Redlands 2008

Redlands 2008
This year, I guest rode for Team Advil-Chapstick. My team, Verducci Racing, has yet to arrive in the States. Training camp is next week in Girona, Spain. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there!

I arrived to ONT on Wed, the day before the race. The Advil van (previously the Saturn, Quark, and Colavita van) and Jim Williams pick me and then Anna Milkowski up. We are staying at the Maury Mansion. A restored historical Mansion built in 1890 by an architect for his beloved wife. He traveled all over the world, and took pieces of architecture, decorating, and design from everywhere and put them into this house. He did all the wood carvings, cabinets, and carpentry himself. He dedicated it all to his wife. What an awesome story huh! I had the present day version of this in my life when Mike surprised me with an SRM last week. Not quite as time consuming, but equally heartfelt, I’m sure!!

After settling into our elegant historic room. We ride the TT course. And it hits me, "I haven’t ridden hills AT ALL’. Didn’t even dawn on me maybe that would be good prep, seeing as there are a few here! Hmmm, I guess day before will have to do.

I think this is the 5th time I’ve done Redlands. So many different memories, and perceptions of the race. I remember being SO intimidated the first year. Being in a laughing group (quite literally) with Nicole Freedman, trying to catch Megan Long on Oak Glen (I know, she’s a sprinter, does that give you a gauge on my climbing prowess), pre-riding the bike path TT course w/ Kristin Johnson, and making jokes w/ Chrissy in yet another chase group on Sunset..

Day 1, Prologue: 5k. It starts on a false flat, then a short kicker, short decent, false flat, R turn, short steepish kicker, fast decent, chicane (no idea on spelling) R then L, then long false flat and rough road, R turn into 1.5k of steep, then gradual, then steep, then gradual, then finish! Even though ½ of this race is a flatist TT course, I have never done well on it. Not sure why. Kat Carrol was the first mortal, getting 2nd behind the immortal Abbott by 25seconds. It’s so exciting to see Kat do so well, she’s such a great person, very well deserved!

Day 2, Beaumont Circuit. By car this course is ‘interesting’. It offers flats, winds, rolling hills, long false flats leading into short climb, then a moderately technical decent, followed quickly by another short climb w/ a QOM, then a long fun decent, and back to the flat headwind.
So, about 3-4mi in I hear an explosion behind me and Anna say, ‘It’s my wheel’...I didn’t realize it was Anna till I heard it in my earpiece, quickly followed by ‘Kele drop back to help’...and after an excruciatingly long wheel change (apparently her tube had exploded out of the tire, around the cassette and brake)...she found herself well back from the group. In very unorganized way I attempted to help her, but once in the caravan she was very capable of leapfrogging her way back on.

We are now on the false flat section leading into the hill..I later realized, at first I thought I must have just forgotten to train all winter because I couldn’t get my heart rate, or breathing to come down once I rejoined the pack. I was still maniacally trying to recover when the peloton hit the first of the two short steep pitches...and I couldn’t get my legs to follow their command, and almost instantly I was in the cars again. My head, and heart knew this was BAD. ‘It’s WAY too early to get dropped, think about the time cut’...keep it steady, use the cars...and I did, but was still suffering quite a bit...loosing ground, then gained some back on the decent, but the cars were quite a hinderince, then I lost them again on the QOM...and so much more on the final decent due to the cars who had grown tired of seeing me, and less apt to give me room.

From then on I was alone, for a while I had one and two riders w/ me...but I was focused on keeping a decent pace to make the time cut...so I lost my friends, then caught Megan Elliott, and 3rd time down the decent my spoke broke on my rear tire...and seeing as the wheel cars where miles ahead of me (and my wheel wouldn’t spin because it was so out of true) I had to wait ~45min for the next round of car..when the Advil car picked me up. And that was the end of my Redlands 2008.

The Crit...

first time up Sunset...yea, the hardest one!!

Unfortunate, yes. One of the realities of the sport as well. I’m disappointed. I has really wanted to gauge my fitness and training on my performance here. All that track racing, what did it do for me? How will it affect my road racing?? What will the crit be like? Do I have the staying power for long breaks still? Those were some questions I had hoped to answer. Not to happen.

The Advil team was great. Brenda Lions got 3rd in the crit. She’s a super nice, busy, well rounded person, I’m so happy for her success! Kirsten Robbins always so soft spoken, and an amazing climber, modestly did very well. Anna was her normal aggressive self, always eager to push her limits, and race her bike always! Betina Holt was guest riding as well. She’s a Canadian rider, who has ridden for several big teams and it was great to learn from her experiences. Megan Elliott joined us as well. She’s a hoot. Fun, light-hearted, smart, and savvy rider. She’s headed to law school in the fall...that’s awesome1 Tim was the quietest director I’ve ever met, and very kind-hearted. I enjoyed riding for him! Jim Williams was colorful, funny, experienced, calming, and very helpful as always! Great mix, good people, good racing...what else do you need??

I watched the first climb up Sunset before leaving for the airport to take me to Spain for camp. And you know what I noticed, they all are suffering...just like ME! Kim Anderson, Kat Carroll, all of them...had the same intensely focused look. I never get to see climbers faces when they climb (my vantage point is normally from the REARS), and for some skewed reason I thought they all just danced up the climbs laughing and joking. It’s nice to know they are human too. Make it seem more attainable.

I’m dying to hear what happened. I’m sure it shattered on the first climb. But how? Who? When? Did it stick? Who attacked it? How much time did people gain/loose? Did jerseys change hands?? Oh, it’s so exciting!!
That’s my report. Ahora mae voy