crashes, dirt roads and golf ball size hail

My week of traveling and racing came to a close this past weekend. It actually ended a lot earlier than i had planned and it didn't even come close to the way i had hoped it would go. The much anticipated Nature Valley Grand Prix pretty much turned out to be a big black mark on my racing for 2006, at least that's how it feels anyway. I was coming off a pretty exciting week. Philly was good to me. Even though i should have had a better result, it felt good to finish that race and know I rode a solid race with some of the best in the world. Fast forward to the first stage of Nature Valley which happened to be a 5 mile flat TT.

I was scrambling last minute trying to find anything remotely aero i could throw on me or my bike. I did end up using a disc rear wheel, a tri spoke aero front and a freaking aero as it gets LASER TT helmet. See the picture attached. NO I AM NOT SMILING, I am hurting. The TT wasn't as bad as i thought but it still didn't feel good. I finished up 69th out of 133. Since it was only my 2nd TT of the year I wasn't too disappointed. I figured there was plenty of racing left in the week to make up GC spots.

Boy was i wrong, the second stage of the race was a RR in Cannon Falls, MN. Nobody really had any information on this race. It was a new addition from last year. I went into the race feeling confident and not worried at all. The race started out on a QOH (queen of the hills). The pace went from the get go but i was sitting comfortably in the pack. I had even moved up to the top 20 or so. Shortly after the 10 mile mark, someone on the left side of the pack did something stupid and caused a huge pile up. Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the pack and got caught right in the middle. I did not go down but had to unclip and maneuver around people on the ground. By the time i got through and looked up the road, Webcor had attacked and a group of 20 were way off the front. This led to one hell of a strung out train trying to catch. Not only was it so freaking windy but everyone was gutter riding AND there was a 2 mile stretch of dirt and gravel road that the race proceeded through. Somewhere during the crash or right after I tweaked my hamstring. While we were riding as hard as we could i began to feel a sharp pain in my left hamstring. Shortly after that i could barely turn the pedals over. I was not generating any power. It was the worst feeling. I have not felt anything like that yet this year. I pulled out of the train and let most the riders go past. I had to stop or at least slow down and get a grip on what i was feeling. After the feed zone which was 27 miles in I hooked up with a group that was chugging along at a pace that was tolerable. I knew that out here on the prairie with no help we would more than likely not make the time cut. The last 30 miles were miserable. My only motivation was to get off the bike and go lay down. This was definitely my lowest point of the season. Once I arrived at the finish I went straight to the medic tent to have my hammy checked. This place was more popular than the finish line. So many riders were lined up waiting to have medical attention. It made me mad. WHY does every race seem to have a bad crash and why do we keep racing knowing that we are going to crash? I really needed some time off. Time off i got.

I was time cut from the race. The next morning i went to TRIA medical center and had an MRI done on my hamstring. I was praying I did not tear a ligament. That would have been worse case scenario. Instead I got a report of a strained hamstring with fluid around it. The doc said it needed rest, ice and stretching. Since i was out of the race i was sure i would have plenty of time to do those things.

Nothing is harder than being at a race and not being able to be in the race but if i had to pick one stage I am glad i got to miss, it was the downtown Minneapolis criterium on friday night. As the girls were warming up on their trainers all the sudden the skies opened up and a huge storm blew in. This wasn't your typical storm. The streets were filled with water and golf ball size hail began to fall. Lucky me i had just made a visit to the beer tent. I figured the only was i could handle the agony of this horrid weather and not racing was to numb myself with a few beers. Great idea. I found it most humorous that i didn't have to go diving into corners with the fastest girls in America on that Friday night. In retrospect i look back and wish i could have been there.

It's now Wed. There is a local crit going on in Nashville tonight. It's the www.nashvillecyclist.com crit series. It's a great way to get that midweek intensity and hang out with some cool bike people. I am feeling better. The hamstring injury is not as bad as i first thought. I did discover today that I rode with my saddle 1 INCH, THAT IS HUGE, too low for philly and nature valley. I knew something wasn't right...

I also received my new BLUE Time Trial frame today. Go to www.rideblue.com and check out the T12 and see what you will now see me on. I am in serious training for TT and Road nationals which take place on July 6 and 8th in Seven Springs, PA. Took a couple of days off and now it's back to the bike with a new improved attitude.













Here are some pics that were on cyclingnews.com from the nature valley grand prix while i made my short race appearance. DON'T laugh at my TT helmet. I borrowed it from a CANADIAN. She couldn't help it! The announcer for the race said it was the fanciest aero helmet of the day! The one where my head is buried, well yeah I am probably crying at this point in the race or pretending to so the photographer wouldn't take my picture but he did anyway.

