19-29 Jun 2014 Tour of America’s Dairyland

Recovering with chocolate milk. Photo by Tete Course.

As the month of June winds down, the solstice has come and gone, bringing with it the official arrival of summer to the Northern Hemisphere. And that means TOAD! Tour of America’s Dairyland, that is – the largest competitive road series in the US. Eleven consecutive days of fast paced racing: ten 60-minute criteriums and one 53-mile (85-km) road race, all based in towns scattered throughout southeastern Wisconsin. 

Women's peloton on course at TOAD. Photo by On the Rivet

Wisconsin is a huge dairy state, claiming the title of the largest cheese producer in the US since 1910, pumping out fully one quarter of the cheese produced in America, which in turn is the largest producer of cheese in the world, accounting for 26% of the world’s cheese supply. I’d be willing to bet that a good chunk of the cheese produced in Wisconsin gets divvied out on the podium at TOAD each year!

Skylar Schneider (TIBCO) holding one of many cheese wheels won at TOAD. Photo by Tete Course

The series started on Thursday evening. Thunderstorms tailing on the back of a hot and sticky start to the week brought a hairpin turn in the weather that threw everyone for a loop: temperatures dipped down into the mid-50s (low teens), leaving many shivering in the chill air. Vanderkitten started off the series with three riders: me, Liza, and Kate. A decent sized field, early series jitters, and some seriously dodgy pavement made for a squirrely race. Personally I struggled with the frigid air, the chill enough to exacerbate the irritation in my lungs. In the end it was Erica Allar (Colavita) taking line honors to don the leader’s jersey. Liza with a solid start to the series in eighth. 

Liza, Kate, and me at the front at Shorewood. Photo by On the Rivet

Friday the series moved to East Troy where temperatures did another flip to give us hot conditions once again. I had a real breakthrough today health-wise, making it—for the first time since late February—through my warmup without feeling like I was struggling. I loved the fast, flowy course and really enjoyed the race, finally feeling—and riding—a bit more like myself. Tina Pic (Fearless Femme) nabbed the win to take over the series lead, Liza seventh, and Kate right behind in eighth.

A tight fit on course at East Troy. Photo by On the Rivet

Race 3 Saturday evening in Grafton turned chilly once again as National Criterium Calendar (NCC) status attracted additional riders to the line. The race was super aggressive from start to finish with 64 riders on course. Liza, Kate, and I were joined tonight by Lizzie. The highlight of the race was a $1000 prime that saw Liza, Lizzie tucked on her wheel, blast off the front of the bunch on the back side of the course.  I was perfectly positioned to slot in behind Lizzie to deter any chase. Launching off of Liza's wheel, Lizzie was nearly to the line by the time the field rounded the final turn in persuit. In the finish, Sam Schneider (TIBCO) took the win and the overall lead, becoming the third rider in the leader's jersey as many days. Lizzie finished off in fourth place and Kate hot of her wheels in sixth.

Fast racing at Grafton. Photo by On the Rivet

  

Waukesha offered up pleasant temperatures and another big NCC field. A crash in the first 20 minutes of racing brought down Liza, who got right back in the race despite a huge gash (later requiring six stitches), massive bruising on her elbow, and two bloody knees. 

Bloody Liza, post crash, riding a neutral bike. Photo by On the Rivet

I lost position in the restart after the crash and spent much of the remainder of the race fighting to move up. With five laps to go, the pace on, riders strung out single file, the rider in front of me clipped a pedal in turn 5. Her bike flew up, the back wheel skimming my lips as it flipped through the air in front of me. Wow. Needless to say I was a bit stunned. Somehow, I remained upright, but the crash split the field.  A huge chase effort by me, Ash Duben (Guru), and one other rider saw us regain the front bunch, now reduced by half, but the effort blew our legs for the finish. Erica Allar took her second win of the series, Lizzie fifth and a bloody Liza somehow pulling off thirteenth.

