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.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
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.
Union Vale July 12, 2009 Emily Maynard Places Top 3 in the Cat 4 race!
Union Vale, NJ July 12, 2009 Emily Maynard another natural joins Radical Media for a top 3 place.
My goal for the race was just to feel more comfortable in a pack and to try to anticipate breaks. It was comforting to be riding with Dara and to hear her advice from time to time, or to just see her nod at me when we were near each other.
We were on a long uphill on the first lap, nearing the top but still with the crest to go, and I decided to have some fun with it and attack. To my surprise, my attack stuck! And I just kept pushing it and pushing it and kept the break for a few miles. I knew that it was a foolish move because it was so early in the race and there was no way that I could sustain it (much as I'd to incarnate Evie), but I also felt like "What the heck! I'm only a beginner once!'" :) I can make all the silly mistakes I want to now and figure out things in the meanwhile. Besides, when else am I going to get the chance to feel what a break is like? It gave me some satisfaction that it took the group a while to catch up with me, and at least I shook up the race a bit! I think that the group broke into two at this point but I'm not sure...
So after that I just hung back and avoided pulling or doing any effort. There were a few short breaks from time to time but nothing that the front group couldn't pull back. The big event of the middle of the race was Dara's flat at mile 21 (of 30); Colleen told her she could use her wheels but Dara disappeared for about 5 miles and then all of a sudden she was there again, before the build-up to the end.
During the last half of the race, everyone seemed to be holding herself back in order to have enough energy left for the big hill. About a mile or so before the final hill Caroline from Proasshit and a Kissena woman broke away from the front group and we let them go; no one wanted to sprint to catch them so close to the end. At the beginning of the hill I was sure to position myself in front because I didn't want to have to wind my way around people falling back. I took the hill really steadily and was in 4th for most of it; Dara, Lindsay from Velocity, and Caroline were ahead for most of the way. I knew that Dara and Lindsay were too far for me to catch them but Caroline started to drop back and I pulled up behind her and passed her at about 300M. My father-in-law was right there and he kept yelling at me so I started to get out of my seat at 200M and had a bit of a sprint finish (it probably didn't look like that, but it sure felt that way!). I was sure that Caroline was going to catch me at the last minute but I stayed ahead of her and took 3rd!
Union Vale July 12, 2009 Donna McMahon Races for Radical
Union Vale NJ 1,2,3 race report by our new rider Donna McMahon
The race was amazing. Maria spent a lot of time either in the front setting the pace or blocking the wind for Ashley or me. She was riding really strong! Ashley was riding the hills looking strong and helped me out as well and offered advice throughout the race. Thank you both!
After one of the long downhills, Ashley and about 5 others broke away. The women in my group tried to pace line back and when it was my turn to pull, I didn't pull hard or long so that I could try to keep the group from catching Ashley's group. But Ann Marie Miller is so strong and she was the main one who pulled the group back to the breakaway.
As the up hill finish approached, Beth Miller, Yvette, and Ann Marie went ahead a little. As I was riding up this hill I realized I started getting a little closer to Ann Marie and Yvette and then passed them. As soon as I did that, Ann Marie surged passed me and this went back and forth a couple of times! I ended up burning my last matches :-( by doing this and they got a little lead on me. With about 300 meters to go, Kristen passed me. I gave whatever I had left at the end to make sure I kept 5th place. That was a great race. Hard course and I loved every second even when the pain was so intense!!!! But that's why we do this! :-)
I learned that I should've been a little more patient/consistent on that last up hill and I believe I would've had more left at the end.
Radical Media rocked at Union Vale!
Union Vale July 12, 2009 Ashley Prine Rides Again in Cat 1,2,3
Union Vale, NJ July 12, 2009
I had not done the is race in 2 years and was excited to see if my memory was correct of the course- mostly rolling with some hills that could be made to be hard- but with a pesky downhill that make breaks hard to stick… memory correct!
Maria set pace for the race on the first 2 laps and put in a few attacks working her butt off for Donna and I. The first 2 laps were nice and steady with the start of the end of the second lap getting a bit spicy with an escapee Anthem girl on the downhill and a nice attack by Maria at the start of the third- here we go!