Philly

I was just having a conversation with a fellow racer about Sunday’s big race the Liberty Classic in Philly. We were talking and he asked me if I was nervous about the race and I told him that it is the most nerve racking race for me because I am always so SCARED because I don’t want to crash. It got me thinking that most races I enter I am not afraid of my competition, how hard it’s going to be or even how I am going to finish. It’s always about me being afraid of crashing. Racing is stressful and to top things off if you are always worried about crashing how can you ever win if you are always playing it safe? Unfortunately, Philly is one of those races where you don’t have to wander if there will be crashes it is WHEN are the crashes going to happen? Sure enough for the past 2 years I have done this race they always happen in the stretch leading up to the Maniuk Wall on the first lap. If you can make it to the wall on the first lap then chances are you will finish the race. I have come to the conclusion when you enter this race you have a 50% chance of crashing maybe even a little more. This year only 78 girls finished out of 160ish racers.

The start list going into Philly showed 191 starters. I would say realistically there were maybe 150-165 racers that actually suited up and lined up on the start line. If you have ever raced a race that big then you know it is possibly one of the most motivating and frightening things to look around you and see some really great riders and then look around and see some riders that you know you need to move away from immediately. This year I was lucky enough to find the team East Coast Velo and was able to guest ride for them. I was sporting the navy and orange kit. I owe them a big thanks for having me!

The gun went off and the peloton was flying around the fountain and onto Kelly Dr., where we would spend a good portion of the day. Kelly Dr. is the main thoroughfare for the race. The men’s and the women’s peloton would pass each other several times on this long windy wind open road. Unfortunately this road is where the wrecks typically take place. You have lots of aggressive riding and jockeying for position. Several times the road narrows from 4 lanes to 2 lanes and riders try to squeeze you out if you are on the sides even though that is the safest place to be and may be the most difficult due to the wind.

Within the first 20 minutes the first wreck occurred. This one was bad and took out tons of riders. For those riders that didn’t go down but got stuck behind it this can be just as bad. The peloton always accelerates and leaves those in the crash way behind to try to catch on. Typically you have to work so hard to catch once you get to “the wall” you are so blown that you can’t climb with the lead group and then you get dropped and pulled. On this day, unfortunately another crash occurred about a minute later taking another large group of the peloton down or out of the race.

Lucky ME I made it through both crashes without a scratch. For once I picked the right side of the peloton and stuck with it. I knew that most the crashes happen on the left side but on this day the crashes were spread all over the road and I just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Maybe I am finally learning to ride in a huge pack! So we take off drilling the pace to the bottom of “the wall”. Hard right turn, hard left turn under the bridge and you are on the climb. This climb is not your typical steep climb. You have thousands of people lined up all along the wall screaming and cheering for you. This scenario is WHY I race. If this setting can’t motivate you to get your ASS up the hill then I don’t know what can. Today I was feeling pretty good. I hit the climb seated and pushed as long as I could in the saddle. When it reached a gradient I could no longer hold, I bounced out of my saddle SO HAPPY I had put on that 27 gearing and continued up to the top which seemed like it took for FREAKING EVER! When I hit the top I was in good position. Everybody seemed to settle in and get ready to hit the decent. This is a pretty sketchy decent. The roads in Philly aren’t the best. There are big potholes everywhere and the roads are shredded. Girls are bouncing all over the place and the peloton is completely strung out. The wind was bad which makes for a tough day. There is nowhere to hide and all you can do is hang onto that wheel in front of you.

1st lap down and I am feeling good. The next lap is by far the hardest. The pace was pushed and the peloton was getting very aggressive. I tried my 2 minutes of fame by going off the front just to see how my legs were really feeling. They weren’t feeling as great as I thought. A NZ girl bridged up to my then countered my attack. I decided it was time to retire back to the pack and save myself for the next 3 times up the wall. Good call on my part.

I made it up each lap with the lead group. The fourth and final lap I made it to the top. I was just about there and all the sudden a girl was coming over on me. I had no where to go but over right into the girl’s wheel in front of me. I rubbed her wheel and took a hard left into the barriers. I actually even knocked a little kid off the barrier. Hope he was ok but I didn’t have the time to wait and see. I threw it in reverse and luckily there were still a few girls coming up the hill. We busted our butts to catch on to the lead group but they were gone. The wind was too much and our legs were drained. I was very disappointed because I felt I had a raced a smart race and felt pretty good. That little crash at the top cost me a top 30 finish. Instead I finished 58th. Last year, my first go at the Liberty Classic, I finished 86th. It’s an improvement but I wanted better.

