NATURE VALLEY GP - STAGE 1 & 2 - PODIUM!

Nature Valley Grand Prix Stage Race, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

6 Stages, 5 Days

Teammates: Abby, Kate, Virginia, Holly, and Trish

What an amazing week of racing! In my NRC Stage Race Debut, I was accompanied by 5 incredible teammates, unbelievable mechanical and technical support, gracious and enthusiastic hosts, and by far the coolest Team Manager out there. After everyone had arrived, we got the team together and went for a ride the morning before Stage 1, a 60-minute criterium in downtown St. Paul. When we showed up at the course, I was nervous at first, but after seeing that most of my competition was familiar NorCal women, I told myself that it was just another race and the only thing in my control was how I was going to prepare and race that night. Chris Black gave me some words of wisdom before the race, which turned out to be decisive and the reason I finished the day in 2nd place. He told me that the field would split and if a move went up the road and I missed it, that I would have to bridge the gap and join the break without bringing a single rider with me. That's exactly what happened. Immediately after an effort to win the QOH sprint halfway through the race, a group of 7 riders with all the strong teams represented and defending champion Kristen Armstrong, had split from the field. They were obviously moving fast and well organized and Chris knew it. He yelled immediately to me to bridge and bridge now. As if my life depended on it, I jumped out of the pack and made the move across the gap. It took 3/4 of a lap to latch on to the back of their group, but as soon as I got there, I was confident this was the move of the day. Armstrong was driving it with the help of a few others. A couple of riders were clearly just marking the move, but it wasn't enough to doom our effort, so we rolled on. The other girls were more concerned with getting time on the field so they let me scoop up the sprint points left in the race, which ultimately put me in the Wheaties Sprinter's Jersey at the end of the night. With one lap to go, a Cheerwine rider attacked up the right side before turn 1 and I attacked up the left. We were side by side and I let her take the corner first. Two more riders jumped up and tried to move ahead of me behind Cheerwine and ended up crashing right in front of me. I was able to avoid going down, but I had to brake hard and redirect myself. Meanwhile, Cheerwine was rolling away and two more girls from our break had moved ahead of me. In the last straightaway before the final turn, those two girls started playing cat and mouse and I seized the moment jumping ahead of them on the far left and sweeping the corner. I had a good gap on the girls behind me and too much of a gap to close ahead of me. It was amazing to roll in in 2nd place though. I was ecstatic and overwhelmed. I got my two minutes of fame by standing on the podium next to a World Champion as the first woman of the NVGP to wear the Sprinter's Jersey and 2nd place overall going into the next stage.

Stage 2: Cannon Falls Road Race This race was fairly uneventful. We rode for about 55 miles out on the open road with the occasional QOH or Sprint points to shake things up. I did not go for any of these points, nor did I eat hardly any food or drink while I was out there. I sure paid for it at the end of the race when things started to heat up. Just before the final 2 mile circuits, which we would do 5 times, the open road became a very narrow dirt road. Everyone, including myself, was sprinting to get to the turn off first and onto the dirt without too many riders in front of them. I made it there safely and came out on the other side with the lead group onto the circuit. It was all bad from here on out. The finish line was at the top of a 50-ft little kicker of a hill that hurt pretty bad every time. The course was really technical coming into the final straightaway, so positioning was really important and I was just totally out of position. There were sprints on two of those 5 laps, so the pace never really let up. I just did my best to stay with the group and finish as far up as I could. I ended up in 19th on the day. Virginia was perky-fresh the whole race, checking in with me every few minutes and offering her strength to move me up in the final circuits. I refused and told her to go for it herself. She finished 13th on the day. This was an incredible and well-deserved result that proved she was truly a contender on the NRC circuit. The rest of the team rolled in with the group except for Abby who suffered a mishap, getting stuck behind another rider whose fork broke. Abby's a stud though and picked herself up, rode it in, and immediately started preparing for her specialty of time trialing the next morning. - Shelley

BURLINGAME FIDELITY CRITERIUM - WIN!

I remember going to watch the Burlingame Crit when I was a newly upgraded Cat 3. I was petrified of the race –technical with uneven pavement, a competitive field, all which tend to lead to a handful of crashes. I vowed never to do the race. Fast forward three years … I conquered my fears (some of them at least) and I decided to make it my focus race for the year.
Most of the PROMAN team was off racing Nature Valley, but Nicola and Kristin decided to join me for some Burlingame fun. We had ~45 girls which is a great turnout for a local crit. Metromint, Velo Bella, Tibco, Los Gatos, Dolce Vita, Morgan Stanley all had strong teams with great sprinters. Nicola spent the week DS’ing for the team in Minnesota and flew back late Sat night. Knowing from experience what a heavy workload and travel does to your body, I didn’t expect her to physically be able to race to her ability. My plan was to race smart, not waste energy chasing things down that wouldn’t stick and position myself well for the sprint. The mini cannon went off. I was lucky to get a good position on the first lap and lead through the first few corners until I hit the nasty headwind on the backside and had to let up a little. I knew the wind would keep things together. Plus, there were a few strong teams that were deep enough to work and bring back anything threatening. The race was a little slower than I would have liked. I was having a tough time staying at the front, as the group mushroomed in the windy section and hit the brakes in the corners. I kept losing my position and was working to move forward. A few breaks got away, but nothing was long lived. The race went by quickly and the next thing I knew we only had 5 laps to go and I started to move up through the pack. With 3 laps left, there was a group of 4 with a few seconds on the field. Kristin was in front of me and I asked her to bring me up. We joined the lead group with the pack in tow. Kristin was working hard to stay near the front, with me holding her wheel. She managed to make it to the front and was pulling hard. We had the group strung out, but I knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold the pace. With a lap and half left someone came up hard on the left and I yelled to Kristin. I was soooo happy when it ended up being Nicola. I don’t know how she did it, but she drilled it from the back of the pack to the front and took off. She pulled the pack for three quarters of a lap...the perfect leadout situation. The pace was so fast that no one was able to come around us. Kristin jumped on the backside hoping to get a headstart on the sprinters to the line. As I let up a little in the wind, Alexis (Tibco) came around me and led me to the last corner. She jumped hard, I used her draft and managed to come around her for the win.
It’s a great feeling to set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals through teamwork. This win is important to me because of the sacrifices that made it happen. I’m proud to be part of the PROMAN team…. – Tracey

NEVADA CITY CLASSIC - WIN & PODIUM!

