Living in Pasadena, San Dimas is one of the most local races to me all season, yet despite two attempts (once in the 3/4 and once in the 1/2/3) I had yet to ever finish this race. The first time I attempted as a 3/4 (before the field was cut), I was dropped on the road race, and got lost on course, thus getting time cut for the crit. Last year, I managed to make it through the stormy road race, but got pulled less than half way into the crit.  This year, I really wanted to finish the race.

Our title sponsor, SC Velo promotes SDSR, and it is our goal to do them proud and represent in the pro women’s field!

SCVelo SDSR Team: Me (Becky), Bea, Holly, Jenny, Lisa, Pam

Stage 1: Time Trial

This hill climb time trial course was lengthened this year to 4.25 miles up Glendora Mountain Road.  Lisa came out on top for our team, with an strong ride in 30th place (we are competing against some of the best riders in the world!). The rest of us didn’t have stellar time trial results, but were more focused on the road race to come in stage 2 which is known to be extremely grueling.  While I was disappointed with my own performance in the time trial, my primary goals for this race involved stages 2 and 3.

Stage 2: Circuit Race

Staging for the circuit race (Photo – Vikki Appel)

While the circuit around Bonelli Park doesn’t have any long extended climbs, the QOM up Cannon is known to shatter the field. Between a QOM on the even laps and Sprint points on the odd laps (we do 8 laps in total), this race can get quite animated. During the first lap, there was an unfortunate crash that took down a number of riders, including 1st place (Mara Abbott) and 3rd place (Tayler Wiles). Luckily, all of SC Velo safely made it through. After the field realized that the race leader was gone, the big teams got together and decided to slow it down and get Mara back on (or at least find out more information on her state). I also noticed some local riders missing like Emily Georgeson (Helen’s) and figured they’d been involved in this crash as well.

Mara got back on with the help of her Exergy teammates, as did Tayler. This was before the first QOM, which is when the race really began.  The next few laps were pretty hard. It’s important to remember to eat & drink during a tough race like this. I went through 4 GUs, 2 bottles of GU Brew and 1 bottle of water (Thanks to support from friends & family in the feed zone!). I took it lap by lap and tried to recover between efforts. Jenny suffered a mechanical and had to pull out of the race. Holly & I remained in the main field and kept encouraging each other despite the difficulty. As we approached the final climb of the race, I knew fireworks were about to go off. I hung on as best I could, and finished the race just 20 seconds behind the leaders in 28th, and shortly behind Holly in 22rd. The race officials decided not to enforce the 5% time cut, so all riders that finished the day were eligible to race the crit.

After the race, we all had our GU brew recovery, since Sunday’s race would be another difficult one and we would need as fresh legs as possible!

Stage 3: Criterium

After getting through the road race, I really wanted to finish the crit. It was where I got pulled from the race last year. I find positioning to be my biggest challenge in the higher level races, and once I get to the back it can be challenging to move back up. I am lucky to have teammates like Bea and Pam who have done a lot of NRC (& European)  racing and are really incredible with navigating the field.

Holly, Lisa, and I (Photo – Vikki Appel)

Towards the beginning, I tried to make sure I was up with them, and felt pretty comfortable. As some riders began to drop, and I lost a few positions, I found myself farther back. There is less drafting and more of an elastic effect back there & I struggled.  Mid-race, I managed to move up a little bit and got more confortable only to drift back again with about five laps to go. Fortunately, I was able to put my head down and make it through the race, achieving my personal goal of finishing SDSR for the first time ever.  Our new Incycle Cannondale Evos performed amazingly well; Stiff for climbing and corner so smoothly. On a course with so many turns, it makes a huge difference!

Holly & Pam finished t he crit in 23rd and 24th. Lisa was 39th, and myself 42nd.
Holly & I finished 32nd and 33rd respectively in GC. Lisa was 37th and Pam 44th.

I’m so lucky to have found a great team this year that is supportive before, after and during races– both when things go well and when they don’t!  We’re extremely fortunate to have great sponsors that support us in our racing as well! 

