I started off with the women 3/4 road race which was combined with the masters 55+ and 65+ men. We had a good sized field with 12 women and 26 masters. With masters TT champion Dave Viney in the mix, I knew it would e exciting.
Our race was 2 laps on the 14 mile course. For the first few miles we kept a steady tempo with very little excitement. About half way through the first lap the first of the big attacks started. With Dave Viney in the lead I tried to stay as close to the front as possible in hopes of a split.
As we came around to start our second lap there was some confusion at the finish line. The junior race was on course with us and was finishing up their race. As we came through the finish line there was a big split in the field. I was in the front group but the fields soon came back together.
Throughout the final lap I stayed towards the front. About 3 miles out I found my way to Dave Viney's wheel. As we rounded the final corner we could just make out the finishing line at the top of the hill. The sprinting started way out at the 1K mark. I stayed tucked in the draft. As we neared the finish I felt pretty tired. I could see a girl coming up on my right and tried to hold her off. She got me at the line by about half a wheel length. I was 2nd in the womens race and about 5th overall.
After a good warm up on Sunday I was ready to go. Right before the start my nerves were all whipped up. I was so excited and ready to race. The course was made for a break away and I wanted to be in it.
At the line the officials announced a prime on the first lap. As many girls took off I slid back to find Tina's ( Z-Motion) wheel. After the sprint for the prime I was lined up for an attack. She shot off to the right and got a little gap. I closed it down and looked back to see we had a good gap. We rotated for about 8 laps. I could see the gap getting slightly smaller and the wind was killing me. On the back stretch she attacked me and I couldnt follow. I sat up a bit and waited for the field. I got the timing right and they caught me with the tail wind. I sat in and tried to recover.
The chase lasted for a few more laps until Tina was finaly reeled in by Cathy (ASV). My legs were pretty spent but I was still ready to go. I tried to stay very attentive. In my time off the front the field had been split in half. There were plenty of other attacks but nothing was sticking. Finally with 10 min plus laps left Tina attacked with Cathy in tow. They soon had a big gap and the field instantly shut down. I didnt have the legs to follow and found myself racing for 3rd.
Our little field stayed together for the rest of the race. The break was soon out of sight. As we came around to th final lap I was pretty spent. I grabbed Elizabeth's (Z-Motion) wheel and hung on. We were soon in the front. Coming around the final turn a rider dive bombed from the outside and cut in front of my wheel. I hit the breaks and almost slid but managed to stay upright. My legs done and momentum gone I gave it all to the line. I managed a 5th in the field and 7th overall.
Once again a good race weekend with ups and down. I've seen some steady improvemnts and have had good legs so the season is looking up for me. I have this weekend off and then its off to Clermont to the race of the West. One of the hardest courses of the year with SugarLoaf mountian in the mix. It promises to be epic.
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