Merco Credit Union Classic RR: Back with a Vengeance
After some seriously bad luck in my first race of the season, I wasn’t about to sit this one out. Some fellow riders were calling me a stud, while others were calling me crazy, but the way I look at it, anyone who loves bike racing as much as I do would have been lining up again just like me.
I walked away from Saturday’s crash with your typical road rash and not so typical glued chin. I was so very lucky not to have broken any bones or damaged my bike at all. All in all I was happy with my race on Saturday. I felt comfortable riding with some of the best women in the country and I had great position going into the last two turns of the race. Unfortunately, you can’t control everything and I was caught directly behind a crash that no one could have anticipated.
Going into the road race, I was a little stiff and not quite sure how I would feel riding in the pack. So, I told myself to just take it easy, do what I can for the team and just see how I feel. The first lap was pretty mellow. I rode in the back to keep myself calm and get a feel for what the other teams were doing. When the second lap came around, I was feeling pretty good and wanted to crack it open a bit, get my heart rate up, and be at the front to really feel the other teams out. The attacks started coming and they didn’t really stop, but it seemed like no one really wanted anything to stick. Groups of 4 and 6 would get away with representation from all the teams, but the only one willing to work would be the girl who initiated that attack. I went with several of the moves, mostly just to stay out of the pack. There was a minor crash that happened right behind me half way through the second lap and a teammate was involved. We neutralized the race at the front and Kate was able to catch back on. I should mention how many times my teammates rode up next to me and asked me how I was feeling. It was nice to have them checking on me and I think we all looked out for each other really well in this race.
So now it’s the last lap, all together, and nothing’s getting away. It’s going to be a sprint. Fortunately, I had a real good idea of what the final part of the race would involve as far as terrain and other team tactics, thanks to some seasoned teammates and a genius Team Director. I stayed well near the front and followed wheels wherever they went. However, I found myself in second wheel with about 2k to go and knew I needed to be ready to move quickly. Christine Thornburn of Webcor lead it up the hill just before the finish line and I was one of about 5 girls right on her wheel. When she pulled off I found myself in the wind, leading it out but nothing else to do but take it to the line. I was thinking I’ll just hop on a wheel when it goes by, but it was only Brooke Miller that moved in front of me and far too fast for me to react. So there’s four of us across and Brooke out in front and one by one they pulled ahead of me. I got picked by two girls right on the line, which is a huge disappointment, but not surprising as I didn’t ride the sprint as smart as I should have. Although it sucks to go from 3rd to 5th right on the line, I’m very happy with my result and feel I did redeem myself from Saturday’s bad fortune. - Shelley
After some seriously bad luck in my first race of the season, I wasn’t about to sit this one out. Some fellow riders were calling me a stud, while others were calling me crazy, but the way I look at it, anyone who loves bike racing as much as I do would have been lining up again just like me.
I walked away from Saturday’s crash with your typical road rash and not so typical glued chin. I was so very lucky not to have broken any bones or damaged my bike at all. All in all I was happy with my race on Saturday. I felt comfortable riding with some of the best women in the country and I had great position going into the last two turns of the race. Unfortunately, you can’t control everything and I was caught directly behind a crash that no one could have anticipated.
Going into the road race, I was a little stiff and not quite sure how I would feel riding in the pack. So, I told myself to just take it easy, do what I can for the team and just see how I feel. The first lap was pretty mellow. I rode in the back to keep myself calm and get a feel for what the other teams were doing. When the second lap came around, I was feeling pretty good and wanted to crack it open a bit, get my heart rate up, and be at the front to really feel the other teams out. The attacks started coming and they didn’t really stop, but it seemed like no one really wanted anything to stick. Groups of 4 and 6 would get away with representation from all the teams, but the only one willing to work would be the girl who initiated that attack. I went with several of the moves, mostly just to stay out of the pack. There was a minor crash that happened right behind me half way through the second lap and a teammate was involved. We neutralized the race at the front and Kate was able to catch back on. I should mention how many times my teammates rode up next to me and asked me how I was feeling. It was nice to have them checking on me and I think we all looked out for each other really well in this race.
So now it’s the last lap, all together, and nothing’s getting away. It’s going to be a sprint. Fortunately, I had a real good idea of what the final part of the race would involve as far as terrain and other team tactics, thanks to some seasoned teammates and a genius Team Director. I stayed well near the front and followed wheels wherever they went. However, I found myself in second wheel with about 2k to go and knew I needed to be ready to move quickly. Christine Thornburn of Webcor lead it up the hill just before the finish line and I was one of about 5 girls right on her wheel. When she pulled off I found myself in the wind, leading it out but nothing else to do but take it to the line. I was thinking I’ll just hop on a wheel when it goes by, but it was only Brooke Miller that moved in front of me and far too fast for me to react. So there’s four of us across and Brooke out in front and one by one they pulled ahead of me. I got picked by two girls right on the line, which is a huge disappointment, but not surprising as I didn’t ride the sprint as smart as I should have. Although it sucks to go from 3rd to 5th right on the line, I’m very happy with my result and feel I did redeem myself from Saturday’s bad fortune. - Shelley
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