Oct-Dec 2011 Spring Racing in NZ

Winning the 2011 Armstrong Festival Criterium.

From summer to spring. Not bad. We're heading to summer racing here in New Zealand. Here's what we've been up to on the road.

21-23 Oct NZ Masters Games

Lami warming up for the Masters Games kermese
Friday evening.

After returning from 12 full-on weeks of racing in the states, we’ve had a fairly quiet spring. This year’s New Zealand Masters Games was held in Nelson in Oct. With the event right here in our own backyard, Lami and I decided to check it out. Over three days of racing, we were treated to all four seasons, from baking heat to gusting winds to chilling rain. Between us we collected three gold and three silver medals. Not bad. The Tasman Wheelers did a fabulous job hosting. I’ve heard rumors that the event will be returning to Nelson next year. 

29 Oct K1 / K2

The last weekend in October, we headed up to the Coromandel Peninsula for K2(www.arcevents.co.nz), touted as the toughest one-day cycle race in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also one of the most scenic and varied with the route travelling through subtropical forest, pacific coastlines and rural farmland. The event is further unique in that it incorporates four different start cities, starting in a different town each year. You have to race it four times to experience all four routes. Definitely recommended!

The event is named after Kuaotunu, a community on the wild eastern coastline of the Coromandel Peninsula. In Maori, the name Kuaotunu means “to inspire fear in young animals.”  The 2 represents the almost 200 km that the ride covers. By coincidence K2 is the 2nd highest, and probably the most difficult to climb, mountain in the world.

Gayle, Jeannie & Lami in Auckland

 
Lami had a great race finishing 4^th in the Masters Division, while I also finished 4^th in the Elite Women’s Race, K1. We had a fabulous time hanging out with our friend Gayle Brownlee, how took excellent care of us over the weekend. The best part of the weekend (for Lami anyway) was the espresso machine that he inherited from Gayle’s mom!

 

Benchmark Homes Round 4 Winning Team: Tom Filmer,
Chris Sharland, Chris Nicholson, Brian Grant, Warrick
Spence, Dean Fulton, Jeannie Kuhajek

19 Nov Benchmark 4

In November we raced the final round on the 2011 Benchmark Homes Series, the Oxford Grand Prix. The Tasman Team had an all around fabulous day with team leader Chris Nicholson taking 2^nd in the men’s race and me winning the women’s race. Strong placings by the rest of the team gave us the winning team for the day and second team overall for the series.

9-11 Dec Crit Champs & Harbour Ride

For my birthday weekend in December I headed up to Auckland to race in the National Criterium Champs (www.smartsport.co.nz) at Takapuna (while Lami held down the fort at home). The crowd turnout was awesome with loads of people stacked all along the start/finish straight. 

Leading the chase in the National Crit Champs at Takapuna

With strong winds and long, exposed straights, the course didn’t quite suit me and, after a busy week at work, my legs did not want to race. Serena Sheridan (Mico Protrain) rode a great race, riding off the front in various breakaways for most of the race. Once the bunch reeled her in, Pip Sutton launched with about a lap and a half to go, holding on to claim the Championship Jersey in style. Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita) and Kaytee Boyd (BikeNZ) took second and third in a close sprint and I somehow snuck in on Kaytee’s wheel for fourth. 


First bunch heading across the Harbour Bridge.

Sunday morning was an early start with the TelstraClear Challenge Harbour Ride (www.telstraclearchallenge.co.nz) scheduled to kick of at 5:50 am. Unfortunately the start was delayed and we spent quite a long time waiting on the start line. Finally, a bit after 7:00, we headed away as the first group of cyclists to ride over Auckland’s Harbour Bridge. Gusty, frigid cross winds made the crossing not all too pleasant, but once off the bridge we were on our way and racing. The constant up-and-down terrain over 110 km was a real challenge to already grumpy legs. Combined with an upset stomach I had a less than stellar race, finishing 10^th—although the field was pretty classy so no complaints.Emma Crum earned the win with a strong ride from beginning to end. The ride also doubled as a fund raser for multiple sclerosis, raising over $90,000. Thanks to every who contributed. Marion Webb was an incredible host. Thanks so much for the wonderful time!