The forecast for the time trial called for rain, and I was hoping that it would be wrong. Most of the rain seemed to pass early and Friday morning was pretty sunny. The Murrieta time trial course is partially road, partially dirt, and I hadn’t ridden it before, so I pre-rode the dirt section in the morning.

As we were warming up for the time trial, it suddenly started to pour rain & hail. So much for the nice weather!  By the time we started, everybody was soaking wet. I had my time trial equipment so wanted to take advantage of the flat first half of the course. I pushed it pretty hard and then settled on the climb and just tried to ride as steady as possible.

After the race, I had no idea how I’d done. We just wanted to get out of our wet clothes and warm. When I got the email of the results I was surprised & happy to have taken second place. Congratulations to Emily of Helen’s for the Win and Joy for an extremely close third place. Everybody who showed up and raced that day was hardcore!

 

Jenny, Bea, Holly and I made the trip up to Merced to race the Merco Cycling Classic women’s stage race. This race has previously been an omnium for the women, and began with the time trial on Friday so none of us had raced the Thursday course before. The course is a 12.5 mile loop with one tough climb each lap. We raced 4.5 laps and did the climb 4 times. There were also QOM points up for grab so every climb was tough and the field was stacked with professional teams.

The race was pretty mellow up until the first major climb about 5 miles in. The tempo started ok, but ones we hit the 200M to go sign, the race for QOM points began. All four of us got popped towards the top of the first climb, but there plenty of people in chase groups and we all caught back on the main field for lap 2. The second lap was more of the same. Popped on the climb, chased back to the main field, with Jenny in my chase group.

Things got tough for me on lap 3. I wasn’t able to stay with the group or the first couple of chasers and ended up in no man’s land for a full lap solo. Caitlin Laroche from SPY GIANT was nearby and passed me going up the 4th climb. She was the only rider in site for most of the third lap.

Some breakaways from the men’s field began to pass, and then I realized one of the groups was actually women. This was bitersweet because it would have been nicer to ride the third lap with them rather than alone, but it meant lap 4 would be a bit easier.  I was happy to see Jenny again, and we rode in a chase group of about 12 riders for the remainder of the race.  Holly and Bea finished the stage a few minutes behind and we are all trying to rest and recover for the time trial tomorrow!

Valley of the Sun is a three day stage race in Phoenix, AZ. The first day is a 14 mile flat time trial, the second day is a 62 mile road race, and the third day is a technical criterium.  

Time Trial

There’s not too much to say about the time trial except that I was able to put my JL Velo skinsuit to good use and finished the day in 8th place. For me, this performance that was neither stellar nor terrible. I felt like I could have and should have done better, but it is early in the season and this is a great race to flex my time trial muscles and get back into the swing of race season. I made sure to relax and have some GU recovery brew to keep me fresh for the road race Saturday!

Road Race

I first did Valley of the Sun in 2012, and an unfortunate crash in the men’s field meant that our race was cut in half. Because of this, I had yet to experience the full road race. With the longer distance and heat, I made sure to stay hydrated and fed with GU and GU brew. This year, we also faced much stronger winds which were a big factor in the race.

There isn’t a ton of climbing in this, only one short climb towards the end of each lap. The first hard effort took place on the climb at the end of lap 1 (of 4). A small group of 5 or 6 got up the road a bit, which included both the race leader (Ali Tetrick of Exergy) and the second place rider (Marti Shea of Destination Cycling). We had Molly Van Howling of Metromint with us who was sitting in third by just a fraction of a second, as well as her only teammate in the race, Lisa Mueller.

I knew that Molly had to make sure that gap was closed and it was clear that she and Lisa would do everything they could to make it happen. Since there were only the two of them, I pulled up next to Lisa and told her that if the two of them could get things organized, I’d rotate through and help them out. Without a ton of organization, we ended up catching the break about 2/3 of the way through the lap.

