1-12 Aug 2014 Tour of Utah – Making History

Vanderkittens in Utah: Kate, Amy, Tiffany, and me. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

2014 season marks a pivotal year for women’s road cycling. The formation of the Women’s Cycling Association brought a voice to the advancement of the interests of female cyclists. Hot on its heels, the April release of Kathryn Bertine’s documentary film Half the Road, exploring the world of women’s professional cycling, has brought attention to the huge gender disparity in the sport of cycling. Some progress is evidenced in the recent announcement by USA Cycling requiring equal payouts for men and women in 2015 NCC races.

This year saw the UK’s first women’s professional stage race with ‘The Women’s Tour’ (the name itself highlights big problems in the sport), women returning to the Champs-Elysées for the first time since 1989 with ‘La Course’, and, for the first time in its 10-year history, a women’s race as part of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, one the biggest men’s races in the US.

Training ride up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

 The Tour of Utah women’s races comprised two separate events: the Zappos.com Cedar City Grand Prix, organized by ex-pro racer Nicky Wangsgard, and the Tour of Utah Women’s Edition, organized by DNA Cycling Team Manager Alex Kim. The team introduction ceremony for the men’s tour offered an excellent opportunity for women to take the stage to discuss the barriers in women’s cycling and to share the current movement towards parity in the sport.

Talking about gender equality in cycling. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

 As expected, an impressive line-up toed the line at Cedar City, the call-ups stacked with current and previous national and world champions. At 5840 ft (1780 m), altitude factored in. And a stiff headwind through the slightly uphill start-finish straight played a supporting role as well, the three together whittling away a quarter of the field over the 60-minute race. 

Vanderkittens in the mix: Tiffany, Amy in the middle, and Kate and me on the right. Photo by Deb Hill

Vanderkitten represented with four riders: me, Kate, Amy, and Tiffany. For me, personally, the race was an absolute sufferfest! Completely my fault. I really should respect the constraints of altitude!

Me and Tiffany at Cedar City Grand Prix.

I concentrated on going for the three primes (I didn’t get any – but definitely hurt myself trying!) and making sure VK was represented in any breaks. I rode the race way too aggressively given my lack of acclimation to the lower oxygen levels and only recently healed lungs. By the end of the race, my lungs burned with the same intensity that I felt all the way back in April. Yikes!

The attack that really hurt me! Alison Powers hot on my heals. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

Despite an active and exciting race, the wide, four-corner course favored a bunch finish. With just over one lap remaining, too many riders scrambling for position at the front of the bunch resulted in a collision between Kate and another rider. Both stayed upright, but the contact rendered both of their bikes unrideable. Slowed by the scuffle, Amy and I were gapped off as the speed at front of the race surged for the final lap. Tiffany fought hard for a top 10 finish, placing 7th, while Amy and I chased furiously to claim 12th and 14th, earning us top team (unofficially - Thanks to Greg Bliss for pointing this out!). National Champion Alison Powers (UHC) ruled the day with the win, followed by Sam Schneider (TIBCO) and cycling legend Tina Pic (DNA Cycling). Olivia Dillon (Colavita) took the points jersey and UHC, Most Aggressive Team.

Cedar City GP podium: Sam Schneider (TIBCO), Alison Powers (UHC), Tina Pic (DNA)

 For the second race, the Tour of Utah Women’s Edition, we headed north to the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. The 2.2-mile course offered smooth pavement and fast corners on a rolly, exposed landscape.

Tooele Valley Utah. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

 The wind proved a real detriment as several riders (including me) attempted solo escaped, only to be brought back in more by the elements than any serious action from the bunch. A last minute mechanical meant limited warmup time for me, forcing me to sit in for the early laps of the race. Probably a good thing! In my hunt for primes, my efforts were thwarted in my first two attempts, but I finally found success on the last one of the day.

Attacking the bunch at Tooele. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

Breanne Nalder (DNA Racing) earned Most Aggressive Rider with the biggest effort of the race, going solo for about 5 laps late in the race before being drawn back in by a concerted chase from UHC and Colavita. The twisty finish and lack of control at the front of the bunch resulted in a mass of riders vying for the line. Coryn Rivera’s (UHC) superior sprinting prowess reigned supreme, with Mandy Heinz (Guru) and Meredith Miller (Pepper Palace) catching her draft for second and third. Kate and Tiffany were in the mix, but with mere millimeters separating the swarm of riders in the finish came up 10^th and 11^th, Amy and I right behind to give us second team behind TIBCO.

  

Kate and Tiffany lining it up. Photo by Cotton Sox Photography

We were fortunate to be able to race a second race, later on the same day, on a different part of the race track. The Chase Pinkham Memorial was organized to honor and celebrate the life of Chase Pinkham, a talented young Utah rider who died earlier this year. Travel constraints meant a much reduced field for this second race and we took the opportunity to really tear it up. Between the three of us (Kate was out of the race early with a mechanical), a Vanderkitten was off the front for the majority of the race. Countering a solo effort from Amy, I launched on the bell lap, digging deep with all that I had left in the legs. The wind made solo efforts costly though and efforts from earlier in the day were starting to wear. I didn’t quite have enough in the tank and was caught on the final corner, less than 200 m from the line. The finish came down to a drag race sprint between Coryn and Tiff; Coryn taking the win, Tiff second and Amy third. Nevertheless, one of the funnest races I done this season!

Fun times hanging out with DNA Cycling.

 I owe humongous thank yous to Alex and Cathy Kim for their amazing generosity during my stay in Utah, making me feel not only a member of their cycling team, but one of their family. I am grateful to Tyson Greenman and Robbie Milne at Wasatch Bike Support amazing (and fast!) bicycle service. Thank you to Nicky Wangsgard, Annette Canfield, and Cami Mathews, and title sponsorship from Zappos.com for making the Cedar City Grand Prix happen, and to Elise Leahy and Herb White Cedar City host housing; to Larry H. Miller Group Play and Hard Give Back for providing title sponsorship and to Alex Kim for a mammoth effort in making the Tour of Utah Women’s Edition possible; to Cathy Kim for so many amazing photographs; to Alex and Cathy for Salt Lake City host housing; to Jared Eborn and Extra Mile Racing for creating the Chase Pinkham Memorial Crit to honor a fallen rider; to my parents, Eugene and Peggy Kuhajek, and my awesome friend Rebecca Kron for making possible my travel to Utah.