Beautiful Day, 50 minute Race,

Course: Straight up and Straight Down

Teammates: Helene, Tracey, Rachel

With the defending champ standing next to me on the line, my intentions were to ride as hard as I could to help Helene repeat her victory from last year. I would also be using this race as a warm-up and test of fitness for the upcoming NRC Stage Race, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, beginning 3 days later in Minnesota. There was a $100 prime 3 laps into the race, which would become $400 if the winner of the prime went on to win the race. The first lap was neutral, but it was clear that the field of 35 women were just itching to race. Cheerwine, Touchstone, Velo Bella, Jazz Apple, and Metromint were all present with strong riders, but PROMAN set the pace from the start leading through the technical decent and up the climb. I was feeling out the field, following Helene and Rachel's wheels for the first couple of laps, letting them get a gap through the decent and making the other teams jump around me to bridge at the bottom of the climb. On the 3rd lap, Jazz Apple started setting up for the $100 prime and Rachel and I marked the move, but neither one of us had heard the bell and figured it wasn't this particular lap. Rachel lead the field up to the start finish and just before the line Jazz Apple jumped and took the prime. Nearing the top of the climb on the backside of the course, PROMAN was still on the front driving the pace. Michael Hutchinson, a legendary bike rider and close friend to the team, yelled from the sideline, "Don't pull the field around, attack! Light it up PROMAN!" That's all I needed to hear. I attacked hard from the left side about 6 riders back. With two teammates on the front and two small climbs to get over before the top, it was the perfect moment to get the gap I needed. I immediately put my head down and switched into time trial mode. With 10 laps to go, I really didn't expect to stay away, but everything fell into place and I was able to hold onto a 15-20 second gap for the rest of the race. Every time up the climb, the local crowds and hometown friends would cheer and motivate me to keep going. Hutchinson and Hernandez were instrumental in keeping me focused. I remember Hernandez telling me to breath deep and settle in to the pain. He was telling me to shift into a harder gear on the climb, which I thought was crazy at first, but when I did it the pedals turned over nice and smooth. With about 4 laps to go, I passed a teammate of mine who had dropped off the main group. Apparently, the field confused that teammate with me and thought they had brought me back. I had snuck away and it was now clear that I would hold off the field. The last two laps were amazing. I knew I was riding to the win in one of the most prestigious races in the district and I felt great. My teammates and friends on the sidelines were unbelievable today and I couldn't have done it without them. Rachel flexed her power on the rest of the field taking second place convincingly and Helene rolled in for 5th. It was an amazing day for PROMAN, leaving their stamp of authority on this legendary race for the second year in a row. Thanks for reading. -Shelley

FIDELITY BURLINGAME CRITERIUM - WIN!

PHOTOS: Tim Brennan

NATURE VALLEY GP - STAGE 1 - PODIUM!

So - this is how it went down... The race was set to start at 5:30, and I rolled past the start line at about 5:00 on my way to the bathroom. Looked like about 100 ladies already waiting at the line. i quickly went for the final pee and got in the back. Despite trying to move a bit up the side during call ups, i started pretty much at the back. luckily i got clipped in quick, got around a couple of girls and was not last when the race started. Shelley olds (the leader of the team i'm riding for) and about 20 others were called up and had great positioning from the gun. the course was only 1 kilometer and they were pulling lapped riders. Anyone who didn't finish 50% of the race would not be allowed to go on to the next stage - brutal!!!

The pace was wicked fast from the gun. the entire field was strung out and turning one corner i could see the train all the way through the next corner. All i thought the whole race was "move up. move up. move up." The course had a long straight away with a slight uphill, to a right hand finish into a bigger hill and the finish line. the hardest part of the race was the straight away and the long hill. there was a headwind, and as people braked and accellerated it was easy to get gapped and you had to really work to get back on. ladies were getting popped here left and right and i had to keep chasing and scooting around them to stay on the main pack. As i got closer and closer to the front the race got easier, the women took the turns smoother, with less braking. But, the position was hard to hold. everyone wanted to be in the front. After a short lived stint near the front where i found shelley sitting pretty about 10th wheel, along with brooke miller and all the other scary strong ladies, i slid back again. I think it was at that point that a crash occurred - about 2 ladies in front of me, going into the fast corner and the straight away. we swerved and about 3 or 4 of us dug deep to catch back on. I think at that point, another split in the field occurred. All the ladies behind me ended up in a back group and ended up getting pulled. Luckily, they had finished 50% of the race so could go on to the next stage.

Every 10 minutes of the race there was a sprint or a queen of the hill - and the pace would get crazy. after the queen of the hill (at 30 minutes in), a small break went off the front - with Cheerwine, Lipton, Tibco, aarons and a few others in it. Shelley saw the opportunity and immediately bridged. No one else went with her. Cheerwine and aarons quickly shut the field down. The pace was still fast and hard, but i felt like we'd slowed down a touch. after a few laps went by webcor got amber rais and a couple others on the front and they put down a blistering pace to try to catch the break. ladies were getting shelled from the chase group like crazy. I was hanging on, but my guts were crying for me to stop. At that point i think the chase group was down to about 30 women. Webcor got the gap down from 20+ seconds to 7 seconds, but then the lost steam and no one else would help and the gap opened again.

In the end, a break of 8 stayed away - Kristin Armstrong was drilling it in the break, and only the 2 cheerwine, shelley and one other were working - Stacey marple and Felicia gomez were apparently sitting on - possibly trying to tire kristen out or maybe just content to let their sprinters in the field take over if the break was caught. apparently, going into the last lap one of the ladies attacked and jumped away (this was the lady who won the race). Only shelley got on her wheel. then, 2 of the other ladies in the break jumped and they crashed right in front of shelley - forcing her to brake and letting Catherine Cheatley get away. Shelley chased and found Stacey marple from tibco and Teresa Moriarty playing cat and mouse on the final stretch before the turn into the finish. Shelley sprinted around them into the final turn and took second, and the sprinters jersey. Back in the pack, i didn't realize the benefit of trying to sprint - and just rolled across the line in the end - still got 28th - though wished i'd tried to sprint in the end just to bring that number down a couple. All in all - SOOOOOOO happy i managed to hang with the chase group. So impressed/awed/intimidated by how strong these women are - I can't believe how fast the women on the front were going that they were able to drop so many folks.

Today's stage is a road race and starts at 5:30. We'll head over pretty soon to warm up and get situated. We still have 5 in the race - unfortunately one other guest rider felt like crap yesterday and didn't make the time cut. but, she's going to hang out and help out which is great. Tomorrow is two stages - a TT starting at 9 am and a crit starting at 6:45 pm. Luckily the TT is short - after getting a TT bike and all the fixins, i wasn't able to bring any of it with me on the plane - box was too dang small!!! bummer. So, i'll be riding the cervelo with some clip ons and the super sexy aero helmet.

Excited for todays race - hoping to be able to help shelley out and stay in the game. I'll keep you posted :)

Virginia

NEVADA CITY CLASSIC

PESCADERO ROAD RACE - PODIUM!

Pescadero RR
Field Size: 15
Teammates: Shelley
Weather: cool, sunny (NO FOG!)
Course: 2.7 laps; 25-mile hilly loop

I was very disappointed to find out, upon registering, that there were a mere 15 of us. Even Mike was disappointed, and never led us around on the moto. The race started slow, with just 15 girls. It seemed we were all recovering from Mt. Hood or other races and very few of us had the energy to put in an attack. Plus, this course is brutal ending on a 3K climb, and no one was silly enough to put in an attack so early in the race.