The next lap was the QOM, and there was another hard effort up the hill. There was a bit of separation again, but this was closed pretty quickly. The main remained together again for the remainder of the race up until the 3k to go sign which was the start of the climb.  My legs didn’t have it in my to stay with the leaders, and I rolled in 25 seconds behind in 10th place. There was some shuffling in GC (some riders moved ahead of me, others moved down), but I remained in 8th overall at the end of the day.

Criterium

The VOS crit is somewhat technical, as it is a figure 8 shape with both left and right hand turns. There is also some choppy pavement so you have to be alert at all times. There weren’t very many teams with numbers, only two teams with 4 or more riders. Because of this, there wasn’t a ton of action and moves being made. There were a few $50 cash primes which sped the race up a bit, and a few attacks which were chased down before there was any separation.

I didn’t see when the lap cards went up, but I did hear a $100 prime announced (actually a two place prime where the second place rider got a prize). I saw Molly starting to move up the side, and thinking she was going for it I jumped on her. Maybe I could at least get the prize! I couldn’t tell if she was going for it, and I went around her and went for it. I’m not sure if others didn’t hear the announcement, were conserving for the finish, if I was just too darn fast (yea, not that one), but I got it! As I went through the start/finish, I heard them announce that there were three laps to go.  I looked back and saw I had a gap so I thought I’d keep going and see what happened.

$100 prime- Nice consolation prize!

I was caught in a lap, and just tried to settle in the field as best I could for the finish. I started making my way up (also  at my friend who was racing the cat 3 race to jump on my wheel!), and when we got to the long finishing stretch didn’t have much of a kick, but finished with another 8th place. My friend took third in the cat 3 race which was an added bonus! Lisa Mueller of Metromint put out a stellar sprint and took second by less than a wheel, just behind Ali of Exergy.

The GC didn’t change after the crit. I finished in 8th overall and it was a fun weekend of racing in the sun!

I’m excited to be racing on the road this year with the SCVelo/Incycle women’s elite team! We’ve had a jam-packed first three weekends of racing, with five races down already: Poor College Kids, Mothballs, Boulevard, Red Trolley, and Roger Millikan

Poor College Kids/Mothballs

The race season began three weeks ago with a small group of us (Lea, Holly, Lisa, and myself) heading up to the Santa Barbara area for Poor College Kids & Mothballs. PCK was disappointing for me, because after one effort early on, I was fighting cramps the rest of the race. Luckily, my teammate Holly used her race experience to attack at the perfect time and get into a break to finish second.

Sunday, Holly and I raced mothballs and we tried to have one of us in every move. Mid-way through the race, I countered a move, and ended up solo off the front for a couple of laps. I did at least manage to get a coffee prem while out there. Towards the end of the race, I didn’t get in good position, but Holly used her race sense to position herself with some known sprinters from Helen’s. She gave it a great effort and placed third, her second podium of the weekend.

Team Camp – Boulevard & Red Trolley

I really enjoyed team camp because it was the first time I met all of my awesome new teammates!! Bea and I carpooled down to San Diego for Boulevard, which is a difficult road race, typically in harsh cold conditions. Luckily, the weather was great and a little wind was the biggest complaint anyone could have. The race was still difficult as always!  Lea attacked at the end of the first lap and stayed away for an entire lap. I was dropped on the long climb in the 2nd of 3 laps when the speed picked up, and then it was just a race of attrition to keep on moving!  Holly and I ended up riding together and caught a group of 4 riders before the climb on lap 3. Our group rode together to the finish, just waiting for the pain to end! While not the best race for me, I’m proud that we stuck it out and ended up catching the riders ahead of us.

Red Trolley was a lot of fun. With a team of 9, we initiated a lot of attacks and played a major factor in the race. Everyone played a roll and it was great to have a strong team to work with! I took a solo flier once again, this time winning some socks (typical)! Lea used her experience to get into a small break at the very end that held off the field with a small gap to take third!