My legs were feeling loose after a very stiff first lap, but I was breathing great and climbing pretty well- Anna M. attacked at the top of the feed zone climb to string us out a bit popping some girls off the back- then soon after in flat section Donna put in an attack and I countered- Audrey came after me pulled around and we then had a counter from Anthem- so fun fun!
So Anthem kept it spicy all the way to the fast down hill when 5 of us got a break on the downhill. It was a good one: Anna M, Beth Miller, Audrey, Yvette and I- we were missing just one person….. Ann Marie Miller! We pace lined and were doing our best to stay off the front for the final lap but Ann Marie dragged a few back up to us- thankfully Donna was with her! - We were about a group of 10-12- so we slowed down and took it easy a bit before the climbing started again- we got passed by the pros so that made the feed zone hill confusing but Anna M. attacked at the top. For some more spicy attacks on the hills- I was just trying to conserve what I had left for the finish.
The last selection stayed together going into down hill- some girls got a bit of a gap including Beth Miller who won- she started the hill first- the finishing climb for me was hard- I lost it a bit but finished 8th- but was reassured to see Donna up the road finishing strong!! For 5th place- Fun racing yesterday!
I had not done the is race in 2 years and was excited to see if my memory was correct of the course- mostly rolling with some hills that could be made to be hard- but with a pesky downhill that make breaks hard to stick… memory correct!
Maria set pace for the race on the first 2 laps and put in a few attacks working her butt off for Donna and I. The first 2 laps were nice and steady with the start of the end of the second lap getting a bit spicy with an escapee Anthem girl on the downhill and a nice attack by Maria at the start of the third- here we go!
My legs were feeling loose after a very stiff first lap, but I was breathing great and climbing pretty well- Anna M. attacked at the top of the feed zone climb to string us out a bit popping some girls off the back- then soon after in flat section Donna put in an attack and I countered- Audrey came after me pulled around and we then had a counter from Anthem- so fun fun!
So Anthem kept it spicy all the way to the fast down hill when 5 of us got a break on the downhill. It was a good one: Anna M, Beth Miller, Audrey, Yvette and I- we were missing just one person….. Ann Marie Miller! We pace lined and were doing our best to stay off the front for the final lap but Ann Marie dragged a few back up to us- thankfully Donna was with her! - We were about a group of 10-12- so we slowed down and took it easy a bit before the climbing started again- we got passed by the pros so that made the feed zone hill confusing but Anna M. attacked at the top. For some more spicy attacks on the hills- I was just trying to conserve what I had left for the finish.
The last selection stayed together going into down hill- some girls got a bit of a gap including Beth Miller who won- she started the hill first- the finishing climb for me was hard- I lost it a bit but finished 8th- but was reassured to see Donna up the road finishing strong!! For 5th place- Fun racing yesterday!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
50th Fitchburg Longsjo Classic 2009- July 2-5 ERICA LOVES THE PODIUM!!
FITCHBURG, MASS July 2-5 2009
DAY 1- TIME TRIAL
The TT this year was on a beautiful rolling out-and-back 14.5 mile course that had a slight downward bias on the way out and a corresponding upward false flat on the way back, as well as a long bridge across a lake. The idea was to conserve slightly on the way out, and then really rock it on the way back, which as luck would have it would be into the wind as well. We had a chance to ride it the evening before, which really helped with the pacing visualization.
We woke up to such a major rainstorm that out hotel room sprung a leak. Pessimistically loaded the cars and drove in a blinding rainstorm over to Westminster for the TT. Fortunately there was an overhang under which we could warm up, and even more fortunately, the rain had more or less stopped by the time we had to race.
Dropping off the ramp I couldn't see my 30 second girl at all, and was fearing another blind TT, but within about a half a mile I saw both my 30 and 60 second riders, happy I would have someone to try to chase down after all. I passed the 60 second rider right away, but timed the 30 second catch rather unfortunately for the turnaround. Didn't slow me down too much though, and then I had the dubious honor of having no one else in my visuals for most of the way back. I finally saw my 90 second rider about a mile from the finish and used her to motivate myself to really push it to the end. Finished 100m in back of her, so I knew I'd beaten at least three riders but was thrilled and surprised to hear later that I'd taken 3rd. LOVE my new bike!!!
