Masters Nationals 2012 Race Report - Lisa Campbell

I couldn’t let this amazing week of racing go by without sharing this experience. I don’t really know where to begin, because this year’s master’s nationals did not just take place in 2 days. (I did the TT and the Road Race, but not the crit). This race was the culmination of a year’s worth of training, both physical and mental…Of riding around during the winter with a 7 to 8 pound water bottle filled with bb’s…of twice weekly visits to the gym (I HATE the gym) to develop and strengthen my legs for TT efforts. It was a lot of “No, I can’t go on a group ride…no I can’t do just 2 hours, my training program calls for 3.5 hours…no I can’t ride “tempo”, I have intervals to do”…you get the picture. 

I got a TT bike this Christmas (thank you Trudi Schindler for having a tiny TT bike that you wanted to sell, and thank you Mom and Dad for the great Christmas present) and started riding it in January, knowing I wanted to attempt the TT at Master’s. I also knew I wanted to do the Road Race. My 7^th place finish last year was disappointing to me, and I was not in the best form, having crashed into a parked car and rearranging my cervical vertebrae one week before last year’s race. I got some practice for the TT at this year’s Cascade Classic. However, I was not happy with my results and felt like the course got the best of me, rather than vice versa. When we arrived in Oregon the Sunday before the TT I did an easy spin and had a little discussion with the TT course…I let it know it was NOT going to beat me this time. I was so lucky to have Dotsie here to help me. Dotsie took me out on to the course and gave so much technical advice that I never would have thought of myself. I have to thank Kirk, who also raced the TT and RR, and raced brilliantly, for sharing Dotsie with me.

The TT is a 30K rolling course with some short power rollers, that don’t feel so short when you are on them. I had the most perfect warm up…I was relaxed, ready to go right on time. Dotsie, and James, on the other hand, were not so relaxed I found out later. But they did a good job of hiding how nervous they were before my race. I also am pretty sure the reason I won is because Dotsie let me use her super fast white booties…and she made me tuck my braids into my TT helmet. 

During the course I alternated between feeling like I had my rhythm, and feeling like I was pedaling through quicksand. Even though I passed about 7 people I had this sinking feeling over the last 5K that I was not going to win. I had to push those negative thoughts out of my head. For one, Dotsie was on the course screaming “Let’s do this”…and James was out there yelling for me too. I actually started yelling at myself “go, go go”…and slid so far forward on my saddle I almost fell off…As I passed the finish line I just kept pedaling…around and around. My warm up spot was right near the USA cycling trailer and I did not want to be there when everyone was looking at their results and find out that I had not done what I came here to do. I had myself pretty convinced that I did not win when I saw Dotsie riding towards me. She was having a hard time containing herself, and I didn’t know if she was crying because I won, or because I lost…but of course as we now know…I won…And I almost crashed into Dotsie as she came riding over yelling “you won, you won…oh my god you won by 2 minutes”. She hugged me so hard she cracked my back, which felt great, by the way, so thanks for that Dotsie. After celebrating I said “you are sure right…you are positive I won?” She said she pulled rank and went up the CEO of USA cycling just to confirm…it’s nice to have a coach who just won an Olympic Silver Medal and can do that.

Dotsie was not scheduled to hand out medals that day. I told her I didn’t want anyone but her presenting that medal to me. Dotsie asked, and USA cycling was more than happy to have her present the 45-49 medals. I cannot explain with silly words how mind blowing, amazing and special that medal ceremony was to me. It was the best celebration I could have asked for to have Dotsie put that jersey on my back and that medal around my neck. 

However, I had to come on down from the cloud I was currently sitting on (I’d say it was way above cloud 9, at least cloud 10 or 11) and prepare for the road race the next day.  There were many more women signed up to race that were not in my TT. At events like this, where people come from all over the US, you never know what kind of field there will be. I happened to know that one of the women in my category was an Oregon local and a climber…and she had just placed second in the road race at the master’s world championships in Austria. Winning the TT was my first goal, winning the road race would be icing on the proverbial cake. (Although I prefer French fries as my guilty pleasure of choice).

I had a mellow night, hanging out with James and the doggies (and Mr. Bilbo, our cat). A glass of Oregon wine was all the splurge I’d allow myself. No fries until after the road race, and only if I won! The road race wasn’t until 3:15 the next day. This is good, in that it allows for a leisurely morning and time to sleep in. This is also bad because it allows for nonstop obsessing about 1) what to eat, 2) how much to eat and 3) when to eat it. A morning spin calmed my nerves. Also helpful was the text I received half way into my ride from Dotsie saying “we just passed you, go home and get your feet up”. Talk about personal service. 

And so I did what I was told. I relaxed back at the house with the doggies while James my forever faithful domestique and biggest fan cleaned and prepped my bike. The road race is the same course we do at the Cascade Classic, just a bit shorter, 84K total.  So I knew it was about 25 miles of downhill, mainly flat, with some rollers leading into the big climb back up the mountain. A warm up wasn’t going to be necessary for this race since we rolled with gravity for the first 20 miles. So, there was nothing left to do but show up at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort and get last minute instructions from Dotsie. Which, consisted of “It is NOT your job to pull these women around for 40 miles to the base of the hill. It’s going to be boring for 40 miles but then it’s go on the hill. And if a break goes, is not going to stick on that course. It all comes down to the hill at the end. All of the races have gone the same way, anyone who breaks away before the climb is caught, and the field is shattered on the hill”.

The weather was perfect, and on the start line I felt relaxed, more relaxed than I normally am. I knew I had done everything I could to prepare for this moment. I knew that I had the best coach and mentor in Dotsie, the best support system in James and my parents (mom and dad were cheering for me from across the miles in so cal), and the best team in the world who were behind me and always there to boost me up when I needed some pep talk. As we rolled out of that ski resort I only let positive thoughts loose in my head. As usual, Dotsie was right. Forty painfully slow miles. I mean, butt numbing, and mind numbing. I had to literally close my breaks slightly throughout some of the race in order to keep my legs moving. To keep calm and focused I thought about my hard training rides. I told myself I was going to win, and I was not going to bring anyone to the line with me. I had visualized the way I wanted this finish to go down so many times, and I kept that picture in my head as we continued our stroll to the base of the climb. You could hear some muttered, nervous chatter as we neared the 40 mile mark, things like “where is the damn climb already”, and “are we going to ever race”…you could feel some tension and the pace picked up a bit…but no one wanted to do too much work. As soon as we hit the big rollers, about ten miles before the finish, right after the 20K to go sign I moved to the front and pushed the pace, not an attack, just started riding right at threshold. I told myself I had just started my uphill TT and there was no stopping now. It was time to get this damn party started. 

I was happy to be in charge and leading the pace, and the sun was just starting to come down behind the mountains, so I could look to my right and see the shadows of the women behind me. I could see that they were standing. I was sitting. I could hear them breathing, hard. I had been watching and listening to the peloton all race. There were some small efforts on some rollers during the last 40 miles and I noted who was in what gear, how hard they had to push, and how fast they seemed to recover. I kept my pace up and didn’t look back til I heard the word “gap”. I turned to take a quick peek and saw that I had 4 women with me, and a small gap, maybe 15 seconds. There were 3 women chasing us. I looked ahead of me and to my dismay…flat! I totally forgot that there was a valley in between the rollers and the final climb. For a split second I thought I had gone too soon and blown my chances, but I quickly erased that thought from my head. We had a pack of 5 with a gap and if we held it to the base of the climb I knew we could keep it. 

I was empowered by this thought and started encouraging my group to work together in a pace line. It was apparent that this was not possible just yet. Everyone was breathing really hard and I thought that if I pulled for a bit, gave them a chance to recover, that maybe it would help us build our lead. I did just that, not too hard, but I felt strong and knew I could stay out in front for a little bit without pushing myself over the edge. I needed my group to recover because I needed them to work through that valley and launch me from the base of the final climb. My plan worked. Or I should say, the painful VO2 intervals that Dotsie had me doing for the last month worked. After about 45 seconds to a minute of me doing the work the women started rotating. We worked together well. A few women had to sit out their turn now and again, as did I, but I could feel them getting stronger and more excited as we saw our chase group was not gaining on us. I have to say that this group of 4 women was awesome. They raced their bikes! I just kept saying “come on, we can do it, let’s keep this gap”. And thankfully, the road started to curve up, suddenly, and my last words to my group were “come on, we can continue to work together on the hill”…and I put my head down and away I went. Again, telling myself this was an uphill TT. After about 500meters I looked back and now I had a chase group. They were way too close for comfort. I did not want anyone coming across the line with me. I remembered all the rides I had done to prepare for this scenario and I kept my head down. After a kilometer I heard the Moto guy next to me, I kept looking at him, too oxygen deprived to say “what’s my gap”. He must have seen the look of desperation on my face because he said “your lead is 30 seconds and it’s widening” This was with about 5k to go. Those words pushed me to dig even deeper. I started to see some of the women from the 35-39 group that started ahead of us. I focused on catching and then passing them. I got in my drops and maxed out my heart rate, the road leveled out a bit and I picked up the pace…the Moto guy never left my side. I hoped that the fact that he wasn’t saying anything meant my gap was growing. As I made the right hand turn with 1K to go I snuck a final look back and didn’t see my chase group. I pushed one last time, and just about cried I was so happy when I saw that right turn into the ski resort. I knew that it was my race now and I got to FINALLY live out the finish I had been visualizing for so long. I was smiling, screaming “yes!!!!” as I rolled into the final 100M. I zipped up that darn jersey, threw both hands in the air and yelled and clapped and kept on going through the finish line, into the parking lot. I kept riding circles around the parking lot. I couldn’t stop, I was so excited. I heard Dave Towle say “and Lisa Campbell is still riding around the parking lot”. Dotsie and James were stuck behind the caravan and didn’t see me come in. After a few minutes of me riding around like a lunatic I saw Dotsie and then James and I think I screamed “I won, I soloed in, I threw my hands up in the air”…then the man from USADA came towards me and I’m sure he was thinking “what a nut” when I said “oh my god, I’m so happy to see you because when I see you it means I won!”…I practically skipped all the way to the USADA tent and peed away for them! 

