Category Archives: Cross
2013 Cyclo-Cross World Championships
Please start by watching this video from Amanda 1.0, then proceed to the race report. Congrats to all the Naked ladies who represented in Louisville 2013 for Cyclocross Masters World Championships!
There were many unforgettable quotes this weekend. The one that stands out most was by Susan’s coach, Jon Tarkington, “The race is not the most memorable part of the experience. It is everything else.” I have to agree. The race was a 63 minute grueling experience. The training, rides, nerves and spending time with others before and after was much more memorable.
We arrived Monday and got up bright-and-early on Tuesday to pre-ride the course. Not so bad, warm weather, cloudy, did not need leg or arm-warmers. The course itself had some off-camber turns, some easy barriers as they were on a flat area of the course, sand that would easily pack down from the humidity. The most challenging area was a run up, then an off-camber s-turn, another run up and a steep descent before heading back to the finish. Did it take some practice? Yes. Was it very technically challenging? No, but that is all about to change.
Middle of the night, we were awoken by tornado warnings, we looked out the window to see high winds and pouring rain (what else would you do during a tornado?). The course was flooded by the morning and the race sign had been blown over. Races were all delayed that morning. We decided to do leg-openers in the heated tent that was provided by the amazing crew at Pro Bike Express but would forego riding the course for fear of injuring ourselves or our bikes. There was a heat that Joan had to race in and they pronounced her last name wrong but said they would get it right when she won the championship. We picked up our race numbers and Susan found out that her new lucky number was actually 18.
Thursday–race day. Joan raced first. It was a muddy mess and cold so the ground was a bit more firm than later in the day. She did very well with few mistakes and took 5th place in the World (women, non-elite, age group).
I then raced and had the fortunate pleasure of a very muddy, grueling course. I had to pit my bike every half lap. At one point my wheels locked up from the mud and I ran my bike into the pit, it was estimated that my bike weighed 45 pounds. My pit crew was absolutely amazing. An announcer said that “Pit crews don’t win a race but they can lose one.” This is absolutely true but luckily my pit crew was flawless. Each time I came through my bike was a mangled mess but when I left it was clean, in the correct gear, pedals in the proper spot, chain back on and ready (although let me also add that they probably had 10 minutes to get it right as I was going that slow). I ran approximately half of each lap with an increase of weight from mud on the cleats, shoes and calves. I kept thinking that I am a cyclist, not a runner, and would try to get back on my bike but could not move. This is also the moment that Michael Hanna’s running intervals came through for me. The downhills were slick and the flats were slow. Two laps done and my legs were burning like never before, I pointed to the time as I could not speak from over-exertion trying to indicate that my race was over as I was pass the time limit. The official looks and me and calmly states that the “Race isn’t over until I say it is over. One more lap…” It takes everything in me to not DNF. According to the officials, I passed two more people that lap and rode exhausted but with few errors. I remember thinking at the end that I would take the final decent as fast as possible as my racing season was over and if I broke an ankle, I could hobble in and then have time to recover. Cyclocross is all about pre-riding and figuring out how to ride the course, but each lap was so different that it was like a new course each time. I finished in 8th place.
Susan then raced and had a wonderful race, she was so strong and watching her race reminds me that I have a long way to go. She had the largest women’s field that day and raced against very strong women. We finished the races proud of our accomplishments and ready to get some well-deserved rest.
Then the unthinkable happened, we started talking about planning to race the Cyclocross World Championships in 2015 in Tabor, Czech Republic. Watch out World, Naked Women’s Racing is coming back for a podium…
Special shout out to City of Louisville for being so friendly, welcoming and hosting a great week of racing. To Pro Bike Express for ensuring that our bikes were working perfectly, for keeping everything running smooth and for remembering all the things that we forgot. To Naked Juice for giving me the strength to train, to Michael Hanna for always being a wonderfully supportive coach, to Bike Source for keeping my bike in working condition (it is coming in soon), Rudy Project for the flashy helmet and Colorado Women’s Cycling Project for being a super supportive women’s cycling team. To Emily Zinn for my good luck socks and magazines, Katie Macarelli for my mix CD, Nicole Mack for the personalized cowbell and for all the well wishes from everyone. You all rock.