3-4 Dec Armstrong Festival

The highlight of my spring racing was the first weekend in December when we headed down to Christchurch for the Armstrong Motor Group Festival of Cycling (www.festivalofcycling.co.nz), a Saturday-Sunday road race-criterium pairing. The Armstrong Festival has faced some enormous challenges this year with February’s earthquake wiping out the courses for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races. Rather than being discouraged, Simon Hollander and the team at Tailwind Events put in a colossal effort to establish new routes and make this year’s Festival possible. Lami put in two solid days of racing, but with the lack of big hills on the new course, the racing wasn’t quite his style, finishing mid-bunch each day. However, putting in multiple attacks both days, he made the racing challenging for the other riders. In the Women’s race, I had a great start to the road race on Saturday, grabbing the Peak Fuel hill climb prize. The race was fairly dynamic but in the end came down to a bunch sprint. After touching wheels with another rider as we scrambled for position, I was forced to sit up in the sprint and rolled across the line in 10^th. The following day, I made up for it with what I would consider my best race to date. Taking advantage of the tight technical course well suited to my riding style, I was able to escape from the bunch about half-way through the race. Determined, I dug deep and held the gap for an awesome solo finish!

Armstrong Festival Criterium Podium: Sequoia
Cooper, Jeannie Kuhajek, Emily Collins

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.

20 Aug Grand Cycling Classic

Our final weekend of racing in the US, Brian and I finished things off with another Michigan weekend, this time back in Southwestern Michigan near Lami’s hometown of Holland for two one-day races in the Grand Rapids area. Saturday’s race was the Herman Miller Grand Cycling Classic, featuring National Race Calendar status, a big prize purse and a high-class field—including defending champion Kiwi Joanne Kiesonowski (TIBCO). With Jessi heading off to Texas to start her first year at University the week before, Stacy off the bike for some time in favor of recovery, and Elena, a trackie-convert in her first year on the road, not yet eligible for NRC races, ABD was represented by me, Kristen, and Sarah.

Officials were forced to stop the men's race as storms
battered the course.

A severe thunderstorm added interest to the day, wreaking havoc on the men’s pro race as sudden massive gusts blew barriers into the path of riders. The US National Pro Crit Championship, the men’s race was run as the first race of the day in a topsy-turvy format. As high winds and pounding rain blasted the venue and lightening streaked the sky, officials were forced to interrupt the race midway. In preparation for the weather, Lami and I parked under an overpass, protected from the drenching downpour, where we enjoyed the lightening display. Kristen and Sarah, arriving separately, opted to park on the street and unfortunately got caught in the deluge on the way to registration. Fortunately they had a warm place to dry off and wait out the storm.

Moments after stopping the men's race, a gust of wind
brought the finish banner crashing to the ground.

After an hour or so, with the worst of the rains past, the men’s race was resumed. They had about 45 min of racing left, giving time for the roads to dry a bit before the start of the women’s race which followed. The unusual format of the men’s pro race early in the day resulted in huge crowds lining the course to cheer us on as we zipped around the 1.2 km 6-turn course. A mixture of surfaces, nearly equal parts pavement, blacktop, and brick, made the course tricky in the wet. Fortunately, things were quickly drying out.

Right from the gun, the race was fast-paced and exciting. My kind of racing! Not nearly as fast-paced and exciting as Elk Grove, however, with smaller rosters from the big teams TIBCO and Colavita at four riders each and mostly individual riders making up the rest of the field. I burned a big match early on, taking the first prime of the day. Then, getting just nipped on the line for another one several laps later, I decided I’d better concentrate on saving something for the finish—either that or risk my race deteriorating into an all- out, miserable suffer fest pretty darn quick.

Women's peloton with cycling legend and second-place
finisher Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom)
pushing the pace.

The race was animated by TIBCO, who obviously wanted a breakaway, and well controlled by Colvita, who obviously wanted a bunch finish. I made several attempts to get into breaks that looked promising, but with Colavita not working, nothing stuck. In the end, Colavita took control, lining up all four of their riders on the front with three laps to go. Setting a blistering pace, they won the race in textbook-fashion, delivering Michigan-native Theresa Cliff-Ryan to the line for the win.

With the tempo high—legs burning, eyes bulging—moving up in the bunch can be difficult. A good finish, especially for mediocre sprinters such as myself, is critically dependent on good position on the final lap. My position on the final lap was not so great (behind ultimate winner Theresa would have been great!). I gained a few spots on the final turn into the start/finish straight, sneaking into the top-ten in ninth spot. Since I tend to like the racing part of racing, and not so much the finishing, top 10 works for me.

Riding next to eventual winner Theresa Cliff-Ryan
(Colovita) with Kiwi Joanne Kiesonowski (TIBCO)
on Theresa's wheel.

