so of easy riding on flats and down hill. Anyway, the race really started at about mile 20 when the climbing began. A woman tried to get away right from the get-go and broke up the field immediately. A few of us caught her and stuck to her wheel for a few miles as riders dropped one by one.
At some point, I was sitting on the wheel of #3 (she would come in 3rd), who was sitting on # 1's wheel. And this is where I lost the race--I understand now what people mean when they say to focus. I was staring at the hub in front of me...that's what I do on those long climbs...finally I looked up to see #1 20 meters ahead. I picked it up to catch her, but without going all out--there was still plenty of time with this never-ending climb...I thought. Rider #3 and I talked about it and didn't think it would be possible for her to stay away for 32 miles on her own. Now I know that I should have red-lined it to try to catch her (it may have been impossible anyway.)
After the major climbing was finished, there was a long stretch of false flats and rollers all along the top of the ridge. The winner was kicking it while the two of us took turns trying to catch her. We worked pretty hard and couldn't do it. We also lost time on turns--#1 seemed to know the course well.
Soon after 2 riders (Nancy and Annaliese) caught us, we lost sight of her. The four of us had a choppy rotating pace line for 25-30 miles. It hadn't taken long for us to give up our chase completely and then it felt more like a group ride than a race, although without really settling into a good rhythm. Finally, the climb we'd all been waiting for.
With about 6 miles (uphill) to go, #3 subtly picked up the pace. I stuck to her wheel and the others dropped back. She goaded me to take a turn on the front, but I didn't see the point. We were going for 2nd and 3rd, so there really wasn't a rush. I told her that she was welcome to slow down and sit on my wheel, but she didn't.
After the hairpin turn 200 meters before the finish, she stood up to pick up the pace before the all-out sprint. I stuck to her wheel...stood up...sat back down to change gears and get into a better sprint position, and then went for it. I beat her and placed a respectable 2nd.
Great course. Interesting experience for me to figure out dynamics of riding in a break with my competitors. And I won't underestimate a rider's ability to stay off the front alone again.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Central Park July 25 2009 Erica Gets Top 3
Field was a little smaller than usual, only 5 or 6 riders from Comedy, instead of their typical 10, along with a comparable number from Metro (which has merged with 3rd Nature by the way) and Teany, plus a few others. Since I was representing solo from Radical, my plan was to be primarily defensive versus what I figured was going to be numerous attacks from Comedy, and to let other teams do most of the work unless I felt like something was really going to stick, which meant really only being concerned about attacks with Sarah or Alejandra in them.
Race started off surprisingly strongly for a six-lapper, wth Gabby (from Metro now) setting the pace. I found myself a little further back than I usually like to ride, but I tried not to worry to much about it too much since it wasn't a huge field and it gave me the ability to keep a closer eye on Alejandra and kept my urge to chase everything down in check. There were a few attacks in the first lap and a half that were fairly quickly covered by the field. Alejandra tried to get into position to get away a couple of times, but found me on her wheel each time and cut her effort short. Then Comedy began a string of attacks and counter attacks. Towards the end of the second lap, Sarah got a decent gap on the field . The field started playing a bit of cat and mouse, trying to get someone else to do the work to bridge. Alejandra took advantage of this going up to Cat's Paw to try to bridge up to her teammate, but I stuck to her like glue in order to get a free ride up. She realized this about half way up the hill and sat up in an effort to gap me off but I just went right around and was able to get to Sarah with a decent gap on the field.
Alejandra finished bridging up shortly thereafter and told us that we still had a good gap and that we should work together to cement it. I wanted the succeed of course but was a little wary of doing to much of the work because with a 2 on 1 situation I figured they'd just try to work me over until my legs fell off. Also every time in the past that I've bridged up to Alejandra she'd sat up as soon as I got there, so I was a little wary of being in a break with her in the first place. But when I saw that she was in fact pulling through for a change, I let down my guard and did a couple of turns at the front as well. After all four laps is a long time to try to stay away if the field is motivated. As soon as we hit the west side however, my fears were validated, as Alejandra attacked from behind me while Sarah tried to gap me off. I was able to bridge back up, just in time for Sarah to attack, but got on her wheel as she went by. This sequence went on for another 3/4 of a lap, at which point Alejandra started yelling at me for not pulling through, which I thought was rather cheeky since she was the one who started attacking me. I replied that I couldn't pull through because she would just attack again, and she and Sarah claimed that they were only attacking me because I wasn't pulling through. Yeah, right. So anyway, we reached a truce of sorts for the next couple of laps, buy oh boy what a pace Alejandra was setting, I felt like I was being worked over almost as when they were attacking me. Sarah seemed to be feeling it as well though, which is probably why I was able to hang in there as long as I was.