I am happy to say that I got to have Dotsie place another jersey on my back and another medal around my neck. I am also happy to say that my group of 4 women shared the podium with me. All five of us got to stand on those steps. I hope they are happy with their race, because I had a great time working with them through that valley. Bike races are hard to win…really hard, and I never would have done this without the help of my coach, my friends, my family,  my first team Fast Friday, and my current and most amazing team, SC Velo presented by Empower Coaching Systems. 

Race Report: Aspen Blue Ribbon Challenge - 8/22/2012

From the camp that I was very lucky to attend at the OTC earlier in August, I was selected to race as part of a composite team for the Aspen Community Valley Hospital in a criterium in Aspen. This crit used to be part of a larger stage race that coincided with the men’s pro-challenge, however this year it was the crit only. The promoters and race directors worked very hard to create a women’s event that was raced just before the men entered Aspen. This meant huge crowds and vendors.

I arrived in Aspen early so that I could ride alongside my composite team members Abby Mickey, Lindsay Bayer, Jenna Kowalski, and Sarah Strum in a charity ride for Komen for the Cure. This gave me plenty of days of training in beautiful Aspen (“ahh, California”), “where the beer flows like wine and the women flock like the salmon of Capistrano” (no, I was not mature enough to refrain from making Dumb and Dumber references the whole time I was there- I am pretty sure that I saw Lloyd Christmas on a motor bike that he obtained by trading the shaggin’ wagon “straight up”).

First, I cannot express how beautiful the drive alone was to Aspen. If you know me, you know that I detest driving because I fall asleep in cars; so obviously, the best method of travel for me was to drive by myself 13.5 hours to Aspen. Yes, this was the best method. The drive was amazing- from deserts to canyons; my eyes were wide with amazement over our beautiful country the entire drive. Next, Aspen was stunning. A small town situated at 7,900’ surrounded by mountains, Aspen offers plenty of activities and great riding for those of us who enjoy the hills and the altitude. I was fortunate to be staying with Jenna and Lindsay and we were able to go on several training rides in the area. The Komen ride for the Cure took us through amazing places in Aspen (Lindsay saw her first marmot). Did I mention that there are beaver dams in and around Aspen? My point: I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to make this trip to a beautiful place with my bike. I met wonderful people, stayed in amazing housing, and saw beautiful scenery.

The day of the crit was hectic to say the least. Jake (who had met me in Aspen the day before) and I packed up the car early that morning so that we could leave for Humboldt immediately after I raced. I did my usual spin before the race then headed over to the course to warm up. It was a huge festival! The race director and promoter had really done a wonderful job of showcasing women’s cycling through our race. The course was a four-corner course with a nice riser after turn one. As we waited on the line for the start of the race, the dark sky began to sprinkle. I was surrounded with some of the US’s finest racers- Lauren Tamayo fresh from her Olympic silver medal in team pursuit, (Coach from camp!) Katie Compton, and several other huge names in women’s cycling. I felt grateful to be there.

The race started and I managed to stay at the front for the first few laps. This is big for me, because it was a large field with fast women and I did not feel intimidated by the speed, jostling, or damp course. Katie pushed the field hard and I tried to hold on to my position. I lost a few places and found myself mid pack when I break went up the road (lead relentlessly by Katie). I used the slower pace to move my way back to the front, primarily on the corners. When I made my way back up, the break had been caught and I felt fresh. Yes, I felt fresh. So I decided, “why not attack?” I attacked just after the start/finish and went hard into turn one and up the riser. I was caught by turn two and overtaken by the mushroom on the backstretch. As I worked to recover, I made the mistake of allowing myself to slip to the back of the field where I was gapped out by another rider who dropped out immediately after falling off the back. She later apologized for gapping me out, but as I told her, if it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else and my decisions had put me in the unfortunate position at the back of the field.

I saw women falling off left and right (and center, and everywhere really). Many were simply rolling off of the course, but I decided to time trial. I turned on a steady hard pace and chased, picking up a few other stragglers along the way to hopefully catching back on. Alas, it was not to be and this would be my first crit that I did not finish. The field, lead by Katie Compton, Allison Powers, Carmen Small, Jade Wilcoxan, and Mara Abbott continued picking up speed. Several riders were dropped and pulled. My teammate for the week, Lindsay stayed near the front the whole time and raced incredibly well. The race came down to a field sprint which Optum expertly lead Wilcoxan to the top spot on the podium. Lindsay finished fifth and Katie Compton who had driven the pace the entire race finished sixth.

Whew! I learned so much in that race and I was happy with the experience that it left me. I finished mid-field, then I immediately showered and jumped in the car to drive 24 hours to Northern CA. Special thanks to the Talent Id Camp for placing me on this team, to Jan Koorn who helped to organize us and direct the race, to Jessica van Garderen for putting on the spectacular event, to my teammates for the week, to my team SC Velo/Empower Coaching for helping to get me to Aspen, and to Jacob my biggest fan and supporter.

USAC Women’s Talent ID Camp - By Amber Gaffney

August 1-5, 2012 

On August 1, I set off for Colorado Springs to attend a Talent ID camp at the Olympic Training Center (OTC). This was one of the first times I had flown over this region of the United States during the day and/or while I was awake. This allowed for an amazing view of the Grand Canyon! Seriously, from the sky, the Grand Canyon looks as if the Earth forced herself open: flat, flat, flat. Bam! A gorge in the Earth. Amazing. 

Upon arrival at the airport, an OTC employee shuffled two other bike racers and me to the training center. We promptly set about building our bikes and then set off for a spin around the area. This region of Colorado experiences predictable thunderstorms starting at about 4pm and lasting to about 5pm. As we rode, we could see the thunderstorm approaching us as the breeze grew to gusts. Lightning shattered the gloomy sky and a small shower fell upon us. We headed back to the OTC, but I will admit that this weather was beautiful! 

There were about 13 women in attendance at this camp. I knew the two other California riders (Katie Donovan, formally of our team and now a member of Rouse and Emily Kachorek of Primal). The rest of the riders were from CO, NC, PA, DC, and SC. I learned later that USAC had identified us through either our race results or word of mouth. 

Our coaches for the camp were Renee Eastman (head coach), Ainslie MacEachran (tactical coach), Katie Compton (of cyclocross and mountain bike fame), and Alison Dunlap (of road and mountain bike fame). Each coach had something special to offer the riders, whether it was race strategy from Ainslie, bike handling and general race knowledge from Katie, or Alison’s real life experiences on the road, each coach had a different way of explaining things and a different experience that enhanced our learning potential. At the end of each day, we met in a classroom for sessions on nutrition, race tactics, and round table discussions. 

Our first riding task was to re-con Cheyenne road where our field-testing would take place. The coaches prepared us for dry heat (actually my favorite riding conditions given where I live and train!) and we were off up the mountain. Cheyenne Rd. is a 5-12% grade (average approximately 8%). When we reached the top, we had our first skills class: descend a dirt road on our road bikes. Coach Katie gave us a quick and helpful session on how to descend in the dirt (always pedal!) and we set off down the hill. My first thoughts were filled with confidence as we started down the dirt road. I’m always getting lost on crazy dirt roads with loose soil- no big deal, right? I started my descent confidently and promptly fell down. I got back up, without a hint of shame and no confidence lost and started down again… and fell again… and again… and again… This was good bike handling experience for sure! 

The next day we did our field-testing up Cheyenne Rd. Our first test was a one-mile hill climb time trial. I rode the course first and decided how I would start (e.g., gearing, pace). I went off third (30 second intervals), starting in my big ring and got myself up to speed as quickly as possible. I worked to hold my highest effort for the whole one-mile. I finished with no clue how I performed (they later told me that I broke the course record with a time under four minutes, followed by former SC Velo-er, Katie with a time of just over 4 minutes- not too bad for SC Velo and alumnus!) The next time trial was a true hill climb- approximately 4 miles of climbing. I had decided that my goal would be 18 minutes and this time I started in the small ring and built my effort as time progressed. When I reached the top, I felt happy and perhaps a little too refreshed. Katie and I switched this time: she took the quickest time (of course), followed by me. 

Later this day, we headed out to the flats to work on pacelining, echelons, and team time trials. We split into teams of four- three campers and a coach. My team consisted of Coach Dave, Emily (an experienced TTTer) and Lindsay. This was my second TTT, as Ruth, Lisa, Dotsie and I took the state jersey and the course record earlier this year at Lake LA. As my team chased down the other teams (we started last), I pictured Dotsie at the Olympics with her team on the track. This was very motivating. My team was strong and well organized (thanks to Emily’s experience) and we definitely took the win here. After we finished, we learned that Team USA had made it through the first qualifying round in the women’s team pursuit. I was receiving detailed text updates on Dotsie’s Olympic run from Jacob, who had apparently decided that Earthquakes are second in line to Dotsie’s Olympic performance (he was right). I fed all of the information I got to Katie who was also keen to have spoilers on Team USA’s performance. 