Colorado Daily: Naked Women’s Racing Named Club of the Year
Naked Women’s Racing says they’re bringing more women to the sport
By Sarah Kuta kuta@coloradodaily.com
Rachel Scott and her two Naked Women’s Racing co-founders were tired of women’s cycling’s reputation. The sport is male-dominated, and when it <comes> to female cyclists, it’s known for catty, aggressive women who don’t get along, Scott said. That makes other women hesitant to join a team or start racing.
So, Scott and two cycling friends, Vera Divenyi and Joan Orgeldinger, created their own all-women’s team based in Boulder <correction Denver> to address that stereotype. Finish reading here: http://www.coloradodaily.com/outdoor-recreation/ci_22306637#ixzz2HG580fxs
Side note: We started the team as a Denver-based team; however, we’ve expanded to the entire state of Colorado. We still state Denver-based, but have women all over the state representing Naked Women’s Racing. Also, the quotes expressed in this article are misinterpreted and out of context. For example, many of the quotes are perceptions of women’s cycling and there are many factors that influence this perception. In addition to the quotes, the two misspellings are beyond our control and passed through the editorial process.
Rule of 3
Guess who’s now going to Master’s Worlds for CX AND earned their upgrade!? Amanda 1.0-that’s who!
This post is about the amazing world of cyclocross and my new favorite number, three. Last weekend was Cross at the North Colorado State Cyclocross Championships. The Cat 4 women did not race until Sunday. So bright and early Heather, Lora and I (3 of us) loaded up and travelled to Loveland to pre-ride the course. Upon arrival, we heard about a few crashes that had already occurred and I was a bit timid to ride this course. It was lose dirt, inclines, lots of turns, a steep, off-camber decline and a run up, not to mention one set of barriers. We had watched the SW 35+ take this course like it was an easy Sunday ride and we had the expertise of both Susan and Joan in the pre-ride. I knew that they would direct us in a safe manner through each section of the course. We got to the steep downhill and since I had watched other people take it very fast, I decided that I would do the same. Problem was that I took the wrong line and was thrown into the air. I somehow landed in the soft dirt and did not fall but was clearly shaky and could barely hold onto my handlebars afterwards (partially as a result of locking my elbows). That is when I heard both Joan and Susan sternly state that I was to get back to the top and do it again. I whispered that I would do it again next lap but no it had to be done then and they were right. Heather helped by reminding me that I could do this and Lora reminded me to look like a cat coming down the hill. Each time I rode that section, I felt more comfortable.
Sunday I arrived to the race to see many of the Cat 4 women had already arrived and were starting to warm-up in the very cold and surprisingly humid conditions. There were so many cheery voices and familiar faces. This is what cycling is all about. People wishing each other good luck, wanting the best for each other, joking and genuinely happy to see each other. Part of the camaraderie is having similar ways to explain areas of the course. Here are a few examples of how these ladies have creatively come up with ways to connect my last name with racing. If there is sand or a weird turn, they will ask “What is the Amanda Bye-Line?” or “Is there an Amanda Bye-Line Canal through the sand yet?” When we are pre-riding the question is “Where is the Amanda Bye-Pass?” The new one thanks to Larry Grossman’s commentary on my racing career (note this was less than one minute in length as there is not much to say) is now being referred to as the “Amanda Bye-O.”
During the race, you can hear women cheering for each other. At the end of the race, everyone waited at the finish for all riders to come through, congratulated each other on a great season and took a Cat 4 photo. Katie had already cat’ed up and thus was not in the picture but she was certainly an integral part of the season. These ladies are much more than cyclocross racers, they are friends and I am sure going to miss them in the off season.
