Finally fully adjusted and completely caught up with work and updates, we had a challenging week of hardcore training planned. The week turned out to be challenging, but for completely different reasons.
From O’Fallon we headed north to Green Island, Iowa, to spend the week visiting with family and training on the quiet, rolly rural roads of northeastern Iowa before racing in the Tour of Galena on the weekend, my final prep before the most challenging race on my US calendar, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, next week. Unfortunately Monday night I came down with a nasty virus that had me miserable and exhausted with a horrible headache, shivering and boiling at the same time. The result was I spent more time sleeping than visiting—or training. My chances of being in any shape to race were looking pretty slim.
By Wednesday the joint pain and fever subsided (but not the headache) and my sinuses began to clear. Things were improving. Thursday, though, my lungs began to tighten and my energy levels were back to near zero once. Lung infection. Not good. Fortunately, with my aunt’s assistance, I was able to get in to see a doctor for some antibiotics (Thank you Aunt Janet!). Almost immediately, I began to feel better and in less than 24 hours my sore throat was gone. Now (COUGH) I just (COUGH) need to (COUGH) clear my (COUGH COUGH) lungs. What is it about sleeping that causes one to cough so much? Nonetheless, progress. I might race yet.  |
| Galena IL |
The week had started with the blistering hot temperatures that had arrived from the week prior. Thankfully, Wednesday night a spectacular thunderstorm brought cooler weather (Lami and I both love thunderstorms—they’re a real treat since they’re so rare in New Zealand). By Friday temperatures dropped from insufferably hot and humid (upper 30’s; 100) to a much more manageable high teens (60’s).
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| Main Street, Galena |
Friday afternoon we headed 40-minutes’ drive (Lami rode while I drove) north across the Mississippi River and back to Illinois for the inaugural three-stage Tour of Galena. Galena is a small tourist-destination town of about 3500 located in the far northwest corner of Illinois. The area is part of the Driftless Zone, an area that was not covered by glaciers during the recent ice ages. Because it escaped glaciation, this area is known for its hills, valleys, bluffs and large amounts of exposed rock. Perfect terrain for a bicycle race.
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| Floodgates, downtown Galena |
Back to the racing. The inaugural Tour of Galena was run as a three-stage, two-day omnium, where placement in each stage is awarded by points. The rider with the highest accumulation of points at the end of the tour is the winner. Riders choosing not to compete in all three stages can participate in any stage independent of the omnium competition.
Stage 1: Time Trial
The tour kicked off with a brutal 7 km time trial. The out-and-back course was rolly with a steep sweeping decent that became a leg-zapping 14% climb after the turnaround. Race info stated, “Aero equipment is allowed but not necessarily recommended.” Hmm. I opted for the Eddy Merckx-style nonaero-equipment approach. Warming up, I could feel my body resisting any effort, especially after my sluggish week. I was quite glad for the short distance. On the start line, the clock beeped down the last five seconds. Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-Go! I got off to a good start, building speed up the gradual incline off the start line. I crouched low over the handlebars to get as aero as possible, but when I began feeling faint I realized that my oxygen intake was a bit impeded. I decided that, in my current state of health, I was going to need to compromise between aerodynamics and oxygen supply.
I felt reasonable to the turnaround and plowed up the hill with gusto, passing my 30-sec rider and gaining time on the rider behind. On the way back the effort was a bit easier with a gentle tail wind. I felt like I should be going so much harder. I just..didn’t…have…any…more…to give. With about 1 km to go, my energy reserves bottomed out. My legs and arms turned to jelly and I was barely holding myself up.
“You’re almost there” were the cheers from the side of the road. “Almost there” I thought, sprawling over my handlebars in an effort to keep from falling off. I crossed the line completely spent; I think the most exhausted I’ve ever felt after a TT. Yes, after only 7 km. I hadn’t even gone that hard! Apparently my efforts the previous weekend had a beneficial effect on my fitness (although not necessarily reflected in how I was feeling). Somehow, the results showed me finishing second, only 9 seconds behind teammate Jessi Prinner. At 18 years old, she can have those 9 seconds. I’m taking a nap.