In addition to our field-testing and TTTs, we also did a lot of skills work. This was really beneficial for the non-graceful and skill lacking me! We bumped elbows, which I know will come in handy in the big races, we bumped wheels, we scooped up water bottles from the grass while riding (yes, I even managed to do this), and we learned to bunny hop and stop quickly. I am very grateful for these skills because I know my deficits in bike racing are experience and skills! We also practiced taking feeds in a feed zone and from a car. I was grossly un-prepared for the push that Ainslie gave me from the car that sent me straight to the front of the peloton. Again, these are skills that I know I will use and I am happy to have practiced. 

Our long ride day was also through the flats. I am from the mountains. I grew up in the mountains. I have since traveled outside of the mountains, but I am always amazed at how naked I feel in the plains. To the East of where we rode, there were open sky and a horizon that spread as far as my eyes could see, unencumbered by a single mountain or hill. Crazy! We pacelined and echeloned through the flats and in-between, I got to talk with Alison about her amazing career and the time she spent with our very own, cake frosting loving and crazy strong Pam! This was a great ride to end our camp experience- it was mellow with some learning moments and a few hard efforts in the paceline. Near the end of this ride I got the text update that Team USA had taken second in the pursuit- Dotsie is a silver medalist! 

In general, I learned some great skills from this camp that I will certainly put to use in my own racing. I also met and got to know some wonderful cyclists and great people. While I know that my skills and experience are sometimes lacking, I felt strong and well prepared for this camp. The coaches were incredibly helpful (Katie Compton really has a way of explaining and demonstrating bicycle maneuvers that makes sense to me!) Being at the OTC during the Olympics was a great experience. I was a little star struck being at the place where our Olympians live and train- the pools, the cafeteria; everything was built specifically for athletic excellence. We were well taken care of for our entire stay. I headed back home to share my experiences with my team and finish up my first full season of bike racing.

July 29, 2012 - San Marcos Circuit Race

The course for the San Marcos Criterium is a 1.3-mile course with fairly wide corners and a power climb with 72 feet of elevation gain before the finish. PC, Bonnie, and I were out representing SC Velo/Empower Coaching and the weather was perfect for a race (clear with a slight head wind on the false flats of the course, and warm). At the start of our pre-race meeting, Bonnie asked me how I felt and told me that she saw no reason why I shouldn’t solo the win (Bonnie, thank you for your vote of confidence). Bonnie used tails of past team wins on this course to motivate us as we finished up our last GU chomps and headed to the start of the race armed with a set of plans and back-up plans. As we lined up, I felt glad to be home. I have dedicated the last month and a half to traveling for races and for a friend’s wedding, so being surrounded by two of my teammates and the usual suspects of some of my favorite local riders put me at ease on the start line. On the whistle, I moved to second wheel and pulled up along side PC to inform her that my brake was rubbing. She thought I was joking when I told her it could be my excuse if I did not perform well- I wasn’t joking, but it wasn’t bad and my Cannondale loyally saw me through to the end of the race. The race started into a turn and a descent, then a second right-hand turn, followed by a straight, very slight descent into a right-hand turn and then a long and fast straight section. I sat second and third wheel throughout the first lap and made sure to not hit the pace too hard after the last right hand turn into the climb before the start finish. PC and I worked together near the front on the second lap and when we rounded the last turn into the climb, I picked up the pace to test out the field. I could hear huffing and puffing, so I kept my pace consistent. There is a short false flat before the last little hill into the start finish on which I sat second wheel. PC and I both picked up the pace nearing the start finish. It was a prime lap and PC yelled to me to take it- I did and I rounded the corner into the descent hard. A voice behind me told me to pull through hard and as I snuck a peak behind, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Joy McCulloch (Helens) was on my wheel and we had a gap between the field and us. Following Joy’s instructions, I took a hard pull. When she pulled through, I was happy to see that Karen Meske (Revolution) had joined us. The three of us worked through the backstretch and finished the third lap together. I am not sure when we lost Karen out of the break, but she left us around this time, I think. On the fourth lap, Suzanne Sonye (Helens) joined us and shortly after PC was with us. I was happy that PC had joined us and I stayed at the front of the break, preparing to do the bulk share of the work to save PC’s legs for the sprint. Soon though, I noticed that Hillary Crowley (Revolution) had joined us. While PC is one of our best sprinters, being in a break with Hillary and Suzanne meant that we was outnumbered by sprinters and our team’s odds of a win were narrowing. I attacked near the last kicker before the start finish and took Joy with me. The two of us successfully broke away from the break away and I was satisfied knowing that Suzanne and PC would do everything they could to protect Joy and me. At some point, Becky Siegel (PAA) joined Joy and me. Becky rotated through with us for at least one lap before we lost her. I made sure to take pulls on the first kicker after the last turn and the last kicker before the start finish. This allowed me to keep the pace up and to keep the other riders in the break a little tired. At some point, I noticed that we were passing a lot of riders and it became apparent that we would lap the field. When Joy and I came upon the main field, I rode hard up to the front. Joy had two or three teammates in the field and Suzanne was somewhere behind, not out of striking range. I could not stay with the field for two reasons: 1) Joy had more teammates in the field than I, which would mean more work for me; 2) if the field stayed slow, Suzanne would catch us and use her caginess against me. At this point, Bonnie got on the front of the field and pushed hard. She took me into the final turn at a good pace and I attacked hard. I heard Helens working to chase me, but I went harder. When I crested the top, I noticed that I had Trina Jacobson (Revolution) with me. I pulled hard down the descent, took the first turn at a mellow pace, hit the false flat hard and pulled hard through the turn. At some point, I looked back and realized that Trina was gone, but Karen was with me. Karen reassured me that there was no one close behind us, and I finished the lap with Karen on my wheel. I should note that at some point, Jacob made sure to yell to me that I had two laps to go (always helpful, because I tend to not hear the announcer and I miss the lap cards). The last two laps, I worked hard, always pushing the descent and on the flats, I practiced my time trialing. I even tried to work on my bike posture (I sometimes feel as if I’m the cycling version of a “fixer-upper”- there is always something new for me to work out to improve my cycling). When Karen and I came into the last turn, she took the last pull to finish her final lap and I crossed the start/finish line with the win. Joy came in a well-earned second place, Suzanne came in third after working hard to protect Joy, and PC came in fourth after sprinting around the other members of her group. As a team, Bonnie, PC and I executed our plans perfectly and most importantly, we had fun! The women’s 1-2 field showed camaraderie and reminded me how fun So Cal racing can be (especially with a long course and a hill- sorry PC, but you love it!)

7/22/2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 5

22 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 5 Circuit Race The last Stage of the tour (and by reputation one of the hardest) this year the Circuit Race had been cut to 3 laps instead of 4 which was a welcome change by all. The 81km (51 mile) circuit race started and finished at Summit High School before heading out onto Schevlin Park Drive where the circuit started and descended its way into the Tumao Reservoir Park before heading up the first climb (approx 1.5km) to the Feed zone> The second climb was Archie Briggs Road which is a 1.6km climb with a short very steep section at the start (approx 200 meters) with a max gradient of 18% before flattening out to about 3-4% before the last little kicker (200m) at the KOM which has a grade of about 10%. From there road offers only a few more little rollers before either turning right (and downhill) onto the next lap of the circuit or straight through the roundabout and the final 2km to the finish line. Excited to have made it to the final stage of the race we waited in the shade for the start. It was a very hot day with temperatures around 38 degC (104 degF) so staying as cool a possible was important prior to race start. The Pro Men’s race headed out at 1pm and the Women’s Pro race only 5 minutes later. Standing at the start line ready to go many of the girls had ice packs in their jerseys in an attempt to keep them cool. As we rolled out in neutral until the circuit started there was already a lot of pushing for position as nerves began to take their effect prior to the first descent. People stood on the side of the road with water hoses spraying us down with cold water (which was a fantastic relief). The peleton stayed together for most of the first lap until we hit the second climb at Archie Briggs Road and the field began to dwindle and tired legs were taking their toll! I managed to hang in there for the first climb (counting the meters of suffering I had ahead of me). Surprisingly I got over the KOM and I was still with the group. Lap two was a similar story as each climb I just hung in there trying to ignore the burning lactic building up in my legs and trying to stop my heart from exploding in my chest! I saw Jenny and Lisa ahead of me in the group and as we suffered together over each of the climbs as we hung on (amazingly each lap seemed to hurt a little less (this could be because I was suffering heat stroke) but amazingly I was still with the group on the final climb as we crossed the KOM mark. From the KOM I knew it was only 4 km to the finish line and I mustered up all the effort I had left (and some I didn’t know I had) to move up in the group as girls began to fall off the back. Through the final roundabout the pace picked up with only 2km to go as we seemed to sprint at full pace to the finish line. Jenny was next to me in the peloton and we both rode as fast as our legs would take us to finish. The feeling of relief and exhaustion at crossing the line was in sharp contrast with the surprise and excitement I felt with finishing in the front group as Jenny and I had big smiles on our faces as we headed back to camp. Kristen McGrath (Exergy) won the final stage in a solo sprint in 2.11.30, the bunch was only seven seconds behind with team mate Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Exergy) taking second in 2.11.37 and Alison Powers (Now) taking third. SC Velo did well with all the girls finishing despite a mechanical mishap with Amber suffering a flat in the final lap. I finished in 12th place with Jenny Rios finishing 14th in the front bunch in a time of 1.11.37. Lisa Campbell who had ridden an amazing tour finished only a few minutes behind in 52nd place in a time of 2.17.32, Holly Breck finishing 72nd in 2.36.43 and Amber Gaffney finished in 73rd place after suffering an unfortunate flat in the last lap and having to wait for a support vehicle to eventually bring her a new wheel. Note; A big thank you to all the support provided by James, Charlie, Sharon & Jakcob each day in getting us to the races on time, setting up our equipment each day, listening to our woes, supporting and feeding us through each race and just generally being there and providing a smile along the way! It makes such a difference to have a support team at a stage race such as Cascade and your work was very much appreciated. Thank you also to the girls and SC Velo for inviting me to ride with you, I had a fantastic time despite some personal trying times throughout the tour… The team camaraderie was second to none and I am humbled by the friendships I have formed form racing with you.