And on with the race: Velo Bella’s Barbara put in a huge effort to take the first prime in downtown Pescadero! We all cheered for her after her incredible, elbow-throwing effort. After the big town sprint, we chatted until we got to the main climb and got down to business. A few girls got dropped, chased on, and through the next downtown sprint we were back together. This sprint Bri (Tibco) dug deep to take away the “minimal” (as the announcer at the start described it) cash prime prize from Barbara. Shelley and I sat in to save our legs for the final climb. ;) Again, we cruised around the course until the climbs. I whispered to Shelley, I legs feel horrible, don’t wait for me if something happens.

On the second lap, Sarah Bamberger (Cheerwine), Bri, and Maria Monica (Touchstone) all put in a huge effort up the main climb. Shelley and I quickly organized together and I chased Shelley down the hill (I just wasn’t ON today, braking too much down the hill), and we rotated for about a mile at the base of the decent until we caught back on the three who were off the front. The five of us rotated a few miles, just to keep the pace up to make the straglers work a bit more, and to keep the race moving. Slowly, a few other riders caught on and we were about eight. This time I whispered to Shelley, I feel horrible, except when I am going uphill. Along the backstretch, Sarah taught Shelley and I the ‘booty clap’. I am sure the follow car enjoyed this lesson. (On a side note, I have been practicing, but still can’t wiggle like Sarah. Shelley, you got it yet?)
Maria kept the pace high into the final climb and it finally felt like we were racing again. Sarah asked if Shelley or I were going to launch an attack, as we were the only team left with numbers (Flavia, Bri’s teammate flatted along the way and seemed too tired to get back in?). Shelley and I kinda laughed as neither one of us felt the energy to go for it. We came into the feed zone at the base of the climb and I felt the tension. I was sitting about 3rd wheel watching Maria and Sarah, as I thought they would be the ones to stay with. I was looking around and heard and saw Sarah make her move, attacking at the base of the climb. Here we go! I thought, and sprinted after her. I took about 15 seconds before I turned around to see the damage. We were off the front, with a gap on Maria and Bri, and there was Shelley sitting on! I couldn’t believe it. I watched my heart rate up the hill, knowing what I could sustain--after the hundreds of miles climbing at Mt. Hood I freakin’ better be able to hold this for 3K. The suffering seemed short, and I paced Sarah up the hill, checking to make sure Maria or Bri didn’t catch us. Shelley informed me they were both rotating attacks, but just could not get us. I signaled to Sarah to pull around. Again…right elbow…left elbow…nothing….Dang it, I thought. She is going to work me. Come on, I said/pleaded, help. She then jumped me with about 300m to go. I tried hard to catch her, but couldn’t. She got too good of a jump on me. I suffered in for second, Shelley for fifth. Thanks Shelley for being such a supportive teammate! - Kristina

MOUNT HOOD STAGE RACE

Stage 5
87 miles. 9200 feet of climbing. Sunny and warm, again.

To truly appreciate this stage, you have to view the profile. http://www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com/stagemap5.htm

The bible describes the stage as epic, brutal, stunning. Stunned, I was, when I saw we were climbing for the last 35 miles of the race. That beautiful peak we were gazing at all week as a backdrop to paradise viewed from our Bed and Breakfast was suddenly tormenting us. This race started fast out of Cooper Spur resort downhill and kept tempo up the first climb. A mad sprint for the first QOM, and PROMAN was all together with the group. We descended for 15 miles; this is so boring, but better than climbing, I thought. We had a pee break, and it seemed everyone was back together. We got to the second QOM and the field shattered again. I was in a large chase group with my teammates and many other girls and we drilled it down a steep, straight, four-lane road and easily caught back on the group. Then, things got dirty. Aaron’s was attacking on all the little climbs leading up to the start of the 35-mile climb. The field again went to pieces and I saw Felicia get away with Leah and maybe Flavia. It was hard to tell in the wreckage. I was slightly off the main group, got my game face on (you know, the ugly one where I grit my teeth and my cheeks wrinkle and I start to snot but I don’t care) and went to chase. Abby came up next to me and passed me, she was riding so strong! She paced me a bit up the climb, but Kate was just a little behind us, so Abby eased up to wait. I looked around and we were also with Jill (Touchstone), a Washington Wines girl (who was one place ahead of me on GC) and another local girl (who was just behind me in GC). I knew Jill was going to give it her all to get on, and I didn’t want to loose my GC standing so I sat in with these three girls up the long climb. It didn’t work and waited for Abby and Kate who got back on with us. Then, I went to the front in desperation and panic mode and drilled it with Jill to get us all back on. If felt like miles went by as we all chased. We could see the caravan just ahead and I knew we could make it. But, I was worried because the break had formed and I didn’t know if the peleton would keep driving it to bring it back. Luckily, no one did until we caught back on. Jill went straight to the front to bring it back. I never looked back at this point, I just held onto the group as long as I could. About 10 miles later, those silly master’s men caught us and the field was caotic. Girls were getting shelled and it was my time. After getting gapped, I chased as hard as I could and caught three riders, minty Jenn Joynt, the Washington Wines girl, and another young Cat 3 rider who could climb like a pro. So we rotated the rest of the way to the finish, encouraging each other along the way and thanking all the wonderful volunteers handing us water!

And on a personal note, I was pretty much in tears crossing the finish line. I got the chills (and not because we ended in the snow). Here I was finishing an epic day in the mountains with a respectable result. Just six months ago, I couldn’t sit on my bike, sit at work, or even sit in a car without back pain from a slipped disc. I was so proud of how far I have come, and so thankful to have so much support along the way! Thanks PROMAN ladies, thanks Dotsie, thanks to my incredible chiropractor and thank you Geoff. I am so happy to be racing again with this incredible team!

Final damage:
Kristina 17th
13 minutes back
Kate 25th
Abby 26th
25 minutes back

Overall GC after Stage 5:
15th Kristina Seley
24th Abby Cooper
26th Kate Ligler

Stage 6
Finally, the last day, only 50 minutes of suffering. My goal was to finish with the pack and keep my top 15 place. I haven’t been too successful at NRC crits, so a goal to finish with the pack is a little lofty for me. Luckily, I had impoved my crit skills so much this last year working with my incredible teammates. I had already read on Cyclingnews that Felicia and the Aaron’s gals weren’t going to let the race end easy. I knew that, but did they have to publish it on Cyclingnews? Some of us need to calm our nerves. Felicia was about one minute behind Leah Goldstein (Symetrics rider, three year winner, former Israeli army soldier, kickboxing champ, etc.) I also knew Value Act had their incredible guest rider Katie (Australian track champion) who was also itching for another Stage win. Plus I thought Value Act was racing strong and were going to prove themselves out here today. I told my teammates if they say a chance, go for an attack or get up the road, it couldn’t hurt. (This is supposed to be funny because it always hurts.)