Despite the challenging races this season, it was so great to finally meet everyone, learn about our sponsors, get a stash of gu product to keep us fueled in upcoming races, and get pumped for an awesome 2013!

Roger Millikan

The elite women had an early 8:00 am start time, but that didn’t stop us from showing up in force. Our team was 7 strong (missing Lea and Jenny) and Helen’s and La Grange were also well represented.  There were some attacks, including a break that I got in with Bea from LaGrange and Hayley from Helen’s, but nothing stuck. The race ended up in a field sprint with Lisa and Trina setting up Holly for a sprint in which she once again place on the podium in third.

This weekend, I’ll head to Valley of the Sun without teammates but with my training partner, Vikki and her South Bay Wheelmen teammates for my first stage race of 2013!

This past weekend I raced the Mount Whitney Stage race in Lone Pine, CA. This is one of the stage races put on by the same organization as the everest challenge.

Unlike many road races, getting “dropped’ doesn’t put you out of the race. This is very much about pacing. The races are mass start and a few categories begin together. All women started with the men’s 55+, men’s cat 5, and juniors. Within those categories are pretty varied ability levels.

Both stages of the race began with a ~12 mile circuit with 1,000 feet of climbing in the first half. You do the climbing portion twice before conquering the longer climbs of the day.

My strategy was to conserve energy early, even if that meant getting dropped by the group on the circuit.

Day 1: Horseshoe Meadows

Horseshoe Meadows tops out at 10,000 feet with over 7,500 feet of climbing. I finished the circuits with two women ahead of me. I stayed steady and eventually caught and passed both of them. I started to struggle a bit at the end, but pushed through to finish with just over 3 minutes on second. I still had to ride back down the mountain and through the headwind back to the hotel, and try to recover for day 2.

Day 2: Whitney Portal

Whitney Portal is around 8,500 feet and 5,800 feet of climbing on the day, but I heard that the average grade was steeper so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I also wasn’t sure how my body would react from the day before.

I knew that the day before, slow and steady had worked, so that was the plan again. The woman in second had crashed the day before, so I wasn’t sure how she would be feeling. It really could have gone either way. She stayed with the group in the circuits and I dropped back, so I really didn’t know where I stood. As it turned out, I let too much time get away from me during the circuits and mid-climb she had about six minutes on me. I needed to make sure that got back under 3.

Rob was supporting for the day, and gave me a few time checks. I knew I was closing in, but also knew it was getting close. I ended up finishing just under 2 minutes behind her, so kept the GC. Unlike day one, I wasn’t dying at the end, and was actually able to increase my power towards the end of the climb. In retrospect, I was a bit too conservative day two, but am happy I still pulled out the overall win.

San Marcos is a tough circuit race with a substantial climb. There were some good climbers in the field, so I figured that the race would break up. About two laps into the race, I shifted from the small chainring to the big chainring at the top of the climb, and my chain shifted off and wrapped around my crank arm. Luckily for me, I was right next to the wheel pit, so I rolled in. They helped get my chain untangled and I stood ready to jump into the group.

In the lap that I had been in the pit, there was some separation in the field. The main field had cut in half and I looked to the officials for guidance as to where I should re-enter. They let me re-enter the race a bit behind the main field. I was able to catch them in about half a lap. Shortly after recatching the group, I noticed a move being made by Amber and Joy, with Joy’s teammate Suzanne blocking. The two of them are very strong, and each of them had teammates to block. I knew I wanted to be in that move, so I went around and caught them. I rode a few laps with them before struggling to keep their pace, and drifted back.

I was caught be a group of three riders, but was still a big gassed and let them ride ahead. Suzanne rode away from the other two, and at that point, I was able to catch the two riders and we rode together for the remainder of the race. I knew I’d have trouble outsprinting them, so decided to try to go earlier on the climb. They didn’t get gapped, and had much more of a sprint than I did at the end, so I settled for sixth place.