7/21/2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 4 Criterium

21 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 4 Criterium The Stage 4 Criterium was staged in Downtown Bend. The four corner 50 minute Rectangular course crit has only 1 technical section with corner 3 narrowing into a tight turn leading up a small rise, before the 4th turn took you onto the finishing straight which was a long wide run approx 300 m to the finish line. On arrival the crowds were already in place watching the armature and master crits that has been taking place throughout the day. The atmosphere was amazing. The women’s pro crit was scheduled to start at 5.45 and the temperature was still nice and warm. Starting position was essential with a big field of 90 women, The SC Velo girls managed to get relatively good position in the first couple of rows. Kristen Armstrong (yellow jersey tour leader) had left the tour to head to London for the Olympics so the yellow jersey had been passed down to Alison Powers (Now) who was 2nd on GC. As the rolled out for our race the pace was on from the whistle. We all had tired aching legs at this point but that didn’t seem to stop the girls as each lap seemed to just get faster and faster with an average pace of 42kph (26 mph). Both Beatrice and Jenny managed to get a cash preem sprinting to the line ahead of some stiff competition. Trying to follow Jenny’s wheel to move up the peloton and trying to position myself around the Yellow Jersey I managed to stay in the front third of the field. Despite some scary moments around corner 3 in particular the race was incident free. The final few laps of the race were particularly scare as the front group surged and slowed like a harmonica and I had to dig deep and use up all my energy in an effort to move up the field. I managed to catch the wheel of an Exergy girl to make up about 20 spots following her wheel around the last corner before sprinting home as fast as I could. The crit was won by Carmen Small (Optum) in a field sprint, second was Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Exergy) and third Loren Rowney (Stevens Bikes). The SC Velo team did well with all girls managing to get through the race unscathed. Jenny Rios came home 13th in a monster sprint, Beatrice Rodriguez finished 23rd, I finished 26th, Amber 32nd, Lisa Campbell 45th and Holly Breck 67th. As always our support team was amazing helping us prepare for the race and yelling support from the sidelines. Where would we be without you!!!

2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 3

20 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic – Stage 3 Cascade Lakes Road Race Starting at 1951m (6400 ft) elevation at the Mt bachelor Ski Resort Parking Lot today stage would take us on a long descent through the Deschutes National Forrest for the first 19 km (12 miles) to 1340 m (4400 ft) elevation. Once at the bottom there were only a few big rollers that would challenge us but mostly just flat roads with just the elements to contend with and some of the most scenically beautiful landscape I have ever ridden through. The 77 km (46 mile) marker was the start of the climb back up Mt Bachelor and also the last feed-zone. The climb started very gradually and slowly building to a steeper pitch before easing into a false flat and another steeper climb for the last 5 or so km (3 miles) of the race before turning back into the Mt Bachelor Si Resort Parking Lot where the finish line was located. Arriving at the top of Mt Bachelor car-park it was freezing cold with snow still lying on the edges of the car-park . We all sat in the cars with the heaters on trying to stay warm until it was time to warm-up. Rallying up every last piece of clothing we had (in July) we feebly attempted to warm up (knowing it would be freezing cold during our long descent). One of the Tibco Coaches felt sorry for us standing around shivering and offered us some Embro Cream to rub on our legs to keep warm… in our moment of extreme weakness we accepted with glee (except Bea who rubbed herself down with Vaseline) Feeling a slightly warm glow now we rode a few laps of the car park before heading out to the starting chute. Due to the still big field of 88 girls we all wanted to make sure we were towards the pointy end of the field for the descent giving ourselves plenty of space as the roads were still slightly slick in shaded areas. I was glad to be wearing a wind vest and arm-warmers as the air temperature on the way down was very cold, I could barely feel my finders at the bottom. Once we hit the flats we all stripped down ready to dump our gear in the feed zone which was coming up on the next little climb about 12km (8 miles) away. The pace was fast with girls attacking even on the descent. Our average pace on the flats was over 42km (26 miles) per hour. For the next hour or so we flew along the highway through the forests and past the cascade lake network. Attacks were constant which resulted in the fast pace. The Tibco and Optum girls were doing a lot of the pace making whilst the Exergy 21 girls focused on protecting their leader in Kristen and chasing down any breaks. At about the 65 km (40 mile) mark there was finally a successful break with 5 girls getting up the road (one from each of the big teams). At that point things finally settled down a bit with the break gaining about two and a half minutes on the peloton, which was mostly still intact. Our legs were on fire from the Embro cream, it felt like someone was ripping off the skin, I think in some ways though it was distracting me form the pain my legs were feeling from riding though. Once we hit the climb and the second feed-zone the pace picked up again. Kristen was not in the break and could not afford to loose too much time so the Exergy Team picked up the pace to ensure minimal time was lost and Kristen would retain the Yellow Jersey. The next 16km (10 miles) started to hurt as the pace picked up along the climb, there was only one short section of about 4.5 km (3 miles) where the gradient got steep and the legs began to hurt before the road flattened out 5km and we hit the 10km to go marker. The peloton stayed mostly together until the last 5km climb where the road gets steep and the group splintered apart with the gradient between 6 -8%. Before is flattened out again and made the final turn for the finish line. My legs hurting (and burning from the Embro Cream) with my heart about to explode, I stomped down on the pedals determined to keep any time lost to a minimum. With Jenny & Lisa just up ahead I managed to stay with the group until the last 3km at which point both Jenny and I propped back a few seconds with a couple of other girls. The 1km to go sign came as a huge relief as I mustered up any last energy I had to make it to the finish line. Lex Albrecht (Optum) crossed the line in first place in a time of 2.53.26. Andrea Dvorak (Exergy) was second and Beth Newell (Now). Kristen Armstrong (Exergy 21) managed to hold onto the yellow jersey overall on GC with a marginal lead. THE SC Velo Girls did really well with Amber Gaffney managing to hold onto the leaders group the longest crossing the line in 25th place in a time of 2.55.14, Lisa Campbell finished 42nd in 2.55.52, myself in 44th place in 2.56.38, Jenny Rios 46th in 2.56.38, Beatrice Rodriguez 69th 2.57.54, and Holly Breck 80th 2.59,57. Post race we all hopped around trying to get the damn Embro cream from our legs without much success, we covered them in ice but as soon as the sun hit the skin it felt like a blowtorch… we tried washing it off in the bathroom (much to Bea’s amusement) but nothing seemed to work! It took 12 hours and 3 washes with dish-soap to get the cream off – major rookie error!!! Thanks to Team SC Velo support (Charlie, James, Dennis & Jake) you guys were awesome out there!!!

7/19/2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 2

19 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic – Stage 2 Crocked River Time Trial Hoping to redeem myself from yesterdays Road Race, I approached the day as a new race. The course was a 27km (16 mile) mostly flat out and back course with a few little rollers along a quiet little country road next to a little river. Conditions were favorable with a light head wind on the way out and relatively good road conditions. There were going to be some fast times today!!! We got to the race early with plenty of time to warm up and get ready. I had a front flat tire which I needed to tend to prior to warming up, one of the men’s teams full circle racing had borrowed my TT bike the during the prologue so they very kindly lent me a disk wheel set and repaired my wheel for me. Feeling like I had run out of excuses why not to do well I made sure I got a decent 1 hour warm-up on the trainer. Start times were posted in reverse GC order so most of our team was off pretty early. The Women’s TT started at 12 noon and Beatrice, myself, Holly and Jenny were off just after noon. Amber and Lisa were allowed to have follow cars (very Pro) to yell at them to go faster. With all of us having had a thorough warm up we nervously lined up in the starters chute, with tired legs form the previous day we all knew this was going to hurt. Bea was off first, as I got into the starting position I could just see her disappearing over the little hill in the distance. Only a minute behind Bea headed out on my TT, riding a little more conservatively than I wanted at the start, I headed down the road. I had broken the TT into quarters building up speed in each sector and careful not to burn too much fuel for tomorrows Road Stage. Happy to see the turnaround a quick U-turn and I headed back to town and the finish line!!! With a slight tailwind the way back seemed much quicker. Seeing my teammates heading out was also nice as it spurred me on to go harder and faster. With the last hill about 5km from the finish line I powered up it out of the saddle and gave it all I had left for the finish run. One little slight lump just before the finish ensured a fast downhill finish. Heading back to camp the girls all felt happy with their efforts, which gave a good outcome for the day. Kristen Armstrong (Exergy 21) once again took out the stage with a win by over a minute in a very fast time of 34.40, Alison Powers (Now & Novartis MS) finished Second in 35.57 and Carmen Small (Optum) finished Third with 36.07. The SC Velo Girls did well finishing 24th with Amber Gaffney (38.38), 44th Melina Bernecker (39.38), 49th Lisa Campbel (39.55), 81st Jenny Rios (41.40), 82nd Holly Breck (41.47) and 87th Beatrice Rodriguez (42.34) As always big thanks to Dennis, Charlie, James & Sharon for your encouragement and all your hard work supporting us.