The course, as you would guess, had a hill. Yes, every single darn stage of the six-day event had some sort of hill or mountain. The course was like the Santa Cruz criterium complete with a hill and U-turn, but stretched longer (i.e. the hill was longer, but less steep). The riders go around a downhill U-turn into a long tail wind gradual decent. The whistle didn’t yet ring, and we were off the line. I dug as hard as I could to get off the line and get up the first climb near the top. I made it to the u-turn tenth wheel and kept it there the rest of the race. Aaron’s did as all expected and beautifully rotated the attacks. Value Act was up there doing the same, and Leah was just watching Felicia. It was fast until Aaron’s Katharine Carroll got off the front with Katie, and the race was pretty much over. Jill (Touchstone) and Falvia (Tibco) tried to bridge, but sadly crashed off the front. They both got back in and finished well, speedy recovery wished to both. There was never good organization to bring it back, and we all seemed happy to sit in and let the race take it’s fate.

With seven laps to go, I heard a loud pop and saw the air shooting out of my rear tire. Ug, I thought, I have never flatted in a crit. This sucks. I dropped towards the back and yelled to my teammates I was flat. Quick wheel change (thanks Shimano) and I was off again, Kate and Abby were there to make sure I was ok and back on. I tried to get back to the top 10, but the chaos in the back was hard to get around. I assumed I wasn’t going to win the sprint, and a safe finish would be best at this point. So, I rode it in for a pack finish. - Kristina

Final GC:

Place; Name; Time back; Total Time;
15 Kristina Seley 0:19:01 14:27:03
24 Abby Cooper 0:40:03 14:48:05
26 Kate Ligler 0:43:09 14:51:11

DASH FOR CASH - PODIUM

While half the team was racing in Mt. Hood, Helene and I decided to promote local racing and reduce our carbon footprint by doing the Dash for Cash in Pleasanton put on by ICCC, a christian cycling team. The format of the race was changed this year to include 6 sprints for $40 primes starting after 5 laps into the race, rather than a sprint for $10 each lap like last year. With most people either racing Mt Hood or back east at the World Cup, the field was relatively small with about 17 1-2's and 15 3's. We used the first 5 laps to warm up and gauge the rest of the competition, which included several riders from Metromint, Stanford, Alto Velo, Velo Bella, and LGBRC. This was a first race back for both of us after some time off, and both of us felt like we lacked top end speed and endurance. Not one rider dominated the sprints, with both of us each taking a prime, while Mary Ellen Ash (LGBRC) got two, and Amanda Eaken (Metromint) got one. The peloton was content to just wait for the sprints each lap and nobody made any real attempts to get away. On the last lap Metromint was pretty vocal about setting up their leadout train, yelling at one another and making it pretty easy for us to ride in their slipstream and block the wind for us. With half a lap to go Helene jumped to the front and pulled alongside Metromint to the last corner and made a jump to the line. As she started to fade I jumped off her wheel and almost had a clear shot to the line, but Mary Ellen came passed me like a flash and easily beat me to the line, with Helene ending up 3rd. Kudos to the organizers for putting on a great race that was well run, although I prefer having hot sprints each lap, which seems to make the race more aggressive and tactical. - Kristin

MOUNT HAMILTON ROAD RACE - PODIUM!

Ahhh Mt. Hamilton.... My only previous experience with this race was
quite possibly 8 or 9 years ago. I ended up leading out a group of 4? and got 4th? only to be disqualified for crossing the center line. I was quite upset and inwardly vowed never to race the race again. Well with time, all things are forgotten. I had only a feeling within myself that this was a very hard race and I was not planning on racing it. I had in fact told Nicky that I would race the Memorial Day crit. Well on the Wednesday ride with the Lombardi boys I ended up hangin' strong with Darin and Tyler. With Darin pulling like two horses around the lagoon and down the coast and finally up from the Pelican Inn, I had the glimpse of feeling like a climber. So I then decided to race the Ham. Barb kept telling me that the climb wasn't so bad because it was not so steep and that ended up being true! I got a ride down with Barb and her friend Ray, chugged my secret sauce (home made Kombucha) and lined up with a small field. We headed up the first of the foothills at a very gentle pace and then I can't remember a thing! No! I am just kidding. Turns out the first climb is just over a smaller hill, then you see across a valley to the observatory at the top of Mt. Hamilton. Well I love going downhill and so on this first (and delightfully unexpected) descent I just decided to let it roll and push it through the turns. I immediately dropped the field and rode out of sight. Some girl in a yellow jersey got across to me at the bottom and we crossed the valley to start climbing up the real climb to Hamilton.
I figured the field would let us go for a while until closer to the KOM, so I let the yellow jersey gal set the tempo. We got maybe a minute on the field before they started to chase and when they got back in view Shelley bridged across and then attacked. Yellow jersey started to chase and I suggested to her to "let her go" and go she did! Shelley put I think 3 minutes on us and won the Queen of the Mountain. I felt surprisingly good on the climb and noticed that I wasn't breathing nearly as hard as some of the other girls. (That didn't mean that I wasn't feeling it in the legs!) So once again when the road pointed downhill I attacked. I naively thought that I could catch Shelley and then we could work together, hold off the field and finish 1,2. I got within 1:30 of her with the field :30 behind me, i realized they weren't about to let me get any further away and i certainly didn't want to drag them any closer to Shelley. With the headwinds and my screaming legs I decided to let myself get caught and hope Shelley could hang strong and finish solo. I have no idea what mile it was when we caught Shelley but to my dismay we rode past her and she didn't get on. Oh shit I thought to myself. Now I have to race for myself and my legs are pretty toasty. I scavenged for the last bits of glop in my pockets and drank what I could to try to recover. Now here is where it is a smart thing to know where you are on a race course. The field (if you could call it that, there were only 8 of us left) had slowed to tea party pace with everyone trying to recover and no one wanting to work. The road started to tip ever so slightly downhill, then a little more so, and the turns got a bit tighter. So I attacked into a turn thinking we must have only 5 or so miles to go. Brook was the only one who went with me and she seemed willing to work. We got 50 seconds on the field but had no idea how much farther. Finally the moto told us we had 12miles and we lost some drive. She wouldn't work any more and we soon got caught. All I could remember from racing the race before was that at the end of the race/bottom of the descent it was 2k to the finish. Finally we saw a 5k to go sign and then the road got steeper (downhill) so AGAIN I attacked into a turn and pinned it. Again Brook was the only one able to respond. On the flats the moto came by saying 2k to go. Brook took one pull in the middle and then jumped around me with 200meters to go. I thought I had 2nd place in the bag and could hardly see straight with my legs pedaling herkey jerkey when Jane came by me at the finish line. Bummer, but still better than I would have forecast. My back was in spasms and my legs trashed for days, but it was cool! I hung on the climb! Shelley suffered out there solo for like 40 miles and proved that sprinters can climb! Proman got 2 podiums! - Thanks for reading -Rachel

KERN COUNTY STAGE RACE - Podiums and win!