Teammates Sarah and Kristen both ran into a touch of bad luck. Early in the race, Sarah discovered her hub was dodgy. Combined with the wet roads, the bad hub made for a disconcerting ride. She pulled into the pit for a new wheel but after the wheel change received a bad push-in (meaning that as the bunch passed the pit, the mechanic pushed her in to the race too late for her to get up to speed in time to get into the draft of the bunch and reintegrate into the race). As a result, she spent a number of laps (and lots of energy) chasing. Kristen had an exciting race, feeling better and better after a challenging season, but the finish is a constant nemesis (in my opinion anyway!). Running into traffic, she got pinched in the final corner, and, grabbing a whole handful of brakes, crossed the line in 20^th.

Later in the day, roads completely dry but new, threatening clouds building on the horizon, Brian raced in the men’s maters race alongside Mack teammate John Fleckenstein. John was in an exciting two-rider break for the better part of the first half of the race. Despite working well together, the pair was eventually reeled in. Lami followed with multiple attacks and escape attempts, but all in vain as the finish came down to a bunch sprint. John put in a great sprint to take 8^th with Lami sprinting (yes, sprinting!) in for 13^th.

5-7 Aug Tour of Elk Grove

The Tour of Elk Grove is another special race for me as the only race I’ve done every year since I started racing. When I raced it for the first time in 2007 as an entry-level rider, I got a taste of my first bunch sprint. I’ve experienced a few more bunch sprints since then (!), but haven’t gotten all that much better at them! Every year I’ve raced it, Elk Grove has ended in a very long, leg busting, lung burning bunch sprint. This year was no different.

Over the past several years, Tour of Elk Grove has struggled with format for the women’s race, evolving from a one-day race to two successive one-day races two years ago to a three-day three-stage tour this year. 2011 National Race Calendar status and an attractive prize pool brought some of the country’s top pro teams. The tour began with a challenging 7 km, five-turn time trial Friday afternoon followed by two 50 min crits on Saturday and Sunday.

Stage Three finish. I am just about to cross the line.
Leadout rider Theresa Cliffe-Ryan (Colavita), to
my right, is celebrating her teammate's victory.

The tour itself was relatively unremarkable from the perspective of the ABD women. With the two top teams, TIBCO and Colavita, starting eight riders each, the race was a sea of TIBCO and Colavita jerseys dominated by the tactics of those two teams. Our best result came on Sunday when I was able to maintain good position going into the final sprint and held on for sixth place. And I do mean held on. Compared with raw power some of these girls can produce over a long sprint, the mediocrity of my sprinting ability was difficult to overlook. Nonetheless, sixth is not a bad result for me in a bunch sprint of that caliber.

 Canadian Anne Semplonius (NOW MS Society) won the Stage One time trial by 6 s over National Race Calendar leader Janel Holcomb (Colavita), but patience and teamwork earned Colavita the tour win with Canadian National Crit Champion Leah Kirchman (Colavita) taking the victory in both crits, giving her enough time bonuses to move from 7th place overall, 18 s back after Stage One, to 1st by narrow 2 s in a narrow, nail-biting final finish.

The real story of the weekend came off the bike, however. With Sarah not delivering on the drama front with the usual travel catastrophe, Stacy decided to pick up the slack and create a drama of her own—this one taking the cake, topping the high standard set by my emergency room visit at Nature Valley in June and one that I hope no one will attempt to outdo.

After the contrast of blitzing the field in a local time trial Saturday morning and then struggling through Stage Two on Saturday afternoon with stomach pains and various other general protests from an unhappy body, Stacy traded Stage 3 on Sunday for a visit to the hospital where a CT scan revealed a subdural haematoma on BOTH sides of her brain. How long the hematomas had been there and exactly what caused them is uncertain, but what is certain is that they had been causing increasing pressure on Stacy’s brain for months.

Stacy’s symptoms earned her priority status. She was immediately admitted to surgery where she was treated to not one but two holes drilled in EACH side of her skull to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure. Yikes. After four days in the hospital, Stacy is home recovering, banned from racing for quite some time. Get well very soon Stacy!

30 Jul Grayslake Cycling Classic

Now in its sixth year, the 2007 Grayslake Cycling Classic was the very first criterium I ever raced—and the first I ever won! Being a new rider, I rode the entry level race. The following year, I repeated the victory in the entry level race, this time as a masters rider, and later in the day tried my luck against the ‘big girls,’ placing third in the Women’s Open race. The winner? None other than now ABD teammate Kristen Meshburg. I missed the race in 2009 (won once again by Kristen in dominant fashion), but returned in 2010 to win the Women’s Open in a sprint out with now teammate Stacy Appelwick, with the duel initiating an awesome friendship with Stacy.