The Liberty Classic is one of my favorites. The city of Philly is a great place to visit. My host for the weekend, David Richwine of LAMDA Cycling, was absolutely the best host! I couldn’t have asked for a better situation. Thanks to Chris and Lies for all their support as well! It was a fun weekend.

I am sitting in a little coffee shop in Minneapolis getting ready to start The Nature Valley Grand Prix stage race tomorrow. This is a 5 day stage race all around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Today was stressful because the bike and bag didn’t make it here when I arrived last night. It was actually lost for 12 hours. I am ok and got my ride in today.

Keep checking for posts during the race. I hope to keep you updated most of the week.
Thanks for reading!

1st ever Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race turns out to be a success on several levels!

When a bunch of local racers get together and decide to put on a cycling race, I truly believe we never really consider everything that is involved. Most local racers around this area are put on well but I have to say the Edgar Soto Stage Race showed TN and other surrounding states that a quality stage race can be accomplished and appeal to the amateur categories rather than just the pros and that the bar for local racing has been raised.

I have just come off a stint of racing 3 stage races in 3 weekends. I sit here writing this blog wishing I had more energy to go for a ride on a day where I really have absolutely nothing to do, which is very rare. Fortunately for me, it’s raining outside. That must be a sign that I should take a rest day and get caught up on my correspondence and race recaps.

All week long I have been looking forward to writing this one so here it goes.
The Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race, from here on out called ESMSR, is a stage race that has kept me awake at night for the last few weeks. Not because I was nervous to race it but more because I thought there might be a chance it was going to be cancelled.

For those of you who don’t know, I am currently working for Mr. Stephen Collins @ Juris, Inc or TriStar Cycling who happened to be the head race director of Edgar Soto which means I was “unofficially” asst. race director. My job description included all the items you can possible think of and then a whole list of items you would never think of. I walked in the door on Sunday night at midnight from the TriPeaks race to see an email that said I was supposed to go to Spencer, TN Monday morning to recon stage 4. Not gonna happen! That was less than 5 hours and I was already feeling a sore throat coming on not too mention I had rode 2 stages in 24 hours that was close to 170 miles. I knew this week was going to be brutal. So many things to finish and only 4 days till the start of the race.

The week leading up to ESMSR the registration numbers were looking grim. I had no doubt that Stephen wouldn’t hesitate to call the whole thing off if we didn’t reach 300 racers. In the last day before online registration closed we had a large jump in numbers putting us at over 330 racers. Not quite sure why it took racers so long to decide if they wanted to enter a stage race or not. It’s not like you just get up the morning of the race and say, “oh I think I am gonna give this 4 day stage race a try, why not.” It’s just not like that. Stage racing takes preparation and training but apparently not in this neck of the woods. With hard work from MOAB, TriStar Cycling and Gran Fondo Cycles, the race looked like it would indeed take place.

We made it to Friday and everything was going smooth. I was disappointed to find out that there were only 20 women registered for the event. I wasn’t surprised. Anytime there are other races going on in the southeast the women’s field always suffers, in fact I just got a report that the GA cup race only had 20 women as well. A grand idea would be to work out a deal with the GA cup race and have them become involved in the stage race and have TBRA support at least one GA cup race. Imagine a local race with over 40 women, OH MY GAW!!!

The TT got underway and most the racers were decked out in their full aero gear. Thanks to Gerry Hayden for letting me borrow his TT helmet. I think that helped shave at least 5 seconds, or something like that really it just made me feel fast! About 30 minutes before our start the sky opened up and the rain and lightening came. Everyone said the roads were slick and to take it easy in the turns. My biggest nightmare, I hate racing in the rain so much. As it turned out, the street dried some and the TT went well for me. The course was 6.9 miles long and had just enough rolling hills to work to my advantage. I felt fast and may have looked faster than I was but when the results came back, I had taken the lead by 30 seconds and would wear yellow in the crit the next day.

