11 Sep Benchmark Round 2 (Healing Old Wounds)

Back in New Zealand after 13 weeks of crit racing in the US, a bit of a break from racing is in order. But not quite yet. Two weeks after returning home, some unfinished business beckoned.

Round Two Tasman Team: Brian, Garry, Warrick, Chris,
Daniel, Sean, and Jeannie with Kieran on camera duty

Three and a half years ago, I crashed badly in Round Two of the Benchmark Homes Series in Timaru, making an ambulance exit from the race. Given the severity of the crash, I was extremely lucky to come off with a concussion, broken collar bone, and some missing skin. I don’t recall much about the event, having hit the ground more or less head-first and blacked out for some time, conveniently coming to just before the ambulance arrived (= short wait!), but it hangs over my head as the race I didn’t finish. That is, until now. This year, the Benchmark Homes Series returned to Timaru for the first time since 2008, and with it my chance to finally finish the race.

Saturday afternoon, I met up with my Tasman teammates: Brian, Chris N, Daniel, Sean, Tom N, and Warrick, and Managers Garry and Kieran, himself healing from a broken collarbone suffered when a car drove into him while he was racing in France, and together we made the long drive down from Nelson to Timaru. Rain forecast for Sunday thankfully held off. Roads remained dry and we were presented with an overcast but otherwise beautiful day. Temps were a chilly but constant 13 °C (40 °F) and the winds fairly innocuous—especially for a Benchmark race.

View of Centennial Park Timaru, Photo by Steve Attwood

After 3 months of flat, smooth roads and short, fast racing in the US, 115 km of mixed rolling terrain, punchy climbs, and long false flats on rough New Zealand chip was going to be a challenge despite good fitness. The course was the same as in 2008, a short 15 km lap through the narrow, windy and scenic roads of Centennial Park, followed by three 33-km laps through rural Timaru. With 96 starters from 15 teams, including 12 females and plenty of top-notch riders returning from over-seas, the race promised to be full of excitement.

And exciting it was—right from the start. As per usual with Benchmark races, the pace was fast from the drop of the flag, with lots of teams keen to establish riders in a break. Luck was not on my side and I punctured less than 30 km into the race. I pulled off the road for a wheel change and Garry and Kieran were at my side in an instant, ready with a new rear wheel in hand. Unfortunately, while we completed the swap, the bunch disappeared in the distance, blasting away from us at over 60 kph, carrying momentum from the biggest descent of the course. Not good timing. With no chance of regaining the leaders, I was lucky to rejoin a small group of eight, including fellow Tasman rider and current series leader Karen Fulton (Team Orbea). With a badly synched gears and over 80 km left to go, company was much appreciated!

Brian descending

Bike NZ rider Lauren Ellis (Warmup Pushbikes), carrying excellent form from several months of racing in the States, held on to the front group of guys to take the win, while Corrinne Smit (Cycling Otago) put in an impressive ride for second. Karen and I finished together, duking it out in a sprint for third. Both being from Tasman, Karen and I race together regularly and she normally kicks my butt in a sprint. This time, with Karen just back on the road after a bit of a break, the roles were switched. I grabbed third with Karen finishing fourth, enough to maintain her series lead.

So, while the race didn’t quite go as well as hoped, a puncture is definitely an upgrade from a crash any day. Most importantly, mission accomplished. After three and a half years, I finally finished the race. The team put in an awesome effort with Daniel Ellison finishing 6^th, Chris Nicholson 9^th, and Warrick Spence hanging on to the Masters Leader’s Jersey.

21 Aug Tour de Gaslight

While this race report is well overdue, accounts of our US visit just wouldn’t be complete without a report on our last race, Tour de Gaslight. We’re back in New Zealand now, back to work—the main reason for the long delay in writing this report!—and nearly adjusted to the chilly spring temps (in contrast to the sultry heat of a Midwest summer). The venue for Tour de Gaslight was East Grand Rapids, in southwest Michigan, where the downtown area, the recent recipient of a $50 million refurbishing project, is known of Gaslight Village—a fabulous setting for exciting day filled with crit racing.

Gaslight Village downtown

With the long flight back to New Zealand only two days away, no sense in going home with lots of energy in reserve. I decided to go out with a smash fest, racing two races on the day. As I was registering for my two races, good friend John Fleckenstein showed up at the registration table. After inquiring about the cost of doing two races, he asked the volunteer seated there, “How much for the third race?” She paused a moment to think (apparently not a common question), and then said, “Well, if you’re crazy enough to do three I suppose you can have the third race for $10.” “She’ll do it,” John replied with a grin, gesturing in my direction as he placed a ten dollar bill on the table. What!? What a minute. Don’t I get a say here? But John is not someone you argue with. Three races it was. 