Elena, Stacy, and Jeannie

This year, a change of plans left the ABD team calendar without a race on for the weekend. With Grayslake being a bit of a special race for me as my first crit, and so close at only 25 miles from my parents’ house, it didn’t take long for me to decide to race. Hoping to get in some good training in preparation for a couple of hardcore races scheduled in the next few weeks, I decided to ride the hour and a half to the race. Good thing I did because with major construction along the way and the County Fair on, I think riding got me there faster than driving!

Not expecting to see any of my teammates, I was excited to almost run into Stacy who was driving in just as I arrived at the course. Only moments later Elena arrived as well. And ABD was three! The race got off to a good start with Amelia Moore (xXx Racing) setting a fast pace on the front. On lap two, the MC announced the first prime of the day. I decided to string out the field through the more technical back side of the course and ramped up the speed heading into turn two of the nine-turn course. I exited the turns with a good gap on the field, with Francine Haas (Alberto’s) jumping out of the peloton in pursuit. Francine’s chase obligated me to push a bit harder. Francine responded in turn by pushing a bit harder, so I too pushed a bit harder. As the start/finish line neared, Francine backed off and I went across with a good gap behind me to grab the prime.

Now came decision time. Being so early into the race on a hot day and after having already ridden nearly 2 hours (and still having 40 min of racing and a 1.5 h ride home in front of me), did I really want the massive effort of a solo ride? No. Definitely not. But with disorganization in the bunch behind as multiple riders put in solo attempts to bridge the gap, individual pursuit was the best bet. I did say I wanted to get in a good hard training ride… So head down I went, straight into time trial mode.

Grayslake podium: Beth, Jeannie, Stacy

Plans all came together when about midrace Stacy was able to escape from the group and bridge across the gap. I was relieved to get word from Wayne Simon who was cheering madly inside the course (Thanks Wayne!) that Stacy was in hot pursuit. I enjoyed the respite from the hard pace as I let up for a bit to wait for Stacy. Once she made contact, we were straight into time trial mode, working perfectly together. Stacy led me out for the win with her second for an exciting ABD 1-2. In the bunch sprint, ABD just missed a podium sweep by a hair, with Elena getting nipped on the line in an excellent finish by Beth Engwis (Project 5 Racing) to take an awesome fourth.

The most exciting part of the day, however, was Stacy’s nonchalant announcement, “Oh, by the way, I’m getting married tomorrow.” Congratulations Stacy and Chris! You two are wonderful individuals and truly wonderful together.

23-24 Jul Michigan Challenge Weekend

With nothing better to do for the weekend, Jessi and I decided to hop in the car and drive 6 hours east to Flint Michigan – for racing of course! On tap, the Michigan Challenge weekend, a road race-criterium pairing for a two day omnium.

Flint, located in southeast Michigan about 100 km northwest of Detroit, is the birthplace in 1908 of US car manufacturing giant General Motors. Once an epicenter for automobile manufacturing, Flint is now a symbol of the decline of the auto industry in the US following the closure of several of Flint’s GM manufacturing plants in the 1980’s. Due primarily to downsizing of GM facilities to just 10% of the 1970’s workforce, Flint’s population has plummeted, falling from nearly 200,000 at its peak in the 1960’s to 102,000 in the 2010 census. The impact of the GM closures on the area was documented by Michael Moore, a Flint area native, in the film Roger and Me. Combined with the current economic downturn in the US, the closures have resulted in extensive urban decay. The signs of abandonment and disrepair were obvious as we encountered numerous boarded-up buildings and bank-owned businesses in our search for somewhere to dine Friday after arriving in town.

Vehicle City arch in downtown Flint

Once in Flint, Jessi and I met up with teammate Sarah, a Michigan native who, in a happy exchange of roles, got to do a race near home for a change rather than making the (often comically ill-fated) trek to faraway places. Saturday’s race was the Maillot Juane (French for ‘yellow jersey’) Road Race, three laps of a semi-rolly 22-km circuit. The course was fairly straightforward—except for the short section of badly weathered asphalt bumpy enough to rattle the teeth out of one’s head. Or the bottle out of one’s bottle cage!

On the first lap, Jessi and I each lost a water bottle through the bumpy section. With the mercury on the rise and headed for uncomfortably hot, we were forced to ride a conservative second lap for fear of running out of water in the heat. One lap three, Hagerty Cycling, with four riders racing, was keen to get something going, putting in several successive attacks. As they lost enthusiasm, Jessi and I took over, countering each other and stringing out the field through the longer rollers. But Priority Health rider Mackenzie Woodring, a World Road and Time Trial Champion on the tandem as pilot for vision-impaired rider Karissa Whitsell, was keen to keep anything from getting off the front.

