Come Hell or High Water, or BOTH...we race!!

Day 4 (Monday): originally 112k rolling RR, but subject to change…as always

Rockin and Rollin in San Salvador
You WONT believe what we woke up to this morning…..a HUGE flood! I’m not kidding….this trip has been such an adventure. We are currently STUCK in the hotel because the street leading out is a RIVER….not a little one, one w/ rocks bouncing down the road…there is rushing water 3 feet deep…the Olyimpic training center tennis corts are now completely flooded, there is a huge waterfall in the sports complex.

On the street, the people are building retaining walls w/ the rocks rolling down the street…to keep the water out of their homes. Men, women, and children are all helping clear rocks, build walls…and watching this display of natures force unfold.

So, I think our race is cancelled today….but you never know. The weather says that it will continue raining thru Friday.

WE RACE: 65k on a speedway, 20 laps is the course
At 11am, we get word that the race organizers have found a back road that is NOT a river….in which we will take one bus…to get out of the flooded area…then we are going to a Car race track (like Nascar race track). Most riders of all teams are opposed to the idea…it just seems quite dangerous, and hube lengths that the organizers are going to continue w/ racing. Here at the hotel we have very limited access to information…like how safe are we?? What is to continued forcast? Is it safe to be on the roads? There have been several mudslides in the area, is that a concern??

So we load up on the bus, and take this CRAZY drive down this horrible dirt/boulder/sand road….with a caravan of 6-8 vans/trucks w/ all the bikes and staff following….but after 30 min of terror/excitement on the dirt we arrive to a highway…then to the race track.

The race turned out to be quite fun, no crazy hills, nice power climbs. Niki was in a break that when she attacked going into lap 3….soon after Miho Oki (Nobili), and Era Lutz (Ger Nat) joined her…and they stayed away for 10 laps! On the last lap, about 1.5k to the finish Sarah T over shot a slick corner, and went down…causing some disruption in the pack….but Niki held on to a 6th, I came in 7th, Kathleen B 9th, Lynn 12, Starr 13th, Lisa, Jenn were close behind…and luckily Sarah (and Alisha) got same time because the crash happened in the last 3k.


Good ride! Today has been one of the most chaotic days of my life…that flood was UNREAL….then to hear we were taking some dirt road out the back side of the hill, and 45min drive to a car race track…was crazy…and then we had 2 diff buses to take…but we made it, and raced well!!