Going up Harlem Hill the sixth time, Alejandra attacked hard. I knew it was probably going to happen, but I just didn't have the legs left to go with her. Once she realized she has a little gap at the top, she really hit it. By the time we go to 86th St., she was pretty much gone, but Sarah still refused to do anything but sit on my wheel. I started half-joking about how much of a shame it would be if the field caught us again with only a half lap to go, so Sarah generously offered to keep an eye out for them in back of us and pull through if she saw them. Thanks a million. So basically I gave Sarah a 3/4 of a lap leadout for the sprint. Needless to say, I didn't have much left in the tank at the end and it was all I could do to roll in for 3rd, but I was still pleased to have made it into the first Central Park break of my racing career and to have held on as long as I did to the 15.5 minute lap pace that we were hitting.
Race started off surprisingly strongly for a six-lapper, wth Gabby (from Metro now) setting the pace. I found myself a little further back than I usually like to ride, but I tried not to worry to much about it too much since it wasn't a huge field and it gave me the ability to keep a closer eye on Alejandra and kept my urge to chase everything down in check. There were a few attacks in the first lap and a half that were fairly quickly covered by the field. Alejandra tried to get into position to get away a couple of times, but found me on her wheel each time and cut her effort short. Then Comedy began a string of attacks and counter attacks. Towards the end of the second lap, Sarah got a decent gap on the field . The field started playing a bit of cat and mouse, trying to get someone else to do the work to bridge. Alejandra took advantage of this going up to Cat's Paw to try to bridge up to her teammate, but I stuck to her like glue in order to get a free ride up. She realized this about half way up the hill and sat up in an effort to gap me off but I just went right around and was able to get to Sarah with a decent gap on the field.
Alejandra finished bridging up shortly thereafter and told us that we still had a good gap and that we should work together to cement it. I wanted the succeed of course but was a little wary of doing to much of the work because with a 2 on 1 situation I figured they'd just try to work me over until my legs fell off. Also every time in the past that I've bridged up to Alejandra she'd sat up as soon as I got there, so I was a little wary of being in a break with her in the first place. But when I saw that she was in fact pulling through for a change, I let down my guard and did a couple of turns at the front as well. After all four laps is a long time to try to stay away if the field is motivated. As soon as we hit the west side however, my fears were validated, as Alejandra attacked from behind me while Sarah tried to gap me off. I was able to bridge back up, just in time for Sarah to attack, but got on her wheel as she went by. This sequence went on for another 3/4 of a lap, at which point Alejandra started yelling at me for not pulling through, which I thought was rather cheeky since she was the one who started attacking me. I replied that I couldn't pull through because she would just attack again, and she and Sarah claimed that they were only attacking me because I wasn't pulling through. Yeah, right. So anyway, we reached a truce of sorts for the next couple of laps, buy oh boy what a pace Alejandra was setting, I felt like I was being worked over almost as when they were attacking me. Sarah seemed to be feeling it as well though, which is probably why I was able to hang in there as long as I was.
Going up Harlem Hill the sixth time, Alejandra attacked hard. I knew it was probably going to happen, but I just didn't have the legs left to go with her. Once she realized she has a little gap at the top, she really hit it. By the time we go to 86th St., she was pretty much gone, but Sarah still refused to do anything but sit on my wheel. I started half-joking about how much of a shame it would be if the field caught us again with only a half lap to go, so Sarah generously offered to keep an eye out for them in back of us and pull through if she saw them. Thanks a million. So basically I gave Sarah a 3/4 of a lap leadout for the sprint. Needless to say, I didn't have much left in the tank at the end and it was all I could do to roll in for 3rd, but I was still pleased to have made it into the first Central Park break of my racing career and to have held on as long as I did to the 15.5 minute lap pace that we were hitting.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Giro del Cielo July 18 & 19, 2009- Dara Kiese On the Podium Again
Giro del Cielo Saturday, July 18, 2009 - Sunday, July 19, 2009 Dara Loves the Podium!
Time Trial
The TT was a gradual, uphill course through the woods. After going back and forth, I decided not to use clip-on aero bars because I’ve never used them before and because I didn’t think that they would help much with the hills. I made it to the start line with 3 minutes to spare—feeling ridiculous in my skin suit and with a lens missing from my glasses— 3 minutes to stand in line in front of Deb Killman thinking about her passing me during the TT. I couldn’t clip in and tried not to panic for the 20 seconds or so into the ride pausing to clip…no…pause…click… .No…pedal…click… whew.
