VACAVILLE DISTRICT CRIT CHAMPIONSHIPS - WIN!

After last weekend's "Hell Ride" a promotional ride for Santa Cruz bicycles up in Downieville, which was pretty epic (read 60 miles long, 13,000 ft climbing on 6inch travel big free-ride bike with a single front chain ring) I was feeling not only trim, but also strong. Well strong doesn't necessarily mean fast. You know the kind of fast required to say SPRINT!!! I figured that I could do better on the Vacaville/District course (which has a hill) than on the Manhattan Beach course (which also required some travel.) So I was preparing for a Sunday race until Niki convinced me to also race the Fremont crit. "It'll be fun" she said, and I said what the hell! I figured I could just sit in and rest for the next day (which she thought I could win.) Well about 10 minutes before the start Niki and Shelly told me of our plan: Niki would lead us fast off the line and into the last turn before the start/finish and Shelly and I would attack around her and into the hairpin turn, and stay off for the whole race. We ended up racing exactly to plan, but my question was: I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO "SIT IN?" The next morning Tim graciously offered me a ride to the race and I commenced warming up. I found some nice rural roads winding along the golden foothills and I even spotted what sounded like an Osprey (but looked more like a big Red Tail hawk) trolling along the hills. My legs actually felt fine warming up, I got to check out the course and it looked fun. Lot's of turns and a hill that was easily ride able in the big ring. I checked in with Tracy and Kristen, and Tracy thought a plan of waiting and attacking up the hill late in the race was a good idea. Kristin wanted to keep the plan loose but we agreed to check in with each other during the race. The race was to be 16 laps (I thought I had seen 18 printed somewhere.) We all got front line spots at the start and I got the hole shot off the line.
I like to lead out the first lap so I can determine the lines through the turns. Kristin attacked early on and was off for a few laps, then somewhere in the middle Monica from Velo Bella went off the front. Nobody wanted to chase and we let her dangle for a few laps. It makes me nervous to have someone off the front, and so I started to "chase." I was keeping it at a manageable pace, but was steadily reeling her back in. The pace of the field never was ballistic and with 6 laps to go it really slowed down. I don't like it when it's slow, but I decided to be smart and rest and fuel up. During this slowdown I made my plan. Kristin told me she was still trying to figure out how she felt and my legs were getting this wiggly/antsy feeling that I took as them feeling good. I decided to attack in the chicane (right/left) section of the course with 4 laps to go. There
was a slight tailwind, and a good flat section before the hill. I figured that with the slow pace the girls had gotten complacent and forgotten how to ride the turns fast. The only faulty part of my
plan was that I have trouble riding farther back in the field than 2nd wheel. (This my lack of crit experience) I tried to drift back, but when the moment arrived I was still 2nd wheel and I just said what the hell, and attacked from the front. I drilled it through the turns, along the flat and up the hill. I got a good little gap and just kept my head down. The first two laps felt great and Tim was on the sidelines giving me time splits. On the hill on the third lap (bell lap) I was wishing I had waited one more lap for my attack. The headwind was so strong after the hill and to the finish. Tim had told me I had 20 seconds at one point, then 15 I was trying to calculate if I lost 5 seconds per quarter of the course if I would be able to hold off the field. The referee on the moto gave me some encouragement on the last lap, he said "okay now's when you lay it
down" I kept it going and finished the race solo and in first! I knew that I would have to finish the race solo to win it, since my sprint (or what little I could call a sprint) had disappeared with
last weekend's ride! And I was psyched to hear Tracy soon after telling me we got 1-2-3! Way to go Proman!! Fun race and fun course, and Bob Liebold gave back some money at this one! Thanks for reading -Rachel