The crit came early the next morning but my team was ready to go. Luckily my teammates, Jenny Trew, Caroline and I had been racing some NRC crits in the past couple of weeks so we were used to starting at the gun and riding at a blistering pace for shorts bursts of time. In this race it was our turn to set the pace. We went from the gun. I got on the front and went all out, with Jenny on my wheel. I looked back to find the group strung out one by one. This was a good sign. I wasn’t quite sure all the some of the handling skills of the others in the pack so we wanted to eliminate that from the equation. During lap two I looked back only to find 5 of us left and Kenda tire definitely had the advantage. There were 3 of us from Kenda, one tristar rider and one Albertos rider. Jenny, Caroline and I were relentless. We wanted to take the sprinters jersey during this crit too and we did. On the 1st bell lap I led Jenny out win the first sprint of the day. After that lap we dropped the Albertos rider. That left my two girls and Rachael Tatum from TriStar. The situation Rachael was in couldn’t have been pleasant. She really had to just try and hang on while we took turns attacking her until Jenny got off just like we had planned. Jenny took the next sprint bonus and Caroline and I continued to work over Rachael. I kept Jenny up the road and I set tempo on the front. We wanted to keep me in yellow and get Jenny in the sprinters jersey. At the end it worked just as planned. Jenny won the stage and I sprinted in for 2nd and Caroline took 3rd. A clean sweep for the KENDA girls and from then on the KENDA domination continued.

Stage 3 was a circuit race that included several rolling hills throughout and a couple of sprint lines to keep things interesting. Our plan for this race was to get Caroline the win since she had worked hard in the crit to secure our success. Once again KENDA started the pace high and dropped several girls from the beginning. With the 1st lap down, Jenny and I put it in high gear. Our plan was to snatch up all the time bonuses with us switching who takes 1st and 2nd. Our plan worked. With 1k to go we brought the tempo up and she led me out to take the first sprint. On the 2nd lap we did the same thing except I led her out. It was fun to be in control and really work together as team to accomplish our goals.
With one lap to go it became miserably hot. Our group seemed to be struggling up the hills so each KENDA rider would take turns pushing the pace up the hills. With 5k to go I told the girls I was going to go off the front and try to secure yellow. With 3k to go I launched an attack on a roller and made a solid gap. My teammate Caroline jumped with me and bridged up with 1k to go. I told her lets go and I told her to take the sprint. This was her win. We held it and Jenny T took the field sprint. It was another successful day for KENDA taking 1, 2, and 3 in the stage and keeping the yellow and green jersey for another day.

I was looking forward to Stage 4 all along. I knew I could put some time on the group once we got to base of the last climb. I had never ridden it before but felt like if I set a good pace up the climb that I could keep yellow. Our team goal was to keep the yellow and green jersey and take the overall. When your team holds all the cards all the responsibility lies on you. This meant it was going to be a long day in the front. We set a nice tempo for the first 20 miles. With 1k to the sprint line, KENDA got to the front to start the train. Jenny was on my wheel and I was leading her out. I started a little early but kept a good pace that nobody but Jenny could hold. She came around me and then I jumped back on her wheel and we took 1st and 2nd for the sprint. That sprint triggered the pace. Into the park we were driving the pace up some of tough rollers. We lost a girl during that section. Into the decent Jenny T decided to change a flat. She got back on and we decided we needed to make things more interesting and try to get someone up the road. With a series of attacks and counter attacks we managed to launch Chamblee off the front. Once she was off and out of sight our group slowed. We had managed to wear the others down with some very good attacks. We rolled all the way to the base where I took over. I started the climb with a decent tempo and kept it throughout the climb. Eventually I was alone on the climb and with 1k to go passed my teammate, Chamblee. She had a tremendous ride that day and finished 2nd in the stage. With 200 meters to go I rounded the corner and spotted the finish. I zipped up my yellow jersey and rode in for the win. It was a great way to end the stage race. I was super happy from the performance of my team. They worked so hard all weekend and did everything right. I even was lucky enough to get some local publicity through the Tennessean. Here is an article from this past weekend: click here

All in all Edgar Soto was a great success because all the local racers/clubs from TN did a great job in supporting this event and spreading the word to the surrounding states. I have no doubt next year will be bigger and better. The positive feedback we have received has been very overwhelming. Of course, there are many things we can do better next year but in the short-term; I think the it was a fantastic first year race.

Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success!

This Saturday I am off to Philly for the Wachovia Liberty Classic, the one day race with the ever-popular Munyiak Wall, and then onto Nature Valley Gran Prix for another exciting stage race. Stay tuned for more race news and new picutures at www.robinfarina.com

I would like to add, I was particularly proud of a certain former PRO racer aka the "Sheetah" who came out of a 13 year retirement stint to race the Edgar Soto Race.
Not only did he finish up 13 overall GC in the Masters category, he even had a podium finish sprinting the field for 3rd place in the Stage 3 Circuit Race. And if you weren't quite sure the above photo seems to show somewhere around 40 extra lbs but he still can "gut" up a result. See the attached picture to see if you recognize him from a long time ago at the '89 Tour de l'Avenir when he rode for the US National Team in the stars and stripes. Yes, that is really Bob Roll chasing him...

