The 2007 Tour de 'Toona Stages 4-7

Reading Harry Potter #7 by the bathroom light so the rest of the team could sleep (or so I thought until Kacey snagged this photo of me). Love ya, Kacey.

Stage 4: Hollidaysburg Circuit Road Race
96.6 km / 60.0 mi
This was the worst stage yet for me. The course was relatively flat compared to yesterday and the day before, so I was expecting a little bit of a break. What came was a shock. Lipton and Webcore drilled it from the line. I was in the back on the start line and couldn’t get to the front for the whole first lap of three. I saw the front a couple times on the second lap, but I got dropped on the climb before the finish. I finished the last lap with seven or eight other girls and only lost about 9 minutes. I dropped back to 42nd in the GC. After the race, I got to meet Phil, our team sponsor who followed Theresa Cliff-Ryan from skating to cycling when she made the switch. I finished Harry Potter today and now I can finally rest in peace.

Stage 5: Martinsburg Circuit Road Race
123.6 km / 76.8 mi
This was the easiest stage yet. It started out fast, but slowed up on the second lap of four. There were sprint points available every lap that Theresa was aiming for. They key was to be near the front through town and I made sure that’s what I did the second and third times through. A helicopter followed the race the entire time, getting the whole thing on tape from the air. Sometimes it would swoop down so that it was only feet above the corn fields along the course. Once got close enough to blast us with turbulence and the entire pack swerved. It began to rain on lap three and by the time we were on the same stretch in lap four, the lightning was cracking all around us. It rained so hard that many of us thought at first that it was hailing. Fortunately, the girls took the turns safely. I avoided one crash by hopping up on the curb and into the grass. I finished the race with the group and moved up into 40th in the GC. Still, I was aware that my Achilles tendon was really beginning to bother me. I felt it twinge a little on stage 4, but there’s no doubt about it now. I iced it when we got back to the hotel.

Stage 6: Blair County Road Race
158.5 km / 98.5 mi
This stage is generally thought to be the hardest stage of this tour. It started out alright, but I was really hurting, both my legs and my Achilles. I got dropped about 25 miles in and rolled into the first feed zone with a TIBCO rider. Even riding moderate with her, I could feel the immense strain on my left ankle. There was no way I was going to complete the 10, 3, and 5 mile climbs of the day in that state and make it in before the time cut. I got in the car with Kacey in the feed zone and didn’t finish the race. Theresa won the both sprints of the day for five sprint points each. That night I slept ten and a half hours strait.

Stage 7: Altoona Criterium
48.3 km / 30 mi
I didn’t get to watch the race today because I had to head back to Kutztown with my ride. I heard it was a very fast race. Theresa rode the whole thing with a slow leak in her front tire. She didn’t notice it until after the race. She still came in second in the points competition even with that bit of bad luck.

The 2007 Tour de 'Toona Stages 1-3

Cramped in the car after stage 2

6 bikes, 5 people, 2 coolers, endless spare wheels, 1 station wagon

Stage 1: Team Time Trail
17.1 km / 10.6 mi
The team I’m guest riding for, Verducci Breakaway Racing, doesn’t have a GC rider, so there wasn’t any pressure on us for the team time trial. All five of us used our road bikes without aero bars. We still rode strong; it just wasn’t worth bringing another five bikes and endless aero equipment along for a stage we really weren’t focusing on. We’re going for the green jersey for Theresa Cliff-Ryan, our sprinter.

Stage 2: Vintondale to Cairnbrook Road Race
78.2 km / 48.6 mi
Today’s stage went very well for me. I finished in the first group of riders and got 28th place. There were two climbs: 2.1 and 2.2 miles long respectively with a points sprint between them. I made it up the first climb easily (considering the terrain and who I was racing). One part was so steep that the moto near me simply rolled to a halt and toppled over. The downpour began after the second climb. I was glad for it. For one, it makes things interesting and prevents me from becoming complacent, and for two, years of swimming have taught me to suffer when I’m drenched. Still, that’s not to say I wasn’t scared out of my mind descending down those mountains when I couldn’t see the road in front of me. For all I knew I could be about to ride off a cliff. In the back of my mind I was seeing that one crash that they keep showing on Versus where the guy flips over the guard rail and his bike goes flipping up in the air. But I made it to the finish line alive. My teammates rolled over the line in the second and third groups back.

Doesn’t that sound like enough of an adventure for one day? Well did you know that it’s possible to fit six people, five bikes, and endless spare wheels and equipment into a Volvo station wagon? We drove back to start crammed in together like that because we couldn’t wait around in the rain for someone to get the second car.

