star leadout Lori Cox
I had made a deal with Niki that I would win this race, and after feeling good at Davis, I actually thought that this was entirely possible. The course is more of a circuit, and I had done well there the previous year. Well, I woke up Saturday morning with my wonderful pre-race “feeling” markedly absent. You know, that weird calm I got before Sausalito and then again before Davis, when I just know inexplicably that I am going to have a good race. Well, I tried to get it, but the thing with the “feeling” is that it comes and goes unannounced on it’s own, totally randomly. As I pulled away from my house I went down the checklist. Shoes, check. Helmet, check. Ruthless competitive edge,….ummm, did we get that? Relentless drive,….I think we left that at the house. Motivation….. definately, forgot that one.
Well, there is only one thing to do in the absence of the “feeling”: down a large water bottle of Revenge Pro during warm up and let the sugar work its freakish magic. The race was fairly speedy, as there were a lot of cat 3’s and individuals that didn’t want to let anything get away. Plan A was for Shelley and I to escape and stay away with our brute strength. Plan B was for Lori to shepard me through the race and deliver me to the line, while Shelley and Niki faked everyone out with another leadout on the opposite side of the field. We accurately guessed that everyone would be marking the new district champ., allowing Lori and I to sneak up the outside. Well, after two attempts by Shelley and I to get away, we stopped trying (not without a prime however!) Heading into the last 2 turns I was fifth wheel behind Lori, with Shelley and Niki in front as well. After the final turn, it all bunched up, with Lori taking me to the right, and Shelley and Niki staying left. Just as we thought, everyone (almost) drifted left to stay with Shelley. Lori began her leadout early, and she was going like a freight train! Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shelley start to accelerate as well. This is when it got confusing…Shelley started to pass Lori in her “fake” attack, but she had a sprinter on her wheel, with Niki following that sprinter. Niki yelled for Shelley to ease up, just as Lori pulled off and I heard screams of “GO EMILY!” Shelley sat up, confusing the hell out of the group that was counting on riding her wheel, and I jumped. It was just a bit early for such a long, uphill finish, but I had to just dig in and go for it. Dear God, my legs were burning. I had a Velo Girl sitting on me, but I had no choice but to keep going. I thought I could hold her off, but she hadn’t done anything during the race, as opposed to my attempts at a break. She came around me at the line, and took it by a bike length. Brianna came in 3rd, after a substantial gap behind me in 2nd. Thanks to Lori, Niki, and Shelley for giving me this race and supporting me throughout. How awesome that our plan was so specific and actually was executed to the letter! I wish I could have won for them, but I’ll just have to do that next time. - Emily
Well, there is only one thing to do in the absence of the “feeling”: down a large water bottle of Revenge Pro during warm up and let the sugar work its freakish magic. The race was fairly speedy, as there were a lot of cat 3’s and individuals that didn’t want to let anything get away. Plan A was for Shelley and I to escape and stay away with our brute strength. Plan B was for Lori to shepard me through the race and deliver me to the line, while Shelley and Niki faked everyone out with another leadout on the opposite side of the field. We accurately guessed that everyone would be marking the new district champ., allowing Lori and I to sneak up the outside. Well, after two attempts by Shelley and I to get away, we stopped trying (not without a prime however!) Heading into the last 2 turns I was fifth wheel behind Lori, with Shelley and Niki in front as well. After the final turn, it all bunched up, with Lori taking me to the right, and Shelley and Niki staying left. Just as we thought, everyone (almost) drifted left to stay with Shelley. Lori began her leadout early, and she was going like a freight train! Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shelley start to accelerate as well. This is when it got confusing…Shelley started to pass Lori in her “fake” attack, but she had a sprinter on her wheel, with Niki following that sprinter. Niki yelled for Shelley to ease up, just as Lori pulled off and I heard screams of “GO EMILY!” Shelley sat up, confusing the hell out of the group that was counting on riding her wheel, and I jumped. It was just a bit early for such a long, uphill finish, but I had to just dig in and go for it. Dear God, my legs were burning. I had a Velo Girl sitting on me, but I had no choice but to keep going. I thought I could hold her off, but she hadn’t done anything during the race, as opposed to my attempts at a break. She came around me at the line, and took it by a bike length. Brianna came in 3rd, after a substantial gap behind me in 2nd. Thanks to Lori, Niki, and Shelley for giving me this race and supporting me throughout. How awesome that our plan was so specific and actually was executed to the letter! I wish I could have won for them, but I’ll just have to do that next time. - Emily
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