2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - 7/18/2012 Stage 1

18 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic – Stage 1 Mc Kenzies Pass RR This was the stage that I was most nervous about, having ridden it last year and suffering through the 48.2km (30 miles) of climbing up 1768 vertical meters (5801 feet) and 120km (74 miles) of racing. The good news at least is that when one does get popped from the group it is scenically beautiful rides, which takes you up and over McKenzie Pass (a volcano) and down into the town of sisters before heading up the final climb to Three Creeks Snow Park. Because the race is so long (approx 4 hrs) it was a relatively early start of 10.05 am. The race started at Maxwell Snow Park in the Deschutes National Forest, which was about an hours drive from our host House. We arrived a couple of hours early to allow us time to get ready and relax before the race. We didn’t really need to warm up as the race started with a descent (with a few little rollers) for the first 42km (26 miles). It was fairly chilly to start the race and we all decided to wear arm warmers and vests for the start of the race, which was a good move as it was freezing during the descent. We started the race in a low-key manner and rolled out onto Highway 20. We rode in Neutral for about the first 5km (3 miles) once we were off racing we zoomed down the mountain at wharp speed hitting over 80km (50 miles) per hour. Being the first stage of the race there was a lot of switching and shoving in the peloton as we screamed down the mountain…. It was a miracle no one crashed! Once we hit the bottom and things flattened out for a few miles we hit the first feed zone, and yes the first crash shortly after as girls started stripping off their arm warmers and vests ready for the climb. Having gotten stuck behind the crash we chased back on (which took all my effort as the road was turning upward) with my hear rate already in the red zone the girls started attacking as soon as we were back in the peloton…. This is where things went so horribly wrong for me!!! I stayed with the back for about the first 8km (5 miles) of the climb at point, which my heart was about to explode and I decided to slow down and ride at my own pace. I then spent the next 24km (15 miles) climbing in solitude as I slowly peddled past (very few) competitors for the next hour and a half. The climb seemed to go on forever and I had run out of water by the time I finally hit the KOM with only 1 km to the next feed zone I sat up and enjoyed the scenery (it was the only thing I could do to take my mind of the pain I was feeling in my back and legs) There were small patches of snow amongst the volcanic rock and the air was surprisingly warm. Finally I got to the feed zone and stocked up on water ready for the descent. At this point I also caught up with two other girls, which was good for the descent and slat section through Sisters. The downhill was a welcome relief after the long climb but with so much time to catch up there was no taking it easy. I descended with a group of three but we quickly dropped the third girls as we rocketed towards sisters. Once on the flat we worked hard taking turns and time trialing it into Sisters. From the town of Sisters the roads turned rough and cracked which after a long day in the saddle was not ideal. A headwind was blowing in our faces and there were cracks and lumps in the pavement every few meters, which felt like craters and my every increasing back pain was slowly creeping into my legs in the form of cramping! Finally I reached the last climb and hence the last 10km of the race, the road once again turned upwards and the 5% average gradient soon felt like 20% as I began to really suffer. I found my teammate Bea pulled over by the side of the road cramping only 5km form the finish, I pulled over to check she was ok and as she got back on her bike I gave her every last bit of food I had but nothing was helping and her pain made mine seem insignificant as we stayed together as I tried to help her reach the finish line. In the end I had to leave her as I was concerned about time cuts and she assured me she was ok so I battled on the last 3km to the Three Creeks Snow Park where the finish was located. Finally rolling over the line I was hugely relieved and exhausted to have finally finished. Bea rolled in shortly after me still cramping and not feeling very well at all. Kristen Armstrong (Exergy 21) won the stage in a impressive time of 3.24.42, second was Megan Guarnier (Team Tibco), with Andrea Dvorack (Exergy 21) third. The SC Velo Team did not fear as well as we had hoped, but with such a high level of competition the field was blown apart, Lisa Campbell finished 31st (3.31.55) having ridden a smart race resulting in a fantastic finishing time. Amber Gaffney finished in 38th place (3.34.33) working hard and covering several moves for a break. Jenny Rios finished 78th (3.49.07), Holly Breck 81st (3.52.03), Myself 84th (3.55.52) and Beatrice Rodriguez 85th (3.58.03). The feelings of self doubt and disillusionment was hard for me to overcome on this particular day having posted what I felt was a disappointing time, however I will dust myself off and try to redeem myself in the next stage which is the Individual Time Trial at Crocked River. Again a big thank you to our wonderful support team in Dennis, Charlie and James for your encouragement and helping out in the support zones.

2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - 7/17/2012 Prologue

17 July 2012 - Written by Guest rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic – Prologue Having ridden the course several times in the morning I felt comfortable with the corners and route. We (the team) decided to go early and get a good spot to set up our trainers near the starters chute and allow plenty of time to get ready and warm up. The race start was at 6pm and located as the top of the little hill on Meeks Trail Road and the 2.8 mile / 4.5km TT route took us around a gold course… not that we had any time to enjoy the scenery! The first half third was downhill, the second third flat and the last third slightly uphill. Just for a change I managed to get in a decent warm-up and felt ready to go. Jenny Rios was off first at 6.12, Holly Brecht was next followed by Bea Rodriquez, Lisa Campbell, myself and last was Amber Gaffney. We were approximately 6 minutes apart in start time. As we lined up at the starting chute each of our bikes was checked in the jug for UCI fit ruling, luckily none of us had any issues and we were all set to go. Conditions were favorable with only a little breeze and warm air temperature. Feeling a little nervous at the start chute I took several deep breaths as the started counted down 5,4,3,2,1… a deep breath and I was off, pedaling my little heart out. The first km of the race went down a fairly steep hill with several gentle turns, (the road surface at the bottom was not great but I have seen a lot worse). There was a sharp Left hand turn right before the 2km mark and then a flat section with another slight downhill before hitting the roundabout which made another left turn up the first little hill (I say little but at this point my legs were starting to feel the lactic acid)… getting out of the saddle I powered over the hill and settled into the false flat that took me to the last and final climb (at his point my legs were feeling totally trashed and I fought them with every inch of my conscious mind trying to convince them to turn faster, harder, stronger!). As I made the last turn and the finish line came into view I managed to muster up the last bit of energy and strength to propel myself over the line. Kristen Armstrong (Exergy 21) won the prologue in a thundering time of 5.24, second was Alison Powers (Now Novartis), with Jacquelyn Crowe (Exergy 21). The SC Velo Team feared well in the high standard of completion with Amber Gaffney finishing 27th in a time of 6.03, Myself finishing 47th in a time of 6.17, Lisa Campbell was 50th with 6.19, Holly Brecht, 75th in 6.36, Bea Rodriguez 83rd in 6.41 and Jenny Rios 95th in 7.3. Our team finished 9th in the team standing out of 13. Big thanks goes out to our wonderful support team in Dennis, Charlie, James and Sharon, you guys made life so much easier for us.

Minneapolis uptown crit

Written by Holly Breck Minneapolis uptown crit, where shall I began. This course compared to the first crit course was a lot safer, more flowing, lined up well cornered course. Yet all the racers where still just as excited and ready to go as ever from the day before the stage got cancelled do to a tornado watch and incredible crazy storm. Do to the pretty good crash on day one stage two my bike was thrashed. Rear wheel was toast (though come to find out now, after running my front wheel the whole time, it has a quarter size hole in it so both are toast.) my derailer hanger broken and my bars and hoods all twisted and mangled. Jake and I went to bike shops found some parts and from the help of the shimano support people where able to get my bike back on track just 30 minutes before start time. Man did we feel like chickens running around with our heads chopped off or at least I know I did. Sitting on the start line my heart was pounding, arms where shaking, legs where twitching and it was all that I could do to not yawn on the start line. As they called people up and said the national anthum, I said my prayers one last time and they fired the gun and we where off. It started off pretty fast and aggressive. Most part everyone was riding alright but you could tell people where getting excited. We were 9 laps in and had just finished a sprint lap. I was sitting near the front, thinking it would be safer to be towards the front more. As we came hauling through the start/finish line all of a sudden I see people slidding and bikes flying. Im skidding trying to dodge bikes and people. All of a sudden two bikes just come flopping right down in front of me. All I can think of at this point is not again!!! My front wheel just stops. I got over the bars but when I came down it was soft. I ended up landing on someone. Λ (oops) I heard “get off of me!!” and a push as I was trying to get up. The person I landed on was ok, which I was definitely happy for, I was ok and so was my bike. It took out close to 20-25 riders this crash and some got wind knocked out of them, heads banged up and definite road rash. The race was neutralized until the road way was clear. Once again I sat just behind the starting line shaking like a leaf, took a deep breath and was off once again. We were suppose to have a neutral lap to make sure the road was clear but as soon as we crossed the start/ finish line it was full gas. This time around I say my teammate jenny and knew she’d be a nice SAFE wheel to be with. I was with her for a while but she did this crazy ninja move through the field and I lost her in the pack. Then I found Melina and was with her then found Amber for a while, but with the laps counting down the attacks and moves were getting faster and faster. No matter how hard I tried I kept going backwards. Now with about 3 laps to go I found myself on the back of the pack. No one else behind me I tried so hard to stay with the group. I say the two laps to go sign and the group was getting smaller and my gap in front of me to the back of the pack was getting bigger and bigger. I just kept pedaling as I heard the screams from people “come on catch them, there right there!!!” so I pushed through but never caught back on. Lost some time but glad I wasn’t in any other crashes after that. My teammates are incredible. All finishing with the pack and making it through to the next day. Many sketchy moves where made, one major and multiple minor crashes throughout the race where done and I was just glad to be leaving on my bike and not on a stretcher. It was a successful day.

