Control the controllables; your attitude and your effort (Jennie Finch, Softball Player)

The International Tour de Toona (NRC) Criterium
(version 1, still waiting for video and photos)
Altoona, PA
Sunday, 27th July, 2008
65km criterium

Results (top 5):
1 Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine Cycling)
2 Iona Wynter Parks (Colavita/Sutter Home)
3 Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Kenda Tire)
4 Davina Summers
5 Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home)
Full results

Race Data:
HR avg: 179bpm
HR max: 184bpm
Speed avg: 37.5km/hr
Speed max: 58.3km/hr

Race report (edited from cyclingnews.com): (and just for the record, I am not racing for the USA).

Laura Van Gilder added another victory to her career tally of over three hundred career wins, winning the International Tour de Toona’s downtown criterium. Van Gilder won a two-up sprint ahead of break away companion Iona Wynter Park (Colavita-Sutter Home). Jacquelyn Crowell (Kenda Tire) won a two-up sprint to take third place ahead of chase group companion Davina Summers (USA). The pair broke away from the main field with nine laps to go and held off the chasing bunch for the last podium place.
"I didn’t know what to expect because it’s a really well known race with a lot of money so I thought I should come out and see what would happen," said Crowell pleased with a podium finish.

The Tour de Toona was well known for offering equal prize money between the Pro men and women peloton, unchanged in lieu of the event’s considerable downsize. Race directors Larry Bilotto and Rick Geist continued to pave the way for sport parity offering a $15,000 prize purse to each field. "I have always been a big believer in the women’s peloton deserving the same prize money as the men but, for the same distance raced," said Geist.
The pro women’s field took on the same 65-kilometre criterium as the men and with the same vigor.

Third placed, Crowell started a string of attacks on the first lap. She was eventually pegged back by the third lap and immediately countered by Van Gilder and Wynter-Park.
The pair gained a sizeable lead over the circuit’s grueling hills and technical chicanes, courtesy of Van Gilders fast-paced tempo. "I didn’t have that many options available for me in a break with Van Gilder," said Wynter-Park. She was obliged to sit on the winner’s wheel given that her team’s leading sprinter, Tina Pic, sat back in the field. "There are some classy ways to do it and some not so classy ways to do it," continued Wynter-Park. "Once we got further away, my only options were to try to attack her on certain points of the course or lastly to sprint in the end, hoping that she was tired from her work in the break."

With no significant organization from the main field, the pair’s lead grew to over one minute. Upon seeing twelve laps to go, Australian Laura McCaughey (Juice Plus) launched herself into what looked like a potential bridge to the leaders. However, the main field felt her threat to the remaining podium place and quickly pulled her back.

Summers countered McCaughey’s return, gaining ten seconds on the field before Crowell bridged across to her. The pair dangled behind the leaders, securing their third and fourth places.

My attack was not calculated, I was just riding up the main hill, thinking: I don’t like the way this race is playing out, some of the teams needed to get together and attack, we turned the corner and before I knew it I was off, around the moto (Damian (XP Multimedia), who was videoing the race) and down the hill.

We had a fun 3 ½ hour drive to the race, my temporary room mate; the hilarious Kacey Manderfield (Verducci/Breakaway) and I were catching a ride with Kate Veronneau (Kutztown Cutters) and her fiancee, Mike (plus their dog, Major). I was extremely impressed with the organisation of the event and was asked by the Director if I would “come back and do the stage race next year?”

So, for my last NRC race in the USA for 2008, I was pleased with my result. How incredibly impressive was it to be standing on the podium with some of the most awesome riders in the USA/world.