I had listened to David's advice to wait until after the TT to set up my goals for the rest of the race, so now I knew that above all my goal was to keep my podium spot for GC or move up from there. The first in GC was 40 seconds ahead, which would be difficult to reach unless I could out climb her. Second place was only 12 or so seconds ahead, but even more threatening was the 4th place rider, Jenny Ives from Anthem, who was less than half a second behind me.
DAY 2- CIRCUIT RACE:
The weather was beautiful the morning of the circuit race, which was a welcomed surprise because the forecast had been grim for the whole weekend. The course is a 3+ mile circuit some slightly technical turns into a downhill at the beginning of each lap and a somewhat challenging uphill double "wall" at the end of each lap. We had 7 laps to go. It was so nice to be called up to the front with the top 10, made getting to the line so much less stressful and going into the starting turns a lot less terrifying, along with positioning to start out the race. The field had gotten bunched up again by the time we came around to the bottom of the uphill, I heard a small crash in back of me but it didn't sound major. All of a sudden we hear the announcer saying "The race leader has crashed, the race leader is out!" So just like that I'm second in GC.
I don't plan to go for any of the points (struck laps 6-4-2 to go at the start/finish), in part because I can't seem to get positioned right, but mostly because I wanted to be ready to respond to any attacks that might happen after them. That turned out to be a decent strategy because there were attacks after two of them, and Jenny was quick to respond, but so was the new race leader, so it wouldn't have benefited me much from a GC standpoint for the break to work. I guess others felt kind of the same way so the breaks never really stuck. Plus we kept getting neutralized on the back side because there was an ambulance taking one of the riders of our field away, so other riders caught up then. So it was pretty messy going into the final sprint. My positioning wasn't great yet again, so my goal was just to stay in touch with the front group to get "same time." I guess I jumped on that just in time because I got 10th with the same time as the leaders, and riders in back of me got a 9 second time gap. Fortunately for me, Jenny was one of the riders who got gapped, so I had a bit more margin to play with. Unfortunately for me the rider who had been 5th in GC won the race, and got a 10 second bonus to put her into 2nd place GC, 5 seconds ahead of me. The new race leader took 2nd to push her even further ahead. The old race leader had gotten up and continued to race but she lost about 2.5 minutes on the day.
DAY 3- ROAD RACE:
Another beautiful day for the road race, such a nice contrast to the rain fest last year. Course is an 11mile loops, 1 mile down, 2 miles rolling, 5 miles up, then down again. The setup was a bit different this year than in the past because there would be no finishing climb due to construction on the road up Mt. Wachusetts. Instead, we did an extra half loop to end in Princeton Center near the feed zone, 3 miles or so into the hill. There was no KOM this year,instead there were points each lap at the finish line.
I again chose not to contest points, in hopes of attacking or responding to an attack just after. First time through the finish no one really killed it and most riders stayed together. Second time through however, the race leader went for points, and a few of us tried to get away, but she was way to strong and was able to tuck in with us. We got a good gap on the rest of the group but weren't working together too well, and then Jenny attacked hard on the downhill. I couldn't let that happen, and jumped to get on her wheel, but even the five foot gap she had on me was too much for me to hold it. I have no idea how she was able to descend that fast, it was very impressive. She had widened that gap to about a quarter mile but the time we got to the bottom. The race leader then jumped to get up to her, but the rest of us organized and were able to close the gap as a group. While we were catching our breath a few other riders caught back up from behind. Oh well.
Third lap we lost a few riders as well, but didn't even really make a pretense of working together or trying to stay away, figuring we'd just rely on the hill to separate us at the finish. I took the opportunity to launch my own attack on the rollers at the top, but I was too well marked and didn't make it very far. Jenny tried to attack again into the downhill but I was ready for it this time and got tighter on her wheel (with the pack on mine) and we made it down as a group. About five miles from the finish line we got neutralized by the break in the Master's field. Roger Aspholm had put 7 minutes on the field. They held us up for 4 or 5 minutes before they decided it was pointless or unfair or whatever to hold us any longer. Of course a bunch more riders caught us while we were lollygagging. We did drop them again into the finish but for those hill-climbers battling for the middle part of GC it was a bit of a bummer.
