86.5mi road race ...3 sprints, 3 QOMs, 2 feed zones, and lots of wind!! With four wonderful finishing circuits! That's what Mankato means!
Let's see...First we have the obligatory non-neutral roll out that lasts like 5 miles...I was lucky to get on the bumper of the Comm car...But I must say Rochell Gilmore has that down to a science, she even hit the bumper once!
After that, we picked up the pace and were hit w/ the now well known cross winds....and he dread of being guttered hit me like a ton of bricks..Luckily, I'd had a conversation w/ my teammate Jen about what I had learned on Fridays stage...that as soon as you are guttered IMMEDIATELY get out, put in your effort to move up to the 'bubble'...and that's what I did today..and it saved me, about 15 times! It's scary to do, because you think you are ok because you are on a wheel...but the reality is it's much better at the front behind multiple riders, it's hard to give up that wheel in the gutter and move into the wind in order to move up...but it saved me today for sure!
So, there I was focused very much on staying very close to the front. My goals for the day: be a part of the race, be aggressive, don't be intimidated, and put in ONE good attack.
After the first sprint, we were all together. Today we got to deal with heat and humidity along w/ strong cross winds! Yippee! So, I was trying to drink as much as possible...which ended up to be 8 bottles (2 from each feed, 2 from the car, and I started w/ 2)...that's how hot it was...oh and I drank 1/2 of one neutral feed in the feed zone and tossed it...
So, after the first feed zone...attacks started....oh wait...I attacked early...yea, it was STUPID...we had just turned a corner, into a head wind...and I felt a lull in the field...so I attacked...and after the inital jump, as soon as I sat to settle...I instantly realized 'this is ridiculous, it's WAY to windy'...so it was embarrassingly short...but hey, at least I tried...that's how you learn...and I felt more apart of the race...
Ok, now to like mile 38ish...after several attacks, being reeled in by Lipton over and over...I see a Lipton moving up on the left, and I get on her wheel...and end up in a group of 7...Gina Grain (Colavita), Kirsten Robbins (Victory), a rider from Jazz Apple (a New Zealand team), a Biovail rider, the Lipton rider..that's all I remember...it was a tough pace, the wind was strong, we were coming up on the next sprint...all of which Gina had been winning...and I may not be a genius...but I am learning when NOT to put in a strong effort...and that's when other big teams have everything to gain, and the gap is dropping...so I got an earfull from several riders...but you know what, that's racing...we've all got different agendas...and it's frustrating when ppl screw up YOURS...
So, we get caught after the sprint...that Gina wins. And now there has been a split in the field...Jane and Jen are caught in the back..this race is so tough..anyone who's been guttered knows when it's all strung out all you look at is the cassette in front of you, which makes it easy get caught behind gaps...then once you realize it...it's almost too late...so the girls had their work cut out for them....and they gave it all they had...I am proud of thier huge effort, they did awesome!
Our radios were a little fin-a-key...so Jane had no mic, and couldn't hear me, but she could hear John (in the car)...and Jen could talk, but couldn't hear me. John could here me, but couldn't understand me..so it was sweet! But, the phrase of the day was "Team Vello Bella-Kona"...which is how John would start every statment over the radio...He also put the cute messages on our handlebars...individualized for each of us...Jane's said "Go Pussycat", Jen's said "Where's Kele" (one goal of hers was to stay close to me), and mine said "F'in GO GO GO" perfect!
Ok, not much else happened in my race after the break..I just tried to stay mid pack to conserve everything for the last 4 laps. I cannot tell you how many times I had to convince myself I could make those circuits...probably my biggest challenges, are multiple laps w/ huge hills...so I had done some thinking on it before the race, and pre-programmed the lines to motivate myself...and I did survive...I have no idea how well, but I went hard, and buried it on the decents, then thought about 'keep the effort there', not to focus on speed going up, just the effort level...all the way to the finish!
My teammates gave the same effort w/ a little different finish...Jane did make it back after that split w/ the help of the CPT team, but cramped on the climbs after all her effort. Jen got caught behind more and more gaps, w/ little motivation of other riders to work...left her out in the wind...Literally!
Kristin Armstrong and her team worked their assess off today! Lipton was up front all day, holding it all together...then Kristin laid it out on the circuits to beat Christine...well, so did Kori Seehafer...nice job Lipton.
This has been such a brutal, awesome race. And, I'm sure tomorrow will be no different!
BTW...again we had unparalleled support from feeders (Margot and Lyndsey) in BOTH feed zones! Then in the follow car John and wife Kate...who kept John calculations in line....Oh, I just remembered, I fed from the car...I didn't want to loose my empty bottles, so I'm throwing them in the car, and pelted poor John twice in the face w/ empty bottles...this guy really is takin' it for the team!!
Man, I was wasted after this race. I should be asleep right now...but these race reports are getting SOO long!
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