Stage 2: Road Race
The afternoon stage (after a long hot shower and rejuvenating nap) was three laps of a 22-mile course for a smidge over 100 km—but with five substantial climbs each lap, some quite steep, the course was testing. The first lap was relatively uneventful as we mostly got familiar with the course and each other. On the second lap, teammate Jessi started putting in some little digs on the hills. By the third climb, 10 km into the second lap, Jessi attacked and this time riders started falling off her wheel. I punched it around the fading riders up to her. Liz So (Team TATI) caught my wheel as we crested the hill onto 5 km of exposed ridge. Not wanting to drag anyone along the ridge, I sat up. She sat up—I think a bit relieved. As further riders joined us, a few bridge attempts were made, but with Jessi not competing in the omnium, the other riders were complacent to let her go and she quickly powered away out of sight. I bided my time along the ridge until a good chance to escape. I found it in the fast descent off the ridge. At the bottom was a rough rail road crossing immediately followed by a sharp right turn that dropped quickly around the corner shortly followed by a steep climb. A perfect place to attack.
I got a good gap around the sharp corner and could see the bunch chasing hard as I crested the climb. I could also see Jessi up to road. Not really being in the best condition to ride 50 km solo, but also not wanting to endure a test-of-patience race and then take my chances in an unfamiliar technical finish, I opted to plow ahead in an effort to reach Jessi’s wheel. The course was a great breakaway course with the rolling terrain and winding roads ensuring quick cover. Whenever a longer climb loomed in the distance, I could see Jessi up ahead. But I also knew that meant the bunch would soon be able to see me as well. Looking back mid-climb from the spot where I had seen Jessi moments before I could see the bunch just coming into view, still chasing. But my rough measures, that put me closer to Jessi than the bunch was to me. Darn. I was hoping to sit up. Onwards towards Jessi.
Soon my glances behind became open road—and my occasional glimpses of Jessi became less of less frequent. I saw her one last time, on the hill where she had escaped one lap prior. (After the race I found out that the reason I saw her was that on that hill she had dropped her chain and had to stop momentarily to replace it on the ring.) I pushed hard up the climb in renewed hope of joining her, but she and I had no way to communicate on the road. Each time she looked back, seeing an unknown rider chasing, she went harder, uncertain who it was. And then I cracked. Jessi became a dot of the ridge. And then, she was gone.
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| Road Race Podium |
I crept up the hill. I knew the bunch would have a good glimpse of me on the exposed ridge, and I would need to dig deep to get off quickly. Still clear of the bunch, I made it off the ridge, over the tracks. 20 km to go. Winding my way up the next climb, I began to hear the horn of a car, a support car, in the distance behind me. “Oh no,” I thought, “I’m caught.” Glancing behind I saw a single rider snaking around the corner, climbing strong and closing fast. That looks like ABD kit. Too far away to tell. Then I realized, that car’s way too flash for the women’s race (the men’s Pro/1/2 field gets the flash cars). Phew! The approaching rider was fellow ABD-er Ben Damhoff, off the front of the men’s field, accompanied by the men’s lead car. He blew past on the descent with a wave. Behind him, quiet, empty road.
One more climb. Two more men come past. Empty road behind. 10 km to go. It’s all downhill from here! Except (GASP) for that last (GASP) little (GASP) kicker right before town. Home stretch now. Not much left in the tank. How absolutely lovely to be able to enjoy the finishing straight and cruise over the finish line. Another one-two for ABD.
Stage 3: Criterium
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| Criterium Podium |
The final stage of the Tour of Galena omnium was a 50 minute criterium on a flat, 1-km course in the heart of Galena’s downtown district on Sunday afternoon. With Jessi back at home celebrating her high school graduation and me securely leading the omnium, the goal for the day was to move teammate Kristen Meshberg up from sixth to third in the omnium competition—not impossible, but would require a win from Kristen and at least two riders finishing the crit in between her and the third placed rider. Kristen started out hard, attacking off the line and stringing out the field. I countered a lap later, but with competition tight for the lower podium places, the girls weren’t letting anything get away easily. When the pace got a bit too slow, I took the opportunity to attack, staying away for several laps while I collected two primes in a row. Kristen bridged up and we had the ideal break, but I was gassed from my effort and we were soon caught. With the bunch together, Kristen and I took the opportunity to take turns taking the multiple primes—I think there were eight all up. I love crits with heaps of primes! I tried to use a couple of the primes to launch Kristen, but the field was quickly on her wheel. One lap to go and it was down to a bunch sprint. Ironically, had Kristen and I been racing as individuals, one of us would have won the sprint easily. However, in an instance of riders unfamiliar with riding together messing up a sure thing, we finished second and third with Liz So (Team TATI) taking the opportunity to grab the win. The result launched Liz from fourth to second, but was only enough to move Kristen into fourth overall, only three points out of third. We’re learning, and with seven podium spots, including three of four top spots, and the overall win for the weekend, an awesome result for ABD.
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| Omnium Podium |
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