The cross cup results were posted later that day and I got 3rd in the racer competition and Naked Women’s Racing got 3rd in the Cat 4 category, I also got 3rd in the Boulder Cycling Series and thus the inevitable occurred and I cat’ed up to my new favorite number … 3.
Huge shout out to all the announcers, teams, photographers and promotors for a wonderful season of cross. Here are my 3 favorite pics from States. Now to get ready for CX Worlds.
Naked Women’s Racing Awarded USA Cycling 2012 Club of the Year
NOTE: This award wouldn’t be possible without the support of our 2012 sponsors. They believed in us since day one. Special thanks to Naked, Prerace.com, Spine One, TriBella Women’s Multisport, Partners In Women’s Health, Prestige Imports, Curve Inc., Kinesys, Power Bar, Handlebar Mustache, Rudy Project and DT Swiss. Thank YOU for supporting women’s cycling!
Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 17, 2012) – USA Cycling is excited to announce the winners of its 2012 “Club of the Year” awards! Three clubs earned overall “Club of the Year” honors in divisions I, II, and III and an additional eight clubs earned special awards in the junior/interscholastic, masters, women’s, new club, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and collegiate categories.
In addition to bragging rights, the winning clubs will receive a trophy and complimentary renewal fees for 2013. Congratulations to our winners!
Division I – Team Dayton Bicycling (Dayton, Ohio)
Division II – Northwest Cycling Club (Houston, Texas)
Division III – Ghisallo Foundation (Austin, Texas)
Junior/Interscholastic - Team Velosport/ Sho- Air/ Rock ‘n Road (Irvine, Calif.)
Masters - Cross Creek Cycling (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Women – Naked Women’s Racing p/b TriBella (Boulder, Colo.)
Best New Club – East Aurora Racing Club (East Aurora, N.Y.)
Track – Rubicon Cycling LLC: Project London 2012 (Vancouver, Wash.)
Mountain Bike – Whole Athlete/Specialized Cycling Team (Woodacre, Calif.)
Cyclo-cross – Snakebite Racing (Lakewood, Ohio)
Collegiate – MIT Cycling (Cambridge, Mass.)
Winning clubs were chosen for exhibiting excellence in several areas including race promotion, membership composition, instructional clinics and seminars, club activities, charity work, and race performance. Here’s a break-down of what our 2012 Clubs of the Year have been up to.
‘Cross season in 140 characters
Emily getting creative for those of us with short….hey a pony!
Cyclocross is well-suited to those with short attention spans. The national champion agrees. He has ADD, and says his weapon in ‘cross is being able to concentrate for the duration of the race.
Think about it: within a 60-second span in a ‘cross race, you can ascend two nearly impassable hills, dismount your bike and run over multiple obstacles, ride through a sandbox and power-slide through about 20 turns, all the while trying to stay upright through ice, mud and ruts. Even with all those things to concentrate on, my mind will wander everywhere from the type of pedal the girl in front of me rides to… what was I saying?
In recognition of this sport that caters to the attention deficit, and an era that rewards the same, here is a recap of my season, each race report wrapped up in under 140-characters, with gratuitous hashtags and terrible puns — some of which I came up with mid-race while attempting to dissociate from the excruciating pain I was causing myself.