TRIPEAKS or 3 mountains over and over again

It's been like 2 whole weeks since i have had a chance to sit down and recap. A lot has gone on since last time i wrote. First let me start by saying 3 stage races in 3 weeks is something you seriously need to consider before attempting. I thought it would be no problem and that my body would be able to handle it, well it's 4 days after and i still feel like i have been hit by a train.

SO today i am taking a much-needed day off. Thanks to my very kind boss I am sitting in my pajamas, drinking some yummy coffee and typing away on the computer. AH the life of a wanna be PRO, this is what they get to do EVERY day. For me, it's a much needed treat.

So here it goes, back to TriPeaks two weeks ago. I wasn't sure i was going to make this trip back to ARkansas. TriPeaks is held in the little town of Russellville, with apparently 3 hills/mountains that surround it. Yes, you guessed it that is what we would be racing over in the back to back stages. This stage race was not as heavily attended as Joe Martin but would end up be just as challenging. The first stage started out on Friday night. It happened to be the hottest day I had encountered yet this year. It was 93 degrees when the crit started at 6pm. The crit started fast. The course was pretty flat but had a couple of technical turns. There was an also a harsh side-wind blowing on the long straight away. After several attempts to be in different breaks, a winning break was made. Unfortunately i wasn't in it. I truly believe i worked too hard at the beginning. That and also being behind that one rider that "always" opens up gaps. I knew this while sitting on her wheel but at the time was too tired to move around. That's what you get for being lazy. So the break went off and I ended up getting on the front and starting a chase. A few of my teammates tried to help but we weren't successful. By the end, my group was a minute and some change down from the leaders. Not the way you want to start going into a 3 mtn climbing day on the next stage.

Stage 2 played out how i expected. I would get caught by myself on the climbs. I have come to the realization that I can not yet climb with the lead group but i am a better climber than the rest of the field, which can be quite frustrating. I always find myself in the middle of the race thinking, should i kill myself and try to hang on to those top climbers and maybe be able to hang on or should i conserve and make it over the climb feeling much better and then go on the chase. Still haven't figured that one out. I guess it all depends on how much you got left at the end for the finish. Stage 2 was 92 miles. 92 miles is a freaking long day of racing. We finished with a time of 4 hours and 45 minutes on the bike and again in the 2nd group. A couple of minutes down from the leaders.

Stage 3 was 82 miles and finished on an 18% 3 mile climb. Most everyone was tired by the 3rd day so the pace was a little slower. We climbed two of the climbs from the day before but we climbed these at a much more mellow speed. Victory Brewing, local Kat Carroll's team, had 10 riders in our pack and had the GC leader. Knowing it was going to be a very long day, the pack let Victory do all the work, I mean all the work. On the first climb, a Cheerwine rider went off the front. Nobody felt like chasing and the pack didn't consider her a threat since she was quite a bit behind. We should have paid more attention. She ended up staying away the entire race and won the stage. It was a remarkable finish. After she went, there were several attempts to catch her later in the race. Kat Carroll put up a great effort to catch her and was off the front from the beginning of the 2nd climb till the final steep climb. Her efforts should be commended. It takes lots of guts and determination to solo off the front.

Finally, we reached the base of the 3rd and monster climb. My teammate, Jenny Trew, Alisha Lion and our host family for the weekend were staying in a cabin on top of Mt. Nebo. We got to see the climb everyday from the car. This climb consisted of 9 tight switchbacks and a long straight away at the top to the finish. After riding this several times in the car and dreading the climb, it was time to put an end to this epic stage. Victory Brewing set a hot pace going into the base of the climb, once we hit it there was an automatic split. Everyone would climb Nebo at their own pace. Alisha Lion set the pace, which was blazing. She is definitely a climber and was planning to make her move at the base. She did and left most of us watching her ride away. I got into my rhythm and found a good pace. I passed several girls on the way up and finished 15th for the day. At the top, i was so tired and freaking hot all i could do was pour cold water on my head. I swear i thought i was having a heat stroke. Luckily the cabin where we were staying was only 100 meters away. I headed straight there and went and laid down. You just can't find climbs like that in Nashville. It's too bad b/c it nice to know what 18% mountain top finish feels like before you try it for the first time!

I finished up 14 in the GC for the race. I wasn't super thrilled but it was a decent effort for a rather hilly race. As soon as the race was over, my teammate I headed to Nashville. Lots to do before Edgar Soto. Stay tuned for my recap of the 1st Ever Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race.