Stage 3: Johnstown to Altoona Road Race
154.3 km / 95.9 mi
This stage also went well for me, all things considered. I got run off the road into a ditch and crashed less than a mile before the big climb of the day. I was up instantly getting my chain back on, and the neutral support mechanic was right there to help me and give me a push. Gary was there in the team car to make sure I was alright. I looked down at myself and my bike as I held onto the car. My handlebars were twisted sideways, drastically unaligned with the wheel. I pointed it out to him, but I kept going without fixing it so that I could catch up to the group before the climb. I sprinted back through the caravan and caught the group right as they hit the climb. I managed to hold my own up the climb but I didn’t make it in with the first groups. I slid back into 33rd in the GC. Although everyone was exhausted that night after the race, I was mid-chapter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when they decided to hit the lights. I went into the bathroom to finish the chapter (picture to come). They all thought that was quite hilarious and made fun of me for being one of those fanatic HP fans. But they know nothing. In my opinion I was pacing myself quite well. Last time I was up only for restroom breaks and food and I couldn't see right for a couple hours after I finished. But in my circle of friends that's quite normal.

Nationals 2007

Podium: U23 Criterium

I have to say that nationals did not go as well as I expected, but then again I wasn't really sure what to expect. This was my first year racing U23, and I knew it would be a big step up - just how big I didn't know.

I managed to pull out a respectable finish in the time trial despite boyfriend and equipment troubles the morning of the race. I was feeling horrible in the criterium - gapping myself off when the field accelerated, but I was able to hold my position around the critical final turn and sprint for third (see pic above).

The road race was - what can I say - a learning experience. They combined the U23's and the elite women and, with almost 5,000 feet of climbing, it was going to be a really hard race. I made it up the five-mile climb on the back stretch, but a hard acceleration up the next hill was enough for me. I looked around and somehow I'd managed to drop back to last wheel. Well, that was that. I was NOT going to ride another 35 miles on that course by myself, no matter how much Kacye (sorry, Kacye) tried to persuade me.

Throughout the weekend, I saw many of my friends from Florida. The Brannigans and the Gerbers were there as well as Will Willis and his dad. Ashlyn Gerber won the 13-14 criterium, and Michelle Blake took 3rd in the 10-12 criterium and time trial, so a hearty congratulations to them both.

So, now I'm back in Kutztown lazing around as usual. It's a wonder I can even write this since most of the town doesn't have power right now. I got home from nationals yesterday afternoon and was so tired that I went to bed at around 9:30.

At 10:15 it began to storm and the unusually loud rain (which turned out to be hail) woke me up. The wind was blowing like mad and an unusually large quantity of water was coming in through the window. There were voices in the hall so I closed the window, got dressed, and went downstairs. That's when we lost power. I went in search of my cell phone (flashlight) while lightning was striking everywhere around the house - then all of a sudden a huge CRACK. I bumped into Rebecca in the hall - she was saying something about the tree in the back yard. The dog was going berserk, and I began to get scared. It was exactly like the hurricanes, but without the two days notice.

We went downstairs and I began to wonder if we were going to have to use the basement - thank god for basements. Then we heard a horrible screaming - the cat was still outside. I'd never heard a cat make such a racket as that and it didn't help to calm me down. I also don't think I've ever seen Rebecca move so fast off the bike. She ran to open the door and the cat dashed inside. It was still hailing really hard. But then, almost as soon as it started, it was over. The whole thing lasted maybe fifteen minutes. We went outside and could see the flashlights of other people and a huge tree in the road a few houses down from us. The sirens started a minute later. It sure looked like there had been a tornado, but it could have just been all the lightning and wind. We stayed outside for awhile, but I soon went back to bed. I swear, that storm was probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened in this town.

Results

Iron Hill Twilight Criterium

I was pretty happy about my performance at this race, that is, my performance up to the sprint finish. I was in every significant break, one consisting of all of the big girls (Laura Van Guilder, Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Rebecca Larson, Sarah Caravella, Brooke Miller) + me. If you go to usacrits.com, you'll see that these women are currently ranked 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th in the USA crit series. This particular break started after a prime sprint. Rebecca won and I stuck on her wheel around the first turn. We worked together to stay off, but Laura and the rest bridged after a couple laps. Once they got up to us, none of the fast women were willing to work together and some of the girls were able to catch back up to us. Oh, well.

The rest of the race had exploded. By 10 to go, there were, I'd say, about 15 of us left. I had a horrible position around the last turn and I couldn't make up for it in the sprint. In the end, I got 10th. I was a little upset about the finish, but there were other, more important things to cheer me up. Rebecca introduced me to Theresa Cliff-Ryan (national crit. champion and winner of the 2007 tour of Sommerville). Theresa was impressed with my ride and might be able to get me on her team (Verducci Breakaway Racing) for the Tour de Toona, the $50,000 + stage race which is coming up after nationals. Then, after Toona, I'm coming home to Orlando for a couple weeks to see my friends and get ready to move into my new apartment in Gainesville. I'll also probably going to get to do some of the Orlando group rides that I haven't done in over a year. I'm looking forward to beating up on some of the hometown guys. Watch out!