Pikes Peak Velo Campus Cross
#TGICyclocrossSeason
Kick It CX Festival and TT
My first love (cyclocross) and my worst enemy (time trials) join forces to glorious results #CrossContamination
Boulder CX Series #1 — Valmont Park
Won yesterday’s TT that supposedly determined call-ups, yet somehow got last call-up. Then got stung by a wasp during the race. #BadToWorse
Boulder CX Series #2 — Xilinx
Dustfest #MuddySnotRockets
Frisco CX
Started with Katie Compton in my first race as a Cat. 3. Didn’t get lapped, less than 5 mins down. #CrossedOffTheBucketList #SmellsLikeKFC*
*This may be too obscure. The national champion — currently the top-ranked woman cyclocross racer in the world — Katie Compton’s nickname is KFC, for Katie Effin Compton, as in when you show up to a race thinking you’re going to do well, then you realize that Katie Effin Compton showed up
USGP SmartWool Cup day 1
Dry race, raining and muddy the rest of the day while I stood at the venue coaching Boulder Junior Cycling juniors and waiting for the elite race #WorstOfBothWorlds #MudFestAndNoInviteUSGP SmartWool Cup day 2Don’t drink the water #IllegalHandUp #AlmostDQd #ReadYourRaceBible
Colorado Cross Classic
Sunrise reflected off the mountains and then reflected into the Boulder Res as I raced along the sandy banks #TotallyTubular
Boulder Cup
Wanted to race in Mexican wrestler mask to celebrate Halloween, but opted for full vision in stead #CrossDressin
Schoolyard Cross
DFL>DNF>DNS #PedestrianCrossing — Still recovering from last weekend’s post-race bonk. Respect the 30-minute rule. #CrossFade
USGP Derby City Cup day 1 in Louisville, KY
#CrossPolinated the Kentucky field. #ChickenCrossedTheRoad
USGP Derby City Cup day 2 in Louisville, KY
Spent more time packing and unpacking bikes than I did racing. A lot more. Wish it counted as chamois time. #CrossCategorize
Boulder CX Series #4 — South VBP
Maybe doing Valmont Park backwards has turned the world on its axis and that’s why there’s no winter. It’s late November and I’m not wearing knee sox because it’s too hot. #HotCrossBuns
Big Ring Cycles CX
Girl I passed in final 30 secs of the race: “I almost puked trying to hold you off.” Krispy Kreme hand-up, Naked mimosas and Shit Show Hill
Cyclo-X Louisville
Feared DFL at BOD CX. Considered DNF. VO2 maxed. FML #CrossWordPuzzle
Season ain’t over yet! There’s still states in the open field. States and I don’t have a great history, as I got friendly with the pavement last year, but it wasn’t very friendly back.
Also, I was insane enough to register for the elite national championships. The points predictor has me third-to-last, in front of one girl who I have only beaten once.
Tubie continued…
The place to be (dot)(dot)(dot)
Have you ever wanted to check out a cross race? Do you like to support your team or other cyclists? Do you like to have fun? Perhaps you want to work off extra Thanksgiving calories by cheering, racing or both. Or do you want to escape the family for a few hours? If the answer is yes to any (or all) of the above, I have the answer for you.
On Saturday 11/24, there will be a cross race in Parker. This is a not-to-be-missed event. Worried about being cold? We will have some type of heat source. Worried about not being drunk at 8AM? We will have lots of adult (and non-adult) beverages. Let’s just say sparkling Naked juice is one of five drink specials. Worried you won’t be heard? We will have a plethora of cowbells.
SW 4 start at 9AM and SW Open and 35+ at 11:20.
Location: Big Ring Cycles CX Race
Salisbury Equestrian Center
9500 N. Motsenbocker Rd
Parker
Once you get there, look for the brigh
t green Naked Tent, next to Salvagetti/Happy Coffee. Oh and this Turkey may make an appearance. Just saying…
Mean Mama Madison vs. Amanda St. Cyr
The moment you’ve all been waiting for….an open letter from Sexy Beast.
Dear Jury,
I have been accused of not being very nice to a certain member of mountain goat status on our team in the past. In fact people claim that I, Amanda Cyr, have written negative statements about us not being friends on this blog. They make me out to be such a bad person and that I have no reason at all to feel so victimized by before mentioned person. I feel like since I am too chicken to race cyclocross and therefore can not write any race reports I should offer up a piece of evidence into the case of Mean Mama Madison vs. Amanda St. Cyr.
