Team members: Lori, Jana, Niki, Emily, Shelley It was ridiculous how hot it was. I had my trainer in a full shade spot and I was still sweating profusely. I couldn't stand it, so I warmed up for about 15 minutes then got off the trainer and rode around the course until the race started. Met up with the rest of the team just before the start to go over the plan. I was hoping to get some points towards the premier series competition, so I asked the team to help me keep the race together and possibly give me a lead out at the end. The finishing straight was about 1/4 mile long, slightly uphill, and immediately after a 180 degree left hand uphill turn. It was a very difficult crit. The heat and the course made for a very challenging race. As the race was put on by the Touchstone climbing team and part of a 2-day omnium that included the riders from the Mt. Diablo hillclimb the day before, Touchstone was out for the win today. &nb! sp;Beverly Harper was leading the omnium after the hillclimb. About 3 laps into the race, India and Beverly (two teammates), got away in a break. Why? I can't explain, but they did. Shortly after, India had a mechanical and dropped back into the field. Jenny Eyerman and Kate Maher from Morgan Stanley were extremely active in the race, going for primes and covering the front, but they too had let the winning break get away. So, after going for a prime, Kate Maher was dangling way off the front of the group. I knew she was strong and wanted to get up to Beverly, so I jumped off the pack and bridged up to Kate, asking her to help me get us up to Beverly. She tucked in behind me and let me pull for more than a lap before I looked back at her for help. She said, "just give me a minute." I was pretty dissappointed she wouldn't work and never did, becuase we had made our way to within 10 seconds of the leader. O! nce I realized she wasn't there to help, I sat up and went back to the group. Immediately, Emily attacked and 3 or 4 girls went with her. They managed to get within 8 seconds of the leader, but no one else was working besides Emily from what I could tell and so they fell back to the group as well. Emily picked up the$75 spontaneously donated prime while she was out there, which made her efforts worth her while. So, accepting that the win was already in the bag for Beverly, we all sat in for the final sprint. All the while I was thinking Lori, Jana, and Niki were sitting in somewhere in the group and they would suddenly appear next to me on the last lap, but this was not the case. Going through the start/finish on the last lap, I saw Niki and Lori on the sidelines. Guess I'm not getting a lead-out today. No worries. It was a very hard crit and lots of riders dropped out before the day was done. So, I just did what I could to stay near the front, but not to lead out the sprint. Go! ing into the last left hand 180 degree corner, the girl in front of me clipped a pedal and got a little squirly, but most of us managed to get around it. The winner of the field sprint jumped just as she realized there was chaos and got a little head start on the rest of us. I followed wheels as far as I could and then saw jenny Eyerman jump on my far right. She was the girl I had to beat today as she is just behind me in points for the series. So, I jumped to the far left and battled it out with her to the line to finish in 3rd overall in the race. It was a very well-organized crit, expensive, but the crowd was very enthusiastic and it was right in the downtown area. I would recommend this race to all for next year. Shelley
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