Me and Lizzie on course at Waukesha. Photo by On the Rivet

After the race we said goodbye to Kate and Lizzie who headed off to Boise, Idaho, while Liza and I tackled Race 5 in Beloit. The race was fast but slightly less action packed due to the reduced fire power of the smaller field size. At this point, my ability to breathe is improving each day, but the successive days of racing is beginning to take a toll and I begin to feel twinges in my diaphragm, no doubt complaining about the unreasonable demands I’m placing on it. In many ways this is good news because it means I am beginning to be able to breathe more deeply. A mass in my abdomen, removed last year, previously restricted my breathing. Last season was a lot about reconditioning my diaphragm. An early season lung infection this year sent my deep breathing muscles into disuse once again, requiring time to build back up. Another good sign: the race went by quickly. I was surprised to find the lap card reading 2 to go with lots left in my legs--way out of position though. Tina Pic took her second win of the series, but Sam Schneider held on to the jersey, Liza tenth.

Ready to start. Photo by Jono Coulter

Tuesday the series moved to the most technical and probably most challenging venue: Schlitz Park, a tight course with a pinch climb and technical descent. Thirty times up the hill over the course of an hour whittled away the field. One of the men’s teams, Athlete Octane, spurred us on by offering up often highly entertaining primes midway up the hill. Pretty awesome! 

Diana Penuela (Columbia Specialized) collecting her prime from speedo-clad Athlete Octane riders.

After lots of activity, a break of kiwi Jo Keisanowki (TIBCO), Jessi Prinner (Colavita), and Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) eventually disappeared off the front to fill the podium spots, Jo taking the win. My diaphragm decided enough was enough and really cramped up on this race. I hung in there though and punched it hard the final time up the hill, but low confidence kept me from carrying it through the top section.

Following Diana Penuela (Columbia Specialized) up the climb. Photo by Tete Course

The bunch surged, riders scrambling. Liza slotted into position in front of me for fifth wheel, giving her protection from behind (since my leadout remains pretty suboptimal). Single-file, we snaked through the descent, shooting out of the final corner toward the line. Liza held her position in the sprint to take eighth. I lost few spots—due to my current challenge of sprinting like I’m riding through molasses—with three riders passing me nearly on the line to nudge me out of the top 10. Despite a somewhat disappointing finish, I was one of only 19 riders to make the front selection, suggesting good progress on the fitness front.

Liza and me climbing at Schlitz Park. Nicely placed VK banner Jono! Photo by Jono Coulter

Wednesday gave us thick fog for the drive north to the Road America Race Course for Race 7. As a NASCAR track, Road America offers the perfect venue for a road race: no cars, good pavement, sweeping turns built for speed, and a multitude of viewing locations around the undulating 4.4-mile (7-km) circuit. Tiffany joined me and Liza to bolster Vanderkitten’s numbers back up to three for the remainder of the series. 

Me, Tiff, and Liza, ready to race. Photo by Jono Coulter

Tracey Cameron (Fearless Femme) made a gutsy move on lap 1 to go solo for half the race. Vanderkitten put in a big effort to make the race aggressive with lots of attacks, but nothing stuck. Sam Schneider triumphed in the uphill finish, Liza tenth. 

Tracey Cameron (Fearless Femme) attacking on lap 1. Photo by On the Rivet

 

By Race 8 in Oshkosh I was feeling pretty worn out. My building fitness and healing lungs pushed to the limit by the multiple successive days of racing, my lungs felt congested, my throat scratchy, and my spirits downtrodden. I was ready for an early exit to the series. Teammates are great when this happens because they help redirect focus. 

TOAD pace car. Photo by Tete Course

I began to feel better over the course of the race and late in the race finally managed a sharp enough attack to get a gap of the front. Another sign of improving form. After a lap and a half solo I was joined by Lindsay Fox (Cloud Racing). We worked well together to build up a good gap for another five laps. A series of field primes saw us reeled back in with only a lap and a half laps left to race. Tina Pic earned her third series win. Late reshuffling put Tiffany and Liza out of position for thirteenth and fifteenth.