It was a late, 5:30p.m to be exact, Wednesday evening when I received a text message from the plaintiff regarding my attendance in her spin class on the next morning. I explained to the plaintiff that her class was so early, 6:45a.m to be exact, that I wasn’t sure if it was natural nor healthy for me to be in attendance. (Dr. Amanda Bye can confirm and will agree with everything I say forever and always in case you need a note stating that I should not be doing anything physical before an entire pot of coffee) Not caring about my well being, as usual, she responded with an extremely harsh and violently worded message. In fact it was so bad that due to its graphic nature I must censor to keep this piece of evidence PG. “If you don’t get your %&*^$*# @$$ to class I %&$*#)%& swear I will #*$#*$ your #(*&#&#^#$ up with hill climbs, (@#*$&%* intervals, #$*%(%*$ lactic threshold, and the #$(#$*&#^# #*$%&#(# copper triangle.” You get the point and you can now understand that I had no choice in the matter.
*This next section may not be suitable for younger viewers*
“Resistance all the way up on the bike, hill sprints, squats with kettle balls, hill sprints again, squats with dumbbells, Cyr is a sissy, more sprints, plank, zone 100 Cyr or else, hill sprints again, wall squats, always deeper, don’t breath Cyr, core, core, core, core, core…is that all you have you #($%&#@(@&$% Cyr”
I want you all to know that I did not want to bring this to your attention today for any other reason than to educate you on the real Mean Mama Madison. At the end of road race season I heard talk of the off season and how people eat chips and salsa, drink refreshing adult beverages, and let their bikes collect dust. I feel like my off season is in jeopardy. I feel cheated. I feel betrayed.
What happens if she is allowed to continue I ask you? How long can one person take this abuse? Where has my off season gone?
Lunges during racing season!?
If you feel like you need a first hand spin class experience with the drill sergeant known as “Mama Madison” I feel it is my civil duty to warn you that your legs will turn into cement blocks, your arms into wet noodles, your core will burn like the fiery pits of hell, and your lungs will burst into a thousand pieces. Yes you may be in amazing shape by the end, and yes she is a great teacher, and yes you will leave feeling like Rocky on the top step of the Philadelphia Art Museum but blah, blah, blah. It’s hard and it hurts and I am sure I will go back for more of this pain and suffering because she makes me.
I rest my case.
-Amanda J Cyr I
Kentucky goes global and Naked gets in on the action
While us Colorado folk were playing in the dirt, snow and cold last weekend, Emily Zinn was tearing up the CX scene in Louisville, KY at the USGP. Here’s her account of racing in the ‘dirty’ south.
Wearing Naked kit in Kentucky is like being in a celebrity entourage. Can’t pedal three strokes without someone stopping you to ask if you know Rachel Scott. The entire state seems to have voraciously followed her movements on Facebook, and everyone in Kentucky knows that she sold her cyclocross bike for a Specialized mountain bike, yet still asked if she would be racing that day.
The course:
Pro. Not only was it a USGP, it is the site of the first EVER world championships outside of Europe. “The first city outside of Europe to host a cyclocross world championship is Louisville, KY!?” you ask. Yes. And deservingly so.
Unless you are Adam Craig, there are a minimum of four dismounts, and not wimpy little grab-my-bike-and-run-over-a-couple-barriers dismounts, but crazy-steep stairs, limestone steps, and, if you missed your line, the Clif Bar Sand Land. Sounds fun, like going to the beach with a shovel and castle-shaped bucket, right? Yeah, it’s nothing like that.
The hecklers:
On form. A sampling for your enjoyment:
“Can you believe they let that girl race naked? Shameless.”
“That’s it, nice and easy. It’s not like it’s a race or anything.”
“Just remember, you paid to do this.”
“Touch my monkey.”
“Chase the unicorn.” Side commentary: I think this is Peloton Don!
“Katie Compton is right on your tail.”