At the 500m to go point it gets really steep and really windy into the final turn up to the finish. One of our group who seemed strong but not necessarily the best climber jumped from the bottom of the hill. The rest of us waited a bit figuring there was no way she could hold it but despite a decreasing gap, she managed to finish 13 seconds ahead of the pack, and 7 seconds ahead of the race leader, who again showed impressive strength by gapping the rest of us into the turn. I finished 10th again with the same time as 3-12, but Jenny had gotten gapped again and lost another 5 seconds, so now I had a more comfortable 15 second advantage over 4th place GC. The race leader had increased her advantage to 22 seconds, while the rider in second finished same time as me, and remained 5 seconds ahead.
DAY 4- CRITERIUM
Another beautiful day! I had to decide what to do at this point, I no longer had quite the same imperative to just preserve my podium as I was now more than a time bonus ahead of Jenny. The only way to move up in GC would be to get 1st or 2nd today, and the only way to move down would be if Jenny got in a break (or I guess someone even further back, if it were a really big break), or of course if I fell down and couldn't get back up. The pace was pretty high from the start and the field was pretty motivated, so despite a few attacks here and there, nothing was going anywhere. Jenny launched one of her no-longer-surprising downhill attacks on the back side, but this course wasn't long enough and the hill wasn't steep enough for her to really go anywhere. With about 5 laps to go, a rider not too far back in GC launched an attack after a points sprint and kind of to the surprise of the pack, just kept going. She dangled off the front for about a lap, and then with only 4 laps to go actually began to increase her advantage. She probably wouldn't have gained enough of an advantage to knock me out of my GC spot, but I decided that it was more important that we close the gap and preserve my 3rd place than that I try to finish high at the end to go for 2nd, so I tried to bridge up. I was again pretty well marked so I didn't really get separation, but no one came around me either so now we're a little closer to her but not quite there. I tried again with 2 laps to go, and this time the group came around me to help close the gap. So on the positive front, we were able to get her back into the fold, on the negative, I've now been swarmed with less than 2 laps to go. So I'm pretty far back going into the final corner of the sprint, am able to pick up about 10 places in the finish to get an unimpressive 26th place, but that's still the same time as the leaders for this race so...
I PRESERVE THIRD GC!!!! Yay! Podiums are fun!
DAY 1- TIME TRIAL
The TT this year was on a beautiful rolling out-and-back 14.5 mile course that had a slight downward bias on the way out and a corresponding upward false flat on the way back, as well as a long bridge across a lake. The idea was to conserve slightly on the way out, and then really rock it on the way back, which as luck would have it would be into the wind as well. We had a chance to ride it the evening before, which really helped with the pacing visualization.
We woke up to such a major rainstorm that out hotel room sprung a leak. Pessimistically loaded the cars and drove in a blinding rainstorm over to Westminster for the TT. Fortunately there was an overhang under which we could warm up, and even more fortunately, the rain had more or less stopped by the time we had to race.
Dropping off the ramp I couldn't see my 30 second girl at all, and was fearing another blind TT, but within about a half a mile I saw both my 30 and 60 second riders, happy I would have someone to try to chase down after all. I passed the 60 second rider right away, but timed the 30 second catch rather unfortunately for the turnaround. Didn't slow me down too much though, and then I had the dubious honor of having no one else in my visuals for most of the way back. I finally saw my 90 second rider about a mile from the finish and used her to motivate myself to really push it to the end. Finished 100m in back of her, so I knew I'd beaten at least three riders but was thrilled and surprised to hear later that I'd taken 3rd. LOVE my new bike!!!
I had listened to David's advice to wait until after the TT to set up my goals for the rest of the race, so now I knew that above all my goal was to keep my podium spot for GC or move up from there. The first in GC was 40 seconds ahead, which would be difficult to reach unless I could out climb her. Second place was only 12 or so seconds ahead, but even more threatening was the 4th place rider, Jenny Ives from Anthem, who was less than half a second behind me.