Stage 1 - Individual Time Trial - Tracey's report

Kern is a great stage race -- all women and tough stages in the lovely dry, hot Bakersfield. It's one of my favorite races of the year. I'm not quite sure why because I'm not very good at TTs and we all know I'm not a climber. But it's a great time to bond with team-mates, work on team tactics and improve your fitness. I had lots of team-mate bonding last year w/Jamie as we navigated through disaster after disaster...bike falling off the roof of her car....repairing her broken fork....flatting on I5 while driving home in the pouring rain and being driven home by a crack-head flat bed tow truck driver. Yes....I digress. This year I was focused on helping out my team (Kristina, Shelley, Katy and Abby) as much as possible and trying to avoid the 2007Lantern Rouge (which I was the proud owner of in 2006). The flat TT was the first event. It's a 5 mile out and back, with a "Bob Liebold" half mile sweeping descent in the first mile and a climb coming back to the finish. I had my TT bike (which was still a little screwed up from flying off the back of the car at Madera) and some real TT equipment that I borrowed from Michael. I got to the start after a pretty good warmup and realized that I had a terrible position. Kelly McDonald was in front of me, which meant that I would lose my "rabbit" rather quickly, and Jane Despas behind me, which meant that I would be passed in a matter of minutes. Joy!! Off I went, and settled into a rhythm. I was feeling ok and kept Kelly within my sights, but then as expected ...swooosh ....Jane goes by me. I tried to pick up my pace a little and use her to gauge my speed. But my legs were not having any part of it. So I slowed down some and kept pushing myself along and focused on ...the dead snakes in the road, the ambulance stopped on the side of the road next to the conductor of the stopped train, the old dilapidated slaughter house, etc. It was even more exciitng on the way back. I was just about to the bottom of the climb and Shelley caught me...and passed me...and completely left me behind. My legs just didn't want to turn over and I was barely moving up the hill. Uggghhhh. I lost a lot of time at the end, but still managed to pull off a 10th place. Yay!! I didn't come in last and have to hear Michael console me with "Honey, someone has to come in last". - Tracey

Stage 2, Walker Basin Road Race - Kristina's report
8:30 AM
7.5 mile loop, 8 laps
Bonus time on each lap 10, 5, and 3 seconds for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.
Kristina’s Report

Game plan was to set up Shelley for the sprints each lap, and take the win. Tracey would sweep and take away points from any other contender. Abby and I would lead out Shelley and chase down any breaks. Kate was instructed to sit in and rest her legs for the hill climb. The plan worked, we completely controlled the race and Shelley took the Stage Win and got to keep an incredible, hand-crafted, beautifully colored, Robert made, windmill like, wood plaque (in the end, worth the effort just for this trophy).

Each lap was quite slow. Everyone was saving their legs for the hill climb later in the afternoon, or the sprint points at the start/finish. We did the same. Into the start/finish there was a nasty head wind, a few sweeping turns and a long gradual hill. Also, the center line rule was strictly enforced and the finishing stretch was very narrow. (I even heard Mike was hiding in the bushes taking photos to make sure NO ONE crossed the line, one gal was DQ’ed last year.) So, positioning was key to this sprint. If you weren’t near the front at the bottom of the climb, there was no room to get up to the front. Our team quickly figured out where to be and when to jump and lined up for the points every lap. Each lap I worked on my lead out with Abby either just ahead of me or behind, and Tracey and Shelley were in the points every time! It was incredible. I ended up crawling back up to the field after my long lead out each lap; no one was attacking after the points and we all rested each lap. Tracey, our secret 29-year-old sprinting weapon racked up tons of points along the way and finished 2nd, right behind Shelley. I wonder if they were throwing elbows at the line? That would be a fun sprint to watch!

It was great lead-out practice for the team and just overall a great day for teamwork. We all did our jobs well and, in the end, it was a perfect end to a perfect race. Then we packed up as quick as we could, shoveled down some food, and prepared for the hill climb we were to start in just two short hours… - Kristina

Kern County Stage Race: Stage 3, Mt. Breckenridge Hillclimb. Shelley's Report: There were no real tactics to speak of in this race. Our plan was to launch Kate and her superior climbing legs off the front and straight up the mountain to put her back on top of the GC. Kristina was instructed to sit in and save her legs for the next day's VERY hilly road race. This was probably the most challenging part of the entire stage race for Kristina, as she is a true climber and for some strange reason really enjoys hill climb racing. I was sitting in 1st on GC after the team's successes earlier that morning, about 45 seconds ahead of Jane Despas. I knew very well that the two climbers Kelly McDonald of Touchstone and Molly Van Howling of Metromint would use this race to gain an edge on the field and myself. The race started on an open road, gradually climbing about 3 miles up to the base of the climb where the real pain would begin. I kept myself well protected and the pace was mellow. At 3 miles in, we turned right over a cow grate and onto a very narrow single lane road that would wind and wind up to the top. Kelly McDonald of Touchstone attacked immediately. I watched as she rode away, but tried to maintain a close distance behind her. Molly, Jane, and I tried to keep the pace high and go with the move, but each of us realized very quickly that we would need to pace ourselves if we didn't want to blow up. I never saw anyone again after Kelly's attack, besides Molly who I kept within sight for the rest of the race. For a few minutes, I could hear the heavy breathing of Jane Despas close behind me, but that sound quickly faded and I found myself alone with only one rider in view. I used Molly as a target for the rest of the climb. It took me about 2 miles to settle my breathing and convince myself that quitting wasn't an option. Mike Hernandez had positioned himself in a most critical spot of the climb for me and thankfully inspired me to keep going with a nice splash of water, a feed, and these words, "Just Ride." It was that moment that I found a rhythm in my peddle stroke, relaxed my shoulders, and finally gained control of my breath. I also caught back on to Molly's wheel soon after and allowed her to pace me for the rest of the climb. It was windy in the open switchbacks and having a wheel to follow was certainly advantageous. We rode the rest of the race together at a nice smooth pace and crossed the finish line together. I thanked Molly after the race for pacing me and congratulated her for her impressive performance as a climber. My teammates all finished shortly behind me, ecstatic that the race was over as I was. All of the riders in all the categories joined together at the top of the mountain with a shared sense of accomplishment and waited for the officials to give us the o.k. to descend. We were all shivering by the time the last rider crossed the line. The descent was painful and cold, with the occasional huge snake and lots of gravel and rocks to avoid riding over. I lost about 2 minutes to Kelly McDonald on the climb, which put her ahead of me on GC by only 15 seconds. This would make the next day's road race much more interesting. Shelley

BERKELEY HILLS ROAD RACE

Berkeley Hill RR
Teammate: Shelley
Weather: sunny and warm, chilly at the start
Course: 20 mile circuit; 3.7 laps
Riders: Tibco and Touchstone with a strong showing, one ValueAct rider: Ms. Courtney Brown, G.I Jane, Mints, Sarah Bamberger, etc.