Evie’s advice was to go all out from the get-go. I had had a good warm up on my trainer and went. I saw Corinne ahead and looked back to see Deb about the same distance behind me. The course was more gradual than I expected. I followed Ashley’s advice to take advantage of my ability to hammer on the flats while other people rested. I kept thinking that Deb was clicking her gears behind me, but didn’t look back. I realized that it didn’t matter where she was…all I could do was my own race. I seemed to settle into a sustainable level of effort and kept going—mashing on the pedals at about 70 rpms—too low! Eventually, I passed Corinne (whew…she’s fast) and while she could chat with me, I could only shrug or bark incomprehensible responses. I started getting tired and looked down to see that there was only .6 miles left…I kept it going…stood up near the end…and wheezed on top feeling good about my ride.
Criterium
The crit was just a few hours after the TT…not enough time to bask in the glory of a win, in my opinion. I didn’t really think out a plan or anticipate how it would play out. It seemed simple…try to get away with Deb and Peta. I planned to try for the prime points at lap 18 (out of 30) and didn’t care too much about the swag primes. Someone in the Cat 4 race crashed on the final lap minutes before we started and it freaked me out a bit about getting squeezed at the corners. The field was pretty small—19, I think. Betty attacked over and over and some others tried to attack and I was able to be there every time. Unfortunately, no breaks stuck…they just spread out the field until we all slowed down. I didn’t pay attention to the lap counter and missed the points prime completely (one lesson learned). I sat on Peta’s wheel thinking that I was saving my energy while they were all working so hard. Deb won it, got 8 points and was now leading in the GC. At the final lap, I thought that someone was attacking and I went for it. Deb was with me for a little while and then I think that she slowed down. I’m not sure what happened. I considered my options to slow down and do the mass sprint or to keep going and hope for the best. I was really tired by the halfway point, but the sprinters waited until after the final corner to start passing me.
Road race (6 times around a 5.5 mile circuit)
I went into this race with a bad attitude wondering which strategies I was clueless about, but should inherently know. I wanted to win, but thought it unlikely. Then I realized that all I needed to do was get 3rd to maintain my 3rd in the GC. Seemed possible. Or even better…beat the #2 and get second. The only way to get 1st overall was to win with Deb flatting. I rode a warm up lap alone. The roads were pretty, the terrain rolling…it was just the sort of riding I like. At the start of the race, Alaina (#3) was pushing the pace and trying to convince Deb to go—within the first 2 miles. Deb didn’t go for it and we all followed Alaina…happy to tire her out.
The race really came down to one section of rollers—where people pushed the pace—and the climb before the finish, and the sprint. The rest of the time, we rode as slowly as possible. There was no reason for the 3 of us to shake it up and everyone else grumbled but didn’t spice it up too much.
The second lap was a points prime and Deb advised me to go around the final corner at the front. Another climber attacked, Deb and I got on and we went hard until the line. I was on Deb’s wheel until I realized…hey! I can go faster than this! I went around and Peta went around on the other side. Peta and I crossed the line at almost exactly the same time, but apparently I was a few inches ahead. Most importantly, Deb and Alaina didn’t get points. The rest of the race seemed uneventful….a few short attacks, but I was able to be there.
At the final lap, I looked around and realized that I had been pushed to the back…I squeezed between riders and a mailbox and got better positioning. I’m finally learning how to vie for positioning early for the finish. Alaina and I traded off on Deb’s wheel. Edie attacked and Deb and I got on her wheel to stay near the front. We rounded the final corner and I found myself in the midst of the pack again. Riders started attacking on the steep climb and I stayed in the mix. I think that there was a pause in the intensity for a few seconds…then people starting sprinting…I started sprinting…we got close and I kept going until I passed everyone for the line! The slight uphill in the sprint was an advantage to me because I’m more power-horse than agile spinner.
I came in 2nd overall, losing by 4 points to Deb who raced consistently strong and smart throughout.
Time Trial
The TT was a gradual, uphill course through the woods. After going back and forth, I decided not to use clip-on aero bars because I’ve never used them before and because I didn’t think that they would help much with the hills. I made it to the start line with 3 minutes to spare—feeling ridiculous in my skin suit and with a lens missing from my glasses— 3 minutes to stand in line in front of Deb Killman thinking about her passing me during the TT. I couldn’t clip in and tried not to panic for the 20 seconds or so into the ride pausing to clip…no…pause…click… .No…pedal…click… whew.