DAY 2- CIRCUIT RACE:
The weather was beautiful the morning of the circuit race, which was a welcomed surprise because the forecast had been grim for the whole weekend. The course is a 3+ mile circuit some slightly technical turns into a downhill at the beginning of each lap and a somewhat challenging uphill double "wall" at the end of each lap. We had 7 laps to go. It was so nice to be called up to the front with the top 10, made getting to the line so much less stressful and going into the starting turns a lot less terrifying, along with positioning to start out the race. The field had gotten bunched up again by the time we came around to the bottom of the uphill, I heard a small crash in back of me but it didn't sound major. All of a sudden we hear the announcer saying "The race leader has crashed, the race leader is out!" So just like that I'm second in GC.
I don't plan to go for any of the points (struck laps 6-4-2 to go at the start/finish), in part because I can't seem to get positioned right, but mostly because I wanted to be ready to respond to any attacks that might happen after them. That turned out to be a decent strategy because there were attacks after two of them, and Jenny was quick to respond, but so was the new race leader, so it wouldn't have benefited me much from a GC standpoint for the break to work. I guess others felt kind of the same way so the breaks never really stuck. Plus we kept getting neutralized on the back side because there was an ambulance taking one of the riders of our field away, so other riders caught up then. So it was pretty messy going into the final sprint. My positioning wasn't great yet again, so my goal was just to stay in touch with the front group to get "same time." I guess I jumped on that just in time because I got 10th with the same time as the leaders, and riders in back of me got a 9 second time gap. Fortunately for me, Jenny was one of the riders who got gapped, so I had a bit more margin to play with. Unfortunately for me the rider who had been 5th in GC won the race, and got a 10 second bonus to put her into 2nd place GC, 5 seconds ahead of me. The new race leader took 2nd to push her even further ahead. The old race leader had gotten up and continued to race but she lost about 2.5 minutes on the day.
DAY 3- ROAD RACE:
Another beautiful day for the road race, such a nice contrast to the rain fest last year. Course is an 11mile loops, 1 mile down, 2 miles rolling, 5 miles up, then down again. The setup was a bit different this year than in the past because there would be no finishing climb due to construction on the road up Mt. Wachusetts. Instead, we did an extra half loop to end in Princeton Center near the feed zone, 3 miles or so into the hill. There was no KOM this year,instead there were points each lap at the finish line.
I again chose not to contest points, in hopes of attacking or responding to an attack just after. First time through the finish no one really killed it and most riders stayed together. Second time through however, the race leader went for points, and a few of us tried to get away, but she was way to strong and was able to tuck in with us. We got a good gap on the rest of the group but weren't working together too well, and then Jenny attacked hard on the downhill. I couldn't let that happen, and jumped to get on her wheel, but even the five foot gap she had on me was too much for me to hold it. I have no idea how she was able to descend that fast, it was very impressive. She had widened that gap to about a quarter mile but the time we got to the bottom. The race leader then jumped to get up to her, but the rest of us organized and were able to close the gap as a group. While we were catching our breath a few other riders caught back up from behind. Oh well.
Third lap we lost a few riders as well, but didn't even really make a pretense of working together or trying to stay away, figuring we'd just rely on the hill to separate us at the finish. I took the opportunity to launch my own attack on the rollers at the top, but I was too well marked and didn't make it very far. Jenny tried to attack again into the downhill but I was ready for it this time and got tighter on her wheel (with the pack on mine) and we made it down as a group. About five miles from the finish line we got neutralized by the break in the Master's field. Roger Aspholm had put 7 minutes on the field. They held us up for 4 or 5 minutes before they decided it was pointless or unfair or whatever to hold us any longer. Of course a bunch more riders caught us while we were lollygagging. We did drop them again into the finish but for those hill-climbers battling for the middle part of GC it was a bit of a bummer.
At the 500m to go point it gets really steep and really windy into the final turn up to the finish. One of our group who seemed strong but not necessarily the best climber jumped from the bottom of the hill. The rest of us waited a bit figuring there was no way she could hold it but despite a decreasing gap, she managed to finish 13 seconds ahead of the pack, and 7 seconds ahead of the race leader, who again showed impressive strength by gapping the rest of us into the turn. I finished 10th again with the same time as 3-12, but Jenny had gotten gapped again and lost another 5 seconds, so now I had a more comfortable 15 second advantage over 4th place GC. The race leader had increased her advantage to 22 seconds, while the rider in second finished same time as me, and remained 5 seconds ahead.