Stillwater Criterium (the final stage of NVGP)

Written by Julie Cutts The last crit seemed to be the hardest physically and mentally for our team. This could be expected at stage 6 of a tour, especially for our team, with so little experience at such grand events. For myself, I had a hard time pulling myself together to even get on the bike. I was worried about more crashes, as there had been so many during this race. There were two downhill corners that already had the ambulance busy due to the previous men's recreational race, and since 3 of our girls had already been fighting the pain of previous crashes, I think our safety was on all of our minds. I felt as I had let the team down as it seemed the whole week I was just trying to not get dropped in each stage, and stay safe. I felt I was not a real asset to the team, as I know I could be, if my thoughts weren't so out of control. Physically I wasn't even sure I could climb the hill each lap without falling over from lack of momentum, I was really tired from the previous stage, so I doubted everything. Fortunately, this is where the amazing team support comes in. Here I was, uninjured but tired, being encouraged by women who had serious injuries and still continued to race. They not only focused on themselves, but also on me as a teammate. For this I am grateful as it taught me what it was to be a good teammate. From the start I was dropped, as I thought would happen, and in my mind I was just thinking about completing as much of the race as I could to not get time cut and to get a finish time for G.C. I couldn't even think about trying to help the other girls because I was so consumed by self doubt. This is embarrassing to admit, but I do so, because it is real and true. I was sooooo proud of the other girls. They overcame so much at each race, and to pull themselves together and get out there and really compete, my heart and soul was with them each time they did a lap. I was pulled with the minimum laps required, so I cheered away. Amber, Melina, Jenny and Holly were so strong. They all raced so hard and smart, especially at this stage. This race was amazing to watch. There was a break halfway through the race that had a 45 second lead. Right before the big hill, she dropped her chain in front of the mechanic tent and after much trying by the mechanics to fix her bike, she was given a loaner and soon after she took off, she was swallowed by the pack, it must have been heart breaking for her. Soon after she was caught, there was another solo break that ended up sticking the whole race. Following the break were small packs of racers trying their hardest to catch the break and hang on to the pack. I saw Jenny and Amber working together for awhile. I saw Melina fighting her pain as she knew she had to climb the hill yet again. And Holly, she was fighting tooth and nail too. I tried to yell as loud as I could to support them, they were all winners. With tears in my eyes, I wanted to still be there, I wanted to be good enough to help, I wanted to be with them. As each lap was completed, one more of our girls were pulled. The officials did say that they would pull riders aggressively, and they did. I am not sure how many of the racers were actually allowed to race the whole circuit, but it seemed like 75% of the field were pulled before the finish. And at the end of it all, we came together as a team, with so many different experiences, both on and off the race courses. Some experiences funny, some serious. All held together by a bond called a team. Thanks to SC Velo - Empower Coaching for letting me be a part of that team!

Race Report: Menomonie Road Race (Stage 5, NVGP) 6/16/2012

Written by Amber Gaffney The morning started out gloomy in Minneapolis and grew progressively more ominous as we drove in the van toward Wisconsin. By the time we took our positions on the start line of the Menomonie Road Race course in the town of Menomonie, the rain had started. The announcer, in all of his wittiness, made jokes about not being able to feel the rain as it started to pound down upon us. At this point, every woman on that start line wanted the race to start to not prolong our time on the course. I very quickly moved to the back of the field as the circuit started- I wanted to make sure that my brakes were good and wet before I actually needed them. I gave everyone a great deal of room and I am glad that I did, because a rider went down on my right on the second turn of the course- her bike merely slid from beneath her on the slick road. We eventually finished the neutral start and began to meander our way through the rolling hills and lush fields of Wisconsin. The rain soon stopped and the sun shone through, not able to dry us in the thick and muggy air. When the roads started to dry, the pace picked up a bit and I worked to stay in mid pack, keeping both Melina and Jenny in my sight who both worked hard to keep me safe and with the field. After the first QOH, I realized that a position in the mid-back of the field was ridiculous and I forced myself to move up. I always slid to the back on descents and worked to chase a bit, but I found myself near the front on every climb and when a few flyers went up the road, I took my turn taking a few pulls (although Optum, working to keep Small in the yellow jersey, really controlled the field). The second QOH was steep! As I passed women starting to weave, I looked over and saw Jenny climbing up the hill- not sure what happened in South America in the last few months, but Jenny found some climbing legs! On every descent, I slipped to the back of the field that was becoming ever smaller with each QOH (which happened to be the few times on the course where I felt comfortable and moved to the front!). Jenny and I stayed close to one another, a few times working together to catch back on when I started to slip off of the back after a descent. The second QOH was the last time I saw Melina and I hadn’t seen Holly in a very long time (before I lost track of Melina, she informed me that Holly had flatted and I later learned that Holly spent nearly 70 miles chasing the field). Julie worked to come to the front a few times and when she did, I stayed on her wheel. I lost track of Julie somewhere before the last QOH, but Jenny and I were still together- Jenny expertly sitting in the field and conserving energy, me moving up to the front on climbs and moving to the back on descents. When we entered the circuit, I have to admit that I was surprised- I expected the race to feel longer. It was only now that the top riders decided to kick the remaining of the field into higher speeds. Sadly, I felt uncomfortable on the circuit, thinking that it could still be wet; and (not wisely), I sat on the back of the group. Another rider who could not hold on soon gapped me out and when I tried to get around her to chase, the group was gone! I found myself alone, chasing. I have to admit, I like this feeling. I know that it is awful, but I like hard work on my own and not having to worry about jostling in a crowd. I soon caught a Rouse rider and I jumped in front of her, letting her know that I wanted to work with her. We each took hard pulls and soon caught others who had fallen off of the main pack. Some of these riders stayed with us, holding our wheels as we pulled them and some fell off. Eventually, I saw Jenny up ahead and I jumped on her wheel. Our group became slightly larger as we finished the circuit. When the finish came into sight, a few riders from our group dug in and sprinted while I stayed in the saddle, accepting my finish which was a little over a minute behind the leader. Moral of the story: “Amber, grow up, be a real woman and race your bike even if you are uncomfortable with the road conditions”. It doesn’t pay to ride in a state of nervousness- you just finish slower than you should finish. Jenny and I finished the race; Julie was a little behind us, and Melina and Holly were pulled just before the circuit. No crashes for our team, but I do think that we could have benefitted from me taking a chance and daring to actually race my bike in the final laps. I’ll also note, that our fantastic support was in the feed zone, expertly handing out bottles to the team (I of course, had no idea that I was in the feed zone and didn’t need a feed even when Melina offered to grab me one)- thanks Jacob!

Race Report for Stage 2 Nature Valley Grand Prix

Written by Melina Bernecker With the legs nice and warmed up from the mornings Time Trial (Stage 1) the criterium took place in downtown St Paul. Surrounded by beautiful old buildings the 1 mile loop zig zag’ed its way around the old market square. The 28 lap race consisted of 5 corners and relatively narrow streets getting a good starting position was vital, as we warmed up on the course the girls began staging at least 45 minutes before the race start time. Finally we were called to stage and the formalities began with the top 5 riders being called up as well as several national criterium champions. As we pulled up to the start line we received our instructions and stood quietly to the national anthem. The nervous energy was building as all 95 competitors waited for the gun. As we raced towards the first corner the pace was fast from the get go, jostling for position the girls dived into corners to make up places and rode very aggressively making for a dangerous race. A few of the girls tried attacking and riding off the front but nothing seemed to really stick until Loren Rowney (Lululemon) managed to get a 7 second break in the last 12 or so laps of the race and managed to stay away for a few laps before the Optimum girls reeled her back in. As the pace increased in the straights and then would dramatically drop in the corners the last 6 or so laps of the race were crazy with riders taking unnecessary and dangerous risks by chopping wheels changing lines mid corner and generally just pushing and shoving, Having just 4 laps to go Melina Bernecker who was riding up the front with Jenny Rios (our designated sprinter) dropped back slightly to find Amber Gaffney (currently placed 9th on GC) to bring her to the front for the finish. Coming out of turn 1 a young TIBCO girls squeezed Melina to the fence and tangles handlebars causing a big crash, Amber who was now on Melina’s wheel and Holly Breck behind Amber also came crashing down. The total pile up included about 10 girls of whom most were ok and got back up to chase the pack. Amber got straight back up and started to chase also on the officials instructions, Holly was hurt having landed on her head also had a broken rear derailler and wheel, Melina was also hurt having landed on her tail bone with lots of load rash and both were unable to race the remaining three laps. Julie Cutts was a few places behind the crash and managed to avoid coming down but lost time to the front group due to the delay. Theresa Cliff Ryan (Exergy 21) won the sprint to the finish with Leah Kirchmann and Carman Small (Optimum) hot on her heels. Jenny Rios finished in 19th place with Melina Bernecker, Holly Breck and Amber Gaffney all receiving pro rated times to finish in the pack 7 seconds behind the winner in 50, 51 & 54th place and Julie Cutts in 65th place (51 seconds back). Following the race Amber Gaffney was treated for a joint separation in her right shoulder (having chased the group and finished the race!!! Holly Breck had a mild concussion and Melina Bernecker a severely bruised tail bone. We dragged our sorry and sore bodies to the nearest restaurant that would take us to wallow in pizza and pasta… as Frederich Nietzsche once said “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” so we will go on to battle stage 3.

