2nd of 20-25(?)
Teammates: None
Course: 1.7 mile circuit- 1k downhill with a couple tight turns, followed by a gradual uphill to a "hilltop" finish
This race was somewhat of an after thought- it was added to my racing calender last week as a good opportunity to grab some upgrade points. The course suited me well- a decent climb with a hilltop finish. Gotta love those :)
I warmed up for the race and felt the fatigue of the previous day's BtC TT and 1.5 hr ride. Luckily the race started out at a very manageable pace, so I had time to continue warming up and scope out the course and riders. I had been warned that timing the sprint at this race would be difficult because I would need to start sprinting before I could see the finish line. I found a spot that was roughly 200m away from the finish to keep in mind for the final lap.
There were two large teams represented in the field, so I decided to not waste too much of my energy on the front. I found that I lost my position on the downhill, but always found a good wheel to save energy for the uphill, where I had no trouble moving up. Besides one solo effort, the pelaton stayed together for the entirety of the race which set me up for my favorite kind of the sprint: the uphill kind. I had expected riders to jump early, but found just the opposite to be true. I stayed second row during the climb, but found that all the girls on the front were riding abreast and blocking any attempt to start a sprint. Finally, the field shattered and I managed to pick my way through to the line (just about in the gutter) in a close second.
All in all, a good race- complete with Thin Mints and $$$ :)
Anne Fulton
Bates College '08
http://anniefulton.wordpress.com/
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