With Mackenzie showing obvious strength throughout the whole race, I kept a close eye on her. Nearing the finish, Mackenzie followed an escape effort by Jessi with an attack. I was immediately on her wheel. The plan worked perfectly—for Priority. Less than 1000 m to go, my momentum slowing as Mackenzie feigned exhaustion, Mackenzie’s Priority Health teammate Amy Stauffer blasted past with a counter attack, Susan Vigland (Hagerty) a bike length behind. With the finish on a slight downhill slope, Amy had the advantage. I reversed my momentum, stormed around Susan and reeled in Amy, catching her about 3 meters AFTER the line. So it was, Amy (1^st), me (2^nd), Susan (3^rd), with Jessi and Sarah finishing well in 7^th and 8^th.

Me, Sarah, and Jessi the Juicer

After a marathon wait for podium presentations where we enjoyed munching on race-supplied apples and bananas and much-craved refined carbohydrates in the form of French baguettes, we lounged the afternoon away. That is, until it was time to juice.

Jessi, recently having acquired a juicer only months before, had brought with her not only the said instrument of torture (yes, torture) but a variety of myriad mostly green items to juice as well. Jessi the Juicer (official name) took the helm. No vegetable was safe. Broccoli, carrots ,kale, dandelion leaves, who knows what else went into the little compartment at the top and came out liquid on the other end. Lucky as I am, I was granted the privilege of the first glass. Yum. After that, Sarah and Jessi decided some orange segments—perhaps a whole orange—were necessary as well. And two more glasses of green goodness were created and downed. Newly sprouted hair on our chests, we were ready to tear up the road on Sunday.

Sarah off the front in an early attack

Sunday brought us Le Champion Pavé Criterium in historic downtown Flint, pavé referring to the 500-m brick section of the course, the remnants of one of Michigan’s oldest brick paved roads laid down nearly 100 years ago. Keen to take control of the race, Jessi, Sarah, and I put in successive attacks for the first 10-15 minutes of the race, finally launching Jessi with third placed rider Susan. Seeing the threat, omnium leader Amy went on the chase and I caught a ride on her wheel. Jessi and I drove hard to establish the break and, perhaps for relief from further ABD attacks, the bunch was complacent to let us go. The setting was perfect for ABD victory. Until… Count not thy chickens that unhatched be.

Jessi driving the pace through the brick in the break

With the race not yet midway, thoughts focused on preserving the break, I didn’t consider the seemingly remote possibility of lapping the field. But lap the field we did. Still ten laps of the one-mile course to go, and there they were in site in front of us. Perhaps Jessi and I had had too much juice.

Disbelief and then disappointment ran through my head. Disbelief because lapping a field on a long, oblong course such as this usually takes some doing. We were riding hard, but not that hard. The field must have sat up and slowed to an absolute crawl on our departure. And disappointment because lapping the field was not in the best interest for me and Jessi. We had the advantage with Amy and Susan isolated from their teammates. Despite our best efforts to prevent the reunion, Amy had different ideas. We were all back together within four laps.

Not sure what I'm smiling about!

Two things were against us here. One, the slow pace of the field had given Mackenzie, who had worked hard early in the race shutting down our attacks, a chance to recover from her earlier efforts. And two, lapping the field meant that Amy was reunited with her teammates, in particular a very experienced Mackenzie who no doubt would give her a fierce leadout.

Less than 1 km to go in the race, as the field bunched up through the tight 160-degree corner at the bottom of the course, Mackenzie and Amy launched through the chaos clear of the field. I reached Amy’s wheel as we entered the brick. Out of the saddle, finish line in sight, we began our sprint. Funny thing about sprinting on an uneven surface like brick. It can be a bit tricky. At times, spectacular. My sprint ended up being spectacular, but in a bad way—fortunately not bad enough to be head turning, but bad enough to cause concern. Especially mine.

The decisive sprint

Amy stayed low over her saddle, keeping her rear wheel weighted. I, on the other hand, did not. My unweighted rear wheel skipped badly on the uneven surface of the brick and I abandoned my sprint in favor of staying upright. Amy blasted through the finish for the win to secure the Omnium victory. I was lucky to have enough clear road behind me to hold on to second place for second in the Omnium, while Jessi finished not far behind in fourth. Awesome! No doubt lessons learned here will come in handy in three weeks’ time when we return to the bricks, this time in Grand Rapids Michigan, for the Grand Cycling Classic.