Race Report for Stage 1 Nature Valley Grand Prix

Written by Jenny Rios Arriving at the Saint Paul River Front Time Trial we were all very nervous. The big pro teams had set up their tents in the team parking area and were sitting on their trainers pedaling furiously. Out team manager Jacob Crummy had registered us the previous day and was helping each of us get ready to warm up (as none of us had trainers) along the river front. We were give the opportunity to warm up on the TT course for a little while before the start which was helpful in familiarization however out little team had ridden it the day before to make sure we knew the route. The TT consisted of a 7.7 mile (12.4km) slightly undulating out and back course along Mississippi River Blvd. in Saint Paul. With a start time of 8.30am for the TT our first team member was Julie Cutts, being a good time trialist, Julie hit the course hard with a time of 18.49.7 placing her in 29th position on GC. Amber Gaffney was next and also an exceptional time trialist she smashed the course to finish 10th on GC in a time of 18.00.9. following Amber was Melina Bernecker(56th),then Jenny Rios (50th) and finally Holly Breck (65th). All the SC Velo - Empower Coaching girls put in a solid effort finishing well under 20 minutes in a field of 95 women including some of Americas best female cyclist. The TT was won by Carmen Small (Optum) in a time of 17.30.4 second was Jackie Crowell (EXERGY 21) and third was Amber Neben (Specialized-Lululemon). Amber Gaffney placed 10th and 2nd in the Cat 2 Amateur Lead Jersey Competition. Heading home to rest up for stage 2 that evening we all felt reasonably happy with our efforts and were looking forward to the criterium and getting Amber the Cat 2 yellow Jersey.

Southern California road championship

Race Report: SCNCA District Championship Road Race (W1-3) June 3, 2012 After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, we were allowed to line up for the SCNCA Championship road race. Ruth finished the 45+ race with an amazing win, we had a quick pre-race meeting, staged and waited, and then finally we were off (us SC Velo/Empower women wearing our new kits from Champion Systems and looking pretty spiffy). This course is similar to Vlees Huis, minus ten miles and one climb (I did try to talk the officials into a third lap to give us more miles, but I think that I was in the minority with this desire in the Bakersfield heat). The pace started off very slowly- I felt as if the other teams and solo riders looked to us to make a move, and our moves eventually started. Holly launched our first attack and had soon created a sizeable gap on the field. I noticed that the other riders at the front at first felt confident that it was one of our sprinters off the front in a road race, but Holly used this to her advantage and increased her gap on descents. Eventually, the field, lead by Helens and La Grange and a strong solo rider got nervous and picked up the pace. Lisa and I sat comfortably second and third wheels, doing little work and listening to the others breathing hard in their effort to catch Holly as we traversed the rollers of the first lap. As the field slowly crept up on Holly, I wondered if I should make the next move, but I’m learning patience and I watched as PC positioned herself for the next attack after the turn around. As PC began to launch herself to counter Holly’s long effort, a Cynergy rider did the same, and together the two created a nice gap very quickly. Once again, the field seemed confident in their ability to reel in a sprinter, until the motorbike ref informed us that the gap was one minute. Nearing the end of the first lap, the field picked it up, with Helens, La Grange, and the solo rider working hard. Lisa calmly reminded me to sit in, and I did. We entered the feed zone, and as I successfully grabbed a water bottle from Jacob (many thanks to Jacob and Tammy for the cold water!), Helens and the solo rider picked it up right before the start/finish turn around. I did not know this at the time, but we lost Lisa due to mechanical around this point. Holly and I tried to stay near the front and out of the disorderly paceline’s way as the field started working hard on the flats to catch PC and the Cynergy rider. They rotated through the flats and rollers and Holly and I tried to keep good position. On the few descents, the field was a little sketchy- lots of breaking. A few times, on the rollers, I thought that we might catch PC and Cynergy, but not yet. We made the left hand turn, descended, and then started climbing. Finally, the field had PC and Cynergy within grasp. I slyly (yes, I can by sly occasionally), shifted up to the big ring and positioned myself third wheel. Just before we caught PC and Cynergy with about 15 miles to go, I attacked hard. As I passed PC, I noticed that she looked both exhausted and pleased (pleased to finally be off the front, perhaps- but probably more pleased to see her effort wasn’t in vain!) Nearing the top of this climb, I looked behind me and realized I was alone. Now, if you know me, you will not believe this, but I actually descended quickly by myself. I used every climb as a chance to increase my gap. At the turn around I punched it and when I passed the field, Ruth yelled “GO!” and I did my best to oblige. I watched my numbers and climbed at a pace that was just above my comfort level. The motorbike referee told me that my gap was 44 seconds. Not good enough, so I worked harder. I punched the climbs and worked even harder on the descents, always telling myself that the field was just behind me (I couldn't see them but I felt their presence). I knew that if I were caught we would be off the podium. My team had worked too hard to create this opportunity and they were now exhausted. I owed all of their hard work a hard effort to keep my gap. As I descended I passed Cat 3 men and yelled to them (see, I can descend- I even passed people!) When I hit the flats I practiced my time trialing and made sure to keep my pace strong but not too strong as to avoid blowing up. My mouth was dry and I alternated water with GU brew (lime- my favorite!) and pushed my pace, not looking back. The motorbike official informed me that my gap was 1:05, comfortable, but with six miles to go I also knew that I could not slack. I continued my time trailing practice and eventually I saw the last climb in the distance. I knew that I had clinched the win when I hit the feed zone and Tammy told me I was in the clear. I switched down to the small ring and had a little break. I crossed the line alone but I was there due to the hard efforts of the team. Ruth’s strategizing on the course, Lisa’s calmness and command of the field, and Holly and PC’s attacks gave us the win. A nice and warm day in Bakersfield!

May 12, Carabobo - Venezuela (Pre-Olympics)

We were 6 countrys, Colombia with two teams, Brazil, Venezuela with six teams, USA (Colavita), Panama and us (Mexico), all the countrys were really excited because it was the last chance to get points for the Olympics at London.

The first day it was a hot day, really wet, the terrain it was horrible with to much holes but with my supersix Cannondale it was easy to avoid the flats, the criterium was flat with two little hills, the crit had 3 miles per lap, we did 46 miles for two hours, the average speed was 21 miles, max speed was 40 miles.

 

The race started with too many attacks from Brazil and Venezuela, we cover all the attacks and try to look the breakaway, so in the 7th lap one Colombian girl attack on the little hill and two teammates cober really fast, and there was the break with two Mexicans, the colombian, the brazilian, colavita girl and two venezuelan girls. Me and another teammete we stayed with the first group, we covered all attacks, as I mentioned earlier, the wather it was very hot, so I drank my super GU Tablets in order hydrated all my body because i did such as hard work. ""seriously it was hot"

 

The last lap I was so nervous because I was in the peloton, so I thought "OK.... I can do this, I race in the best Socal Team (Sc Velo/Empower Coaching),"  in the final straight away one Colombian girl went in the front try to win the sprint, but the Brazilian took her wheel and I took the brazilian wheel and we started to pass the Colombian and I started to pass the brazilian the final 50meters but in the final I couldn't pass her, I got 2nd in the group sprint, but I was really happy for my result and one of my teammates that was in the break, she had a flat in the front of our coach and he had wheels, she was able to get back really fast to the break . another team mate that was in the break , help her in the sprint and we won the race.

 

so the first day we took 1st, 5th and 11 th, we make some points for London.

By Jenny Rios

Chuck Pontius - Santa Clarita - 4/29/2012 by Holly Breck

This was my first year racing Chuck Pontius. It’s a fast four corner course with a slight riser before the finish. It was a nice, hot, toasty day out, so prior to the race I made sure to hydrate with some wonderful orange pineapple Gu mix and water and had a pre made up one in my icebox for after.  So for the race it was Amber, PC, Bea and myself (Holly). Our plan was to take it easy the first twenty minutes or so and just see what would happen. Then if nothing happened, start firing riders off.  That’s exactly what we did. We watched to see if anyone was going to make moves and if someone did we would counter or cover. A few went but nothing really stuck. At about the 20 minute mark Amber launched an attack taking two La Grange, two Helen’s, one NOW and PC.  Bea and I missed the spilt and were in the chase group.  For about two or three laps we could still see them in sight. No one was doing any work to chase the chase group and I wanted to help my other teammates out in the break so I attacked my field, took a quick peak to see if anyone went with me cause I didn’t want to drag the whole field up (thanks for the reminder  PC and Bea) and saw no one with me.  I put my head down and caught the breakaway.  Once I caught the breakaway I had just enough time to recover for more attacks that they were throwing out. After a few laps they all kind of settled down a little and nothing was happening so I attacked with 7 laps to go. Not really sure what I was thinking at this point. Not a chance in the world I was going to stick it but I thought I’d try. Once again I was by myself and Amber and PC did an amazing job slowing down or covering the group behind me. I was out for 3 laps and I could here Dennis on the back side of the course “ good job, keep going”, but unfortunately every corner I’d peak and see them getting a little closer and a little closer. As soon as I got caught Amber launched an attack like I have never seen before. So aggressive that I barely caught back on and it just about popped me off the back. Everyone chased and stayed on so she and a few others kept the pace high. Now with one lap to go. PC and Amber were in really good position. They kept the pace high as it was needed and coming into the final corner they were sitting 1^st and 2^nd.  Sprinting there butts off I could only watch in awe as they did a prefect lead-out for each other taking 1-2 and Suzanne from Helen’s taking 3^rd and me rolling in 4^th. I believe that felt like one of the hardest sprints I’ve done for a while. That was one heck of a sprint ladies and hats off to PC and Amber for such an awesome job. I’m really looking forward to then next few races coming up. 

