SNELLING ROAD RACE

High Winds bring victory to High Roads Team at Snelling

Proman does battle in the trenches

February 23, 2008

Snelling, CA

The Snelling road race is the unofficial road race season opener for the Northern, CA race scene. It provides an early look at the riders and teams who will be contending for victories in the upcoming NRC (Nationally ranked races) and frequently has fields with the depth and names of the NRC races.

This year was no different as nearly every field closed at over 100 riders. The women’s 1,2 race had an outstanding showing with 80 or so contestants. With many of the major teams represented, including Team High Road (the #1 ranked team in the world), Tibco, Touchstone, Metromint, Team Vanderkitten, and the PROMAN Racing Team, the race promised to be hotly contested.

The course is a basic road race course with some small climbs and an uphill finish. The major factor of the race was the wind. With forecasted gusts of up to 70 mph, it was a team with strong teamwork and experienced riders that would see podium placings.

From the drop of the flag, the women’s race kicked off. PROMAN’s Giana Roberge and Team High Road’s Kim Anderson took control of the race and set a mean pace into the brutal winds. Roberge, directing from the bike, was clearly protecting and teaching her riders. The high pace and the winds had the peloton whittled down to about half its original size by the second lap. At that point, the attacks came hard, with High Road and PROMAN attacking and then countering every move.

Keeping her eyes on the group forming at the front, Roberge also was watching for her teammates behind her. The pace was brutal, the gutters providing the only protection available in the wind, and attacking once again, Roberge finally created a split that provided good enough odds that Roberge was happy with the potential outcome. Bridging the young PROMAN rider Megan Guarnier to the group, and ensuring there was some additional horse power with Olivia Dillon (Touchstone), Roberge sat up, creating the necessary split.

The group of five including Team High Road’s Anderson and Emilia Fahlin, Dillon, Guarnier and a young, talented Tibco rider quickly put time into the reforming chase group. Although the break wasn’t perfect due to the two High Road riders, the teams represented decided that that was about as good as it was going to get with so many strong High Road riders there. PROMAN liked their odds with Guarnier as did Tibco and Touchstone, and the front of the field was closed down fast.

Metromint and Vanderkitten had missed the break, and as the time gap opened, Metromint went to the front in an effort to chase it back. Amanda Eaken and Molly Van Houweling did an admirable job bringing back some time, but in the end the five at the front were working too well too allow for the two Metromint women to be successful.

After a lap the break was at two and a half minutes, and the attacks came again, furiously. The now 20 woman field soon became twelve and then a series of attacks from High Road brought it to about eight riders. With four high road riders heading up the road, Roberge attacked, up to the group and tried to go by a now two woman break of Mara Abbot (High Road) and Jane Despas (Vanderkitten). Clearing the two, Roberge had in her mind keeping that perhaps she and Abbot could work together and bridge to the front group.

Abbot came up to Roberge, bringing Despas. After a few turns, Roberge and Abbot were alone, and making good time. After a while, Abbot attacked Roberge attempting to bridge solo to the break. Looking behind her, Roberge saw three more high road riders approaching with Despas. Allowing them to catch her, and reform a group, Abbot saw the futility of spending another two laps solo into the wind and did the same.

Soon the chase group worked well, bringing the front group to almost a minute, but High Road and PROMAN’s Roberge were not interested in bringing it back entirely. In front, the main group began to shatter with PROMAN’s Guarnier facing mechanical challenges. Repeated attacks from High Road saw Anderson soloing in for a very well deserved win, followed by her teammate. Tibco saw a nice third place, with Dillon in fourth. Guarnier had to walk her bike across the line, with her derailleur having sheared off in the final meters of the race.

In the final sprint to the finish, it was High Road again, followed by Despas. Roberge, having had her hands full for the day and very satisfied with her young team’s effort, finished in ninth.