Riders lining up for the start at Oshkosh, Photo by Katie Isermann

I started the next day feeling much better, the hard effort in my legs having turned things around. The short, fast course at Fond du Lac was well-suited for a breakaway; the winning break of three riders was gone within the first 15 min of racing, before I even had a chance to work my way to the front. Mandy Heinz (Fearless Femme), Laura Jorgenson (Mellow Mushroom), and Amy Phillips (Pepper Palace) built up a 40 s lead by midrace. The gap was down to 7 s by the end, but that was more than enough to give Mandy a well-earned win, Liza ninth, and Tiff fifteenth. 

Announcer Brad Sohner getting comfortable on stage. Photo by On the Rivet

Downer Ave on Saturday, with a long reputation as a spectacular venue, did not disappoint this year. Spectators lined the entire course to cheer us on, and it was so awesome to hear so many cries of ‘Go Jeannie!’ all throughout the race! 

All sorts of racing at Downer Ave!

Being a Saturday, the field swelled again to over 60. Attacks went all throughout the race, but things really heated up in the last 10 laps, where the prime bell rang every other time around. I was able to counter an attack by Liza to jump off the front through the start-finish straight, Liza in perfect position to deter any chasers. Just then, a $400 prime was announced. I went all in to stay away for the lap, holding off the chase by barely half a wheel to take the prime. And blowing myself apart in the effort.

Barely holding on for a big prime at Downer. The two catching are going much faster than I am. The rest of the field is approaching fast, just out of view.

I dug so deep, I resigned to pulling out of the race after the prime. Funny thing though. The field was so strung out that by the time the tail end came past I was able to tag on long enough to recover and get back in the race. The effort wasn’t enough for a top finish though. I still struggle to muster up enough wattage for a decent sprint. Erica Allar powered to win number three, Liza eleventh.

Single file at Downer Ave. Photo by Philip Shama

 

The final race in East Tosa on Sunday was just as fan-packed as Downer, with a massive crowd out to watch the finale of the tour. The race was aggressive from the start, with the front of the field shooting off the start line like a comet, the field in a long tail behind. Tiff took a huge flier but was eventually reeled in. 

Tiff attacking off the front early in the race. Photo by Chis Butson www.dromomania.net

Lots of attacks later, Mandy Heinz (Fearless Femme), Laura Jorgenson (Mellow Mushroom), and Amy Phillips (Pepper Palace) slipped off the front. Liza led the chase in a small group that eventually fell apart. I countered with a solo bridge attempt that lasted several laps, but I didn’t have the legs required and eventually rejoined the field. 

Attempting to bridge to the break. Photo by On the Rivet

The trio stayed away, Mandy earning her second win of the series. Liza and I finished tenth and eleventh, with Liza finishing sixth overall in the series. Sam Schneider (TIBCO) took the overall win, retaining the leader’s jersey for eight days of the series, her younger sister Skylar (TIBCO) winning the amateur jersey. 

Selection of jerseys for multiple different categories at TOAD.

 

Some huge ups and downs emotionally and physically, but overall incredible progress for me! Congrats to the whole TOAD crew to put on an exciting, safe, and professional series. A huge effort goes into putting on a series like TOAD, and the group at Midwest Cycling Series do an amazing job. Thank you to all the sponsors, officials, volunteers, riders, and supporters who make this series possible. I’m grateful to my teammates, including team director Jono Coulter, and most especially Liza Rachetto, who kept me positive throughout the series. Also to announcer Todd Busteed for huge support from the stage—I’m still working on that podium! and to Laura Van Gilder for being a wonderful person and supportive friend. A huge thank you to John Fleckenstein who was an incredible host, wonderful travel companion, and generous supporter throughout the series. I am so grateful for all the cheers and support I received over the course of the 11 days--quite possible the voices of Paul, Jake, and Josh Shilling the loudest among them. Thank you also to Jimmy Campbell at On the Rivet Photography for so many of the awesome photos included here.

Big effort at East Tosa. Photo by On the Rivet