From the Field at Vlees Huis Road - 4/21/2012 - Amber Gaffney

Race Report from the field!!

The Vlees Huis Road Race is in Bakersfield, CA. It is a two-lap course, finishing at 60 miles. When we arrived at the start of the race, two things surprised me: 1) the race played good music; 2) it was green and pretty out there! Ruth, Lisa, Bea, Holly, and I were out to represent the team and armed with a specific plan of action. The race started with a descent- to our left rolled freight trains and to the right rolling hills. The pace started excruciatingly slow and the field rotated, always with two riders on the front. We saw a roadrunner, which was the highlight for me during this portion of the race. Shortly after the first set of climbs, I rotated back past Lisa and Ruth, who shared a knowing look. As I took my place in the field, they launched a double attack and were quickly away. Holly, Bea, and I moved to the front to block.

            As we completed the second out-and-back portion, I waved Ruth and Lisa on and we started the climb. I sat in, refusing to work as Ruth and Lisa worked incredibly hard off the front in their break (I must admit that Bea kept me in line here, making sure that I was spinning). As we approached to the first out and back point for the second time, we could see Ruth and Lisa’s lead, which motivated women from the two other major teams represented (La Grange and Colavita) to move to the front and pick up the pace. We eventually came back to the start/finish to start our second lap and Bea, Holly, and I kept the pace very slow for a while. I would like to add here, that I had a successful feed from Jake and Denis (thanks!), which I DID NOT drop! Occasionally, one of the solo riders would get on the front and drive the pace and three riders made an attempt to bridge the gap (with two one of those riders being successful as the other rider was quickly dropped from the break). The peloton slowly closed Ruth and Lisa’s gap. As we did so, I made sure to on the third wheel. We approached Ruth and Lisa on a climb and I attacked hard. I knew that I had to get away and I had to do it fast and hard to ensure that Ruth and Lisa’s hard work was worthwhile. As I attacked on the steep climb, I looked back and saw a La Grange rider coming with me and I was grateful for the company and the presence of a strong, hard working rider.

            My two-woman break moved quickly up the climb, me on the front. I knew that La Grange could not pull through just yet because she had worked hard to catch Lisa and Ruth. I kept the pace hard up the climb and she pulled through on the descent. We created a huge gap between the rest of the field and us very quickly. I pulled us hard up every climb, determined to have a huge gap that could not be caught. After the last out-and back point, I saw my teammates who looked pleased to see how large of a gap we had created. I think that Bea yelled at me to not work too hard!

            La Grange and I climbed quickly and worked together on the descents and through the flats. The field was nowhere in sight as we rotated through the last flat section, the trains now to our right. As we neared the last climb, La Grange moved to my wheel and let me know that she was saving everything that she had left. I stayed on the front and pushed the first part of the last climb. At this point, I saw Jake cheering me on and at one kilometer to go, I pushed hard and attacked from the front, getting a small gap. My gap increased as I climbed harder and I was up the hill, alone. I sprinted through the line getting the win that was the result of a well-executed team plan. A rider from Colavita had attacked out of the field and finished a hard-earned third. Ruth and Lisa took 7^th and 8^th in the field sprint, respectively and Holly and Bea took 12^th and 13^th respectively.

From the Break at De Vlees Huis Ronde - 4/21/2012 - Lisa Campbell

Race report from the break!

I still don’t know exactly what the title of this race literally means. They call it “A race for the strong”…but what race isn’t? This year they could have called it “A race for those that love the heat, the bees, the snakes and the lizards”. Because all of that and more was out on the course with us. You know you are in trouble when the officials tell you on the starting line “Watch out for the bees and keep your mouth closed when you come back to the start for the turnaround and the finish”.

SC Velo/Empower Coaching Systems was represented today by Ruth, Amber, Holly, Bea and I. We had our usual pre-race pow-wow and Ruth (smartly) decided we should not do our usual style of attacking, but take people by surprise. We planned to go early, well before the first long climb and get out in front, make the other teams chase and give Amber a chance to rest and then if and when our break was caught she could do her thing. It was hot and toasty on this race day topping out at almost 100 degrees when the day was over…warm for April. Luckily we started at 8:30 so we didn’t have the searing heat until the second lap of our race. However, we did have great support from Dennis, Jacob and Holly’s brother Denny…thankfully, they were handing us out Gu bottles just as fast as we needed them.

The field was pretty small, under 20 riders, with Colavita, and LaGrange represented, as well as a sprinkling of other teams. It was all nice and chatty (and downhill) in the beginning. I knew I was in trouble when Amber started singing me Bob Dylan songs and told me her heart rate was under 100. (Not telling you what mine was…and just kidding Amber, you have a lovely singing voice). Just about the end of Amber’s second verse, I looked back to see what was happening, and Ruth nodded at me. I was kind of near the front…so slipped back towards Ruth and she took off, with me on her wheel. We just went; we didn’t look back...not for a long time. In fact, we didn’t speak for a long time. Our break came at about mile 3 or 4…and we finally took a look back around mile 10...I would say that our gap varied between 30 seconds…and a minute, at different points of the race. It seemed like a long time we were just out there, taking turns on each other’s wheel. As we started up the climb Ruth reminded me to not kill ourselves and just keep the gap that we had, to just make them work, and hopefully our team was just sitting in...getting ready to counter attack if we were caught.

Not gonna lie…I was SUPER EXCITED to be on a break with my own teammate. And such an experienced teammate who knew just how hard to push and when to back off. We had several rattlesnake sightings and many lizards darting out around us. Ruth noticed the snakes, I think I was too busy trying not to blow up, shoving Gu Chomps and gels in my mouth and sneaking peeks back behind us when I could. This course is great a because there are switch backs where you can see exactly where the peloton is, and then climbs where you can get out of sight. At the first turn around we were able to see that Amber was NOT on the front (good job Amber), and Bea and Holly were tucked in to the pack, doing their job.

As we made our way back to the start finish we practiced our TTT work…and surprisingly (at least to me), the pack did not make any time on us. We headed to the start for our turn around and there was a massive swarm of bees ahead of us. We had to zip up, put our heads down and just ride through them. Once around and through the bees we checked in to make sure no one was stung and then just time trialed it again to the first climb of the second lap. Half way up the climb we could see that the pack was pushing their pace now, and they stayed under 30 seconds behind us. A few minutes more and Ruth said “here comes someone”. It was 2 girls who had bridged up to us. They caught us and were pretty excited, they said “we got it, let’s go”. I was like, “you go, have at it”. They would push the pace, and then drop back, while Ruth and I just stayed steady. Finally Ruth said, “okay, let’s get a pace line going”. So we did, but the two girls would slow it down, or speed up. It was not very organized and my legs were in no mood for cat and mouse, especially since Amber was behind us and we knew the pack was gaining. I wanted to wait to do anything til we knew where our team was. One of the girls said “what are we waiting for, let’s go”. I said, “You go ahead, I’m serious, race your race, if you want to go, go”. So she went…but didn’t last very long. She attacked a few more times, each time we rolled back up to her. One last surge at the top of the hill, and Ruth jumped on her wheel. I felt my legs saying “that’s it, you are done”. I was a bit panicked at the 190 HR I saw…and thought “Oh great, I’m done and we have 15 miles left”..but somehow I looked at Ruth’s wheel, bridged up to it, and thankfully we had a downhill to the turn around. Once we hit the turnaround the pack was within seconds of us and as we climbed back up Ruth said “here they come”. We were probably at mile 42 or 43. They caught us just as the road got a little steeper and Amber did exactly what we hoped she would, as Ruth yelled “Go Amber go”…she went…and Julie chased her. Another Colavita went after them but she was too far off the initial attack and hers was a solo attempt that would land her third. I made the mistake of chasing after Colavita because I knew we could get her and reel her in. However, I heard Ruth yelling for me to stop and reminding me that I was just pulling everyone along and we needed to eat and drink and recover in case something happened and Amber needed us.

So that’s how our next 15 miles went. Colavita, La Grange and our team were represented in the break and the peloton, so none of us were doing any work. The other women would push the pace, do a few little attacks, but for the most part we just stuck together. I made a fledgling attempt at an attack with 2 to 3 miles to go but it didn’t go anywhere. There is a long climb to the finish and going up it we heard Dennis say “Amber got it”…I know that made both Ruth and I very happy…I think it made us so happy that we forgot to shift into our big ring as the climb leveled out…and as the other girls stood up and sprinted we stood up and…well…you get the picture. I am blaming it all on my bike being in the little ring. Otherwise I would have nailed that field sprint for 4^th!!! That’s my story and I am sticking to it. It was a great day of teamwork by everyone, on a very tough, very hot day. Next time we see this course will be the state championships in June.