Superweek Day 3

Superweek – Day 3
Tuesday, July 21st
Cat 3/4 Women: Whitnall Park Crit
Approx 20 miles, 22 mph average

Today we were back in Whitnall park for a shorter crit course. Part of the course went backwards on the previous days course making for a very different but fun course. It started with a sharp, greater than 90 degree turn into a small 5%ish grade hill. The back side had a false flat to a small downhill into a longer false flat with a small headwind. After that, it was an easy sweeping downhill to the flat and fast finish. The first few laps were pretty mellow, it kind of seemed like everyone was warming up and seeing how their legs felt on day 3 of racing. There were a few attacks but they did not stick for long. It was a very hard course to find a good place to attack and stay away. We didn’t have any primes to mix up the race, so that also seemed to keep the attacks down. Because of the width of the road, it provided lots of opportunities to move up on the outsides. When the pace slowed down, that meant positioning would have to be fought for. Everyone seemed to be vying for position from lap 1 and some folks were more aggressive than others. One woman tapped my hip to let me know she was on my side (where I couldn’t see her) because we were all so squeezed together in the front of the field. Later, that same woman would do the same to another rider who apparently didn’t want to be tapped b/c she yells “don’t touch me!”. Then, the verbal altercation ensued! Back and forth they went, and I knew there was one way to stop them from yapping at each other – ATTACK! I was just contemplating attacking when the SRAM girl attacked from the back left of the pack. YES! I had worked hard the last two days to bring many of the attacks back, and I decided today I would let others do the larger share of the work. If someone went, I jumped on their wheel, but I didn’t initiate the chase. The last couple of laps, I found a good wheel 3-5 back and worked hard to stay on it. Then, on the last lap we were all together and I was holding my position and then an unexpected attack from a rider came from the back of the field on the left side and the field went crazy! I try not to panic b/c for one second I think there is no way I can ever make up all the spots I just lost. I look for a wheel. I find one and hang on, the pack sort of yo-yos a bit as we crest the false flat and go down the small decline and I just keep pedaling and adding gears. I find an opening on the outside left and sit a second or two behind a group of 5+ riders. I jump around them in the final 200 meters and just give it all I have. Im out of gears so I spin as fast as I can. I cant believe I have made up this many positions. I somehow manage a 4th place finish! Wow! Where did that sprint come from?! Very happy today! :)

Superweek Day 1

The new Team Rev mascot! Bea-Ver! :)
(a pix of the new mascot!)

Superweek – Day 1
Sunday, July 19th
Cat3/4 Women: Evanston Crit
18 miles, 23.5 mph average

Crit course in downtown Evanston, IL was fairly technical - Lots of manhole covers to dodge and 6 corners, but completely flat. It was cool weather for July, in the upper 60’s and breezy. The crowd was abundant and downtown Evanston was bustling. Very cute area with many cool shops and restaurants.
Lined up with 27 Cat 3/4 women at the line. I was a little nervous but surprisingly not as much as last year. I was excited this year to be a Cat 3 in a 3/4 field and not a 3 in a 1/2/3 field! Big difference! The whistle sounds and we fly out of the gate right away someone starts pushing the pace though the 1st corner and the pace is high for the whole first lap. Things settle down a bit, for a second, and then the attacks start. Im holding a good position in the top 5 of the front of the field. Maybe a little too close to the action though because I had to help cover many of the attacks. I wanted to be there for a break, but did not necessarily want to burn myself up on a bunch of attacks that were not going to stick. There were a lot of attacks on the finishing stretch, which did not make a lot of sense at all. There was a tail wind to the finish, and it was a long 3-4 block stretch with the start/finish pretty much right smack in the middle. A very long stretch to the finish after the last corner! There was a crash to my left at corner 4 midway through the race. Im well clear of it but see a couple girls flying into the padded barriers. Someone attacks while everyone is distracted (tacky if you ask me) and I have to chase back on the strung out field. I try to find a good position for the last 2 laps and I do and I tell myself I have to hold it. Im doing a good job and just as we are starting our final lap we start lapping dropped riders. With all of the corners, its getting very hairy. Its hard b/c the main field needs to get through and they are also trying to race their own race and place as best they can in the final lap. It gets even more dangerous on the 5th and 6th corners. I loose my wheel in the name of safety and have to work VERY hard to make up some spots on the final stretch (at least 600 meters). I find a wheel and move up with her and then pull out from behind her and give it all I have. I hit the giant manhole cover right in the middle of the finishing stretch and my back wheel jumps all over the place. I loose a pedal stroke, which doesn’t help. I regain control of my bike quickly and drill again all the way to the line. I pull out a 5th place finish even with all the craziness of the last lap. Ill take it!