World Series of Bicycling- 2008 (Track)
Festival of Speed- Featuring the 10km International Women’s Challenge.
Friday night, 18th July, 2008
Sprint Qualifiers were at 5pm, I figured that I had nothing to lose by having a go at these, it had been nearly a year since I had done a flying 200m. On a longer track, such as this 333m, the (fastest) line that you take to maximise your speed is different from our home track in Perth. Kaarle McCullock (now known as McCola from Art the announcer), Laura McCaughney, Liz Reap-Carlson, Dana Feiss and a few more USA girls were all good sprinters. Only 12 would qualify and the enduros like Cath Cheatley were not having a go, like me, perhaps not wanted to shown up by the sprint talents of Kaarle. Kaarle qualified first with a time of 11.8secs. I was 5th with 12.6secs, I was happy enough with this actually. The wind was up and with my deep dish wheels I certainly felt the wind going through turns 3 and 4 on the effort, I was actually concerned that I would not stay on my bike, interesting experience for being on the track.
Sprint first round (3-up- 2 laps): I was against Nina Santiago (USA) coached by Kurt (pictured here), and Dana Fiess (USA). I played it well, taking them high, until I took my eye off Fiess for a second, as I was about to jump, she jumped first and it was all over (I got second).
Sprint repecharge: Again, Jack Simes was my holder (pictured below). We were told that the first three would make it through to the next round. This didn’t seem right as we would be here all night, so I asked again; it doesn’t matter if I come 1st, 2nd or third? The answer was again yes, so I am thinking we are in for a long night and all I needed to do was come second. So second I came.
There was some confusion after this, as basically I needed to come first in the repecharge to stay in the sprints, as Jack had heard them say the bit about coming 1-3rd and making it through, he went a questioned the decision. They could not even tell me when I was next racing and what places it would be for. I was a little bit disheartened by the organisation of the racing.
In the end they remembered us, I raced a 4-up for 7th-10th. Jack suggested that I keep the pace high, save something for the back straight, and something for the finsh. So I lead out (drawing 1- closest to the bottom of the track) and kept the lead for the whole race, coming 7th overall. I was disappointed, and would have like to had held onto my fifth spot from qualifying. I won money for this however.
Next race; moving forward. The Supersprint. I have never raced one of these before, basically it is a elimination/miss-and-out until half of the field is gone, then it turns into a scratch race. So if there is 20 girls, the first 10 laps are an elimination, then the last 10 are a scratch race (first across the line is the winner). I was playing (what is called) the Devil at the back of the race, not wanted to get caught underneath. So just sitting at the back and sprinting through turn 4 to come over the bunch just before the line. Girls were getting eliminated and the call over the loud speaker (whilst we were on the back straight) that everyone was safe and it was now a scratch race. I went to settle in at the back of the bunch (rather than sitting high on the track) and crossed the line last (half a lap later). I was called that I had been eliminated, I was confused as we had just been told that we were all safe. So I came off and watched the rest of the race from the pits. Needless to say I wasn’t happy.
Final race for the night was, 10km International Women’s Challenge. I was keen to do well in this, it was a straight out scratch race, nice and simple. Rick Lee’s Budget Forklift girls were there, so they were being aggressive off the front, no one was really chasing and there was a bit of negativity from the group. Mikala Anderson was off the front for a few laps, I was happy to leave her out there for a bit, but then the bunch was not pulling turning and bringing her back. I attacked and met up with her quickly (at this point, I should have kept on going, as we were pretty far ahead in the field, she sat up and the Budget girls were chasing me down, I know these tactics).
Festival of Speed- Featuring the 10km International Women’s Challenge.
Friday night, 18th July, 2008
Sprint Qualifiers were at 5pm, I figured that I had nothing to lose by having a go at these, it had been nearly a year since I had done a flying 200m. On a longer track, such as this 333m, the (fastest) line that you take to maximise your speed is different from our home track in Perth. Kaarle McCullock (now known as McCola from Art the announcer), Laura McCaughney, Liz Reap-Carlson, Dana Feiss and a few more USA girls were all good sprinters. Only 12 would qualify and the enduros like Cath Cheatley were not having a go, like me, perhaps not wanted to shown up by the sprint talents of Kaarle. Kaarle qualified first with a time of 11.8secs. I was 5th with 12.6secs, I was happy enough with this actually. The wind was up and with my deep dish wheels I certainly felt the wind going through turns 3 and 4 on the effort, I was actually concerned that I would not stay on my bike, interesting experience for being on the track.