At the end of the race, I was approached by some riders who were upset at where the officials let me re-enter the race. It definitely was a bit ambiguous because you are supposed to re-enter the race in the same group that you left it. You’re not supposed to jump into a breakaway if that was formed while you were in the wheel pit. However, what is considered a breakaway? Half the field? Anyway this is what the rulebook says:

3D5. Free Lap Rule. Riders shall normally cover the distance of the race regardless of mishaps and must make up any distance lost on their own ability unless a free lap is granted for mishaps. A free lap may be granted for each mishap subject to the following rules unless the official race announcement states that no free laps will be allowed. On courses shorter than 1 km (.6 mile), two free laps shall be allowed for a given mishap.
(a) Bicycle inspection and repairs must be made in an official repair pit. If announced in advance by the Chief Referee, riders are permitted to cut the course to get to a pit, but only while the free lap rule is in effect. Either an official following vehicle shall transport riders to a single repair pit, normally near the start/finish line, or riders must proceed to a repair pit in accordance with Rule 3D2. If no following vehicle is used, there should be repair pits at intervals of 1 km aroundthe course.
(b) There must be a referee stationed in each repair pit to bdetermine if the mishap was a legitimate one and if the rider is entitled to a free lap. The referee must keep track of all riders who are granted free laps and submit a written report to the Chief Referee at the end of the race.
(c) A rider who is granted a free lap must return to the race in the position held at the time of the mishap. A rider who was in a group shall return at the rear of the same group the next time around. A rider returning to the race after a free lap shall be ineligible for sprint prizes for one lap thereafter.
(d) A rider granted a free lap must re-enter the race beforethe final 8km of the race; after that point

Having riders upset with me (well not with me personally but with the situation) was a hard way to end a tough race, especially since I felt I had race it fairly. They did say they weren’t upset with me but rather with the officials.  This blew over as most things do, and I am glad that I decided to try this race out.

Shannon and I lined up for the Pro/1/2/3 race on Sunday with most of the local SoCal road racing talent on the start line with us. Luckily, it was a bit cooler than Saturday, so the heat wasn’t as big of an issue as it was for Shannon in the cat 3 race. SC Velo rode a great race, sending riders off the front one after another.

Photo – Kimberly Keathley

After two SC Velo breakaways, Amber attacked.  Everyone knows how strong Amber is, and if she is in a move, it usually sticks.  A group of us tried to jump on her, but she was too strong.  However, we ended up in a group of about seven riders, which was the deciding move for the race.  My group never caught Amber, but we were going for 2nd place.  With some mild leg cramping, I was able to cross the line in 5th place, my first 1/2/3 podium.

Photo – SC Velo

This was a great conclusion for the SoCal road race season for us, with both Shannon & I in the money in our respective championship category! (We just need more girls to come join us in the heat next year!)

Mt Hamilton

This was definitely the hardest race I’ve done. You begin with a 19 mile climb (with a few short downhill sections) up Mount Hamilton. Selections happen on this climb. I was popped with about 5 miles until the top, along with another handful of riders.

After the climb is a technical descent, in which I made up ground.  I slowly started catching riders that had made it up the climb ahead of me (some even with the lead group). After the road flattened out a bit, I was in a chase group of 5 riders.  It became 7 when we caught two more riders who had fallen off in the descent.

With approximately 10 miles to go, there were two longer (1 and 2 mile) climbs.  Erin (who we all know is an excellent climber) attacked and was chased by one other LGBRC rider.  I had confidence that our group of 5 would be able to work together and reel them in with 10 miles to go, but my confidence proved wrong.  They held the rest of us off, & I came in last within my group of 5 riders for 15th place.

Memorial Day

This was a pretty forgettable race.  Vikki and I were both contesting the 1-3 race.  There were a few large teams present, so I was keeping an eye on them and trying to jump on moves that looked dangerous.  Of course, I picked all the wrong ones and burned matches at the wrong times.  This happens, and it’s hardly anything to get upset over, but still frustrating none-the-less.  Both of us came in with pack finishes before having a long (made longer by grapevine construction) drive back to Los Angeles.