Evie’s advice was to go all out from the get-go. I had had a good warm up on my trainer and went. I saw Corinne ahead and looked back to see Deb about the same distance behind me. The course was more gradual than I expected. I followed Ashley’s advice to take advantage of my ability to hammer on the flats while other people rested. I kept thinking that Deb was clicking her gears behind me, but didn’t look back. I realized that it didn’t matter where she was…all I could do was my own race. I seemed to settle into a sustainable level of effort and kept going—mashing on the pedals at about 70 rpms—too low! Eventually, I passed Corinne (whew…she’s fast) and while she could chat with me, I could only shrug or bark incomprehensible responses. I started getting tired and looked down to see that there was only .6 miles left…I kept it going…stood up near the end…and wheezed on top feeling good about my ride.
Criterium
The crit was just a few hours after the TT…not enough time to bask in the glory of a win, in my opinion. I didn’t really think out a plan or anticipate how it would play out. It seemed simple…try to get away with Deb and Peta. I planned to try for the prime points at lap 18 (out of 30) and didn’t care too much about the swag primes. Someone in the Cat 4 race crashed on the final lap minutes before we started and it freaked me out a bit about getting squeezed at the corners. The field was pretty small—19, I think. Betty attacked over and over and some others tried to attack and I was able to be there every time. Unfortunately, no breaks stuck…they just spread out the field until we all slowed down. I didn’t pay attention to the lap counter and missed the points prime completely (one lesson learned). I sat on Peta’s wheel thinking that I was saving my energy while they were all working so hard. Deb won it, got 8 points and was now leading in the GC. At the final lap, I thought that someone was attacking and I went for it. Deb was with me for a little while and then I think that she slowed down. I’m not sure what happened. I considered my options to slow down and do the mass sprint or to keep going and hope for the best. I was really tired by the halfway point, but the sprinters waited until after the final corner to start passing me.
Road race (6 times around a 5.5 mile circuit)
I went into this race with a bad attitude wondering which strategies I was clueless about, but should inherently know. I wanted to win, but thought it unlikely. Then I realized that all I needed to do was get 3rd to maintain my 3rd in the GC. Seemed possible. Or even better…beat the #2 and get second. The only way to get 1st overall was to win with Deb flatting. I rode a warm up lap alone. The roads were pretty, the terrain rolling…it was just the sort of riding I like. At the start of the race, Alaina (#3) was pushing the pace and trying to convince Deb to go—within the first 2 miles. Deb didn’t go for it and we all followed Alaina…happy to tire her out.
The race really came down to one section of rollers—where people pushed the pace—and the climb before the finish, and the sprint. The rest of the time, we rode as slowly as possible. There was no reason for the 3 of us to shake it up and everyone else grumbled but didn’t spice it up too much.
The second lap was a points prime and Deb advised me to go around the final corner at the front. Another climber attacked, Deb and I got on and we went hard until the line. I was on Deb’s wheel until I realized…hey! I can go faster than this! I went around and Peta went around on the other side. Peta and I crossed the line at almost exactly the same time, but apparently I was a few inches ahead. Most importantly, Deb and Alaina didn’t get points. The rest of the race seemed uneventful….a few short attacks, but I was able to be there.
At the final lap, I looked around and realized that I had been pushed to the back…I squeezed between riders and a mailbox and got better positioning. I’m finally learning how to vie for positioning early for the finish. Alaina and I traded off on Deb’s wheel. Edie attacked and Deb and I got on her wheel to stay near the front. We rounded the final corner and I found myself in the midst of the pack again. Riders started attacking on the steep climb and I stayed in the mix. I think that there was a pause in the intensity for a few seconds…then people starting sprinting…I started sprinting…we got close and I kept going until I passed everyone for the line! The slight uphill in the sprint was an advantage to me because I’m more power-horse than agile spinner.
I came in 2nd overall, losing by 4 points to Deb who raced consistently strong and smart throughout.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Union Vale July 12, 2009 Dara Kiese wins Cat 4 Race!
Union Vale, July 12, 2009 Dara Has the Race of Her Life
I had one goal in this race: to win. I didn't care about trying out strategies; spicing it up, the scenery...I wanted a straightforward, un-dramatic win. But it turned out to be little more complicated- -after all, it wasn't a solo ride.
We got going at a comfortable pace and I was pretty good at letting everyone else do the work. I thought that the real race would be on the long climb at the finish and for the first few miles, it seemed like they all had the same idea. Then we were on a gradual, steady climb--with Emily at the front and me on her wheel--when she started picking up the pace ever so slightly. I thought that I was giving her guidance when I said.... you don't need to pick it up so much take it easy.... Well, despite my pleas, she decided to go at about 5 miles in--I commend her for it now, but at the time I let out a little: "nooooo!"