“Isn’t it uncomfortable to race naked?”
Race report from day 2, as it ran through my head at the time:
Me on the line, to the girl next to me: “You’re Emma, right?”
Girl next to me: “Nope.”
Me: “Right. Are you Emma? Who’s Emma?”
Very young and cute winner of both days, quietly: “I am.”
Me: “Sweet! Awesome job yesterday! You’re coming to Boulder to train with Ingrid Alongi on the track, right! Excellent! Look me up when you get there! I can’t wait for you to come out riding with us!”
Emma: “I’m excited to come.”
“30 seconds.”
“15 seconds.”
Girl next to me shifts, unclips, swings leg over and turns her crank. Really? Panic. Is she going to get stampeded? Look over and see marshall is rolling his eyes and waiting. She swings her leg over. Gun goes off immediately.
Launch. Clip. Push. Sweet, second to the grass. Now I’ve just got to hold this for, like, a few minutes so I can be top-3 into the sand and not have to run.
Did they add more stairs to this permanent staircase during the night last night? Sneaky buggers.
My Norwegian friend was talking yesterday about how hard he was “breading” in his race. Yes, the heavy breading has already begun.
Already to the alligator swamp. Means the second pit is coming up.
Cool, neutral support is cheering for me. Or perhaps for that other girl named Emily that has been right with me the whole time and I tell myself that the cheers from people I don’t know are all for me. Either way, doesn’t seem very neutral.
Gnats don’t really fly into your eye, you ride into the gnat. Do young gnats have nightmares about giant eyes coming at them at a speed they can’t out-fly? How long does a gnat stay alive squirming in my eyeball after I ride into it?
I hope that’s really a unicorn in kit and I’m not delirious. They haven’t even started counting off laps yet. I could have eight laps to go, for all I know, and I’m already seeing unicorns. The bubbles are definitely real, though. Must look for photos after the race. Hope there’s a sweet one of me bursting through bubbles as I fly over the barriers.
I better not close my mouth, because it’s so dry my tongue might stick to the roof of my mouth like it does when I lick ice and I won’t be able to open it again for the rest of the race.
That Strava segment is only like 20 feet of flat with no turns. Why didn’t they put the Strava segment on any of the many actually cool features? I should go for it, anyway. If you can’t win the race, you might as well win the Strava segment. Wait, Katie Compton is riding this Strava segment.
This is so off-camber it wouldn’t even recognize camber any more. This would be hilariously stupid in the mud. Some people would probably crawl it. I wish it were muddy and I were crawling this section for others’ enjoyment.
It was so thoughtful of all these hecklers to come out with rubber chickens and stuffed monkeys and gramophones to tell me I’m sucking in clever ways. It’s early in the morning and nobody ever comes out to heckle. I should buy them a beer or something. There are too many of them. I’ll just touch the monkey each lap in stead. Next lap I’m gonna grab the monkey and stuff it down my skinsuit for a lap. That will never work. My skin suit is way to tight to accommodate me and a monkey.
My conclusion:
Louisville, KY is the greatest place on earth to race cyclocross. And then after, you can go to Sergio’s World Beers and Belgian TFU with legit Belgian beers that actual Belgian cyclists have wrung out their skinsuit into, it’s that legit. Sergio knows just about everything about beer… but doesn’t know what the sign on his own, unmarked establishment says.
Most importantly, the biggest event ever in American cyclocross is happening in Louisville, KY, on February 3 and you definitely want a ticket to that action.
Urban Cross comes to Denver-and Naked ladies dominate!
Denver’s 1st Annual Mile High Urban Cross Chaos in an industrial area of Denver. This cyclocross race had the promise of being something new and different, mostly on paved roads with some off road terrain and it did not disappoint. The night before the weather forecast called for a few inches of snow and a significant decrease in temperature. I awoke to a dusting of snow and lots of ice. Fortunately the registration was brilliantly placed in a bar that provided external warmth and if needed internal as well in the form of whiskey.