DAY 4- CRITERIUM
Another beautiful day! I had to decide what to do at this point, I no longer had quite the same imperative to just preserve my podium as I was now more than a time bonus ahead of Jenny. The only way to move up in GC would be to get 1st or 2nd today, and the only way to move down would be if Jenny got in a break (or I guess someone even further back, if it were a really big break), or of course if I fell down and couldn't get back up. The pace was pretty high from the start and the field was pretty motivated, so despite a few attacks here and there, nothing was going anywhere. Jenny launched one of her no-longer-surprising downhill attacks on the back side, but this course wasn't long enough and the hill wasn't steep enough for her to really go anywhere. With about 5 laps to go, a rider not too far back in GC launched an attack after a points sprint and kind of to the surprise of the pack, just kept going. She dangled off the front for about a lap, and then with only 4 laps to go actually began to increase her advantage. She probably wouldn't have gained enough of an advantage to knock me out of my GC spot, but I decided that it was more important that we close the gap and preserve my 3rd place than that I try to finish high at the end to go for 2nd, so I tried to bridge up. I was again pretty well marked so I didn't really get separation, but no one came around me either so now we're a little closer to her but not quite there. I tried again with 2 laps to go, and this time the group came around me to help close the gap. So on the positive front, we were able to get her back into the fold, on the negative, I've now been swarmed with less than 2 laps to go. So I'm pretty far back going into the final corner of the sprint, am able to pick up about 10 places in the finish to get an unimpressive 26th place, but that's still the same time as the leaders for this race so...
I PRESERVE THIRD GC!!!! Yay! Podiums are fun!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Radical Media Race Schedule July-September 2009
7/11 Club Race- power points- points on Harlem Hill and Cats Paw every lap
7/12 Union Vale
7/18 Club race- scratch race
7/19 Club Race- Harlem Hill Points race
7/18-7/19 stage race Giro Del Cielo (women cat 3 & 4 only )
7/25 Club Race- scratch race
7/25 Tour of Hill Towns
8/1 Long Medow TimeTrial (part of CRCA Team Cup)
8/1-08/2 Tour of Lancaster County ( women cat 3 &4 only)
8/2 Club Race- Club Championship Race
8/8 Club Race- Scratch Race
8/9 Tokeneke Road Race
8/15 Club Race-Scratch
8/15 NY Capital Road Race (Albany)
8/22 Mengoni – Central Park (cat P,1,2,3)
8/23 Lou Maltese- Central Park (cat 3 & 4 women)
8/29 Chris Thater Criterium
9/4-9/7 Green Mt. Stage Race
9/12 Club Race-Points race
9/13 Bear Mt. Nancy Morgenstern Memorial Road Race
9/18-9/20 Tour of the Catskills stage race
9/26 Club Race- Scratch
7/12 Union Vale
7/18 Club race- scratch race
7/19 Club Race- Harlem Hill Points race
7/18-7/19 stage race Giro Del Cielo (women cat 3 & 4 only )
7/25 Club Race- scratch race
7/25 Tour of Hill Towns
8/1 Long Medow TimeTrial (part of CRCA Team Cup)
8/1-08/2 Tour of Lancaster County ( women cat 3 &4 only)
8/2 Club Race- Club Championship Race
8/8 Club Race- Scratch Race
8/9 Tokeneke Road Race
8/15 Club Race-Scratch
8/15 NY Capital Road Race (Albany)
8/22 Mengoni – Central Park (cat P,1,2,3)
8/23 Lou Maltese- Central Park (cat 3 & 4 women)
8/29 Chris Thater Criterium
9/4-9/7 Green Mt. Stage Race
9/12 Club Race-Points race
9/13 Bear Mt. Nancy Morgenstern Memorial Road Race
9/18-9/20 Tour of the Catskills stage race
9/26 Club Race- Scratch
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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