Money in the bank.
So many races. A long year.
Bike racing is unique in the fact that we have so many racing opportunities in our season. It is a long season. February to September. People will wonder how we stay “on” all season long. Yet with the many months of racing, comes many chances to improve fitness, skill, and power, all while racing. You can’t treat every race as an A race, or even as a B race. You look at racing as another opportunity to learn something, to gain fitness, and to put that money in the bank.
It is all money in the bank.
This weekend, I raced with the Pro1/2 men. Ouch. These guys are fast. No kidding, right? Why did I succumb myself to their brutal pace, large fields, and longer races? Money in the bank. It was a challenge, and it was hard. I got to race my bike with some strong guys (to say the least), and stay eternally humbled by their huge power and speeds. I have no preconceived notions that I was going to be winning the bike race, I was just trying to hang on for dear life to the roaring Bissell train. Thank you gentlemen for allowing me to race with you (along with the other 4 women who joined!), and for those extra “pushes” to stay in the much needed draft. I appreciate you guys letting me experience just another training weekend for you!
I did get to race my TT bike. You can’t help but race that Look596. She just begs to be ridden fast, and set records. Sorry boys. I only ended up 33rd in the Pro men’s category on the TT… but set a new course record for the women. Must have been the bike and those HED wheels.
Redlands next week.
Money in the bank.
Central CA in the Spring
Ah. Bicycle racing in Merced.
Nothing like the smell of kettle corn, cow manure, and the local taqueria to motivate you to race your bike in mach speeds around a Central California downtown.
Plan your next spring vacation to Merced, California.
The Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic weekend, included a downtown criterium the town of Merced, and a road race somewhere 20miles west, also known as the middle of nowhere. Here is an idea, let’s all go to a remote location full of country roads, rolling terrain, and full blossom orchards, and race our bicycles. Game on.
The field was full and deep of some of the strongest national and international riders. Ina? Does she need a last name? Highroad, PeanutButter, Team TIBCO, Colavita-Baci, and Webcor. Even though it was just a little local bike race, with the caliber of riders showing up, it was going to be a good level of intensity, difficulty, and a high level of racing brought to the farmlands of Central California.
The crit was a full field, and the race was animated by the fighting for who got to control the race. With 2 laps to go, there was a brutal crash involving one of my teammates. Thankfully, she is all right, except there was quite a scare for a little while. She is tough and will be back on her bike soon. The race was neutralized for 20min, and then re-started with the lap counter saying 6 to go. Ouch. Ina (Columbia-HTC), Shelley (PB), Choloe (Columbia-HTC), BLWM (TIBCO).
We learned from this experience, and moved on to Day 2. The road race.
Flat road races are usually harder then hilly. Why? Because if the course isn’t selective enough, the teams are forced to create their own selection process. Attacks. Counter attacks. Attacks. With the sprinters in the field, it was looking like a sprint finish. But for those who hopes were for their own moment in the sun, the attacks ensued. It was a hard day in the office. With a flat tire in the last lap of the race, the comm moto would not like my DS motorpace me back up. Which left me chasing to get back on after the flat. Ouch. I learned it is more fun to be off the front of the bike race, then chasing to get back on after a flat. With a crash in the last 1k, and another fast sprint finish, it was Ina, Shelley, KellyB (Colavita-Baci), BLWM (TIBCO).
We will build on this race and continue to learn as a team. Our jobs are not easy, and they are hard, but if properly executed we will win.
Thanks to Merced, Merco Credit Union, and VeloPromo for another great weekend of racing.
Training Day in NZL
Having grown up in some remarkable places, from the Central Coasts of Santa Barbara County to the rugged terrain of Shasta County, few places ever seem to compare to my “home”.
As I continue to travel the world, and experience new places, I am beginning a small collection of places that similarly tug on my heart’s strings. You may remember Limoux, France, and this February, I discovered that I truly love New Zealand as well.
Am I making you jealous, and you want to explore NZL on your own? What about a training ride with the US National Team?
Mission Accomplished
I had the best of intentions to document each grueling stage of the Tour of New Zealand. However, even the best of intentions are sometimes foiled. As you many know, I was in the northern island of New Zealand competing in an event that is sure to raise a hint of jealousy. The Tour of New Zealand. Does it get any better than that? A bike race in New Zealand. Even though the scenery was breath taking, the air warm, and the sheep happy, I was unable to relax and enjoy where I was. I was competing in one of the most difficult cycling endeavors I have done so far.
We were arriving to this UCI tour with one of the strongest teams present. Did I believe it? Absolutely. With Olympians, World Champions, National Champions, and some of the strongest riders I have ever competing against domestically, I had confidence in our US National Team. However, what did the rest of the world have to offer? It was destined to be a tough race. Tough fails to describe the effort we put in at the tour of New Zealand.
Our main goal was simple: Win the Tour.
Will we win stages on our way to complete this lofty mission? Possibly. But most importantly, USA must leave NZL with the coveted yellow jersey.
Second goal: Win a stage
Third Goal: Win Overall Team Classification
I have mentioned our incredible director, Manel Lacambra, an energetic Spanish man who prefers to fight in Italian, and he is a huge asset to the program at USA Cycling. This man is a tactical genius who sacrifices, sleep and rest to be prepared and to prepare us for every test of each day. He studied not only the courses, but the riders and weather conditions as well. An invaluable director ensures confidence in his riders, and we are able to race accordingly.
Until now, I may have not understood the amount of work that is required to keep the jersey. Now, I look upon that jersey with a little different point of view. Each day of the tour was a new battle, a new challenge, and constant pedaling to protect the yellow jersey. Upon completion of the tour, the USA had won 5 stages, the yellow jersey, and overall team classification. We made history. When I see that yellow jersey I was able to take home with me, I take great pride in the USA and our accomplishments in New Zealand. We put our whole effort, blood, sweat, and tears into protecting that jersey, and we accomplished all our goals. Normally when someone says this phrase, it is with a hint of exaggeration, however, in our case, I mean it quite literally. It was a true battle to protect this, but we knew we had the strength to do so, we just needed to discover our own limits. Mission accomplished.
2010 will be a good year for USA, and we look forward to continue to build and grow on this tour into more races in the future.
Protect the Jersey
Stages won: 5
Days yellow jersey worn and protected: 6
Overall Team: USA
1st and 2nd rider: USA
Upon arriving home yesterday, my mind was still in a whirl of all we had done. Thank you for the direction Manel, and thank you team for putting everything we had out there. We did it.
Now, what’s the next race on tap?