Me and Jane blowing kisses to our adoring fans

John and his partner Jane helped to make the weekend extra special by joining us in Michigan, making the long drive over from Wisconsin. John is a truly special friend who has played a crucial role in our racing endeavors in the US. In fact, it was John’s incredible generosity that got us started with our trans-country adventures, loaning us a bicycle in our first year racing in the states. This year my awesome Trek Madone was provided by my wonderful sponsors ABD Cycling Club and Prairie Path Cycles.In my first race of the day, I didn’t quite do my awesome bike justice, having one of the worst races of my US season—with the exception perhaps of Nature Valley but that doesn’t count because I was so unwell! Anyway, sometimes that’s the way racing goes. Despite good form and careful preparation, the race doesn’t always come together.
 

After a long day on Saturday at the Grand Cycling Classic, we dragged ourselves out of bed, not quite ready for the early morning start. On the road, we discovered that our directions lacked sufficient detail and we ended up slightly disoriented, taking a bit longer to find our destination than expected. With time short when we arrived, Brian got everything set up for me while I picked up my race numbers at registration. Three (!) numbers in hand, I headed back to the car to start my warm-up, plenty of time to spare…

Women's race. Me and my Trek Madone are
on the far right, Kristen is far left.

Except that my legs were like concrete and I could have used another 30 min of spinning to coax them into the effort ahead. But more time I didn’t have. The call to lineup came, the gun went off, and the women’s race got underway. With a smaller field than the previous day and the absence of pro riders, the pace was down a notch, but heaps of primes kept the race exciting and animated. With a $100 prime in the first couple of laps, I quickly confirmed my legs to be quite grumpy and lacking zap from digging deep the previous day (go figure!). I think teammates Kristen and Sarah were feeling pretty much the same way. With all the primes, I burned plenty of matches that I didn't have. Excitement came when late in the race, Kristen put in an awesome effort, jumping out of the bunch with excellent timing just as everyone was tiring from all the intermediate sprints. But after one lap with her off the front, the bunch got antsy and I didn’t quite have enough fire power to cover all the chase attempts. Kristen was reeled back in and we were all together with one lap to go. All was good heading into the final corner where I sat in excellent position third wheel. But dead legs meant slow response to a late attack from behind and a disappointing 5^th-place finish with Kristen and Sarah not far behind in 11^th and 14^th.

Podium boys! John, me and Brian.

A bit of a bummer race, but fortunately not much time to dwell on it. A quick bite to eat and two hours later I was back on the line to race the men's 35+ race, this time teaming up with Brian, John and Kristen. Although my legs felt heaps better, this race was definitely the hardest of the day! The pace was full on straightaway with lots of attacking off the front. I was really enjoying the race (except for the times when my heart rate was through the roof!) until about three-quarters of the way through when my water bottle popped out of the cage and wedged between my wheel and the chainstay of my frame. What are the chances! The bottle fell out after a few seconds, but not before bending a spoke, making my rear wheel untrue. After a few laps on my now wobbly wheel, I opted to pull out in favour of getting a more functional wheel for the very next race—my third of the day—the 45+.

John smashing it on the front

Fifteen minutes to swap wheels (and recover a bit) and I was on the line again. This one was a bit shorter than the 35+ with a somewhat smaller field and just John to team up with. Brian’s not quite old enough for the 45+, but as a woman, I can race in men’s categories up to 20 years my senior. The lactic acid was starting to build up by now and although I didn't have much left in my legs, I had my most enjoyable race of the day helping John—trying to anyway! One rider got off the front. Despite big efforts from both me and John as well as a few others to chase him down, he stayed away and earned a solo win. I hung on in the bunch for 18th and John won the bunch kick for 2nd!

More or less immediately after the finish, Brian and I hopped in the car (skipping even a post-race ice cream) and headed 5 hours back to Illinois, arriving just in time for bed. Monday was filled to the brim with packing and preparations for our flight back to New Zealand. Tuesday we were off without a hitch, perhaps having built up enough credits from our disastrous trip over. Three smooth flights and back home. Summing up the trip in numbers: 13 weeks, 5 states, 40 races, 18 podiums, 7 teammate podiums, 5 weeks of illness, 2 doctor visits, 1 trip to the ER, lots of Breyers mint chocolate chip ice cream, no crashes. Awesome!!

ABD Women's Team 2011: Elena, Kristen, Jessi,
Jeannie, and Sarah

Humungous Thank Yous to my parents for their incredible support; John Fleckenstein and Jane Ore for their wonderful friendship; Mike Farrell, ABD Cycling Club, and Prairie Path Cycles for the awesome sponsorship; team manager Mike Ebert for his dedication to the team; teammates Stacy Appelwick, Jessi Prinner, Elena Dorr, Kristen Meshberg, and Sarah Demerly for the comraderie; my mom, Aunt Janet, and Laurie Stewart and her mom Marge for helping me to get healthy; Gayle Brownlee for helping to make our cancelled flight far less disastrous; and the Kuhajeks, Grant-Alderinks, Stewarts, Dorrs, Callaghans, and John Fleckenstein for host housing.