I was so shocked at her chutzpah that when others started to talk about catching her, it didn't even occur to me that I should slow everyone down because she's my teammate. I didn't budge because I thought that there was no chance that she could sustain a break for 25 miles and still have something left for the final climb. It took me a moment to realize that my stubbornness was helping her--hooray! The others started to chase and I stayed with them without ever going to the front. It took them a little while to organize their pace line around me; I just hung out and didn't let them leave me behind. I spent the time wondering what the riding etiquette would be in that situation. While I was thinking etiquette, Emily was adding life to the race, tiring out our competitors and thinning out the front group! Nice job, Emily! (And a podium finish, to boot)
Anyway, after we caught her, Carolyn Gaynor and a rider from Kissena spiced it up with some attacks. I picked up the pace a couple of times, but generally just stayed near, but not on the front. My front tire went flat at mile 21 and I was gutted. I was totally rude to the nice wheel van man. When I complained to him that I had wanted to win this race, he said: maybe you still can if you hurry up. If he hadn't said that, it wouldn't have occurred to me to give it a try.
I caught a nyvelocity rider and we took turns pulling with my HR higher than I thought I could sustain for 5 miles. I couldn't believe it when we reached the pack, and still never imagined that I might actually have a shot at winning. I didn't think that I had anything left but tried to catch my breath during the mile before the final climb. Carolyn and the Kissena rider got away about a half-mile before the hill. I didn't do too much to chase them, but got worried when we reached the start of the climb and they were at least 50 meters ahead. We slowly closed the gap, dropping the other riders along the way. Finally, Lindsey and I passed them at a steady pace until I saw a sign that I mistook for the finish. I stood up and left Lindsey to cross what turned out to be only the 200-meter mark. OOF. I looked back and knew that I had it, but stood up again for the finish because it seemed like the right thing to do.
Finally, I had my first win. The first win of any real race in my life.
I had one goal in this race: to win. I didn't care about trying out strategies; spicing it up, the scenery...I wanted a straightforward, un-dramatic win. But it turned out to be little more complicated- -after all, it wasn't a solo ride.
We got going at a comfortable pace and I was pretty good at letting everyone else do the work. I thought that the real race would be on the long climb at the finish and for the first few miles, it seemed like they all had the same idea. Then we were on a gradual, steady climb--with Emily at the front and me on her wheel--when she started picking up the pace ever so slightly. I thought that I was giving her guidance when I said.... you don't need to pick it up so much take it easy.... Well, despite my pleas, she decided to go at about 5 miles in--I commend her for it now, but at the time I let out a little: "nooooo!"
I was so shocked at her chutzpah that when others started to talk about catching her, it didn't even occur to me that I should slow everyone down because she's my teammate. I didn't budge because I thought that there was no chance that she could sustain a break for 25 miles and still have something left for the final climb. It took me a moment to realize that my stubbornness was helping her--hooray! The others started to chase and I stayed with them without ever going to the front. It took them a little while to organize their pace line around me; I just hung out and didn't let them leave me behind. I spent the time wondering what the riding etiquette would be in that situation. While I was thinking etiquette, Emily was adding life to the race, tiring out our competitors and thinning out the front group! Nice job, Emily! (And a podium finish, to boot)
Anyway, after we caught her, Carolyn Gaynor and a rider from Kissena spiced it up with some attacks. I picked up the pace a couple of times, but generally just stayed near, but not on the front. My front tire went flat at mile 21 and I was gutted. I was totally rude to the nice wheel van man. When I complained to him that I had wanted to win this race, he said: maybe you still can if you hurry up. If he hadn't said that, it wouldn't have occurred to me to give it a try.
I caught a nyvelocity rider and we took turns pulling with my HR higher than I thought I could sustain for 5 miles. I couldn't believe it when we reached the pack, and still never imagined that I might actually have a shot at winning. I didn't think that I had anything left but tried to catch my breath during the mile before the final climb. Carolyn and the Kissena rider got away about a half-mile before the hill. I didn't do too much to chase them, but got worried when we reached the start of the climb and they were at least 50 meters ahead. We slowly closed the gap, dropping the other riders along the way. Finally, Lindsey and I passed them at a steady pace until I saw a sign that I mistook for the finish. I stood up and left Lindsey to cross what turned out to be only the 200-meter mark. OOF. I looked back and knew that I had it, but stood up again for the finish because it seemed like the right thing to do.
Finally, I had my first win. The first win of any real race in my life.
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