The first few races were postponed due to icy conditions and the course not being melted enough to be safe. The SM 45+, 55+ and SW 4 all started within a few minutes of each other. It was about 17 degrees and the cold was almost unbearable. I had lathered on Embrocation that morning and to no avail. The first part of the race was on icy streets and then we crossed a railroad track and went off road to a section of mulch, dirt jumps, large rocks to maneuver, 4 small logs that one could hop over, a berm, two soft dirt hills, an off camber straight away to a sand pit (later a railroad tie was found in the sandpit) and barriers to either run or hop over. Then it was back to more icy roads before doing it all over again.
This race was unique in so many ways from the type of course, to the location and also having an awe inspiring Adaptive category for anyone who was physically challenged to participate in. Most people stayed a majority of the day to cheer other categories on. The power slides, beer and whiskey handups, bacon handups and overall fun atmosphere is what cross is all about.
I certainly hope this race returns again as this year has shown that even with the harshest elements, cyclocross racers will come out in full force and make it a party.
The Naked Women’s Racing team did well at this race with first and second place podiums in SW35+ and a second in SW4. Congrats also goes out to Angie Michalik for racing in SW 4 and a great big thank you to both Vera and Brittany Jones for coming out to cheer.
Schoolyard Cross 2012
Joan took the 35+ victory at Schoolyard Cross this past weekend. She and many other Naked racers have been competing every weekend since CX season started! View all pics from the event at sportifimages.com. Cover photo by Dejan Smaic.
For those of you who missed the Schoolyard Cross race this year, you really missed out. The promoters mapped out a new course and it was ten times better than last year’s course. Everyone who raced was very excited with the new course design. Thank you to Clint Bickmore and his crew for all your hard work on this race.
Cross racing is an interesting hobby, you ride around in the dirt/grass on skinny tires, going as hard as you can for 45 min, tongue hanging out and potentially drool running down your chin. I’m not quite sure which of these aspects appeals to me, but it’s a hoot. There is an awesome group of people out there doing it and they are all having fun (for the most part)!
The cross atmosphere is great. You can go watch and maybe even try it out for those of you who are considering racing, but haven’t done it yet. The people are friendly and out to have a good time. Now don’t get me wrong, these people aren’t out there sipping tea, remember the part I mentioned about the drool running down your chin.
This past weekend my main goal was to not be the last one off the start line. At the last couple of races I’ve done, I’ve used that approach but it certainly wasn’t working well for me. Yes you have the advantage of getting to see all of the lovely ladies you are racing with, but after the race is a better time for this. So after a good warm-up, we were off and I was up in the front with a handful of the other ladies.
The course was fun, even better at race speed than in the warm up. After the first lap we had a bit of a gap starting to form. I just wanted to stay as far in the front as I could and keep the top girls within a bike’s length distance. The fly up was a bit exhilarating as I had never ridden over one on my cross bike before, but basically harmless. There were a couple of corners out in the grassy section that caught me off guard, but I put some markers up in my mind so that wouldn’t happen again. Going into the last couple of laps I was riding in 2nd position behind Tracy Yates who has once again been riding really strong this year and has a number of wins under her belt already. At some point, I felt like I could give a little more so I made the pass around Tracy and take the lead of the race. Then the thoughts started racing through my head: what was I doing in the lead? What if I crash? Am I going to slow, too fast? I was more nervous being out there and tried to make sure I didn’t panic, go all out and crash which I have managed to avoid this weekend for a change. I focused on trying to catch as many of the women from the SW open group as I could, while maintaining my composure (picture that with snot/drool all over your face). Tracy was hot on my wheel and I knew one little slip up would cost me the race.
I managed to hold it together during the last lap and rode through the finish line in 1st place!!!! It felt great to win. Although I have to admit, it feels good to finish any of these races.