Nothing to report on the first lap. Everyone seemed to be testing their legs up the three bears. Shelley and I had planned to do the same. Lap two was a little more exciting. We took a stroll into anaerobic land up the three bears. I sucked down chocolate flavored caffeine packets and fruit juicy Clif sugar syrup goodness and held on. We watched one girl roll off the front and the Mints chased her down in no time. Not sure why, as they didn’t have a plan about what to do once they got her. Anyhow, that brute-strength Tibco rider, who we planned to stay with, got off the front in the sneakiest place. Stacey Marple went hard up the little, painful, steep kicker on the backside of the course. I couldn’t find my legs to chase her down, and hesitated as the group was going into the nasty, long, head-wind section. So Shelley and I assumed Touchstone, with 4 strong riders, would help bring it back. Nothing… The mints did some respectable work, but she got away. Shelley made a great effort to get her, but no one would let Ms. Shelley go. I thought really hard about going, but decided it would be best to work with the field, it was quite windy and a hard course. Finally, on the third lap, Jill of Touchstone put in an impressive pull for about a quarter of the course. We yo-yoed pass the men’s Pro1/2 race a few times. I am sure they enjoyed watching us girls suffer, but they finally got their ‘stuff’ together and rode away from us.

There we were, fourth and final lap with no sign of Stacey. We heard she had minutes on us: it was a race for second place. Touchstone, with three riders left, put in some impressive attacks, but Shelley and I were right there. Rolling up the three bears for the last time and pace was high and more attacks came. I was an idiot and got myself in bad position during an attack, and couldn’t go forward as fast as everyone else. I ended up getting gapped on the second to last bear (was it mama or baby, I am not really sure; none of them seemed just right to me) and chased the group of 10 riders ahead of me (including Courtney of Value Act, who was riding strong) I passed a poor Cheerwine rider, Sarah B, with her left crank arm dragging on the ground still clipped to her shoe. I hope she got back ok. Shelley stayed with the group and drag raced to the finish ending up fourth overall just behind Jill. I got caught by a few of some strong mints at the base of the last climb, rode with them up the hill, and sprinted around them for tenth place.

This could surpass Wente as my favorite Nor Cal Road race. Windy roads through beautiful trees; long, not-to-steep accents overlooking the reservoir; temperate weather with no fog. I’ve already forgot how much I suffered and can’t wait to do it again. Very impressive win for Stacey - congratulations!

Thanks to Jana for coming out and cheering! It was great to catch up and see you and Phil again. Come and ride with us again soon.
Kristina

STEINBECK CRITERIUM - WIN!

Teamates: Kristina and Tracey
Other teams, TIBCO, Morgan Stanley, Webcor Alto Velo, Velo Bella, Metromint and others.
weather: foggy to clear, headwind on back stretch, tail wind sprint.

What to do, Golden state or Steinbeck crit. I decided to go where the money was! longer drive but i had to support a race with equal prize money for the chicks! i do love the Golden state course and it is a well supported race. so early rise for a 9:45 start. A seemingly boring 4 cornered course turned out to be very enjoyable. The race was very animated from the start, some of the days notables were stella, Amanda Eaken, Trish bell and Ryan H, it was fun to see these ladies attacking hard, maybe not always at a good time but never the less good to see ladies mixing it up. My plan today was to win or give a super strong leadout. I manage the team and it really does take a toll on your racing, i am already securing sponsorship for 2007 cross season and 2008 road, nevermind focusing on a race a few days from now. i decided halfway through last week to loose the manager's hat, at least for the rest of the week, and forget about divorce too. I love racing but i have to be honest i don't love my mediocre results, i do enjoy supporting my team mates in helping them reach their goals, that washes down the personal mediocre pill and makes me feel really good. I also had been suffering from 'did i forget how to win syndrome'. (thats probably way too much information) My poor team mates had to be subjected to my vocalized frustrations at myself with my top 6 finishes, now doesn't that sound awful, i know some would be happy with top 6 but it had been so long since a win, i knew this old dog still had a trick or two in her and i just felt good. I had decided to get back in to the gym this week in preparation for upcoming track races. i love working out with free weights, it brings snap back to my legs.......oops report to be finished later, going for a quick spin with rachel...........I'm back.

oh yes, the gym, some believe its not necessary to lift weights during race season but for track racing that seems to be the norm, whatever it is i like it and i crave it and my body really does respond. i did weights over the winter and it helped speed up my metabolism, i lost weight and also increased power. i stopped doing weights as soon as i started racing and slowly the weight crept back on. so last week was my first week back and i already feel better.

I felt great during the race, Kristina and i covered many short lived attacks, it was not a case of pick your battles as i just felt really good and was having fun accelerating as i was recovering quickly so i patrolled the front and felt i could cover anything, love days like that. I pretty much stayed top 5 the entire race, i even pulled for several laps, i got to set tempo and comfortably string out the field getting a great workout in. Kristina would come up and relieve me, probably concerned that i may use up too much, what she didn't know was that my caffeine Clif shots had kicked in and i felt great. I was happy to see tracey stay calm for the first part of the race, because what if i did burn all my caffeinated matches, we still had a loaded super sprinter in the arsenal. Tracey, then began covering attacks and was in a short lived break, after about 45 minutes of racing i asked Tracey how she felt, she said not great. i told her to find my wheel with a few laps to go as I knew Kristina would be there to lead me out. there were many primes to be had, i think the last prime was called and Queen bella sabine launched a tremendous effort into the head wind, she got a large gap and i was hoping she would get the prime but oh no a minty fresh was right on her wheel, sabine missed out, i wanted her to get it so badly for the superstar effort she had made. stella was riding really well, once she really figures out when and when not to use her strength she will be a force, same goes for Ryan and Amanda who also are very strong gals who launched a few too many random attacks, not to say sit in but be more mindful about their moves. TIBCO's Yuki and liza were also very active, covering moves.

Tracey moved forward to cover more attacks, One of the morgan stanley gals attacked with about 4 to go, this was great as the pursuit ensued with PROMAN sitting comfortably top 5 and the field was strung out. the bell lap rang and i was glued to Kristina's wheel, i told her i was there and she calmly accelerated, no flapping, just smooth calm barely noticeable acceleration. she slowly raised the pace right into the headwind, i was sitting pretty in 2nd, i was not sure where tracey was at that point, i told her to find my wheel i did not want to worry about where she was and loose focus on the finish. I was hoping Kristina would make it to turn 3 as i knew i could jump from the turn, get through turn 4 and have a tail wind for the sprint. We rounded turn 3 and i jumped hard, i felt great and just kept working my gears to the line, i guess i had quite a good gap, you can't tell from the head on shots. Tracey got pinched in the turn but accelerated past a few gals to get 4th and Kristina knew there was money on the line to 10th place so even after her major 1K effort she fought for 9th place! Illena Garcia-Parker came in 2nd, she is a tough lady who rides a smart race. Today was a great team effort, good communication through the race and generally good racing by all. i don't think anyone just sat in. I hope this race will be back next year, very well organized, great brewery, coffee shop and very happy friendly volunteers! thanks! We will be back ~ Nicola.

thanks to my teammates

P.S - I love winning!