Sprint first round (3-up- 2 laps): I was against Nina Santiago (USA) coached by Kurt (pictured here), and Dana Fiess (USA). I played it well, taking them high, until I took my eye off Fiess for a second, as I was about to jump, she jumped first and it was all over (I got second).
Sprint repecharge: Again, Jack Simes was my holder (pictured below). We were told that the first three would make it through to the next round. This didn’t seem right as we would be here all night, so I asked again; it doesn’t matter if I come 1st, 2nd or third? The answer was again yes, so I am thinking we are in for a long night and all I needed to do was come second. So second I came.
There was some confusion after this, as basically I needed to come first in the repecharge to stay in the sprints, as Jack had heard them say the bit about coming 1-3rd and making it through, he went a questioned the decision. They could not even tell me when I was next racing and what places it would be for. I was a little bit disheartened by the organisation of the racing.
In the end they remembered us, I raced a 4-up for 7th-10th. Jack suggested that I keep the pace high, save something for the back straight, and something for the finsh. So I lead out (drawing 1- closest to the bottom of the track) and kept the lead for the whole race, coming 7th overall. I was disappointed, and would have like to had held onto my fifth spot from qualifying. I won money for this however.
Next race; moving forward. The Supersprint. I have never raced one of these before, basically it is a elimination/miss-and-out until half of the field is gone, then it turns into a scratch race. So if there is 20 girls, the first 10 laps are an elimination, then the last 10 are a scratch race (first across the line is the winner). I was playing (what is called) the Devil at the back of the race, not wanted to get caught underneath. So just sitting at the back and sprinting through turn 4 to come over the bunch just before the line. Girls were getting eliminated and the call over the loud speaker (whilst we were on the back straight) that everyone was safe and it was now a scratch race. I went to settle in at the back of the bunch (rather than sitting high on the track) and crossed the line last (half a lap later). I was called that I had been eliminated, I was confused as we had just been told that we were all safe. So I came off and watched the rest of the race from the pits. Needless to say I wasn’t happy.
Final race for the night was, 10km International Women’s Challenge. I was keen to do well in this, it was a straight out scratch race, nice and simple. Rick Lee’s Budget Forklift girls were there, so they were being aggressive off the front, no one was really chasing and there was a bit of negativity from the group. Mikala Anderson was off the front for a few laps, I was happy to leave her out there for a bit, but then the bunch was not pulling turning and bringing her back. I attacked and met up with her quickly (at this point, I should have kept on going, as we were pretty far ahead in the field, she sat up and the Budget girls were chasing me down, I know these tactics).
I started talking to the other girls in the bunch, explaining what was going to happen with the Budget girls continuing to attack and that we needed to work together the chase and counter. In the last few laps there was some good moves, I put in a big chase with about 4 laps to go and thought I was done, but then found something (granted, a little late) to move up from about 10th spot to finish third. I was happy with this, Laura McCaughney won (although it quite clearly says Cheatley on the electronic scoreboard (see photo). Main results. Interesting first experience at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome. I am now pretty comfortable with the track and look forward to racing again on Tuesday night for Pro-am (which is professional riders and amateurs mixed, for no prize money). There is no Friday night racing this week, so I am arranging some crit/road racing.
We watched the racing on TV on Saturday arvo (as you do when you are staying in Trexlertown) and had the commentry on it, which was good fun. I have been for rides and hanging out with such pioneers and influential people of cycling in the US; I went for a ride with Jack Simes (velos first Director and first Race Director of criterium racing in the USA) (pictured here with Kurt), chatted and rode with Paul Pearson (one American first pro team riders- Shimano/Panasonic) and met Bill Strickland (Bicycling Magazine Editor) at post-racing drinks. Dougie and Scottie are riding like champs.
Ciao for now, thanks for reading
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