Plans Come Together
The VeloVixens second race of the season was the Raccoon Mountain Road Race near Chattanooga, TN.
We went in with a plan, and I had the immense pleasure of seeing it unfold exactly the way we wanted it to. It started neutral, with all the CAT 4 women riding easy in the pack together. Once the referee flagged us forward though, all bets were off, and it wasn't long before my teammate Dreama and I took the front. Once again, once I got up there, none of the women on the other teams allow me back into the peleton. They were quite content to sit on my wheeland let me do all the pulling. Here I am at the front of the pack once again.
Those girls behind me didn't know what we had in store for them. Dreama and I bounced them fast slow fast fast slow, surging ahead as if to make a breakaway, then easing way back as if accepting that we couldn't shake them, only to jump forward again hard and fast. Worried that we were strong enough to make the breakaway and stay off the front, they couldn't afford not to chase each time we surged up. What they didn't realize was that sitting behind them following comfortably and never having to work themselves to do it were our teammates. We hit the stairstep climb on Cummings Highway fast and hard with one last surge, and Dreama bounced them a little more in the first step of the climb, just to ensure they were well exhausted. That's when our girls Gina and Colleen made their move. Climbing sure and steady, practically floating up after being able to sit back and enjoy the ride for the first half of the race, they passed all those girls we'd just beaten up like they were standing still while I sat back and let the race go on without me. I'd done my part, it was now up to the climbers to bring it home.
Bring it home they did, too. By the time they hit the bottom of the last climb, no one could touch them. Gina took first, Colleen took second and both were a good minute ahead 3rd place as the first chase kept hanging on to Dreama's wheel. I, using my incredible descent, caught another teamate, Cathi, and working together nearly caught that chase peleton. At the base of the second climb I had Cathi get in front of me and let her shoot up after them.
In conclusion, our results made the effort and sacrifice worthwhile and overshadowed the miserable weather we rode in. Perhaps if I'd not been pulling and surging into a massive headwind for the first half of the race I'd have had enough git-up and go to catch that chase group. As it was, I just didn't see the need to waste the energy for it. I'd done my job, and I was happy to sit back and enjoy the ride.
We went in with a plan, and I had the immense pleasure of seeing it unfold exactly the way we wanted it to. It started neutral, with all the CAT 4 women riding easy in the pack together. Once the referee flagged us forward though, all bets were off, and it wasn't long before my teammate Dreama and I took the front. Once again, once I got up there, none of the women on the other teams allow me back into the peleton. They were quite content to sit on my wheeland let me do all the pulling. Here I am at the front of the pack once again.
Those girls behind me didn't know what we had in store for them. Dreama and I bounced them fast slow fast fast slow, surging ahead as if to make a breakaway, then easing way back as if accepting that we couldn't shake them, only to jump forward again hard and fast. Worried that we were strong enough to make the breakaway and stay off the front, they couldn't afford not to chase each time we surged up. What they didn't realize was that sitting behind them following comfortably and never having to work themselves to do it were our teammates. We hit the stairstep climb on Cummings Highway fast and hard with one last surge, and Dreama bounced them a little more in the first step of the climb, just to ensure they were well exhausted. That's when our girls Gina and Colleen made their move. Climbing sure and steady, practically floating up after being able to sit back and enjoy the ride for the first half of the race, they passed all those girls we'd just beaten up like they were standing still while I sat back and let the race go on without me. I'd done my part, it was now up to the climbers to bring it home.
Bring it home they did, too. By the time they hit the bottom of the last climb, no one could touch them. Gina took first, Colleen took second and both were a good minute ahead 3rd place as the first chase kept hanging on to Dreama's wheel. I, using my incredible descent, caught another teamate, Cathi, and working together nearly caught that chase peleton. At the base of the second climb I had Cathi get in front of me and let her shoot up after them.
In conclusion, our results made the effort and sacrifice worthwhile and overshadowed the miserable weather we rode in. Perhaps if I'd not been pulling and surging into a massive headwind for the first half of the race I'd have had enough git-up and go to catch that chase group. As it was, I just didn't see the need to waste the energy for it. I'd done my job, and I was happy to sit back and enjoy the ride.
posted by WarKitty at
9:43 PM
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