Shelleys mens PRO 1/2 race report:

I decided to race with the men today to start preparing for some of the big races coming up. There were over 60 men in the field, including several Cal Giant riders, Wohlberg, Jamiel Danesh, Daniel Holloway, Dave McCook, and my man Rob. I was a little nervous lining up with them, but I saw a lot of familiar faces out there and just told myself to try and hang as long as I could. By the end of the day it was pretty windy on the course and my size in comparison to all the other riders was a big advantage. There was a pretty nasty cross wind on the back stretch that made things much harder than they already were. The race was 60 minutes long and the first 20 minutes was extremely fast. After 20 minutes, I didn't know if I could keep up. The field was splitting every other lap into groups of 30. I had missed the move on one occasion and thankfully was brought back to the leaders by a friendly rider who took me across the gap alone. 45 minutes into the race, I thought about dropping out again, but I figured that I had made it this far, I better finish the race. According to Rob, the race was really fast and never let up the entire time. I could see that it was strung out single-file up ahead, but my only concern was staying tucked in behind the wheel directly in front of me. This was definitely the fastest crit I've done, but there were times when it let up and I was able to recover. The field would slow and I would move up as far as I could until the next attack came. One thing I learned from racing with the men, was that I didn't have to cover any moves. Inevitably, if a move went up the road, someone would come from behind me and bridge the gap. All I had to do was wait for the right moment and slide in behind the riders as they passed. It was a constant battle of staying on a wheel and closing gaps. The final 5 laps were actually the slowest because there was a break up the road of 6 guys. It wasn't until the final 2 corners that it got really fast in the field. I received a lot of support from the spectators and race volunteers all along the course. The men in the field with me warned me about the final lap and told me to steer clear of the sprint, which I was happy to do. However, the next time I race with the men, I would like to try and ride closer to the front to get a feel for the sprint. It would depend on how the race had played out though, as I would definitely stay away from the front if it was ending with a field sprint. This was a great experience for me. The training was great and I learned a great deal about racing. Until the break is established, it is just one attack after the other on top of a very high paced race. The speed of the race actually made it easier for me and I felt safer. The constant high-intensity kept me focused and ready. It reminded me of every race I've ever done on the track. I'd do it again for sure. Shelley

CATS HILL CLASSIC - PODIUM!

Cat's Hill: 60 minute race Teammates: Helene, Kristin, Rachel, Tracey, Niki Cat's Hill Classic is truly a classic race. It is great for spectators, very challenging, and my hometown race. One of my goals for this season was to win Cat's Hill, so I had asked for the support of my teammates to help achieve my goal. Thanks to everyone who showed up and suffered through this race with me. I had really good support, but unfortunately I still have a lot to learn about bike racing and in the end the race was won by the smarter rider. The race started at 2:00 p.m. and it was a beautiful day. The field was much smaller than previous years with many of the great local riders away at an NRC stage race for the weekend. We knew exactly who we needed to worry about throughout the race and we did our best to control the race. Helene went on the attack early as planned and tried to scoop up some queen of the mountain points. However, Taitt was determined to defend her title from last year and she attacked before the climb several times to eventually win the QOM competition once again. The ValueAct Team rode a great race keeping it active and interesting. My teammates worked hard to cover any dangerous attacks. About half way through the race, Rachel went with a move that ended up being just her and 2 ValueAct riders. They played the game with her, attacking one after the other and making her chase. But Rachel's just too strong to get rid of. Eventually, the move came back to us and it was all together for the final 5 laps. I kept position at the front of the race with Rachel, Helene and kristin protecting me and keeping me where I needed to be. With 2 laps to go, Rachel began her leadout and kept it strung out until the bottom of the climb on the final lap. I had my competition in front of me so I attacked into the climb and drilled it over the top. I knew I had a gap and looked back to see only Karen behind me. I just kept my head down and rode as hard as I could to the line, hoping Karen would not come around me. This was my biggest mistake. Well, she did. Just before the turn she took me on the inside and I knew that was the decisive moment. I tried to get on her wheel, but the sprint is just too short in that race and it is truly a race to the final turn. Every race I learn something new. Karen taught me many things about bike racing today. I will take what I have learned and use this experience to grow as a cyclist. I can't thank my teammates enough for their support in this race. A huge thanks to Giana as well for her support. This was a great race and I'm already looking forward to next year.-Shelley

CATS HILL CLASSIC PICS - PODIUM!

DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL ROAD RACE

Road Race: Devil’s Punchbowl; SoCal Cup; W Cat 1-3
Course: 50 miles, 3 loops on a hilly course, 7 miles up, 5 miles down, 2 miles rolling in a crosswind
Weather: HOT, 90-100 degrees, slightly windy
Field: 30
PROMAN/Paradigm gal: Kristina

After hearing many rumors about how brutal this race was, I thought: I had to try it. When I got there (there being somewhere outside of Pearblossom, near Edwards AFB, 50 miles east of Santa Clarita) I thought: why did I drive this far? It was hot; it was dry; it was lonely. Warming up my legs, as the course began on a climb, I heard from some girls say: “wow, PROMAN is here, those girls are so strong.” Kate and Abby must have left a great impression the week prior at Conquer the Canyons.

The start whistle blew at 10:30 and we began half-way up the 7 mile climb. I stayed near the front to get comfortable and keep my pace. We climbed through the feed zone and hit the steepest section of the climb (similar to the bottom of the Wente Road race climb, but slightly less steep). Southbay Wheelmen notched it, but we all stayed together and flew down the wide open decent. As we went through the rolling false-flats one non-climber attacked. We caught her on an uphill shortly thereafter.

The second lap was much faster. Again, Southbay Wheelman (with an impressive turnout of five riders) notched it again. I stayed near the front through the feed, waiting for someone to attack. The pace was high near the top of the climb I looked back and we were only eight. The race was on.

We (Jennifer from Southbay Wheelmen, two Helen’s/Trek riders, a Simple Green rider, a few Bicycle John’s Riders, and me) all agreed to work together. We rotated down the big decent and into the rollers. A few of the girls were taking pulls too hard resulting in chaos for a bit. I was hurting on the rollers, and one of the girls drilled it and got a gap with four, leaving four of us behind. The lead four worked well together. I worked with one girl and looked back to see the two Helen’s/trek riders a few seconds behind. I suggested we wait for them and all work together. We rotated nicely, but on the climbs, the two Helen’s/Trek riders dropped off the pace leaving the two of us to chase on the final lap. I didn’t have much left at this point. I was chasing in 95 degree weather in a dry dessert and quickly losing motivation. My coach Dotsie, cooling down from her race with the boys, screamed words of encouragement. Well, I sucked wheel for most of the last lap and did all I could to hang with this gal. The four riders finished maybe two minutes ahead of us and I came in for sixth. - Kristina

MADERA STAGE RACE - PODIUM

Madera Stage Race -Stage 1, crit:Set in the heart of Madera (ie the furnace of California), the crit was a flat, four corner course lending to a field sprint in the final lap. No one got away on the course, but Tracey was able to put the hurt on in the final sprint.

