This weekend I raced w/ the TRIA team at Liberty classic. Here we are: Nicky, Allison, me, Suz, and Shontell...gettin' ready for the pre-ride lead by the Sturdy Girls!
Here we are on Kelly Drive
Ms. Waynes-guard...it was great to race w/ her again!
The race was awesome! We had like 180 signed up...w/ about 168 who didn't chicken out!! There were riders from all over the world...the reigning World Champion, Regina...Australian National team members, New Zealand National team members, Neurberg, T-Mobile, a few other Europeans I don't know, and ALL the biggest teams from the US...it was great to be a part of it!
The race starts w/ like 8mi of flat wide roads...then narrows from 4 to 2 lanes, about 1 mi before the base of Mantiounk (yea, NO IDEA how to spell that one)...so inevitably it's super tense, tight, because this race is ALL about position...you cannot afford to waiver to mid pack....due to the shear numbers, the level of competition, the amt of money on the line, the fact the course goes from 4 to 2 lanes, then a 90degree R hand, then again, then 90degree L to the base of the climb...so it's impossible to move up after the R hand turn...so it's a fierce battle...
So, first lap...as it narrows there's a crash UP FRONT...like top 30 riders area...I was lucky to be in front of it, and not affected...then the next turn, another pile up..this time on my R, and I had to slow to avoid it...but was minimally affected...Unfortunately Alisha Lion was not as lucky, word has it she separated her shoulder (BTW Alisha, I cannot get in touch w/ you, speedy recovery girl!!)...
After the first time up the wall, I made it over w/ the main group...thank God...and now the pack has thinned out....I hear over the radio Nicky flatted, THEN was caught behind both crashes...and Suz and Allison also were caught behind the crashes....Shontell and Sharon were also but quickly made it back to the front group
The second lap is all chasing for Nicky, Suz, and Allison...this race is so tough when gaps open, if the ENTIRE chase group isn't 100% committed, it's almost impossible to catch...because after the wall (KOM at the top), there's a screaming decent, 2 rollers (small Lemmon, and Lemmon hill, KOM on Lemmon)...then the start finish (sprint point on the line), so it only slows on Kelly drive...
The second and third climb go ok for me...on the third time, a small gap opens, but I let my group help close it...and we get in...last lap it was fast, and I was too far back...and at the end of the decent we had like 50m to the main group, and it never closed...we ended like 20sec down....and ok, embarrassing moment 1,000,000,323....As we are coming into the finish we go around the fountain, and so I see the main group and I think to myself 'that's not 50ppl'...and I wanted to be in the money, so I jump at 1k...and later found out I was 52nd, so I sprinted for NOTHING...yea, so I was one of those lame riders sprinting for the laughing group prize...sorry girls, I thought I was sprinting for money I SWEAR!
Shontell was awesome w/ a 6th place finish...Sharon was 39th...Chrissy kept her eye on the front group in 46th...Oh, and Regina Won...Ina was second, and Tina was third!!
