MERCO CREDIT UNION ROAD RACE

High Speeds and aggressive racing mark the Merco Credit Union Foothills Road Race
Team High Road come up on top, PROMAN finishes a strong third
March 2nd, 2008

The Northern, CA road racing peloton returned to the central valley once again this weekend to compete on the farm roads surrounding the Merced and Snelling area. The rough roads were flanked with Almond groves in bloom, the largest Almond producing groves in the Nation incidentally, and the bees hummed along, oblivious to the 900 riders competing on the 24 mile course.

The women’s race was once again a hotly contested battle between the Proman Racing Team, Tibco and the #1 ranked UCI Team, Team High Road. Although Proman had eight women competing, an early mechanical marred Megan Guarnier’s race, while team Director and Leader Giana Roberge was suffering from a severe head cold. However, looking for vindication from the previous weekend’s race, the Proman Team set a hard pace early capturing control of the substantial peloton.

At the conclusion of the first lap, the field remained intact, but strung out due to the pressure exacted by Proman riders Emily Zell, Abby Cooper and Roberge. Not to be outdone, the High Road Team made their presence known with continuous attacks from Kim Anderson, Mara Abbot and Anche Wichmann.

Nothing proved successful until a vicious attack from Abbot out of a small group of four saw her clear the field and put 20 seconds into a quickly organized chase by Roberge, with assistance from Betina Hold, Kate Ligler and Kristina Seley. Abbot’s solo effort lasted for nearly 10 kilometers before the Proman Team brought her back to task. From that point on, the attacks came fast and furiously, with Tibco constantly seeking opportunities, and Proman marking each effort to escape.
However, after two and a half laps of racing saw no one able to escape, a field sprint became inevitable. Rounding the second to last corner, what was left of the field was stretched thin as the Proman women set up a hard tempo to protect their sprinter, Virginia Perkins.

In the final kilometers, a last ditch effort by Team high Road’s Anderson almost saw her with a win, but Proman’s Roberge was quick to keep her in check, and with one kilometer to go it was Abbot leading out High Road’s sprinter Emilia Fahlin, with Perkins glued to her wheel.

In the final kick it was Fahlin with a handy win, with Rushlee Buchanan in second and Perkins finishing in a strong third.

Thank you to Tracey, Ann, Shelley and team mechanic Tim for all the help this weekend.