Stage 2, TT:Oh man, this was a hot one - 10 mile TT in the 100 degree heat that was incredibly flat. Unfortunately, the GC was pretty determined after this TT, but was a good experience. My time trial put me in 4th place with Kate right behind me in 5th. Tracey had a rough day - her bike flew off of her car before the TT and during the TT her aero bar broke forcing her to hold onto it the whole time. But she was a good sport about it all and we could laugh about it in the end.

Stage 3, Road race:Another flat, hot course to contend with, but a good finish for Proman. Because I was only sitting 7 seconds behind 2nd place, Kate was incredibly great helping me in the road race. On the last lap Kate brought up the pace over the only rollers on the course which allowed me to make a great finish in 2nd right behind another GC contender. Thanks to Kate and Tracey, I was able to walk away in a close 3rd place and Kate came right behind me in 4th. - ABBY

CONQUER THE CANYONS STAGE RACE - PODIUM

Conquer the Canyons -Stage 1, 4m prologue:The prologue was a 4 mile, mostly uphill, road that was set in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was absolutely a gorgeous day, and everything was run very smoothly. As all TT efforts are, it was a tough 4 miles but Kate and I were able to manage 2nd and 3rd respectively. Stage 2, Circuit race:Once the results were posted for the TT, Kate and I were able to figure a decent strategy for the circuit/crit. It was a flat, fast loop which the kept the pace interesting, especially in competition with all of those southern california crit riders. There were two time bonus sprints available, and although we both tried for one neither Kate or I were able to get in the right position to take the points. However, on the final lap I was able to pick a good wheel that would put me in 3rd for the final sprint with Kate right behind me in 5th. Stage 3, Road race:There was only one part of the 7 mile loop that could divide the field - a 1 mile climb on the far side of the course. The first time around the loop both Kate and I sat in the group in an effort to get a feel. On the second time around we were neutralized because of an accident at the bottom of the descent, so Kate and I had to be patient. On the third time up the climb Kate made a strong attack which definitely shook some of those sprinters. However, it was not enough to break up the field and we were once again together as we rounded the course again. Unfortunately, the marshalls decided to cut the race short - at the base of the "final" climb! So Kate and I had only one more chance to get away from the field. Kate attacked again, two of the girls in contention went with her, I followed and got on the front of the field and tried to keep the pace high. It ended in a field sprint coming into the final turn and Kate made a great finish in 5th and me right behind her in 6th. Overall, we had a great time down south. Kate finished 4th while I finished 3rd. - ABBY

NORBA NATIONAL SERIES - PRO SUPER D - WIN!

USA Cycling Weekly News Update: April 25 – May 1

The Firestone Santa Ynez Valley Classic presented by Platinum Performance was also the third stop on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Gravity Calendar. In Saturday’s Super D competition, Mike Phillips (Milwaukee, Wis./Alterra) narrowly defeated Bryan Fawley (Robinson, Texas/Kenda-X Fusion) and Carl Decker (Bend, Ore./Giant) to take the men’s victory while Rachel Lloyd (Fairfax, Calif./Proman), Marla Streb (Los Osos, Calif./Luna Chix) and Jamie Whitmore (Mount Aukum, Calif./Cannondale) took the top three spots for the women.

WENTE CRITERIUM - WIN!

We had a two fold plan today, to save Tracey and I for the sprint or to get Kristin and Emily off in a break, fortunately for the team and unfortunately for the sprinters, the later occured. i was in two minds how to write my report, a positive, upbeat, fluffy account of the race or the 4am should have, would have, could have version, i am choosing the later, i think there is more to learn - isn't there always?? We used radios, not because we needed them but because we needed to practice using them for upcoming NRC races.

First of all everyone was feeling very optomistic about getting a win today, we had better as we were the team with the most team mates and the field wasn't very deep. Not to discount the ladies that were there as there are some super strong individuals. it was a combined field of over 40 women, the cat 3s would get picked separately. We wanted to control the race from the start and we did. Lori on her 2007 debut, charged to the front and established a good pace, there were a few attacks by other teams which were very quickly shut down and countered by PROMAN. kristina attacked and stayed away for a couple of laps until the field reeled her in PROMAN immediately countered and strung out the field. PROMAN won every prime either a 1st place or 2nd place prime. Rachel, Kristin, Emily and Kristina were really active on the front while Tracey and I sat in. * A little side note on this - I hate sitting in! I thought for once i would truley just sit in, stay protected and surf wheels. In the past It may have looked like i have sat in but truth be told thats probably all i could manage! Sitting in is hard, it feels like you aren't in the race, it was great practice for me but i didn't enjoy it one bit, especially as i was feeling good and dying to sprint on my new carbon Orbea. My legs were aching to do something. When i saw the break go I was happy to see 2 PROMAN in it but at the same time, my lesson in sitting in is don't be too far back as you may miss a break, i was probably on about 10th wheel. I considered asking Rachel to get me up there while they were still at a manageable distance, but this risks bringing other riders, i opted not to but in retrospect i should have as this was a goal race for me and i should have settled for nothing less than the win, i should have dug as deep a i could to get there, with someones help or not. Rachel and i both have a snappy jump so it could have worked. Tracey tried once to bridge on the wheel of Julie but as soon as Julie saw Tracey she stopped working. The girls worked well together, Virginia from CRC is a smart rider and watched for a PROMAN break and got in it again along with another gal (sorry not sure who - Flanders team?) The 4 riders stayed off, on the final lap, Michael instructed Emily to attack from behind, Kristin should have gone with her but instead Virginia did, Emily made Virginia work and then sat behind her approaching the finish and popped out and easily outsprinted her for the win, Kristin followed for 3rd. Meanwhile back in the pack......... things were getting hot! Lori , Rachel and Kristina were setting up to lead out Tracey and I, we started a little early but we managed to all be near the front, oh dear, were tracey and I too near the front all of a sudden we were in the front well before the last turn, suddenly Rachel appeared, i jumped on her wheel and then hoped Tracey would be on mine, rachel got me to the turn, it was just what i needed, she began to fade, crap was so very far from the line, couldn't even see it at that point, I jumped any way and went hard, i quickly looked before i jumped and Tracey was not on my wheel, it was a metromint rider, i jumped slightly laterally to shake he off my wheel and just charged for the line into the most vicious headwind ever, everything felt slow motion, i just kept digging and even down shifted, i had got the field sprint, only just mind you as there were gals coming on the left who were on the protected side of the course. Tracey was behind me, Rachel, Kristina and lori rolled in top 15. Cheers to Michael for great direction and thanks to Tim for taking care of everyones mysteriously noisy deraileurs and taking pics, thanks to the PROMAN girls that allowed Tracey and i to sit in. thanks for reading! - Nicola